Joe Collins
- Courses3
- Reviews4
- School: Texas A&M University
- Campus: San Antonio
- Department: Science
- Email address: Join to see
- Phone: Join to see
-
Location:
One University Way
San Antonio, TX - 78224 - Dates at Texas A&M University: July 2017 - April 2018
- Office Hours: Join to see
Biography
Texas A&M University San Antonio - Science
Assistant Professor of Geomorphology at MTSU; Chair, Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium Steering Committee.
Research
Joe
Collins
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
My primary research interests are in ancient arid and semi-arid environmental and climatic reconstruction - particularly using ephemeral lake systems as comprehensive, high-resolution archives of climate change - and modern atmosphere-lithosphere interactions such as aeolian processes (i.e., wind erosion, blowing sand, and dust storms) using aspects of geomorphology, sedimentology, geochemistry, and geostatistics. Research interests also include relationships between landforms, climate, and people; the transportation, composition, and characteristics of both aeolian and fluvial sediments; and aeolian processes on Mars.
Experience
Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)
Assistant Professor of Geomorphology
I currently teach geomorphology, introduction to earth science, introduction to environmental science, and quantitative methods in the geosciences.
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Geology Faculty Member
Geology, climate and paleoclimate science, geomorphology
Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium Steering Committee
Chair
Joe worked at Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium Steering Committee as a Chair
El Paso Community College
Adjunct Instructor
Physical geology and Earth Science
Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso
Teaching Assistant
Classes I have assisted for are Physical and Historical Geology (face-to-face and online), Environmental Science, Sedimentology, and Paleoclimatology.
Education
Mississippi State University
Master's Degree
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
Mississippi State University
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Anthropology/Archaeology
The University of Texas at El Paso
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
Publications
Assessing mussel shell diagenesis in the modern vadose zone at Lyon's Bluff (22OK520), Northeast Mississippi
Journal of Archaeological Science
This study considers the chemical alteration of archaeological freshwater shell above the water table at the Lyon's Bluff site (22OK520), a single-mound and village complex located in east-central Mississippi, and the changes in trace element concentrations between unfired and fired shell.
Assessing mussel shell diagenesis in the modern vadose zone at Lyon's Bluff (22OK520), Northeast Mississippi
Journal of Archaeological Science
This study considers the chemical alteration of archaeological freshwater shell above the water table at the Lyon's Bluff site (22OK520), a single-mound and village complex located in east-central Mississippi, and the changes in trace element concentrations between unfired and fired shell.
Characterizing Formation Processes of Rimrock Lake, a Late Pleistocene-Holocene playa, Harney Basin, southeastern Oregon (USA), using an End-Member Mixing Analysis
Journal of Quaternary Science
Playas collect sediments from different transported processes, producing grain-size distributions (GSD) reflecting changes in environment. End-member mixing analysis (EMMA) was used to derive end-members (EM) from 256 sediment samples from Rimrock Lake (Harney Basin, Oregon, USA) and a nearby relict channel. EMMA identified six EMs representing deposition in fluvial, lacustrine, littoral, and colluvial environments. Stratigraphy was time-correlated using nine radiocarbon dates.Results show that Rimrock Lake existed by ~ 18,535 cal a BP. A relict playa surface also was exposed along its margin and indicates lake contraction ~ 6,190 - 5,990 cal a BP. In the relict channel, a dominant eolian environment is identified at ~ 8,000 cal a BP. These results represent a shift to a more arid environment in the Harney Basin beginning around the mid-Holocene and are in general agreement with other studies reported in the Great Basin. This study demonstrates the application of EMMA for analyzing complex playa sediments and for linking environmental response across separate but related geomorphic environments. Our results provide a paleoenvironmental record along Harney Basin’s western margin between ~ 18,500 and 6,000 cal a BP, and demonstrates the use of small playas in the basin as environmental archives.
