USU Geomorphology

Process Geomorphology research at USU includes study of climate, tectonic, and human-caused changes to rivers and hillslopes, as well as reconstructing the history of entire landscapes. Timescales of interest have ranged from single flood events to records of erosion and sedimentation over millions of years, and research ranges from field-based to involving remote sensing and numerical modeling. Our focus has been on the U.S. Interior West, but more recent work has included Olympic Mountain NP and New Zealand. Scroll down to read about faculty research interests and past projects that students at USU have been involved with.

CURRENT GEOMORPHOLOGY GRADUATE STUDENTS

Natalie Bursztyn, 2014, Colorado River terraces


Will Huff, 2013, Arroyo cut and fill records from southern Utah


Andrew Jochems, 2013, Colorado River terraces


Cianny Wyshnytzky, 2013, Constraining ice advance and paleoclimatology of two glacial systems in the Olympic Peninsula, Washington and Southern Alps, New Zealand


Eric Allen, 2012, Multi-century reconstruction of Logan River flow from climatically sensitive Douglas-fir


Emilee Skyles, 2012, Dating of terrace deposits, Corsica




RECENT GEOMORPHOLOGY GRADUATES



2011

Anne Hayden, Reconstructing the Holocene Arroyo History of the Upper Escalante River, Southern Utah, using OSL and radiocarbon dating
Chris Tressler, From Hillslopes to Canyons, Studies of erosion at differing time and spatial scales within the Colorado River drainage



2009

Erin Tainer, Holocene stratigraphy of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
Michelle Summa, Geologic Mapping, Alluvial Stratigraphy, and OSL Dating of Kanab Creek
Jon Harvey, Reconciling Holocene alluvial records in Buckskin Wash, southern UT
David Dean, Historic Geomorphic Changes of the Lower Rio Grande in the Big Bend Region of Texas, Chihuahua, and Coahuila

2008

Randy Goetz, A post-project assessment of the Provo River restoration project: Channel design, reconfiguration, and the reestablishment of critical physical processes


2007

Jason Alexander, Riparian sedimentation on the Green River, Dinosaur National Monument
Scott Cragun, Pleistocene terraces and incision of the Colorado River at Lees Ferry, Arizona
Ben DeJong, Transient sedimentation of Pleistocene terrace gravel in eastern Grand Canyon
Jonathan Felis, Cliff retreat and climate change on the northern Colorado Plateau
Kevin Hadder, Quaternary stratigraphy and geochronology of Browns Park, Utah and Colorado
Nick Nelson, Channel changes below Jackson Lake Dam on the Snake River, Teton National Park
Karen Williams, Predicting channel network changes resulting from wildfires in Glacier National Park
Jay Zarnetske, Hyporheic zones of arctic rivers and climate change



2005

Rob Mackley, Bedrock-strength controls on the long profile of the Colorado River


2004

Ron Counts, Late Cenozoic stratigraphy of the northeastern Uinta Mountains
Greg Larsen, Effects of Tamarisk removal along the Green River and Yampa River Canyons


2003

Dave Gaeuman, Fluvial geomorphology and bedload transport of the lower Duschene River, Uinta Basin
Isaac Larsen, Debris flows, fire, and debris-fan reworking in Dinosaur National Monument
Paul Petersen, Gully erosion of archeological sites in Grand Canyon
Erkan Istanbulluoglu, Quantification of stream sediment inputs from steep forested mountains
Matt Anders, Quaternary landscape evolution of eastern Grand Canyon


2002

Carrie Elliott, Debris fans and geomorphology of Desolation and Gray canyons, Utah


2001

Betty Paepke, Channel geomorphology in a glaciated basin on the north slope of the Uinta Mountains
Hoda Sondossi, Sandbar behavior in response to Glen Canyon Dam, Grand Canyon National Park