Interests
Recent pub!: In western North Dakota, I'm working with Tim Nesheim of the ND Geologic Survey and Jeff Vervoort of Washington St. Univ on the Geochronology and geochemistry of deeply buried basement along the western Superior Craton and eastern Trans-Hudson Orogen (North America) in Bulletin of the Geological Society of America (GSA).
Student led publications on Precambrian geology along the North Dakota - Minnesota border: Pereira et al Major element geochemistry and first zircon U-Pb age dates of Precambrian basement rocks in eastern North Dakota and Beaudry et al Petrology and geochemistry of Precambrian basement rocks in Walsh County, North Dakota at the Insitute on Lake Superior Geology (ILSG) and GSA 2024
I'm a geologist with interests in mineralogy, petrology, ore deposits, environmental geochemistry including aqueous geochemistry, and education. In the lab I work with light microscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray difraction and X-ray fluorescence. I enjoy field work and leading field experiences for students and community members.
Water geochemistry projects I collaborate on include REEs and other metals in river systems in North Dakota, Montana and Japan. Soil scientist Tom DeSutter and students work on remediation of brine-impacted land in the oil producing area of North Dakota.
Peterson, A., DeSutter, T., Saini-Eidukat, B., Meehan, M., 2023, Origination of Produced Water (Brine) in the Williston Basin, NDSU Extension Publication WQ2083
I have also worked with soil scientists to understand the source of heavy metal content (such as cadmium) of soils in northeastern ND. Igneous rock types I've investigated range from mafic (Duluth Complex, Minnesota, USA, and similar intrusions in Finland) to silicic (Argentina). Ore deposit projects include Cu-Ni, platinum group elements (PGE), silver, gold, manganese, zinc and germanium.
I have also researched the occurrence of the toxic, fiber-like, mineral erionite, and in related work, the mineral content and amount of fugitive dust generated from gravel roads by oil exploration activities.
With Paul Weiblen and colleagues, we experimented with Pulsed Power Disaggregation for mineral liberation. I've also carried out geophysical investigations for mineral exploration using magnetic and electromagnetic and induced polarization methods.
With many colleagues, led by Brian Slator, I've helped design virtual worlds for education, in my case for geology, and research into how people learn in such environments.
I carry out a variety of analytical work on geologic and engineered materials.
See the following pages for other projects.