Geology Research

My research is primarily focused on what the deformation history of a rock at the mineral scale could say about the tectonic history of an area.  Along the way, I get to ask fascinating questions about how minerals accommodate deformation in polymineralic rocks, how fabrics develop and evolve at the mineral scale, and how the rheology of different rock layers influence the strength and behavior of a deforming system.  

To address these questions, I typically start with outcrop-scale field observations, structural measurements, and targeted sample collection.  Then, I follow up with detailed microstructural and petrogenetic analyses of collected samples using the petrographic microscope and electron instrumentation (as needed). 

I have traditionally worked on deformed metamorphic rocks and tectonites.  These are rocks that have reached high enough temperatures for crystal-plastic (commonly referred to as "ductile") deformation or a mixture of crystal-plastic and brittle-style deformation.  I have studied rocks from Maine, New Mexico, and the Pacific Northwest.  My current research is more local, focused on shear structures in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.