Background

Miguel is a staff scientist at LLNL that applies his background in geochemistry to address challenges in nuclear forensics. His research focuses on developing chemical and isotopic signatures to trace the provenance and processing histories of nuclear materials (e.g., nuclear fuels). At LLNL, Miguel leads fluorination processes for a variety of projects and manages the stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry laboratory. In this role, he synthesizes materials via fluorinations and performs precise measurements of isotopic ratios and abundances for elements such as hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur across diverse materials.

Ph.D., Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin 2018

M.S., Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin 2013

B.S., Geology, Univeristy of California Los Angeles

A.A., Chemistry, Oxnard College

Google Scholar Profile

Barnes J. D., Beltrando M., Lee C.-T. A., Cisneros M., Loewy S. and Chin E. (2014a) Geochemistry of Alpine serpentinites from rifting to subduction: A view across paleogeographic domains and metamorphic grade. Chemical Geology 389, 29–47.

Barnes J. D. and Cisneros M. (2012) Mineralogical control on the chlorine isotope composition of altered oceanic crust. Chemical Geology 326–327, 51–60.

Barnes J. D., Eldam R., Lee C.-T. A., Errico J. C., Loewy S. and Cisneros M. (2013) Petrogenesis of serpentinites from the Franciscan Complex, western California, USA. Lithos 178, 143–157.

Barnes J. D., Prather T. J., Cisneros M., Befus K., Gardner J. E. and Larson T. E. (2014b) Stable chlorine isotope behavior during volcanic degassing of H2O and CO2 at Mono Craters, CA. Bull Volcanol 76, 805.

Befus K. S., Lin J.-F., Cisneros M. and Fu S. (2018) Feldspar Raman shift and application as a magmatic thermobarometer. American Mineralogist 103, 600–609.

Chalifoux A. M., Nizinski C., Cisneros M., Tenner T., Naes B., Wurth K. N., Oerter E., Singleton M., Bowen G. J. and McDonald L. W. I. (2024) Oxygen Isotope and Fluorine Impurity Signatures during the Conversion of Uranium Ore Concentrates to Nuclear Fuel. ACS Omega 9, 12135–12145.

Chalifoux A. M., Singleton M. J., Cisneros M., Oerter E. J., Hanson A. B. and McDonald L. W. (2023) Challenges in correlating oxygen stable isotope ratios of hydrates on uranium ore concentrates to process waters. Radiochimica Acta 111, 613–620.

Cisneros M., Ashley K. T. and Bodnar R. J. (2020) Evaluation and application of the quartz-inclusions-in-epidote mineral barometer. American Mineralogist 105, 1140–1151.

Cisneros M., Barnes J. D., Behr W. M., Kotowski A. J., Stockli D. F. and Soukis K. (2021) Insights from elastic thermobarometry into exhumation of high-pressure metamorphic rocks from Syros, Greece. Solid Earth 12, 1335–1355.

Cisneros M. and Befus K. S. (2020) Applications and Limitations of Elastic Thermobarometry: Insights From Elastic Modeling of Inclusion-Host Pairs and Example Case Studies. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 21, e2020GC009231.

Cisneros M., Behr W. M., Platt J. P. and Anczkiewicz R. (2022) Quartz-in-garnet barometry constraints on formation pressures of eclogites from the Franciscan Complex, California. Contrib Mineral Petrol 177, 12.

Giovanini E., Befus K. S., Otamendi J. E., Cristofolini E., Guerreiro T. and Cisneros M. (2024) Elastic thermobarometry on metapelites across the crustal section of the Famatinian Arc, Argentina. Contrib Mineral Petrol 179, 35.

Kotowski A. J., Cisneros M., Behr W. M., Stockli D. F., Soukis K., Barnes J. D. and Ortega‐Arroyo D. (2022) Subduction, Underplating, and Return Flow Recorded in the Cycladic Blueschist Unit Exposed on Syros, Greece. Tectonics 41, e2020TC006528.

Levy D. A., Gordon S. M., Zuza A. V., Cisneros M. and Kylander-Clark A. R. C. (2025) Eocene-Oligocene Metamorphism, Fluid Flow and Deformation in the Ruby Mountains-East Humboldt Range Metamorphic Core Complex. Tectonics 44, e2024TC008512.

Oerter E. J., Garenne A., Cisneros M., Cody G. D., Singleton M. and Alexander C. M. O. (2025) Triple oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope composition of water in Murchison carbonaceous chondrite accessed by thermogravimetry-enabled laser spectroscopy. Chemical Geology 673, 122557.

Research Grants

• ETH Zurich SEED Grant: An experimental calibration of the quartz inclusions in epidote barometer (Cisneros, M., 2020)
• National Science Foundation Grant: Retrograde Metamorphism in the Greek Cycladic Islands as a Window into Exhumation Mechanisms of High Pressure Terranes. (J.D. Barnes, D.S. Stockli, W.M. Behr, 2018) Significantly contributed to the conception of the project and writing of this grant.
• Geological Society of America Mineralogy: Geochemistry Petrology and Volcanology Division Student Grant Award (Cisneros, M., 2017)
• Geological Society of America: Student Grant (Cisneros, M., 2017)
• Jackson School of Geosciences SEED Grant: The timing, nature, and fluid history of retrograde metamorphism on Syros and Tinos, Greece as a window into exhumation mechanisms of high-pressure terranes. (Barnes, J.D., Behr, W.M., Cisneros, M., Kotowski, A.J., 2016)

Awards

• 2023: PLS Directorate Award
• 2016: Jackson School of Geosciences Petrography Contest 1^st place
• 2014: Dean’s Prestigious Fellowship Supplement
• 2013-2018: Ford Foundation Fellowship
• 2012, 2013: NSF Fellowship Honorable Mention
• 2011-2012: University of Texas Graduate School Diversity Recruitment Fellowship
• 2010: GSA Travel Grant
• 2010: UCLA Clem Nelson Summer Field Award