The Department of Geology at the University of Maryland has focused its research efforts in the applications of geochemistry and geophysics to studies of the solid earth and earth surface processes. This focused approach enables participation in various threads of modern and future Earth System Science, as well as developing areas within the Department, which include planetary geology and forensics.Our particular strengths are as follows:

• Geochemistry, which involves investigations of low- to high-temperature processes operating from Earth’s surface to it’s core and within the Solar System;
• Solid Earth Science, which is the study of the minerals, rocks, and structures that constitute Earth, and the tectonic and other processes by which they are formed and altered
• Surficial Processes and Environments, which involves the study of active and past fluxes (and reservoirs) of water, dissolved components, and sediment on Earth’s surface and the interactions of these fluxes with the biosphere and atmosphere; and,
• Geophysics, which includes investigations of Earth’s interior structure and dynamics, as well as planetary physics.

These areas are not mutually exclusive, and students are encouraged to develop a program that suits their interests.

Resident Faculty And Their Research

Michael Brown, Professor and Chair, Ph.D., Keele (UK), 1975. High-T metamorphism, crustal anatexis and melt segregation, ascent and emplacement; the P-T-t evolution/tectonics of metamorphic belts. (301) 405-4080; mbrown AT umd.edu

Andrew Campbell, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of Chicago, 1993. Mineral physics and solid earth geochemistry; high-pressure, temperature phase equilibria and equations of state; siderophile element cosmochemistry. (301) 405-4086; ajc AT umd.edu

Philip A. Candela, Professor, Ph.D., Harvard, 1982. Thermodynamics and mass transfer dynamics of magmatic-hydrothermal systems; experimental studies of the distribution of ore metals in high-temperature, multi-component, polyphase systems; field studies of granitic rocks in the western United States. (301) 405-2783; candela AT umd.edu

James Day, Assistant Research Scientist, Ph.D., University of Durham, United Kingdom, 2004. Planetary formation and differentiation processes; core-mantle interaction in Earth; early solar system formation and evolution; magmatic processes and the petrogenesis of igneous rocks. (301) 405-2707; jamesday AT umd.edu

Michael Evans, Associate Professor, Ph.D. Columbia University, 1999. Dynamical paleoclimatology—the study of paleoclimatic observations within the context of modern physical climatology—with particular focus on tropical processes. The main thrust of the work employs tools from proxy paleoclimatology, objective analysis, and numerical modeling. (301) 405-8763; mnevans AT umd.edu

James Farquhar, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Alberta, 1995. Stable isotope geochemistry: atmosphere-surface interactions, atmospheric evolution, sulfur and oxygen biogeochemistry, meteorite studies, isotopic exchange and thermometry. (301) 405-4365; jfarquha AT es.umd.edu

Saswata Hier-Majumder, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 2004. Theoretical modeling of multicomponent fluid dynamics in problems of geophysical interest, particularly segregation and transport of magma in the mantle, and experimental determination of the influence of water on the kinetic properties of silicates. (301) 405-6979; saswata AT umd.edu

Thomas R. Holtz, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D., Yale, 1992. The evolution, functional morphology, biomechanics, and adaptive trends of major groups of extinct vertebrates, especially theropod dinosaurs; phylogenetic reconstruction of late Mesozoic global paleobiogeography and important periods of adaptive radiations in the history of terrestrial life. (301) 405-4084; tholtz AT umd.edu

Alan Jay Kaufman, Professor, Ph.D., Indiana University, 1990. Determination of changes in isotopic composition of oceans through time, analysis of stratigraphic suites of little-altered carbonate rocks, tectonic, biogeochemical, and paleoenvironmental events in Earth history. (301) 405-4365; kaufman AT umd.edu

Daniel P. Lathrop, Professor, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, 1991. Turbulence, geophysical and astrophysical magnetic fields. (301) 405-1594; lathrop AT umd.edu

Aaron J. Martin, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of Arizona, 2005. Spatial and temporal relationships between compression and extension in orogenic belts; lithospheric evolution in compressional and extensional settings; quantitative analysis of the records of tectonic evolution preserved in sedimentary basins. Integration of field- and laboratory-based techniques. Current foci on the Himalaya and the western United States. (301) 405-8763; martinaj AT umd.edu

William F. McDonough, Professor, Ph.D., Australian National University, 1988. Chemical and isotopic studies of the solid earth, cosmochemistry, analytical methods and forensic analysis. (301) 405-5561; mcdonoug AT umd.edu

