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JOEL E. JOHNSON
Assistant Professor of Geology |
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My research interests lie within the field of marine geology and have evolved from a background in traditional terrestrial geology, structural geology and tectonics, sedimentology, and oceanography. To this end, I believe in a integrated approach to marine geologic research, taking full advantage of not only modern geophysical tools and techniques (e.g. swath bathymetry, sidescan sonar, multichannel seismic), advances in marine micropaleontology (paleo-proxy applications), and high resolution sediment radiometric dating and geochemical techniques (e.g. AMS 14C, 210Pb, DDT), but also well established geological methods (e.g. structural mapping, coring, detailed sedimentary petrology, physical property logging, stratigraphic correlation). This background and approach has enabled me to pursue several collaborative projects during the last several years related to continental margin processes offshore Washington, Oregon, California, and more recently India. My current research projects are described below.
CURRENT PROJECTS
- Micropaleontologic and geochemical constraints on the origin and significance of sedimentary cycles offshore India
- Volcanic arc compositional variability in the Andaman Islands
- Organic and inorganic carbon variability in the Bay of Bengal
- Origins and mechanisms for sand deposition on the continental slope offshore India
- Tectonic/climatic influences on sedimentation in the northern Indian Ocean
- The timing constraints and triggering mechanisms for Holocene and Late Pleistocene slope failures offshore Oregon
- The extent and recurrence of Holocene turbidity currents in Monterey Canyon, offshore central California
- Late Holocene deep sea fan sedimentation at biological station M, Monterey Fan
In collaboration with several academic and industry scientists from the U.S. and abroad, I recently returned from an ocean drilling expedition to the Indian Ocean, where we are investigating the occurrence and distribution of gas hydrate in the continental margin sediments along the coasts of India (Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Andaman Sea). In addition to constraining the geological host environment for the gas hydrate we also recovered spectacular marine sedimentary records, which now form the basis for several new research projects. In collaboration with Liviu Giosan at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) we are working on the following.
I am currently collaborating with Chris Goldfinger, Anne Trehu, and Marta Torres at Oregon State University (OSU), Charlie Paull and Bill Ussler at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), Bill Normark at the USGS-Menlo Park and Jim Gardner at UNH on the following projects on the west coast of the U.S.
In collaboration with colleagues at UNH and WHOI, my future research plans include marine sediment coring investigations on recently collected seafloor bathymetry and backscatter data along the Atlantic continental margin (see the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center at UNH).
Students interested in these and other marine related research opportunities at UNH are encouraged to apply for graduate study (see the UNH Marine Program and Earth Sciences Degree Options).
CURRENT STUDENTS
Tom Cawthern: Ph.D. Candidate: Dissertation Topic: Geologic Evolution of the Sumatran-Andaman Arc During the Last ~10 Ma
Katherine Korotky: M.S. Candidate: Thesis Topic: Magnetostratigraphic Constraints on the Timing of Monsoon Induced Variability in the Northern Bay of Bengal
Ed Sweeney: M.S. Candidate: Thesis Topic: Recent Geologic Processes on the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Lower Continental Slope
Coadvisors: Joel Johnson, Larry Mayer and Jim Gardner
Janine Fraschetti: B.A. Oceanography Candidate: Senior Thesis/SURF: The Timing and Chemical Characterization of a Possible Toba Ash Occurrence in the Bay of Bengal, Offshore India
ALUMNI
Ashley Bolbrock: B.A. Oceanography; Senior Thesis/UROP: Sources and Mechanisms for Carbon Delivery to the Deep Sea: Biological Station M, Monterey Fan, California. Ashley is currently working on an M.S. degree in Coastal Processes at Boston University
COURSES TAUGHT
Introduction to Oceanography ESCI 501
Sedimentology ESCI 754/854
Tectonics and Sedimentation ESCI 796/896
Advanced Seminar: Oceans ESCI 993
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Geological Oceanography, Oregon State University, 2004
M.S. Structural Geology/Tectonics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998
B.S. Geology, University of Minnesota, Duluth, 1996
APPOINTMENTS
Assistant Professor of Geology, University of New Hampshire |
8/2005- |
Postdoctoral Fellow, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute |
8/2004-8/2005 |
Graduate Research Assistant, Oregon State University |
1/1999-07/2004 |
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Oregon State University |
9/1998-12/1998 |
Graduate Research Assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
1/1998-6/1998 |
Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
9/1996-12/1997 |
PUBLICATIONS
Goldfinger, C., Grijalva, K., Bürgmann, R. Morey, A.E., Johnson, J.E., Nelson, C.H., Gutiérrez-Pastor, J., Ericsson, A., Karabanov, E., Chaytor, J.D., Patton, J., and Gràcia, E., 2008, Late Holocene Rupture of the Northern San Andreas Fault and Possible Stress Linkage to the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 98 (2), 861-889, doi: 10.1785/0120060411.
