Sedimentary Geology/Geomorphology

The Jackson School of Geosciences is home to one of the largest and most diverse sedimentology & stratigraphy faculties in the nation. When U.S. News & World Report last ranked sedimentology & stratigraphy graduate programs, UT Austin was No. 1. The program has a long tradition of excellence. It is the birthplace of depositional systems analysis, a fundamental approach for relating the spatial distribution of sedimentary rocks to their environments of deposition and a school of thought that has been widely influential in both academia and industry.

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Major advances in the petrology and diagenesis of sedimentary rocks can also be tied to the program. Marine geology and geophysics has become an equally strong component through expertise across the Jackson School. The program was among the first to use multichannel seismic reflection techniques to understand the geologic history of continental margins around the world, and has pioneered the academic use of 3D seismic imaging for a variety of applications, from basin history and evolution to reservoir assessment. The program is currently focused in the areas of global change, geochemistry and diagenesis, sequence stratigraphy, seismic stratigraphy and geomorphology, surficial processes and sedimentary process modeling, and pore-scale to full field reservoir characterization.

The sedimentology/stratigraphy research community at JSG includes over 30 Ph.D. faculty, research scientists, and senior research scientists spread across the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Bureau of Economic Geology, and Institute for Geophysics. This group provides as wide a range of areas of research specialization as any similar program in the nation.

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences group has core areas in seismic and sequence stratigraphic analysis of both clastic and carbonate systems, diagenesis and geochemistry of carbonates and clastics including extensive stable and radiogenic isotope labs, physical and numerical modeling of eolian, fluvial, and shallow to deep marine transport systems with an emphasis on the construction of sedimentary deposits, petrology, basin analysis, and the application of field, petrologic, chemical, and isotopic methods for studying chemical evolution of groundwater and ancient oceans.

The Institute for Geophysics is focused on large multidisciplinary research programs looking at 2D and 3D geophysical studies of stratigraphic evolution of marine and lacustrine basins worldwide. The sedimentology/stratigraphy group at the Institute makes use of a wide range of geophysical tools and datasets to attack problems of global geodynamics and climate change.

The Bureau of Economic Geology has research efforts in clastic and carbonate sequence stratigraphy, diagenesis and reservoir characterization, as well as seismic geomorphologic analysis of 3D seismic data, visualization of subsurface systems, mudrock depositional systems, basin-forming processes, and classic and digital outcrop analysis. They are working on basins and outcrop areas all over the world to answer questions concerning the fundamental processes that act to control rock properties in the subsurface.

Faculty

	Daniel O Breecker The Breecker Group studies biogeochemical processes occurring at or near the land surface. We study soils and paleosols, caves and stalagmites, and other materials, such as volcanic glass, that give us insight into ancient Earth. We study timescales ranging from seasonal cycles to hundreds of millions of years. We use ...
	Peter B Flemings Stratigraphy, basin analysis, basin-scale fluid flow, pore pressures in seafloor sediments, submarine landslides, oil and gas migration, methane hydrates, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP)
	Timothy A Goudge Remote sensing; surface processes; geomorphology; sedimentology; reflectance spectroscopy; martian surface geology; planetary science.
	Brian K Horton Tectonics of sedimentary basins, evolution of orogenic systems, sediment provenance and routing systems, nonmarine depositional processes.
	Joel P Johnson Process geomorphology, feedbacks between channel morphology and hydrology and sediment transport, landscape sensitivity to climate and lithology, bedrock river erosion, flash floods, arroyo erosion, canyon formation, environmental monitoring and sensor networks, laboratory flume experimentation, numerical modeling, tsunami sediment transport and deposition.
	Charles Kerans Carbonate sequence stratigraphy, depositional systems, reservoir characterization, basin analysis, seismic interpretation, seismic stratigraphy, paleokarst analysis, carbonate diagenesis
	Matthew A Malkowski
	Rowan C Martindale Triassic and Jurassic reef paleoecology, mass extinctions (Triassic-Jurassic, 201 Ma), carbon cycle perturbation events in deep time, ocean acidification in deep time, Oceanic Anoxic Events, invertebrate paleontology (corals, sponges, algae, microbes), Mesozoic marine communities and ecosystems, exceptional fossil preservation (Lagerst�tten), paleoecology, carbonate petrography, warm-water and cool-water carbonate (eco)systems, low-temperature ...
	Scott W Tinker Global energy supply and demand, Technology Administration, Multidisciplinary reservoir characterization, Carbonate sedimentology, Sequence stratigraphy, 3-D reservoir modeling, Resource assessment.

