STEVEN TROY PETSCH
Department of Geosciences
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
265 Morrill IV-South
611 North Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01003-9297
Tel.: (413) 545-4413
Fax: (413) 545-1200
email: spetsch@geo.umass.edu
www.geo.umass.edu/faculty/petsch/
Education:
B.S. (1994) Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA with Honors, with
highest distinction. Decomposition of Carbon Monoxide in an Aqueous, Anoxic Environment and
Implications for the Composition and Oxidation State of Earth’s Early Atmosphere. Thesis advisor:
Professor James Kasting
Ph.D. (2000) Geochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
Dissertation: Weathering of Black Shales, the Geochemical Carbon Cycle and Controls on
Atmospheric Oxygen over Geologic Time. Dissertation advisor: Professor Robert Berner
Appointments:
Assistant Professor (2002-present) Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts-Amherst,
Amherst, MA
Adjunct Assistant Professor (2004, pending) Department of Microbiology, University of MassachusettsAmherst, Amherst, MA
Postdoctoral Investigator (2001-2002) Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
Postdoctoral Scholar (2000-2001) Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
WHOI scientific staff sponsors: Dr. Timothy Eglinton and Dr. Katrina Edwards
Research interests:
 transport and transformations of organic matter in natural waters, soils, and rocks
 analytical methods for characterization of natural organic matter, including analytical pyrolysis, gas
and liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance
 bulk and molecular 13C and 14C analysis to trace carbon sources and transformations
 microbial degradation of natural macromolecular organic matter
 characterization of microbial communities hosted in groundwater reserves, surface waters and
sedimentary rocks
 global biogeochemical cycles of carbon, sulfur, oxygen
 chemical evolution of earth’s atmosphere through geologic time
Current research:
 ancient sedimentary rocks as sources of aged organic carbon in modern river systems
 research funded by NSF
 concentration and elemental analysis (C,H,N,S,O) of particulate and dissolved organic matter in
major and minor drainages of Hudson/Mohawk water
 isotopic analysis (13C, 14C) of dissolved and particulate organic matter
 characterization of organic matter sources to watersheds (concentration, isotopic analysis,
composition based on elemental analysis and pyrolysis-gc fingerprinting) from rocks, soils and
wetlands
 isotopic analysis (13C, 14C) of molecular markers tracing export from rocks and soils and utilization by
aquatic microbiota
 use of GIS to develop sampling and data analysis matrix based on lithology, relief and land use types
 Gas (CH4, CO2) generation in ancient sedimentary rocks from subsurface microbial communities
 research funded by NSF and gas-industry
 distribution and origin of microorganisms in deep subsurface sedimentary environments
 characterization of dissolved and solid phase organic matter in deep sedimentary basins
 16S rDNA-based molecular phylogeny of shale-hosted subsurface microorganisms
 processing and overprinting of molecular marker signatures in organic carbon-rich sedimentary rocks
Steven Petsch Curriculum Vitae
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 mechanisms, limitations and efficiency of anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation and methane
generation in sedimentary rocks
 chemical degradation of refractory organic carbon during rock weathering
 research funded by NSF
 elemental, isotopic and structural characterization of macromolecular shale organic matter in
weathering profiles
 elemental analysis, isotope ratio mass spectrometry, analytical pyrolysis - gas chromatography, solid
state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectoscopy to determine changes in organic matter
composition upon oxidation and microbial degradation
 identification, quantification, 13C and 14C analysis of microbial phospholipids
 16S rDNA-based molecular phylogeny of weathering profile microorganisms
 organic matter dissolution rate and characterization of dissolution products
 Molecular markers of paleoenvironments and paleoclimates in ancient sedimentary rocks
 extraction, isolation and identification of hydrocarbon biomarkers from Late Cretaceous sedimentary
rocks (~90 million years old)
 correlation of molecular markers with paleoenvironmental conditions such as photic zone anoxia,
and with organic matter sources such as terrestrial plants, phytoplankton, and chemoautotrophs
Research Funding:
grants:
NSF EAR-0403960 Integrated Carbon Cycle Research Program. “Collaborative Research: Assessing the
Variability and Modification of Age, Character and Reactivity of Organic Carbon Delivered by Rivers
and Estuaries to an Ocean Margin”, $1.25M total project among 5 PIs, $225338 to UMass, Co-PI. start
date 9/1/04.
