Tom Barrett

Planetary Scientist

I first got into the field of Earth and Planetary Sciences through a love for the world around me, particularly the Yorkshire Dales where I grew up. At school I was really passionate about geography and wanted to get a better understanding for the science behind some of the landscapes around me, particularly in a way that combined with my love for chemistry and maths.

During my time as an undergraduate in the Department of Earth Sciences here in Oxford I enjoyed many of the modules but was particularly fascinated by those relating to how planets like Earth and Mars form and evolve, particularly relating to habitability. This led to me working with Professor James Bryson for my undergraduate research project and subsequently for my PhD.

My research focuses on how Earth acquired its volatile elements, specifically relating to the hydrogen content of material which was key to forming Earth 4.6 billion years ago. I use a combination of experimental and computational techniques to analyse the hydrogen content of rocks from space called meteorites, with an aim of understanding how they may have influenced the formation of our planet. It’s a long way from the 17-year-old who wanted to understand the geography of Yorkshire, but I feel very lucky to be doing such cool research in a place like Oxford.