CSUF Geology

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Brandon Browne
Associate Professor
Department of Geological Sciences
California State University, Fullerton
800 North State College Blvd.
Fullerton, CA 92834-6850

Contact me:
Email: bbrowne “at” fullerton “dot” edu
Tel: +1 (657) 278-3054

 



 


Research
Interest: Volcanology and Igneous petrology
My research looks at understanding magma reservoir processes and volcanic eruption styles as recorded by mineral compositions and textures as well as the field relationships of the resulting deposits. Current projects are focused on volcanoes in Alaska and in California’s southern and eastern Sierra Nevada.
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 Education

MS, Geology (2001); PhD, Geology (2005)
University of Alaska Fairbanks

BS, Geology (1998); BS, Environmental Science (1998)
Oregon State University

Classes that I teach:

GEOL 101, Physical Geology
GEOL 101L, Physical Geology Laboratory
GEOL 303A, Earth Materials (formerly “Mineralogy”)
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GEOL 303B, Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
GEOL 310T, Geologic Hazards of California
GEOL 380, Geologic Field Techniques
GEOL 404, Optical Mineralogy and Petrography (BS/MS split)
GEOL 408, Volcanology (BS/MS split)
GEOL 481A, Summer Geology Field Camp (5 week field course, Dillon MT)
GEOL 506T, Advanced Topics in Geochemistry (MS)
GEOL 510T, Advanced Topics in Igneous Petrogenesis (MS)
GEOL 590, Geology Seminar & Presentation Techniques (MS)

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Volcanology field trip to Mono Lake and Long Valley, SP10.

Graduate Student Theses (MS):

COMPLETED

A Petrological Investigation of Mafic Inputs into the Augustine Volcano (Alaska) Magma System Over the Past 2,200 Years - Awarded Outstanding Student Paper at 2008 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (Arron Steiner, MS Geology, 2009)

A Model Eruption: Using FLOWGO to Predict the Geospatial Extent of an Effusive Lava Flow in the Mammoth Mountain Resort Area and Discussion of Ensuing Environmental and Economic Impacts (John Velarde, MS Environmental Studies, 2010)

Petrography and Thermobarometry of Magma Erupted from Earthquake Dome, Eastern California (Michael Van Ry, 2011)

IN PROGRESS

Petrology and Mineral Inventory of Basaltic Inclusions from the 2006 Eruption of Augustine Volcano, Alaska (Michelle Vitale, expected May 2012)

A Comparative Study of the 370 yr BP West Island and 1883 AD Burr Point Pyroclastic Deposits, Augustine Volcano, Alaska (Carolyn Rath, expected May 2012)

 

Undergraduate Student Theses (BS):

COMPLETED

Magma Ascent Rates at Mammoth Mountain, California - Awarded Best Student Poster at Southern California Academy of Sciences Conference (Christa Wolfe, 2007)

Time Scales of Eruption Trigger Events at Mammoth Mountain, California (Christopher Terpolilli, 2007)

Petrography and Field Geology of Monache Dome, eastern Sierra Nevada, CA (Allen Martin, 2008)

Petrography and Field Geology of Little Whitney Cone, Golden Trout Wilderness, California (Frank Wille, 2008)

Petrography and Field Geology of Groundhog Cone, Golden Trout Wilderness, South-Central Sierra Nevada, CA (Phil Saleen, 2008)

Petrography of Eruptive Products From Red Cones Volcanoes, Eastern California (Antonio Martos, 2008)

Contrasting Basaltic Eruption Styles at Red Cones Volcanoes, California (Michael Louros, 2008)

Quantifying the Textural Characteristics of Hornblende Reaction Rims as a Means of Understanding the Style and Rate of Magma Ascent During Dome Forming Volcanic Eruptions (Mark Robson, 2008)

Major Element Fingerprinting of Lake Manix Tephra – Origins in the Southern Sierra Nevada? (Chrysta Wells, 2009)

Textural Evolution of Plagioclase Microlites Across Pahoehoe-A’a Lava Flow Transitions (Michael Matranga, 2010)

Pre-Eruptive Magmatic Temperature of Long Canyon Dome Rhyolite Based on Ti-in-Zircon Thermometry, Sierra Nevada (Benjamin Lewis, 2010)

Field Geology of the Long Canyon Dome Rhyolite, Sierra Nevada (David Van Sickle, 2011)

Clinopyroxene Geothermobarometry of Quaternary basalt erupted from Little Whitney Cone, Sierra Nevada (Colin Campbell, 2011)

Evidence for Glaciovolcanism at Long Canyon Dome, Sierra Nevada, California (John Hennessy, 2011)

Magma Mixing Recorded in Amphibole Compositions in Low-Silica Andesite and Basaltic Enclaves from the 2006 Eruption of Augustine Volcano, Alaska (Ashley Melendez, 2011)

 

IN-PROGRESS

Mineralogy of Michoacán (Mexico) Cinder Cones (Gilberto Roman)

