News from Geosciences
Spring 2004
Vol. 9 No. 2
Bob Butler Receives
Outstanding Faculty Award
Inside
as he prepares for career number two!
From the Chair & Donors
2
Awards & Scholarships
3
Team Tackling Tibet
4
J. David Lowell Scholarship
6
Galileo Circle Scholars
7
GeoDaze 2004
8
GeoDaze Awards & Sponsors
9
Fall Degrees
10
Alumni News
11
Geosciences Advisory Board
Regina M. Capuano, University of Houston
•
Carlotta B. Chernoff, ConocoPhillips
M. Stephen Enders, Newmont Mine
•
Charles F. Kluth, Consultant
•
David J. Lofquist, ExxonMobil
•
Stephen J. Naruk, Shell
•
David K. Rea, University of Michigan
•
Jeffrey G. Seekatz, ExxonMobil
•
William H. Wilkinson, Phelps-Dodge
D
uring his final days at the
UA, Bob Butler received the
Geosciences Advisory Board’s
Outstanding Faculty Award for
his dedication as a teacher and
excellence as a researcher.
The Department hosted a dinner
in Bob’s honor to thank him for
all of his contributions to the
Department over the years and
to acknowledge that Bob will be
Bob drilling tertiary sediments in the Qaidam
Basin, China.
moving on to a second career in science
education at the University of Portland.
Here at the UA, Bob has contributed to the
growth and development of the Geosciences
Department Bob Butler (right) and Steve May (PhD ‘85)
for 30 years. in South America during the 1980s.
He has
trained graduate students in the science and art of
paleomagnetism. He has taught many introductory
courses at the undergraduate level. He helped build
the geophysics program. And he has had a vibrant
research program that has taken him all over the world.
In 2002, Bob
received the
Distinguished
Professors
award for
outstanding
teaching and
research, one
of the highest
honors the
University
gives.
The UA Geosciences Newsletter
is published twice a year by:
The Department of Geosciences
The University of Arizona
PO Box 210077
Tucson, AZ 85721-0077
•
Lesa Langan DuBerry, Editor
520-626-8204
lesa@geo.arizona.edu
•
www.geo.arizona.edu
Bob fishing!
Bob (back right) and the Altyn Tagh research team with the
frontal range of the Tibetan Plateau in the background.
...cont’d page 10
From the Department Chair
DONORS
The Department of Geosciences wishes to express its
gratitude to alumni and friends who support programs
and scholarships through their generous contributions.
— Individuals —
Gary Ahrens
Mary Barrick
Jon Alan Baskin
Roger Bernardini
Charles Bock
George Burr
Cheryl Butler
Robert Caughey
Carlotta Chernoff
Darlene Coney
Joseph Cramer
Vivian Dell ‘Acqua
Omar DeWald
James Dretler & Faria Clark
Christopher Eckhart
John Empsall
Steve Enders
Rolfe Erickson
Mary Ervin
Michael Fitzgerald
Robin Frisch Gleason
Brian Galloway
Liping Gao
Rebecca Garoutte
Terrence Gerlach
Patrick Gisler
Howard Grahn
Redge Greenberg
Armand Groffman
Jim Hardy
Tekla Harms
Vance Haynes
James Hays
Elaine Hazelwood
Corolla Hoag
Tim Jull
Charles Kluth
Diane Laetz
Juan Lias
Steve Lingrey
Stephen Marshak
Neal McClymonds
Edgar McCullough Jr.
Annie McGreevy
Horace Meeks
Mark Melton
Robert Metz
Joseph Mitchell
Syver More
Ann Moushey
Bruce Myers
Steve Naruk
Steve Natali
Eleanor Nelson
Meredith Nettles
Lorrel Nichols
Elizabeth O’Leary
Anne Ortiz
Allan Patch
Susan Patch
Philip Pearthree
Ofori Pearson
Bruce Prior
Jeanne Rodriguez
Christopher Roe
Amy Ruf
Jeff Seekatz
Elena Shoshitaishvili
Douglas Silver
Michael & Lynn Soreghan
Marvin Stauffer
David Steadman
Lynn Strickland
Mark Tinker
Yukimitsu Tomida
Dee Trent
Edward Wellman
John Welty
Mark Zoback
— Organizations —
Agilent Technologies
Francisco Enterprises, Inc
TGMS
— Corporations —
BP Amoco
ChevronTexaco
ConocoPhillips
ExxonMobil
Newmont Mine Corp
Sonshine Exploration Corp
Geosciences News • Spring 2004
page 2
It is hard to believe another year has gone
by as we prepare for Spring graduation
and the end of the semester. The
Department and the University are
moving forward on many fronts, and I
am very optimistic about the future of
Geosciences at the UA. As I reported in
my last update, the Provost, George
Davis, appointed a focused study team
(which I was a member of) to report on
Earth Science and Environmental
Programs on campus. We submitted the report to the Provost
in February. We focused on strengths in the broad area of
Earth Sciences and recommended that Earth Science and
Environmental Programs be pushed as part of the focused
excellence plan of the University. I am confident that this
will continue to be positive for the entire University and for
Geosciences. We still have to work toward finding new resources
to maintain and improve the Department. We did not have a
budget cut for the Department this year, which was a relief
compared to past years, and we hope the same will be true for
the 2004/2005 budget next year.
