Fawn Skyla Madeleine Holland

Master of Geology (MGeol)
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, Scotland

I am a geologist and geochemist. My PhD research focuses on the elemental and isotopic behavior of nitrogen during igneous and metamorphic processes, exploring its role in Earth’s nitrogen cycle over geological timescales.

By analyzing nitrogen concentrations, isotopic values, and partition coefficients in igneous and metamorphic rocks, I aim to better understand how nitrogen is stored, fractionated, and transported through Earth's systems.

Key objectives include:

1. Using nitrogen measurements from SPGs (strongly peraluminous granites) as proxies for biomass burial over billion year timescales.
2. Using nitrogen measurements from graded metamorpic rocks to speak to the effect of contact metamorphism on nitrogen concentrations and isotopic values of the host rock.
3. Study a range of evolved igneous rocks to undrestand the effect of magmatic differentiation on nitrogen concentrations and isotopic values.
4. Study mineral separates from igneous rocks to undrestand the elemental and isotopic partition coefficinets of nitrogen between different minerals.
5. Using the above points to better understand nitrogen’s behavior during magmatic differentiation, crystallization, and metamorphism.

This work will provide insights into nitrogen cycling, its fluxes between Earth’s reservoirs, and its implications for planetary habitability and life evolution.