About

Xinyuan Zheng is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. His research focuses on biogeochemical cycles of major and trace elements across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, with implications for understanding key processes that have shaped surface environments of our planet throughout geological history. He specializes in isotope geochemistry, developing new techniques for isotope analysis, conducting experimental isotope geochemistry for non-traditional stable isotopes, and studying chemical oceanography. His work includes reconstructions of paleo-climate and environment using stable and radiogenic isotopes, particularly in relation to ocean circulation and redox states of past oceans.

Research topics

• Chemistry
• Environmental chemistry
• Chromatography
• Geology
• Computer Science
• Environmental science
• Radiochemistry
• Agronomy
• Oceanography
• Biology
• Soil science
• Nuclear physics
• Physics
• Optics
• Animal science
• Materials science
• Geochemistry

Selected publications

• Distinct potassium (K) isotope signatures in K-rich porewater from the Ulleung Basin (East Sea) reflect differences in marine silicate alteration rate

  2025-01-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Evolution of the oceanic Mg cycle through time: Insights from δ ²⁶ Mg record of marine carbonate (brachiopods) and authigenic clay (glauconite) archives

  2025-01-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Authigenic Marine Sediment Sinks of K and Mg in the Abyssal Pacific Ocean

  2025-01-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Experimental constraints on stable potassium (K) isotope fractionation during phase separation in NaCl–KCl–H2O and KCl–H2O systems: implications for the K isotope composition of seafloor hydrothermal vent fluids

  Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · 2025-07-23 · 1 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Reviews and syntheses: Review of proxies for low-oxygen paleoceanographic reconstructions

  Biogeosciences · 2025-02-18 · 17 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract. A growing body of observations has revealed rapid changes in both the total inventory and the distribution of marine oxygen over the latter half of the 20th century, leading to increased interest in extending oxygenation records into the past. The use of paleo-oxygen proxies has the potential to extend the spatial and temporal range of current records, constrain pre-anthropogenic baselines, provide datasets necessary to test climate models under different boundary conditions, and ultimately understand how ocean oxygenation responds beyond decadal-scale changes. This review seeks to summarize the current state of knowledge about proxies for reconstructing Cenozoic marine oxygen: sedimentary features, sedimentary redox-sensitive trace elements and isotopes, biomarkers, nitrogen isotopes, foraminiferal trace elements, foraminiferal assemblages, foraminiferal morphometrics, and benthic foraminiferal carbon isotope gradients. Taking stock of each proxy reveals some common limitations as the majority of proxies functions best at low-oxygen concentrations, and many reflect multiple environmental drivers. We also highlight recent breakthroughs in geochemistry and proxy approaches to constraining pelagic (in addition to benthic) oxygenation that are rapidly advancing the field. In light of both the emergence of new proxies and the persistent multiple driver problem, the need for multi-proxy approaches and data storage and sharing that adhere to the principles of findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability (FAIR) is emphasized. Continued refinements of proxy approaches and both proxy–proxy and proxy–model comparisons are likely to support the growing needs of both oceanographers and paleoceanographers interested in paleo-oxygenation records.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Potassium Isotope Variations (δ ⁴¹ K) in Cambrian Glauconites from Australia and China: Insights into Paleo-Seawater and Diagenetic Alteration

  2025-01-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Comment on egusphere-2023-2981