We have hired a new Assistant Professor in Geophysics,
Dr. Richard Bennett. Rick will start this fall semester and bring
GPS and Geodesy expertise to the Department. Rick received
his PhD from MIT and is currently a Research Scientist at the
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. We are in the
process of working out our faculty-hiring plan for next year, and
we hope to hire more faculty next year. John Sutter (Team Chief
Scientist, Western Earth Surface Processes Team, USGS) and I
(as well as many others on campus) continue to work on plans
for a joint US Geological Survey (USGS) and University of
Arizona (UA), Earth Surface Processes Research Institute (ESPRI)
on campus. The exciting news is that the University has
approved a new building to be completed in 2006 to house
new USGS scientists and ESPRI.
I am extremely pleased that our graduate students continue to
find excellent jobs when they finish. We had 18 graduate
students complete their degrees in 2003. I am pleased to report
that two found faculty positions, three went to postdoctoral
positions at academic institutions, five went to industry, three
finished their MS degrees and are continuing on for a PhD, and
four went to other research positions. In addition, two former
graduate students took faculty positions after finishing a
postdoctoral position. We are trying to keep better track of
where our students go, so if you have changed jobs recently,
please let us know.
GeoDaze was a big success again with 45 student presentations
over the two-day event. Thanks to all the Alumni that contribute
to making GeoDaze possible and to the 2004 GeoDaze co-chairs
Jessica Rowland and Jessica Conroy. Next year, GeoDaze is
scheduled for April 7-9, 2005, so mark your calendars.
Bob Butler received the Outstanding Faculty Award from the
Alumni Advisory Board during GeoDaze. Bob is moving on in
June to career #2 in science education at the University of
Portland. We had a dinner in Bob’s honor, and several of Bob’s
former students attended. We had fun highlighting Bob’s career.
We will miss Bob!
Awards, Scholarships, and Fellowships
Undergraduate Awards
Candice Marburger, Geosciences Outstanding Senior
Steven Hubbs, Geosciences Excellence in Research
Graduate Awards
Fernando Barra, J. David Lowell Scholarship
Joshua Calkins, ChevronTexaco Scholarship
Robinson Cecil, Peter Coney & ChevronTexaco Scholarships
Stephen DeLong, ChevronTexaco Scholarship
Nathan Brooks-English, CATTS Fellowship & Keith Katzer
Scholarship
Megan Anderson, COS Outstanding Teaching Assistant
Matt Fabijanic, ChevronTexaco Scholarship
Andrew Leier, Geosciences Outstanding Teaching Assistant
Facundo Fuentes, ChevronTexaco Scholarship
Jerome Guynn, Tucson Gem and Mineral & ChevronTexaco
Undergraduate Scholarships
Erin Brenneman, CATTS Scholarship
Leslie Dix, Willard Vorhees Scholarship
Timothy Fischer, Willard Vorhees Scholarship
Yann Gavillot, David Moore Scholarship
Louis “Cody” Helfrich, Willard Vorhees Scholarship
Theresa Kayzar, David Moore Scholarship
Alexander Pullen, Ruben Winslow Scholarship
Koichi Sakaguchi, David Moore Scholarship
William “Ross” Waldrip, Orlo Childs & David Moore
Scholarships
Scholarships
Shundng He, ChevronTexaco Scholarship
Andrew Hennes, ChevronTexaco Scholarship
Camille Holmgren, Cranwell Smith Scholarship
David Kennedy, Sulzer Scholarship
James Morrison, ChevronTexaco Scholarship
Kirsten Rowell, Wilson Thompson Scholarship
Joel Saylor, ChevronTexaco Scholarship
Timothy Shanahan, ChevronTexaco Scholarship
Kimberly Tait, Tucson Gem and Mineral Scholarship
Ta-Shana Taylor, Maxwell Short Scholarship
Jana Van Alstine, ChevronTexaco Scholarship
Graduate Scholarships
Frank “Trey” Wagner, BP Amoco & ChevronTexaco
Scholarships
Patricia Alvarado, ChevronTexaco Scholarship
Jennifer Wagner, Charles Evenson Scholarship
Kevin Anchukaitis, Sulzer Scholarship
Brian Yanites, Maxwell Short Scholarship
Department Chair
cont’d...