Assessing mussel shell diagenesis in the modern vadose zone at Lyon's Bluff (22OK520), Northeast Mississippi
Journal of Archaeological Science
This study considers the chemical alteration of archaeological freshwater shell above the water table at the Lyon's Bluff site (22OK520), a single-mound and village complex located in east-central Mississippi, and the changes in trace element concentrations between unfired and fired shell.
Characterizing Formation Processes of Rimrock Lake, a Late Pleistocene-Holocene playa, Harney Basin, southeastern Oregon (USA), using an End-Member Mixing Analysis
Journal of Quaternary Science
Playas collect sediments from different transported processes, producing grain-size distributions (GSD) reflecting changes in environment. End-member mixing analysis (EMMA) was used to derive end-members (EM) from 256 sediment samples from Rimrock Lake (Harney Basin, Oregon, USA) and a nearby relict channel. EMMA identified six EMs representing deposition in fluvial, lacustrine, littoral, and colluvial environments. Stratigraphy was time-correlated using nine radiocarbon dates.Results show that Rimrock Lake existed by ~ 18,535 cal a BP. A relict playa surface also was exposed along its margin and indicates lake contraction ~ 6,190 - 5,990 cal a BP. In the relict channel, a dominant eolian environment is identified at ~ 8,000 cal a BP. These results represent a shift to a more arid environment in the Harney Basin beginning around the mid-Holocene and are in general agreement with other studies reported in the Great Basin. This study demonstrates the application of EMMA for analyzing complex playa sediments and for linking environmental response across separate but related geomorphic environments. Our results provide a paleoenvironmental record along Harney Basin’s western margin between ~ 18,500 and 6,000 cal a BP, and demonstrates the use of small playas in the basin as environmental archives.
END-MEMBER MIXING ANALYSIS (EMMA) APPLIED TO SEDIMENT GRAIN SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS TO CHARACTERIZE FORMATIONAL PROCESSES OF THE MAIN EXCAVATION BLOCK, UNIT 2, OF THE RIMROCK DRAW ROCKSHELTER (35HA3855), HARNEY BASIN, EASTERN OREGON (USA)
Archaeometry. doi: 10.1111/arcm.12243
End-member mixing analysis (EMMA) was conducted on the grain size distributions (GSD) of 13 sediment samples collected from the main excavation block, Unit 2, of the Rimrock Draw Rockshelter, a deeply stratified, multi-component Palaeoindian rockshelter in the Harney Ba- sin of eastern Oregon, USA. EMMA confirmed the three stratigraphic units (SU) observed in the field and identified three sedimentary end-members (EM) that account for 95.52% of Unit 2 site formation. EM 1 comprises 70.72% of the total measured grain-size variation and rep- resents fluvial deposition, correlating with the bottom stratigraphic unit, SU 3. EM 2 com- prises an additional 17.74% of the total measured grain-size variation and represents fluvially reworked aeolian deposition, correlating with the upper stratigraphic unit, SU 1. EM 3 comprises the remaining 7.06% of the total measured grain-size variation and repre- sents possibly a two-component aeolian deposition of suspension and short-term saltation, correlating with the middle unit, SU 2. The results presented demonstrate the ability of EMMA as a technique to (1) unbiasedly distinguish between the SUs identified in the field using only the measured grain size distributions, (2) provide genetically meaningful and quantitative grain-size end-members to identify multiple major major depositional processes of site forma- tion, and (3) provide a geologically meaningful interpretation of site formation that is capable of facilitating the formulation of more focused hypotheses regarding human and environment interactions at the site.
Assessing mussel shell diagenesis in the modern vadose zone at Lyon's Bluff (22OK520), Northeast Mississippi
Journal of Archaeological Science
This study considers the chemical alteration of archaeological freshwater shell above the water table at the Lyon's Bluff site (22OK520), a single-mound and village complex located in east-central Mississippi, and the changes in trace element concentrations between unfired and fired shell.