NSF EAR-0433766 Biogeosciences Program. “Active microbial methane production and organic matter
degradation in a Devonian black shale”, $437303. PI. start date 9/1/04.
NSF EAR-0106707 “Microbial degradation of refractory organic carbon during rock weathering”,
$307860. 7/01 – 6/04. Co-PI.
LLNL/Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry “Contribution of ancient organic matter to a modern
riverine carbon cycle: The Hudson-Mohawk river system, New York, USA”. Award of graduate
student training in 14C sample preparation/analysis and ~$20k worth of radiocarbon analyses. 10/03
– 9/04. PI.
Hudson River Foundation “Contribution of ancient organic matter to a modern riverine carbon cycle:
The Hudson-Mohawk river system, New York, USA”. $12,000. 8/03 – 7/04. PI.
Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America “Enhancing microbial gas generation from
unconventional reservoirs”, $72,500. 9/03 – 8/04. Co-PI.
Teaching and related experience:
Assistant Professor, UMass-Amherst Department of Geosciences, 2002-present:
GEO 597P – Biogeochemistry (newly developed course)
GEO 597P – Organic Geochemistry (newly developed course)
GEO 517 – Sedimentary Geochemistry (newly developed course co-taught with Profs. Burns and
Yuretich)
GEO 101 – Introduction to Physical Geology
Teaching assistant, Yale University, 1994-1999
Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry
Global Change, Department of Geology and Geophysics
Math and Science Tutor, Saybrook and Timothy Dwight Colleges of Yale University, 1997-1999
Teaching assistant, Pennsylvania State University Dept. of Chemistry, 1993-1994
Experimental Chemistry
Publications:
(* denotes student-authored publications and presentations)
Petsch, S.T. (2004) Inheritance of ancient organic matter: a synthesis and summary. Geoderma.
(special issue: Organic Matter Stabilization in Soils, invited manuscrip.) submitted.
Steven Petsch Curriculum Vitae
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Bolton, E.W., Berner, R.A., Petsch, S.T., and Wildman, R.A. (2004) The weathering of sedimentary
organic matter as a control on atmospheric O2: II. Theoretical Modeling. in prep.
Martini, A.M., Petsch, S.T., Nüsslein, K., and McIntosh, J. (2004) Active microbial methane production
and organic matter degradation in a Devonian black shale. in prep.
*Longworth, B.E., Petsch, S.T., and Raymond, P.A. (2004) Ancient and modern sources of river organic
matter to Hudson River headwaters. in prep., from student’s M.S. thesis.
Petsch, S.T., Edwards, K.J., and Eglinton, T.I. (2004) Microbial degradation of sedimentary organic
matter. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology (special issue: Geobiology, invited
manuscript). in press.
Raymond, P.A., Bauer, J.E., Caraco, N.F., Cole, J.J., Longworth, B.E., and Petsch, S.T. (2004)
Controls on the variability of organic matter and dissolved inorganic carbon age in northeast U.S.
rivers. Marine Chemistry (special issue honoring John Hedges, invited manuscript). in press.
*Wildman, R.A., Berner, R.A., Petsch, S.T., Bolton, E.W., Eckert, J.O., Mok, U. and Evans, J.B. (2004)
The weathering of sedimentary organic matter as a control on atmospheric O 2: I. Analysis of a black
shale. American Journal of Science 304, 234-249.
