J. Wright Horton, Jr., Ph.D.
Wright is an emeritus Research Geologist in the USGS Florence Bascom Geoscience Center. He has decades of experience in southern and central Appalachian geology, served as co-leader and leader of the USGS Chesapeake Bay Impact Crater Project, is involved in eastern U.S. earthquake studies, and explores terranes and basins beneath the Atlantic Coastal Plain.
Research Interests
Structural geology and tectonics, metamorphic and igneous rocks, impact craters and crater materials, fault zones and fault rocks, Southern and Central Appalachian regional geology and tectonics, pre-Cretaceous terranes and basins beneath the Atlantic Coastal Plain, significance of Mineral, Virginia, earthquake for understanding intraplate earthquakes in eastern North America, geologic mapping, hydrogeology, scientific drilling, geologic interpretation of potential-field geophysics, and multidisciplinary collaborations.
Projects
- Project Leader, USGS Coastal Basement Geology of the Southeastern U.S. Project. 2018-2020
- Task Leader, Central Virginia Seismic Zone Overview and Synthesis task of USGS Geologic Framework for Seismic Hazards in Central Virginia and the Eastern U.S. Project, 2014–2018
- Coastal Basement Task Leader, USGS Geology of Atlantic Watersheds Project, 2008–2014
- Project Leader (2007–2008) and Co-leader (2004–2007), USGS Chesapeake Bay Impact Crater Project
- Cooperating Principal Investigator, ICDP-USGS Chesapeake Bay Impact Structure Deep Drilling Project, 2004–2009
- Co-leader, Crater Materials Science Team, ICDP-USGS Chesapeake Bay Impact Structure Deep Drilling Project, 2004–2009
- Task Co-leader, USGS Chesapeake Bay Impact Crater Project, 2000–2004
- Task Co-leader, Hydrogeologic framework of the Piedmont and Blue Ridge, North Carolina task of USGS Bedrock Regional Aquifer Systematics Study (BRASS) Project, 2000–2005
- Staff Scientist, USGS Office of Eastern Regional Geology (2002)
- Task Leader, Geology of the Washington-Baltimore Urban Area task of USGS Appalachian Regional Geology and Hydrology Project, 1998–2002
- Project Chief, USGS Geology of the Mid-Atlantic Urban Corridor (GOMAC) Project, 1995–98
- Project Chief, USGS Geology of the South-Central Virginia Piedmont Project, 1991–95
- Assistant Branch Chief, USGS Branch of Eastern Regional Geology, 1984–85
- Project Chief, USGS Raleigh Belt and Eastern Slate Belt Project, 1983–91
- Geologic mapping, USGS projects in Charlotte (NC-SC) and Greenville (SC-GA) 1° × 2° quadrangles, 1980-89
Professional Experience
Scientist Emeritus, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center, USGS, Reston, VA, 2020-present
Research Geologist, USGS, Reston, VA, 1980–2020
National Research Council Postdoctoral Associate at USGS, Reston, VA, 1978–80
Assistant Professor of Geology, Univ. Southern Maine, 1977–78
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Geology), 1977
M.S., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Geology), 1974
B.S., Furman University (Geology), 1972
Affiliations and Memberships*
AAAS, Am. Geophysical Union, Carolina Geol. Soc. (President, 1981–82)
Geol. Soc. America (Fellow)
Geol. Soc. Washington (Councilor, 2009–10)
Meteoritical Soc.
SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology)
Sigma Xi
Science and Products
SHRIMP and Conventional UPb ages of Ordovician granites and tonalites in the central Appalachian Piedmont: Implications for Paleozoic tectonic events
Preliminary report on the USGS-NASA Langley Corehole -- the Chesapeake Bay Impact Crater Project: A. Operational summary for the USGS -- NASA Langley Corehole, Hampton, Virginia. B. Preliminary geologic summary for the USGS -- NASA Langley Corehol, Hampto
Preliminary digital geologic map of the Appalachian Piedmont and Blue Ridge, South Carolina segment
Preliminary lithogeochemical map showing near-surface rock types in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Virginia and Maryland
Application of aerial gamma-ray spectrometric and magnetic surveys in geologic mapping: a case study in southern Virginia and northern North Carolina
Application of geologic map information to water quality issues in the southern part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Maryland and Virginia, eastern United States
Geology of the Mid-Atlantic Corridor (GOMAC): A Project of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program
Forum on Geologic mapping applications in the Washington-Baltimore urban area; proceedings; Reston, Virginia, April 23, 1997
Middle Proterozoic age for the Montpelier Anorthosite, Goochland terrane, eastern Piedmont, Virginia
Terranes and overlap sequences in the Central and Southern Appalachians, an expanded explanation for part of the Circum-Atlantic terrane map
Preliminary geologic map of the South Boston 30 x 60 minute quadrangle, Virginia and North Carolina
Geologic map of the Falls Lake-Wake Forest area, north-central North Carolina
Science and Products
SHRIMP and Conventional UPb ages of Ordovician granites and tonalites in the central Appalachian Piedmont: Implications for Paleozoic tectonic events
Preliminary report on the USGS-NASA Langley Corehole -- the Chesapeake Bay Impact Crater Project: A. Operational summary for the USGS -- NASA Langley Corehole, Hampton, Virginia. B. Preliminary geologic summary for the USGS -- NASA Langley Corehol, Hampto
Preliminary digital geologic map of the Appalachian Piedmont and Blue Ridge, South Carolina segment
Preliminary lithogeochemical map showing near-surface rock types in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Virginia and Maryland
Application of aerial gamma-ray spectrometric and magnetic surveys in geologic mapping: a case study in southern Virginia and northern North Carolina
Application of geologic map information to water quality issues in the southern part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Maryland and Virginia, eastern United States
Geology of the Mid-Atlantic Corridor (GOMAC): A Project of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program
Forum on Geologic mapping applications in the Washington-Baltimore urban area; proceedings; Reston, Virginia, April 23, 1997
Middle Proterozoic age for the Montpelier Anorthosite, Goochland terrane, eastern Piedmont, Virginia
Terranes and overlap sequences in the Central and Southern Appalachians, an expanded explanation for part of the Circum-Atlantic terrane map
Preliminary geologic map of the South Boston 30 x 60 minute quadrangle, Virginia and North Carolina
Geologic map of the Falls Lake-Wake Forest area, north-central North Carolina
*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