Dr. Howard Mooers, Professor Emeritus
Robert L. Heller Professor of Geology (Emeritus)
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Minnesota Duluth
Email: hmooers [at] d.umn.edu
Phone: 218-726-7239
About My
Research
My students and I focus our research in the broad areas of glacial geology, hydrogeology, air quality, and genesis of ore deposits. Much of my ongoing work focuses on reconstruction of large-scale flow patterns of the Laurentide Ice Sheet using dispersal of erratics and landform suites, particularly drumlins, eskers, and transverse ribbed moraine (Rogen moraine). Hydrogeology has always been of particular interest to me, particularly groundwater recharge at the regional scale. More recently, my research has focused on the reconstruction of air quality in central England during the Industrial Revolution. Weathering of lead-lettered marble gravestone provides an excellent record acid deposition. By measuring surface recession of marble gravestones in cemeteries across the Midlands of England, we can reconstruct the spatial and temporal history of acid deposition and air quality.
Another interest of mine in the genesis of ore deposits, and with the help of my colleagues Phil Larson (Hibbing Taconite Company) and George Hudak (Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), University of Minnesota Duluth) we have explored the genesis of Neoarchean, Algoma-type iron formation in the Vermilion District. Our work in the Vermilion District of northern Minnesota also involves the genesis of peperite, rock formed essentially in situ by disintegration of magma intruding and mingling with unconsolidated or poorly consolidated, typically wet sediments.
Recent
Publications
Budde, N.R., Mooers, H.D.,
Cowdery, T.K., and Wattrus, N.J., (2022),
Long-Term Hydrologic Sustainability of Calcareous Fens along the Glacial Lake
Agassiz Beach Ridges, northwestern Minnesota, USA. Wetlands, 42.4,
1-17, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-022-01544-8.
Pfannkuch, H-O., Mooers, H.D.,
Siegel, D.I., Quinn, J.J., Rosenberry, D.O., and Alexander,
Scott C., (2021) “Jacob’s Zoo”: How Using Jacob’s Method for Aquifer Testing
Leads to More Intuitive Understanding of Aquifer Characteristics. Hydrogeology Journal, 29(6), 2001-2015.,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-021-02363-7.
Mooers, H.D., Moen, R.,
Pastor, J. (Submitted). Mastodons and the Late Glacial
vegetation of eastern North America. Quaternary
Research.
Mooers, H.D., Larson, P.C., Berthold, A.J., Kotrapu, K.M., Meyer, M.S., Kryzer, R. (Submitted) Cyclic evolution of the basal
boundary condition of the Laurentide Ice Sheet inferred from sediments and
landforms. Quaternary Science Reviews.
Mooers, H.D.; Burley, P.D. (2020). Revisiting the Megalithic Yard.
University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy.
Mooers, H.D., Jones, K.A., and van Scoy,
M.S. (2020) Duct Tape Occlusion
Therapy in the Treatment of Plantar Warts. University of Minnesota Digital
Conservancy.
Mooers, H.D. and Massman, W.J.,
(2017). Gravestone
decay and the determination of deciduous bulk canopy resistance to acid
deposition. Science of the Total
Environment, 578, pp. 551-556.
Mooers, H.D.,
Carlson, M.J., Harrison, R.M.,
Inkpen, R.J. and Loeffler,
S., (2017). Correlation
of gravestone decay and air quality 1960–2010, Atmospheric Environment, 152, pp.156-171.
Inkpen, R., Mooers, H.D.
and Carlson, M.J., (2016). Using
rates of gravestone decay to reconstruct atmospheric sulphur
dioxide levels. Area, 49(2), pp.174-184.,
Mooers, H.D., Cota-Guertin, A.R.,
Regal, R.R., Sames, T.R., Dekan, A.J., and Henlels, L.M., (2016). A
120-year Record of the spatial and temporal distribution of acid deposition,
West Midlands, England, United Kingdom, Atmospheric
Environment (127), February 2016, 139–154.
Mooers, H.D., Wiethoff, W.S.,
and Evich, A., (2016). Monitoring
the Continuing Spectral Evolution of Nova Delphini
2013 (V339 Del) with Low Resolution Spectroscopy,
Journal of the American Association of
Variable Star Observers, v. 44, no.
Mooers, H.D. and Wiethoff, W.S.,
(2014). 125-Day
Spectral Record of the Bright Nova 2013 Delphini (V339 Del), Journal
of the American Association of Variable Star Observers. Vol. 42, 161-165,.
Larson, P.C., Knaeble, A., Mooers,
H.D., and Marlow, L.M.,
(2014). The St. Louis Sublobe and Glacial Lake Upham, Fieldtrip
guidebook for the 60th annual meeting of the Institute on lake
Superior geology.
Mooers, H.D. and Bandli, B., (2013). Lutefisk: Secrets of the taste,
texture, and aroma revealed by scanning electron microscopy, Journal of Irreproducible Results, v. 52,
no. 2.
Recent
Graduate Theses
Arends, Heather E.
(2023). Ice dynamics and the origin of sedimentary variability in till, Des
Moines lobe, Minnesota, USA. MS Project, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Wood, Christa
(2023). Geochemistry and clay mineralogy of saprolite in NE Minnesota: Age and
implications for Pleistocene glacial erosion. MS Thesis, University of
Minnesota Duluth.
Burley, Paul
(2023). Geomorphological and Archaeoastronomical Analysis of a Neolithic
Landscape, Cranborne Chase, Southern Britain. PhD Thesis, University of
Minnesota Twin Cities.
Upton, Margaret
(2023). Alteration Geochemistry and 3D Modeling of the Back Forty Volcanogenic
Massive Sulfide (VMS) Deposit, Stephenson, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA. MS
Project, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Hinkemeyer,
Audray (2023). Characterizing provenance of the Late Wisconsinan Rainy
Lobe Using Fine-fraction Geochemistry and Detrital Zircon Geochronology. MS
Thesis, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Tovar Rodriguez,
David F. (2020). A
Possible Late Pleistocene Impact Crater in Central North America and its
Relation to the Younger Dryas Stadial. MS Project, University of Minnesota
Duluth.
Mattko, Matthew (2020). Ore Liberation and
Characterization Using Electric Pulse Disaggregation and Other Novel Techniques.
MS Thesis, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Budde, Nicholas
(2020). Hydrology of
Calcareous Fens within the Lake Agassiz Beach Ridge Complex, Northwestern MN.
MS Thesis, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Drazan, Jacqueline
L. (2019). A Genetic Model of
Pillowed Dike and Peperite Formation Interpreted From Pleistocene and Archean
Volcanogenic Sequences. MS Thesis, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Shull, Carolyn
(2019). A tunnel speleothem based
stable-isotope record of Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation forcing of
precipitation in the Midlands, United Kingdom, MS Thesis, University of
Minnesota Duluth.
Kotrapu, Kristi, M.
(2018). Estimating the Sliding
Velocity of the Rainy Lobe Using Intermediate Clast Size in Lodgement Tills.
MS Thesis, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Carlson, Michael
(2017). A method for correlation
of gravestone weathering and air quality (SO2), West Midlands, UK,
MS Thesis, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Burley, Paul D.
(2016). Myth as True History:
Medicine Wheels and Landmarks as Boundary Markers of the Lakota World, MS
Thesis, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Broderius, Lisa (2015). The Mid-Holocene record
of lake level fluctuations and episodic eolian activity, Lake Winnibigoshish,
North Central Minnesota, MS Thesis, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Thompson, Adam
(2015). A Hydrothermal Model for Metasomatism of Neoarchean Algoma-Type Banded Iron
Formation to Massive Hematite Ore at the Soudan Mine, NE Minnesota., MS
Thesis, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Berthold, Angela
(2015). Surface boulder
concentrations of the Late Wisconsinan Rainy lobe, Minnesota, USA, MS
Thesis, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Cota-Guertin, Avery (2012). Statistical analysis of the spatial
and temporal distribution of acid deposition in the West Midlands, England,
United Kingdom. MS Thesis,
University of Minnesota Duluth.
Recent
Undergraduate Research Projects
Identification of
Karst Features in the Portsdown Chalk Fm. from Aerial Photography, Dorset, UK.
Morena Hammer.
Trends in lilac
bloom dates across England, 1880-2015: Climate, elevation, and environmental
effects. Nathan Koski.
Slope morphology of
Icelandic fuglaþúfur, Iceland, Brittany Hoover.
Dimensional structure
and origin of Rögen Moraine NE Minnesota, Robert Kryzer.
A Mathematical
Framework for Biological Evolution based on Entropy, Haitao
Shang.
Age and morphology
of Neoglacial moraines, Skaftafellsjokull,
Iceland, Cara Leitheiser.
Flow Patterns of
the Laurentide Ice Sheet and Dispersal of Erratics, Grace Johnson.
Tombstone Corrosion
and the Peppered Moth: Impacts of Acid Rain in England's Black Country, Amanda Putz.
Industrial
Revolution, acid rain, and the increase in carbonate weathering rates near Birmingham,
England: Part 1, Point-source emissions
and proximal weathering rates, Amanda Putz.
Industrial
Revolution, acid rain, and the increase in carbonate weathering rates near
Birmingham, England: Part 2, Prevailing
winds and baseline weathering rates, Jaclyn Berger.
Glacial landforms
and recent retreat of Lewis Glacier, South Sister Mountain, Oregon, David Demmer.
Evaluation of the
effect of culverts on stream channel morphology, Superior National Forest, Josh
Dark.
Processes and rates
of comminution in the basal debris layer of ice sheets, Undergraduate Research
Opportunities Program, University of Minnesota, Keri
Hager.
Spatial and
temporal variation in evapotranspiration from boreal ecosystem wetlands,
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, University of Minnesota, Danial Allison.
Direct measurement
of evapotranspiration from boreal ecosystem wetlands using a portable ET
chamber, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, University of Minnesota,
Ryan Peterson.
On the timing of
sand dune formation in Minnesota, independent research project, Eric Liestman.
Estimation of the
spatial distribution of recharge over complex glacial sedimentary settings,
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, University of Minnesota, P.M.
Schulte.