Earth and Environmental Sciences

Research Highlights

The Department in the News 

Recent Publications

The Department in the News

November 19, 2009 - Carmala Garzione is chosen as a New York Academy of Sciences Award Winner

November 16, 2009 - Cindy Ebinger: New Study in Geology Uses Satellite Imagery to Identify Active Magma Systems in East Africa's Rift Valley

September 9, 2009 - Cindy Ebinger: Scientists Install Seismic Sensors in Galapagos to Generate First 3-D Images of a Hotspot Magma Plumbing System

August 27, 2009 - John Tarduno and Cognitive Scientists Use Eye-Tracking Technology to Learn What Makes a Great Geologist

April 2, 2009 - John Tarduno: Simulations and Ancient Magnetism Suggest Mantle Plumes May Bend Deep Beneath Earth's Crust

March 13, 2009 - Asish Basu: Fledgling Mantle Plume May Be Cause of African Volcano's Unique Lava

February 1, 2009 - John Tarduno: Ancient Turtle Migrated from Asia to America Over a Tropical Arctic 

Recent Publications

Asish Basu

R. Chakrabarti, A. R. Basu, P. K. Bandyopadhyay, and H. Zou, Age and origin of the Chilka anorthosites, Eastern Ghats, India: Implications for massif anorthosite petrogenesis and break-up of Rodinia, in press, Monograph, Springer-Verlag, 2009.

R. Chakrabarti, K. W. W. Sims, A. R. Basu, M. Reagan, and J. Durieux, Timescales of magmatic processes and eruption ages of the Nyiragongo volcanics from 238U-230Th-226Ra-210Pb disequilibria, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, in press, 2009.

R. B. Georg, A. J. West, A. R. Basu, and A. N. Halliday, Silicon fluxes and isotope composition of direct groundwater discharge into the Bay of Bengal and the effect on the global ocean silicon isotope budget, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v 283, 67-74, 2009.

J. Wakabayashi, A. Ghatak, and A. R. Basu, Supra-subduction zone ophiolite generation, emplacement, and initiation of subduction: A perspective from geochemistry, metamorphism, geochronology, and regional geology, Bulletin Geological Society of America, in press, 2009.

R. Chakrabarti, A.R. Basu, A.P. Santo, D. Tedesco, and O. Vaselli,Isotopic and geochemical evidence for a heterogeneous mantle plume origin of the Virunga volcanics, Western rift, East African Rift system, Chemical Geology, v 259, 273-289, 2009.

B.A. Sargent, W.J. Forrest, C. Tayrien, M.K. McClure, A. Li, A.R. Basu, P. Manoj, D.M. Watson, C.J. Bohac, E. Furlan, K.H. Kim, J.D. Green, and G.C. Sloan, Silica in Protoplanetary Disks, The Astrophysical Journal, v 690, 1193-1207, 2009. 

S.B. Shirey, B.S. Kamber, M.J. Whitehouse, P.A. Mueller and A.R. Basu, A Review of the isotopic evidence for mantle and crustal processes in the Hadean and Archean: Implications for the onset of plate tectonic subduction, Special Paper, Geological Society of America, v 440, 1-29, 2008.

Cindy Ebinger

Ayele, A., D. Keir, C. Ebinger, T. Wright, G. Stuart, E. Jacques, G. Ogubazghi, J. Sholan, The September 2005 mega-dike emplacement in the Manda-Hararo (Afar) nascent oceanic rift; Insights from seismicity,  Geophys. Res. Letters, in press, 2009.

Biggs, J., E. Anthony, C. Ebinger, Multiple active volcanoes in the Eastern rift, Africa, Geology, in press, 2009.

Basuyau, C., C. Tiberi, S. Leroy, G. Stuart, A. Al-Lazki, K. Al-Toubi, C. Ebinger, Evidence of partial melting beneath a continental margin: case of Dhofar, in the Northern Gulf of Aden (Sultanate of Oman), Geophys. J. Int., in press, 2009.

Hamling, I., A. Ayele, E. Calais, C. Ebinger, D. Keir, E. Lewi, T. Wright, G. Yirgu, Geodetic observations of new dyke intrusions in the Dabbahu rift segment, Afar, Ethiopia, Geophys. J. Int., doi: 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2009.04163.x, 2009.

