Office: ES 425

Tel: (360) 650-6573

E-mail: bernieh@cc.wwu.edu

Bernie Housen, Associate Professor

Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1994
Paleomagnetism, Geophysics, Structure/Tectonics.

Pacific NW Paleomagnetism Laboratory

We have a full-service paleomagnetism lab, where we are able to do just about any sort of paleomagnetic or rock-magnetic measurement you would want. Click on this link for more info: paleomagnetism

  

We also captured images of the construction of our field-free room, back in 1998, by the Lodestar Construction crew. So, check it out...

Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Center (AMSEC)

A group of faculty from several science departments at WWU are in the process of establishing a center for materials science research. Click on the link above to see more details!

Research Projects:

I am always looking for good students to do MS projects. Here is a list of projects that I am working on. If these sound interesting, and you want more details, please contact me.

  • Application of paleomagnetism and rock magnetism to study deformed rocks and tectonic evolution:
    • Paleomagnetism of the Ghost Rocks, Kodiak Islands: implications for N. America - Pacific Basin tectonics
    • Paleomagnetism and magnetostratigraphy of the Salton Trough, San Jacinto Fault Zone
    • Block rotation and strain gradients in areas adjacent to the San Andreas Fault, CA.
    • Translation of Cordilleran terranes
    • Continental tectonics of North America
    • Evaluation of inclination error in sedimentary rocks
  • Diagenesis of Fe sulfides and oxides in marine sediment.
    • Gas Hydrates and Fe-sulfides
    • Magnetotactic Bacteria and Remanence Lock-in
  • Magnetic fabrics in plutons and shear zones.
  • Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar to near-surface geological problems
  • Student Participation in Ocean Drilling Program/Integrated Ocean Drilling Program
    • Lisa Hawkins, Undergraduate Trainee, IODP Exp 301, Juan de Fuca Ridge
    • Allison Dean, Shipboard Scientist, ODP Leg 190, Nankai Trough
  • Seismicity for fun and profit

Courses Taught:

ˇ  Intro to Geology (101 and 211), Structural Geology (318), Marine Geology (340), Geophysics (352), Field Camp (410), Applied Geophysics (452/552), Practical Paleomagnetism (457/557), Magnetic Fabrics (454/554), Paleomagnetism Seminar (558)

 

 

Publications: * denotes graduate student, ** denotes undergraduate student

Kirby, S.M.*, S.U. Janecke, R.J. Dorsey, B.A. Housen, V. Langenheim, K. McDougall, A.N. Steely*, 2007, Timing and complexities of initial strike slip deformation in the southwestern Salton Trough, California, constrained by the Pleistocene Brawley and Ocotillo Formations, J. Geology, in press 7-26-2006.

Dorsey, R.J. A. Fluette*, K.A. McDougall, B.A. Housen, S.U. Janecke, G.J. Axen, C.R. Shirvell, 2007. Chronology of Miocene-Pliocene deposits at Split Mountain Gorge, southern California: A record of regional tectonics and Colorado River evolution, Geology, 35, xxx-xxx, in press.

Lutz, A.T.*, R. Dorsey, B. Housen, S. Janecke, 2007. Stratigraphic record of Pleistocene faulting and basin evolution in the Borrego Badlands, San Jacinto fault zone, Southern California, Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull., 119, xxx-xxx,  doi:10.1130/B25946, in press.

Housen, B.A and Moskowitz, B.M., 2006, Depth distribution of magnetofossils in near-surface sediments from the Blake/Bahama Outer Ridge, western North Atlantic Ocean, determined by low-temperature magnetism, J. Geophys. Res., 111, G01005, doi:10.1029/2005JG000068.

Housen, B.A and Dorsey, R.J., 2005, Paleomagnetism and Tectonic Significance of Albian and Cenomanian Turbidites, Ochoco Basin, Mitchell Inlier, Central Oregon, J. Geophys. Res., 110, B07102, doi:10.1029/2004JB003458.

Beck, M.E., Jr., and Housen, B.A., 2005, Comment on ''Paleomagnetism and geochronology of the Ecstall pluton in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia: Evidence for local deformation rather than large-scale transport'' by R. F. Butler et al., J. Geophys. Res., 110, B01101, doi:10.1029/2004JB003346.

