Dr. Aaron Jubb is a Research Chemist with the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, Virginia.
Following his graduate studies, Dr. Jubb completed post-doctoral work at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Chemical Science Division in Boulder, Colorado focusing on the atmospheric chemistry of CFC replacements and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee with an emphasis on the development and application of surface enhanced Raman scattering sensors. Dr. Jubb joined the USGS in 2017 where his principle areas of study involve:
- Composition of oil and gas-associated wastewaters
- Molecular characterization of sedimentary organic matter
- In situ characterization of rock wettability
Professional Experience
2017 – Present: Research Chemist, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA
2015 – 2016: Post-doctoral Research Associate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
2012 – 2015: Research Scientist 1, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, Colorado
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Chemistry, The Ohio State University, 2012
B.A. Chemistry, Lawrence University, 2006
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Chemical Society
American Geophysical Union
Geochemical Society
The Society for Organic Petrology
Science and Products
Advancements in Geochemistry and Geomicrobiology of Energy Resources (AGGER)
Molecular Fingerprinting of Energy Materials
SEM-CL investigation of sedimentary organic matter samples
Total neutron scattering of methane in Niobrara Formation samples at the wet-gas maturity level
Portable Raman spectroscopic analysis of bulk crushed rock
Evidence for strain induced graphitization across a ductile fault zone
Thermal evolution of graptolite and solid bitumen properties at high maturity under natural and artificial conditions
Strain induced molecular heterogeneity in ancient sedimentary organic matter mapped at nanoscales using optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy
Textural occurrence and organic porosity of solid bitumen in shales
Absorbance and Fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrix Data for Produced Waters from Oil and Gas Producing Basins in the United States
Maturation study of vitrinite in carbonaceous shales and coals
TOC, Reflectance and Raman Data from Eocene Green River Mahogany Zone
Solid bitumen and vitrinite reflectance suppression explored using hydrous pyrolysis of artificial source rock (2021)
Atomic Force Microscopy-based Infrared Spectroscopy Data within Immature Eagle Ford Shale at the Nanometer-scale
Methane pore accessibility, densification, and accommodation by organic matter in the Niobrara Formation at wet-gas thermal maturity conditions
Thermal evolution of graptolite and solid bitumen properties at high maturity under natural and artificial conditions
Mapping ancient sedimentary organic matter molecular structure at nanoscales using optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy
Relating systematic compositional variability to the textural occurrence of solid bitumen in shales
Maturation study of vitrinite in carbonaceous shales and coals: Insights from hydrous pyrolysis
Dissolved organic matter within oil and gas associated wastewaters from U.S. unconventional petroleum plays: Comparisons and consequences for disposal and reuse
Evaluating aromatization of solid bitumen generated in the presence and absence of water: Implications for solid bitumen reflectance as a thermal proxy
Molecular mechanisms of solid bitumen and vitrinite reflectance suppression explored using hydrous pyrolysis of artificial source rock
Machine learning can assign geologic basin to produced water samples using major ion geochemistry
Compositional evolution of organic matter in Boquillas Shale across a thermal gradient at the single particle level
Water–rock interaction and the concentrations of major, trace, and rare earth elements in hydrocarbon-associated produced waters of the United States
A review of spatially resolved techniques and applications of organic petrography in shale petroleum systems
Science and Products
- Science
Advancements in Geochemistry and Geomicrobiology of Energy Resources (AGGER)
The AGGER project seeks to advance the understanding of factors that indicate and control the sources, generation, composition, stimulation, accumulation, movement, and production potential of petroleum, nuclear fuel resources (e.g., uranium and thorium), and their byproducts as well as the potential for resource recovery from wastes generated during extraction.Molecular Fingerprinting of Energy Materials
