Alex's motivation for Precambrian Geology is rooted in the mystery of the origin of life and how a biosphere interacts with a planet's surface environment. He uses a combination of traditional field geology, geochemical analysis, and biogeochemical modeling using the carbon-centric Grid Enabled Integrated Earth system model (cGEnIE) to understand the relationship between life and its changing environment through time.  Currently, he is primarily interested in studying ancient Iron Formations and Phanerozoic Ironstones to investigate the interplay of geological and biological influences on their deposition.