Gabriela Farfan

• Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• B.Sc., Stanford University

I study the crystal structures and chemistry of minerals formed under varying conditions in order to answer questions in Environmental Mineralogy, Biomineralization, and Gem Science. My current focus is on bio- and geo-formed carbonates (aragonite, calcite) and amorphous silica (opal, glass).

Journal Article

• Boijseauneau-López, Mario E., Sosa-Ceballos, Giovanni, Farfán, Gabriela A., Macías, Jose José, and Andrews, Benjamin J. 2023. "Ultra-crystalline pyroclastic deposits and rhyolitic lavas controlled by crystal mushes: insights from the Acoculco Caldera Complex, Mexico." Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 178, (9) 63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-023-02043-7.
• Farfan, Gabriela A., Bullock, Emma S., Zhou, Chunhui, and Valley, John W. 2023. "Geochemical and mineralogical proxies beyond temperature: Autumn seasons trapped in freshwater nacre." Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 355 126–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2023.06.033.
• Phillips, Rachel F., Wang, Yi, Klein, Frieder, Farfan, Gabriela, Ostrander, Chadlin M., Gadol, Hayley, Hansel, Colleen M., and Nielsen, Sune G. 2023. "The role of manganese oxide mineralogy in thallium isotopic fractionation upon sorption." Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 356 83–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2023.07.011.
• Fang, Yihang, Lee, Seungyeol, Xu, Huifang, and Farfan, Gabriela A. 2023. "Organic Controls over Biomineral Ca–Mg Carbonate Compositions and Morphologies." Crystal Growth & Design, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.3c00102.
• Farfan, Gabriela A., McKeown, David A., and Post, Jeffrey E. 2023. "Mineralogical characterization of biosilicas versus geological analogs." Geobiology, https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12553.
• Fang, Yihang, Zhang, Fangfu, Farfan, Gabriela A., and Xu, Huifang. 2022. "Low-Temperature Synthesis of Disordered Dolomite and High-Magnesium Calcite in Ethanol–Water Solutions: The Solvation Effect and Implications." ACS Omega, 7, (1) 281–292. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c04624.
• Farfan, Gabriela A., Apprill, Amy, Cohen, Anne, Post, Jeffrey E., Waller, Rhian G., Hansel, Colleen M., and DeCarlo, Thomas M. 2021. "Crystallographic and chemical signatures in coral skeletal aragonite." Coral Reefs, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-021-02198-4.
• Farfan, Gabriela A., Rakovan, John, Ackerson, Michael R., Andrews, Benjamin J., and Post, Jeffrey E. 2021. "The origin of trapiche-like inclusion patterns in quartz from Inner Mongolia, China." American Mineralogist, 106, (11) 1797–1808. https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2021-7454.
• Farfan, Gabriela A., Zhou, C., Valley, J. W., and Orland, I. J. 2021. "Coupling Mineralogy and Oxygen Isotopes to Seasonal Environmental Shifts Recorded in Modern Freshwater Pearl Nacre From Kentucky Lake." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 22, (12). https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GC009995.
• Quattrini, Andrea M., Rodríguez, Estefanía, Faircloth, Brant C., Cowman, Peter F., Brugler, Mercer R., Farfan, Gabriela A., Hellberg, Michael E., Kitahara, Marcelo V., Morrison, Cheryl L., Paz-García, David A., Reimer, James D., and McFadden, Catherine S. 2020. "Palaeoclimate ocean conditions shaped the evolution of corals and their skeletons through deep time." Nature Ecology & Evolution, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-01291-1.
• Sutherland, Kevin M., Grabb, Kalina C., Karolewski, Jennifer S., Plummer, Sydney, Farfan, Gabriela A., Wankel, Scott D., Diaz, Julia M., Lamborg, Carl H., and Hansel, Colleen M. 2020. "Spatial Heterogeneity in Particle‐Associated, Light‐Independent Superoxide Production within Productive Coastal Waters." Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 125, (10). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016747.
• Wang, Chloe H., Gulmann, Lara K., Zhang, Tong, Farfan, Gabriela A., Hansel, Colleen M., and Sievert, Stefan M. 2020. "Microbial colonization of metal sulfide minerals at a diffuse‐flow deep‐sea hydrothermal vent at 9°50′N on the East Pacific Rise." Geobiology, 18, (5) 594–605. https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12396.
• Farfan, Gabriela A. and Post, Jeffrey E. 2019. "Quartz from Madagascar with Fuchsite Phantom Inclusions." The Journal of Gemmology, 36, (8) 698–699. https://doi.org/10.15506/JoG.2019.36.8.698.
• DeCarlo, Thomas M., Ren, Haojia, and Farfan, Gabriela A. 2018. "The Origin and Role of Organic Matrix in Coral Calcification: Insights From Comparing Coral Skeleton and Abiogenic Aragonite." Frontiers in Marine Science, 5 170. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00170.
• Farfan, Gabriela A., Apprill, Amy, Webb, Samuel M., and Hansel, Colleen M. 2018. "Coupled X-ray Fluorescence and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy for Microscale Imaging and Identification of Sulfur Species within Tissues and Skeletons of Scleractinian Corals." Analytical Chemistry, 90, (21) 12559–12566. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.8b02638.
• Farfan, Gabriela A., Cordes, Erik E., Waller, Rhian G., DeCarlo, Thomas M., and Hansel, Colleen M. 2018. "Mineralogy of Deep-Sea Coral Aragonites as a Function of Aragonite Saturation State." Frontiers in Marine Science, 5 473. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00473.
• Xu, Huifang, Hill, Tina R., Konishi, Hiromi, and Farfan, Gabriela. 2017. "Protoenstatite: A new mineral in Oregon sunstones with “watermelon” colors." American Mineralogist, 102, (10) 2146–2149. https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2017-6186.
• Jew, Adam D., Rupp, Erik C., Geatches, Dawn L., Jung, Ji-Eun, Farfan, Gabriela, Bahet, Louisa, Hower, James C., Brown, Gordon E., and Wilcox, Jennifer. 2015. "Mercury Interaction with the Fine Fraction of Coal-Combustion Fly Ash in a Simulated Coal Power Plant Flue Gas Stream." Energy & Fuels, 29, (9) 6025–6038. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5b01253.
• Farfan, Gabriela A., Boulard, Eglantine, Wang, Shibing, and Mao, Wendy L. 2013. "Bonding and electronic changes in rhodochrosite at high pressure." American Mineralogist, 98, (10) 1817–1823. https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2013.4497.
• Farfan, Gabriela, Wang, Shibing, Ma, Hongwei, Caracas, Razvan, and Mao, Wendy L. 2012. "Bonding and structural changes in siderite at high pressure." American Mineralogist, 97, (8-9) 1421–1426. https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2012.4001.

Poster

• Cottrell, Elizabeth, Lascu, Ioan, Andrys, Janine, Ackerson, Michael, Corrigan, Catherine, Farfan, Gabriela, Guice, George, Miller, Matthew, Cole, Selena, Pobiner, Briana, Rasmussen, Daniel, Troch, Juliana, and Tucker, Jonathan. 2022. [Poster] Unlearning racism in a federal setting. American Geophysical Union 2021 Fall Meeting, https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10510401.2.