MARINE & SUBSURFACE GEOCHEMISTRY
McDermott Lab
Research in the McDermott lab investigates the aqueous and volatile geochemistry and biogeochemistry of seafloor hydrothermal vents and ancient terrestrial fracture waters tapped by deep mines. These systems link fundamental geological and biological processes that sustain microbial life in the largely unexplored deep subsurface biosphere, and they represent modern analogues of environments that may have played a critical role in the origin of life on the early Earth. Much of our work is interdisciplinary. Collaborations with microbiologists and geologists enrich our understanding of these complex systems. We use a suite of geochemical tools, from isotopic characterization and abundance analyses to thermodynamic assessments, to reveal the origin of carbon and sulfur-containing compounds in deep vent and mine fluids.
Are these compounds generated by living things, or can they form without any contribution from life?
The team is growing. We are looking for PhD students and postdocs to join the lab at Lehigh University. Please get in touch at jill [dot] mcdermott [at] lehigh [dot] edu.
Herrera Lab
Current Members
Jill McDermott
Principal Investigator
Jill is a Chemical Oceanographer trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Jada Siverand
PhD Student
Jada is interested in exploring fluid-rock interactions and the geochemistry of hydrothermal vent systems
Esmira Bibaj
PhD Student
Esmira is interested in examining the biogeochemistry of hydrothermal vent systems
Kelden Pehr
Postdoctoral Researcher
Kelden is an Organic Geochemist trained at the University of California Irvine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Billy Dowd
PhD Student
Billy is interested in studying dissolved organic chemistry and gases in ancient terrestrial groundwater and hydrothermal vent systems.
Former Members
Grant Loescher
Undergraduate Student
Went into graduate school at Arizona State University
Connor Downing
Masters Student
Went to work at Cooper Environmental
Susan Ambrose
Masters Student
.
Tiffany Bauman
Undergraduate Student
Went into graduate school at Lehigh University
Talia Rodkey
Undergraduate Student
Went to work as an Applications and Support Engineer at Bruker Alicona
Fieldwork
From the deep ocean, to deep within the Earth's crust.
Research cruises
2021 R/V Roger Revelle/ROV Jason and AUV Sentry expedition (RR2102) to 9°50’N East Pacific Rise.
2019 R/V Manta/AUV Mesobot to the Gulf or Mexico.
2019 R/V Pelican/ROV Global Explorer to the Gulf of Mexico
2018 R/V JOIDES Resolution (Expedition #376) to Brothers Arc Volcano
2017 E/V Nautilus/ROV Hercules to Pescadero Basin
2016 R/V Polarstern/HROV Nereid Under Ice to Gakkel Ridge
2013 R/V Falkor/HROV Nereus expedition (FK008) to Mid-Cayman Rise
2012 R/V Atlantis/ROV Jason II expedition (AT18-16) to Mid-Cayman Rise
2011 R/V Okeanos Explorer/ROV Little Hercules expedition to Mid-Cayman Rise (link; via tele-presence)
2009 R/V Cape Hatteras/HROV Nereus expedition to Mid-Cayman Rise
2007 R/V Atlantis/DSV Alvin expedition (AT15-27) to 9°50’N East Pacific Rise (starboard observer on Alvin dive #4380)
2006 R/V Atlantis/DSV Alvin expedition (AT15-13) to 9°50’N East Pacific Rise (starboard observer on Alvin dive #4279)
2006 R/V Atlantis/DSV Alvin expedition (AT15-06) to 9°50’N East Pacific Rise
Expeditions on land
2022 Fluid and gas sampling at Soudan Mine Underground State Park, MN, USA
2019 Fluid and gas sampling at Soudan Mine Underground State Park, MN, USA
2016 Rock and gas sampling expedition at gold mine in Preissac, QC, Canada
2016 Rock and fluid sampling expedition at base metal mine in Sudbury, ON, Canada
2015 Rock, fluid and gas sampling expedition at base metal mine in Timmins, ON, Canada
2015 Rock core and fluid sampling campaign at Grimsel Test Site, Switzerland
2014 Borehole fluid and gas sampling expedition at base metal mine in Sudbury, ON, Canada
Publications
Govindarajan A.F. , L. McCartin, A. Adams, E. Allane, M. Belani, R. Francolinig, J. Fujii, A. Kukulya, F. Marin, K. Tradd, D. Yoerger⚓︎, J. McDermott & S. Herrera (in press) Improved biodiversity detection using a large-volume environmental DNA sampler with in situ filtration and implications for marine eDNA sampling strategies. Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers. doi: 10.1101/2022.01.12.475892
Dowd W.S, C.J. Schuler, C.M. Santelli, B.M. Toner, C.S. Sheik, K. Pehr, J.M. McDermott (2022) Potential energy sources for the deep continental biosphere in isolated anoxic brines. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 595(2022), 117720, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117720 PDF.
McDermott J. M., R. Parnell-Turner, T. Barreyre, S. Herrera, C. Downing, N. Pittoors, K. Pehr, S. Vohsen, W. Dowd, J. Wu, M. Marjanovic & D. Fornari (2022) Discovery of Active Off-Axis Hydrothermal Vents at 9°54’N East Pacific Rise. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 119 (30) e2205602119, doi: 10.1073/pnas.2205602119. PDF.
Pereira S.I., Diehl A., McDermott J.M., Pape T., Klose L., Strauss H., Bohrmann G., Bach W. (2022) Geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids from the E2-segment of the East Scotia Ridge: Magmatic input, reaction zone processes, fluid mixing regimes and bioenergetic landscapes, Frontiers in Marine Sciences. 9, 765648, doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.765648. PDF.