Volatile Budget of Basaltic Involved in 2006 Eruption of Augustine Volcano (Alaska) Recorded by Plagioclase-Hosted Melt Inclusions (Laurel Morrow)

Petrography of Quaternary Lava Flows Erupted from Flank Vents of Mammoth Mountain: Insights into Potential Volcanic Hazards Associated with Future Effusive Eruptions (Blair Davidson)

Stratigraphy of ~90ka Rhyolite Pumice Fall Deposit from Mammoth Mountain’s (Only?) Plinian Eruption (Zackary Newman)

Pyroclastic Stratigraphy of the ~680 yr BP Panum Crater Surge Deposit (Zackary Haygood)

Sulfide Mineralization of the Bird Spring Formation in Contact with the Slaughterhouse Fault, New York Mountains, Mojave Preserve (Taylor Kennedy)



Publications (student author):

Vitale, M., Browne, B.L., The Basalt Trigger to the 2006 Eruption of Augustine Volcano, Alaska (In Preparation)

Browne, B.L., Vazquez, J., The 185ka Eruption of Long Canyon Dome: Evidence for Glaciovolcanism in the Southern Sierra Nevada (In Preparation)  

Browne, B.L., Campbell, C., Eruption Styles and Insights into Pre-Eruptive Storage Conditions of Magma Erupted from Quaternary Scoria Cones of the Golden Trout Volcanic Field (In Preparation)

Steiner, A., Browne, B.L., Nye, C. (2011) Quenched Mafic Inclusions in ≤2,200 yrs B.P. deposits at Augustine Volcano, Alaska, International Geology Review DOI:10.1080/00206814.2011.636641 link

Van Ry, M., Browne, B.L. (2011) Petrology and Geobarometry of Magma Erupted from Earthquake Dome, Eastern California. South Coast Geological Society Field Guide, No. 36

Velarde, J., Browne, B.L. (2011) Using FLOWGO to Predict the Geospatial Extent of Lava Flows Erupted From Near Mammoth Mountain. South Coast Geological Society Field Guide, No. 36

Browne, B.L., Bursik, M., Deming, J., Louros, M., Martos, A., and Stine, S., (2010) Eruption Chronology and Petrologic Reconstruction of the Holocene-aged Eruption of Red Cones, Southern Inyo Chain, California. Geological Society of America Bulletin 122, p. 1401 link

Browne, B.L., P. Izbekov, J. Eichelberger, T. Churikova, (2010) Constraints on the Pre-Eruptive Storage Conditions of the Holocene-Aged KZI Dacite Magma Erupted from Kizimen Volcano, Kamchatka. International Geology Review 52, issue 12, p. 95-110 link

Coombs, M.L., McGimsey, R.G., and Browne, B.L. (2008) Preliminary volcano-hazard assessment for the Tanaga Volcanic Cluster, Tanaga Island, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5159, 36 p.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2008/5159/

Browne, B.L., J.E. Gardner (2006) The Influence of Magma Ascent Path on the Texture, Mineralogy, and Formation of Hornblende Reaction Rims. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 246, 161-176 link

Browne, B.L., J. Eichelberger, L.C. Patino, T.A. Vogel, K. Uto, H. Hoshizumi (2006) Magma mingling as indicated by texture and geochemistry of plagioclase phenocrysts from Unzen volcano, SW Japan. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 154, p. 103-116 link

Eichelberger, J.C., Izbekov, P., and Browne, B.L. (2006) Bulk chemical trends at arc volcanoes are not liquid lines of descent. Lithos v. 87, p. 135-154 link

Browne, B.L., J. Eichelberger, L.C. Patino, T.A. Vogel, J. Dehn, K. Uto, H. Hoshizumi (2006) Generation of porphyritic and equigranular enclaves during magma mingling at Unzen volcano, SW Japan. Journal of Petrology 47, p. 301-328 link

Browne, B.L., J.E. Gardner (2005) The transport and deposition of pyroclastic material from the ~1000 A.D. caldera-forming eruption of Volcán Ceboruco, Nayarit, Mexico. Bulletin of Volcanology 67, p. 469-489 link

Browne, B.L., J. E. Gardner (2004) The nature and timing of caldera collapse as indicated by accidental lithic fragments from the ~1000 A.D. eruption of Volcán Ceboruco, Mexico. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 130, p. 93- 105 link

 Links...

Fullerton Trail Runners

Fullerton Trails

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Fullerton Observer Newspaper

Titans

CSUF Titan Baseball

I.A.V.C.E.I.

International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior IAVCEI

Long Valley Observatory

The Long Valley Observatory

A.V.O. Logo

The Alaska Volcano Observatory

How Volcanoes Work

 

How Volcanoes Work (A great educational resource developed by Dr. Vic Camp at San Diego State University)

 

National Museum of Natural History Home Page

 

Smithsonian Institute – Global Volcanism Program

K.C.R.W. Radio

KCRW radio

Mammoth Mountain

Mammoth Mountain

Pacific Crest Trail

The Pacific Crest Trail Association

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Official Josh Ritter Website

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Erik Klemetti’s “Eruptions” blog