Eliel is a graduate student and member of the Macdonald lab group in the Earth Science department at UC Santa Barbara. His research explores the interface between tectonics, climate, and biology, with a particular interest in how tectonic processes drive, preserve, and alter records of biogeochemical change. Synthesizing original field observations, geochemical analyses, geochronology, and paleontology, Eliel is currently investigating the emplacement mechanisms and paleoenvironmental context of phosphorite deposition in both the Cryogenian-Cambrian Khovsgol Basin, Mongolia, as well as the Miocene Monterey Formation in California. When he’s not looking at rocks, Eliel can be found cycling, flyfishing, or hunting the Santa Barbara coastline for surfable waves.