Research Interests

• Noble Gas Geochemistry: Broad application of the noble gas group, particularly the neutron irradiation noble gas method for halogen analysis (NI-NGMS), and the Ar-Ar dating technique, to geo – and cosmo – chemical problems.

• Volatiles in Magmas: Understanding the behavior of volatile elements, with an emphasis on the halogens, and their importance to magma evolution and tracking degassing in volcanic environments.

• Experimental Petrology: Use of experimental techniques to gain qualitative information about the solubility, diffusion and partitioning of volatiles in/between crustal and mantle mineral phases to link with natural systems.

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Appointments

The University of Manchester, 2010–current: 

• 2020: UKRI Future Leaders Fellow 

• 2017–2019: Science and Technology Facilities Council  Research Associate (0.7-0.8 FTE)

• 2012–2017: European Research Council Research Associate 

• 2010–2012: Leverhulme Trust Research Associate

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Education

• ​2010: PhD in Geology, the Open University, Milton Keynes, UK “Ar-Ar Dating of Young Volcanic Glass” (Advisors:  Dr Sarah Sherlock, Prof. Simon Kelley, Dr Tiffany Barry, Dr Dave McGarvie)

• 2006: M.A. in Earth Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA “Partitioning of Noble Gases between Crustal Minerals: An Experimental Diffusion Study” (Advisor: Prof. Ethan Baxter)

• 2004: B.S. inGeology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA (Advisor: Prof. Scott Samson)

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Awards & Honors

• 2010: Geoff Brown Award, Best Student Poster (Volcanic and Magmatic Studies Group, 2010)

• 2006: American Geophysical Union Outstanding Student Presentation Award for the Volcanology, Geochemistry and Petrology Section: ‘Multi-path diffusion: Implications for the measurement of Ar solubility and partitioning between crustal minerals.’ 

• 2006: Graduate Student Talk Award, Boston University: annual award for the best graduate student oral presentation

• 2004: Faye M. Meriam Award, Syracuse University: awarded to an undergraduate geology major for academic achievement, extra-curricular contributions, and professional promise

• 2003: Thomas Cramer Hopkins Award, Syracuse University: awarded to an outstanding junior or senior Earth Sciences major

• 2000−2003: Dean’s List, Syracuse University, maintaining a GPA of >3.6

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Teaching Experience

• 2020–: EART 29200, Planetary Pathway 2nd Year Tutorials, The University of Manchester

• 2007–2010: Demonstrator, Geology of the British Isles (Residential Field Course), Open University

• 2009: Tutor, Geology of the British Isles (Residential Field Course), Open University

• 2005–2006: Teaching Fellow, Geomorphology & Surface Processes, Boston University

• 2004–2005: Teaching Fellow, Volcano Hazards & Natural Disasters, Boston University

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Student Supervision

• 2020-2021: Principal Supervisor, Romany Baker (3rd Year Project of MEarthSci Geology w/Planetary Science), 'The Halogen Composition of the Lunar Interior'

• 2016–2020: Co-supervisor, Elliot Carter, ‘Compositional heterogeneity in the oceanic mantle: insights from the halogen and noble gas systematics of ophiolites.’NERC DTP PhD (now a Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin)

• 2015–2020: Co-supervisor, Amy Parker, ‘Precious metal concentration in open-system magma chambers: Insights from the halogen concentrations of chromitite.’ NERC DTP PhD 

• 2013–2018: Co-supervisor, Dr Francesca McDonald, NERC-STFC PhD, ‘Volatiles in the Earth-Moon System’ (now a Research Fellow at the European Space Agency)

• 2014: Co-supervisor, Andrew O’Mara (MEarthSci Geology w/Planetary Science), ‘Combining closed system stepped etching and the RELAX mass spectrometer for a xenon analysis of aerogel’

• 2014: Principal Supervisor, Eniko Toth (MEarthSci Geology w/Planetary Science), ‘Noble gases and halogens in the Chelyabinsk and Novato meteorites’  (now a PhD Candidate at  ETH, Zürich, Switzerland)

• 2014: Co-supervisor, Christopher Griffin, Paneth Meteorite Trust Award Student 

• 2013: Principal Supervisor, Andrew O’Mara, Paneth Meteorite Trust Award Student

• 2013: Co-supervisor, Eniko Toth, Paneth Meteorite Trust Award Student

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Research Funding​

• 2019: UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, 'A pinch of salt: Earth's halogen distribution and the habitability potential of planets,' £625,241

• 2016, 2018: NERC Ion Microprobe Facility Award, Co-I.

