Subsurface, Surface & Life

Program Lead: Dr. Nicola Tisato

By studying past and present states of the Earth’s surface and environment, faculty in this research area seek to (1) understand the evolution of organisms and how developing ecosystems affect the environment, (2) understand how the transport of fluids, solutes, and solids both at and near the Earth’s surface evolve its form, and (3) develop tools and methods that image and quantify properties of Earth’s near surface. Faculty expertise includes geophysics, tools from biology, and geochemical/ geochronological methods that utilize field work, experimentation, remote sensing analyses, and numerical models with an eye toward reconstructing past Earth states and predicting future change. Please check out the Geophysics, Soft Rock and UT Paleontology seminar series.

Bell Head Shot Latest
Fred C. Beach conducts research related to the interplay between the development of Energy Policy, Environmental Policy, and Technology Policy.
Bell Head Shot Latest
Christopher J. Bell is a vertebrate paleontologist (N. American small mammal biochronology & bio-stratigraphy), systematics of squamate reptiles and turtles, history of science.
Ginny Catania
Ginny Catania studies the natural and climate-forced variability of Earth’s ice sheets using in-situ and remotely-sensed observations.
Julia Clarke
Julia A. Clarke investigates the evolution of morphology, systematic biology, vertebrate paleontology (birds, dinosaurs), avian anatomy and the evolution of flight.
Flemings P
Peter B. Flemings studies stratigraphy, basin analysis, basin-scale fluid flow, pore pressures in seafloor sediments, oil and gas migration, methane hydrates.
Fomel Res
Sergey Fomel has expertise in computational & exploration geophysics, seismic imaging & data analysis, wave propagation, inverse problems, geophysical estimation.
Timothy Goudge
Timothy A. Goudge uses remote sensing to study the record of surface processes on Mars, Earth, and other planetary bodies.
Brian Horton
Brian K. Horton studies the tectonics of sedimentary basins, mountain building, sediment provenance, nonmarine depositional processes.
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Joel P. Johnson is a geomorphologist who combines field work, experiments and modeling to understand processes and patterns of erosion and sediment transport.
Kerans
Charles Kerans works on carbonate sequence stratigraphy, depositional systems (reservoir & basin), seismic interpretation & stratigraphy, paleo-karst analysis, carbonate diagenesis.
Malkowski Field
Matthew Malkowski studies how siliciclastic depositional systems respond to and record external forcings such as climate, tectonics, sea level change, and human impacts.
Mao Research Image
Shujuan Mao (starting Fall 2024) conducts 4-dimensional seismological analysis to understand hydrological processes, geothermal energy exploitation, carbon capture & storage, and volcanic activities.
Martindale
Rowan C. Martindale studies reefs, invertebrate paleoecology, fossilization, mass extinctions & carbon cycle perturbations in deep time (primarily the Triassic & Jurassic).
Mohrig
David Mohrig works at the intersection of sedimentary geology & geomorphology to understand depositional landscapes from the deep ocean to continental interiors.
Cornel C
Cornel Olariu studies clastic sedimentology, stratigraphy, depositional environments, basin analysis.
Sen
Mrinal K. Sen‘s expertise is seismic wave propagation including anisotropy, geophysical inverse problems, earthquakes and earth structure, petroleum exploration.
Kylespikes Res
Kyle T. Spikes does exploration geophysics, in particular rock physics applications & seismic inversion techniques for reservoir characterization.
Nicolapasubio
Zoltan Sylvester investigates sedimentology and stratigraphy of clastic sedimentary systems.
Nicolapasubio
Nicola Tisato investigates physical properties of rocks & minerals, focuses on seismic wave propagation in solids and fluids, investigates (as a caver) the genesis of speleothems.
   

SSL Course Lists

Fall 2024

Lower Division

Day Time Instructor Course Link
GEO 401 PHYSICAL GEOLOGY
WF 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
BELL, CHRISTOPHER J
POTEET, MARY F
 
GEO 405 LIFE THROUGH TIME
TTH
W
2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
BELL, CHRISTOPHER D  
GEO 302M THE AGE OF MAMMALS
MW + Lab 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. MORETTI, JOHN ANDREW Syllabus (Fall 2024)
GEO 302T CLIMATE/ENERGY TRANSITION
MWF 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. FLEMINGS, PETER BARRY Syllabus (Fall 2024)
GEO 145E PRO ETHICS IN GEOSCI-WB
W 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. JOHNSON, JOEL PETERSON  
GEO 416S EARTH/PLANETARY PROC THRU TIME
TTH + Lab 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. MALKOWSKI, MATTHEW ALAN
SPIKES, KYLE THOMAS
Syllabus (Fall 2024)

