Research Programs Research in petroleum reservoir geology and geophysics is focused on the characterization and modeling of sequence-stratigraphic and structural controls on reservoir properties within carbonate and clastic systems. Outcrop and subsurface studies have focused on Cretaceous strata in Colorado and Mississippian outcrop analogs in Wyoming. (Reservoir Characterization and Modeling Laboratory - RCML). Integrated studies in basin analysis have focused on stratigraphic (intraslope basins), structural (salt, foldbelts) and petroleum systems modeling of the upper Cenozoic strata of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Research utilizes extensive 2-D and 3-D seismic and well data. New projects include: (a) 3-D studies of the shallow sediments in intraslope basins, offshore Nigeria, as analogs for deeper producing reservoirs; (b) 3-D interpretation and field study of the Red Wing Creek field in North Dakota- meteorite impact feature, and (c) integrated studies of select Rocky Mountain basins.

In sedimentology, studies of siliciclastic sediments have focused on fluvial and other continental paleoenvironments of Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, and on paleoclimate and paleolandscape reconstructions based on alluvial paleosols. Carbonate studies have included sequence stratigraphy, diagenesis, and reservoir heterogeneities in late Paleozoic rocks of the Rocky Mountain region; rock-water interaction in regional freshwater aquifers and carbonate islands; the evolution of matrix permeability with progressive burial; the role of matrix permeability in Cenozoic carbonate aquifers; and self-organizing processes in dolomitization.

Three faculty (Chin, Eberle, and Smith) with expertise in paleoecology, vertebrate paleontology, and invertebrate paleontology are curators in the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, and maintain their primary offices and laboratories in the Museum's Bruce Curtis Building (or MCOL). Studies on fossil mammals focus on specimens from the late Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras (roughly the last 70 my) - specifically their systematics, biostratigraphy, and stable isotope geochemistry of their teeth. This research addresses broader questions concerning origin and evolution of
mammalian lineages, paleobiogeography, paleoclimate, and the geochronology of geologic and evolutionary events in Earth history. Field areas include the Rocky Mountain region (especially Colorado's Denver Basin and Western Slope) and the Canadian High Arctic.

Research in paleontology also includes analyses of the structure and dynamics of ancient ecosystems--particularly those of the Mesozoic Era. Many projects focus on tapping paleobiological and taphonomic information in permineralized coprolites (fossil feces), fossil burrows, and wood. These investigations utilize physical and chemical evidence that provide information on paleoenvironmental conditions and interactions among ancient organisms.

Department Faculty
Economic Resources / Stratigraphic Sciences
	David Budd Sedimentology, diagenesis, and geochemistry of carbonates applied to rock-water interaction, sequence stratigraphy, and aquifer heterogeneity	website email phone (303) 492-3988
	Mary Kraus Sedimentology of fluvial depositional systems; continental paleoenvironments, and alluvial paleosols	website email phone (303) 492-7251
	Matthew J. Pranter Reservoir Characterization and Modeling Stratigraphic Controls on Reservoir Heterogeneity Sedimentary and Petroleum Geology Reservoir Geostatistics	website email phone (303) 492-1461
	Paul Weimer Director, Energy and Minerals Applied Research Center: and Interactive Geology Project. Sequence stratigraphy and basin analysis, 3-D seismic interpretation, reservoir geology, petroleum systems of deep-water continental margins, animations for geologic outreach	website email phone (303) 492-3809
Paleontology
	Karen Chin Mesozoic paleontology, trace fossil analysis, taphonomy	website email phone (303) 735-3074
	Jaelyn Eberle Vertebrate Paleontology, Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary mammalian biostratigraphy, phylogenetics, and evolution in the Rocky Mountain region; Paleogene High Arctic vertebrate evolution, paleobiogeography, and paleoclimate	website email phone (303) 492-8069
	Dena Smith Invertebrate Paleontology, Evolution of Insects, Plant-Insect Interactions and Climate and Taphonomy	website email phone (303) 735-2011