Degrees

2004-2008  PhD in Agronomical Sciences and Biological Engineering, Soil Science Unit, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium: "Silicon cycle in the soil-plant system: Biogeochemical tracing using Si isotopes"

2009-2010  Postdoc, Earth Science Department, University of Oxford, United Kingdom: "Cross-combining stable Si, Mg, Li isotopic systems to link soil processes with weathering fluxes from land to ocean"

Since 2011  Postdoc, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium. "Dynamics of soil biogeochemical interfaces and impact on continental weathering fluxes from the critical zone: integrated pedologic and isotopic approach"

General: Dynamics of soil biogeochemical interfaces and impact on continental weathering fluxes from the critical zone: integrated pedologic and isotopic approach 

Processes: Weathering processes, impact of plants, dissolution, neoformation, adsorption-desorption, soil-plant cycling of the elements

Samples: plant, rocks, weathering sequences of soils, clay minerals, phytoliths, soil solutions, river waters, experimental solutions

Sites: hydroponic culture, volcanic soils under banana culture in Cameroon (Mungo area and Mont Cameroon area), basaltic soil catchment in Iceland (Borgarfjordur)

Tools: Si and Mg stable isotopes by MC-ICP-MS (Nu Plasma), Ge/Si ratio by HR-ICP-MS (Element), major and trace elements by ICP-AES and Quadrupole ICP-MS, soil characterization (clay extraction, total elemental analysis, XRD, phytolith extraction), observations by SEM

Article de périodique

• Cornelis Jean-Thomas, Delvaux Bruno, Cardinal D, André L., Opfergelt Sophie, Tracing mechanisms controlling the release of dissolved silicon in forest soil solutions using Si isotopes and Ge/Si ratios, 2010, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (74), p. 3913-3924 (Published)
  
• Cardinal D, Gaillardet J, Hugues H.J, Opfergelt Sophie, André L., Contrasting silicon isotope signatures in rivers from the Congo Basin and the specific behaviour of organic-rich waters, 2010, Geophysical Research Letters (In the press)
  
• Cornelis Jean-Thomas, Delvaux Bruno, Georg R.B., Lucas Yves, Ranger J., Opfergelt Sophie, Tracing the origin of dissolved silicon transferred from various soil-plant systems towards rivers: a review, 2010, Biogeosciences Discussion, 7, p. 5873-5930 (Published)
  
• Opfergelt Sophie, de Bournonville Guillaume, Cardinal D, Delstanche Séverine, Delvaux Bruno, Impact of soil weathering degree on silicon isotopic fractionation during adsorption onto iron oxides in basaltic ash soils, Cameroon., 2009, Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, 73, p. 7226-7240 (Published)
  
• Delvigne C, Opfergelt Sophie, Cardinal D, Delvaux Bruno, ANDRE LUC, Distinct silicon and germanium pathways in the soil-plant system: evidence from banana and horsetail., 2009, Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences, 114 (G02013), p. 10.129 (Published)
  
• Delstanche Séverine, Opfergelt Sophie, Cardinal D, Elssas F., ANDRE LUC, Delvaux Bruno, Silicon isotopic fractionation during adsorption of aqueous monosilicic acid onto iron oxide., 2009, Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, 73, p. 923-934 (Published)
  
• Abraham K., Opfergelt Sophie, Cavagna A.-J, De Jong J.T.M., Foley S, André L., 1174417 , Cardinal D, Si and 29Si determinations on BHVO-1 and BHVO-2 reference materials via new onfiguration on Nu Plasma Multi Collector (MC)-ICP-MS., 2008, Geostandards and Geoanalytial Research, 32 ((2)), p. 193-202 (Published)
  
• Henriet Céline, De Jaeger N., Dorel Marc, Opfergelt Sophie, Delvaux Bruno, The reserve of weatherable primary silicates impacts the accumulation of biogenic silicon in volcanic ash soils. Biogeochemistry, 90(2), 209-223. (IF = 2.534), 2008, BIOGEOCHEMISTRY, 90 (2), p. 209-223 (Published)
  
• Opfergelt Sophie, Delvaux Bruno, ANDRE LUC, Cardinal D, Plant silicon isotopic signature might reflect soil weathering degree., 2008, Biogeochemistry, 91, p. 163-175 (Published)
  
• Opfergelt Sophie, Delvaux Bruno, Cardinal D, ANDRE LUC, Using delta Si-30 to follow the soil-plant Si cycling in a weathering sequence of volcanic ash soils, Cameroon., 2007, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 71, 71 (15), p. a741-a741 (Published)
  
• Reynolds B.C., AGGARWAL J., ANDRE LUC, Baxter D., Beucher Claude, Brzezinski M.A., Engström E, Georg R.B., Land M, Leng M.J., Opfergelt Sophie, Rodushkin I., Sloane H.S, Van den Boorn S.H.J.M, Vroon P.Z., Cardinal D, An inter-laboratory comparison of Si isotope reference materials., 2007, Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 22, p. 561-568 (Published)
  
• Opfergelt Sophie, Cardinal D, Henriet Céline, Draye Xavier, André L., Delvaux Bruno, Silicon isotopic fractionation by banana (Musa spp.)grown in a continous nutrient flow device, 2006, Plant and Soil, 285, p. 333-345 (Published)
  
• Opfergelt Sophie, Cardinal D, Henriet Céline, Draye Xavier, Delvaux Bruno, Silicon isotopic fractionation by banana (Musa spp.) grown in a continuous nutrient flow device., 2006, Plant and Soil, (285), p. 333-345 (Published)
  
• Opfergelt Sophie, Cardinal D, Henriet Céline, ANDRE C., Delvaux Bruno, Silicon isotope fractionation between plant parts in banana: In situ vs. in vitro., 2006, Journal of geochemical exploration (88), p. 224-227 (Published)
  
• Opfergelt Sophie, DELMELLE PIERRE, Boivin Patrick, Delvaux Bruno, The 1998 debris avalanche at Casita volcano, Nicaragua - Investigation of the role of hydrothermal smectite in promoting slope instability., 2006, Geophysical Research Letters (33), p. 15, L15305, 10.1029/2006GL026661. (IF = 2.491) (Published)
  

Biography

Degrees

2004-2008  PhD in Agronomical Sciences and Biological Engineering, Soil Science Unit, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium: "Silicon cycle in the soil-plant system: Biogeochemical tracing using Si isotopes"

2009-2010  Postdoc, Earth Science Department, University of Oxford, United Kingdom: "Cross-combining stable Si, Mg, Li isotopic systems to link soil processes with weathering fluxes from land to ocean"

Since 2011  Postdoc, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium. "Dynamics of soil biogeochemical interfaces and impact on continental weathering fluxes from the critical zone: integrated pedologic and isotopic approach"

Research

General: Dynamics of soil biogeochemical interfaces and impact on continental weathering fluxes from the critical zone: integrated pedologic and isotopic approach 

Processes: Weathering processes, impact of plants, dissolution, neoformation, adsorption-desorption, soil-plant cycling of the elements

Samples: plant, rocks, weathering sequences of soils, clay minerals, phytoliths, soil solutions, river waters, experimental solutions

Sites: hydroponic culture, volcanic soils under banana culture in Cameroon (Mungo area and Mont Cameroon area), basaltic soil catchment in Iceland (Borgarfjordur)

Tools: Si and Mg stable isotopes by MC-ICP-MS (Nu Plasma), Ge/Si ratio by HR-ICP-MS (Element), major and trace elements by ICP-AES and Quadrupole ICP-MS, soil characterization (clay extraction, total elemental analysis, XRD, phytolith extraction), observations by SEM

Publications