Student Information
Graduate StudentGeological Sciences
The College of Lib Arts & Sci
R. Vincent Debes II is a geochemist and Earth scientist fascinated by how water moves through rocks—and how life responds when it does. As a PhD candidate at Arizona State University, he studies hydrothermal systems as natural laboratories for understanding the feedbacks between geology, chemistry, hydrology, and microbial life.
Much of Vince’s work centers on the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park, where he leads and participates in long-term field campaigns tracking changes in hot spring chemistry. By integrating geochemical analyses, stable isotopes, thermodynamic energy calculations, and microbial community sequencing, he seeks to understand how dynamic Earth processes regulate the energy landscapes that sustain microbial ecosystems. His research has implications for Earth’s past and future environments, as well as for habitability on other planetary bodies.
Advisors:
Professor Everett Shock
Professor Elizabeth Trembath-Reichert
Debes II, R.V., Boyer, G., Idleman, P., Shock, E.L., Simon, M.N. (2025). What’s in Your Water? Applying Hydrogeology to Real World Problems. Teaching Activity, Teach the Earth Section, Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
https://serc.carleton.edu/teachearth/activities/291062.html
Fecteau, K. M., Weeks, K. M., Debes II, R. V., Barnes, T. J., Robinson, K. J., Nye, J. J., Lindsay, M. R., Boyd, E. S., & Shock, E. L. (2025). Primary production by the purple nonsulfur bacterium Rhodopila globiformis in an acidic, moderately sulfidic warm spring. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01217-25
Weeks, K.M., Trembath-Reichert, E., Robare, J., Debes II, R.V., Howells, A.E.G., & Shock, E.L. Chemical Speciation Defines Archaeal Ammonia-Oxidizer Distribution in Yellowstone Hot Springs. [Manuscript submitted to JGR Biogeosciences]
Robare, J.A., Weeks, K.M., Boyer, G., Debes II, R.V., Howells, A.E.G., Fecteau, K.M., Zolotova, N., Shock, E.L. Aqueous Inorganic Energy Supplies Available to Microbial Communities in Yellowstone Hot Springs [Manuscript submitted to a monograph titled "Hydrothermal Process in the Solar System"]
Matthews, A., Zaloumis, J., Debes II, R.V., Boyer, G., Trembath-Reichert, E. (2023), Heterotrophic growth dominates in the most extremotolerant extremophile cultures. Astrobiology. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0100
Fecteau, K. M., Boyd, E.S., Lindsay, M.R., Amenabar, M.J., Robinson, K., Debes II, R.V., Shock, E.L. (2021), Cyanobacteria and Algae Meet at the Limits of their Habitat Ranges in Moderately Acidic Hot Springs. J. Geophys. Res. Biogeosci. doi: 10.1029/2021JG006446
Colman, D.R., Lindsay, M.R., Harnish, A., Bilbrey, E.M., Amenabar, M.J., Selensky, M.J., Fecteau, K.M., Debes II, R.V., Stott, M.B., Shock, E.L. and Boyd, E.S. (2021), Seasonal hydrologic and geologic forcing drive hot spring geochemistry and microbial biodiversity. Environ. Microbiol., 23: 4034-4053. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.15617
Leong, J. A. M., Howells, A. E., Robinson, K. J., Cox, A., Debes II, R. V., Fecteau, K., et al. (2021). Theoretical predictions versus environmental observations on serpentinization fluids: Lessons from the Samail ophiolite in Oman. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 126, e2020JB020756. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JB020756
Lindsay, M. R., Amenabar, M. J., Fecteau, K. M., Debes II, R. V., Martins, M. C. F., Fristad, K. E., … Boyd, E. S. (2018). Subsurface processes influence oxidant availability and chemoautotrophic hydrogen metabolism in Yellowstone hot springs. Geobiology, 16(6), 674–692. doi: 10.1111/gbi.12308
Lindsay, M. R., Colman, D. R., Amenabar, M. J., Fristad, K. E., Fecteau, K. M., Debes II, R. V., … Boyd, E. S. (2019). Probing the geological source and biological fate of hydrogen in Yellowstone hot springs. Environmental Microbiology, 21(10), 3816–3830. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.14730
St. Clair, B., Pottenger, J., Debes II, R. V., Hanselmann, K., & Shock, E. L. (2019). Distinguishing Biotic and Abiotic Iron Oxidation at Low Temperatures. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 3(6), 905–921. doi: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.9b00016
Fall 2022: ASU Teaching Assistant - GLG470 – Hydrogeology
- Arizona State University | Tempe, AZ
- Instructor of record: Prof. Elizabeth Trembath-Reichert
- Graded homework and exams
- Prepared lectures to give when instructor was away doing field work
- Adapted a MODFLOW simulation assignment for instructional use
Spring 2022: ASU Instructor of Record - GLG103 - Introductory Geology I Lab
- Arizona State University | Tempe, AZ
- 3 sections of 30 students per section
- Prepared and gave lectures on introductory geology topics such as stratigraphy, mineralogy, re/transgressions, orienteering, map reading and making.
- Demonstrated geologic tools and methods
- Graded assignments and projects
- Lead field trips to interpret a local geologic feature
2024 - Future Investigators of NASA Earth and Space Science Technology Fellowship
2021 - School of Earth and Space Exploration Summer Exploration Graduate (SEG) Award
2019 - Promega Corporation Scientist Artist Competition Grand Prize Winner
2025 Mentor of undergraduate Trevor Geisendaffer – ASU School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, advisor Everett Shock – Mapping Yellowstone Hydrothermal Features and Geochemistry
2017 - Mentor of undergraduate Cuong Doan – ASU School of Molecular Sciences, advisor Everett Shock - Undergraduate thesis: Dissolved in/organic carbon trends in Yellowstone National Park
2024-Present - ASU SESE Open House Outreach Committee Graduate Student Director
2026 - NASA Virtual Trips to Extreme Environments (VIRTEX) Mentor - Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club
2023, 2025 - ASU SESE Graduate Student Peer Mentor
2022, 2025 - Letters to a Pre-scientist Pen Pal
2021 - “GEOPIG: Into the field! An exploration in geochemistry” video, ASU Night of the Open Door, https://youtu.be/yDGFVTybljQ?si=ajClQez2PurRNzpP
2020 - Guest interview on Hello PhD podcast, #128 “Field Work: Science in the Great Outdoors”
2018 - Montana Science Olympiad volunteer, water quality section, Bozeman, MT
2016 - Participant in the IAEA WICO 2106 Stable Water Isotope Global Inter-Laboratory Comparison, δ18O and δ2H, Acceptable and Excellent Analytical Performance