Lecturers

	Nathaniel R Miller Sedimentary geochemistry, isotope geochemistry, Earth system evolution, Q-ICP-MS, microanalytics, GIS, Neoproterozoic climate [link: http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/news/2018/05/new-research-suggests-that-dawn-of-plate-tectonics-could-have-turned-earth-into-snowball/]
	Cornel Olariu Clastic Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, Depositional Environments, Basin Analysis
	Jeffrey G Paine Near-surface geophysics in hydrogeology and environmental and Quaternary geology; coastal geology; Quaternary geology and geomorphology; computer applications in the geological sciences

Emeriti

	William L Fisher Basin analysis, sequence stratigraphy, depositional systems, petroleum geology, resource assessment, energy policy
	Gary A Kocurek Sedimentology, geomorphology and stratigraphy of aeolian systems; fluid flow and grain transport; bedform dynamics and pattern evolution of dune fields; the stratigraphic record of aeolian and related systems on Earth and Mars.
	J. Richard Kyle Ore deposits geology, mineral resources and society, geology and supply chains of critical materials, minerals exploration and evaluation, industrial mineral resources, origin of ore-forming fluids in sedimentary environments, fluid inclusions, stable isotopes, salt dome cap rock formation, surficial processes and earth resource formation, high resolution X-ray computed tomography applications to ...
	John M Sharp Hyrdogeology; flow in fractured rocks; thermohaline free convection; fracture skin effects; regional flow in carbonate rocks; hydrology of arid and semi-arid zones; subsidence and coastal land loss; effects of urbanization; alluvial aquifers; hydrogeology of sedimentary basins;hydrological processes in ore deposit formation; and hydrogeophysics.

Research Scientists

	James A Austin Stratigraphic evolution of a wide range of marine and lacustrine environments around the world
	Jacob A Covault sedimentology, stratigraphy, marine geology
	Qilong Fu Sedimentology and stratigraphy, petrology of sedimentary rocks, reservoir characterization
	Susan D Hovorka Geologic carbon sequestration in deep sedimentary environments as part of carbon capture and storage. PI of the Gulf Coast Caron Center (www.gulfcoastcarbon.org) focused on research relevant to commercial development of geologic sequestration in regions where it is both needed and possible. Monitoring field projects. Petrography and sedimentology supporting ...
	Xavier Janson Carbonates sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy, petrophysics of carbonate, seismic signature of carbonate rock, seismic modeling, carbonate modern depositional environment
	Tingwei (Lucy) Ko Source Rock Characterization Geochemistry (Organic, Biomarker, Gas Isotope) Mudrock Characterization Petrography, SEM
	Robert G Loucks Research in carbonate, sandstone, and mudrock stratigraphy, sedimentology, diagenesis, reservoir characterization, and pore network analysis.
	Kitty L Milliken Petrography and geochemistry of siliciclastic rocks; diagenesis; electron microbeam methods: X-ray mapping, cathodoluminescence imaging; micro-scale reservoir characterization
	Lorena Moscardelli
	John W Snedden Gulf of Mexico Basin global expert, Sequence Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, Reservoir Development and Connectivity, Petroleum Geoscience
	Michael L Sweet
	Frederick W Taylor Tectonic geomorphology, stratigraphy, and paleogeodesy/paleoseismology at convergent plate margins Paleoclimate, fossil corals as a proxy for past sea-surface temperatures. Corals as recorders of relative sea level for vertical tectonics and sea-level history.
	Michael H Young Ecohydrology of arid and semiarid landscapes; groundwater recharge in both managed agriculture and natural (arid and semi-arid) systems; influence of soil structure and vegetation on water cycling; design and implementation of monitoring systems for above-ground and near-surface below ground environments.
	Hongliu Zeng Seismic sedimentology; seismic geomorphology; seismic and sequence stratigraphy; Characterization of thin-bed reservoirs; seismic chrono-stratgraphy

