University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Discussing Structural Inversion of the Kaibab Uplift from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona.
  • GEOS 251–Introduction to Physical Geology: This course is an introduction to all aspects of physical geosciences, from origin of the earth and planetary bodies, to minerals, rock types, environments of formation of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rock types, faults, earthquakes, volcanoes, atmospheric and oceanic processes that related to earth systems and the rock record.  Students gain practical experience identifying rock types and learning about the local geology of the Tucson Basin.
  • GEOS 304–Structural Geology: This course explores the tectonic forces that act upon the earth’s crust, and the many manifestations of how the crust responds, through the formation of faults, joints, folds, fractures, and ductile fabrics.  Lab exercises emphasize how to measure, characterize, and map these features, and field trips help students gain practical experience recognizing, measuring, and mapping them in nearby outcrops and relating them to the tectonic history of southern Arizona.
  • GEOS 421/521–Energy Geosciences:  This course explores the geology of subsurface energy systems, including the geologic conditions and processes that control the formation of the essential elements of a petroleum, geothermal, CCS, and subsurface storage systems and the technological tools and methods that are used in exploration for these essential resources, with an emphasis on case studies and exercises from a broad range of global tectonic settings.
  • GEOS 434/534–Reflection Seismology: This course provides an introduction to the processing and interpretation of seismic reflection data.  Fundamentals of seismic wave propagation, specific details of how this is applied to reflection seismology methods, and key approaches for acquisition, processing, and refining images are reviewed, followed by discussion of how these data can be interpreted in their subsurface geologic context.  Special focus is on sharing examples from key basins and practical applications of the method to subsurface energy, mineral, and natural hazard geosystems, and providing opportunities for students to interpret real-world 2D and 3D seismic datasets from around the world.
  • GEOS 477/577–Active Tectonics (co-taught with Rick Bennett): This course covers a diverse range of topics including discussion of the observational methods available for and challenges to studies of active tectonic processes, particularly with regard to earthquake hazards in the continents. We will explore active tectonics examples from around the world. Topics to be covered may include: rock mechanics, the mechanics of earthquakes and faulting, earthquake rupture dynamics, crustal deformation, paleoseismological methods, tectonic geomorphology, and geodynamics as applied to the problems of hazard assessment and mitigation. Featuring a field trip to visit active structures in their natural habitat in Southern and Central California!
  • GEOS 496/596–Advanced Topics in Structural Geology:
    • Cross section construction and restoration (2022) (co-taught with Steve Lingrey): A detailed overview of cross-section construction and restoration methods, constraints, assumptions, and best practices, along with project-based exercises demonstrating how these methods have been implemented and can be used with industry-leading software in application to natural geologic systems.
    • Integrated geological analysis of the Catalina-Rincon Core Complex (2020) (co-taught with George Davis): This class is a research project-based course in which a group of graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and faculty collected and integrated data from a large range of disciplines in order to develop a holistic understanding of the evolution of the Catalina-Rincon core complex.  New field observations and measurements, geochemical and geo- and thermo-chronological data were collected by the group and integrated with remote sensing and geophysical data and a 3D structural model to generate a more detailed understanding of the evolution of the structural system.
    • Geologic Structures of the Colorado Plateau (2019) (co-taught with George Davis): This class is a research project-based course in which we discuss and use quantitative structural methods to gain a better understanding of geologic structures, in this case, focused on the structures of the Colorado Plateau.  After a series of lectures on a geologic overview of the Colorado Plateau and quantitative structural modeling methods and data synthesis tips, each student will choose a geologic feature, sub-region, or structural problem which they will use what they have learned to apply modern structural methods and concepts to conduct independent research on these structures.
  • GEOS 499/599–Independent Study: Independent research projects in quantitative structural geology and applied geophysics; specific topics determined on a case-by-case basis.

Professional Courses:

  • Structural Geology for Exploration and Mine Geologists (through the Lowell Program in Economic Geology, co-instructor with  Marc Bardoux, Bob Krantz, Eric Seedorff, Carson Richardson, David Rhys and others:  Introduction to the key concepts of structural geology relevant to mineral exploration, including fault zones, fractures, shear zones, folds, their relationship to the creation of porosity and permeability in the crust and associated concentration of economic minerals, and tectonic-setting-specific considerations.  Includes several full-day field trips to key outcrops throughout southern Arizona.
  • Structural Geology for Geotechnical Professionals (co-instructor with James McNabb, Wayne Barnett, Geoff Beale, and many others): From fundamentals to modeling and validation, this online course is designed to support the geotechnical engineer’s understanding of structural geology in mining.  Topics covered include: fundamentals, mapping and interpretation, core data analysis and interpretation, structural modeling, model validation, communicating confidence/risk, case studies, and emerging technologies.

Chevron Energy Technology Company, Houston Texas

  • Applied Structural Geology (co-taught with CVX structure team)
  • Field Studies of Growth Structures and Salt Tectonics, Spanish Pyrenees (co-taught with Greg Schoenborn)

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA