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Kelly D. Thomson, PhD

I am a Geologist interested in applying geochronology and thermochronology to sedimentary basins in order to investigate interactions between tectonic and surface processes.

I joined the USGS as a Geologist in 2022 to work on the National Geochronology Database (USGS Geochron). Prior to joining the USGS I was a postdoctoral fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology. I received my M.Sc. (2016) and Ph.D. (2020) from the University of Texas at Austin, Jackson School of Geosciences. I was born and raised in Juneau Alaska and received my B.Sc. from the University of Alaska Anchorage (2013).

Professional Experience

  • Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey (2022-present) 

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Georgia Institute of Technology (2021-2022)

  • Instructor, Gallatin Community College – Montana State University (2019-2021)

  • Graduate Research Assistant, University of Texas at Austin (2019-2020) 

  • Equinor (Statoil) Graduate Research Fellow (2014 – 2019) 

  • Field Technician, Alaska Dept of Fish and Game (2014) 

  • Junior Geologist, Alaska Earth Sciences (2013) 

  • Teaching Assistant, University of Alaska Anchorage (2012-2013) 

  • Geotechnical Core Logger, Kiska Metals (2011) 

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D., Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin (2020)

  • M.Sc., Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin (2016) 

  • B.S, Geological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage (2013)

Science and Products

Tracking cycles of Phanerozoic opening and closing of ocean basins using detrital rutile and zircon geochronology and geochemistry

Sedimentary basins provide a deep time archive of tectonic and Earth-surface processes that can be leveraged by detrital mineral U-Pb dating and geochemistry to track paleogeography, magmatism, and crustal evolution. Zircon preserves the long-term (billions of years) record of supercontinent cycles; however, it is biased toward preserving felsic crustal records. Detrital rutile complements the det
Authors
Margaret L. Odlum, Tomas N. Capaldi, Kelly David Thomson, Daniel F. Stockli
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Thomson, K.D., Stockli, D.F., Fildani., A., 2022, Anthropogenic impact on sediment transfer in the upper Missouri River catchment detected by detrital zircon analysis. Geological Society of America Bulletin, doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B36217.1
Thomson, K.D., Stockli, D.F., Odlum, M.L., Tolentino P., Puigdefàbregas, C., Clark, J.D., and Fildani, A., 2019, Sediment provenance and routing evolution the Late Cretaceous-Eocene Ager Basin, south-central Pyrenees, Spain: Basin Research, doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/bre.12376
Thomson, K.D., Stockli, D.F., Clark, J., Puigdefàbregas, C., and Fildani, A., 2017, Detrital zircon (U-Th)/(He-Pb) double dating constraints on provenance and foreland basin evolution of the Ainsa Basin, south-central Pyrenees, Spain: Tectonics, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/2017TC004504
Atwater, A.L., Thomson, K.D., Kirk E.C., Emery-Wetherell, M., Wetherell, L., Stockli., D.F., 2020, Geochronology of the Middle Eocene Purple Bench Locality (Devil’s Graveyard Formation), Trans-Pecos Texas; Paleontologica Electronica, doi: https://doi.org/10.26879/993
Sickmann, Z., Chheda, T., Capaldi, T., Thomson K., Paull, C., Graham S., 2019, Using Provenance Analysis in an Anthropocene natural laboratory: Detrital signal propagation and sediment budgets; Quaternary Science Review, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.105890
Odlum, M.L., Stockli, D.F., Capaldi, T. N., Thomson, K.D., Fildani, A., Clark, J.D., and Puigdefàbregas, C., 2019, Tectonic and sediment provenance evolution of the South Eastern Pyrenean foreland basins during rift margin inversion and orogenic uplitft: Tectonophysics, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2019.05.008

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

link
USGS Research Geologist standing in front of terrace deposit

Surficial Working Group

The Surficial Working Group supports the Geologic Framework of the Intermountain West Project by performing research activities related to better understanding the roles of tectonics and hydrology in landscape evolution.
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
link

Surficial Working Group

The Surficial Working Group supports the Geologic Framework of the Intermountain West Project by performing research activities related to better understanding the roles of tectonics and hydrology in landscape evolution.
Learn More
link
Decorative banner image of Color cathodoluminescence (CL) image of zircons

USGS Geochron: A database of USGS geochronological and thermochronological data

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed an updated geochronology database (USGS Geochron) to include geochronology summary and analytical data created or funded by the USGS.
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
link

USGS Geochron: A database of USGS geochronological and thermochronological data

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed an updated geochronology database (USGS Geochron) to include geochronology summary and analytical data created or funded by the USGS.
Learn More
link
Mt. Ouray, Colorado with aspen colors

Geologic Framework of the Intermountain West

The Geologic Framework of the Intermountain West (IMW) Project is creating a seamless, integrated, geologic map database that spans the Intermountain West region. The database will serve enhanced geologic map data to support geoscience research, environmental and resource assessments, and the communication of geologic information for all U.S. Geological Survey stakeholders. This innovative...
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
link

Geologic Framework of the Intermountain West

The Geologic Framework of the Intermountain West (IMW) Project is creating a seamless, integrated, geologic map database that spans the Intermountain West region. The database will serve enhanced geologic map data to support geoscience research, environmental and resource assessments, and the communication of geologic information for all U.S. Geological Survey stakeholders. This innovative...
Learn More

