Nicholas Tosca

Geochemist and mineralogist broadly interested in the relationships between natural fluids, minerals, and environmental conditions.

Research Area

My research focuses on the application of aqueous geochemistry and mineralogy to understand the processes that shape planetary surfaces and their environments through time. The molecular interactions between minerals and natural fluids drive many aspects of how our planet behaves as a system, now and in the distant past. The tools we use allow us to quantify and predict the response of Earth’s surface and subsurface to natural and anthropogenic disequilibria; they are applicable to a vast array of natural systems and important problems including global element cycles, the dynamics of planetary climates, and the habitability of modern and ancient environments.

Our group integrates theory, experiments, and field-based observations to address problems including: the co-evolution of seawater chemistry and climate through Earth's history, the environmental conditions promoting the synthesis of molecular building blocks at the origin of life on Earth, the chemical evolution of natural waters on modern Earth, and unravelling the chemical evolution of ancient environments on the surface of Mars. We work in a highly collaborative environment with chemists, climate scientists, geologists, and engineers, and are involved in research collaborations including the Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe, and the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover mission.

Project Interests

I am interested in developing projects that address any fundamental problem across a wide range of the Earth and planetary sciences, including (but not limited to): aqueous geochemistry, mineralogy, Earth history, planetary sciences, or the origins of life on Earth (which has been a recent focus). Regardless of the problem, I am most interested in developing projects that incorporate a strong element of geochemistry and mineralogy, and projects can involve any combination of experimental, theoretical, analytical, or field-based work that best addresses the problem at hand and is aligned with the student’s interests.