Mark Holland
Hello! I am a broadly trained field geologist and find all aspects of earth science fascinating. My research is focused on understanding the interplay between structural, magmatic, and sedimentary processes during deformation of the continental crust. My past and current research efforts span a wide range of geographic, temporal, and plate tectonic settings. I have worked extensively in Proterozoic orogenic belts of the southwestern U.S., where my work focused on refining regional tectonostratigraphic architecture to inform long-standing debates over progressive vs. polyphase deformation. I have also investigated the Mesoproterozoic-Cambrian intracratonic tectonic evolution of Laurentia to understand mantle plume-lithosphere interactions, and the paleotopographic evolution of epeirogenic uplifts as recorded by the sedimentary record. Further, my research encompasses the Cenozoic evolution of the North American Cordillera, where I have worked to elucidate long-term strain partitioning along the continental-scale Denali Fault strike slip system, and the role of lower crustal anatexis in the development of inverted metamorphic gradients during the collision of the Wrangellia Composite Terrane. Now, at St. Lawrence University I am keenly interested in launching regional projects in the Adirondack Mountains and the rest of the Grenville province.
My geological education began at the University of Massachusetts, when in the summer of 2011 I was lucky enough to spend seven weeks as a field assistant in remote northernmost Saskatchewan examining granulite grade Archean rocks of the East Athabasca Mylonite Zone. This formative experience led me to pursue graduate studies in structural geology and tectonics at the University of New Mexico, where I completed a M.S. and Ph.D. Before coming to SLU, I was briefly a post-doctoral researcher at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, and an assistant professor at West Texas A&M University.
When not geologizing, I spend time with my wife, son, and our pets (a dog and a cat – each perfect). I am also a drummer of some 25 years, and am gradually becoming a passable guitar player.