Jeffrey Phillips
Jeff Phillips is a Scientist Emeritus (Geophysics) in the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center in Denver, Colorado. He develops and maintains the USGS potential-field geophysical software package for the PC, a public-domain resource for the geophysical community.
Jeff's research focuses on potential-field theory and its application to geologic problems, including water, mineral, and energy resources.
Dr. Phillips has conducted geophysical research for over 40 years in support of USGS programs on Energy and Mineral Resources. He is a specialist in the analysis of potential-field (gravity and magnetic) geophysical data. He has published more than 70 professional reports and presented more than 60 talks at scientific meetings. Dr. Phillips has worked extensively on Energy Resource studies in Alaska and recently participated in Central Asia Mineral Resource Assessments. His recent work for other Federal Agencies includes a dam safety study in California and a geophysical investigation at the former Nevada Test Site.
Professional Experience
2014-Present: Scientist Emeritus
1991-2014: Research Geophysicist
1991-Present: U.S. Geological Survey (Denver, CO)
1980-1986: Branch Representative, Eastern Region, Branch of Geophysics
1975-1991: U.S. Geological Survey (Reston, VA)
1973: U.S. Geological Survey (Menlo Park, CA, and Beaufort Sea, AK)
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. (1975), Stanford University (Geophysics)
M.S. (1973), Stanford University (Geophysics)
A.B. (1970), University of California, Berkeley (Geology)
Affiliations and Memberships*
Society of Exploration Geophysicists
American Geophysical Union
Abstracts and Presentations
McCafferty, A.E., Bedrosian, P.A., and Phillips, J.D., 2019, Critical Mineral Systems Under Cover: Insights from Magnetic, Gravity, and Magnetotelluric 3D Inversion Models, Southern Midcontinent, USA, in Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA), 2019, Volume 3 - New discoveries – new views - Advances in the Science of Mineral Exploration, p. 1132-1135. 15th SGA Biennial Meeting, Glasg
McCafferty, A.E., Phillips, J.D., and Ayuso, R.A., 2017, Crustal architecture beneath the southeast Missouri (USA) Mesoproterozoic Iron-Oxide province from geophysical models: Proceedings of the 14th SGA Biennial Meeting, 20-23 August 2017, Quebec City, Canada: p. 871-874.
Phillips, J.D., 2006, The role of negative structural indices in magnetic interpretation - lessons from the Bishop model: Society of Exploration Geophysicists, 2006 Workshop W-5 The Bishop Model: Investigations into the Use and Abuse of Test Models.
Phillips, J.D., 2001, Tools and techniques for the application of high-resolution aeromagnetic data to engineering problems: Proceedings, SAGEEP 2001, CD-ROM, 22p.
Phillips, J.D., 2001, Designing matched bandpass and azimuthal filters for the separation of potential-field anomalies by source region and source type: Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists, 15th Geophysical Conference and Exhibition, Expanded Abstracts CD-ROM, 4p.
Phillips, J.D., and Grauch, V.J.S., 2001, Some current research on the processing and interpretation of potential-field data at the U.S. Geological Survey: Proceedings of the workshop on future directions in the analysis of potential-field data, August 18, 2001, Perth, Australia. 4p.
Science and Products
Digital data grids for the magnetic anomaly map of North America
Basement geology of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA), Northern Alaska
Merged digital aeromagnetic data for the middle Rio Grande and southern Espanola basins, New Mexico
Processing and interpretation of aeromagnetic data for the Santa Cruz Basin–Patagonia Mountains area, south-central Arizona
Two‐step processing for 3D magnetic source locations and structural indices using extended Euler or analytic signal methods
Basement geophysical interpretation of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA), Northern Alaska
Locating magnetic contacts: A comparison of the horizontal gradient, analytic signal, and local wavenumber methods
The oil and gas resource potential of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 1002 area, Alaska
Sources of magnetic anomalies over a sedimentary basin: preliminary results from the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Potential-field geophysical software for the PC, version 2.2
Potential‐field continuation: Past practice vs. modern methods
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
- Maps
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 77
Digital data grids for the magnetic anomaly map of North America
The digital magnetic anomaly database and map for the North American continent is the result of a joint effort by the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), and Consejo de Recursos Minerales of Mexico (CRM). This integrated, readily accessible, modern digital database of magnetic anomaly data is a powerful tool for further evaluation of the structure, geologic processesAuthorsViki Bankey, Alejandro Cuevas, David Daniels, Carol A. Finn, Israel Hernandez, Patricia Hill, Robert Kucks, Warner Miles, Mark Pilkington, Carter Roberts, Walter Roest, Victoria Rystrom, Sarah Shearer, Stephen Snyder, Ronald E. Sweeney, Julio Velez, J. D. Phillips, D.K.A. RavatBasement geology of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA), Northern Alaska
Gravity, aeromagnetic, seismic, and borehole information enable mapping of crustal basement characteristics within the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA). In general, the pre-Mississippian basement of the southern portion of the NPRA is different from that in the north in that it is deeper and thinner, is made up of dense magnetic rocks, is cut by more normal faults, and underlies thicker acAuthorsR. W. Saltus, T. L. Hudson, J. D. Phillips, C. Kulander, Julie A. Dumoulin, C. PotterMerged digital aeromagnetic data for the middle Rio Grande and southern Espanola basins, New Mexico
The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently conducted a multi-disciplinary study of the Middle Rio Grande basin (Bartolino and Cole, 2002; Fig. 1). The main purpose of this study was to gain a better multi-dimensional understanding of the basin's hydrogeologic framework and use this new understanding to construct an improved regional ground-water flow model. The Middle Rio Grande basin fill servesAuthorsRonald E. Sweeney, V. J. S. Grauch, Jeffrey D. PhillipsProcessing and interpretation of aeromagnetic data for the Santa Cruz Basin–Patagonia Mountains area, south-central Arizona
In 1997, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) contracted with Sial Geosciences Inc. for a detailed aeromagnetic survey of the Santa Cruz basin and Patagonia Mountains area of south-central Arizona. The contractor's Operational Report is included as an Appendix in this report. This section describes the data processing performed by the USGS on the digital aeromagnetic data received from the contractorAuthorsJeffrey D. PhillipsTwo‐step processing for 3D magnetic source locations and structural indices using extended Euler or analytic signal methods
No abstract available.AuthorsJeffrey PhillipsBasement geophysical interpretation of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA), Northern Alaska
No abstract available.AuthorsR. W. Saltus, T. L. Hudson, J. D. PhillipsLocating magnetic contacts: A comparison of the horizontal gradient, analytic signal, and local wavenumber methods
No abstract available.AuthorsJeffrey PhillipsThe oil and gas resource potential of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 1002 area, Alaska
In anticipation of the need for scientific support for policy decisions and in light of the decade-old perspective of a previous assessment, the USGS has completed a reassessment of the petroleum potential of the ANWR 1002 area. This was a comprehensive study by a team of USGS scientists in collaboration on technical issues (but not the assessment) with colleagues in other agencies and universitieAuthorsSources of magnetic anomalies over a sedimentary basin: preliminary results from the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
No abstract available.AuthorsJ. D. Phillips, R. W. Saltus, R. L. ReynoldsPotential-field geophysical software for the PC, version 2.2
No abstract available.AuthorsJeffrey D. PhillipsPotential‐field continuation: Past practice vs. modern methods
No abstract available.AuthorsJeffrey Phillips
*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