Research Staff

	Robin D Dommisse 3D geological interpretation and modeling - Integrated reservoir characterization - Petroleum Geology - Petroleum Engineering - Carbonate sequence stratigraphy - Conventional and unconventional reservoir exploration and development - Oil field exploration and production reservoir management - Petrophysics - Geostatistics - Reservoir simulation - Software development
	Sara Elliott
	Kelly Hattori Carbonate sedimentology and stratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, mixed carbonate-siliciclastic systems, salt-sediment interactions, reefs, ocean anoxic events and effect on carbonate deposition
	Nathaniel R Miller Sedimentary geochemistry, isotope geochemistry, Earth system evolution, Q-ICP-MS, microanalytics, GIS, Neoproterozoic climate [link: http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/news/2018/05/new-research-suggests-that-dawn-of-plate-tectonics-could-have-turned-earth-into-snowball/]
	Cornel Olariu Clastic Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, Depositional Environments, Basin Analysis
	Francis Peel Salt Tectonics Gulf of Mexico Seismic Interpretation Salt Deposition RIsk and probability in exploration Fold and Thrust Belts Deepwater systems
	Ramon Trevino Sequence stratigraphic interpretations (well logs, 3-D seismic), integrated reservoir characterization, subsurface correlation and mapping (using workstation and PC) and subsurface structural interpretation (using 3-D seismic), project management, CO2 sequestration
	Christopher K Zahm Reservoir characterization, flow modeling in fractured reservoirs, porosity-permeability evolution

