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Anthony Pivarunas

Anthony Pivarunas is a Research Geophysicist at the GMEG Science Center. He received a degree in Geophysics from SUNY Geneseo, and a PhD in Geology from University of Florida. Since joining the USGS in 2020, Anthony has devoted his career to studying geophysics, and specializes in paleomagnetism. Presently, his research focuses on paleomagnetism in the Pacific Northwest and volcanic systems.

Anthony is a geophysicist who focuses on paleomagnetism and numerical methods. His research with the USGS uses the ancient record of the geomagnetic field to solve problems in geological correlations, temporal estimates, and deformation. He helps run the paleomagnetic laboratory, a unique analytical center with a storied history of American science and innovation.

 

Professional Experience

  • 2020 - Present, Research Geophysicist, Geology Minerals Energy and Geophysics Science Center, Moffett Field, CA

  • 2019 – 2020, Visiting Assistant Professor, Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

  • 2015 – 2019, Graduate Researcher, Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D., Geology, University of Florida, 2019

  • B.A., Geophysics, Minor in Mathematics, SUNY Geneseo, 2015

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • 2015 - Present, Geological Society of America

  • University of Florida 

  • SUNY Geneseo 

  • Cal State Sacramento 

Science and Products

link
Physiographic image of the Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest Geologic Mapping: Northern Pacific Border, Cascades and Columbia

The Pacific Northwest is an area created by active and complex geological processes. On its path to the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River slices through a chain of active volcanoes located along the western margin of the U.S. in Washington, Oregon, and northern California. These volcanoes rest above the active Cascadia subduction zone, which is the boundary where the oceanic tectonic plate dives...
By
National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Earthquake Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Washington Water Science Center, Western Fisheries Research Center
link

Pacific Northwest Geologic Mapping: Northern Pacific Border, Cascades and Columbia

The Pacific Northwest is an area created by active and complex geological processes. On its path to the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River slices through a chain of active volcanoes located along the western margin of the U.S. in Washington, Oregon, and northern California. These volcanoes rest above the active Cascadia subduction zone, which is the boundary where the oceanic tectonic plate dives...
Learn More

Paleomagnetic inclination data collected from Coreholes EREF-GW-1, STF-PIE-AQ-02, TAN 2336, USGS 138, USGS 139, USGS 142, USGS 143, USGS 144, USGS 145, USGS 147, and USGS 148A, located at and near the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, conducted a study on the magnetic record contained in subsurface basalts within coreholes at the Idaho National Laboratory. Standard 1 inch paleomagnetism core samples were collected from 11 coreholes. The samples were characterized for polarity and average paleomagnetic inclinations over the entire length of the drill
By
Idaho Water Science Center

Field, Geochemical, Geochronological, and Magnetic Data from a Pliocene basalt flow along the Deschutes River in north-central Oregon

This dataset represents a variety of scientific measurements of basalt rock outcrops in central Oregon, United States. It consists of field observations, geochemical measurements, paleomagnetic directional measurements, magnetic susceptibility, and geochronology data (Ar-Ar methodology). This dataset was collected from 2014-2022 by the authors.
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Gravity, aeromagnetic, magnetic potential, and physical property data of the Bartlett Springs fault zone and surrounding areas, California

This data release contains principal facts of gravity measurements collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2020-2022, a compilation of existing and new density and magnetic susceptibility data, and gridded magnetic and magnetic potential data of the Bartlett Springs Fault Zone and surrounding areas, northern California. These data support modeling of gravity and magnetic anomalies to characte
By
National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Dataset Establishing Temporal Duration of Two Shield Volcanoes in Northern California

This dataset contains paleomagnetic data from 30 sites at two locations in northern California (16 sites at Ash Creek Butte and 14 sites at Crater Mountain), magnetic susceptibility-temperature curves for selected samples at Ash Creek Butte, and geochemical data for map units at Crater Mountain.
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Volcano Science Center

Paleomagnetism and geochronology of the Gwalior Sills, Bundelkhand craton, Northern India Block: New constraints on Greater India assembly

We present an updated paleomagnetic pole from the Gwalior Sills in the Bundelkhand craton within the Northern India Block (NIB). Geochronological results from baddeleyite grains from one of the sills yielded an age of 1719 ± 7 Ma which together with a previously published age indicates the emplacement of sills between 1712 and 1756 Ma (∼1730 Ma). The paleomagnetic pole calculated from additional s
Authors
Joseph Meert, Scott W. Miller, Anthony Francis Pivarunas, Manoj K. Pandit, Paul A. Mueller, Anup K. Sinha, George Kamenov, Samuel Kwafo, Ananya Singha
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

The drift history of the Dharwar Craton and India from 2.37 Ga to 1.01 Ga with refinements for an initial Rodinia configuration