I want to thank all of our Geoscience alumni and friends for their
continued support of the Department. We have been able to
offer more field experiences for both our undergraduate and
graduate students due to your continued support. We are also
working to build up our endowments for undergraduate and
graduate scholarships and fellowships for much needed student
support. As you can see we were able to give out a large
number of scholarships that range from $500 to $5000 per
student. We also had five Geoscience students receive College
of Science, Galileo Circle scholarships (see page 7). We have
18 endowments that support our students. The largest
endowments are the J. David Lowell Fellowship, the Peter J.
Coney Fellowship, the H. Wesley Peirce Scholarship, the Bert S.
Butler Scholarship, and the John and Nancy Sumner Scholarship.
We hope to build these even more over the next few years.
Memorials
Peter Baldwin died on December 1, 2003. Peter
received a BS degree from the Department in 1973.
Alumni Drawing Winner
Dave Melendrez (MS ‘91) works for Barrius Technology
Inc. in Houston, Texas. Congratulations Dave! We hope
you enjoy your Geosciences T-shirt.
Send in your updated contact information and have
your name added to the drawing pool for the next
Geosciences T-shirt!
Geosciences News • Spring 2004
page 3
Team Tackling Tibet
by Paul Kapp
The Tibetan plateau is
the most impressive
topographic and
structural feature on
Earth (Fig. 1), and
is actively growing
due to the ongoing
collision between India
and Asia. Its study has
fueled many of the
hottest debates in
continental tectonics
today; these include
(1) whether the
continental lithosphere
subducts or shortens
like an accordion
during collisional
orogenesis, (2) how
lower crustal flow
Ding Lin (Institute of Tibetan Plateau
may be manifested in
Research, Beijing) and Paul Kapp
surface topography
and geology, and
(3) the tectonic significance of syn-collisional extension.
Fundamental to resolving these debates are field-based geologic
studies on the deformation history and lithospheric structure
of the remote plateau interior. A rapidly growing team of
Geosciences faculty and students are establishing the UA, and
the collaborating Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research in Beijing,
as world leaders in this research. Below is a summary of ongoing
projects and the questions being addressed.
How Does the Continental Lithosphere
Deform During Collision?
It is debated whether Cenozoic deformation and volcanism in
the plateau interior are related to (1) homogeneous lithospheric
thickening followed by dripping off of dense mantle and partial
melting of remaining continental mantle or (2) continental
subduction along reactivated Mesozoic sutures. Recent studies
have shown that Cenozoic volcanic rocks in Tibet occur as
distinct east-west belts of different ages, separated by Mesozoic
sutures. But to what extent was Tertiary shortening in Tibet
localized along the sutures? Did significant crustal shortening
occur prior to volcanism (as predicted by the mantle drip
model) or during volcanism (as predicted by the continental
subduction model)? John Volkmer (MS), Jerome Guynn (PhD),
and I are addressing these questions along a late Mesozoic
suture zone in central Tibet (Fig. 2), where study of unique
exposures of Tertiary basin fill and metamorphosed basement
rocks will permit accurate timing constraints to be obtained.
Are There Signatures of Lower Crustal
Flow in Central Tibet?
Recent studies on continental contractional belts worldwide
suggest that lower crustal flow may play a significant role in
crustal thickening and the formation of high-elevation plateaus.
However, the extent to which such processes are expressed in
surface topography and geology is poorly constrained. Brian
Horton (UCLA; UA alumnus) and I are testing a hypothesis in
which Cenozoic northward translation of lower crust beneath
central Tibet is recorded in surface topography, structural
geology, and the basinal sedimentary record. In our hypothesis,
northward growth of a large E-W trending anticlinorium and
associated topographic high, tracks the northward advance of
lower crustal material across central Tibet (Fig. 2). Northward
lower crustal flow could be driven by N-S variations in crustal
thickness and India’s northward punch into the gut of Tibet.
Lithospheric Structure of Tibet
Prior to Indo-Asian Collision
It is widely assumed that the high elevation
(~5 km) and thick crust (>65 km) of Tibet are
largely the consequence of India slamming into
Asia during the past ~55 Myr. However, this
assumption is questioned by recent geologic
studies which show that Tibet was the locus of
major deformational events prior to the IndoAsian collision. Pete DeCelles and I, together with
Shundong He (MS), Andrew Leier (PhD), and
John Volkmer (MS), have initiated a study of
Cretaceous – earliest Tertiary rocks in southern
Tibet in an attempt to place constraints on precollisional tectonism and paleogeography. The
results should help to establish realistic initial
conditions (such as crustal thickness and mantle
structure) for models of Cenozoic orogeny.