The chemical composition of complex solid organic matter (OM) from sedimentary reservoirs is a key parameter in the generation of hydrocarbon fuels. Vibrational spectroscopies such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman have been widely applied to understand the molecular make-up of these hydrocarbon precursors, as well as provide links to their thermal histories via correlation to proven... - Data
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SEM-CL investigation of sedimentary organic matter samples
High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) visualization of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) is widely utilized in the geosciences for evaluation of microscale rock properties relevant to depositional environment, diagenesis, and the processes of fluid generation, transport, and storage. However, despite thousands of studies which have incorporated SEM approaches, the inability of SEM to dTotal neutron scattering of methane in Niobrara Formation samples at the wet-gas maturity level
Petroleum within unconventional source-rock reservoirs is hosted in organic matter and mineral pore space as well as in voids and microfractures. Recent work has shown that for source-rock reservoirs in the dry gas window, significant portions of methane (CH4), the main component of petroleum at elevated maturities, can be stored within fine organic matter porosity. However, within reservoirs at lPortable Raman spectroscopic analysis of bulk crushed rock
This study presents a simplified method and empirical relationships for determining organic matter thermal maturity using a portable Raman system equipped with a 785 nm laser, for analysis of crushed, whole-rock samples. Several sets of rocks comprised of shale and coal samples with various mineralogical composition, thermal maturity, total organic carbon (TOC), and age were used to test the methoEvidence for strain induced graphitization across a ductile fault zone
A suite of slate samples collected along a 2 km transect crossing the Lishan Fault in central Taiwan were evaluated to assess the role of ductile strain energy in natural graphitization at greenschist facies metamorphic conditions. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging documents phyllosilicate and quartz replacement textures consistent cleavage development via dissolution-precipitation procesThermal evolution of graptolite and solid bitumen properties at high maturity under natural and artificial conditions
To refine the use of graptolite and solid bitumen properties as thermal proxies at overmature conditions, we evaluated their evolution via Raman and infrared spectroscopies, reflectance, and geochemical screening in high-temperature hydrous and anhydrous experiments in comparison to naturally matured samples. Naturally matured samples included four overmature Wufeng-Longmaxi marine shales from theStrain induced molecular heterogeneity in ancient sedimentary organic matter mapped at nanoscales using optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy
Here we report ultra-high resolution infrared mapping of organic matter functional group distribution in Tasmanites (algal microfossils) from the Upper Devonian Ohio Shale using optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy (O-PTIR). O-PTIR is capable of rapidly measuring the vibrational response of samples in situ with ~500-nm spatial resolution, well below the infrared diffraction limit. Our resultTextural occurrence and organic porosity of solid bitumen in shales
This study presents Raman spectroscopic data paired with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to assess solid bitumen composition and porosity development as a function of solid bitumen texture and association with minerals. A series of hydrous pyrolysis experiments (1-103 days, 300-370°C) using a low maturity (0.25% solid bitumen reflectance, BRo), high total organic carbon [(TOC), 14.0 wt. %] NewAbsorbance and Fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrix Data for Produced Waters from Oil and Gas Producing Basins in the United States
Waters co-produced during petroleum extraction are normally considered wastes but are also possible resources, especially in water-stressed regions. Produced waters can be chemically complex. High salinity, naturally occurring radioactive materials, and organic substances derived from the producing formation can complicate treatment processes. Rapid screening methods to characterize produced waterMaturation study of vitrinite in carbonaceous shales and coals