Paull, C.K., Ussler, W. III, Holbrook, S.W., Hill, T.M., Keaten, R., Mienert, J., Haflidason, H., Johnson, J.E., Winters, W.J., and Lorenson, T.D., 2007, Origin of pockmarks and chimney structures on the flanks of the Storegga Slide, offshore Norway. Geo-Marine Letters, DOI 10.1007/s00367-007-0088-9.
Goldfinger, C., Morey, A., Nelson, C. Hans, Gutierrez-Pastor, J., Johnson, J.E., Karabanov, E., Chaytor, J., Eriksson, A., 2007, Rupture lengths and temporal history of significant earthquakes on the offshore and north coast segments of the Northern San Andreas Fault based on turbidite stratigraphy. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 254:9-27.
Johnson, J.E., Goldfinger, C., Tréhu, A.M., Bangs, N.L.B., Torres, M.E., and Chevallier. J., 2006, North-South Variability in the History of Deformation and Fluid Venting Across Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia Margin. In Tréhu, A.M., Bohrmann, G., Torres, M.E., and Colwell, F.S. (Eds.), Proc. ODP, Sci. Results, 204 [Online]. http:/www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/204_SR/125/125.htm
Chevallier, J., Tréhu, A.M., Bangs, N.L., Johnson, J.E., and Meyer, H. J., 2006, Seismic sequence stratigraphy and Tectonic Evolution of Southern Hydrate Ridge. In Tréhu, A.M., Bohrmann, G., Torres, M.E., and Colwell, F.S. (Eds.), Proc. ODP, Sci. Results, 204 [Online]. Available at: http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/204_SR/121/121.htm.
Johnson, J.E., Goldfinger, C., Bangs, N.L., and Tréhu, A.M., in revision 2007, Structural vergence variation and clockwise block rotation in the Hydrate Ridge region, Cascadia accretionary wedge offshore Oregon, Tectonics.
Tréhu, A.M., Bohrmann, G., Rack, F.R., Collett, T.S., Goldberg, D.S., Long, P.E., Milkov, A.V., Riedel, M., Bangs, N.L., Barr, S.R., Borowski, W.S., Claypool, G.E., Delwiche, M.E., Dickens, G.R., Gracia, E., Guerin, G., Holland, M., Johnson, J.E., Lee, Y-J, Liu, C-S, Schultheiss, P., Su, X., Teichert, B., Tomaru, H., Torres, M.E., Vanneste, M., Watanabe, M., and Weinberger, J.L., 2004, Three-dimensional distribution of gas hydrate beneath southern Hydrate Ridge: constraints from ODP Leg 204. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 222:845-862.
Tréhu, A.M., Flemings, P.B., Bangs, N.L., Chevallier, J., Gracia, E., Johnson, J.E., Liu, C.-S., Liu, X., Riedel, M., and Torres, M.E., 2004 Feeding methane vents and gas hydrate deposits at south Hydrate Ridge. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 31, L23310, doi:10.1029/2004GL021286.
Johnson, J.E., Goldfinger, C., and Suess, E., 2003. Geophysical constraints on the surface distribution of authigenic carbonates across the Hydrate Ridge region, Cascadia margin. Marine Geology, 202 (1-2) 79-120.
Goldfinger, C. Nelson, C.H., and Johnson, J.E., 2003, Deep-Water Turbidites as Holocene Earthquake Proxies: The Cascadia Subduction Zone and Northern San Andreas Fault Systems. Annals of Geophysics, 46(5), 1169-1194.
Goldfinger, C., Nelson, C.H., and Johnson, J.E., 2003, Holocene Earthquake Records From the Cascadia Subduction Zone and Northern San Andreas Fault Based on Precise Dating of Offshore Turbidites Annual Reviews Earth and Planetary Science, vol. 31, 555-577.