  2024-04-11

  peer-reviewOpen accessCorresponding

  <strong class="journal-contentHeaderColor">Abstract.</strong> A growing body of observations reveals rapid changes in both the total inventory and distribution of marine oxygen over the later half of the 21st century, leading to increased interest in extending oxygenation records into the past. Use of paleo-oxygen proxies have the potential to extend the spatial and temporal range of current records, bound pre-anthropogenic baselines, provide datasets necessary to test climate models under different boundary conditions, and ultimately understand how ocean oxygenation responds beyond decadal scale changes. This review seeks to summarize the current state-of-knowledge about proxies for reconstructing Cenozoic marine oxygen: sedimentary features, sedimentary redox-sensitive trace elements and isotopes, biomarkers, nitrogen isotopes, foraminiferal trace elements, foraminifera assemblages, foraminifera morphometrics, and benthic foraminifera carbon isotope gradients. Taking stock of each proxy reveals some common limitations in that the majority of proxies function best at low-oxygen concentrations and many reflect multiple environmental drivers. We also highlight recent breakthroughs in geochemistry and proxy approaches for constraining pelagic (in addition to benthic) oxygenation that are rapidly advancing the field. In light of both the emergence of new proxies and the persistent multiple driver problem, the need for multi-proxy approaches and FAIR data storage and sharing is emphasized. Continued refinement of proxy approaches and both proxy-proxy and proxy-model comparisons are likely to support the growing needs of both oceanographer and paleoceanographers interested in paleo-oxygenation records.

  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary material to "Reviews and syntheses: Review of proxies for low-oxygen paleoceanographic reconstructions "

  2024-01-09

  preprintOpen access

  Ca. Scalindua profunda' anammox hypoxia/anoxia, O 2 <20µmol

  PublisherDOI

• Reviews and syntheses: Review of proxies for low-oxygen paleoceanographic reconstructions 

  2024-01-09 · 8 citations

  preprintOpen accessCorresponding

  Abstract. A growing body of observations reveals rapid changes in both the total inventory and distribution of marine oxygen over the later half of the 21st century, leading to increased interest in extending oxygenation records into the past. Use of paleo-oxygen proxies have the potential to extend the spatial and temporal range of current records, bound pre-anthropogenic baselines, provide datasets necessary to test climate models under different boundary conditions, and ultimately understand how ocean oxygenation responds beyond decadal scale changes. This review seeks to summarize the current state-of-knowledge about proxies for reconstructing Cenozoic marine oxygen: sedimentary features, sedimentary redox-sensitive trace elements and isotopes, biomarkers, nitrogen isotopes, foraminiferal trace elements, foraminifera assemblages, foraminifera morphometrics, and benthic foraminifera carbon isotope gradients. Taking stock of each proxy reveals some common limitations in that the majority of proxies function best at low-oxygen concentrations and many reflect multiple environmental drivers. We also highlight recent breakthroughs in geochemistry and proxy approaches for constraining pelagic (in addition to benthic) oxygenation that are rapidly advancing the field. In light of both the emergence of new proxies and the persistent multiple driver problem, the need for multi-proxy approaches and FAIR data storage and sharing is emphasized. Continued refinement of proxy approaches and both proxy-proxy and proxy-model comparisons are likely to support the growing needs of both oceanographer and paleoceanographers interested in paleo-oxygenation records.

  PublisherDOI

• Sequential separation of cerium (Ce) and neodymium (Nd) in geological samples for high-precision analysis of stable Ce isotopes, and stable and radiogenic Nd isotopes by MC-ICP-MS

  Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry · 2024-01-01 · 4 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Stable isotopes of cerium (Ce) and neodymium (Nd), two rare earth elements (REEs), have emerged recently as useful tracers for a range of geological and environmental processes, such as redox changes in environments or continental weathering.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Collaborative Research: US GEOTRACES GP17-ANT: Constraining the Neodymium (Nd) Isotope and Rare Earth Element Cycles near the Amundsen Sea Continental Margin

  NSF · $473k · 2021–2027

• CAREER: Understanding past and present biogeochemical cycle of potassium (K) and its implications for the global carbon cycle: proxy development based on stable K isotopes

  NSF · $600k · 2023–2028

Frequent coauthors

• Brian L. Beard

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  46 shared

• Clark M. Johnson

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  39 shared

• Eric Roden

  21 shared

• Tara Djokic

  Australian Museum

  18 shared

• Thiruchelvi R. Reddy

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  14 shared

• Martin J. Van Kranendonk

  Curtin University

  12 shared

• Alexander Thomas

  11 shared

• Feifei Deng

  Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

  10 shared