John Counts is a Research Geologist with the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, Virginia.
John's research focuses primarily on process-based sedimentology, especially in deepwater and shallow marine depositional systems. He also has interests in ichnology, provenance studies, carbonates, and modern analogues for ancient deposits. John received his Ph.D. from the University of Adelaide in South Australia in 2016, after completing work on Precambrian sediments in the Flinders Ranges. He previously worked as a geologist for Encana in the East Texas Basin, and conducted research in the U.S. midcontinent and Gulf of Mexico coastal plain for his M.S. and B.S. degrees, respectively. His postdoctoral work focused on clastic and carbonate deposits in the modern deep sea. John is a member of the International Association of Sedimentologists (IAS) and the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM).
Professional Experience
2020-present: USGS Geology, Energy and Minerals Science Center, Reston, Virginia
2019-2020: Postdoctoral researcher, University College Dublin, Ireland
2017-2018: Postdoctoral researcher, Ifremer, Brest, France
2008-2013: Encana USA, Dallas, Texas
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., University of Adelaide, 2016
M.S., University of Kansas, 2012
B.S., Geology, Auburn University 2005
Science and Products
Geochemical and isotopic data from glendonites and surrounding sediment, Carter Creek, North Slope Alaska
USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database (ver. 2.0, October 2023)
A review of sand detachment in modern deep marine environments: Analogues for upslope stratigraphic traps
Assessment of undiscovered gas resources in Upper Devonian to Lower Cretaceous strata of the western North Slope, Alaska, 2021
USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database (GCSRD)
The database is designed to be a convenient resource for any member of the public to easily access source rock data from across the Gulf Coast region, circumventing the need for extensive, time-consuming literature searches.
Science and Products
- Data
Geochemical and isotopic data from glendonites and surrounding sediment, Carter Creek, North Slope Alaska
The dataset consists of geochemical and isotopic data from fine-grained sediments and glendonite crystals collected at Carter Creek on the North Slope of Alaska. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) values in the measured section were found to range between 0.5 and 3.5%, with a shift towards lower values in the uppermost 5 m of the section. Stable isotopes (13C) in organic matter were relatively stable throUSGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database (ver. 2.0, October 2023)
The USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database (GCSRD) is an online repository for all publicly available source rock data (outcrop and subsurface) from the states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas. "Source rock data" are defined in this context as data that include any of the following measured or calculated parameters: -total organic carbon (TOC), -various pyrol - Publications
A review of sand detachment in modern deep marine environments: Analogues for upslope stratigraphic traps
Isolated, detached sands provide opportunities for large-volume stratigraphic traps in many deepwater petroleum systems. Here we provide a review of the different types of sandbody detachments based on published data from the modern-day seafloor and recent (generally Quaternary-present), shallow-buried strata. Detachment mechanisms can be classified based on their timing of formation relative to dAuthorsJohn W. Counts, Lawrence Amy, Aggeliki Georgiopoulou, Peter HaughtonAssessment of undiscovered gas resources in Upper Devonian to Lower Cretaceous strata of the western North Slope, Alaska, 2021
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 1,407 billion (1.4 trillion) cubic feet of gas in conventional accumulations in Upper Devonian to Lower Cretaceous strata of the western North Slope, Alaska.AuthorsDavid W. Houseknecht, Tracey J. Mercier, Christopher J. Schenk, Thomas E. Moore, William A. Rouse, Julie A. Dumoulin, William H. Craddock, Richard O. Lease, Palma J. Botterell, Margaret M. Sanders, Rebecca A. Smith, Christopher D. Connors, Christopher P. Garrity, Katherine J. Whidden, Jared T. Gooley, John W. Counts, Joshua H. Long, Christina A. DeVera - Web Tools
USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database (GCSRD)
The database is designed to be a convenient resource for any member of the public to easily access source rock data from across the Gulf Coast region, circumventing the need for extensive, time-consuming literature searches.