Graduate Students

	August R Aalto
	Rawan Alasad I study the sedimentary record, surficial processes, tectonic relief and catchment evolution that occurs during rifting.
	Abdulmajeed Alrefaei I am an exploration geologist working for Saudi Aramco where I conduct surface studies of subsurface reservoirs. I worked within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on many different basins such as Tabuk basin, Central Arabia basin, Hail basin and Qasim basin. I am personally interested in the lower Paleozoic (Hirnantian) ...
	Jonathan P Amendola I am interested in glaciomarine environments with particular focus on geomorphology and sediment depositional processes.
	Taufik Al Amin I'll be working at Reservoir Characterization Research Laboratory (RCRL) in the Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, probably, related to the application of structural geology and reservoir geomechanics in optimizing fracture drainage in subsurface geological reservoirs. My main specialization includes advanced structural geology analysis, seismic interpretation, reservoir characterization, ...
	William S Bailey
	Emily Bamber I am a PhD student in the Planetary Surface Processes lab My current research addresses the past evolution of impact crater lakes on Mars, Earth, and elsewhere with satellite observations, landscape modelling, and fieldwork. Specifically, I'm interested in how ...
	Noah K Benitez-Nelson
	Kristina Butler I am a field-based sedimentologist and geochronologist who uses sedimentary basin records to understand the drivers and consequences of mountain building. My current research focus is sediment routing and foreland basin evolution of Northern Patagonia. I combine a variety of provenance techniques (sandstone petrography, detrital zircon U-Pb, Lu-Hf and trace ...
	Amanda Z Calle My research is focused on the Cenozoic sedimentary, structural and exhumational history of the Eastern Cordillera to modern Chaco foreland basin in southern Bolivia. A multidisciplinary approach of source-to-sink, geochronology, low-temperature thermochronology and structural mapping will be used. Inherited pre-Andean structures and their response to contractional settings will also be ...
	Morgan A Carrington
	Ethan M Conrad My research interests include structural geology, tectonics, fault mechanics, and tectonic geomorphology. I use field observations, thermochronology and laboratory experiments to study how landscapes deform in response to tectonic and climatic forces. The field component of my research is focused on the Cenozoic evolution of the Northern Caribbean Plate Boundary. ...
	Dallas B Dunlap Quantitative Clastics Laboratory, Geologic Subsurface Mapping, Deepwater Depositional Processes
	Ismail H Faruqi
	Zachary Foster-Baril
	Kyle W Fouke
	Hector K Garza My research interests encompass a broad range of approaches incorporating geochemistry, geochronology, paleontology, stratigraphy, and sedimentology to understand major geologic and evolutionary events in Earth's history. Currently, I am researching the precise timing of early land colonization during the Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian periods. I am also investigating the potential ...
	Scarlette Hsia My PhD Research is focused on constraining the timing and amplitude of Marine Isotope Stage 5a deposits across the Western Atlantic Ocean. My primary interests include carbonate facies mapping, sedimentology, paleo-sea level reconstruction, stratigraphy, and STEM outreach. I am an English as a Second Language (ESL) and first generation PhD ...
	Sarp Karakaya "Some people see just another international student; what I see is someone brave enough to leave everything and everyone they know behind. Someone adventurous enough to pack their lives into a handful of suitcases and go on a plane with a one-way ticket. Someone confident enough to travel across the ...
	Natthakorn Konguthaithip
	Landon Lockhart Landon's research is focused on characterizing the pressures and stresses in complex geologic settings. Specifically, his research integrates geomechanical modeling, experimental analysis, and field data at the Mad Dog Field, deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The title of Landon's thesis is "New Pore Pressure Prediction Workflow to Capture the Effects of ...
	Joshua Malone I am a field-based sedimentologist and geochronologist who uses sedimentary basin records to understand drivers and consequences of changes in tectonism and climate along convergent margins. My PhD research focuses on the key processes controlling unconventional reservoir development within mixed carbonate and siliciclastic systems in southern California.
	Scott Mitchell Dr. Sheng Peng's team and I are Looking at porosity in various salt and shale core samples. Our goal is to accurately and consistently determine hydrogen leakage at nonconventional drill sites.
	Mariel D Nelson Hi! I'm a geomorphologist and second year PhD student in the Department of Geological Sciences. I'm co-advised by David Mohrig (sedimentology) and Tim Goudge (remote sensing). I study the shape of landscapes and seek process-based descriptions of how they change over time. For my graduate research, I conduct repeat lidar ...
	Medha Prakash My research interests are primarily in astrobiology and planetary surface processes. I am working Sean Gulick and Cyril Grima to better understand the geology of Schr�dinger crater on the Moon using radar data. This site is of interest to upcoming Artemis missions. My previous research includes literature syntheses pertaining ...
	Nicholas Regier
	Fernando Rey My research focus is to link the stratigraphic record with tectonic processes using geochronology and geochemical signatures. I am currently working on projects in southern Patagonia (Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Rocas Verdes Back-arc basin) and Japan (Neogene opening of the Sea of Japan).I am also interested in the dispersal of ...
	Cole M Speed I am a Ph.D. student with interests in remote sensing, geospatial data analytics, and Earth/planetary surface processes. My current research focuses on quantifying the evolution of modern fluvial landscapes and their preservation in the ancient rock record using high-resolution topography, time-lapse satellite imagery, numerical models, and field data. ...
	Michelle Tebolt As a planetary scientist, I study sedimentary processes on Mars to better understand the paleoenvironment, or the conditions that once existed on the surface. I am particularly interested in Martian fluvial processes that occurred ~3.8 billion years ago when there was liquid water on the surface and consider the question: How ...
	Victoria L Todd
	Charlie (Yu-Chen) Zheng

Graduate and undergraduate research in geologic sequestration of CO2

Graduate
Gulf Coast Carbon Center supports a team of students and post docs working in geologic sequestration (deep subsurface long-duration storage) of the major greenhouse gas CO2, as a method to reduce release to the atmosphere. Student projects are wide ranging, from sedimentology to policy, linked in that they are 1) multidisciplinary and 2) applied to current issues. Students are typically jointly supervised by faculty in geology or petroleum geosystems engineering and staff at the GCCC. A class in geologic sequestration is offered in the fall some years.
Posted by: Susan Hovorka

