Leslie Robbins
Research interests
- Geobiology
- Geochemistry
- Earth systems evolution
- Biogeochemical cycling
- Chemostratigraphy
Expertise and areas of study
Dr. Leslie Robbins’ expertise is primarily in the field of geobiology low-temperature aqueous geochemistry. His research involves using the geochemistry of chemical sediments (e.g., banded iron formations) and siliciclastics (e.g., shales) to examine how the chemistry of Earth’s surface environments have evolved, in tandem with life, over the last 4 billion years. Additional areas of interest include the cycling of major and trace elements in modern and ancient environments, as well as particle surface reactivity and bioremediation.
Prior to joining the University of Regina, Dr. Robbins was a Donnelley Environmental Postdoctoral Associate at Yale University (2018-2020).
Current projects
1) Chemostratigraphic insights on the evolution of surface environments and life over Earth's history – using high-resolution sampling to look at the trace element contents of banded iron formations and shales in Archean to Paleoproterozoic successions. This work is aimed at elucidating new insights into the availability and controls (weathering, environmental oxygenation, tectonics) on trace elements in Earth’s ancient oceans and the implications for the evolution of life. This work is supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant.
2) Rare earth elements in secondary sources in the western Canadian sedimentary basin – I am interested in looking at rare earth element contents in subsurface brines, coals, and coal fly-ash and the associated geological and mineralogical controls.
Selected recent publications
† indicates a contribution by a student or other HQP under my supervision; ‡ indicates authors contributed equally
Shivakumar, K.R., Zolfaghari, A., Safari, S., Wu, F., †Bishop, B.A., Chen, N., Robbins, L.J., and Alessi, D.S. (2025) Lithium extraction using zirconium oxide coated lithium manganese oxide ion-exchange adsorbents. Chemical Communications – in press. doi: 10.1039/D5CC02392K
Zhang, J., Wei, W., Shen, J., Nan, J., Zhong, Y., Fan, X., Zhang, Y., Liu, Q., Chen, L., Robbins, L.J. and Konhauser, K.O. (2025) Boron isotope evidence for Ordovician-Silurian Transition postglacial marginal marine salinity with implications for redox conditions and mass extinctions. Chemical Geology 690, 122891.
Robinson, A.D., Acikalin, S., Stewart, G., †Bishop, B., Robbins, L.J., and Flynn, S. (2025) Use of near-surface waters in identifying elemental associations with geothermal-sourced Li. Applied Geochemistry 188, 106428.
†Bishop, B.A. and Robbins, L.J. (2025) Overview of brine-hosted lithium mineral resources, distribution, and genesis in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. Canadian Journal of Mineraloy and Petrology . doi: 10.3749/2400035.
†Hu, T., Robbins, L.J., Konhauser, K.O., Liu, L., †Bishop, B.A., Chi, G., and Xu, L. (2025) Apatite and magnetite as probes into dissimilatory iron reduction in banded iron formations. Chemical Geology 678, 122676.
Robbins, L.J., Mänd, K., †Li, Z., and Konhauser K.O. (2025) Metal sources and sinks. In: Homann M. et al. (eds) Archean Earth, 2nd Ed. Elsevier Ltd., Oxford, United Kingdom – in press.
Wang, C., Robbins, L.J., Peng, Z., Zhang, L., Wan, B., and Konhauser. K.O. (2025) The onset of continental weathering recorded in Archean banded iron formations. Geology 53, 243-247 .
Chen, J., Xue, J., Liu, J., Samaei, S., H.-A., Robbins, L.J. (2024) Near-complete phosphorus recovery from challenging water matrices using multiuse ceramsite made from waste treatment residual (WTR). Water Research X 25, 100267.
Chen, J., Samaei, S. H.-A., Rahman, R., Robbins, L.J., and Xue, J. (2024) Towards a Circular Economy in Water Treatment: Upcycling Aluminum Salt-Based Water Treatment Residual (WTR) into an Effective Absorbent – Ceramsite. ACS EST Water 4: 3681-3697.
Wei, W., Kemp, D.B., Lu, Y., Wang, Z., Ma, Y., Liu, H., Zhang, S., Zhang, J., Teng, X., Robbins, L., and Konhauser, K.O. (2024) Astronomically forcing salinity variations in a marginal-marine environment, Bohai Bay, NE China. Chemical Geology 665, 122300.
†Bishop, B.A., Shivakumar, K.R., †Schmidt, J., Chen, N., Alessi, D.S., and Robbins, L.J. (2024) Rare Earth Element speciation in coal and coal combustion by-products: A XANES and EXAFS study. Environmental Science & Technology 58: 14565-14574.
†Hu, T., Chi, G., Robbins, L.J., Liu, L., and Zhou, W. (2024) Coexistence of Algoma- and Superior-type BIFs in back arc systems: evidence from Xincai, North China Craton. Ore Geology Reviews 171: 106165.\
Wang, C., Dong, Z., Robbins, L., Zhang, B., Peng, Z., Tong, X., Zhang, L., and Konhauser, K. (2024) A craton-wide geochemical survey of late Archean banded iron formations in China. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 642: 118879.
Yu, W., Liu, Z., Zhang, B., Chu, D., Wei, W., Xiao, L., Chen, D., Du, Y., Robbins, L.J., and Konhauser, K. (2024) A distinct manganese deposit on a Middle Permian carbonate platform in South China. Chemical Geology 662: 122227.