• 2014: Royal Astronomical Society Paneth Trust: Joy, K.H. and Clay, P.L. ‘Characterisation of Larkman Nunataks shergottite martian meteorites’, £1,890

• 2014: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences Strategic Fund (UOM): Joy, K.H., Cowpe, J., Ruzie, L., Clay, P.L., Fellowes, J., Curran, N., Street, K., Burgess, R and Gilmour, J.D., ‘Developing the functionality and capability of a HELIX multi-collector noble gas sector mass spectrometer’,  £15,624

• 2013: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences Strategic Fund (UOM): Clay, P.L., Busemann, H., Cowpe, J., Burgess, R. and Gilmour, J.D. ‘Development of a High-precision Gas Calibration and Mixing Line for Noble Gas and Halogen Analysis’, £19,700

• 2013: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences Strategic Fund (UOM): Joy, K.H., Cowpe, J., Fellowes, J., Ruzie, L., Clay, P.L., Burgess, R and Gilmour, J.D., ‘Hiden Analytical RGA quadrupole mass spectrometer to enhance ARGUS VI noble gas mass spectrometer capabilities’,  £10,973

• 2013: Royal Astronomical Society Paneth Trust, Clay, P.L. and Busemann, H. ‘Characterization of noble gas and halogen contents of enstatite chondrites (EH3-EH5)’ £1,210

• 2013: Royal Astronomical Society Paneth Trust, Busemann, H., Clay, P.L., Gimour, J.D.  ‘I-Xe Chronology of various lithologies of Rumuruti chondrites Northwest Africa (NWA) 830 and 6492 and the noble gas characterization of NWA 7514’ £1,200

• 2012: Clay, P.L., Busemann, H. and O'Driscoll, B. Investing in Success (UOM): IRIS: Integration of Research Into Science outreach, £3,210 

• 2011: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences Strategic Fund (UOM): Busemann, H., Clay, P.L. and Gilmour, J.D. ‘Upgrade of Clean Laboratory Microscope’, £3,635

• 2008: Clay, P.L. CEPSAR Interdisciplinary Research Fund (visit to the Carnegie Institution Washington), £1,000

• 2008: Clay, P.L. VMSG Travel Bursary, £250

• 2007: Clay, P.L. Overseas Student Award, £21,000 the Open University

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Scientific and Community Responsibilities​

• 2020: Goldschmidt Conference Student Mentor (Virtual) Goldschmidt 2020, Hawaii, USA

• 2020: Session Chair (Virtual) Goldschmidt 2020, Hawaii, USA

• 2020–current: Isotope Geochemistry & Cosmochemistry Group Seminar and Meeting Coordinator

• 2019: Local Organising Committee, European Lunar Symposium, 21-23rd May, 2019

• 2017– current: Committee member of the Geochemistry Group special interest group of the Geological Society of London

• 2016: Goldschmidt Conference Student Mentor, Yokohama, Japan

• 2016: Session Chair Goldschmidt 2016, Yokohama, Japan 

• 2016: Local Organising Committee, Extraterrestrial Materials Research Meeting, 1st Nov. 2016 

• 2014: American Geophysical Union Judge for the Volcanology, Geochemistry & Petrology Outstanding Student Paper Award 

• 2014–2015: Athena SWAN committee PDRA representative for School of Earth, Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester (School achieved Bronze Award)

• Peer Review Activities: Nature (2020), Meteoritics & Planetary Science (2018), Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (2016, 2019), Earth & Planetary Science Letters (2016, 2019), Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (2016, 2018), Chemical Geology (2016), Lithos (2017, 2019), Terra Nova (2017), UK Space Agency (2016), Swiss National Science Foundation (2017), NERC (2017)

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Oral and Invited Conference Presentations and Seminars

• 2021: Seminar, ‘Chronology and halogen geochemistry of primitive enstatite chondrites ’The Natural History Museum, London, March 4th, 2021

• 2018: Keynote,‘Halogens as Key Tracers of Volatile Evolution in the Terrestrial Planets,’Goldschmidt Conference 2018, Boston, USA, 12th-17th August, 2018

• 2018: Seminar, ‘Investigating processes of terrestrial volatile addition using the halogen geochemistry of chondrites’, ETH, Zürich, May 24th, 2018

• 2017: Talk,‘Process of volatile addition to Earth revealed by halogens in chondrites.’ Goldschmidt Conference, Paris, France

• 2016: Talk, ‘Halogen geochemistry of lunar rocks.’ Goldschmidt Conference, Yokohama, Japan 26th June – 1st July, 2016

• 2014: Talk, ‘Halogen geochemistry of planetary ‘building blocks.’ Goldschmidt Conference, Sacramento, CA, USA, 8th–13th June, 2014

• 2014: Invited Talk, The Fermor Meeting (Comparative Planetology) of the Geological Society of London (London, UK): ‘Halogen Geochemistry of Primitive Planetary Materials.’ 

• 2013: Seminar, The University of Birmingham (Birmingham, UK): ‘Volatiles in Planetary Materials.’

• 2013: Talk, ‘Halogen (Cl, Br and I) inventory of the primitive meteorites.’ Goldschmidt Conference, Florence, Italy, 24th–30th August, 2013

• 2013: Seminar, The University of Manchester (Manchester, UK): ‘A Tale of Two Enstatite Chondrites: Noble Gas Chronology from an In-Vacuo Etch Experiment.’

• 2010: Seminar, The University of Manchester (Manchester, UK): ‘Djerfisherite in Enstatite Chondrites.’

• 2008: Invited Talk, Congrés des Doctorant,Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Paris France: ‘Influence of petrology, chemistry and volatile contents on the Ar-system in volcanic glass: Importance for calculated ages on co-existing alkali-feldspars.’

• 2008: Talk, ‘The 40Ar/39Ar system in young volcanic glasses: new insights from the Arico Formation.’ Volcanic and Magmatic Studies Group Meeting, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

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