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WILLIAM L. BALSAM
Ph.D., 1973, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
PUBLICATIONS (five of the most recent).
Ji, Junfeng, Balsam, W.L., and Chen, J., 2001. Mineralogic
and Climatic Interpretations of the Luochuan Loess Section (China) based on
Diffuse Reflectance Spectrophotometry. Quaternary Research, 56:23-30
(doi:10.1006/qres.2238).
Balsam, W.L. and Damuth, J.E., 2000. Further investigations
of shipboard Vs shore-based spectral data: Implications for interpreting Leg
164 sediment composition. pp. 313 – 324. in Paull, C.K., Matsumoto, R.,
Wallace, P.J., and Dillon, W.P. (Eds) Proc. ODP Sci. Results. 164. 459p.
College Station, TX.
Balsam, W.L., Deaton, B.C., and Damuth, J.E., 1999.
Evaluating optical lightness as a proxy for carbonate content in marine
sediment cores: Implications for marine sedimentation. Marine Geology,
161:141-153.
Balsam, W.L., Deaton, B.C., and Damuth, J.E., 1998. The Effects of Water
Content on Diffuse Reflectance Spectrophotometry Studies of Deep-Sea Sediment
Cores. Marine Geology. 149:177-189
de Tacconi, N.R., Carmona, J., Balsam, W.L., Rajeshwar, K., 1998.
Photoelectrochromism in chemically modified nickel-titanium dioxide
nanocomposite films. Chemistry of Materials. 10:25-26.
SUBMITTED
Arimoto, R. Balsam, W., and Schloesslin, C., Visible
spectroscopy of aerosol particles collected on filters: Iron oxide minerals.
Submitted to Atmospheric Environment
Balsam, W. L., Damuth, J.E. and McHugh, C., Interpreting the mineralogy of
Late Quaternary sediments of the New Jersey continental slope at ODP Hole
1073A using spectral data. Submitted to Marine Geology
Chen, J, Ji, J., Balsam, W.L., Chen, Y. Liu, L., and An, Z..
Characterization of the Chinese loess - paleosol stratigraphy by whiteness
measurement. Submitted to Palaeogeoraphy, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.
Ji, Junfeng, Balsam, W.L., and Chen, J., Rapid and precise
measurement of hematite and goethite concentrations in the Chinese loess
sequences by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Submitted to Clays and Clay
Minerals
MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION
Balsam, W.L. and Payne, J., Surficial sediment distribution
in the Gulf of Mexico, To be submitted by 09/01
Balsam, W.L. and Damuth, J.E., Late Quaternary temporal
changes in sediment provenance in the northwest Gulf of Mexico: evidence from
nuv/vis/nir diffuse reflectance spectra.
Five of the most recent and current graduate students
supervised and thesis titles:
Wells, Shanna Marie, Dec. 2000 Using NUV/VIS/NIR spectra to
Determine FE/MN Mineral Percentages in the Woodbine Concretions
Thompson, John S., August, 1996, Non-thesis
Wolhart, Rebecca Jordan, December 1992. Delineation of
Sediment Influx and dispersal in the Argentine Basin; Evidence from Visible
Light spectra
Ph. D. Candidate , Millwood, Lynn
Service on Thesis Committees
J. Marlatt
T. Barrett
Short description of research interests:
Over the last 10 years my research has emphasized the use
of diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry (DRS) to interpret a variety of
aspects of the geologic record. Most of my work has considered problems
associated with marine geology. I have applied DRS to sediments from the
Atlantic Ocean and Argentine Basin and I am currently using this technique to
map sediment distributions and dispersal paths in the Gulf of Mexico. With Jed
Damuth, I have also applied DRS to rapid analysis of Ocean Drilling Program
drill cores.
Recently, I have been working with scientists from Nanjing
University (China) on samples from the Chinese Loess Plateau and with them
have developed a paleoclimate model based on using DRS to identify small, but
significant, amounts of hematite and goethite. Loess is the source of much of
the dust being transported across the Pacific. With Dr. Rich Arimoto (New
Mexico State University, Carlsbad, NM) I am analyzing atmospheric filters with
DRS to determine the mineralogy of material trapped on the filters and to help
identify the predominant source area of the dust.
DRS is also proving useful in geoarchaeology. Over the last
few years I have used DRS for stratigraphy at a number of archaeology sites.
This summer (July 2001) I will be assisting archaeologists from SMU in
analyzing the Rio Puerco site outside of Albuquerque, NM. In addition, I am
involved in a project to characterize Anasazi pottery and I am using DRS to
analyze pigments on the pottery’s surface and to investigate the mineralogy
of the paste and temper.
Finally, with Dr. Bobby Deaton (Texas Wesleyan, Fort Worth)
I am examining the thermal oxidation of fluvial sediments underlying the
Servilletta Basalt in the Rio Grande Gorge near Taos, NM. While our results
are still preliminary, it appears we have developed a new method for
geothermometry.
Abstracts Published (5 most recent)
Arimoto, R., W. Balsam, and. C. Schloesslin, 2000. Visible
Spectroscopy of atmospheric dust collected on filters: iron-bearing minerals,
Eos Trans. AGU, Fall Meeting Suppl., 81: F69.
Barrett, T., Schieber, J., and Balsam, W.L., 2000.
Differentiating black shale sequences with visible light reflectance spectra.
GSA National Meeting, Reno, 11/2000
Balsam, W.L., and Ji, Junfeng, 1999. Mineralogic variations
in the Chinese loess sequence determined by NUV/VIS/NIR reflectance spectra.
GSA Abstracts with Programs, 31: 54
Balsam, W.L., 1999. Surface sediment distribution in the
Gulf of Mexico inferred from visible light reflectance spectra. AAPG Annual
Meeting Official Program, 8:A8.
McHugh, C.M., Olsen, H., Balsam, W.L., Damuth, J.E., Ben-Eliezer,
B., and Berger, M., 1999. High-resolution Pleistocene climatic variability
revealed by sediments from the New Jersey slope. AAPG Annual Meeting Official
Program, 8:A91.
New Grants Funded
National Science Foundation (JOI/USSSP/ODP) Research Grant:
Title - Leg 188 post cruise studies, Principal investigators: J.E. Damuth and
W.L. Balsam. Amount of funding, $26,331 from 10/00 – 3/01
Existing Grants
National Science Foundation (Ocean Drilling Program)
Research Grant: Title - Utilizing color reflectance analysis to maximize
qualitative and quantitative mineral identification: application to glacial
and sea level cyclicity. Principal investigators: W.L. Balsam. with L.
Millwood Amount of funding, $24,900 from 3/99 - 3/00
Grants Submitted
Application of Diffuse Reflectance Spectrophotometry to the
Chinese Loess Sequence. Submitted to Earth Science History (NSF) 02/14/01
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