Preliminary results include documentation of (1) a
major Cretaceous thin-skinned fold-thrust belt,
Figure 1. Composite satellite image of the Tibetan-Himalayan orogen (from
(2) thick Upper Cretaceous to lower Tertiary
http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/users/marit/projects/modis_refl/index.html).
nonmarine sedimentary sequences, and (3) a >3km-thick section of 68 to 50 Ma volcanic rocks,
Mechanical Significance of Extension in Tibet
which provides the opportunity to explore, in collaboration with
Mihai Ducea, how the transition from oceanic subduction to
Despite ongoing convergence between India and Asia, active
continental collision may be recorded by variations in volcanic
deformation of Tibet is characterized by roughly E-W extension.
geochemistry.
This extension has been attributed to numerous processes;
Geosciences News • Spring 2004
page 4
have localized continental subduction
during the Cenozoic. Alternatively, if the
mélange was underthrusted from a suture
~200 km to the north, then large volumes
of relatively weak and hydrous mélange may
comprise the deeper crust of central Tibet.
Desperately needed constraints on the
composition, age, and structure of the
Tibetan lower crust are also being provided
by an in-depth study of the only known
exposure of metamorphosed crystalline
basement in Tibet (Amdo gneiss; Fig. 2),
led by Jerome Guynn. Results will aid
interpretation of crustal seismic anisotropy
studies by George Zandt’s research group
and provide realistic rheologic parameters
for geodynamic models of Tibet.
Additional studies are being initiated on:
(1) the E-W trending Zada basin in
southwestern Tibet, which is the largest and
most enigmatic Neogene basin exposed
along the northern flank of the high
Himalayas (with PhD student, Joel Saylor),
(2) Cretaceous synorogenic deposits
exposed just northwest of Lhasa which
Figure 2. DEM of Tibet showing locations of suture zones (bold dashed lines) and UA
should place quantitative constraints on
faculty and student field areas (AL, Andrew Leier; GG, George Gehrels; JG, Jerome Guynn;
the timing and rates of precollisional
JS, Joel Saylor; JV, John Volkmer; MF, Matt Fabijanic; PD, Peter DeCelles; PK, Paul Kapp;
shortening (with MS student, Matt
SH, Shundong He).
Fabijanic), and (3) the poorly understood
northern extension of the Himalayan foldhowever, none of them satisfactorily explains the distribution
thrust belt in the Tibetan Himalaya of southernmost Tibet
and orientations of Tibetan rifts. Tibetan normal fault orientations
(Fig. 2). Research in Tibet is funded by the U.S. National
exhibit an axis of symmetry that is located in front of the Indian
Science Foundation, The Petroleum Research Fund of the
indentor and oriented parallel to India-Asia motion (Fig. 3).
American Chemical Society, the department’s GeoStructure
Normal fault orientations fan northward away from India, with
Partnership with ExxonMobil and Midland Valley, and a UA
those in the north being located along and oriented normal to
faculty small grant.
a northward convex arc. Based on mechanical
modeling, Jerome Guynn and I conclude that
Tibetan rift orientations can be explained by
northward indentation of India into an overthickened Tibetan crust. Is extension in Tibet
accommodating topographic collapse of the
plateau as widely argued? Maybe not. If the
northward flux of crust beneath Tibet due to
Indian insertion along the Himalayas is greater
than the volume of crust thinned by extension
and lower crustal flow, then the Tibetan crust
may be getting thicker and the plateau higher
as we speak.
What is the Tibetan Crust Made of?
George Gehrels and I are testing two competing
models for the origin of early Mesozoic highpressure mélange in central Tibet (Fig. 2):
(1) Underthrusting from a major Paleo-Tethyan
suture located near the trace of the mélange belt,
and (2) Underthrusting from the Jinsha suture,
~200 km to the north, during flat-slab oceanic
subduction beneath a crustal fragment. If we
establish that a major suture is located near the
trace of the mélange, then this area should
become a prime target for future studies that
attempt to unravel how India’s penetration into
Asia has been accommodated, as every
established suture in Tibet is proposed to
Figure 3. Map showing normal faults in Tibet. Superimposed are predicted normal
fault orientations (intermediate principal stress trajectories; dark gray lines) within
a semi-circular elastic plate due to an arc-normal pressure along a portion of the
southern arc (gray arrows). In gray are two lobes of elevated maximum shear
stress produced in the model, which overlap with the two largest normal faults in
Tibet. Collision-related stresses to the west and east of the applied pressure along
the Himalayan arc may be relieved by slip along the Karakoram fault and
thrusting near the Shillong plateau, respectively.
Geosciences News • Spring 2004
page 5
Fernando Barra Receives
J. David Lowell
Graduate Scholarship
David Lowell earned a
BS degree in Mining
and Geological
Engineering from the
UA in 1949 and a MS
degree in Geology from
Stanford University in
1959. He has also
received an honorary
degree from the UA’s
College of Science and
from the University of
San Marcos in Peru.
