Dr. Ricardo Silva

GEOL 1340 The Dynamic Earth
GEOL 3900 Sedimentology
GEOL 4270 Advanced Studies in the Earth Sciences: The Birth, Death, and Exhumation of an Atlantic Sedimentary Basin (2025, Portugal)
GEOL 4870 Honours Thesis
GEOL 7740 Sedimentary Geochemistry

The Basin, Environment, and straTigraphY — BETY — Lab focuses on the physical, chemical, and biological controls on the production and preservation of organic matter and the role of organic productivity in modulating Earth system processes at geological time scales.

As the group leader, I am especially interested in understanding the complex chain of events, processes, and feedback mechanisms that lead to the so-called oceanic anoxic events (OAEs), meaning brief periods in Earth's history when large parts of the oceans were deoxygenated. OAEs are linked with increased geological storage of organic matter, significant disturbances in several element cycles, as well as climatic and environmental extremes, disruptions to life, and mass extinctions.

I use a broad array of sedimentological, paleontological, palynological, geochemical, and petrophysical tools to study terrestrial and marine depositional systems generally characterized by sediments and sedimentary rocks rich in organic matter. I have expertise in i) sedimentology and stratigraphy, ii) paleontology (ammonite and palyno- biostratigraphy), iii) palynofacies analysis, iv) x-ray photography, diffraction, and fluorescence, including handheld XRF and core scanning Itrax systems, v) isotopic and organic geochemical analysis (EA- TOC and Hg, OM pyrolysis, and EA- and GC-IRMS), vi) SEM and automated mineral analysis (QEMSCAN), vii) petrophysical methods and wireline log analysis, and viii) Petroleum systems modelling. I have worked extensively along the Atlantic Margin (such as the west Portuguese coast, Canary Islands, southwest UK, and offshore Nova Scotia), in the Bay of Fundy (NS), the Betic Cordillera in southern Spain, and the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. I closely collaborate with researchers from Morocco, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, the UK, and Canada. 
Currently, I am a PI of M-JET – Middle Jurassic Earth System & Timescale and a permanent member of the science team at JET – Early Jurassic Earth System & Timescale. The International Continental Drilling Program funds both groups. I serve as the Chair of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program-Canada and as a counsellor for the Canadian Sedimentological Research Group and the Atlantic Geoscience Society. I am also a member of the International GeoScience Program (IGCP) Project #739, The Mesozoic-Palaeogene hypothermal events.

The BETY Lab is aligned with the principle that science is better when approached from multiple and varied perspectives and experiences. As the group leader, I am fully committed to interrupting the historical pattern of subservice of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and people from disadvantaged backgrounds and ensuring that everyone can reach their full potential and have meaningful and rewarding participation in academia, science, and society.

Silva, RL., Duarte, L.V., Ullmann, C., Coma-Rengifo, M.J., 2025. Geochemical variability of Gryphaea (Ostreoida, Bivalvia) in the upper Sinemurian organic-rich marls and limestones of the Lusitanian Basin (Portugal). In Journal of Iberian Geology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41513-025-00304-x

Gómez, J.J., Silva, R.L., Fraguas, A., Goy, A. 2025. Extreme climatic events linked to the early Toarcian warming and mass extinction indicated by trace elements distribution in seawater, in North Spain. In Journal of Iberian Geology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41513-025-00292-y

Goonetilleke*, M., Silva, R.L., Mendonça-Filho, J.G., Durkin, P., 2025. A lithofacies-coupled palynofacies model for meandering river floodplains in the Late Cretaceous: Insights from the Dinosaur Park Formation, Alberta, Canada. International Journal of Coal Geology, 304, 104768

Brueckner, S.M., Green, T., Reynolds, M.R., Gregory, D., Silva, R., 2025. Geochemistry and mineralogy of the shale-hosted vanadium Van Property deposit, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories. American Mineralogist, 110, 337–363.

Ullmann, C.V., Bancalin, J, Damaschke, M., Hesselbo, S.P., Jiang, M., Lawrence, K., Leng, M.J., Mattioli, E., Page, K., Pudal, N., Ruhl, M., Silva, R.L., 2025. An integrated biostratigraphy and chemostratigraphy for the dawn of the Jurassic (Hettangian stage) in the Cheshire Basin, UK. Journal of Earth Sciences. doi: 10.1007/s12583-025-0205-6

Silva, R.L., Alsen, P., 2024. Stable carbon isotope chemostratigraphy of the base of the Callovian in Greenland. Gondwana Research 136, 84-91.

Silva, R.L., Gomez, J.J., Fraguas, A., 2024. New insights on Late Pliensbachian-Early Toarcian seawater chemistry based on belemnite rostra element content. Chemical Geology 668, 122327.

Kovács*, E.B., Ruhl, M., Silva, R.L., McElwain, J, Reolid, M., Korte, C., Ruebsam, W., Hesselbo, S.P., 2024. Mercury sequestration pathways under different depositional conditions during Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian–Toarcian) Karoo-Ferrar volcanism. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 637, 111977.

Hesselbo, S. P., Al-Suwaidi, A., Baker, S. J., Ballabio, G., Belcher, C. M., Bond, A., … Silva, RL.,... & Zhao, K. 2023. Initial results of coring at Prees, Cheshire Basin, UK (ICDP JET project): towards an integrated stratigraphy, timescale, and Earth system understanding for the Early Jurassic. Scientific Drilling, 32, 1-25.

Mayo*, K., Silva, R.L., Durkin, P., 2023 Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of Late Cretaceous rivers, Dinosaur Park Formation, Alberta, Canada. Sedimentary Geology 457, 106499

Ruhl, M., Hesselbo, S.P., Jenkyns, H., Xu, W., Silva, R.L., Matthews, K.J., Mather, TA., Niocaill, C.M., Riding, J., 2022. Reduced plate motion controlled timing of Early Jurassic Karoo-Ferrar large igneous province volcanism, Science Advances 8 (36), abo0866

Silva, R.L., Duarte, L.V., Wach, G.D. Ruhl, M., Sadki, D., Gómez, J.J., Hesselbo, S.P., Xu, W., O'Connor*, D., Rodrigues*, B., Mendonça Filho, J.G., 2021. An Early Jurassic (Sinemurian–Toarcian) stratigraphic framework for the occurrence of Organic Matter Preservation Intervals (OMPIs). Earth-Science Reviews 221, 103780.

Silva, R.L., Ruhl, M., Barry*, C., Reolid, M., Ruebsam, W., 2021. Pacing of late Pliensbachian and early Toarcian carbon cycle perturbations and environmental change in the westernmost Tethys (La Cerradura Section, Subbetic zone of the Betic Cordillera, Spain). Geological Society, London, Spec Pub 514

Silva, R.L., Duarte, L.V., Wach, G., Morrison*, N., Campbell*, T., 2020. Oceanic organic carbon as a possible first-order control on the carbon cycle during the Bathonian–Callovian. Global and Planetary Change 184, 103058