Matthew M. Jones, Ph.D.

Matt researches sedimentary basins to assess geologic resources and to reconstruct conditions on Earth during past time intervals of greenhouse climate. Using a combination of research drilling and isotope geochemical techniques, much of his research has focused on the stratigraphic record of the Cretaceous, analyzing rock cores, outcrops, and invertebrate macrofossils. Key topics of his research include ocean anoxic events, the mid-Cretaceous Thermal Maximum, using biogenic carbonates as paleoclimate archives, and characterizing lithologies in subsurface sedimentary formations.

His research of marine sedimentary systems has focused on the Cretaceous Western Interior Basin of the United States, which extends through the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and Colorado Plateau regions. He has also sailed on two International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) expeditions as a downhole logging and physical properties specialist to core unexplored regions off the coasts of Australia and South Africa. At the USGS, Matt’s research is concentrated on carbon and other energy gases, quantifying geologic storage capacities, emissions, and mineralization potentials in the sedimentary basins of the United States.