Upper Division or Graduate

Day Time Instructor Course Link
GEO 384N ROCK PHYSICS
MWF 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. SPIKES, KYLE THOMAS  
GEO 384M INVERSE THEORY
TTH 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. SEN, MRINAL K  
GEO 371T INTRO TO MACHINE LEARNING
TTH 9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. SEN, MRINAL K  
GEO 369E EVOLUTION OF REEF ECOSYSTEMS
W 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. MARTINDALE, ROWAN CLARE  
GEO 391 ENVIRO AND URBAN SEISMOLOGY
MWF 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. MAO, SHUJUAN  
GEO 371C GLACIOLOGY
TTH 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. CATANIA, GINNY A  
GEO 371T BASIN GEOMECHANICS
MW 9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. FLEMINGS, PETER BARRY  
GEO 455S INTRO REMOTE SNSNG GEOSCINTSTS
MW
T
2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
GOUDGE, TIMOTHY ANDREW  
GEO 383U DYNAMIC FIELD STRATIGRAPHY
TTH 8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. HORTON, BRIAN K  
GEO 371T SEISMIC DATA INTERPRETATION
MW 12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. COVAULT, JACOB AARON
FOMEL, SERGEY B
 
GEO 191 GEOMECHANICS SEMINAR
TH 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. FLEMINGS, PETER BARRY
SAFFER, DEMIAN M
 
GEO 398T SUPERVISED TEACHING IN GEO SCI
TTH 3:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m. BELL, CHRISTOPHER J
NIYOGI, DEV
 

Spring 2025

Lower Division

Day Time Instructor Course Link
GEO 114G GEOPHYSICS COLLOQUIUM
M 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. TISATO, NICOLA  
GEO 135J JACKSON SCHOLARS SEMINAR
W 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. POTEET, MARY F
JOHNSON, JOEL PETERSON
 
GEO 302E EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE
T 9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. JOHNSON, JOEL PETERSON  
GEO 302E EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE
W 12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. JOHNSON, JOEL PETERSON  
GEO 302E EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE
T 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. JOHNSON, JOEL PETERSON  
GEO 302E EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE
W 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. JOHNSON, JOEL PETERSON  
GEO 302J CRISIS OF OUR PLANET
TTH 9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. GARDNER, JAMES E
MOHRIG, DAVID
 
GEO 303 INTRODUCTION TO GEOLOGY
TTH + Lab 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. KETCHAM, RICHARD A
OLARIU, CORNEL
 
GEO 303 INTRODUCTION TO GEOLOGY
MW + Lab 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. KETCHAM, RICHARD A
OLARIU, CORNEL
 
GEO 315L EARTH FROM LAB TO PLANET
MW 9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. FLEMINGS, PETER BARRY
BECKER, THORSTEN
 
GEO 316P SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
TTH 8:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m.  OLARIU, CORNEL  
GEO 325G COMP APPLS IN GEO
T
M
3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
TISATO, NICOLA  
GEO 354 PHYSICS OF EARTH
MW 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. MAO, SHUJUAN  
GEO 371T GEODATA
TTH
TH
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
GOUDGE, TIMOTHY ANDREW
TISATO, NICOLA
 
GEO 405 LIFE THROUGH TIME
MW + Lab 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. MARTINDALE, ROWAN CLARE  
GEO 416S EARTH/PLANETARY PROC THRU TIME
MW + Lab 2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m. MOHRIG, DAVID
SPIKES, KYLE THOMAS
 
GEO 420K INTRO TO FIELD/STRAT METHS
MW
F
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
BARQUERO-MOLINA, MIRIAM
KERANS, CHARLES
 
GEO 465K SEISMIC EXPLORATION
MW
W
12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
 SPIKES, KYLE THOMAS  
GEO 660A FIELD GEOLOGY
May 6-June 4   BARQUERO-MOLINA, MIRIAM
FLEMINGS, PETER BARRY
MALKOWSKI, MATTHEW ALAN
OLARIU, CORNEL
FLAIG, PETER P
 
GEO 660B FIELD GEOLOGY
May 6-June 4   BARQUERO-MOLINA, MIRIAM
MARTIN, CRAIG
HORTON, BRIAN K
TISATO, NICOLA
STOCKLI, DANIEL
PRIOR, MICHAEL
 
GEO 661A GEOPHYSICS FIELD CAMP
May 6-June 4   SPIKES, KYLE THOMAS  

Upper Division or Graduate

Day Time Instructor Course Link
GEO 191 GEOMECHANICS SEMINAR
TH 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. FLEMINGS, PETER BARRY
SAFFER, DEMIAN M
 
GEO 365Q GEOMORPHOLOGY PROCESS/FORM
TTH 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. JOHNSON, JOEL PETERSON  
GEO 371T ICE SHEETS: SEDS/SEA LEVEL
M 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. KEISLING, BENJAMIN
KERANS, CHARLES
 
GEO 371T SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY
TTH 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.  KERANS, CHARLES  
GEO 383 CLASTIC DEPOSITIONAL SYSTEMS
TTH 9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. MALKOWSKI, MATTHEW ALAN  
GEO 384C SEISMOLOGY I
MW
W
12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
 SPIKES, KYLE THOMAS  
GEO 384D PHYSICS OF EARTH
MW 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. MAO, SHUJUAN  
GEO 384H MULTIDIMNSNL DATA ANLYS IN GEO
MW 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. FOMEL, SERGEY B  
GEO 398D 2-APP DATA ANLY/VIS/MCHN LRNG
MW 9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. FOMEL, SERGEY B
SYLVESTER, ZOLTAN
 
GEO 398D 5-MACHINE LEARNING RESEARCH
F 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.  SEN, MRINAL K