Keir, D., A. Ayele, E. Calais, I. Hamling, C. Ebinger, T. J. Wright, E. Jacques, M. Kassim, J.O.S. Hammond, Manahloh Belachew, E. Baker, J. Rowland, Repeated dike injection sourced beneath the center of the Dabbahu segment in the Afar rift, Geology, 37, 59-62, doi:10.1130/G25147A.1   2009.

Calais, E.,  N. d'Oreye , J. Albaric , A. Deschamps , D. Delvaux , J. Déverchère , C. Ebinger , R. Ferdinand , F. Kervyn , A. Macheyeki , A. Oyen , J. Perrot , E. Saria , B. Smets , D. Stamps , C. Wauthier, Aseismic strain accommodation by dyking in a youthful continental rift, East Africa Nature, 456, doi:10.1038/nature07478, 2008.

Waltham, D., R. Hall, H. P. Smyth, and C. Ebinger, Basin formation by volcanic arc loading, Geol. Soc. Amer. Spec. Pub. 436, 11-26, 2008.

Ebinger, C., Keir, D., Ayele, A., Belachew, M., Calais, E., Wright, T., Campbell, E., Buck, R., Magma intrusion and faulting processes in a zone of continental rupture:  Seismicity of the Dabbahu (Afar) rift, Geophys. J. Int.,  doi: 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2008.03877.x,  2008.

Ranganai, R., and C. Ebinger, Aeromagnetic and Landsat TM structural interpretation for identifying regional groundwater exploration targets, south-central Zimbabwe craton, J. Applied Geophysics, 65, 73-83, 2008.

Ranganai, R., Whaler, K., Ebinger, C., Gravity anomaly patterns in the south-central Zimbabwe Archaean craton, J. Afri. Earth Sci., 51, 257-276, 2008.

Stamps, S., Calais, E., Saria, E., Mbede, E., Hartnady, C., Nocquet, J.-M., Ebinger, C., Fernandes, R., A kinematic model for the East African rift system, Geophys. Res. Lett., L05304, doi:10.1029/ 2007GL032781, 2008.

Ebinger, C., The East African rift system, in Bally, B., and D. G. Roberts (eds.), Phanerozoic Geology of the World, in press, 2008.

Daly, E., D. Keir., C. Ebinger, G. Stuart, A. Ayele, & D. Waltham, Crustal structure of the northern Main Ethiopian Rift from a tomographic inversion of local earthquakes,   Geophys. J. Int., 172, 1033–1048, 2008.

Udo Fehn

Z. Lu, H. Tomaru and U.Fehn (2008), Iodine ages of pore waters at Hydrate Ridge (ODP Leg 204), Cascadia Margin: implications for sources of methane in gas hydrates, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 267, 654-665.

M. Reich, C. Palacios, M.A. Parada, U. Fehn, E. M. Cameron, M.I. Leybourne and A. Zúñiga (2008). Atacamite formation by deep saline waters in copper deposits from the Atacama Desert, Chile: Evidence from fluid inclusions, groundwater geochemistry, TEM, and 36Cl data. Mineralium Deposita, 43, 663-675.

Z. Lu, C. Hensen, U. Fehn and K. Wallmann (2008), Halogen and 129I systematics in gas hydrate fields at the northern Cascadia Margin (IODP Expedition 311) – Insights from numerical modeling. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 9, 10.1029/2008GC002156, 18p.

H. Tomaru, Z. Lu, U. Fehn and Y. Muramatsu (2009), Origin of hydrocarbons in the Green Tuff region of Japan: 129I results from oil field brines and hot springs in the Akita and Niigata Basins. Chem. Geol., 264, 221-231.

Carmala Garzione

Hoke, G.D., Garzione, C.N., Araneo, D.C., Latorre, C., Strecker, M.R. and Williams, K,J., 2009, Can Quaternary pedogenic carbonates be used to estimate modern elevations?: Geology (in press).

Croft, D.A., Anaya, F., Auerbach, D., Garzione, C., and MacFadden, B.J., 2009, An early to middle Miocene mammal fauna from Cerdas, Bolivia: Journal of Mammalian Evolution, DOI 10.1007/s10914-009-9115-0.

Garzione, C.N.
, 2008, Surface uplift of Tibet and Cenozoic global cooling: Geology, v. 36, p. 1003-1004.
Hoke G.D., and Garzione, C.N., 2008, Paleoelevation and Geomorphic Constraints on the late Miocene rise of the Andes: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v.271, p. 192-201.

