Ray Wells
Ray Wells is a research geologist in the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center. He is a structural geologist investigating the tectonic and volcanic evolution of the Pacific Northwest.
Ray Wells received his B.S. in Geological Science from Penn State, his M.S. from University of Oregon, and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He has 45 years of field experience documenting the geologic structure and earthquake hazards of the Cascadia convergent margin in Oregon and Washington, focusing primarily on the Coast Range, Seattle - Portland urban corridor, and the Columbia River Gorge.
Professional Experience
2020-current, Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey
2017-Research Associate, Portland State University, Portland, OR
2016-Research Geologist Emeritus, U.S. Geological Survey
1995-2013 Project Chief, Pacific Northwest Urban Corridor Geologic Mapping, USGS, Menlo Park, CA
1991-1996 Cascadia Regional Coordinator - USGS Deep Continental Surveys
1981-2016 Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey
1980 Geologist, Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources
1978-1980 Research Assistant, University of California, Santa Cruz
1976-1977 Teaching Assistant, University of California, Santa Cruz
1975-1976 Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey
1974 Geological Field Assistant, Mobil Oil Corp., Tyee Basin
1972-1974 Teaching Assistant, University of Oregon
1971 Geological Field Assistant, Johns-Mannville Ltd, Stillwater Complex
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Geology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1982
M.S., Geology, University of Oregon, 1975
B.S., Geology, Art, Pennsylvania State University, 1972
Affiliations and Memberships*
1977 - Current, American Geophysical Union
1974 - Current, Geological Society of America
1990 - Current, Seismological Society of America
Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
Bureau of Reclamation
Portland State University
Honors and Awards
Distinguished Service Award of the Department of the Interior
2017 Geological Society of America’s Geologic Mapping Award in honor of Florence Bascom
Science and Products
Geologic map of the Tillamook Highlands, northwest Oregon Coast Range: A digital database
Tectonic setting of the Portland-Vancouver area, Oregon and Washington: Constraints from low-altitude aeromagnetic data
Geologic map of the Tillamook Highlands, northwest Oregon Coast Range (Tillamook, Nehalem, Enright, Timber, Fairdale, and Blaine 15 minute quadrangles)
Klamath Falls earthquakes, September 20, 1993 — Including the strongest quake ever measured in Oregon
The Cenozoic geology of the Oregon and Washington Coast Range and road log for the Northwest Petroleum Association 9th annual field trip: Cenozoic geology of coastal northwest Oregon
Coccolith-bearing late middle Eocene kerogen shale, Tillamook Highlands, northwest Oregon Coast Range
Aeromagnetic map of the Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan area, Oregon and Washington
Cascadia; regional lithospheric studies of the Pacific Northwest
Neogene rotations and quasicontinuous deformation of the Pacific Northwest continental margin
Cenozoic evolution of the continental margin of Oregon and Washington
Off-fault ground ruptures in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California: Ridge-top spreading versus tectonic extension during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Magnetic fabric, flow directions, and source area of the Lower Miocene Peach Springs Tuff in Arizona, California, and Nevada
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 105
Geologic map of the Tillamook Highlands, northwest Oregon Coast Range: A digital database
No abstract available.AuthorsRay E. Wells, Parke D. Snavely, Norman S. MacLeod, Michael M. Kelley, Michael J. Parker, Johanna S. Fenton, Tracey J. FelgerTectonic setting of the Portland-Vancouver area, Oregon and Washington: Constraints from low-altitude aeromagnetic data
Seismic activity in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area may be associated with various mapped faults that locally offset volcanic basement of Eocene age and younger. This volcanic basement is concealed in most places by young deposits, vegetation, and urban development. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted an aeromagnetic survey in September 1992 to investigate the extent of these mapped faulAuthorsR. J. Blakely, R. E. Wells, T.S. Yelin, I. P. Madin, M.H. BeesonGeologic map of the Tillamook Highlands, northwest Oregon Coast Range (Tillamook, Nehalem, Enright, Timber, Fairdale, and Blaine 15 minute quadrangles)
No abstract available.AuthorsR. E. Wells, P. D. Snavely, N. S. MacLeod, M. M. Kelly, M. J. ParkerKlamath Falls earthquakes, September 20, 1993 — Including the strongest quake ever measured in Oregon
Earthquakes struck the Klamath Falls area on Monday night, September 20, 1993, resulting in two deaths and extensive damage. The quakes were felt as far away as Coos Bay to the west, Eugene to the north, Lakeview to the east, and Chico, California, to the south. A foreshock recorded at 8:16 p.m. had a Richter magnitude of 3.9. The first of two main shocks, measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, rumblAuthorsT. J. Wiley, David R. Sherrod, David K. Keefer, Anthony Qamar, Robert L. Schuster, James W. Dewey, Matthew A. Mabey, Gerald L. Black, Ray WellsThe Cenozoic geology of the Oregon and Washington Coast Range and road log for the Northwest Petroleum Association 9th annual field trip: Cenozoic geology of coastal northwest Oregon
No abstract available.AuthorsP. D. Snavely, R. E. Wells, D. L. MinasianCoccolith-bearing late middle Eocene kerogen shale, Tillamook Highlands, northwest Oregon Coast Range
No abstract available.AuthorsP. D. Snavely, David Bukry, R. E. WellsAeromagnetic map of the Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan area, Oregon and Washington
No abstract available.AuthorsStephen L. Snyder, T.J. Felger, R. J. Blakely, R. E. WellsCascadia; regional lithospheric studies of the Pacific Northwest
No abstract available.AuthorsRay E. WellsNeogene rotations and quasicontinuous deformation of the Pacific Northwest continental margin
Paleomagnetically determined rotations about vertical axes of 15 to 12 Ma flows of the Miocene Columbia River Basalt Group of Oregon and Washington decrease smoothly with distance from the plate margin, consistent with a simple physical model for continental deformation that assumes the lithosphere behaves as a thin layer of fluid. The average rate of northward translation of the continental margiAuthorsPhilip England, Ray E. WellsCenozoic evolution of the continental margin of Oregon and Washington
No abstract available.AuthorsP. D. Snavely, Ray E. WellsOff-fault ground ruptures in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California: Ridge-top spreading versus tectonic extension during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
The Ms 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake of 18 October 1989 produced abundant ground ruptures in an 8 by 4 km area along Summit Road and Skyland Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Predominantly extensional fissures formed a left-stepping, crudely en echelon pattern along ridges of the hanging-wall block southwest of the San Andreas fault, about 12 km northwest of the epicenter. The fissures are subparallAuthorsDaniel J. Ponti, Ray E. WellsMagnetic fabric, flow directions, and source area of the Lower Miocene Peach Springs Tuff in Arizona, California, and Nevada
Uses anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) to define the flow fabric and possible source area of the Peach Springs Tuff, a widespread rhyolitic ash flow tuff in the Mojave Desert and Great Basin of California, Arizona, and Nevada. Lineation and imbrication indicate a source region near the southern tip of Nevada. The optimum intersection of magnetic lineations lies in the southern Black MounAuthorsJ. W. Hillhouse, R. E. Wells - Science
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*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