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Peter Isaacson-Department of Geological Sciences-University of Idaho

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Department of Geological Sciences
 

Contact Us

Moscow

Dept of Geological Sciences
geology@uidaho.edu
phone: (208) 885-6192
fax: (208) 885-5724
825 West 7th Street
322 Mines Bldg
PO Box 443022
Moscow, ID 83844-3022

Peter Isaacson

Peter E. Isaacson, Ph.D.

Office: Mines 308
Phone: (208) 885-7969
Email: isaacson@uidaho.edu
Mailing Address: c/o Department of Geological Sciences
P.O. Box 443022
Moscow, ID 83844-3022

College of Science
University of Idaho
Professor - Paleontology, Stratigraphy

Campus Locations: Moscow

Research/Focus Areas

  • Late Devonian glaciations of western Gondwana and its consequences
  • Late Paleozoic stratigraphy and paleogeography of the central Andes
  • Devonian through Permian sequence stratigraphy of southern Idaho
  • Late Paleozoic biogeography

Biography

  • PhD, Geology, 1974—Oregon State University, Corvallis
  • BA, Geology, 1968—University of Colorado, Boulder

Selected Publications

  • Arefifard, S. and Isaacson, P.E. 2011. Permian sequence stratigraphy in east-central Iran: microplate records of Peri-Tethyan and Peri-Gondwanan events, Stratigraphy, 8(1), 61-83.
  • Abplanalp, J., Isaacson, P.E., Batt, L.S., and Pope, M.C. 2009. Conodont biostratigraphyand new zonation of Chesterian strata (late Mississippian and early Pennsylvanian), east-central Idaho and southwest Montana. Mountain Geologist. 46(3), 89-104.
  • Isaacson, P.E., Díaz-Martínez, E., Grader, G. Kalvoda, J., Babek, O., and Devuyst, F.X. 2008. Late Devonian Glaciation in Gondwana. In: Soreghan, G.S., and Montañez, I.P. (Eds.), Geosystems: investigations of the Late Paleozoic Tropical Earth System. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, Special Issue, v. 268, p. 126-142.
  • Grader, G.W., Isaacson, P.E., Diaz-Martinez, E., and M.C. Pope. 2008. Pennsylvanian and Permian Sequences in Bolivia: Direct Responses to Gondwana Glaciation. In: Fielding, C.R, Frank, T.D., and Isbell, J.L. (eds.), The Late Paleocoic Gondwanan Ice Age: Timing, Extent, Duration and Stratigraphic Records. Geological Society of America Special Paper 441, p. 143-160.
  • Batt, L.S., Pope, M.C., Isaacson, P.E., Montañez, I.P., and Abplanalp, J. 2008. Late Mississippian Antler foreland basin carbonates and siliciclastics, east-central Idaho and southwestern Montana: distinguishing tectonic and eustatic controls. In: Lukasik, J. and Simo, T.T. (Eds.), Carbonates through time, Society of Sedimentary Geology, Special Publication No. 89, p. 147-170.
  • Isaacson, P.E. 2008. Devonian brachiopods from N.E. Washington: evidence for a non-allochthonous terrane and Late Devonian biogeographic update. In: Stanley, G.D. and Blodgett, R.B. (Eds.), The terrane puzzle: New perspectives on paleontology and stratigraphy from the North American Cordillera. Geological Society of America, Special Paper 442, p. 99-106.
  • Batt, L.S., Montañez, I.P., Isaacson, P.E., Pope, M.C., Butts, S.H., and Abplanalp, J. 2007. Multi-carbonate component reconstruction of mid-Carboniferous (Chesterian) seawater 13C. In: Pope, M.C., Saltzman, M.T., and Bartley J.K. (Eds.), Neoproterozoic to Paleozoic Ocean Chemistry, Precambrian and Paleozoic Ocean Chemistry, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 256: 298-318.
  • Grader, G.W., Diaz-Martinez, E., Davydov, V., Montanez, I., Tait, J., and Isaacson, P.E. 2007. Late Paleozoic stratigraphic framework in Bolivia: constraints from the warm water Cuevo Megasequence. In, E Diaz-Martinez and I. Rabana (Eds.), 4th European Meeting on the Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Latin America, Cuadernos del Museo Geominero, no. 8. Instituto Geologico y Minero de Espana, p. 181-188.

Research Projects

  • Glaciation and glacial proxies in South America
    We are studying both near field and far field glacial proxies in Bolivia and extending this work into neighboring Peru. Sequence stratigraphy of the Pennsylvanian Permian carbonates of the Copacabana Fm has delineated five glacial advances, and we are intending to document these with zircon dating from volcanic ash beds in the sequences. Carboniferous siliciclastics in southern Bolivia show peri glacial events that will tie into glacial grounding events in Argentina.
  • Paleozoic sequences in Idaho
    Since glacial sea-level drawdowns are global, we can establish proxy sections in well-exposed, continuous carbonate Devonian-Permian sections in Idaho. We have expanded the Devonian glaciation concept, and work continues on sequences of the Late Devonian Three Forks Fm through Mississippian Scott Peak Fm and Pennsylvanian-Permian Snaky Canyon Fm of southern-central Idaho.
  • Permian sequences in Iran
    Permian carbonates in Iran represent deposition both in North Gondwanaland and the Pre-Tethyan regions. Not only are the fusulinid faunas biogeographically restricted to bother regions, they also have afforded precise dating of their successions. With a post-doctoral fellow in Iran we are establishing Permian sequences for the first time in southern Asia. These in turn will complement glacial proxy information we are deriving from North and South America.
  • Early Carboniferous sequences, China
    Our newest project involves earliest Carboniferous sequences in carbonate rocks in SW China, primarily in the Guilin area. This particular time period has been poorly studied globally, but it interfaces with our near-field glacial studies in northern Chile and southern Bolivia.

My Courses

  • GEOL 212:
    Principles of Paleontology
  • GEOL
    324: Principles of Stratigraphy and Sedimentation
  • GEOL
    432/532: Geologic Development of North America