Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences

Dr. Edwards jointed the department in 2016.  His research focuses on the interaction between the biosphere and environment and their evolution throughout Earth history, as recorded in the sedimentary record.  He seeks to find new ways of integrating sedimentological, geochemical proxies of paleoenvironmental conditions, and paleontological data to better understand key intervals in Earth history.  His research interests involve several sub-disciplines of geologic study, such as sedimentology, diagenesis, isotope geochemistry, chemostratigraphy, and paleoclimatology. 

Much of Dr. Edwards’s research focuses on carbonate rocks, which form through interaction of biological and geological systems.  Geochemical data extracted from carbonate sediments can be used to reconstruct environmental conditions of ancient seas and climates to provide information about likely influences on the biosphere.  His more recent research uses this approach to study the potential causes of the Late Devonian mass extinction by measuring isotopic data from Devonian carbonate rocks from the Great Basin region (Nevada and Utah) as well as across the world (e.g., Belgium, Vietnam, Mongolia).

Education

• B.S. University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
• M.S. Acadia University
• Ph.D. Ohio State University

Courses Taught

• GES 1102 - Introduction to Historical Geology
• GES 2250 - Evolution of the Earth
• GES 3800 - Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
• GES 3810 - The reef environment and geology of modern carbonate systems
• GES 4105 - Analysis and Implications of Environmental Issues
• GES 4210 - Geology Seminar

Website and CV

• Dr. Edwards' website
• Curriculum Vitae

 Recent Publications

Visit Dr. Edwards' profile on Google Scholar.

• Edwards, C.T., Jones, C.M., Fike, D.A., and Quinton, P.C., 2022, Oxygen isotope (ẟ¹⁸O) trends measured from conodont apatite using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS): implications for paleothermometry studies: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 134, p. 261–274.

• Adiatma, Y. D., Saltzman, M. R., Young, S. A., Griffith, E. M., Kozik, N. P., Edwards, C. T., ... & Bancroft, A. M., 2019. Did early land plants produce a stepwise change in atmospheric oxygen during the Late Ordovician (Sandbian~ 458 Ma)?. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 109341.

• Stigall, A. L., Edwards, C. T., Freeman, R. L., & Rasmussen, C. M., 2019. Coordinated biotic and abiotic change during the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event: Darriwilian assembly of early Paleozoic building blocks. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

• Edwards, C. T. (2019). Links between early Paleozoic oxygenation and the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE): a review. Palaeoworld, 28(1-2), 37-50.

• Edwards, C.T., Fike, D.A., and Saltzman, M.R., 2019, Testing carbonate-associated sulfate (CAS) extraction methods for sulfur isotope stratigraphy: a case study of a Lower–Middle Ordovician carbonate succession, Shingle Pass, Nevada, USA: Chemical Geology, v. 529, 119297.