Hayman, N.W., Housen, B.A., Cladouhos, T.T., and Livi, K., 2004, Magnetic and clast fabrics as measurements of grain-scale processes within the Death Valley shallow-crustal detachment faults, J. Geophys. Res. 109, B05409, doi:10.1029/2003JB002902.

Beck, M.E., Jr. and Housen, B.A., 2003, Absolute velocity of North America during the Mesozoic from paleomagnetic data, Tectonophysics, 377, 33-54.

Fawcett, T.C.*, Burmester, R.F., Housen, B.A. and Iriondo, A., 2003, Tectonic implications of magnetic fabrics and remanence in the Cooper Mountain Pluton, North Cascade Mountains, Washington, Can. J. Earth Sci., 40, 1335-1356.

Housen, B.A., Beck, M.E. Jr., Burmester, R.F., Fawcett, T., Petro, G.*, Sargent, R.**, Addis, K.*, Curtis, K.**, Ladd, J.*, Liner, N.*, Molitor, B.*, Montgomery, T.**, Mynatt, I.**, Palmer, B.*, Tucker, D.*, and White, I.*, 2003, Paleomagnetism of the Mt. Stuart Batholith revisited again: What has been learned since 1972?, Amer. J. Science, 303, 263-299.

Mynatt, I.**, Housen, B.A., and Beck, M.E. Jr., 2003, Late Cretaceous paleogeography of Wrangellia: Paleomagnetism of the McColl Ridge Formation, southern Alaska, revisited: Comment, Geology, 31, e13.

Beck, M.E., Jr., Burmester, R.F., and Housen, B.A., 2003, The red bed controversy revisited: shape analysis of Colorado Plateau units suggests long magnetization times, Tectonophysics, 362, 335-344.

Housen, B.A., and Kanamatsu, T., 2003, Magnetic Fabrics from the Costa Rica Wedge: Sediment Deformation During the Initial Dewatering and Underplating Process, Earth Planet. Sci. Letters, 206, 215-228.

Beck, M.E., Jr. and Housen, B.A., 2003, Pre-drift extension of the Atlantic margins of North America and Europe based on paths of Permo-Triassic apparent polar wander, Geophys. J. International, 152, 1-10.

Housen, B., and Beck, M., 1999, Testing Terrane Transport: An Inclusive Approach to the "Baja-BC" Controversy, Geology, v. 27, 1143-1146.

Zhao, X., Housen, B. and Solheid, P., 1998, Magnetic Properties of Leg 158 Cores: the origin of remanence and its relation to alteration and mineralization of the active TAG mound, Proc. ODP, Sci. Res., 158, 337-351.

Brükmann, W., Moran, K., and Housen, B., 1997, Directional properties of P-wave velocities and acoustic anisotropy in different structural domains of the northern Barbados Ridge accretionary prism complex, Proc. ODP, Sci. Res., 156, 115-124.

Housen, B.A., 1997, Magnetic fabrics of the Barbados accretionary prism, Proc. ODP, Sci. Res., 156, 97-105.

Maltman, A.J., Labaume, P., and Housen, B.A., 1997, Structural Geology of the décollement at the toe of the Barbados accretionary prism, Proc. ODP, Sci. Res., 156, 279-292.

Housen, B.A., Banerjee, S.K., Moskowitz, B.M., 1996, Low temperature magnetic properties of siderite and magnetite in marine sediments, Geophys. Res. Lett., 23, 2843-2846.

Housen, B.A., and Musgrave, R.J, 1996, Rock-magnetic signature of gas-hydrates in accretionary prism sediments, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 139, 509-519.

Housen, B.A., Tobin, H.J., Labaume, P., Leitch, E.C., Maltman, A.J., and Leg 156 Science Party, 1996, Strain decoupling across the decollement of the Barbados accretionary prism, Geology, 24, 127-130.

Housen, B.A., van der Pluijm, B.A., and Essene, E.J., 1995, Plastic behavior of magnetite and high strains obtained from magnetic fabrics in the Parry Sound shear zone, Ontario Grenville Province, J. Struct. Geol., 17, 265-278.