Dr Sarah Sherlock

Professional biography

I hold a permanent Faculty position (Senior Research Fellow) in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences here at the Open University, and lead the the Ar-Ar and Noble Gas Research Group and Laboratory. I am also the current Director of STEM Postgraduate Research and have been awarded the status of UKCGE Recognised Research Supervisor, for which I am a scheme reviewer. I am also on the edttorial board of the Jounal of Petrology, and I am an Executive Editor of Geological Magazine.

My research is argon-centric and entirely laser-based; my interests mainly lie within the realm of technique development and application, as a means to extracting information about processes or events that generally resist arrest when it comes to conventional bulk sampling methods.

My current preoccupation is to find new ways in which we can increase the spatial resolution of Ar/Ar laserprobe dating to extract new information from rocks and minerals. Through this I and colleagues are investigating the diffusion mechanisms of argon in feldpsars, understanding the behaviour of argon durinbg friction melting, the uptake of excess argon in mudrocks and their attendant strain-fringes, the timing of fluid-rock interaction through dating authigenic alkali feldspars, dating meteorite impact craters, the behaviour of argon in volcanic glasses, and most recently in basalts. All using Ar/Ar laserprobe methods.

I also foster collaborative and commercial Ar/Ar dating opportunities with collaborators and clients in the UK and Ireland, many European countries, North and South America, Asia and Australia. I welcome any enquiries about potential collaborations or commercial arrangements, please get in touch if you think Ar/Ar geochronology can solve your scientific problem.