Coupled paleomagnetic and geochronologic data derived from mafic dykes provide valuable records of continental movement. To reconstruct the Proterozoic paleogeographic history of Peninsular India, we report paleomagnetic directions and U-Pb zircon ages from twenty-nine mafic dykes in the Eastern Dharwar Craton near Hyderabad. Paleomagnetic analysis yielded clusters of directional data that corresp
Authors
Scott R Miller, Joseph Meert, Anthony Francis Pivarunas, Anup K. Sinha, Manoj K. Pandit, Paul A. Mueller, George Kamenov
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Paleomagnetically defined brief lifespans for two large shield volcanoes in the Cascades Arc

Mafic to intermediate shield volcanoes with multi-cubic-kilometer eruptive volumes are common in the Cascades Volcanic Arc, but little is known about their eruptive histories as either singular or sustained episodes, or the total time required for their construction. Paleomagnetic data were collected from the lava flows of Ash Creek Butte (17 sites) and Crater Mountain (14 sites) in northern Calif
Authors
Anthony Francis Pivarunas, Dawnika Blatter, L. J. Patrick Muffler, Michael A. Clynne, Andrew T. Calvert, Lauren N Harrison, R.L. Christiansen
By
Volcano Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Volcano Science Center

Geochemical and palaeomagnetic characteristics of the Vestfold Hills mafic dykes in the Prydz Bay region: implications of a Paleoproterozoic connection between East Antarctica and Proto-India

The Archean age granite gneiss basement along the Prydz Bay coastline in East Antarctica hosts north–south-, east–west-, NE–SW- and NW–SE-trending mafic dyke swarms in the Vestfold Hills region that intruded between 2420 and 1250 Ma. The dyke trends do not show a direct correlation with the dyke geochemistry but can be broadly discriminated into high-Mg and Fe-rich tholeiites. The former type are
Authors
Manoj K. Pandit, Anthony Francis Pivarunas, Joseph G Meert
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Arc versus river: The geology of the Columbia River Gorge

The Columbia River Gorge is the Columbia River’s long-held yet evolving passage through the volcanic arc of the Cascade Range. The globally unique setting of a continental-scale river bisecting an active volcanic arc at the leading edge of a major plate boundary creates a remarkable setting where dynamic volcanic and tectonic processes interact with diverse and energetic fluvial processes. This th
Authors
Jim E. O'Connor, Ray Wells, Scott E. K. Bennett, Charles M. Cannon, Lydia M. Staisch, James L Anderson, Anthony Francis Pivarunas, Gabriel Wells Gordon, Richard J. Blakely, Mark E. Stelten, Russell C. Evarts
By
Volcano Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Volcano Science Center
Finding the tempo of shield volcanism in California's Cascades

Finding the tempo of shield volcanism in California's Cascades

Though volcanoes like Mount Shasta or Lassen Peak may dominate their skylines, California also has shield volcanoes, named because their shape is...

Read Article

Science and Products

link
Physiographic image of the Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest Geologic Mapping: Northern Pacific Border, Cascades and Columbia

The Pacific Northwest is an area created by active and complex geological processes. On its path to the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River slices through a chain of active volcanoes located along the western margin of the U.S. in Washington, Oregon, and northern California. These volcanoes rest above the active Cascadia subduction zone, which is the boundary where the oceanic tectonic plate dives...
By
National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Earthquake Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Washington Water Science Center, Western Fisheries Research Center
link

Pacific Northwest Geologic Mapping: Northern Pacific Border, Cascades and Columbia

The Pacific Northwest is an area created by active and complex geological processes. On its path to the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River slices through a chain of active volcanoes located along the western margin of the U.S. in Washington, Oregon, and northern California. These volcanoes rest above the active Cascadia subduction zone, which is the boundary where the oceanic tectonic plate dives...
Learn More

Paleomagnetic inclination data collected from Coreholes EREF-GW-1, STF-PIE-AQ-02, TAN 2336, USGS 138, USGS 139, USGS 142, USGS 143, USGS 144, USGS 145, USGS 147, and USGS 148A, located at and near the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, conducted a study on the magnetic record contained in subsurface basalts within coreholes at the Idaho National Laboratory. Standard 1 inch paleomagnetism core samples were collected from 11 coreholes. The samples were characterized for polarity and average paleomagnetic inclinations over the entire length of the drill
By
Idaho Water Science Center

Field, Geochemical, Geochronological, and Magnetic Data from a Pliocene basalt flow along the Deschutes River in north-central Oregon