J. David Lowell
Fotosmith
Since 1961, Lowell
has worked as an
independent consulting geologist for over 110 US and
foreign mining companies, engineering companies,
and governments. He is considered to be an expert in
the field of economic geology and an extraordinary
‘ore finder’ through his amazing skill as a field scientist
and his aggressive applications of theory and methods.
Lowell has shown his commitment to UA through his
intellectual and financial support of Geosciences faculty
and students. He served on the Geosciences Advisory
Board from 1996 to 2001, when he was made an
Honorary Member. He endowed the Lowell Chair in
Economic Geology to start a new Masters degree
program in economic geology. And he created a
scholarship for an
outstanding
graduate student
from South
America who is
studying
economic
geology and
mineral deposits.
Lowell has
received a variety
of honors and
awards over the
years, including
the Economic
Geologists Silver
Fernando Barra at work in the lab.
Medal, the
American Mining
Hall of Fame Medal of Merit, the Gold Medal of the
Mining and Metallurgical Society of America, and most
recently, the Penrose Metal for Lifetime Achievement.
David Lowell is an asset to the University, and we are
proud to call him our friend.
Geosciences News • Spring 2004
page 6
the J. David Lowell Scholarship
As a Hispanic graduate student studying mineral deposits, I
am grateful to have received the David Lowell Fellowship. The
UA’s Department of Geosciences has a long-standing tradition of
Economic Geology research that is recognized around the world.
As an international student from Chile, the major copper
producing company in the world and a mining country of
excellence, I feel very fortunate to be part of a leading edge
research group under the leadership of Joaquin Ruiz.
My research involves two of the most important questions in
metallogenesis. What is the timing or age of mineral deposit
formation and the source of ore-forming elements? Traditionally,
the age of ore deposits has been determined by dating the
associated silicates or rocks that host the mineralization, but the
origin of metals and the relative contributions of crust and
mantle to the source of base metal deposits are poorly
constrained. Our approach to these fundamental questions
focuses on using Re-Os isotopes. This isotopic system is ideally
suited for this study, because rhenium and osmium are both
siderophile and chalcophile elements and hence are
concentrated in the sulfide minerals.
The application of the Re-Os system to molybdenite, a
molybdenum sulfide present in a wide variety of ore deposits
but particularly important in porphyry-type deposits, has been
an extremely useful and reliable tool in determining the age of
mineralization. Our studies on the American Southwest porphyry
copper province (Arizona, New Mexico, and Sonora, Mexico)
have shown that the porphyry mineralization started around 70
my ago and ended around 50 Ma. Furthermore, the low error
associated with the Re-Os molybdenite ages allows us to identify
multiple episodes of molybdenite mineralization in a
given deposit, supporting the idea that porphyry
deposits are the result of multiple and episodic
mineralization events. We are currently testing the
hypothesis that long-lived porphyry systems yield
deposits with large copper tonnage.
Regarding the source of metals, the use of the
Re-Os system on other sulfides, such as pyrite and
chalcopyrite, has provided supporting evidence for
crustal contributions in the formation of porphyry
copper deposits in the American Southwest.
I plan to apply this isotopic system to other types of
ore deposits around the world, like the Zambian
Copperbelt, the Platreef in South Africa, and the
Toki cluster in Chile in order to properly evaluate
crust and mantle contributions to the source of
metals and the relationship between copper tonnage and
duration of the hydrothermal system.
I would like to thank David Lowell for establishing this
scholarship. I am grateful to Joaquin Ruiz for the opportunity to
study in this Department and for his constant support. I also
want to thank Spencer Titley, Jonathan Patchett, John Chesley,
Mark Baker, Chris Eastoe, and Tim Swindle for sharing their time
and knowledge with me.
2004 G A L I LEO Scholars
G A L I LEO C IRC L E
Joaquin Ruiz, COS Dean
Fotosmith
The GALILEO CIRCLE is a
society of friends who
support continued
excellence in
science at the
University of
Arizona through
their annual
membership,
scholarship
contributions,
and science
advocacy.
This year, five students from the Department of
Geosciences received GALILEO Scholarships in the
amount of $1,000 each. Twenty-five scholarships
were given to other deserving students in the
College for a total of 30 scholarships awarded
this year.
Five students from the Department of Geosciences received
GALILEO Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each. The
students and their research interests are identified below.
Kevin Anchukaitis is a PhD student in Tree Ring/
Geosciences. His patron is Carolyn Brockway.
His research focuses on techniques to extract
high-resolution proxy records of Holocene
climate variability from trees in the tropics.
He combines stable isotope geochemistry,
dendroclimatology, and numerical modeling
to reconstruct sea surface temperature fields
Kevin Anchukaitis using trees from neotropical montane cloud
forests. He also uses process-based models
and statistical techniques to better understand the relationship
between climate and tree growth, with the ultimate goal of
improving climate reconstructions from dendroclimatology.
