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Email: hmw20@cam.ac.uk

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Professor Helen Williams

Fellow, Director of Studies in Natural Sciences (Earth Sciences Parts IB, II and III)
University Positions
Professor of Geochemistry
Subjects
Natural Sciences (Physical)
Specialising in
Earth sciences

Helen Williams is a Professor of Geochemistry and a Director of Studies in Natural Sciences (Physical) at °µÍø½ûÇø.

Academic interests

Helen's research centres around understanding the geochemical evolution of the Earth over the last four billion years and the role that core formation and plate tectonic processes have played in mediating the global cycling of iron, sulphur, and other redox sensitive and volatile elements.

She is also interested in surface weathering processes and how these influence the distribution of iron and other bioessential elements on the Earth’s surface.

Degrees obtained

  • MA, Cantab.
  • PhD, Open.

Awards and prizes

  • NERC Advanced Research Fellowship, 2009 to 2015.
  • European Research Council Starting Grant, 2013 to 2018.

Other interests

Fencing, running, art, painting, cooking.

Department link

Publications, links and resources

  • Pons, M.-L., Debret, B., Millet, M.-A., Bouihol, P.L., Inglis, E.I., Williams, H. M. (2016) Isotopic evidence for iron mobility during subduction, Nature Communications (in review).
  • Debret, B. Pons, M.-L., Millet, M.-A., Bouihol, P.L., Inglis, E.I., Williams, H. M. (2016) Isotopic evidence for iron mobility during subduction. Geology, published online as doi:10.1130/G37565.1.
  • Bonnand, P., Williams, H. M., Parkinson, I.J., Wood, B.J., Halliday, A.N. (2016) Stable chromium isotopic composition of meteorites and metal-silicate experiments: implications for fractionation in the disk and during core formation, EPSL, 435, pp 14-21.
  • Horner,T.J., Williams, H.M., Hein, J.R., Saito, M.A., Burton, K.W., Halliday, A.N., Nielsen, S.G. (2015) Persistence of deeply sourced iron in the Pacific Ocean, PNAS 12(5) pp 1292–1297.
  • Williams, H. M., Bizimis, M. (2014) Isotopic fingerprinting of mantle mineralogy. EPSL 404, pp 396-407.
  • Bridgestock, L.J., Williams, H.M., Rehkämper, M., Larner, F., Giscard, M.D., Hammond, S., Benedix, G., Coles, B., Andreasen, R., Wood, B., Theis, K., Schönbächler, M., Smith, C. (2014) Unlocking the Zn isotope systematics of iron meteorites, EPSL 400, pp 153-164.
  • *Gall, L., Williams, H.M., Siebert, C., Halliday, A.N., Herrington, R.J. Hein, J.R. (2013) Nickel isotopic compositions of ferromanganese crusts and the constancy of deep ocean inputs and continental weathering effects over the Cenozoic. EPSL 375, pp 148-155.
  • *Savage, P., Georg, R. B. Williams, H.M., Halliday, A.N. (2013) Silicon isotopes in granulite xenoliths: Insights into isotopic fractionation during igneous processes and the composition of the deep continental crust. EPSL 365, pp 221-231.
  • *Savage, P., Georg, R. B. Williams, H.M., Halliday, A.N. (2013) The silicon isotope composition of the upper continental crust. GCA 109, pp 384-399.
  • Wang S.J., Teng, F.-Z .,Williams, H.M., Li, S.G. (2012) Magnesium isotopic variations in cratonic eclogites: Origins and implications. EPSL 359, pp 219-226.
  • *Savage, P., Georg, R. B., Williams, H.M. ,Turner, S.P. Halliday, A.N., Chappell B.W. (2012) The silicon isotope composition of granites. GCA 92, pp 184–202.
  • Gall, L., Williams, H.M., Siebert, C. and Halliday, A.N., Herrington, R.J. Hein, J.R. Nickel isotopic compositions of ferromanganese crusts and the constancy of deep ocean inputs and continental weathering effects over the Cenozoic, Earth and Planetary Science, Letters (in press).
  • Savage, P., Georg, R. B. Williams, H.M., Halliday, A.N. Silicon isotopes in granulite xenoliths: Insights into isotopic fractionation during igneous processes and the composition of the deep continental crust. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 365, pp 221-231.
  • Savage, P., Georg, R. B. Williams, H.M., Halliday, A.N. The silicon isotope composition of the upper continental crust. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.
  • Wang S.J., Teng, F.-Z .,Williams, H.M., Li, S.G. Magnesium isotopic variations in cratonic eclogites: Origins and implications. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 359, pp 219-226.
  • Savage, P., Georg, R. B. Williams, H.M. Turner, S.P. Halliday, A.N., Chappell B.W. (2012) The silicon isotope composition of granites. Geochimica et Cosmochimica ActaVolume 92 pp 184–202.
  • Williams, H. M., B. J. Wood, J. Wade, D. Frost and J. Tuff (2012) Isotopic evidence for internal oxidation of the Earth's mantle. Earth and Planetary Science Letters pp 321–322, 54-63.
