Nicholas E Powell

I joined the Florence Bascom Geoscience Center in the fall of 2022 as a Geologist working in the Bascom 40Ar/39Ar Dating (BARD) Lab. Prior to this, I received a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from Appalachian State University in 2019, and a Master of Science degree in geological sciences from University of Kentucky in 2021. My research is focused largely on combining observations of rock and mineral textures, geochemical data, and radiometric dating to not only characterize what chemical reactions have been recorded in a rock’s history, but also when those reactions may have occurred. This information is vital to the production of accurate and detailed geologic maps developed within and outside of Florence Bascom Geoscience Center, and also provides important context to the mining industry on what resources may be available in the bedrock geology and the purity of said resources. From a purely theoretical science standpoint, my work also allows for larger interpretations of earth history, such as one of my specific research topics of how the Appalachians formed and deformed under tectonic stresses.

In addition to working in the BARD lab, I also manage the Reston Mineral Separation Lab, in which I work to isolate pure mineral separates from rocks for the purposes of analysis and radiometric dating. I also often work in the Reston Microbeam Facility on our scanning electron microscope and electron microprobe to characterize mineral chemistry, abundances, and textures.