Innovative Detrital Provenance Studies - Double Dating PLUS

Graduate
A major thrust of my current research the development and application of more comprehensive isotopic detrital provenance tools. U-Pb on zircon is clearly the big work horse, but only goes so far and sometimes yields "no" useful info, e.g., if the source of the sediment is mostly recycled sediment. We have extensively pursued double dating of zircons by U-Pb and He, as zircon He ages yield very interesting insights into the thermal and tectonic history of the source terrane; often yielding very different insights than crystallization ages. The combination is powerful, but I think we can take things so much farther by combining double dating with other constrains. People have tried fission track (not precise enough), Hf/Hf (to get mantle separation model ages), etc., but what we want to do and are working on is really Double Dating ++, combining zircon U-Pb-He dating with a variety of other geochemical aspects to more comprehensive understand detrital provenance and improve paleo-tectonic reconstructions. For example, trace-element thermometry (Ti in zirc), REE on zircon (met vs mag origin), Hf/Hf (see above), oxygen isotopes, etc. and also to develop rutile in an analogous manner (e.g., Zr in rut thermometry, Cr/Nb ratio (mafic vs granulitic), REE, etc.). The sky is the limit and what can learn so much. The issue in part it, how much can a single grain tell us before it's gone? The project sounds very laboratory oriented, but it's really a combination of field and lab work. We have identified a few possible case study areas, e.g., Morocco; great exposures, long-lived and preserved record of basin deposition since the Precambrian. My group is already working on some case studies in NW Himalayas, the N & S Pyrenees, the Sevier FTB, Permian Basin and other foreland basin. New projects include provenance studies along rifted and passive continental margins such the Gulf of Mexico, the central Atlantic Margins in Canada, USA, Portugal, and Morocco.
Posted by: Daniel Stockli

Research in structural geology and diagenesis

Graduate
Fundamental and applied research on fractures, particularly as these studies apply to petroleum reservoirs, is conducted under the auspices of the Fracture Research and Application Consortium at The University of Texas at Austin. The academic program of research, mentoring and teaching is led by staff of the Bureau of Economic Geology, the Department of Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering and the Department of Geological Sciences. Students in the Energy & Earth Resources Graduate Program also participate in FRAC sponsored research projects. For further information on opportunities for fracture studies within the program see the FRAC pages on opportunities in Geology, Petroleum Engineering, Geophysics, and Energy Economics. FRAC welcomes Visiting Scientists from industry and from other academic institutions. Contact Steve Laubach for more information about these opportunities. A key part of the FRAC academic program is the Structural Diagenesis Initiative, a new teaching and mentoring perspective on interacting mechanical and chemical processes at high crustal levels in the Earth. For more information on the initiative see the Structural Diagenesis Initiative web site. If you are a prospective student, please see the admissions information on the Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering or Jackson School of Geosciences web sites.
Posted by: Stephen Laubach

MSc or PhD Student

Graduate
Our team is almost always interested in recruiting new graduate students who are interested in paleoecology, marine communities, carbonate sedimentology, and/or geobiology.
Posted by: Rowan Martindale

High Resolution 3D marine seismic for fluid studies

Graduate
Opportunities exist to become involved in the design, acquisition, processing, and interpretation of high-resolution 3D marine seismic data. Current applications include characterization for subsurface storage of carbon dioxide and natural fluid migration studies. We anticipate development into imaging modern systems as reservoir analogs.
Posted by: Tip Meckel

Postdoctoral Fellow

Graduate
Purpose of position: To conduct research in numerical simulation of fluid flow using both traditional Darcy flow simulators as well as Invasion Percolation methods, sandbox flow modeling, and development of a strong publication record on the topic. Essential functions: Develop numerical simulations of fluid flow CO2 in mm to m scale models informed by geologic depositional heterogeneity. Assist in designing and implementing laboratory validation experiments of sandbox flow modeling to support theoretical and numerical simulations. Publish results in peer reviewed outlets, assist in project reporting and make presentations, as needed to support project. Required qualifications: PhD in hydrogeology, environmental engineering, or closely related geoscience field earned within the last three years. Relevant laboratory experience with sandbox scale flow experiments. Demonstrated research interest in forward and inverse modeling of subsurface flow and transport pertaining multi-phase flow. Preferred qualifications Demonstrated strong oral and written communication skills. Demonstrated ability to conduct experimental studies. Demonstrated experience in presenting and publishing results, including CO2 or CCS.
Posted by: Tip Meckel

Undergraduate Research: Inclusive Geoscience Education and Research Environmental Reconstruction in Holocene Estuaries on the Modern Texas Continental Shelf

