Email: owens@sc.edu
Phone: (803) 777-4530
FAX: (803) 777-0906
RESEARCH INTERESTS. Applications of quantitative seismological methods to constrain the structure, physical properties, and tectonic properties of the Earth's crust and upper mantle. Owens' research has concentrated on the correlation of seismic parameters with other geological and geophysical data to aid in the effective synthesis of physical, tectonic and evolutionary models of the continental lithosphere. The primary seismological tool in this research is the deployment of portable broadband digital seismic instruments to gather seismic constraints using regional and teleseismic earthquakes and explosions. This research has involved extensive field work worldwide. A emerging research interest is the use of seismological data in the K-12 classrooms as a catalyst to capture student's interest and improve their grasp of fundamental concepts in physical and earth sciences.
BIRTHDATE: February 4, 1956, Louisville, KY
EDUCATION:
B.S., Geophysics, Purdue University, 1977
M.S., Geophysics, University of Utah, 1980
Thesis Title: "Flexure and normal faulting in lithospheric plates with application to the Wasatch Front, Utah" Advisor: Robert B. Smith
Ph.D, Geophysics, University of Utah, 1984
Dissertation Title: "Determination of crustal and upper mantle structure from analysis of broadband teleseismic P-waveforms" Advisor: George Zandt
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
7/99-6/01 Associate Chair, Department of Geological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
7/00-6/01 (Interim) Director, Undergraduate Studies, Department of Geological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
7/97-present Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
7/94-6/97 Associate Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
10/95-present Affiliate Faculty, Geophysics Program, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA
6/95-10/95 Visiting Scientist, Geophysics Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
9/89-6/94 Assistant Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
1/85-8/89 Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, University of Missouri-Columbia
6/85-8/85 Visiting Scholar, Geophysics Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
7/84-12/84 Seismologist, Treaty Verification Program, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Also held this same position in the summers of 1982 and 1983.
9/78-6/84 Graduate Student, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah.
5/78-8/78 Geophysicist, Continental Oil Co., Houston, TX.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS/SERVICE:
Associate Editor, Journal of Geophysical Research-B (Solid Earth), 12/93-12/96
Member, DMS Standing Committee of IRIS, 1995-97
Member, Executive Committee of IRIS, 1992-93
Member, PASSCAL Standing Committee of IRIS, 1989-91, 1999-02
American Geophysical Union
Seismological Society of America
AWARDS AND HONOR SOCIETIES:
1981-84 SEG Scholarship
1979-80, 81-82 Research Fellow, Univ. of Utah Research Foundation
1978-79 Shell Oil Co., Geophysics Fellow, University of Utah
Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society