Ruth Blake

Edward P. Bass Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Chemical & Environmental Engineering
Room / Office: KGL 345
Office Address:
210 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT 06511
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 208109
New Haven, CT 06520
Phone: (203) 432-3191
Email: ruth.blake@yale.edu
Degrees:
  • Ph.D., University of Michigan

Interests:

Stable isotope geochemistry, geomicrobiology, astrobiology, marine biogeochmistry, paleoclimate. Microbial cycling of P, S, Fe and related elements (C, N ) in marine sediments, deep subseafloor biosphere, Archean/early-earth and extraterrestrial systems; evolution of the phosphorus cycle and reduced-P metabolism; phosphoenzyme reaction mechanisms; O-isotope paleoproxies and studies of oxyanion (e.g., SO4, PO4, AsO4, SeO4) reactions; microbe-mineral-carbon nanotube interactions.

Selected Publications:

  • Larese-Casanova, P. and Blake, R.E. (2011 submitted) Measurements of d18O in arsenic and selenium oxyanions. Environmental Science & Technology.
  • Guo, H., Yao, J., Cai, M., Qian, Y., Guo, Y., Richnow, H.H. , Blake, R.E., Doni, S., and Ceccanti, B. (2011—submitted) Investigation of the microbial activity in long-term petroleum contaminated soils by a combination of methods. Journal of Hazardous Materials.
  • Qian,Y. Yao, J., Chen, K., Li, Z., Zhuang, R., Li, H., Zhu, Q., Song, Y. , Richnow, H.H. and Blake, R.E. (2011—submitted) Medium-term impact of oxide nanoparticles on soil microbial community and enzyme activity by combined methods. Science of the Total Environment.
  • Jaisi, D.P.†, Kukkadapu, R.K., Stout, L.M., † Varga, T., and Blake, R.E. (2011) Biotic and Abiotic Pathways of Phosphorus Cycling in Minerals and Sediments: Insights from Oxygen Isotope Ratios in Phosphate. Environmental Science & Technology, 45, 6254–6261. doi.org/10.1021/es200456e. 
  • Blake, R.E., Chang, S.J., Lepland, A. (2010) Phosphate oxygen isotopic evidence for a temperate and biologically active Archaean ocean. Nature, 464, 1029-1032.
  • Jaisi, D.P., Blake, R.E., Kukkadapu, R. (2010) Fractionation of oxygen isotopes in phosphate during its sorption/desorption to iron oxides. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 74, 1309-1319.
  • Jaisi, D.P., Blake, R.E. (2010) Tracing sources and cycling of phosphorus in Peru Margin sediments using oxygen isotopes in authigenic and detrital phosphates. Geochimica et Cosmochima Acta, 74, 3199-3212. DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2010.02.030.
  • Chang, S. J., Blake, R. E., Stout, L. M. and Kim, S. J. (2010) Oxygen isotope, micro-textural and molecular evidence for the role of microorganisms in formation of hydroxylapatite in limestone caves, South Korea. Chemical Geology, v. 276: 209-224.