Individuals who join the GALILEO CIRCLE at the
$1,500 level are designated as Scholar Patrons
and $500 of their contribution goes directly to
support a student in a College of Science
department of their choice. The remainder of
Timothy Fisher
the contribution is placed in the Dean’s Fund
for Excellence to support students, outstanding
young researchers, and stellar faculty in the College.
Patrons have the opportunity to meet their scholars
at an annual spring GALILEO CIRCLE Scholars
Luncheon. GALILEO CIRCLE members are also invited
to attend special seminars, lectures, and events —
including unique science trips both at home and
abroad.
For more information about the GALILEO CIRCLE and
how you can support a GALILEO Scholar in the
Department of Geosciences, contact Bo Baylor at
520-621-4060 or bbaylor@u.arizona.edu.
Timothy Fisher is a Senior in Geosciences. His patrons are
John Sutter and Elaine Padovani. He is investigating the
paleovegetation around caves with simultaneous soil and
cave air measurements as well as isotopic measurements of
current vegetation and soil carbonates in the vicinity of the
Cave of Bells in Southeast Arizona. He is trying to determine
what, if any, is the precise nature of the soil-cave interaction
with respect to carbon isotopes.
Jerome Guynn is a PhD student in Geosciences.
His patrons are Kenneth and Karen Evans. He is
investigating the tectonic history of the Tibetan
plateau, the highest and largest plateau on earth.
He is trying to constrain some of the geologic
history and crustal evolution of the plateau just
prior to the collision of India with Asia and
determine the extent to which this prior tectonism
has influenced the growth of the plateau since
Jerome Guynn
the collision. He will investigate one of the few
basement exposures in Tibet, the Amdo gneiss, located along
the Jurassic Bangong suture zone in southern Tibet, to
determine what it tells us about the construction of the plateau
and the composition of the Tibetan crust.
Joaquin Ruiz
College of Science Dean
Professor of Geosciences
Arda Ozacar
Frank “Trey” Wagner
Arda Ozacar is a PhD student in Geosciences. His
patrons are James Dretler and Faria Clark. His research
interests focus on active continental strike-slip faults
and crustal deformation in mountain belts. He has
analyzed complex rupture processes of two recent
large earthquakes that occurred in Alaska and Tibet.
He also used seismic data recorded in central Tibet to
image the structure of an over-thickened crust.
Frank Wagner is a PhD student. His patrons are Gary and
Joan Lee Jones. His research interests lie in applying seismic
reflection and finite-element modeling techniques to aid in
understanding the tectonic evolution of the earth's crust.
He is very interested in understanding extensional tectonic
processes in the southern Basin and Range Province of the
western United States. Right now he is working with a
suite of 2D seismic lines around southern Arizona and has
discovered some exciting structural relationships
previously unrecognized.
Geosciences News • Spring 2004
page 7
GeoDaze 2004
T
he 32nd annual GeoDaze
Symposium was held at the
UA Student Union on April 1st
and 2nd. The 30 talks and 14
posters exemplified the diversity
and multi-disciplinary nature of
geosciences research today.
Topics covered included,
paleoecology, biogeochemistry,
geomorphology, sedimentology,
planetary geology,
paleoclimatology, GIS
and remote sensing
geophysics,
economic geology,
geochemistry, and
tectonics. Both
graduate and
undergraduate
students participated,
as well as individuals
from other academic
and professional
communities.
Arizona Geological Society. The
group visited a late Cenozoic
Pirate fault on the western edge
of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
They also visited the Romero
Creek area to observe geomorphic
changes that occurred after the
2003 Aspen fire.
Jeff Balmat talking about his
poster and research.
A special thanks goes to the
Co-Chairs Jessica Conroy and
Jessica Rowland for all of their
dedication and hard work. A
special thanks also goes to our
alumni, friends, and sponsors
(see page 9) whose financial
Lara Wagner receiving her award
Thirteen awards
for the Best Geosciences Talk.
were given during
a ceremony that
followed all of the presentations
and a student slide show.
Dr. Kevin Furlong, Professor of
Geosciences at the Pennsylvania
State University, was the keynote speaker. Dr. Furlong is
also the director of the EMS
Environment Institute Natural
Hazards Center. His talk was
entitled “Caught in the Crunch:
Making the New Zealand Plate
Boundary.”
The 2004 GeoDaze field trip
was led by Jon Spencer of the
GeoDaze 2004 Co-Chairs Jessica Conroy (left)
and Jessica Rowland (right).
Jon Spencer from the Arizona
Geological Society led the field trip.
Field trip participants at Romero Creek.
support makes the GeoDaze Symposium possible each year.
Finally, a big round of applause goes to all of the students,
faculty, staff, and alumni for making the GeoDaze tradition of
showcasing student research another great success!
Field trip participants in the Santa Catalina mountains.
