Philip Fralick

The Seafloor: 2,800 Million Years Ago

False-Colour X-Ray Florescence Digital Image

Artist Statement

These very old pieces of limestone from Atikokan represent sediment deposited in a shallow ocean. The cut rock slabs were analyzed for the elements that compose them using a narrow moving X-ray beam. A computer program gave colours to crystals (red) that grew up from the bottom (orange and black).

Philip Fralick

I am a senior researcher working on the evolution of life and the ocean-atmosphere system that interacted with it billions of years ago. I have been at Lakehead for 43 years and am a Professor Emeritus having retired this year, though I still am heavily involved in research.