Graduate - 1 year
Sea level rise is one of the most pressing impacts of climate change facing coastal communities. A variety of mitigation efforts on the local and regional level (beach nourishment, marsh restoration, coastal barriers, etc.) can provide some measure of protection for coastal communities. These large engineering projects require huge quantities of sand to complete, and sand is not as common on the seafloor as you might expect. On northern Texas shelf, offshore Galveston Bay, a few sand banks exist, but much more material is buried in drowned river valleys, which were carved by rivers when sea level was ~120 meters lower and dry land extended all the way to the edge of the continental shelf. These rivers deposited sand in point bars, which were then buried in estuarine mud as sea level rose and the river valley became a bay. Sand was also deposited in this estuary as bay head deltas, flood tide deltas, and over wash fans. UT is currently involved in an extensive project to find and map (using seismic surveying and sediment cores) the extent of Holocene sand deposits in the Trinity and Sabine river valleys offshore modern Galveston Bay. For this project, the REU student will conduct grain size analysis on sediment cores collected offshore Galveston Bay to determine the overall sedimentology and stratigraphy of these environments. This student will also use marine microfossils (benthic foraminifera) to determine the depositional environment of the muds deposited in between the sand deposits to determine the overall environmental evolution of the Holocene estuary system. This work will help identify sand resources for future coastal protection projects in the Galveston area. This work will also help reconstruct the history of the Holocene estuary and barrier island system; understanding how ancient barrier island systems responded to different rates of sea level rise during the Holocene can help constrain how barrier islands will respond to similar rates of sea level rise today. This project will involve work on a Malvern Mastersizer laser grain size analyzer, managing grain size datasets, and microfossil picking on a microscope. Prior experience with any of these things is not required. Apply through the Champions of Diversity website: https://jsg-gen.squarespace.com/mentee-application
Posted by: Christopher Lowery

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Undergraduate - ongoing
The position entails working as an Undergraduate Research Assistant (URA) as part of a research team in support of an oil and gas industry funded project which focuses on the depositional history of the Gulf of Mexico. URAs work with geophysical data, geographic information systems, geosoftware and scientific literature to accomplish GBDS research goals. This position is ongoing: 20 hours per week during Fall and Spring semesters. Up to 40 hours during summer.
Posted by: Jonathan Virdell

CRESSLE: Community Resilience integrated into an Earth System Science Learning Ecosystem (NSF Cultural Transformation of the Geoscience Community Program)

Graduate
CRESSLE represents an emerging approach to environmental resilience that emphasizes bidirectional learning between universities and communities. These teams will comprise a �Community of Practice� to design and implement research projects addressing community challenges and Environmental Justice in three themes: Water Resources, Climate Resilience, and Communities & Landscapes.
Posted by: Jay Banner

Graduate opportunities at OCEEMlab

Graduate - Five years
OCEEMlab welcomes future graduate students of high caliber who are passionate about exploring new frontiers in Ocean and Earth science. At OCEEMlab, we study lithosphere-biosphere dynamic processes and complex systems using a combination of fieldwork, advanced computational modeling, and integrative data science. We seek candidates with solid foundations in natural sciences and programming skills. We are especially interested in bringing on board individuals with interdisciplinary knowledge who are highly motivated in weaving disciplines such as geophysics, geology, oceanography, geochemistry, and environmental molecular biology to address contemporary challenging research questions. Most importantly, in the core values of OCEEMlab lies courtesy to one another, encouraging natural curiosity, and cohesive teamwork; As a team, we can achieve far more than individuals. In addition, we firmly believe that groundbreaking discoveries are accomplished by walking on the fringes of science rather than at the center. Thus, we encourage unorthodox genuine thinkers to join our team and help us stretch the envelope of human knowledge a tiny bit further.
Posted by: Eric Attias

Postdocs opportunities at OCEEMlab

Graduate - Two years
OCEEMlab welcomes applicants via UTIG's Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows Program. At OCEEMlab, we study lithosphere-biosphere dynamic processes and complex systems using a combination of fieldwork, advanced computational modeling, and integrative data science. We are especially interested in bringing on board individuals with interdisciplinary knowledge who are highly motivated in weaving disciplines such as geophysics, geology, oceanography, geochemistry, and environmental molecular biology to address contemporary challenging research questions. Contact Dr. Attias for further information.
Posted by: Eric Attias