†Bishop, B.A., Alam, M.S., Flynn, S.L., Chen, N., Hao, W., Shivakumar, K.R., Swaren, L., Gutierrez Rueda, D., Konhauser, K.O., Alessi, D.S., and Robbins, L.J. (2024) Rare earth element adsorption to clay minerals: Mechanistic insights and implications for recovery from secondary sources. Environmental Science & Technology 58: 7217-7227.
Li. Y., Sutherland, B.R., Ilin, A.M., Schad, M., Robbins, L.J., Kappler, A., Yusta, I., Sánchez- España, J., Owttrim, G.W., Dreher, C.L., Smith, A.J.B., Alessi, D.S., Gingras, M.K., and Konhauser, K.O. (2024) Cyanobacteria- ferrihydrite aggregates, BIF sedimentation, and implications for Archean-Paleoproterozoic seawater geochemistry. South African Journal of Geology 127.2: 359-378.
Wei, W., Yu, W, Du, Y., Algeo, T.J., †Li, Z., Cheng, M., Wang, P., Zhang, J., Robbins, L.J., and Konhauser, K.O. (2024) A new salinity-based model for Cryogenian Mn-carbonate deposits. Precambrian Research 403: 107309.
Wang, C., Robbins, L.J., Peng, Z., Zhang, X., and Zhang, L. (2024) Late Archean shelf-to-basin iron shuttle contributes to the formation of the world-class Dataigou banded iron formation. Economic Geology 119: 725-736.
†Bishop, B.A., and Robbins, L.J. (2024) Using machine learning to identify indicators of rare earth element enrichment in sedimentary lithologies with applications for metal prospectivity. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 258: 107388.
Xie, S., Dong, Z., Shang, J., Zhang, X., Peng, Z., Li, W., Zhang, L., Shi, Y., Robbins, L., and Wang, C. (2024) Age and genesis of the Tongshan banded iron formation in the Zhongtiao region, North China Craton. Ore Geology Reviews 164: 105845.
†Hu, T., Lu, L., Chi, G., Robbins, L.J., Liu, H., Zhou, W., Santosh, M., Yu, Z., Kang, S., Hou, Q., Yang, X. (2024) Geodynamic regime of the southeastern North China Craton before the Tectono-Magmatic Lull: evidence from ca. 2510 Ma and 2430 Ma igneous rocks in the Xuhuai micro-block. International Geology Review 66: 2079-2102.
†Li, Z., Konhauser, K.O., Zhou, Y., Adlakha, E., Button, M., Lazowski, C., Pecoits, E., Aubet, N.R., Lecumberri-Sanchez, P., Alessi, D.S., and Robbins, L.J. (2024) How does weathering influence geochemical proxies in Paleoproterozoic banded iron formations? A case study from outcrop samples of the 2.46 Banded Iron Formation, Hamersley Basin. Geological Society of America Bulletin 136: 2735–2752.
Yan, H., Xu, L., Mao, J., Yang, X., Tang, D., Bai, Y., Li, C., Konhauser, K.O., and Robbins, L.J. (2024) Mineralogy of the 1.45 Ga Wafangzi manganese deposit in North China: Implications for pulsed Mesoproterozoic oxygenation events. American Mineralogist 109: 764-784.
Konhauser, K.O., Kappler, A., Lalonde, S.V., and Robbins, L.J. (2023) Logan Medallist 8.
Trace Elements in Iron Formation as a Window into Biogeochemical Evolution Accompanying the Oxygenation of Earth’s Atmosphere. Geoscience Canada 50: 239-258.
Keller, D.S., Tassara, S., Robbins, L.J., Lee, C.A., Ague, J.J., and Dasgupta, R. (2023) A role for subducted iron formations in the generation of Large Igneous Provinces. Nature Geoscience 16: 527-533.
‡Robbins, L.J., ‡Fakhraee, M., Smith, A.J.B., †Bishop, B.A., Swanner, E.D., Peacock, C., Planavsky, N.J., Reinhard, C.T., Crowe, S.A., and Lyons, T.W. (2023) Manganese oxides, Earth surface oxygenation, and the rise of oxygenic photosynthesis. Earth Science Reviews 239: 104368.
†Bishop, B.A., Shivakumar, K.R., Alessi, D.S., and Robbins, L.J. (2023) Insights into the rare earth element potential of coal combustion by-products from western Canada. Environmental Science: Advances 2, 529-542.
Wang, C., Robbins, L.J., Planavksy, N.J., Beukes, N.J., Patry, L.A., Lalonde, S.V., Lechte, M., Asael, D., Reinhard, C.T., Zhang, L., and Konhauser, K.O. (2023) Archean to early Paleoproterozoic iron formations document a transition in iron oxidation mechanisms. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 343: 286-303.
Dong, Z.-G., Peng, Z.-D., Robbins, L.J., Konhauser, K.O., Zhang, B.-L., Zhang, L.-C., Li, J., Li, W.-J., Zhang, L., Wang, C.-L. (2023) Episodic ventilation of euxinic bottom waters triggers the formation of black shale-hosted Mn carbonate deposits. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 341: 132-149.
Planavsky, N.J., Asael, D., Rooney, A.D., Robbins, L.J., Gill, B.C., Dehler, C.M., Cole, D.B., Porter, S.M., Love, G.D., Konhauser, K.O., and Reinhard, C.T. (2023) A sedimentary record of the evolution of the global marine phosphorous cycle. Geobiology 21: 168-174.