PHILLIP ARTHUR ARMSTRONG

Associate Professor

Department of Geological Sciences

California State University, Fullerton

(657) 278-3169

E-mail: parmstrong@fullerton.edu

 

EDUCATION:

1996         University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.  Ph.D. in Geophysics. 

1991         University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.  M.S. in Geology. 

1987         University of California, Santa Barbara.  B.A. in Geology.

AWARDS

·         Outstanding Untenured Professor, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, 2003

·         Outstanding Student Advisor Award, Cal State Fullerton, 2001.

·         Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award, Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 1999.

·         Faculty Teaching Award, Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 1997.

·         Outstanding Ph.D. student, Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 1996.

·         Geophysics scholarship, University of Utah, 1990-91.

·         Graduate Research Fellowship, University of Utah, 1988-1990.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

2005         Associate Professor, Dept. of Geological Science, Cal State Fullerton.

1999-05     Assistant Professor, Dept. of Geological Science, Cal State Fullerton.  Taught a variety of courses at all levels, including Physical Geology Lab; Geology of National Parks; Geologic Field Methods, Summer Field Geology; Applied Geophysics. 

1993-99     Instructor, Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah.  Taught Summer Field Geology; Global Change: Past, Present, and Future; Structural Geology; Earthquakes and Volcanoes; Field Methods; Physical Fields; Global Geophysics.

1987-91     Teaching Assistant, University of Utah.  Organized and instructed laboratories and

                discussions in various Earth science courses.

 

GRANTS

·         California State University Junior Faculty Research Award (2005), “Uplift and exhumation of southern Joshua Tree National Park: Concentrated deformation along the San Andreas fault”, $5000

·         California State University Junior Faculty Research Award (2004), “Uplift and exhumation of the southern Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska: Relations to flat-slab subduction”, $5000

·         National Science Foundation (2004) “Acquisition of gravity surveying equipment for tectonic and applied geology studies”, $99,000.

·         Petroleum Research Fund (2002), “Low-temperature thermochronology of the eastern Los Angeles basin: Basin inversion and detrital source region exhumation”, $35,000.

·         California State University Junior Faculty Research Award (2002), “Past uplift of the Puente and San Jose Hills in the Los Angeles basin: A fission-track study”, $3500

·         Undergraduate Support Initiative (2001), Faculty-Student Research/Creative Activity Grants, Cal State Fullerton Faculty Development Center: “Geology of the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve”, $800 to support research for two undergraduates on this Nature Conservancy Property.

·         Undergraduate Support Initiative (2001), Faculty-Student Research/Creative Activity Grants, Cal State Fullerton Faculty Development Center: “Gravity modeling of the Pinto Mountain Fault, Morongo Valley”, $800 to support one undergraduate.

·         State Special Fund Mini-grant (2001), “Terrace dating in northern Baja California: Dates of past earthquake events?”, $4624.

·         Vice President of Academic Affairs Governor’s Funds for Faculty Development (2001): Travel Funds, $820.

·         College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Dean’s support of untenured faculty (2001): Travel, research in northern Baja, and partial summer salary, $4892.

·         Undergraduate Support Initiative (2000), Faculty-Student Research/Creative Activity Grants, Cal State Fullerton Faculty Development Center: “Terrace Deposits of Southern Sierra El Mayor, Northern Baja California, Mexico: Evidence of Past Earthquake Uplift?”, $1000 to support one undergraduate.

·         State Special Fund Mini-grant (1999), “Rise of the Colorado Plateau: Deducing the Timing and Rate of Uplift using Fission Track Analysis and Helium Dating”, $4950.

·         Cal State Fullerton Faculty Development Center Untenured Faculty Support Grant (1999): $1000 + teaching release time.

·         National Science Foundation (1998), Tectonics Division: “Integrating thermal modeling and thermochronometry to study exhumation in mountain belts”. Funded for 2 years + one year extension, $170,000 (co-PI with David Chapman). Sub-contract to Cal State Fullerton, (2000), $54,000.

·         University Research Council (1997), University of Utah, “Mountain building: Understanding exhumation of the Wasatch Mountains by linking fission track analysis and thermal modeling”, $5972.

