Research Interests
As a student of geology, I love ideas, collaborations, and
challenges from all students and fellow scientists interested in Earth Science.
My research interests have been constantly evolving, although my past and
current research has focused mainly on sedimentology, stratigraphy, paleoclimatology, and petroleum geology. The degree of
success and failure varies, but I have had great fun in the pursuit. The
following are specific areas I have tried and would like to explore in the
future (with no particular order):
Past and Current Research Activities
1)
2009-present: Depositional systems, sequence
stratigraphy, basin-filling history, reservoir and source rock distribution and
potentials, and evolution of hydrocarbon systems, Dongying sub-basin, eastern
China: Project leader, collaboration with X. Luo of Chinese Academy of Sciences
and L.Q. Zhang of China University of Petroleum.
2)
2004-present: Outcrop and subsurface study of
fluvial and lacustrine sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy, continental
paleoclimate, petroleum systems, and end-Permian mass extinction of Permian to
Triassic strata in Turkpan-Hami, Junggar, and
Sangtanghu basins, NW China. In collaboration with Y.Q. Liu, Q. Feng, J.Y. Lin,
and D.W. Zhou of Northwestern University, China, Neil Tabor of Southern
Methodist University, Robert Gastaldo of Colby
College, Jim Crowley of Boise State University, and Dan Miggins of USGS,
Denver.
3)
2000-present: Petroleum systems analysis,
overpressure and migration mechanisms, fault sealing analysis, and
unconformity-related carrier beds, Yinggehai Basin of South China Sea, Junggar
Basin, NW China, and Bohai Bay basins, eastern China.
In collaboration with X.R. Luo of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
4)
2000-present: Sedimentology, cyclo- and sequence
stratigraphy, paleoclimatology, and quantitative modeling of time partitioning
of component lithofacies, Upper Pennsylvanian (Virgilian) marine and nonmarine,
mixed carbonate and siliciclastic Oread Cyclothem in outcrop and subsurface, SE
Kansas and NE Oklahoma.
5)
2006-2008: Outcrop and subsurface study of fluvial
and lacustrine sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy, continental
paleoclimate, and petroleum systems of Lower to Middle Jurassic strata in
Junggar Basin, NW China. In collaboration with J.H. Li and X.H. Zhang of
Northwestern University, China.
6)
2004-2008:
Causes and mechanisms of end-Permian marine mass extinction, southern China. In
collaboration with Y.S. Wu of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
7)
2000-2005: Quantitative analysis of cyclo-
and sequence stratigraphy and paleoclimatology of Lower Triassic peritidal
carbonate successions, Great Bank of Guizhou, southern China. In collaboration
with Dan Lehrmann of University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh.
8)
2000-2004: Sedimentation rate of Holocene
carbonate sediments, Chetumal Bay, Northern Belize. In collaboration with Dr.
S.J. Mazzullo of Wichita State University.
Fieldwork associated with some of the
research activities:
·
Offshore and nearshore area, northern Belize
(summer, 2001, spring, 2002, total ~1 month).
·
Sedimentologic and stratigraphic
investigation of outcrop sections of Permian, Triassic, and Jurassic volcanic
and nonmarine sedimentary rocks in Turpan-Hami, southern Junggar, and Santanghu
basins, NW China (summers of 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and
winter, 2003, total ~14 months).
·
Sedimentologic and stratigraphic
investigation of Upper Pennsylvanian Oread Cyclothem, SE Kansas and NE Oklahoma
(total about 4 months from 2000 to present).
Past and Current Research Grants
External
Grants:
1.
NSF, Sedimentary Division: Pending. Collaborative
Research: Dynamic Responses of Mid-Latitudinal Early Permian-Early Triassic Pangean
Paleoenvironment, Paleoclimatology, and Paleoecology, Bogda Mountains, NW China.”
Lead PI, collaborators N. Tabor of Southern Methodist University, R. Gastaldo,
Colby College, J. Geissman of University of New Mexico, J. Crowley of Boise
State University, D. Miggins of USGS at Denver, F. Qiao of Shangdong University
of Science and Technology of China, Y.Q. Liu of Northwestern University of China.
2. America Chemical
Society, Petroleum Research Fund: $65,000, 2009-2012, “Undergraduate
Research: Anatomy of a half graben - Permian
to Lower Triassic Fluvial-Lacustrine Depositional Systems and Sequence
Stratigraphy, Bogda Mountains and Turpan-Hami and Eastern Junggar Intermontane
Basins, Northwestern China.” Sole PI.
