Professor
of Marine Science Department of Marine Science 1020 Balch Blvd. Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-9904 phone: 228-688-1178 fax: 228-688-1121 alan.shiller@usm.edu Complete resume and additional course information
can be found: http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w305860
EDUCATION
Ph.D.
Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
University of California, 1982
B.S.
Chemistry, Caltech, 1975
RESEARCH
INTERESTS
Trace
elements in natural waters; marine and estuarine
chemistry; chemistry of rivers and weathering;
global carbon system; sedimentary fluxes.
At present, most of the work in my lab involves
trace element studies, although we are also
involved in some sediment studies and have recently
completed some basic oceanic hydrographic work.
Over the years, I have worked in many different
areas of geochemistry ranging from sediment
studies to radionuclide studies to studies of
the oceanic carbon dioxide system. Thus, I am
prepared to help students interested in most
any sort of geochemically-oriented project.
My
lab has a wide variety of research tools including
a clean lab, a high resolution inductively coupled
plasma mass spectrometer (HR-ICP-MS), field
flow fractionator, gamma counter, ion chromatograph,
and flow injection analysis equipment.
We're particularly proud of the HR-ICP-MS
(Finnigan Element 2) which is far more sensitive
than optical ICP and conventional quadrupole
ICP-MS instrumentation.
Current Research
Reactive trace elements in the open ocean: We've
been examining the distributions of certain
trace elements that have air-borne sources,
including manganese, lead, aluminum, and gallium.
The work should shed light on input of dust,
pollutants, and trace nutrients to the ocean.
This work is part of an international program
sponsored by the International Oceanographic
Commission as well as the National Science Foundation.
Trace
element and nutrient behavior in the outflow
region of the Mississippi River: This is a dynamic
and highly productive coastal region which is
subject to seasonal oxygen depletion in the
bottom waters. Also, the region is interesting
because some of the river water enters the northern
Gulf of Mexico near the shelf break while the
rest of the water enters the Gulf of Mexico
through a shallow bay and broad shelf. Hence,
we can study the effect of the physiographic
setting on biogeochemical processes. Additionally,
it appears that we can link trace element distributions
with nutrient distributions to help constrain
the shelf nutrient budget.
Trace
elements in rivers and streams: Surprisingly
little is known about the concentrations of
many dissolved trace elements in rivers and
what processes control those concentrations.
Our work has examined the mechanisms of seasonal
concentration variations in the Mississippi
River, the effect of weathering processes on
dissolved trace element ratios, and the global
variability of concentrations. Our work has
been supported by the Environmental Protection
Agency, the National Science Foundation, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S.
Geological Survey. Current work involves studies
of controls of Fe and Mn in the Mississippi
and other rivers as well as seasonal studies
of the Loch Vale watershed (Colorado) and the
Yukon River.
COURSES
Marine
Chemistry (MAR 541) Sea water
chemistry and cycles and their impact on the
marine environment.
Estuaries
(MAR 655) An introduction to estuary
processes and ecology with discussion of the
impact of human activities.
Aquatic
Chemistry (MAR 683) Principles
of inorganic and physical chemistry applied
to quantitative description of processes in
natural waters.
Marine
Sedimentary Environments and Geochemistry
(MAR 684) Environments of marine
sedimentary deposition are examined followed
by an examination of sedimentary geochemistry
and how the geochemistry is related to environment.
Global
Carbon System (MAR 641) An examination
of the biogeochemical cycling of carbon through
global systems with an emphasis on the problem
of climate change.
Seminar
in Marine Science (MAR 689) A
course examining the fundamentals of and providing
experience in presenting the results of scientific
research in scientific meetings.
2006 Shiller, A.M., S. Duan, P. van Erp, and T.S. Bianchi. Photo-oxidation of dissolved organic matter in river water and its effect on trace element speciation. Limnology and Oceanography 51: 1716-1728.
2005 Shiller, A.M. and T.H. Stephens. Microbial manganese oxidation in the lower Mississippi River: methods and evidence. Geomicrobiology Journal22: 117-125.
2004
Yuan, J., and A.M. Shiller.
Hydrogen peroxide in deep water of the North
Pacific Ocean, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31,
L01310, doi: 10.1029/2003GL018439
2003
Shiller, A.M. Syringe filtration
methods for examining dissolved and colloidal
trace element distributions in remote field
locations. Environmental Science & Technology
37(17): 3953 - 3957. doi:10.1021/es0341182
2002
Shiller, A.M. Seasonality of Dissolved
Rare Earth Elements in the Lower Mississippi
River. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
3 (1) 1068, doi: 10.1029/2002GC000372.
(http://www.g-cubed.org)
2000
Shiller, A.M. and L. Mao. Dissolved vanadium
in rivers: Effects of silicate weathering, Chemical
Geology165: 13-22.
1999
Shiller, A.M. An overview of
the marine chemistry of the Gulf of Mexico.
In: The Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem:
Assessment, Sustainability and Management,
H. Kumpf, K. Steidinger, K. Sherman, eds., Blackwell
Science.
1999
Shiller, A.M. and L. Mao. Dissolved
vanadium on the Louisiana shelf: effect of oxygen
depletion, Continental Shelf Research 19:
1007-1020.
1997
Shiller, A.M. Manganese in
surface waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Geophysical
Research Letters 24: 1495-1498.
1997
Shiller, A.M. Dissolved trace
elements in the Mississippi River: seasonal,
interannual, and decadal variability, Geochimica
et Cosmochimica Acta 61: 4321-4330.
1996
Shiller, A.M. and D.M. Frilot.
The geochemistry of gallium relative to aluminum
in Californian streams. Geochimica et Cosmochimica
Acta 60: 1323-1328.
1996
Shiller, A.M. The effect of
recycling traps and upwelling on estuarine chemical
flux estimates. Geochimica et Cosmochimica
Acta 60: 3177-3185.
