Dr. George W. Luther, III Professor University of Delaware College of Marine Studies 700 Pilottown Rd. Lewes, Delaware 19958 phone: (302) 645-4208 fax: (302) 645-4007 luther@udel.edu

• Professor of Chemical Oceanography
• Joint with Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Department of Civil Engineering

Education

• B.A., La Salle College (Chemistry)
• Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh (Physical-Inorganic Chemistry)

Research Interests

My interests cover a wide range of areas including redox reactions in the environment, trace element speciation in marine waters and sediments, biogeochemical processes in marine environments, application of molecular orbital theory to geochemical processes, electrochemistry and microelctrode technology.

Current Projects

• Metal-organic ligand compounds in the marine environment: Fe(III)-siderophore compounds.

• Metal sulfur complexes in the marine environment.

• Voltammetric microelectrodes for the determination of biologically relevant species in sediments, waters and cultures.

• Pyrite and metal sulfide mineral formation.

• Sulfur biogeochemistry at hydrothermal vents.

• Mn, Fe and I redox chemistry and their role in organic matter decomposition in the Arabian Sea.

Teaching

Marine Inorganic Chemistry; Chemical Oceanography; Electrochemistry Techniques. I advise students in both the Oceanography program, and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Current Research Group

• Jeannette Popp, M.S. student (B.S., Texas A&M University) - Microelectrode applications to sediment biogeochemistry; trace metal chemistry.

• Stephen M. Theberge, Ph.D. student (B.S., University of New Hampshire) - Transition metal/sulfur interactions in anoxic waters, speciation, stoichiometry, and stability constants; sulfide mineral formation; metal/organic ligand interactions in surface seawater.

• David Ruppel, M.S. student (B.S., University of Notre Dame) - Development of microelectrodes and their application to marine corrosion.

• Andrew Bono, Marine Scientist II (M.S., McGill University) - Microlectrode development for in situ applications.

• Amy Witter, Postdoctoral Student (Ph.D., University of California, Davis) - Trace metal biogeochemistry and toxicology, analytical methods for measuring metal speciation; in situ methods for measuring environmentally relevant electroactive compounds.

• Martial Taillefert, Postdoctoral Fellow (Ph.D., Northwestern University, IL) - Trace metal biogeochemistry and metal speciation; in situ electrochemical methods for redox species.



Selected Publications

Luther, G. W., III, D. Rickard, S. M. Theberge and A. Olroyd. 1996. Determination of metal (bi)sulfide stability constants of Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ by voltammetric methods. Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 30, 671-679.

 

Luther, G. W., III, P. A. Shellenbarger and P. J. Brendel. 1996. Dissolved organic Fe(III) and Fe(II) complexes in salt marsh porewaters. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 60, 951-960.

 

M. L. A. M. Campos, A. Farrenkopf, T. Jickells and G. W. Luther, III. 1996. A comparison of dissolved iodine cycling at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series station and Hawaii Ocean time-series station. Deep Sea Research, Vol. 43, 455-466.

 

Wu, J. and G. W. Luther, III. 1996. Spatial and temporal distribution of iron in the surface water of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 60, 2729-2741.

 

Stecher, H. A., III, D. E. Krantz, C. J. Lord, III, K. W. Bock, G. W. Luther, III. 1996. Profiles of strontium and barium in Mercenaria mercenaria and Spisula solidissima shells. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 60, 3445-3456.

 

Gawarkiewicz, G., T. G. Ferdelman, T. M. Church and G. W. Luther, III. 1996. Shelfbreak frontal structure on the continental shelf north of Cape Hatteras. Continental Shelf Research, Vol. 16, 1751-1773.

 

Rickard, D. T. and G. W. Luther, III. 1997. Kinetics of pyrite formation by the H₂S oxidation of iron(II) monosulfide in aqueous solutions between 25^oC and 125^oC: the mechanism. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 61, 135-147.

 

Henneke, E., G. W. Luther, III, G. J DeLange, J. Hoefs. 1997. Sulphur speciation in anoxic hypersaline sediments from the Eastern Mediterranean. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 61, 307-321.

 

Coffey, M., F. Dehairs, O. Collette, G. Luther, T. Church and T. Jickells. 1997. The behaviour of dissolved Barium in estuaries. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Vol. 45, 113-121.

 

Luther, G. W., III and H. A. Stecher, III. 1997. Results of the gas-phase sulfur intercomparison experiment (GASIE). Preface: Historical Background. Journal Geophysical Research - Atmospheres, Vol. 102, No. D13, 16,215-16,217.

 

Stecher, III, H. A., G. W. Luther, III, D. L. MacTaggart, S. O. Farwell, D. R. Crosley, W. D. Dorko, P. D. Goldan, N. Beltz, U. Krischke, W. T. Luke, D. C. Thornton, R. W. Talbot, B. L. Lefer, E. M. Scheuer, R. L. Benner, J. Wu, E. S. Saltzman, M. S. Gallagher and R. J. Ferek. 1997. Results of the gas-phase sulfur intercomparison experiment (GASIE). Overview of experimental set-up, results and general conclusions. Journal Geophysical Research - Atmospheres, Vol. 102, No. D13, 16,219-16,236.

 

Luther, III, G. W. and J. Wu. 1997. What controls dissolved iron concentrations in the world ocean? - a comment. Marine Chemistry, Vol. 57, 173-179.

 

Farrenkopf, A. M., M. E. Dollhopf, S. N. Chadhain, G. W. Luther, III and K. H. Nealson. 1997. Reduction of iodate in seawater by bacterium Shewanella putrefaciens strain MR-4. Marine Chemistry, Vol. 57, 347-354.

 

Luther, G. W., III, B. Sundby, B. L. Lewis, P. J. Brendel and N. Silverberg. 1997. The interaction of manganese with the nitrogen cycle in continental margin sediments: alternative pathways for dinitrogen formation. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Vo. 61, 4043-4052.

 

Passier, H. F., G. W. Luther, III and G. J. de Lange. 1997. Early diagenesis and sulphur speciation in sediments of the Oman Margin, northwestern Arabian Sea. Deep Sea Res. 44, 1361-1380.

 

Theberge, S. M., G. W. Luther, III and A. M. Farrenkopf. 1997. On the existence of free and metal complexed sulfide in the Arabian Sea and its OMZ. Deep Sea Res. 44, 1381-1390.

 

Farrenkopf, A. M., G. W. Luther, III, V. W. Truesdale and C. H. van der Weijden. 1997. Iodide maxima below the euphotic zone of the Northwest Indian Ocean: Evidence for interactions of iodine with carbon. Deep Sea Research 44, 1391-1409.

 

Theberge, S. M. and G. W. Luther, III. 1997. Determination of the electrochemical properties of a soluble aqueous FeS cluster present in sulfidic systems. Aquatic Geochemistry 3, 191-211.

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luther@udel.edu

Graduate College of Marine Studies

University of Delaware

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