USGS Geochron: A Database of Geochronological and Thermochronological Dates and Data (ver. 3.0, May 2024)

USGS Geochron is a database of geochronological and thermochronological dates and data. The data set contains published ages, dates, analytical information, sample metadata including location, and source citations. The following analytical techniques are represented in the data set: 40Ar/39Ar, K-Ar, U-Th-Pb, Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr, Lu-Hf, fission track, and luminescence. This data set incorporates data prev

By
Community for Data Integration (CDI), Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Science and Products

Tracking cycles of Phanerozoic opening and closing of ocean basins using detrital rutile and zircon geochronology and geochemistry

Sedimentary basins provide a deep time archive of tectonic and Earth-surface processes that can be leveraged by detrital mineral U-Pb dating and geochemistry to track paleogeography, magmatism, and crustal evolution. Zircon preserves the long-term (billions of years) record of supercontinent cycles; however, it is biased toward preserving felsic crustal records. Detrital rutile complements the det
Authors
Margaret L. Odlum, Tomas N. Capaldi, Kelly David Thomson, Daniel F. Stockli
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Thomson, K.D., Stockli, D.F., Fildani., A., 2022, Anthropogenic impact on sediment transfer in the upper Missouri River catchment detected by detrital zircon analysis. Geological Society of America Bulletin, doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B36217.1
Thomson, K.D., Stockli, D.F., Odlum, M.L., Tolentino P., Puigdefàbregas, C., Clark, J.D., and Fildani, A., 2019, Sediment provenance and routing evolution the Late Cretaceous-Eocene Ager Basin, south-central Pyrenees, Spain: Basin Research, doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/bre.12376
Thomson, K.D., Stockli, D.F., Clark, J., Puigdefàbregas, C., and Fildani, A., 2017, Detrital zircon (U-Th)/(He-Pb) double dating constraints on provenance and foreland basin evolution of the Ainsa Basin, south-central Pyrenees, Spain: Tectonics, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/2017TC004504
Atwater, A.L., Thomson, K.D., Kirk E.C., Emery-Wetherell, M., Wetherell, L., Stockli., D.F., 2020, Geochronology of the Middle Eocene Purple Bench Locality (Devil’s Graveyard Formation), Trans-Pecos Texas; Paleontologica Electronica, doi: https://doi.org/10.26879/993
Sickmann, Z., Chheda, T., Capaldi, T., Thomson K., Paull, C., Graham S., 2019, Using Provenance Analysis in an Anthropocene natural laboratory: Detrital signal propagation and sediment budgets; Quaternary Science Review, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.105890
Odlum, M.L., Stockli, D.F., Capaldi, T. N., Thomson, K.D., Fildani, A., Clark, J.D., and Puigdefàbregas, C., 2019, Tectonic and sediment provenance evolution of the South Eastern Pyrenean foreland basins during rift margin inversion and orogenic uplitft: Tectonophysics, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2019.05.008

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

link
USGS Research Geologist standing in front of terrace deposit

Surficial Working Group

The Surficial Working Group supports the Geologic Framework of the Intermountain West Project by performing research activities related to better understanding the roles of tectonics and hydrology in landscape evolution.
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
link

Surficial Working Group

The Surficial Working Group supports the Geologic Framework of the Intermountain West Project by performing research activities related to better understanding the roles of tectonics and hydrology in landscape evolution.
Learn More
link
Decorative banner image of Color cathodoluminescence (CL) image of zircons

USGS Geochron: A database of USGS geochronological and thermochronological data

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed an updated geochronology database (USGS Geochron) to include geochronology summary and analytical data created or funded by the USGS.
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
link

USGS Geochron: A database of USGS geochronological and thermochronological data

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed an updated geochronology database (USGS Geochron) to include geochronology summary and analytical data created or funded by the USGS.
Learn More
link
Mt. Ouray, Colorado with aspen colors

Geologic Framework of the Intermountain West

The Geologic Framework of the Intermountain West (IMW) Project is creating a seamless, integrated, geologic map database that spans the Intermountain West region. The database will serve enhanced geologic map data to support geoscience research, environmental and resource assessments, and the communication of geologic information for all U.S. Geological Survey stakeholders. This innovative...
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
link

Geologic Framework of the Intermountain West

The Geologic Framework of the Intermountain West (IMW) Project is creating a seamless, integrated, geologic map database that spans the Intermountain West region. The database will serve enhanced geologic map data to support geoscience research, environmental and resource assessments, and the communication of geologic information for all U.S. Geological Survey stakeholders. This innovative...
Learn More

USGS Geochron: A Database of Geochronological and Thermochronological Dates and Data (ver. 3.0, May 2024)

USGS Geochron is a database of geochronological and thermochronological dates and data. The data set contains published ages, dates, analytical information, sample metadata including location, and source citations. The following analytical techniques are represented in the data set: 40Ar/39Ar, K-Ar, U-Th-Pb, Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr, Lu-Hf, fission track, and luminescence. This data set incorporates data prev

By
Community for Data Integration (CDI), Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
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