This dataset represents a variety of scientific measurements of basalt rock outcrops in central Oregon, United States. It consists of field observations, geochemical measurements, paleomagnetic directional measurements, magnetic susceptibility, and geochronology data (Ar-Ar methodology). This dataset was collected from 2014-2022 by the authors.
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Gravity, aeromagnetic, magnetic potential, and physical property data of the Bartlett Springs fault zone and surrounding areas, California

This data release contains principal facts of gravity measurements collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2020-2022, a compilation of existing and new density and magnetic susceptibility data, and gridded magnetic and magnetic potential data of the Bartlett Springs Fault Zone and surrounding areas, northern California. These data support modeling of gravity and magnetic anomalies to characte
By
National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Dataset Establishing Temporal Duration of Two Shield Volcanoes in Northern California

This dataset contains paleomagnetic data from 30 sites at two locations in northern California (16 sites at Ash Creek Butte and 14 sites at Crater Mountain), magnetic susceptibility-temperature curves for selected samples at Ash Creek Butte, and geochemical data for map units at Crater Mountain.
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Volcano Science Center

Paleomagnetism and geochronology of the Gwalior Sills, Bundelkhand craton, Northern India Block: New constraints on Greater India assembly

We present an updated paleomagnetic pole from the Gwalior Sills in the Bundelkhand craton within the Northern India Block (NIB). Geochronological results from baddeleyite grains from one of the sills yielded an age of 1719 ± 7 Ma which together with a previously published age indicates the emplacement of sills between 1712 and 1756 Ma (∼1730 Ma). The paleomagnetic pole calculated from additional s
Authors
Joseph Meert, Scott W. Miller, Anthony Francis Pivarunas, Manoj K. Pandit, Paul A. Mueller, Anup K. Sinha, George Kamenov, Samuel Kwafo, Ananya Singha
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

The drift history of the Dharwar Craton and India from 2.37 Ga to 1.01 Ga with refinements for an initial Rodinia configuration

Coupled paleomagnetic and geochronologic data derived from mafic dykes provide valuable records of continental movement. To reconstruct the Proterozoic paleogeographic history of Peninsular India, we report paleomagnetic directions and U-Pb zircon ages from twenty-nine mafic dykes in the Eastern Dharwar Craton near Hyderabad. Paleomagnetic analysis yielded clusters of directional data that corresp
Authors
Scott R Miller, Joseph Meert, Anthony Francis Pivarunas, Anup K. Sinha, Manoj K. Pandit, Paul A. Mueller, George Kamenov
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Paleomagnetically defined brief lifespans for two large shield volcanoes in the Cascades Arc

Mafic to intermediate shield volcanoes with multi-cubic-kilometer eruptive volumes are common in the Cascades Volcanic Arc, but little is known about their eruptive histories as either singular or sustained episodes, or the total time required for their construction. Paleomagnetic data were collected from the lava flows of Ash Creek Butte (17 sites) and Crater Mountain (14 sites) in northern Calif
Authors
Anthony Francis Pivarunas, Dawnika Blatter, L. J. Patrick Muffler, Michael A. Clynne, Andrew T. Calvert, Lauren N Harrison, R.L. Christiansen
By
Volcano Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Volcano Science Center

Geochemical and palaeomagnetic characteristics of the Vestfold Hills mafic dykes in the Prydz Bay region: implications of a Paleoproterozoic connection between East Antarctica and Proto-India

The Archean age granite gneiss basement along the Prydz Bay coastline in East Antarctica hosts north–south-, east–west-, NE–SW- and NW–SE-trending mafic dyke swarms in the Vestfold Hills region that intruded between 2420 and 1250 Ma. The dyke trends do not show a direct correlation with the dyke geochemistry but can be broadly discriminated into high-Mg and Fe-rich tholeiites. The former type are
Authors
Manoj K. Pandit, Anthony Francis Pivarunas, Joseph G Meert
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Arc versus river: The geology of the Columbia River Gorge

The Columbia River Gorge is the Columbia River’s long-held yet evolving passage through the volcanic arc of the Cascade Range. The globally unique setting of a continental-scale river bisecting an active volcanic arc at the leading edge of a major plate boundary creates a remarkable setting where dynamic volcanic and tectonic processes interact with diverse and energetic fluvial processes. This th
Authors
Jim E. O'Connor, Ray Wells, Scott E. K. Bennett, Charles M. Cannon, Lydia M. Staisch, James L Anderson, Anthony Francis Pivarunas, Gabriel Wells Gordon, Richard J. Blakely, Mark E. Stelten, Russell C. Evarts
By
Volcano Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Volcano Science Center
Finding the tempo of shield volcanism in California's Cascades

Finding the tempo of shield volcanism in California's Cascades

Though volcanoes like Mount Shasta or Lassen Peak may dominate their skylines, California also has shield volcanoes, named because their shape is...

Read Article

*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government