Geosciences News • Spring 2004
page 8
GeoDaze Awards
Elena Shoshitaishvili and Richard Clarke
Best Talk in Geophysics
Geomark Research, Inc.
Best Talk in Economic Geology/Petrology
Megan Anderson
Steven Hubbs
Best Talk Based on Field Geology
Les McFadden
Best Talk in Geomorphology/
Sedimentology/Biogeochemistry
Robinson Cecil
William Jenney, Jr. and Kerry Inman
Best Talk in Tectonics
Andrew Leier
Robert Fromm-Rihm
H. Errol Montgomery
Best Overall Talk
Best Poster
Christa Placzek
Stacie Gibbins
SESS Best Undergraduate Talk
Best Poster Runner-up
Koichi Sakaguchi
Camille Holmgren
SESS Best Undergraduate Poster
John Cropper
Best Talk in Paleoclimatology
Steven Hubbs
Jennifer Wagner
Best Talk in Paleoecology/Ecology
Geosciences Best Talk
David Kennedy
Lara Wagner
GeoDaze Sponsors
— Individuals —
James Hays
John Wilder
Stephen Ahlgren
Tom Heidrick
Isaac Winograd
CS Venable Barclay
Kerry Inman
Donald Witter
Jon Alan Baskin
William Jenney
Thomas Biggs
Richard Jones
Suzanne Bowe
Donlon LoBiondo
Carlotta Chernoff
Paul Martin
Anthony Ching
Edgar McCullough, Jr.
Gary Colgan
Leslie McFadden
John Philip Cropper
Keith Meldahl
Paul Damon
Nancy Naeser
John Dreier
Robert Parker
— Corporations —
Murray Gardner
Bernard Pipkin
BP Amoco
Terrence Gerlach
Elena Shoshitaishvili
ConocoPhillips
Patrick Gisler
Spencer Titley
ExxonMobil
— Organizations —
Geomark Research Ltd
UA SESS Club
Tucson Gem & Mineral Society
Zonge Engineering
Geosciences News • Spring 2004
page 9
Fall Degrees 2003
Bachelor of Science
Yann Gavillot • Hector Hinojosa
Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy
David Barbeau, PhD
Application of growth strata and dentrital-zircon
geochronology to stratigraphic architecture and
kinematic history, Pete DeCelles
Marilena Stimpfl, PhD
Experimental studies of FE2+-MG order-disorder
in orthopyroxene: equilibrium, kinetics, and
applications, Jibamitra Ganguly
Daniel Berman, MS
Hillside gullies and possible glacial landforms
associated with the degradation of highland craters
on Mars, Victor Baker
Melissa Trout, MS
Vegetation history of San Elijo Lagoon,
California, Owen Davis
Casey Hagbo, MS
Characterization of gas-hydrate occurrences using
3D seismic data and seismic attributes, Milne Point,
North Slope, Alaska, Roy Johnson
Hinako Uchida, MS
Single-crystal X-ray diffraction of spinels from
San Carlos Volcanic Field, Arizona, Bob Downs
Eric Jensen, PhD
Magmatic and hydrothermal evolution of the
Cripple Creek gold deposit, Colorado, and
comparisons with regional and global magmatichydrothermal systems associated with alkaline
magmatism, Mark Barton
Elizabeth Wilson, MS
Regional geochemical characteristics of
Laramide Volcanics, southeastern Arizona and
adjacent areas, Spence Titley
Francisco Quiroz-Luna, MS
Geology and hypogene alteration and mineralization
at escondida, northern Chile: orphyry and highsulfidation events, Spence Titley
Bob Butler
cont’d...
A number of Bob’s former graduate students came to participate
in the evening celebration. Steve May, a Senior Research
Associate for ExxonMobil, shared slides and memories of times
spent with Bob in the field during the “early years.” Tekla
Harms, Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Amherst
College, Gary Calderone, Geology Instructor at Glendale
Community College, and Andy Sandberg, Geophysicist for
Left to right, George Gehrels (professor), Steve May (PhD ‘85),
Tekla Harms (PhD ‘86), and Steve Naruk (MS ‘83, PhD ‘87)
all participated in the program at the dinner for Bob Butler.
Geosciences News • Spring 2004
page 10
Congratulations to all of our graduates
and best wishes in your new pursuits!
Samson Exploration
and Production
Company, all shared
some of their memories
as well.
Pete DeCelles and
George Gehrels, both
UA Geoscience
Professors, shared slides
and stories from more
recent years. Bob
Left to right, Pete DeCelles (professor),
ended the program
Joaquin Ruiz (College of Science Dean),
with a tribute and
Bob Butler (professor) at the award
thank you to all his
and farewell dinner.
colleagues and staff
here in the Department
who have worked with him over the years.
Bob has been a tremendous colleague and an outstanding
mentor and advisor to students, guiding many of them into
Geoscience careers. Thank you Bob, we will miss you greatly!
