Research Projects:
1. Formation of submarine metalliferous sediments
- Examined mineralogy and crystal chemistry on a nano-scale to investigate the REY substitution into the bioapatite crystal lattice.
- Investigated mineral composition of the Fe-Mn micronodules from different burial depths to reveal the mineralogical transformation of Fe-Mn minerals during early diagenesis.
- Developed a chemical leaching scheme to separate the potential REY-carrying phases and to quantify the percent of REY held by each phase.
- Clarified the Sr-Nd isotopic of sediment and bioapatite to trace the origin of REY.
- Deciphered the elemental contents and geneses of the layer-grown structure of the ferromanganese nodule to build connections to paleoclimate.
2. Enrichment mechanisms of REEs in bioapatite fossils in deep-sea sediments
- Analyzed the elemental contents of deep-sea sediment to find the essential REY carrier.
- Conducted LA-ICP-MS analysis to reveal the concentration and spatial distribution of REY within bioapatite fossil teeth.
- Examined microscale mineralogy and crystal chemistry of the bioapatite by using TEM.
Selected peer-reviewed publications:
Deng, Y., Guo, Q., Liu, C., He, G., Cao, J., Liao, J., Liu, C., Wang, H., Zhou, J., Liu, Y., Wang, F., Zhao, B., Wei, R., 2022a. Early diagenetic control on the enrichment and fractionation of rare earth elements in deep-sea sediments. Sci. Adv. 5466.
Deng, Y., Guo, Q., Zhu, J., He, G., Yang, Y., Cao, J., Ren, J., Liu, Y., Famiyeh, L., Guo, B., Wang, H., Liao, J., Zhou, J., Cheng, S., Zhao, B., Jiang, X., 2022b. Significant contribution of seamounts to the oceanic rare earth elements budget. Gondwana Res. 112, 71–81.
Liao, J., Chen, J., Sun, X., Wu, Z., Deng, Y., Shi, X., Wang, Y., Chen, Y., Koschinsky, A., 2022. Quantifying the controlling mineral phases of rare-earth elements in deep-sea pelagic sediments. Chem. Geol. 595, 120792.
Li, D., Fu, Y., Hollings, P., Mitchell, R.H., Zurevinski, S., Kamo, S., Zhang, R., Zhang, Y., Liu, Q., Liao, J., Liang, Y., Sun, X., 2022. PL57 garnet as a new natural reference material for in situ U–Pb isotope analysis and its perspective for geological applications. Contrib. to Mineral. Petrol. 177.
Chen, X., Sun, X., Wu, Z., Liao, J., Chen, H., 2021. Formation of Fe-Mn coatings on foraminifera from the ultraslow-spreading southwest Indian Ridge: Implications for hydrothermal and diagenetic overprints in sediments. Ore Geol. Rev. 138, 104377.
Jiang, X., Sun, X., Chou, Y., Hein, J., He, G., Fu, Y., Li, D., Liao, J., Ren, J., 2020. Geochemistry and origins of carbonate fluorapatite in seamount Fe-Mn crusts from the Pacific Ocean. Mar. Geol. 423, 106135.
Liao, J., Sun, X., Li, D., Sa, R., Lu, Y., Lin, Z., Xu, L., Zhan, R., Pan, Y., Xu, H., 2019a. New insights into nanostructure and geochemistry of bioapatite in REE-rich sediments: LA-ICP-MS, TEM, and Z-contrast imaging studies. Chem. Geol. 512, 58–68.
Liao, J., Sun, X., Wu, Z., Sa, R., Guan, Y., Lu, Y., Li, D., Liu, Y., Deng, Y., Pan, Y., 2019b. Fe-Mn (oxyhydr)oxides as an indicator of REY enrichment in the deep-sea sediments from the central North Pacific. Ore Geol. Rev. 112, 103044.
Guan, Y., Ren, Y., Sun, X., Xiao, Z., Wu, Z., Liao, J., Guo, Z., Wang, Y., Huang, Y., 2019. Fine scale study of major and trace elements in the Fe-Mn nodules from the South China Sea and their metallogenic constraints. Mar. Geol. 416, 105978.
Ren, Y., Sun, X., Guan, Y., Xiao, Z., Liu, Y., Liao, J., Guo, Z., 2019. Distribution of Rare Earth Elements plus Yttrium among Major Mineral Phases of Marine Fe–Mn Crusts from the South China Sea and Western Pacific Ocean: A Comparative Study. Minerals.
Li, D., Fu, Y., Sun, X., Hollings, P., Liao, J., Liu, Q., Feng, Y., Liu, Y., Lai, C., 2018. LA-ICP-MS trace element mapping: Element mobility of hydrothermal magnetite from the giant Beiya Fe-Au skarn deposit, SW China. Ore Geol. Rev. 92, 463–474.
Sa, R., Sun, X., He, G., Xu, L., Pan, Q., Liao, J., Zhu, K., Deng, X., 2018. Enrichment of rare earth elements in siliceous sediments under slow deposition: A case study of the central North Pacific. Ore Geol. Rev. 94, 12–23.
Zhou, H., Sun, X., Wu, Z., Liao, J., Fu, Y., Li, D., Hollings, P., Liu, Y., Lin, H., Lin, Z., 2017. Hematite U-Pb geochronometer: insights from monazite and hematite integrated chronology of the Yaoan gold deposit, Southwest China. Econ. Geol. 112, 2023–2039.