Geoscience Undergraduate Research Assistant

Undergraduate - Spring and Fall semesters part time, and Summer full time.
The position entails working as an Undergraduate Research Assistant (URA) as part of a research team in support of an oil and gas industry funded project which focuses on the depositional history of the Gulf of Mexico. URAs work with geophysical data, geographic information systems, geosoftware and scientific literature to accomplish GBDS research goals. The undergraduate research assistant duties include: 1. Editing, geo-referencing and digitizing geologic maps in ArcGIS; 2. Locating and accessing geologic data (well, paleontological, and seismic); 3. Assisting with data management for multiple databases; 4. Creation of LAS files by digitizing well logs data; 5. Assisting with literature searches and reference organization; 6. Working with geologic core and samples; 7. Word processing and creation and editing of spreadsheets; 8. Computer illustration of figures and cross-sections; 9. Printing and binding project reports; 10. Clerical assistance as necessary. There are opportunities for independent research projects. The advantages of being an undergraduate research assistant include getting exposure to software and coding (Excel, ArcGIS, Neuralog, Landmark, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Python, VBA), building industry connections and gaining academic research experience. How to apply Interested students should contact Summer Li.
Posted by: John Snedden

Sedimentological characterization along the North Slope of Alaska

Undergraduate - ~4 months
The Arctic is melting! How will the earth�s frozen surface and subsurface respond to a warming world? We are looking for a summer student intern (fully paid) to help us characterize the geology of Arctic seabed in northernmost Alaska. The project is funded by Sandia National Labs and provides the student with an opportunity to interact with a potential future employer while enhancing our climate security. The student will be introduced to a diverse array of data types including seismic reflection, core data, and remote sensing observations. This work will provide the broader UT-Austin and Sandia team with a better understanding of Arctic shelf geology and help guide planning efforts for future site surveys and data collection. Results will impact decisions and serve as excellent exposure to problem solving in the field of geosciences.
Posted by: Matthew Malkowski

UTIG Undergraduate Research Opportunities Fellowship in "Sediment Microplastics in Austin's Waterways"

Undergraduate - Fall 2023 semester
The UTIG Undergraduate Research Opportunities Fellowship in "Sediment Microplastics in Austin's Waterways" is open to third and fourth year JSG undergraduates for the fall, 2023 semester (September-December). Fellowship recipients will process sediment samples from Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake to extract microplastics (at the sedimentary lab at Pickle Research Campus) as part of a baseline study funded by UTIG and the City of Austin. The project includes optional opportunities for local field work, independent research projects, and publication. Get involved! Fellows will receive a monthly stipend of $500/month. No experience necessary! To apply, email resume and brief statement of interest to Marcy Davis (marcy@ig.utexas.edu) and Cornel Olariu (cornelo@jsg.utexas.edu). Please include your major, year in school, and contact information in the body of the email.
Posted by: Cornel Olariu

Center for Planetary Systems Habitability

The Center for Planetary Systems Habitability is an interdisciplinary research center at UT and is the result of a partnership between the Jackson School, the College of Natural Sciences, and the Cockrell School of Engineering. The center advances our ability to search for life on other planets by collaborating on research that helps better understand where habitable zones develop and how they evolve within planetary systems.

Gulf Coast Carbon Center

The Gulf Coast Carbon Center (GCCC) seeks to apply its technical and educational resources to implement geologic storage of anthropogenic carbon dioxide on an aggressive time scale with a focus in a region where large-scale reduction of atmospheric releases is needed and short term action is possible.

Bars in Tidal Environments

EDGER Forum (Exploration & Development Geophysics Education & Research)

The Edger Forum is a consortium of industry participants sponsoring Education & Research in Exploration Geophysical Technology.

Fracture Research and Application Consortium

The Fracture Research and Application Consortium (FRAC) is an alliance of scientists from the Bureau and the departments of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering and Geological Sciences that seeks fundamental understanding of fractures and fracture processes dedicated to conquering the challenges of reservoir fractures.

