Tony Maria at Mexico's Popocatépetl Volcano in January 2004.

 

Tony Maria

Although my degree is in geological oceanography, I have wide-ranging interests in physical and geochemical processes associated with volcanism in both the marine and terrestrial environments. As a new faculty member at the University of Southern Indiana, I am working hard to develop new curricular materials for classes in physical geology, igneous and metamorphic petrology, and volcanology, and to establish an active research program.

I was recently a research fellow at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History where I worked to characterize the pre-eruptive volatile conditions associated with Quaternary lamprophyres from western Mexico through analysis of melt inclusions trapped within olivine crystals. Determination of possibly pristine volatile contents within the trapped melt inclusions will contribute to our understanding of the subduction derived fluid flux and its influence on volcanism. I presented preliminary results from this work at the 2004 GSA Penrose meeting held at Metepec, Mexico. Prior to this, I was engaged in post-doctoral work at the University of Rhode Island concerning quantitative shape analysis of volcanic particles. I am convinced that morphological analysis of volcanic particles can be helpful in understanding processes of magma fragmentation and volcaniclastic transport/deposition, and may become a valuable tool for hazard assessments of volcanic areas.

Education:

• Ph.D.: Geological Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography; major advisor: Dr. Steven Carey, 2000
• M.S.: Geology, University of Rhode Island; major advisor: Dr. O. Don Hermes, 1990
• B.A.: Geology, Dartmouth College, 1984

Research Interests:

• Petrology and geochemistry of magmas, with particular interest in melt inclusion analysis to constrain the roles of volatiles in various volcanic environments.
• Origins of explosive volcanism; generation and deposition of volcaniclastic deposits.
• Quantitative shape analysis and application to volcanic particles.

Publications:

Maria, A., and Carey, S., 2002, Using fractal analysis to quantitatively characterize the shapes of volcanic particles: Journal of Geophysical Research, 107(B11), 2283, doi: 10.1029/2001JB000822.

Maria, A., and Hermes, O.D., 2001, Volcanic rocks in the Narragansett Basin, southeastern New England: petrology and significance to early basin formation: American Journal of Science, 301(3), p. 286312.

Maria, A., Carey, S., Sigurdsson, H., Kincaid, C., and Helgadóttir, G., 2000, The source and dispersal of jökulhlaup sediments discharged to the sea following the 1996 Vatnajökull eruption: Geological Society of America Bulletin, 112(10), p. 15071521.

Carey, S., Maria, A., and Sigurdsson, H., 2000, Use of fractal analysis for discrimination of particles from primary and reworked jökulhlaup deposits in SE Iceland: Journal of Geothermal and Volcanologic Research, 104, p. 6580.

Carey, S., Maria, T., and Cornell, W., 1998, Processes of volcaniclastic sedimentation during the early growth stages of Gran Canaria based on sediments from Site 953: in Weaver, P.P.E., Schmincke, H.-U., Firth, J.V., and Duffield, W., eds., Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, 157, p. 183200.

Abstracts:

Maria, A., and Luhr, J., 2004 (in press), Melt inclusions in Late-Quaternary Basanites and Minettes of the Colima Rift and Mascota Volcanic Field (western Mexican Volcanic Belt), Geological Society of America Penrose Conference 2004, Neogene-Quaternary Continental Margin Volcanism, January 2004.

Maria, A., and Luhr, J., 2002, Glass inclusions and melt volatile contents in the Late-Quaternary basanites and minettes of Colima (Mexico): Eos Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 83(47), Fall Meet. Suppl., xxxx-xx.

Maria, A., and Carey, S., 2001, Fractal spectrum technique for quantitative analysis of volcanic particle shapes: Eos Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 82(47), Fall Meet. Suppl., F1377.

Maria, T.H., 1999, Significance of South Attleboro volcanics, Massachusetts: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 31(2), No. 05356.

Maria, A., Carey, S., Sigurdsson, H., Kincaid, C., 1998, The source and fate of jökulhlaup sediments discharged to the sea following the 1996 Vatnajökull eruption: Eos Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 79(17), Spring Meet. Suppl., S13.