3. Chinese Academy of
Sciences: $70,000, 2008-2010, “Distribution of source and reservoir rocks
through depositional systems analysis within a sequence-stratigraphic framework
in Lower Tertiary fluvial-lacustrine deposits, Tongying
Depression, Eastern China.” Sole PI.
4. Research and
Development Division, Tu-Ha Petroleum Bureau, PetroChina: $40,000, 2007-2009, “Seismic stratigraphy
of Permian-Cretaceous fluvial and lacustrine strata in Turpan-Hami Basin and
its Vicinity, NW China.” Sole PI.
5. Kansas Geology
Foundation:
$17,500, “Improvement and enhancement of teaching mineralogy, petrology,
paleontology, siliciclastic and carbonate sedimentology, hydrogeology, and
petroleum geology in Wichita State University.” Sole PI.
6. KC Wong Foundation,
Hong Cong:
$2,500, 2007. Research project “Nonmarine sequence stratigraphy of
Permo-Triassic fluvial and lacustrine strata in Bogda Mountains, NW China.”
Sole PI.
7. Eastern Junggar
Division, Xinjiang Petroleum Bureau, PetroChina: $50,000, 2006-2007,
Jurassic fluvial-lacustrine sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy, and petroleum
systems in outcrop and subsurface of eastern Junggar Basin, NW China. Lead PI.
8. KC Wong Foundation,
Hong Cong:
$5,000, 2006-2007. Research project “Nonmarine sequence stratigraphy of
Permo-Triassic fluvial and lacustrine strata in Bogda Mountains, NW China.”
Sole PI.
9. Clayton Williams
Petroleum Company Grant for Contractual Research: $15,684, 2005. “Sequence
stratigraphic analysis and petroleum systems of Jurassic to Cretaceous
deepwater basin fill, East Texas Basin”. Sole PI.
10. Research Grant,
Headquarters of Frontier Exploration in western China, Sinopec Corporation,
China:
$150,000, 2005-2006. “Evaluation of hydrocarbon exploration potential in
northern Turpan Sag and Caiwopu Depression, NW China.” Collaborator with Dr.
Y.Q. Liu of Northwestern University, China.
11. Research Grant,
Bureau of Higher Education, Shannxi Province, China: $4,000. “Lacustrine
Sedimentology and Sequence Stratigraphy, Continental Paleoclimatology,
End-Permian Mass Extinction, and Petroleum Geology of the Permian and Triassic
Rocks of the Junggar, Turpan, and Santanghu Basins, Northwestern China”. 2004.
Sole PI.
12. Research Grant,
Division of R&D, Tu-Ha Oil Corporation, China: $110,000, 2003.
“Tectonic history and petroleum systems of Santanghu Basin, NW China.” Co-PI
with Dr. Y.Q. Liu of Northwestern University, China.
13. Research Grant,
National Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwestern University,
China: $2,100,
2003-2005. “Lacustrine Sedimentology and Sequence Stratigraphy, Continental
Paleoclimatology, End-Permian Mass Extinction, and Petroleum Geology of the
Permian and Triassic Rocks of the Junggar, Turpan, and Santanghu Basins,
Northwestern China.” Sole PI.
14. Phillips Petroleum
Company Grant for Contractual Research: $30,384, 2001. Research project “Sequence
stratigraphic analysis and petroleum systems of Jurassic Cotton Valley Group,
North Louisiana Basin”. Sole PI.
15. K-Star/National
Science Foundation First Award: $46,707, for 2000-2001, Time Partitioning
and the Roles of Geological Processes in Formation of Depositional Cycles,
Midcontinent, USA. Sole PI.
Internal
Grants:
16.
University of Missouri Research Board: Pending. Peeking into
Continent-Building Processes through the Bogda
Window, NW China. Sole PI.
17. University Research
and Creative Award, WSU,
2009-2010, “High-resolution age dating of Permian-Triassic Sedimentary Rocks in
NW China.” $4500.
18. Wichita State
University Research/Creative Award: $4,459, for 2005-2006, “River and Lake
Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, Continental Paleoclimatology, and Causes of
End-Permian Mass Extinction (251 Million Years Ago), Bogda Mountains, Northwestern
China”. Sole PI.
19. Travel Grant,
International Education, Wichita State University: $1,990 for summer
2004, to support discussion of international student and faculty exchange
programs, and fieldwork in NW China. Sole receiver.
