Elizabeth Petrie PhD

Biography

What is your favorite thing about teaching in the Gunnison Valley?

The Gunnison Valley is a great place to learn and teach geology. We can access the three main rock types from campus in less than five miles. We can explore both ancient and modern processes that shape our world, including Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks exposed at Hartman Rocks, volcaniclastics of the West Elk Mountains, the fossil-rich Morrison formation, and examples of modern landslide deposits that challenge today’s infrastructure.

What most excites you about your field?

I study structural geology, and specifically how rocks deform and how this deformation influences the movement of subsurface fluids. This topic applies to earthquake processes, distribution of energy and mineral resources, and subsurface storage of carbon dioxide or other waste materials. As technological advancements push to expand what is possible in the energy business, a thorough understanding of geologic processes and resource distribution makes for both a rewarding field of study and career.

I am excited to prepare students via a mix of coursework, fieldwork, and independent research to meet the challenges of providing accessible and sustainable energy.

Courses Taught

• GEOL 101 & 105 – Physical Geology & Lab
• GEOL 240 – Introduction to Petroleum and Mining Geology
• GEOL 345 – Structural Geology
• GEOL 346 – Subsurface Geology
• GEOL 352 – Applied Geophysics
• GEOL 435 – Research in Structure and Tectonics
• GEOL 450 – Field Geology
• GEOL 453 – Advanced Field Geology
• GEOL 455 – Petroleum Geology
• GEOL 495 – Research Seminar in Geology
• GEOL 497 – Special Topic: Career Pathways in Geology
• GEOL 497 – Special Topic: Research in Structure and Tectonics

Research Interests

Structural geology, fracture analysis, rock mechanics and fracture development. Specifically, I study fracture development and propagation, and the history of fluid flow through permeable, subsurface fractures in and across various sedimentary rock types. My research combines quantitative observations from outcrop, laboratory experiments, and subsurface data sets to understand the formation and distribution of subsurface fractures and fault zones. I focus on the role variations in rock mechanical properties have on failure across many scales of observation.

Research in Progress

• Fault zone architecture and permeability development
• Structural diagenesis – the creation and destruction of porosity and permeability due to deformation
• Rock mechanics and fault zone processes
• Fracture distribution and morphology in fine-grained lithologies

Student Mentoring