ALUMNI NEWS
1960s
Jon Broderick (MS ‘67)
As a UA geology alum, I regularly receive
the “News from Geosciences” newsletter
and enjoy it very much. Nothing else to
report, except that I am happily enjoying
retirement here in Paradise Valley, AZ.
~jpbroderick@cox.net
1970s
Dee Trent (PhD ‘73)
Barney Pipkin (PhD ‘65) and I have
completed the fourth edition of our
textbook, “Geology and the Environment,”
which was published in February 2004. We
were joined in this edition by an additional
coauthor, Rick Hazlett, Professor of Geology,
and Director of the Environmental Analysis
Program at Pomona College. Rick and I are
also coauthors of “Joshua Tree National
Park Geology,” a guide for the interested
park visitor, published in 2002. Barney and
I have both retired from full-time teaching
and are now full-time pensioners.
~dtrent9845@aol.com
Jeffrey W. Bryant (BS ‘74, MS ‘78)
I recently left the oil business after 25 years
of fascinating work in many parts of the
world: King Ranch, Offshore Gulf of Mexico,
1990s
Alaska North Slope, Saudi Arabia, and West
Africa. While I was mobilized as an Army
Brooke Clements (MS ‘91)
Reservist after 9-11, the company that I
Brook provided this photo of UA alumni
worked for sold off many of their properties
at the Cordilleran Roundup Conference
and laid off most of the employees,
in Vancouver, Canada, in January.
including me. After I returned to civilian
~Brooke.clements@ashton.ca
life, I decided to leave the energy
business and start a new career
with the National Imagery and
Mapping Agency (now the
National Geospatial-Intelligence
Agency) as an Imagery
Intelligence Officer, an extension
of my military occupational
specialty. I now live in Virginia
with my wife, Mary Ann (BA,
Education ‘76) and my two
daughters, Stephanie and
Madeline. I still manage to get to
Tucson every now and then to
visit my family and my in-laws.
~bryantjw@adelphia.net
Front, left to right: Brooke Clements (MS ‘91); Kent
Turner (MS ‘83); George Sanders (PhD ‘79); John-Mark
Susan Jones (BS ‘74)
Staude (PhD ‘95); Moira Smith (PhD ‘90). Back, left to
In 1998, I decided to make a
right: Eugene Schmidt (MS ‘73); James Lang (MS ‘86,
PhD ‘91); Clancy Wendt (MS ‘78); Stan Keith (MS ‘79);
mid-life career change. I returned
Matthew Gray (MS ‘88); Lance Miller (PhD ‘94); Peter
to college and earned my
Megaw (PhD ‘90); Wojtek Wodzicki (PhD ‘95).
Bachelor of Landscape
Architecture degree in 2001 from
the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Now I am on the research staff
Brian S. Currie (PhD ‘98)
of the Landscape Architecture
Jack Lawrence Currie (7 lbs.
and Planning Program at UNLV.
15 oz, 20.5 inches) was
Occasionally, I teach landscape
born at 2:44 PM on
architecture design courses, and
February 17. Both Jack
in my spare time, I am working
and Kate are doing well.
on a Master’s in environmental
~curriebs@muohio.edu
science. My research interests
include the design of public
botanical gardens and cultural landscapes
Lisa LaFlame (BS ‘94)
of the national parks. I recently completed
I am a geophysicist at READ Well Services
the first chronology of the Zion Lodge
in Houston, Texas.
landscape at Zion National Park.
~lisa_laflame@hotmail.com
~suejones2@cox.net
Nathan English (MS ‘99) and
Christa Placzek ( MS ‘00)
Nathan and
Christa had a
baby boy in
December. He
weighed 7lb
2oz (that’s
2,233 grams
for the metric
minded). His
name is Alden
Mathew
English, and he’s absolutely fantastic!
~nenglish@geo.arizona.edu
Jennifer Swenson (MS ‘94, PhD ‘99)
Jennifer is currently at Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory. She
recently returned from Baghdad where
she spent two months working on a team
with scientists and analysts for the Iraq
Survey Group (ISG). The ISG, under the
command of Major General Keith Dayton,
is a multi-agency intelligence analytical
element forward-deployed to deliberately
and thoroughly search for and eliminate
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The
ISG also collects and exploits documents
and media related to terrorism, war
crimes, POW, and MIA issues. Jennifer’s
primary responsibility with the ISG was
to assist in the characterization of the
pre-war Iraqi nuclear research program.
Principle tasks included interrogating
and debriefing individuals, exploiting
captured material, and conducting
investigations at nuclear-related facilities.
It was a lot of hard work and a phenomenal
experience.
~swenson6@llnl.gov
Jennifer in Baghdad, Iraq.
Geosciences News • Spring 2004
page 11
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