Petsch, S.T. (2003) Ch. 11: The Global Oxygen Cycle. Treatise on Geochemistry (H.D. Holland and K.K.
Turekian, eds.), vol. 8 Biogeochemstry (W.H. Schlesinger, ed.). Invited book chapter. p. 515-556,
Elsevier Science, Amsterdam.
Petsch, S.T., Edwards, K.J., and Eglinton, T.I. (2003) Abundance, distribution and 13C analysis of
microbial phospholipid-derived fatty acids in a black shale weathering profile. Organic Geochemistry
34, 731-743.
*Jaffe, L.A., Peucker-Ehrenbrink, B., and Petsch, S.T. (2002) Effects of weathering of organic-rich
sedimentary rocks on the mobility of rhenium, platinum-group elements and organic carbon. Earth
and Planetary Science Letters. 198, 339-353.
Petsch, S.T., Eglinton, T.I., and Edwards, K.J. (2001) 14C-dead living biomass: evidence for microbial
assimilation of ancient organic carbon during shale weathering. Science, 292, 1127-1131
Petsch, S.T., Smernik, R.J., Eglinton, T.I., and Oades, J.M. (2001) A solid state 13C NMR study of
kerogen degradation during black shale weathering. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 65, 18671882.
Petsch, S.T., (2001) The carbon cycle and atmospheric evolution. Marella, Newsletter of the YohoBurgess Shale Foundation. N° 14. M. Coppold, ed.
Berner, R.A., Petsch, S.T., Beerling, D.J., Popp, B.N., Lane, R.S., Laws, E.A., Westley, M.B., Cassar, N.
Woodward, F.I., and Quick, W.P. (2000) Isotope fractionation and atmospheric oxygen: implications
for Phanerozoic O2 Evolution. Science, 287, 1630-1633.
Petsch, S.T., Berner, R.A., and Eglinton, T.I. (2000) A field study of the chemical weathering of ancient
sedimentary organic matter. Organic Geochemistry, 31, 475-487.
Petsch, S.T. (1999) Comment on “Carbon isotope ratios of Phanerozoic marine cements: re-evaluating
global carbon and sulfur systems”. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 63, 307-310.
Berner, R.A. and Petsch, S.T. (1998) The sulfur cycle and atmospheric oxygen. Science, 282, 14261427.
Petsch, S.T. and Berner, R.A. (1998) Coupling the geochemical cycles of C, P, Fe and S: the effect on
atmospheric O2 and the isotopic records of carbon and sulfur. American Journal of Science, 298,
246-262.
Fisler, D. K., Mackwell, S. J., and Petsch, S. T. (1997) Grain boundary diffusion in enstatite. Physics
and Chemistry of Minerals, 24, 264-273.
Presentations:
Invited Departmental Seminars:
Tulane University (October 2004 – Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences)
Boston University (February 2003 –Department of Earth Sciences)
University of Connecticut (February 2003 – Department of Geology and Geophysics)
Lafayette College (February 2003 – Department of Chemistry/Sigma Xi)
Centre College (January 2003 – Faculty of Science)
Steven Petsch Curriculum Vitae
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Rutgers University (November 2002 – Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences)
University of Connecticut (November 2002 – Geomicrobiology Symposium)
Yale University (October 2002 – Department of Geology and Geophysics)
Rice University (October 2002 – Department of Geology and Geophysics)
University of Massachusetts-Amherst (September 2002 – Microbiology Department)
University of Rhode Island (April 2002 – School of Oceanography)
University of Chicago (March 2002 – Department of Geology)
MIT (March 2002 – Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences)
Northwestern University (December 2001 – Department of Geology)
Oxford University (February 2001 – Department of Earth Sciences)
Manchester University (November 2000 Department of Earth Sciences)
Invited Conference Presentations:
Petsch, S.T. (2003) Geochemical and Microbiological Investigations into Degradation of Organic Matter
in Black Shales. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft International Conference on Mechanisms and
Regulation of Organic Matter Stabilization in soils, Schloss Hohenkammer, Germany. Keynote
Address.
