Research

VTTS_panorama

Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Alaska. The valley is filled with a pyroclastic flow that erupted in 1912. (Photo courtesy of Jesse Vavrek)

Variations in Earth’s magnetic field recorded in rocks and sediments have the ability to provide unique information on a wide variety of earth processes, from core to crust and from deep time to the very recent past. Paleomagnetism is the study of these “rock records” of field variations. By characterizing variations in the geomagnetic field, we can exploit these variations to better understand volcanic and other geologic processes, from local to planetary scales.  It is also necessary to understand how reliable our rock records are, so studies that seek to clarify the origin of magnetic remanence in igneous materials are equally important. This work combines standard rock- and paleomagnetic techniques with potential field observations and modeling, as well as techniques in experimental petrology.  Read more about past and ongoing research by clicking on one of the links below.