William
L.
Balsam
Ph.D., 1973, Brown University
233A
Geoscience
(817)272-2997
balsam@uta.edu
Mu Us desert (southern Gobi desert), Inner Mongolia
Over the last 12 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. For the last
three summers I have assisted 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.
Dr. Balsam is the departments graduate advisor. Additional
information (publications, research interests etc.).
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