Petsch, S.T. (2001) Microbial weathering of sedimentary organic matter. 113th Annual Meeting,
Geological Society of America, Boston, MA. Invited speaker, Pardee Keynote Session - Geobiology:
its Application to Sedimentary Geology.
Petsch, S. T., Edwards, K. J., and Eglinton, T. I. (2001) Microbial activity within sedimentary rocks:
evidence from fluorescent in situ hybridizations and phylogenetic analysis of black shales. 11th
Annual Goldschmidt Conference for Geochemistry, Roanoke, VA. Invited speaker.
Berner, R., Petsch, S., Beerling, D., and Lake, J. (2001) Numerical models of Phanerozoic O 2 evolution:
carbon and sulfur isotope records and physiological response of plants to varying O 2/CO2 ratios.
European Union of Geosciences XI, Strasbourg, France. Keynote Address.
Petsch, S. T., Eglinton, T.I., and Edwards, K.J. (2000) Weathering of organic matter in black shales.
Gordon Research Conference on Organic Geochemistry, Holderness School, Plymouth, NH. Invited
speaker.
Volunteered Abstracts:
Petsch, S.T., Martini, A.M., and Nüsslein, K. (2004) Microbial diversity and community structure in
methane-generating sedimentary basins. 116th Annual Meeting, Geological Society of America,
Denver, CO, USA.
*Schillawski, S., and Petsch, S.T. (2004) Black shale: A source of dissolved organic matter in natural
waters. American Geophysical Union, Annual Fall Meeting, San Fransisco, CA, USA.
*Lundeen, Z., Brigham-Grette, J., Petsch, S., and Burns, S. (2004) Elemental and isotopic constraints
on the Late Glacial-Holocene Transgression and the paleoceanography of the Chukchi Sea. American
Geophysical Union, Annual Fall Meeting, San Fransisco, CA, USA.
Berner, R.A., Bolton, E.W., Wildman, R.A., and Petsch, S.T. (2004) Organic matter weathering and
atmospheric oxygen: a field and modeling study of black shale oxidation. IAGC Conference on
Water-Rock Interaction, Saratoga Springs, NY.
Martini, A.M., Petsch, S.T., Nüsslein, K., and McIntosh, J.C. (2003) Active Microbial Methane
Production and Organic Matter Degradation in a Devonian Black Shale. American Geophysical Union,
Annual Fall Meeting, San Fransisco, CA, USA.
*Petsch, S.T., Raymond, P.A., and Longworth, B.E. (2003) Geochemical Short Circuits: How Recycled
Ancient Organic Matter Impacts the Biogeochemical Carbon Cycle. American Geophysical Union,
Annual Fall Meeting, San Fransisco, CA, USA.
*Lundeen, Z., Brigham-Grette, J., Driscoll, N., Keigwin, L., and Petsch, S. (2003) Organic matter
isotopic analysis from Chukchi Sea sediments: New constraints on the Late Quaternary sea level
history of Beringia. American Geophysical Union, Annual Fall Meeting, San Fransisco, CA, USA.
*Longworth, B.E., Petsch, S.T., and Raymond, P.A. (2003) Ancient sedimentary organic matter in a
modern river carbon cycle: the Hudson-Mohawk river system, New York, USA. XVI INQUA Congress,
Reno NV.
Steven Petsch Curriculum Vitae
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Bolton, E.W., Wildman, R.A., Berner, R.A., Eckert, J.O., Petsch, S.T., Mok, U., and Evans, B. (2003)
Black shale weathering: An integrated field and numerical modeling study. European Geophysical
Society - American Geophysical Union - European Union of Geosciences joint meeting, Nice, France.