John W. Merck, Jr., Lecturer, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 1997. The phylogeny and evolutionary history of the euryapsids, primarily marine reptiles of the Mesozoic Era, including ichthyosaurs, placodonts, and sauropterygians; the empirical testing of cladistic methods of phylogeny reconstruction using digitally simulated phylogenies; the incorporation of data from CT scans of fossil specimens in the morphological description of fossil taxa. (301) 405-2808; jmerck AT umd.edu

Laurent G. J. Montesi, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002. Understanding patterns of deformation at the surface of the planets of the solar system (Earth, Mars and Venus, and the satellites of Jupiter, Ganymede and Europa), particularly the formation of mountain belts and rifts. More specifically, the study of how these patterns are influenced by the formation of faults and by the localization of deformation on narrow shear zones. (301) 405-7534; montesi AT umd.edu

Sarah Penniston-Dorland, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University, 2005. Fluid flow in Earth's crust investigated via the study of the record fluids leave behind in metamorphic and igneous rocks, using field data combined with mineralogical, chemical, isotopic and textural data, and application of the concepts of equilibrium thermodynamics and mass transport. (301) 405-4087; sarahpd AT umd.edu

Philip M. Piccoli, Associate Research Scientist, Ph.D., University of Maryland at College Park, 1992. Field studies of silicic igneous rocks; role of accessory phases in granitic systems; microanalysis of rock-forming minerals; geochemistry of fluids associated with plutonic and volcanic systems. (301) 405-6966; piccoli AT umd.edu

Karen L. Prestegaard, Associate Professor, Ph.D., UC Berkeley, 1982. Sediment transport and depositional processes in mountain gravel-bed streams; mechanisms of streamflow generation and their variations with watershed scale, geology, and land use; hydrologic behavior of frozen ground; hydrologic consequences of climate change; hydrology of coastal and riparian wetlands. (301) 405-6982; kpresto AT umd.edu

Igor Puchtel, Associate Research Scientist, Ph.D., Russian Academy of Sciences, 1992. Chemical and temporal evolution of Earth's mantle and core as well as the late accretion in the solar system. These studies involve radiogenic isotope systematics, including Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, U-Pb, Pb-Pb, Re-Os, and Pt-Os, and lithophile and highly siderophile element abundances in various types of materials, determined using inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry and thermal ionization mass-spectrometry. (301) 405-4054; ipuchtel AT umd.edu

Roberta L. Rudnick, Professor, Ph.D., Australian National University, 1988. Continental crust, cratonic mantle-lithosphere, Archean eclogite-TTG link, geochemical Earth reference model. (301) 405-4365; rudnick AT umd.edu

Richard J. Walker, Professor, Ph.D., SUNY Stony Brook, 1984. Geochemical evolution of the Earth's crust and mantle; origin and evolution of early solar system materials, including iron meteorites and chondrites; petrogenesis of granites and granitic pegmatites; petrogenesis of ore systems. (301) 405-4089; rjwalker AT umd.edu

Ann G. Wylie, Professor, Ph.D., Columbia, 1972. Economic geology of Appalachian metal and industrial deposits; mineralogy and human health; the study of ore minerals as petrogenetic indicators; geology and tectonic history of the central Appalachian Piedmont. (301) 405-4079; awylie AT umd.edu

Wenlu Zhu, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Stony Brook University, 1996. Experimental rock physics; laboratory and theoretical studies on deformation and percolation of crustal rocks; transport properties of hydrothermal vent deposits; submarine geomorphology. (301) 405-1831; wzhu AT umd.edu

Affiliate Faculty

Antonio J. Busalacchi (Atmospheric and Oceanic Science and ESSIC) Professor, Ph.D., Florida State University, 1982. Interests include the study of climate variability and prediction, tropical ocean modeling, ocean remote sensing, and data assimilation.

George Helz (Chemistry) Professor Emeritus, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University-University Park, 1970. Interests include environmental geochemistry; specific interests in water disinfection chemistry, trace metal chemistry in sulfidic waters and Chesapeake Bay geochemistry

Bruce James (Environmental Science and Technology) Professor, Ph.D., University of Vermont, 1982. Interests include soil chemistry specializing in oxidation-reduction processes of natural waters and of wild, domesticated, and engineered soils

Michael Kearney (Geography) Professor, Ph.D., University of Western Ontario, 1981. Interests include coastal processes and ecology, climate change, and remote sensing of coasts

Raghu Murtugudde (Atmospheric and Oceanic Science and ESSIC) Professor, Ph.D., Columbia University, 1994. Interests include climate, climate change, global warming, El Niño and La Niña, role of carbon cycle.

Ning Zeng (Atmospheric and Oceanic Science and ESSIC) Associate Professor, Ph.D., the University of Arizona, 1995. Interests include climate change and climate variability on time scales ranging from seasonal-interannual to glacial-interglacial cycles