  • Hibbert, K., Williams, H.M., Kerr, A.C. and Puchtel, I. (2012) Iron isotopes in ancient and modern komatiites: Evidence for a uniformly oxidised mantle from the Archean to present. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 321–322, pp 198-207.
  • Gall, L., Williams, H.M., Siebert, C. and Halliday, A.N. (2012) Determination of mass-dependent variations in nickel isotope compositions using double spiking and MC-ICPMS. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 27, pp 137-145.
  • Savage, P. S., Georg, R.B., Williams, H.M., Burton, K.W. and Halliday, A.N. (2011) Silicon isotope fractionation during magmatic differentiation. Geochimica et Cosmochemica Acta 75 (20) pp 6124–6139.
  • Armytage, R. M. G., Georg, R.B., Williams, H.M. and Halliday, A.N. (2011) Silicon isotopes in lunar rocks: implications for the Moon’s formation and the early history of the Earth. Geochimica et Cosmochemica Acta 77, pp 504–514.
  • Williams, H. M. and Archer, C. (2011) Copper stable isotopes as tracers of metal-sulphide segregation and fractional crystallisation processes on iron meteorite parent bodies. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 75(11), pp 3166-3178. (1 citation – Bishop et al., accepted manuscript).
  • Armytage, R. M. G., Georg, R.B., Savage, P. S.,Williams, H.M. and Halliday, A.N. (2011) Silicon isotopes in meteorites and planetary core formation. Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta 75(13) pp 3662-3676.
  • Savage, P. S., Georg, R.B., Armytage, R. M. G., Williams, H.M. and Halliday, A.N. (2010) Silicon isotope homogeneity in the mantle. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 295(1-2) pp 139-146.
  • Horner, T. J., Schonbachler, M. Rehkamper, M., S. G. Nielsen, S. G., Williams, H.M., Halliday, A.N. Z. Xue, Z. and Hein, J.R. (2010) Ferromanganese crusts as archives of deep water Cd isotope compositions. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems 11.
  • Baker, R. G. A., Schonbachler, M. Rehkamper, Williams, H.M. and Halliday, A.N. (2010) The thallium isotope composition of carbonaceous chondrites - New evidence for live (205)Pb in the early solar system. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 291(1-4) pp 39-47.
  • Williams, H. M., Nielsen, S.G., Renac, C., Griffin, W.L., O'Reilly, S. Y. , McCammon, C. A. , Pearson, N., Viljoen, F. Alt, J. C. and Halliday, A.N. (2009) Fractionation of oxygen and iron isotopes by partial melting processes: Implications for the interpretation of stable isotope signatures in mafic rocks. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 283(1-4) pp 156-166.
  • Nielsen, S. G., Williams, H.M., Griffin, W. L., O'Reilly, S.Y., Pearson, N. and Viljoen, F. (2009) Thallium isotopes as a potential tracer for the origin of cratonic eclogites. Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta 73(24) pp 7387-7398 (no citations yet).
  • Williams, H. M., Markowski, A., Quitte, G., Halliday, A.N., Teutsch, N. and Levasseur, S. (2006) Fe isotope fractionation in iron meteorites: New insights into metal-sulphide segregation and planetary accretion. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 250(3-4) pp 486-500.
  • Williams, H. M., Peslier, A.H., McCammon, C., Halliday, A.N., Levasseur, S., Teutsch, N. and J. P. Burg (2005) Systematic iron isotope variations in mantle rocks and minerals: The effects of partial melting and oxygen fugacity. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 235(1-2) pp 435-452.
  • Williams, H. M., McCammon, C.A., Peslier, A. H., Halliday, A. N., Teutsch, N., Levasseur, S. and Burg, J.-P. (2004) Iron isotope fractionation and the oxygen fugacity of the mantle. Science 304(5677) pp 1656-1659 (52 citations).
  • Williams, H. M., Turner, S. P. , Pearce, J. A. , Kelley, S. P. and Harris, N. B. W. (2004) Nature of the source regions for post-collisional, potassic magmatism in southern and northern Tibet from geochemical variations and inverse trace element modelling. Journal of Petrology 45(3) pp 555-607.
  • Williams, H. M., Turner, S. , Kelley S. and N. Harris (2001) Age and composition of dikes in Southern Tibet: New constraints on the timing of east-west extension and its relationship to postcollisional volcanism. Geology 29(4) pp 339-342.
  • Schaefer, B. F., Turner, S. P. Rogers, N. W. , Hawkesworth, C. J., Williams, H. M., Pearson, D.G. and Nowell, G. M. (2000) Re-Os isotope characteristics of postorogenic lavas: Implications for the nature of young lithospheric mantle and its contribution to basaltic magmas. Geology 28(6) pp 563-566.

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