20. Faculty Summer
Research Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wichita State
University:
$4000 for summer of 2002. Research on “Permian to Triassic (290-180 Million
Years Ago) Nonmarine Sedimentology and Sequence Stratigraphy, Continental
Paleoclimate, and End-Permian Mass Extinction, Northwestern China.” Sole PI.
21. Wichita State
University Summer Research Award: $4,750, for the summer of 2001,
“Sedimentation Rates of Carbonate Sediments in the Shallow Marine Environments
of Northern Belize.” Sole PI.
22. Wichita State
University Research/Creative Award: $4,430, for 2000, “iewkind4 Time Partitioning among Component
Lithologies and Its Implications on Relationships between Depositional Cycles
and Geologic Processes during Cycle Formation, The Pennsylvanian Oread Cycle of
Shawnee Group in Eastern Kansas.” Sole PI.
4. Grants awarded to graduate
students under my supervision in Wichita State University:
1.
Wei Guan, $1000, Dora Wallace Hodgson Summer
Graduate Research Grant, Graduate School of WSU, for thesis research
“Provenance analysis of Upper Permian Wutonggou Low-Order Cycle, Bogda
Mountains, NW China.”
2.
Kansas Geological Foundation Student Research
Grant:
Brad Jeffrey, $1000 each for spring, fall 2009 and spring, 2010, to support
thesis project “Nature and controls of a low-order cycle boundary in Lower
Permian fluvial-lacustrine half-graben fill, NW China.”
3.
Kansas Geological Foundation Student Research
Grant:
$1,000, for 2008-2009, awarded to W.Guan for thesis project “Provenance
analysis of Upper Permian Wutonggou Low-Order Cycle, Bogda Mountains, NW China.”
4.
AAPG student grant-in-aid: $2,000, for
2008-2009, awarded to W.Guan for thesis project “Provenance analysis of Upper
Permian Wutonggou Low-Order Cycle, Bogda Mountains, NW
China.”
5.
Kansas Geological Foundation Student Research
Grant:
$750 for 2005-2006, Awarded to M. Runnion for thesis project “Depositional
Environmental Reconstruction of Nonmarine Upper Permian Sedimentary Rocks in
Taodonggou area, Bogda Mountains, NW China.”
6.
Howard D.
Miser Memorial Grant, American
Association of Petroleum Geologists Foundation, $2000, May 2003. Awarded to M.
Turner, for research “Characteristics, Type, Distribution, and Controlling
Factors of Paleosols and Their Implications on Paleoclimatic Conditions, Cyclic
Sedimentation, and Stratigraphic Correlation, Oread Cyclothem (Upper
Pennsylvanian), SE Kansas and NE Oklahoma.”
7.
Student Travel Grant, Graduate
School of Wichita State University, $150, March 2003. Awarded to M. Bruemmer
for presentation of research on Oread cyclothem in American Association of
Petroleum Geologists Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.
8.
Student Travel Grant, Graduate
School of Wichita State University, $150, Oct. 2002. Awarded to M.
Turner-Williams for presentation of research on Oread cyclothem in Geological
Society of America Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado.
9. Graduate Research
Grant, Kansas Geological Foundation, $500, June 2002. Awarded to M. Turner for
research “Soil formation and its implications on paleoclimatic conditions and
cyclic sedimentation, Oread cyclothem (Upper Pennsylvanian), southeastern
Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma.”
10. Dora Wallace Hodgson
Summer Graduate Research Award, Graduate School of Wichita State University,
$1,000, May 2002. Awarded to M. Turner for research “Formation of ancient soils
and its implications on paleoclimatic conditions and cyclic sedimentation,
Oread cyclothem, southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma.”
11. Student
Travel Grant, Graduate School of Wichita State University, $150, Jan.
2002. Awarded to M. Bruemmer for presentation of research on Oread cyclothem in
America Association of Petroleum Geologists 2002 Annual Meeting in Houston,
Texas.
12. Alexander & Geraldine Wanek Research Award, Geological Society of America, $1780, April 2002. Awarded to M.
Bruemmer for research “Processes Controlling the Stratigraphic Architecture of
Nonmarine and Marine Mixed Siliciclastic and Carbonate Oread Cyclothem (Upper
Pennsylvanian), SE Kansas and NE Oklahoma.”
13. Howard D. Miser Memorial Grant,
American Association of Petroleum Geologists Foundation, $2000, May 2002.
Awarded to M. Bruemmer, for research “Processes Controlling the Stratigraphic
Architecture of Nonmarine and Marine Mixed Siliciclastic and Carbonate Oread
Cyclothem (Lower Pennsylvanian), SE Kansas and NE Oklahoma.”