Gulf Basin Depositional Synthesis Project

The UT Gulf Basin Depositional Synthesis Project (GBDS) is an ongoing, industry-supported, comprehensive synthesis of Cenozoic fill of the entire Gulf of Mexico basin. The results are distributed as a digital data base that is updated regularly. The project has led to major new contributions to the understanding of the depositional history and framework of the Gulf of Mexico Basin. The project has focused on refining sequence correlations between the continental margin and deep basin stratigraphies, mapping sedimentary transport axes and paleogeographies through time, defining the evolving roles of submarine canyons, retrogradational margins, and shelf-margin delta systems in localizing in time and space sand transport to the slope and abyssal plain, and better understanding regional controls on reservoir facies and their deposition.).

Latin America & Caribbean Energy Program

The Latin America & Caribbean Energy Program will create, foster and maintain a regional outreach network that will nurture cooperative and frank discussions of issues related to sustainable development of energy resources and environmental stewardship. The network will include representatives from governments, universities, private sector, multilateral agencies, industry and professional associations and other stakeholders.

Mudrock Systems Research Laboratory

The Mudrock Systems Research Laboratory (MSRL) is dedicated to the twin goals of unraveling fundamental scientific aspects of the most common sedimentary rock type and devising applications of this understanding to the characterization of an important and growing unconventional resource.

Quantitative Clastics Laboratory

The Quantitative Clastics Laboratory (QCL) carries out geologic studies of the processes, tectonics, and quantitative morphology of basins around the world, with research that emphasizes the use of mega-merged 3D seismic data sets for quantitative seismic geomorphologic study of the basin fill, evaluation of source-to-sink relationships between the shelf, slope and deep basin and analyses of the influence of tectonics and fluids on the evolution of these complex continental margin settings.

Reservoir Characterization Research Laboratory

The Reservoir Characterization Research Laboratory (RCRL) seeks to use outcrop and subsurface geologic and petrophysical data from carbonate reservoir strata as the basis for developing new and integrated methodologies to better understand and describe the 3-D reservoir environment.

Structural Diagenesis Initiative

Structural diagenesis is a new perspective on interaction of mechanical and chemical processes at high crustal levels in the Earth. SDI promotes the growth of this new discipline.

UT GeoFluids

The UT GeoFluids studies the state and evolution of pressure, stress, deformation and fluid migration through experiments, theoretical analysis, and field study. This industry-funded consortium is dedicated to producing innovative concepts that couple geology and fluid flow.

Affiliated UT Programs & Centers

Center for Frontiers of Subsurface Energy Security

CFSES is one of only two centers out of 46 EFRCs with focus on subsurface energy. Our goal is a scientific understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological subsurface processes from the very small scale to the very large scale so that we can predict the behavior of CO2 and other byproducts of the energy production that may need to be stored in the subsurface. At this aim, we need to integrate and expand our knowledge of subsurface phenomena across scientific disciplines using both experimental and modeling methodologies to better understand and quantify the behavior at conditions far from equilibrium. The unique aspect of our research is the approach of the uncertainty and of the complexity of the fluids in the geologic media from the molecular scale to the basin scale and their integration in computational tools to better predict the long term behavior of subsurface energy byproduct storage.

UT Austin Energy Institute

The Energy Institute has been established at the University of Texas at Austin to provide the State of Texas and the Nation guidance for sustainable energy security through the pursuit of research and education programs - good policy based on good science. The Institute will determine the areas of research and instruction in consultation with an Institute Advisory Board, faculty and staff at the University of Texas at Austin, the private energy sector, public utilities, non-governmental organizations, and the general public. The economic future of the State of Texas, and our Nation, depends upon the viability of sustainable energy resources. The mission of the Energy Institute is to provide the transformational changes through research and instruction that are required for this State's and Nation's sustainable energy security.

Research Groups

Dynamic Stratigraphy Workgroup

Morphodynamics and Quantitative Stratigraphy

Alaska Fieldwork

Posted by Peter P Flaig
Photo set includes images of fieldwork done on the North Slope of Alaska from 2005-2013

Antarctic Fieldwork

Posted by Peter P Flaig
Photos of fieldwork in the Central Transantarctic Mountains during the 2003-2004 and 2010-2011 field seasons.

Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway Fieldwork

Posted by Peter P Flaig
Photos of fieldwork on clastic wedges of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming