Gabriela Farfan
Coralyn W. Whitney Curator of Gems and Minerals
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).
Background And Education
Education And Training
- Ph.D. in Geochemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 2018
- B.Sc. in Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University 2013
Publications
Selected Publications
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Article
- Bullock, Emma S. and Farfan, Gabriela A. 2024. "Cathodoluminescence in Freshwater and Saltwater Pearls." Microscopy and Microanalysis, 30. https://doi.org/10.1093/mam/ozae044.013. 2024
- Emproto, Christopher, Farfan, Gabriela A., Spano, Tyler L., Bermanec, Marko, Rumsey, Mike S., Dutrow, Barbara L., Alonso-Perez, Raquel, Riaño, Jessica, and Simon, Adam C. 2024. "Gender in Mineral Names." American Mineralogist, https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2024-9327. 2024
- Weerabaddana, Mudith M., Thompson, Diane M., Reed, Emma V., Farfan, Gabriela A., Kirk, Jason D., Kojima, Alice C., Dettman, David L., De Brum, Kalena, Kabua, Emma, and Edwards, Florence. 2024. "Impact of Intra‐Skeletal Calcite on the Preservation of Coral Geochemistry and Implications for Paleoclimate Reconstruction." Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, 39, (5). https://doi.org/10.1029/2023PA004730. 2024
- 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. 2023
- 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. 2023
- 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. 2023
- 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. 2023
- 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. 2023
- 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. 2022
- 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. 2021
- Farfan, Gabriela A., Apprill, Amy, Cohen, Anne, DeCarlo, Thomas M., Post, Jeffrey E., Waller, Rhian G., and Hansel, Colleen M. 2021. "Crystallographic and chemical signatures in coral skeletal aragonite." Coral Reefs, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-021-02198-4. 2021
- 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. 2021
- 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. 2020
- 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. 2020
- 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. 2020
- 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. 2019
- 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. 2018
- 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. 2018
- 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. 2018
- 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. 2017
- 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. 2015
- 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. 2013
- 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. 2012
Affiliation
Contact
Location
- National Museum of Natural History Academic Department