Characterizing Formation Processes of Rimrock Lake, a Late Pleistocene-Holocene playa, Harney Basin, southeastern Oregon (USA), using an End-Member Mixing Analysis
Journal of Quaternary Science
Playas collect sediments from different transported processes, producing grain-size distributions (GSD) reflecting changes in environment. End-member mixing analysis (EMMA) was used to derive end-members (EM) from 256 sediment samples from Rimrock Lake (Harney Basin, Oregon, USA) and a nearby relict channel. EMMA identified six EMs representing deposition in fluvial, lacustrine, littoral, and colluvial environments. Stratigraphy was time-correlated using nine radiocarbon dates.Results show that Rimrock Lake existed by ~ 18,535 cal a BP. A relict playa surface also was exposed along its margin and indicates lake contraction ~ 6,190 - 5,990 cal a BP. In the relict channel, a dominant eolian environment is identified at ~ 8,000 cal a BP. These results represent a shift to a more arid environment in the Harney Basin beginning around the mid-Holocene and are in general agreement with other studies reported in the Great Basin. This study demonstrates the application of EMMA for analyzing complex playa sediments and for linking environmental response across separate but related geomorphic environments. Our results provide a paleoenvironmental record along Harney Basin’s western margin between ~ 18,500 and 6,000 cal a BP, and demonstrates the use of small playas in the basin as environmental archives.
END-MEMBER MIXING ANALYSIS (EMMA) APPLIED TO SEDIMENT GRAIN SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS TO CHARACTERIZE FORMATIONAL PROCESSES OF THE MAIN EXCAVATION BLOCK, UNIT 2, OF THE RIMROCK DRAW ROCKSHELTER (35HA3855), HARNEY BASIN, EASTERN OREGON (USA)
Archaeometry. doi: 10.1111/arcm.12243
End-member mixing analysis (EMMA) was conducted on the grain size distributions (GSD) of 13 sediment samples collected from the main excavation block, Unit 2, of the Rimrock Draw Rockshelter, a deeply stratified, multi-component Palaeoindian rockshelter in the Harney Ba- sin of eastern Oregon, USA. EMMA confirmed the three stratigraphic units (SU) observed in the field and identified three sedimentary end-members (EM) that account for 95.52% of Unit 2 site formation. EM 1 comprises 70.72% of the total measured grain-size variation and rep- resents fluvial deposition, correlating with the bottom stratigraphic unit, SU 3. EM 2 com- prises an additional 17.74% of the total measured grain-size variation and represents fluvially reworked aeolian deposition, correlating with the upper stratigraphic unit, SU 1. EM 3 comprises the remaining 7.06% of the total measured grain-size variation and repre- sents possibly a two-component aeolian deposition of suspension and short-term saltation, correlating with the middle unit, SU 2. The results presented demonstrate the ability of EMMA as a technique to (1) unbiasedly distinguish between the SUs identified in the field using only the measured grain size distributions, (2) provide genetically meaningful and quantitative grain-size end-members to identify multiple major major depositional processes of site forma- tion, and (3) provide a geologically meaningful interpretation of site formation that is capable of facilitating the formulation of more focused hypotheses regarding human and environment interactions at the site.
Wet Dust Deposition across Texas during the 2012 Drought: An Overlooked Pathway for Elemental Flux to Ecosystems
Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres.