This study evaluated carbonaceous shales proximal to coal measures and coal samples via isothermal hydrous pyrolysis (HP) to compare differences in the maturation pathways of vitrinite in different matrices and with different starting aromaticity. Sample residues were analysed via vitrinite reflectance (VRo), geochemical screening tests (organic carbon and programmed temperature pyrolysis), and inTOC, Reflectance and Raman Data from Eocene Green River Mahogany Zone
Geological models for petroleum generation suggest thermal conversion of oil-prone sedimentary organic matter in the presence of water promotes increased liquid saturate yield, whereas absence of water causes formation of an aromatic, cross-linked solid bitumen residue. To test the influence of exchangeable hydrogen from water, organic-rich (22 wt. percent total organic carbon, TOC) mudrock sampleSolid bitumen and vitrinite reflectance suppression explored using hydrous pyrolysis of artificial source rock (2021)
The most commonly used parameter for thermal maturity calibration in basin modelling is mean random vitrinite reflectance (Ro). However, Ro suppression, or lower than expected Ro, has been noted in samples containing a high proportion of liptinite macerals. This has been empirically demonstrated using hydrous pyrolysis experiments of artificial source rock containing various proportions of thermalAtomic Force Microscopy-based Infrared Spectroscopy Data within Immature Eagle Ford Shale at the Nanometer-scale
The nanoscale molecular composition of kerogen is a challenging parameter to characterize given the chemical and structural complexity exhibited by this important biopolymer. However, kerogen composition will strongly impact its reactivity and so is a critical parameter to understand petroleum generation processes during kerogen catagenesis. The recent advent of tip-enhanced analytical methods, su - Publications
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Methane pore accessibility, densification, and accommodation by organic matter in the Niobrara Formation at wet-gas thermal maturity conditions
Petroleum within unconventional source-rock reservoirs is hosted in organic matter and mineral pore space as well as in voids and microfractures. Recent work has shown that for source-rock reservoirs in the dry gas window, significant portions of methane (CH4), the main component of petroleum at elevated maturities, can be stored within fine (<5 nm) organic matter porosity. However, within reservoAuthorsAaron M. Jubb, Leslie F. Ruppert, Tristan G. A. Youngs, Tom Headen, Justin E. Birdwell, Michael Cheshire, Martha (Rebecca) StokesThermal evolution of graptolite and solid bitumen properties at high maturity under natural and artificial conditions
To refine the use of graptolite and solid bitumen as thermal proxies at overmature conditions, we evaluated their evolution via Raman and infrared (IR) spectroscopies, reflectance, and geochemical screening using high-temperature pyrolysis experiments in comparison to naturally matured samples. Naturally matured samples included marine shales from the overmature Upper Ordovician Wufeng-Lower SilurAuthorsJianyang Song, Paul C. Hackley, Margaret M. Sanders, Aaron M. Jubb, Qingyong LuoMapping ancient sedimentary organic matter molecular structure at nanoscales using optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy
Elucidating the molecular structure of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) is key to understanding petroleum generation processes, as well as ancient sedimentary environments. SOM structure is primarily controlled by biogenic source material (e.g., marine vs. terrigenous), depositional conditions, and subsurface thermal history. Additional factors, e.g., strain, may also impact the molecular structurAuthorsAaron M. Jubb, Martha (Rebecca) Stokes, Ryan J. McAleer, Paul C. Hackley, Eoghan Dillion, Jing QuRelating systematic compositional variability to the textural occurrence of solid bitumen in shales
This study presents Raman spectroscopic data paired with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images to assess solid bitumen composition as a function of solid bitumen texture and association with minerals. A series of hydrous pyrolysis experiments (1–103 days, 300–370 °C) using a low maturity (0.25% solid bitumen reflectance, BRo), high total organic carbon [(TOC), 14.0 wt%] New Albany Shale sampleAuthorsMartha (Rebecca) Stokes, Brett J. Valentine, Aaron M. Jubb, Paul C. HackleyMaturation study of vitrinite in carbonaceous shales and coals: Insights from hydrous pyrolysis
