WILLIAM L. BALSAM

Ph.D., 1973, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

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.

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

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