Garzione, C.N
, Hoke, G.D., Libarkin, J.C., Withers, S., MacFadden, B.J., Eiler, J.M., Ghosh, P.,Mulch, A., 2008, Rise of the Andes: Science, v. 320, p. 1304-1307.

Gautam Mitra

Kwon, S., Mitra, G. & Perucchio, R. (2007): The Effect of predeformational basin geometry in the kinematic evolution of a thin-skinned orogenic wedge: Insights from three-dimensional finite element modeling of the Provo salient, Sevier fold-thrust belt, Utah. Journal of Geophysical Research 112, B02403, doi:10.1029/2006JB004376.

Robert Poreda

Thomas H. Darrah, Jennifer J. Prutsman-Pfeiffer, Robert J. Poreda, M. Ellen Campbell, Peter V. Hauschka and Robyn E. Hannigan, Incorporation of excess gadolinium into human bone from medical contrast agents. Metallomics, 2009.

K. Garofalo, F. Tassi, O. Vaselli, A. Delgado-Huertas ,D. Tedesco, M. Frische, T. H. Hansteen, R. J. Poreda, W. Strauch, Fumarolic gases at Mombacho volcano (Nicaragua):presence of magmatic gas species and implications for volcanic surveillance . Bulletin Volcanologie  38, 234-246 (2008) 

D. Tedesco, F. Tassi, O. Vaselli, R.J. Poreda, T. Darrah, E. Cuoco, and M.M. Yalire, Gas isotopic signatures (He, C and Ar) in the Lake Kivu region (Western Branch of the East African Rift System): geodynamical and volcanological implications. Journal of Geophysical Research (in press, 2009)

Tassi, F., Vaselli, O., Tedesco, D., Montegrossi, G., Darrah, T., Cuoco, E. Mapendano, M.Y., Poreda, R., Delgado Huertas, A, Water and gas chemistry at Lake Kivu (DRC): geochemical evidence of vertical and horizontal heterogeneities in a multi-basin structure Geochemistry, Geophysics and Geosystems  (in press, 2009)

Carolyn B. Dowling, Robert J. Poreda, W. Berry Lyons, The effects of a high meltwater year on the physical limnology of Lake Fryxell and Lake Hoare, Taylor Valley, Antarctica, from dissolved gas, tritium, and chlorofluorocarbons. Limnology and Oceanography (in press, 2009)

John Tarduno

Usui, Y., J.A. Tarduno, M. Watkeys, A. Hofmann and R.D. Cottrell, Evidence for a 3.45 billion-year-old magnetic remanence from conglomerates of South Africa, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 10, Q09Z07, doi:10.1029/2009GC002496., 2009.

Doubrovine, P.A., J.A. Tarduno and X. Zhao, On the magnetostratigraphic age of Nauru Basin basalts of the western Pacific Ocean and timing of Ontong Java volcanism, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., vol 287 175-184, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.07.040, 2009.

Tarduno, J.A
., Geodynamo history preserved in single silicate crystals: Origins and long-term mantle control, Elements, 5, 217-222, 2009.

John Tarduno
,  Hans-Peter Bunge,  Norm Sleep,  Ulrich Hansen,The Bent Hawaiian-Emperor Hotspot Track: Inheriting the Mantle Wind , Science, vol 324, pp 50-53, DOI: 10.1126/science.1161256, 2009.

Deborah Vandermark, John A. Tarduno, Donald B. Brinkman, Rory D. Cottrell and Stephanie Mason, A New Late Cretaceous Macrobaenid Turtle with Asian Affinities From the High Canadian Arctic: Dispersal via ice-free polar routes, Geology, 39, 183-186, doi:10.1130/G25415A.1, 2009.

Rory D. Cottrell, John A. Tarduno, John Roberts, The Kiaman Reversed Polarity Superchron at Kiama: Toward a field strength estimate based on single silicate crystals, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 169, 49-58, doi:10.1016/j.pepi.2008.07.041, 2008.

Pavel V. Doubrovine and John A. Tarduno, A revised kinematic model for the relative motion between Pacific oceanic plates and North America since the Late Cretaceous, Journal of Geophysical Research, 113, B121011, doi:10.1029/2008JB005585, 2008.

Pavel V. Doubrovine and John A. Tarduno, Linking the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene Pacific plate and the Atlantic bordering continents using plate circuits and paleomagnetic data, Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol 113, B07104, doi:10.1029/2008JB005584, 2008.

John A. Tarduno
, Hotspots Unplugged, Scientific American, January, 2008 (pages 88-93).