The presence of vitrinite in sedimentary rocks of post-Silurian age allows its reflectance to be used to estimate the thermal maturation of organic matter in petroleum systems. Increasing reflectance of vitrinite, which is primarily driven by aromaticity, depends primarily on the time and temperature attributes of its evolutionary pathway. This study evaluated carbonaceous shales proximal to coalAuthorsDivya K. Mishra, Paul C. Hackley, Aaron M. Jubb, Margaret M. Sanders, Shailesh Agrawal, Atul K. VarmaDissolved organic matter within oil and gas associated wastewaters from U.S. unconventional petroleum plays: Comparisons and consequences for disposal and reuse
Wastewater generated during petroleum extraction (produced water) may contain high concentrations of dissolved organics due to their intimate association with organic-rich source rocks, expelled petroleum, and organic additives to fluids used for hydraulic fracturing of unconventional (e.g., shale) reservoirs. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) within produced water represents a challenge for treatmenAuthorsBonnie McDevitt, Aaron M. Jubb, Matthew S. Varonka, Madalyn S. Blondes, Mark A Engle, Tanya J. Gallegos, Jenna L. SheltonEvaluating aromatization of solid bitumen generated in the presence and absence of water: Implications for solid bitumen reflectance as a thermal proxy
Geological models for petroleum generation suggest thermal conversion of oil-prone sedimentary organic matter in the presence of water promotes increased liquid saturate yield, whereas absence of water causes formation of an aromatic, cross-linked solid bitumen residue. To test the influence of hydrogen from water, organic-rich (22 wt% total organic carbon, TOC) mudrock samples from the Eocene lacAuthorsPaul C. Hackley, Aaron M. Jubb, Patrick L. Smith, Ryan J. McAleer, Brett J. Valentine, Javin J. Hatcherian, Palma J. Botterell, Justin E. BirdwellMolecular mechanisms of solid bitumen and vitrinite reflectance suppression explored using hydrous pyrolysis of artificial source rock
The most commonly used parameter for thermal maturity calibration in basin modelling is mean random vitrinite reflectance (Ro). However, Ro suppression has been noted in samples containing a high proportion of liptinite macerals. This phenomenon has been demonstrated empirically using hydrous pyrolysis of artificial source rock containing various proportions of thermally immature Wyodak-Anderson cAuthorsMargaret M. Sanders, Aaron M. Jubb, Paul C. Hackley, Kenneth E. PetersMachine learning can assign geologic basin to produced water samples using major ion geochemistry
Understanding the geochemistry of waters produced during petroleum extraction is essential to informing the best treatment and reuse options, which can potentially be optimized for a given geologic basin. Here, we used the US Geological Survey’s National Produced Waters Geochemical Database (PWGD) to determine if major ion chemistry could be used to classify accurately a produced water sample to aAuthorsJenna L. Shelton, Aaron M. Jubb, Samuel Saxe, Emil D. Attanasi, Alexei Milkov, Mark A Engle, Philip A. Freeman, Christopher Shaffer, Madalyn S. BlondesCompositional evolution of organic matter in Boquillas Shale across a thermal gradient at the single particle level
The molecular composition of petroliferous organic matter and its compositional evolution throughout thermal maturation provides insight for understanding petroleum generation. This information is critical for understanding hydrocarbon resources in unconventional reservoirs, as source rock organic matter is highly dispersed, in contact with the surrounding mineral matrix, and may occur as multipleAuthorsJustin E. Birdwell, Aaron M. Jubb, Paul C. Hackley, Javin J. HatcherianWater–rock interaction and the concentrations of major, trace, and rare earth elements in hydrocarbon-associated produced waters of the United States
Studies of co-produced waters from hydrocarbon extraction across multiple energy-producing basins have generally focused on major ions or a few select tracers, and studies that examine trace elements and involve laboratory experiments have generally been basin specific. Here, new perspective is sought through a broad analysis of concentration data for 26 elements from three hydrocarbon well typesAuthorsCarleton R. Bern, Justin E. Birdwell, Aaron M. JubbA review of spatially resolved techniques and applications of organic petrography in shale petroleum systems
This review examines new techniques and applications of organic petrography in source-rock reservoir petroleum systems that have occurred along with development of the global ‘shale revolution’ in energy resources. The review is limited to techniques and instrumentation that provide spatially resolved information, typically at or below microscales, for dispersed organic matter occurring in situ inAuthorsPaul C. Hackley, Aaron M. Jubb, Ryan J. McAleer, Brett J. Valentine, Justin E. Birdwell
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government