Peucker-Ehrenbrink, B., Jaffe, L., and Petsch, S. (2001) Towards quantifying trace and nutrient
element release rates during black shale weathering. European Union of Geosciences XI, Strasbourg,
France.
Petsch, S.T., Eglinton, T.I., and Edwards, K.J. (2001) Phylogenetic analysis of microorganisms utilizing
ancient sedimentary organic matter during black shale weathering. American Geophysical Union Fall
Meeting, San Fransisco, CA. Co-convener of session “Geologic Influences on Biogeochemical Cycles”.
Jaffe, L. A., Petsch, S. T., and Peucker-Ehrenbrink, B. (2000) Platinum group element mobility over a
black shale weathering profile. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
Petsch, S. T., Edwards, K. J., and Eglinton, T. I. (2000) Microbial degradation of organic matter in
ancient sedimentary rocks. 112th Annual Meeting, Geological Society of America, Reno, NV.
Petsch, S. T., Eglinton, T. I., and Edwards, K. J. (2000) Microbes that utilize kerogen: Degradation of
ancient, refractory organic matter during black shale weathering. 10th Annual Goldschmidt
Conference for Geochemistry, Oxford, U.K.
Berner, R. A., Beerling, D. C., Petsch, S. T., and Lake, J. (1999) Carbon isotopic fractionation during
photosynthesis: effect of changes in atmospheric oxygen. 111th Annual Meeting, Geological Society
of America Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.
Petsch, S. T., Eglinton, T. I., and Berner, R. A (1999) Weathering of ancient sedimentary organic
matter: Examining the roles of organic matter type and oxidation kinetics. Proceedings of the 19th
International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry, Istanbul, Turkey.
Petsch, S. T., Eglinton, T. I., and Berner, R. A (1999) Assessing the loss and alteration of organic
matter during weathering of black shale: implications for carbon cycling and atmospheric O 2.
Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Geochemistry of the Earth’s Surface, Reykjavik,
Iceland. 271-274.
Petsch, S. T., Berner, R. A., and Eglinton, T. I. (1998) A field study of the chemical weathering of
ancient sedimentary organic matter. 9th Annual Goldschmidt Conference for Geochemistry,
Toulouse, France.
Professional affiliations:
American Chemical Society
American Geophysical Union
American Society for Microbiology
European Association of Organic Geochemists
The Geochemical Society
Geological Society of America
Requested reviewer for:
American Journal of Science
American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund
Chemical Geology
Earth and Planetary Science
Environmental Science and
Technology
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Global and Planetary Change
Journal of Sedimentary Research
Limnology and Oceanography
Paleoceanography
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
Quarternary Research
Science
National Science Foundation
(EAR, OCE, HYDRO, BIO programs)
Natural Environment Research Council (UK)
Student Advising:
Graduate Students:
J. Gunnard (2003) Sulfate-reducing bacteria as agents of calcium carbonate precipitation. M.S.
B.E. Longworth (2004, anticipated) Contribution of ancient organic matter to a modern riverine
carbon cycle. M.S.
R. Sanderoff (2005, anticipated) Phospholipid characterization of a microbial community in a black
shale weathering profile. M.S.
S. Schillawski (2005, anticipated) Kerogen dissolution under aqueous, suboxic conditions. M.S.
Committee Member for:
Z. Lundeen (Ph.D. Geosciences)
K. Berti (M.S. Geosciences)
L. Feinberg (Ph.D. Microbiology)
Undergraduate Research:
S. Faulkner (UMass Geosciences)
M. Russell (UMass Environmental Engineering)
B. Gibney (Ph.D. Microbiology)
V. Gomez (Ph.D. Microbiology)
D. Holmes (Ph.D. Microbiology)
H. Dole (Amherst College)
R. Huang (Amherst College)
Service and Outreach:
Departmental Coordinator – UMass Environmental Health and Safety Committee (2002-present)
Member – UMass-Amherst Geosciences, Evaluations and Promotions Committee (2003-present)