Tréhu, A.M., Bohrmann, G., Rack, F., Torres, M.E., Collett, T., Goldberg, D., Long, P.E., Milkov, A.V., Riedel, M., Schultheiss, P., Bangs, N.L., Barr, S.R., Borowski, W.S., Claypool, G.E., Delwiche, M.E., Dickens, G.R., Gracia, E., Guerin, G., Holland, M., Johnson, J.E., Lee, Y.-J., Liu, C.-S., Su, X., Teichert, B.,Tomaru, H., Vanneste, M., Watanabe, M., and Weinberger, J.L., 2003, Proc. ODP, Init. Repts., 204 [Online]. Available at: http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/204_IR/204ir.htm.
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Tréhu, A. M., Bangs, N. L., Arsenault, M. A., Bohrmann, G., Goldfinger, C., Johnson, J. E., Nakamura, Y., and Torres, M. E., 2002, Complex Subsurface Plumbing Beneath Southern Hydrate Ridge, Oregon Continental Margin, from High-resolution 3D Seismic Reflection and OBS Data. Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Gas Hydrates, Yokohama Japan. May 19-23, 2002, p. 90-96.
Nelson, C. Hans., Goldfinger, C., Johnson, J. E., Dunhill, G., 2000, Variation of Modern Turbidite Systems Along the Subduction Zone Margin of Cascadia Basin and Implications for Turbidite Reservoir Beds, In Weimer, P.W., Nelson, C. H. et al. (Editors), Deep-water Reservoirs of the World, Gulf Coast Section Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Foundation 20th Annual Research Conference, Houston, Texas. Dec. 3, 2000, 31 p.
RECENT ABSTRACTS
Johnson, J.E., Giosan, L., Rose, K., and Fraschetti, J., 2007. Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, and Depositional History of Gas Hydrate Bearing Sediments Along the Eastern Continental Margin of India and in the Andaman Accretionary Wedge: Results from NGHP Expedition 01. EOS Trans. AGU 88 (52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract OS11C-02.
Johnson, J.E., Paull, C.K., Normark, W., Ussler, W., 2006. The Extent and Recurrence of Holocene Turbidity Currents in Monterey Canyon and Fan Channel, Offshore California. EOS Trans. AGU 87 (52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract OS14A-06.
Johnson, J.E., Paull, C.K., Normark, W., Ussler, W., 2005, Late Holocene Turbidity Currents in Monterey Canyon and Fan Channel: Implications for Interpreting Active Margin Turbidite Records. Eos Trans. AGU, 86(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract OS21A-1521.
Johnson, J.E., C.K. Paull, C.K., Ussler, W., Normark, W., Mitts, P., and Keaton, R., 2005, Recent Monterey Canyon Flushing Events: How far did they go? GSA Abstracts with Programs, vol. 37, No. 4, p. 33. Cordilleran Section - 101st Annual Meeting (April 29-May 1, 2005) San Jose, CA.
Johnson, J.E., Goldfinger, C., Bangs, N. L., Tréhu, A.M., Chevallier, J., 2004, Structural vergence variation and clockwise block rotation in the Cascadia accretionary wedge, offshore central Oregon. Eos Trans. AGU, 85(47), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract T41C-1235.
Johnson, J.E., Goldfinger, C., Nelson, C. H., Underwood, M.B., 2003, Holocene earthquakes, gas hydrates, and an 11,000 year record of slope failures at Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia Margin. Eos Trans. AGU, 84(46), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract OS52D-04.
Johnson, J. E., Chevalier, J., Tréhu, A. M., Gracia, E., Su, X., Teichert, B.M.A., Weinberger, J. L., and Shipboard Scientific Party, ODP Leg 204, 2003, Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, and Depositional History at Southern Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia Margin, Interpreted from ODP Leg 204 Drill Sites and 3-D Seismic Data. Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 5, 07874. European Geophysical Society (EGS AGU-EUG Joint Assembly Meeting, Nice France).
THESES
Johnson, J.E., 2004. Deformation, Fluid Venting, and Slope Failure at an Active Margin Gas Hydrate Province, Hydrate Ridge Cascadia Accretionary Wedge. [Ph.D. Dissertation] Oregon State University, Corvallis.
Johnson, J.E., 1998, A Subsurface Analysis of the Structure and Evolution of the Du Quoin Monocline, Southern Illinois. [M.S. Thesis] University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.