·         Co-wrote two funded Petroleum Research Fund proposals on the relationships between Temperature, time, tectonics in Taranaki Basin, New Zealand:

                    $47,636 (1993); $43,000 (1991)

·         Student Research grants from GSA (1988), AAPG (1988), Sigma Xi (1988), Mobil Oil (1988).

ASSOCIATIONS

·         National Association of Geoscience Teachers.

·         American Geophysical Union.

·         Geological Society of America.

·         National Science Teachers Association

·         American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

 

 

WORKSHOPS/COURSES/FIELD TRIPS (selected)

 

2003/2004     Symposium on “How learners learn and how teachers teach”. Cal State Fullerton

 

2002/03 Workshops on WebCT and Blackboard (web teaching systems). Cal State Fullerton.

 

2001             Workshop retreat on scholarship of teaching and learning.  College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Cal State Fullerton.

 

2001             Participation in South Coast Geologic Society Annual Field Trip. Owens Valley, California

 

2001             Workshop initiative to develop Information Competency.  Cal State Fullerton.

 

2001             Workshop on Creating Active Learning Classrooms. Cal State Fullerton.

 

2001             Participation in National Association of Geoscience Teachers Far Western Section Spring Field Conference.  Pomona College.

 

2000             Participation in National Association of Geoscience Teachers Far Western Section Spring Field Conference.  Cal State Northridge.

 

 

 

RESEARCH AND WORK EXPERIENCE:

Present        Research at Cal State Fullerton involves thermochronology applications to exhumation studies of Mountain belts and other eroded terrains and landform analysis in northern Baja.

1991-99        Research Scientist and course instructor (see above), University of Utah.  Geophysical, tectonic, exhumation, and thermal research combined with computer modeling.

 

1991 &         Geologist, Mobil Exploration and Production, U.S.  Worked on two

1989            projects in Nevada that involved field work and structural interpretation to assess the oil potential in specific areas of the Great Basin.

 

1986-87        Staff Geologist, Crouch, Bachman, & Assoc., Santa Barbara, CA.  Assisted in

                   seismic interpretation, cross section construction, structure contouring, well log analysis, and data reduction.

 

1984-85        Research Assistant, R.L. Stollar and Assoc., Ground Water Consultants, Santa Ana,

                   CA.  Performed microfilm and computer data base research.  Assisted in technical writing.

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Armstrong, P.A., Owen, L., A., Perez, R.A., and Finkel, R.C., in prep, Terrace age and development in the Sierra El Mayor, northern Baja: Relations to tectonics to sea level change, Quaternary International.

 

Davis, M. G., D. S. Chapman, T. M. Van Wagoner, and P. A. Armstrong, 2007, Thermal conductivity anisotropy of metasedimentary and igneous rocks, J. Geophys. Res., 112, B05216, doi:10.1029/2006JB004755.

 

Taylor, A., Armstrong, P.A., and Knott, J.R., 2006, Geomorphology And Geochronology Of The San Juan Creek Terraces: Implications For Quaternary Uplift Of The Santa Ana Mountain Foothills, Orange County, California; South Coast Geological Society 2006 Field Trip Guidebook, p. 135-156.

 

Armstrong, P.A., 2005, Thermochronometers in Sedimentary Basins (INVITED), in Thermochronology: Techniques, Interpretations, and Applications. P.W.Reiners, T.A.Ehlers (eds.). Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, 58, 499-525.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Taylor, A.R. and Ehlers, T.A., 2004, Is the Wasatch fault footwall (Utah, USA) segmented over million year time scales? Geology, 32, p. 385-388.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Ehlers, T.A., Chapman, D.S., Farley, K.A., and Kamp, P.J.J., 2003, Exhumation of the Central Wasatch Mountains, 1: Patterns and timing deduced from Low-temperature Thermochronometry data, Journal of Geophysical Research, V. 108, 2172, doi:10.1029/2001JB001708.

 

Ehlers, T.A., Willett, S.D., Armstrong, P.A., and Chapman, D.S., 2003, Exhumation of the Central Wasatch Mountains, 2: Thermo-kinematics of exhumation, erosion, and thermochronometer interpretation, Journal of Geophysical Research, V. 108, 2173, doi:10.1029/2001JB001723

 

Ehlers, T.A., Armstrong, P.A., and Chapman, D.S., 2001, Normal fault thermal regimes and the interpretation of low-temperature thermochronometers, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interior, 126, p. 179-194.