Airborne dust can alter ecosystem productivity and biogeochemical cycling by enhancing atmospheric nutrient and pollutant deposition. Wet dust deposition (dust‐in‐rain) is less frequently quantified than dry deposition but represents a potentially significant flux to ecosystems. We quantified dust‐in‐rain event frequency; dust influence on rainwater ionic and elemental composition; and wet dissolved and particulate deposition during weeks affected by dust‐in‐rain and all other weeks (background samples) at two sites across Texas (one arid, Guadalupe Mountains; one humid, Gulf coastal prairie) during the centennial‐scale 2012 drought. Although dust‐in‐rain was sporadic, a clear dust signature was evident in rainwater. Compared to background samples, crustal species (Fe, K) were more prevalent than anthropogenic species (Cu, Zn) in dust‐in‐rain. Volume‐weighted mean rainwater concentrations of K+, Na+, and Cl‐ and of all particulate elements were also significantly greater in dust‐in‐rain than in background samples. In the Guadalupe Mountains, West Texas, dust‐in‐rain contributed nearly 50% of annual wet dissolved Na+ and Cl‐ and 22‐35% of dissolved Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, and PO43‐ deposition. In the Gulf coastal prairie, East Texas, dust‐in‐rain delivered 20%, 13%, and 9% of annual wet dissolved PO43‐, Ca2+, and K+ deposition, respectively. A major proportion of annual wet particulate deposition (>56% in Guadalupe Mountains, ~30% in Gulf coastal prairie) similarly occurred with dust‐in‐rain. Our findings show that infrequent dust‐in‐rain events constitute an important but overlooked pathway for elemental flux to ecosystems in arid source and humid receptor sites during severe drought. Quantifying these fluxes is crucial to determine dust impacts on ecosystem processes.
Assessing mussel shell diagenesis in the modern vadose zone at Lyon's Bluff (22OK520), Northeast Mississippi
Journal of Archaeological Science
This study considers the chemical alteration of archaeological freshwater shell above the water table at the Lyon's Bluff site (22OK520), a single-mound and village complex located in east-central Mississippi, and the changes in trace element concentrations between unfired and fired shell.
Characterizing Formation Processes of Rimrock Lake, a Late Pleistocene-Holocene playa, Harney Basin, southeastern Oregon (USA), using an End-Member Mixing Analysis
Journal of Quaternary Science
Playas collect sediments from different transported processes, producing grain-size distributions (GSD) reflecting changes in environment. End-member mixing analysis (EMMA) was used to derive end-members (EM) from 256 sediment samples from Rimrock Lake (Harney Basin, Oregon, USA) and a nearby relict channel. EMMA identified six EMs representing deposition in fluvial, lacustrine, littoral, and colluvial environments. Stratigraphy was time-correlated using nine radiocarbon dates.Results show that Rimrock Lake existed by ~ 18,535 cal a BP. A relict playa surface also was exposed along its margin and indicates lake contraction ~ 6,190 - 5,990 cal a BP. In the relict channel, a dominant eolian environment is identified at ~ 8,000 cal a BP. These results represent a shift to a more arid environment in the Harney Basin beginning around the mid-Holocene and are in general agreement with other studies reported in the Great Basin. This study demonstrates the application of EMMA for analyzing complex playa sediments and for linking environmental response across separate but related geomorphic environments. Our results provide a paleoenvironmental record along Harney Basin’s western margin between ~ 18,500 and 6,000 cal a BP, and demonstrates the use of small playas in the basin as environmental archives.
END-MEMBER MIXING ANALYSIS (EMMA) APPLIED TO SEDIMENT GRAIN SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS TO CHARACTERIZE FORMATIONAL PROCESSES OF THE MAIN EXCAVATION BLOCK, UNIT 2, OF THE RIMROCK DRAW ROCKSHELTER (35HA3855), HARNEY BASIN, EASTERN OREGON (USA)
Archaeometry. doi: 10.1111/arcm.12243
End-member mixing analysis (EMMA) was conducted on the grain size distributions (GSD) of 13 sediment samples collected from the main excavation block, Unit 2, of the Rimrock Draw Rockshelter, a deeply stratified, multi-component Palaeoindian rockshelter in the Harney Ba- sin of eastern Oregon, USA. EMMA confirmed the three stratigraphic units (SU) observed in the field and identified three sedimentary end-members (EM) that account for 95.52% of Unit 2 site formation. EM 1 comprises 70.72% of the total measured grain-size variation and rep- resents fluvial deposition, correlating with the bottom stratigraphic unit, SU 3. EM 2 com- prises an additional 17.74% of the total measured grain-size variation and represents fluvially reworked aeolian deposition, correlating with the upper stratigraphic unit, SU 1. EM 3 comprises the remaining 7.06% of the total measured grain-size variation and repre- sents possibly a two-component aeolian deposition of suspension and short-term saltation, correlating with the middle unit, SU 2. The results presented demonstrate the ability of EMMA as a technique to (1) unbiasedly distinguish between the SUs identified in the field using only the measured grain size distributions, (2) provide genetically meaningful and quantitative grain-size end-members to identify multiple major major depositional processes of site forma- tion, and (3) provide a geologically meaningful interpretation of site formation that is capable of facilitating the formulation of more focused hypotheses regarding human and environment interactions at the site.
