Michael Petronis is Professor of geology and has extensive expertise in paleomagnetism, volcanology, rock-magnetism, and geologic mapping. He maintains a strong field-based research program involving several graduate and undergraduate students. He has conducted field AMS and paleomagnetic investigations in NW Scotland and Ireland, Precambrian paleomagnetic studies in the high-Arctic of Svalbard, Norway, and China, volcanic studies in the Chaîne des Puys, France, Czech Republic, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, California, and Utah. He brings over 15 years experience in rock and paleomagnetism and the application of the AMS technique. He maintains a state-of-the-art paleomagnetic-rock magnetism laboratory at NMHU and has all required field equipment for sample collection. He has a proven record of mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students and has published several papers with students.
Research Description
Dr. Petronis’ research interests and expertise are broadly focused on rock magnetism, paleomagnetism, shallow igneous processes, physical volcanology, structural geology/tectonics, and exploration geophysics. This research program dovetails nicely into petrology research (Proterozoic tectonomagmatism, metamorphism, magma mingling and mixing processes, and within-plate magma genesis), as well as the hydrogeology (fluid flow, water chemistry, soil erosion/water pollution studies), archaeology (pre-Columbian field excavations, collections, and local historic sites), and forestry and ecology (limnology, basin analysis, watershed management, Holocene climate studies) research strengths of the Natural Resource Management and Southwest Studies departments at Highlands University. He choses to approach his research from a perspective of a field geologist, which begins with a well-documented, detailed understanding of the field relations, and only then can the appropriate analytical techniques be applied effectively. To date, his research interests have led him to work in the Basin and Range province, southwest Colorado Plateau, margins of the Rio Grande rift, the High Planes aquifer in Kansas, the Sudete Mountains of Poland and the Czech Republic, Yunnan Province of southwestern China, the Highlands of NW Scotland, Galway Granite in northwest Ireland, Chaí®ne des Puys, France, Leka, Norway, and most recently, the high Arctic (79.5°N) of Svalbard, Norway.