 

Taylor, W.J., Bartley, J.M., Martin, M.W., Geissman, J., Walker, J.D., Armstrong, P.A., and Fryxell, J.E., 2001, Regional correlations of Mesozoic thrusts in central Nevada and implications for the Sevier Orogeny, Tectonics, 19, p. 1124-1143.

 

Armstrong, P.A. and Chapman, D.S., (invited), 1999, Combining tectonic and temperature evolution in Taranaki Basin, New Zealand, Forster, A. and Merriam, D. (eds.), Geothermics in Basin Analysis, Plenum Press, p. 151-176.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Allis, R.G., Funnell, R.H., and Chapman, D.S., 1998, Late Neogene Exhumation of the Taranaki Basin (New Zealand): evidence from offset porosity-depth trends, J. Geophys. Res., 103, p. 30,269-30,282.

 

Armstrong, P.A. and Chapman, D.S., 1998, Beyond surface heat flow: An example from a tectonically active sedimentary basin, Geology, 26, p. 183-186.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Kamp, P.J., Allis, R.G., and Chapman, D.S., 1997, Timing of the heat flow high on the Taranaki Peninsula (New Zealand): evidence from combined apatite fission track age and vitrinite reflectance data, Basin Research., 9, 151-169

 

Funnell, R.H., Allis, R.G., Chapman, D.S., and Armstrong, P.A., 1996, Thermal regime of the Taranaki basin, New Zealand, J. Geophys. Res.,101, 25,197-25,215.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Chapman, D.S., Funnell, R.H., Allis, R.G., and Kamp, P.J.J., 1996, Thermal modelling and hydrocarbon generation in an active margin basin: the Taranaki basin, New Zealand, AAPG Bull., 80, 1216-1241.

 

Armstrong, P.A., 1996, Thermal history of the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand. Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. of Utah, 245 p.

 

Allis, R.G., Armstrong, P.A., and Funnell, R.H., 1995, Implications of high heat flow anomaly around New Plymouth, New Zealand J. Geol. Geophys., 38, 121-130.

 

Taylor, W.J., Dobbs, S.W., Nelson, S.L., and Armstrong, P.A., 1994, Generation of four-way closure through multiple tectonic events: Structures of the Timpahute Range, Central Nevada, Nevada Petroleum Society 1994 Conference Volume II, Book 1, 141-156.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Chapman, D.S., Funnell, R.H., Allis, R.G., and Kamp, P.J.J., 1994, Thermal state, thermal modelling and hydrocarbon generation in the Taranaki basin, New Zealand, in Ministry of Commerce (1994), 1994 New Zealand Petroleum Conference Proceedings, 289-307.

 

Armstrong, P. A. and Bartley, J. M., 1993, Displacement and deformation associated with a lateral thrust termination, southern Golden Gate Range, southern Nevada, U.S.A.  J. Struct. Geol., 15, 721-735.

 

Armstrong, P. A., 1991, Displacement and deformation associated with lateral thrust propagation: an example from the Golden Gate Range, southern Nevada.  M. S. thesis, Univ. of Utah: 162 p.

 

 

Abstracts (students in bold)

 

Arkle, J.C. and Armstrong, P.A., 2007, Quaternary exhumation of the Verdugo Mountains, Los Angeles Basin, constrained by low-temperature thermochronometry, GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 39, No. 6, p. 83.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Haeussler, P.J., Arkle, J.C., 2007, Rapid Quaternary exhumation of the Eastern Alaska Range, GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 39, No. 4, p. 71.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Owen, L., Perez, P. and Finkel, R., 2006, Quaternary terrace development in the northern gulf extensional province of Baja: Insights from combined burial and exposure ages, GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 38, No. 5.

 

Hoffman, M. and Armstrong, P.A., 2006, Miocene exhumation of the southern Talkeetna Mountains, south central Alaska, based on apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronology, GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 38, No. 5

 

Surko, T., Armstrong, P.A., and Laton, W.R., 2006, Gravity Survey of the Lucerne Valley Groundwater Basin, Mojave Desert, Southern California: implications for basin geometry and structure: National Ground Water Association, 2006 Ground Water Summit Program and Abstracts, April 22-27.