McCartin L., S. Vohsen, S. Ambrose, M. Layden, C. McFadden, E. Cordes, J. McDermott & S. Herrera (2022) Temperature Controls eDNA Persistence Across Physicochemical Conditions in Seawater. Environmental Science & Technology. 56(12), 8629–8639, doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01672. PDF.
Wu J.-N., Parnell-Turner R., Fornari D., Kurras G., Berrios-Rivera N., Barreyre T., McDermott J.M. (2022) Extent and Volume of Lava Flows Erupted at 9°50'N, East Pacific Rise in 2005-2006 from Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Surveys, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 23, e2021GC010213, doi: 10.1029/2021GC010213. PDF.
Sherwood Lollar B., Heuer V.B., McDermott J., Tille S., Warr O., Moran J.J., Telling J., Hinrichs K-U (2021) A window into the abiotic carbon cycle–Acetate and formate in fracture waters in 2.7 billion year-old host rocks of the Canadian Shield, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 294, 95-314, doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2020.11.026 PDF.
McDermott J.M., Sylva S.P., Ono S., German C.R., Seewald J.S. (2020) Abiotic redox reactions in hydrothermal mixing zones: Decreased energy availability for the subsurface biosphere, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(34), 20453-20461 doi: 10.1073/pnas.2003108117. PDF.
de Ronde, C.E.J., Humphris, S.E., Höfig, T.W., Reyes, A.G., and the IODP Expedition 376 Scientists (including Brandl P.A., Cai L., Cai Y., Caratori Tontini F., Deans J.R., Farough A., Jamieson J.W., Kolandaivelu K.P., Kutovaya A., Labonté J., Martin A.J., Massiot C., McDermott J.M., McIntosh I.M., Nozaki T., Pellizari V.H., Roberts S., Rouxel O., Schlicht L.E.M., Seo J.H., Straub S.M., Strehlow K., Takai K., Tanner D., Tepley III F.J., Zhang C.) (2019) Critical role of caldera collapse in the formation of seafloor mineralization: The case of Brothers volcano, Geology, 47(8), 762-766, doi 10.1130/G46047.1 PDF.
Wygel C.M., Peters S.C., McDermott and Sahagian D.L. (2019) Bubbles and Dust: Experimental Results of Dissolution Rates of Metal Salts and Glasses From Volcanic Ash Deposits in Terms of Surface Area, Chemistry, and Human Health Impacts. GeoHealth, 3(11), 338-355. PDF.
McDermott J.M., Sylva S.P., Ono, S., German C.R. and Seewald J.S. (2018) Geochemistry of fluids from Earth's deepest ridge-crest hot-springs: Piccard hydrothermal field, Mid-Cayman Rise. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, 228, 95-118. PDF.
Wang D.T., Reeves E.P., McDermott J.M., Seewald J.S., and Ono S. (2018) Clumped isotopologue constraints on the origin of methane at seafloor hot springs. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, 223, 141–158. PDF.
Warr O., Sherwood Lollar B., Fellowes J., Sutcliffe C.N., McDermott J.M., Holland G., Mabry J.C., Ballentine C.J. (2018) Tracing ancient hydrogeological fracture network age and compartmentalisation using noble gases. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta 222: 340-362. PDF
Anderson R.E., Reveillaud J.C., Reddington E., Eren A.M., McDermott J.M., Seewald J.S. , Stepanauskas R. and Huber, J.A. (2017) Genomic variation in microbial populations inhabiting the marine subseafloor at deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Nature Communications. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-01228-6. PDF.
Li L., Wing B.A., Bui T.H., McDermott J.M., Slater G.F., Moser D.P., Fisher J., Wei S., Lacrampe-Coulome G. and Sherwood Lollar, B. (2016) Sulfur mass-independent fractionation in subsurface fracture waters indicates a long-standing sulfur cycle in Precambrian rocks. Nature Communications. doi: 10.1038/ncomms13252. PDF.
Reveillaud J.C., Reddington E., McDermott J.M., Algar C., Meyer J.L., Sylva S.P., Seewald J.S., German C.R. and Huber J.A. (2016) Subseafloor microbial communities in hydrogen-rich vent fluids from hydrothermal systems along the Mid-Cayman Rise. Environmental Microbiology doi:10.1111/1462-2920.13173. PDF.
McDermott J.M., Seewald J.S., German C.R. and Sylva S.P. (2015) Pathways for abiotic organic synthesis at submarine hydrothermal fields. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(25): 7668-7672. PDF.
McDermott J.M., Ono S., Tivey M.K., Seewald J.S., Shanks III W.C. and Solow A.R. (2015) Identification of sulfur sources and isotopic equilibria in submarine hot springs using multiple sulfur isotopes. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta 160: 169-187. PDF.
Reeves E.P., McDermott J.M. and Seewald J.S. (2014) Methanethiol production in mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal fluids. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111(15): 5474-5479. PDF.
Bennett S.A., Statham P.J., Green D.R.H., Le Bris N., McDermott J.M., Prado F., Rouxel O.J., Von Damm K.L. and German C.R. (2011) Dissolved and particulate organic carbon in hydrothermal plumes from the East Pacific Rise, 9°50’N. Deep-Sea Research Part I 58(9): 922-931. PDF.
German C.R., Bowen A., Coleman M.L., Honig D.L., Huber J.A., Jakuba M.V., Kinsey J.C., Kurz M.D., Leroy S., McDermott J.M., Mercier de Lépinay B., Nakamura K., Seewald J.S., Smith J., Sylva S.P., Van Dover C.L., Whitcomb L.L. and Yoerger D.R. (2010) Diverse styles of submarine venting on the ultra-slow spreading Mid-Cayman Rise. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107(32): 14020-14025. PDF.
