Brian Horton
Research Scientist, UTIG
Associate Professor, DGS
Ph.D., 1998, University of Arizona
M.S., 1994, Montana State University
B.S., 1992, University of New Mexico
Telephone 512-471-1869
email: horton at ig.utexas.edu
Brian's Research Interests
- Evolution of contractional orogenic belts and foreland, hinterland, and intermontane basins
- Initial mountain building and plateau construction in the Andes, Tibet, Middle East, and western North America
- Sediment provenance and routing systems
- Influence of tectonics and climate on erosion, sedimentation, and basin evolution
- Integration of geochronology, thermochronology, and paleoaltimetry with basin analysis
- Physical sedimentology of modern and ancient fluvial and alluvial-fan depositional systems
Brian's research focuses on the tectonics of sedimentary basins and orogenic systems using techniques from the fields of sedimentology, stratigraphy, structure/tectonics, geochronology, thermochronology, and paleomagnetism. Students and postdocs in his group develop projects combining field-based basin analysis with various laboratory techniques (U-Pb geochronology, magnetostratigraphy, sedimentary petrography, stable-isotope geochemistry, basin modeling, seismic interpretation, and (U-Th)/He, fission-track, and Ar/Ar thermochronology) to address the tectonic evolution of modern and ancient sedimentary basins and crustal structures in the Andes, Tibet, Middle East, and western North America. Current team members are working on projects in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Alaska, Mongolia, Tibet, and the Zagros.