My research focuses on the evolution of volcanic systems and the formation of ore deposits. I am currently working to gain a better understanding of both the magmatic and hydrothermal alteration histories of the Eocene Rattlesnake Hills Alkaline Complex of central Wyoming. The Rattlesnake Hills Complex is comprised of shallow alkaline intrusions of phonolite, trachyte, and latite (as well as some minor rhyolite) that have been variably altered and in some cases mineralized with disseminated gold.

I am also interested in the alteration and copper mineralization of the Keweenawan basalts of northwestern Wisconsin. I was fortunate to have an opportunity to share this interest with others through a poster presentation entitled “Variation in Metamorphic Grade Across a Transect of the Copper-Bearing Keweenawan Basalts of Northwestern Wisconsin, U.S.A.” that was part of the 2019 Society of Economic Geologists Annual Meeting in Santiago, Chile. While copper mineralization in Wisconsin is not of economic value like the deposits of Michigan's Keweenaw peninsula, the links between structural features and alteration can help to provide a better understanding of Wisconsin's Precambrian history.

If you are interested in hearing more about my dissertation research or Wisconsin's copper, please send me an email at blawler@uwyo.edu.