Wet Dust Deposition across Texas during the 2012 Drought: An Overlooked Pathway for Elemental Flux to Ecosystems
Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres.
Airborne dust can alter ecosystem productivity and biogeochemical cycling by enhancing atmospheric nutrient and pollutant deposition. Wet dust deposition (dust‐in‐rain) is less frequently quantified than dry deposition but represents a potentially significant flux to ecosystems. We quantified dust‐in‐rain event frequency; dust influence on rainwater ionic and elemental composition; and wet dissolved and particulate deposition during weeks affected by dust‐in‐rain and all other weeks (background samples) at two sites across Texas (one arid, Guadalupe Mountains; one humid, Gulf coastal prairie) during the centennial‐scale 2012 drought. Although dust‐in‐rain was sporadic, a clear dust signature was evident in rainwater. Compared to background samples, crustal species (Fe, K) were more prevalent than anthropogenic species (Cu, Zn) in dust‐in‐rain. Volume‐weighted mean rainwater concentrations of K+, Na+, and Cl‐ and of all particulate elements were also significantly greater in dust‐in‐rain than in background samples. In the Guadalupe Mountains, West Texas, dust‐in‐rain contributed nearly 50% of annual wet dissolved Na+ and Cl‐ and 22‐35% of dissolved Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, and PO43‐ deposition. In the Gulf coastal prairie, East Texas, dust‐in‐rain delivered 20%, 13%, and 9% of annual wet dissolved PO43‐, Ca2+, and K+ deposition, respectively. A major proportion of annual wet particulate deposition (>56% in Guadalupe Mountains, ~30% in Gulf coastal prairie) similarly occurred with dust‐in‐rain. Our findings show that infrequent dust‐in‐rain events constitute an important but overlooked pathway for elemental flux to ecosystems in arid source and humid receptor sites during severe drought. Quantifying these fluxes is crucial to determine dust impacts on ecosystem processes.
Blowing dust and highway safety in the southwestern United States: Characteristics of dust emission “hotspots” and management implications
Science of the Total Environment
Despite thewidespread media attention of chain-reaction traffic incidents and property damage caused by windblown dust in the U.S. and elsewhere in theworld, very fewstudies have provided in-depth analysis on this issue. Remote sensing and field observations reveal thatwind erosion in the southwestern U.S. typically occurs in localized source areas, characterized as “hotspots”, while most of the landscape is not eroding. In this study, we identified the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of hotspots thatmay contribute dust blowing onto highways in the southwestern U.S. We further classified the hotspots for the potential of blowing dust production based upon field observations and wind erosion modeling. Results of land use and land cover show that shrubland, grassland, and cropland accounted for 42%, 31%, and 21% of the overall study area, respectively. However, of the 620 total hotspots identified, 164 (26%), 141 (22%), and 234 (38%) are located on shrubland, grassland, and cropland, respectively. Barren land represented 0.9% of the land area but 8% of the dust hotspots.While a majority of these hotspots are located close to highways,we focused on 55 of them,which are located b1 kmto adjacent highways and accessible via non-private roads. Field investigations and laboratory analysis showed that soils at these hotspot sites are dominated by sand and silt particles with threshold shear velocities ranging from 0.17–0.78 m s−1, largely depending on the land use of the hotspot sites. Dust emission modeling showed that 13 hotspot sites could produce annual emissions N3.79 kg m−2, yielding highly hazardous dust emissions to ground transportation with visibility b200m. Results of location, timing, andmagnitude of the dust production
