RICHARD P. LANGFORD
Sedimentology, Geomorphology, Arid Lands
PhD., 1989; University of Utah
Dr. Langford joined the faculty in 1996 after teaching for year at Rutgers University and conducting
research for six years at the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin. His
research interests focus on terrestrial deposition in arid lands. His major interest is understanding how
arid landscapes respond to environmental change through erosion and deposition. He also studies the
evolution of river systems and in the interactions between different desert environments. The El Paso
region provides a unique natural laboratory to solve these problems. Active research is ongoing in four
areas. In Southern Utah, several students are studying sandstones through which hydrocarbon bearing
fluids migrated in order to determine the diagenetic and depositional controls on hydrocarbon reservoir
formation. At the White Sands National Monument, we are studying the climatic and geomorphic
controls on when and where the dune field formed. At several sites along the Rio Grande, The New
ASSET flume has been used to measure the erosion potential of sediments. In the Jornada Experimental
Range, in collaboration with Dr. Dale Gillette of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration, we are studying the interplay between wind and vegetation that shapes the landscape
during desertification
Graduate Theses
Chair
Clepper, Marta, 2002 (M.S.), Stable isotopes and paleoclimate of a 12 million year record during TransPecos Texas Rio Grande Rift Development
Imana, Ekal, 2002 (PhD; w/D.I. Doser), An Integrated geophysical and hydrogeological study of the
structures of the lower Mesilla Valley.
Xie, Hongjie, 2002 (Ph.D.; w/G.R. Keller) Image processing and data fusion of AIRSAR/TOPSAR, TM
and geophysical data, GIS integration, and their application in Trans-Pecos Texas.
Couroux, Emile 2001, (M.S., w/D.I. Doser), An integrated study of landform development using nearsurface geophysics, remote sensing and geomorphology, at the Great Sand Dunes National
Monument (Outstanding Geology Thesis; Dept. Geol. Sci.).
Depret, Pierre-Andre, 2001 (M.S.), Influence of diagenesis on the reservoir quality of the Cedar Mesa
Sandstone, southeastern Utah, and comparison with Rotliegende Sandstone, North Sea (Outstanding
Geology Thesis; Dept. Geol. Sci.)
in Progress
Depret, Pierre-Andres, PhD (with K.C. Miller), An integrated sedimentological and 3-D study of the
Weber Sandstone, Rangely Field Colorado.
Kennedy, John Ph.D, Topographic and Paleohydrologic study of the Southern Rio Grande Rift.
Neu, Roene Neu, Ph.D, Studies of erodability of modern and ancient sediments.
Pool, Brandi (M.S.), Stratigraphy of the Pliocene-Pleistocene Camp Rice Formation in the Hueco and
Mesilla bolson
Selected Publications
published
Langford, R. P., 2003 The Holocene history of the White Sands dune field and influences on eolian
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deflation and playa lakes: Quaternary International,v. 104, p. 31-39.
Langford, R. P., 2002, Playa Lake Shorelines and the History of White Sands Dune field; in Geology of
White Sands: New Mexico Geological Society, p. 45-47
Langford, R., P., 2002, Deflationary Origin of White Sands Dune Field; in Proceedings of the
International Conference on Wind Erosion and Other Aeolian Processes ICAR 5 and GCTE-SEN
Joint Meeting
Langford, R.P., 2000, Nabkha (Coppice Dune) fields of south-central New Mexico, USA: Jour. Arid
Environ, v. 45, no. 1, p. 25-41.
Langford, R.P., and Eshete Tefera, 2000, Fissure behavior in the Chihuahuan Desert, and depth
estimation using sediment strength: Environ. Engr. Geosci., v. 6, p. 301-309.
Scanlon, B., R.S. Goldsmith, and R.P. Langford, 2000, Relationships between grid geomorphic settings
and unsaturated zone flow: Case study, Chihuahuan Desert, Texas: Texas Bureau of Econ. Geol.,
Rpt. of Investigation, no. 261, 133 p.
Langford, R. P., 2000, Review of Wireline Logging/Les diagraphies au cable. By Ecole du Petrole et des
Moteurs, CD-ROM for PC and MAC: Jour. Petroleum Sci. Engr. p. 97.
Research Activities
Principal Investigator – EPA: Establishing a mobile flume for studying erosion and sediment transport
along the U.S. Mexico Border
Principal Investigator – U.S. Corp of Engineers: Soil Erosion Potential on Disturbed and Undisturbed
Manuever Areas , Fort Bliss, Texas
Principal Investigator – EPA: Sediment Erosion in the Rio Grande
Co-Principal Investigator – NSF: Building Pathways into the Geosciences for an Hispanic Community
of Learners in El Paso
Co-Principal Investigator – EPA/STAR: Bank Filtration in an Arid Environment
Co-Principal Investigator – TX Low-level Radioactive Waste Authority: Contract for continuing studies
at the repository site
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