Our research explores sedimentary processes in both modern and ancient basins. One key focus is unraveling the tectonic history recorded in stratigraphic successions by combining sedimentologic analysis, geologic mapping, detrital geochronology (U-Pb and Hf isotopes), mudstone geochemistry (rare earth elements), and heavy mineral and petrographic provenance studies. Our work has taken us to a variety of settings, including forearc and backarc basins in south-central Alaska, the Cordilleran foreland basin in southwestern Montana, Paleozoic cratonic basins of the Midcontinent, the Miocene Apennine foreland basin in Italy, and the Cretaceous Neuquén basin in Argentina. More recently, we’ve begun expanding our analytical toolkit to fully leverage the geochronologic and geochemical potential of entire heavy mineral suites.

Email: emily-finzel@uiowa.edu

Telephone: 319-335-0405