 

Irwin, C. and Armstrong, P.A., 2005, Burial and exhumation history of the eastern Los Angeles basin from apatite fission-track thermochronology, GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 37, No. 7.

 

Surko, T., Armstrong, P.A., and Laton, W.R., 2005, Gravity Analysis of the Lucerne Valley Groundwater Basin, Mojave Desert, Southern California: implications for basin geometry and structure: National Ground Water Association, 2005 Ground Water Summit Program and Abstracts, April 17-20.

 

Taylor, A.R., Armstrong, P.A., and Knott, J., 2005, Tectonic geomorphic evaluation of San Juan Creek terraces, Orange County, California: placing timing and rate constraints on Quaternary uplift of the Santa Ana Mountain foothills, GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 37, No. 7.

 

Hoppe, D.L., Morrison, K.L., and Armstrong, P.A., 2005, Burial and exhumation history of the San Juan Canyon and Silverado Canyon areas of the northern Santa Ana Mountains, southern California: evidence from apatite fission-track Thermochronology, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 37, No. 4, p. 86

 

Armstrong, P.A., 2004, Analysis of normal fault segmentation using low-temperature thermochronometry: An example from the Wasatch fault (Utah, USA). 10^th International Fission-Track Dating and Thermochronology Conference, Amsterdam.

 

Armstrong, P.A., 2003, Exhumation of the Wasatch mountain front and implications for Wasatch fault and footwall segmentation, Geological Society of America National Meeting, Seattle,  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 35 (no.6), p. 581.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Owen, L., A., Shinnefield, A., Finkel, R.C., and Perez, R.A., 2003, Terrace age and development on the eastern Sierra El Mayor, northern Baja: Combined influence of tectonics, sea level change, and river incision, Geological Society of America Cordilleran Section Meeting, Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 35 (no.4), p. 20.

 

Perez, R.A. and Armstrong, P.A., 2003, Geomorphology of terraces developed on the eastern flank of the Sierra El Mayor, northern Baja California, Mexico, Geological Society of America Cordilleran Section Meeting, Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 35 (no.4), p. 16.

 

Taylor, A., Armstrong, P.A., and Farley, K.A., 2001, Evaluation of the long-term segmentation of the Wasatch Fault footwall using (U-Th)/He Thermochronometry, EOS, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, 92, F1236.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Kamp, P.J.J., Farley, K.A., Ehlers, T.A., Chapman, D.S., and Constenius, K., 2000, Middle Miocene to Recent Unroofing of the Central Wasatch Mountains: The Transition from the Basin and Range to the Colorado Plateau, Geological Society of America National Meeting, Reno, NV. 

 

Ehlers, T., Willett, S.D., Armstrong, P., Chapman, D., 2000, Thermo-kinematics of exhumation and thermochronometer interpretation in the footwall of normal fault bounded ranges; EOS, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, v. 81, no. 46, p. F1103.

 

Reinert, E. and Armstrong, P.A., 2000, Tectonic geomorphology of the Wasatch Mountains (Utah): Indicators of spatial and temporal variations in tectonic activity, Geological Society of America Cordilleran Section Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Ehlers, T.A., Kamp, P.J.J., Farley, K.A., and Chapman, D.S., 2000, Tracking Changes in Exhumation Rates Using Low-Temperature Thermochronometry: An Example from the Wasatch Mountains, Utah (USA), in Noble, W.P., O’Sullivan, P.B., and Brown, R.W. (eds.), 9^th International Conference on Fission Track Dating and Thermochronology, Geological Society of Australia Abstract Series, 58, pp. 5-7.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Ehlers, T.A., Chapman, D.S., Farley, K.A., and Kamp, P.J.J., 1999, Exhumation of the Central Wasatch Mountains: Constraints from Low-temperature Thermochronometry (Invited), EOS, Trans. AGU, 80: p. F1034.

