Siobhan A. (Sasha) Wilson

Postdoctoral Fellow

Environmental Mineralogy and Geochemistry

Office: GY207
Phone: 812-675-4939
Email: siowilso@indiana.edu

Educational Background

Ph.D., 2009, The University of British Columbia – Vancouver
M.Sc., 2005, The University of British Columbia – Vancouver
B.Sc. (Hons.), 2003, McMaster University

Research Interests

My primary interests are in the broad field of environmental mineralogy and geochemistry. My research deals with the use of minerals as recorders of weathering and nutrient cycling in near-surface environments. More specifically, my work focuses on (1) the identification of microbial biosignatures within minerals with applications to astrobiology and (2) low-temperature CO₂ sequestration, via abiological and biologically-aided fixation of carbon within minerals.

Recent Publications

Wilson, S.A. and Bish, D.L. (2011) Formation of gypsum and bassanite by cation-exchange reactions in the absence of free liquid H₂O: Implications for Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research – Planets, in review.

Bea, S.A., Wilson, S.A., Mayer, K.U., Dipple, G.M., Power, I.M., and Gamazo, P. (2011) Reactive transport modelling of natural carbon sequestration in ultramafic mine tailings. Vadose Zone Journal, in review.

Power, I.M., Wilson, S.A., Small, D., Dipple, G.M., Wan, W., and Southam, G. (2011) Microbially mediated mineral carbonation: Roles of phototrophy and heterotrophy. Environmental Science & Technology, in review.

Schuiling, R.D., Wilson, S.A., and Power, I.M. (2011) Silicic acid saturation is unlikely to limit the geoengineering potential of enhanced silicate weathering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A., 108 (12), E41. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1019024108.

Power, I.M., Wilson, S.A., Dipple, G.M., and Southam, G. (2011) Modern carbonate microbialites from an asbestos open pit pond, Yukon, Canada. Geobiology, 9, 180-195. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-4669.2010.00265.x.

Mills, S.J., Whitfield, P.S., Wilson, S.A., Woodhouse, J.N., Dipple, G.M., Raudsepp, M., and Francis, C.A. (2011) The crystal structure of stichtite, re-examination of barbertonite and the nature of polytypism in MgCr hydrotalcites. American Mineralogist, 96(1), 179-187.
doi: 10.2138/am.2011.3531.

Wilson, S.A., Barker, S.L.L., Dipple, G.M., and Atudorei, V. (2010) Isotopic disequilibrium during uptake of atmospheric CO2 into mine process waters: Implications for CO₂ sequestration. Environmental Science & Technology, 44(24), 9522-9529. doi: 10.1021/es1021125.

Mills, S.J., Wilson, S.A., Dipple, G.M., and Raudsepp, M. (2010) The decomposition of konyaite: Importance to carbon fixation in mine tailings. Mineralogical Magazine, 74(5), 903-917.
doi: 10.1180/minmag.2010.074.5.903.

Whitfield, P.S., Davidson, I.J., Mitchell, L.D., Wilson, S.A., and Mills, S.J. (2010) Problem solving with the TOPAS macro language: Corrections and constraints in simulated annealing and Rietveld refinement. Materials Science Forum, 651, 11-25. doi: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/ MSF.651.11.

Wilson, S.A., Raudsepp, M., and Dipple, G.M. (2009) Quantifying carbon fixation in trace minerals from processed kimberlite: A comparative study of quantitative methods using X-ray powder diffraction data with applications to the Diavik Diamond Mine, Northwest Territories, Canada. Applied Geochemistry, 24(12), 2312-2331. doi: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2009.09.018

Wilson, S.A., Dipple, G.M., Power, I.M., Thom, J.M., Anderson, R.G., Raudsepp, M., Gabites, J.E., and Southam, G. (2009) Carbon dioxide fixation within mine wastes of ultramafic-hosted ore deposits: Examples from the Clinton Creek and Cassiar chrysotile deposits, Canada. Economic Geology, 104(1), 95-112. doi: 10.2113/gsecongeo.104.1.95

Power, I.M., Wilson, S.A., Thom, J.M., Dipple, G.M., Gabites, J.E., and Southam, G. (2009) The hydromagnesite playas of Atlin, British Columbia, Canada: A biogeochemical model for CO₂ sequestration. Chemical Geology, 260(3-4), 286-300. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2009.01.012

Mills, S.J., Groat, L.A., Wilson, S.A., Birch, W.D., Whitfield, P.S., and Raudsepp, M. (2008) Angastonite, CaMgAl2(PO4)2(OH)4 •7H2O, a new phosphate mineral from Angaston, South Australia. Mineralogical Magazine, 72(5), 1011-1020. doi: 10.1180/minmag.2008.072.5.1011

Power, I.M., Wilson, S.A., Thom, J., Dipple, G.M., and Southam, G. (2007) Biologically induced mineralization of dypingite by cyanobacteria from an alkaline wetland near Atlin, British Columbia, Canada. Geochemical Transactions, 8, article 13.doi: 10.1186/1467-4866-8-13