 

Ehlers, T.A., Armstrong, P.A., Chapman, D.S., Willett, S.D., Kohl, T., 1999, Thermal regime of active extensional mountain belts: Implications for interpreting exhumation rates from low-temperature thermochronometers, EOS, Trans. AGU, 80: p. F1034.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Ehlers, T.A., Chapman, D.S., and Kamp, P.J.J., 1999, Exhumation history of the central Wasatch Mountains (Invited), Geological Society of America, Rocky Mountain section meeting.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Ehlers, T.A., Chapman, D.S., and Kamp, P.J.J., 1998, Spatial and temporal rate variations of continental rift margin uplift and exhumation: the Wasatch Mountains, Utah (USA), International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics Meeting, Birmingham, England.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Chapman, D.S., and Allis, R.G., 1997, Evidence of recent and shallow crustal intrusion under Taranaki Peninsula, New Zealand, EOS, Trans. AGU, 78: p. F639.

 

Allis, R.G., Armstrong, P.A., Funnell, R.H., and Chapman, D.S., 1997, Exhumation of continental crust deduced from offset porosity-depth trends, EOS, Trans. AGU, 78: p. F640.

 

Ehlers, T.A., Chapman, D.S., and Armstrong, P.A., 1997, Normal fault thermal regimes: Are 2-D models necessary for apatite fission track interpretations, EOS, Trans. AGU, 78: p. F655-656.

 

Van Wagoner, T., Armstrong, P.A., and Chapman, D.S., 1997, Thermal conductivity anisotropy of laminated sedimentary rocks, EOS, Trans. AGU, 78: p. F677.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Kamp, P.J., Allis, R.G., and Chapman, D.S., 1995, Timing of the heat flow high on the Taranaki Peninsula: evidence from combined apatite fission track age and vitrinite reflectance data, EOS, Trans. AGU, 76: F638.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Chapman, D.S., Funnell, R.H., Allis, R.G., 1995, Thermal state of the Taranaki sedimentary basin: Beyond surface heat flow, Abstracts of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, XXI General Assembly, Boulder, CO.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Chapman, D.S., Allis, R.G., Funnell, R.F., and Kamp, P.J.J., 1994, Geodynamic effects deduced from thermal modelling of active-margin basins: an example from the Taranaki basin, New Zealand, EOS, Trans. AGU, 75: 670.

 

Armstrong, P.A., Chapman, D.S., Funnell, R.H., Allis, R.G., and Kamp, P.J.J., 1994, Thermal modelling and hydrocarbon generation in an active margin basin: the Taranaki basin, New Zealand, AAPG Bull., 1994 AAPG Annual Convention Official Program, 3, 95.

 

Funnell, R.H., Allis, R.G., Chapman, D.S., Armstrong, P.A., and Kamp, P., 1994, Thermal state of the Taranaki basin, New Zealand, Abstracts of the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior, 27th General Assembly, Wellington, New Zealand

 

Allis, R.G., Armstrong, P.A., and Funnell, R.H., and Chapman, D.S., 1994, Compaction trends in New Zealand's sedimentary basins, and their implications for late Neogene uplift and erosion,  Abstracts of the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior, 27th General Assembly, Wellington, New Zealand

 

Armstrong, P. A. , Chapman, D. S., Funnell, R. H., and Allis, R. G., 1993,  Thermal modelling of the Taranaki basin: Effects of rifting, drifting, and subduction.  EOS, Trans. AGU, 74: 294.

 

Chapman, D. S., Armstrong, P. A., Funnell, R. H., and Allis, R. G., 1993,  Use of sedimentary basins to determine thermal state of active margins: Present day heat flow in the Taranaki basin, New Zealand.  EOS, Trans. AGU, 74: 294.

 

Armstrong, P. A. and Bartley, J. M., 1992, Stepwise propagation of the Golden Gate thrust, southern Nevada, GSA National Meeting Abs. Prog., 24: 159

 

Armstrong, P. A. and Chapman, D. S., 1990, Can counterclockwise P-T-t  paths in regional granulite terranes be produced by sill intrusion and underplating? EOS, Trans. AGU, 71: 1618.

 

Armstrong, P. A. and Bartley, J. M., 1989, Tear faulting at the lateral tip of a thrust, southern Golden Gate Range, Nevada, GSA Abs. Prog., 21: 51