Skip to main content
West Virginia University Department of Geology and Geography Dr. Jaime Toro Professor of Geology
Eberly College of Arts and Science

Research

Active Research

Application of  Raman Spectroscopy of Organic Matter for Paleothermometry

  • Developed a simplified methodology for determining maximum paleotemperature of coals and black shales
  • 2023 GSA presentation

Tectonic Evolution of the Koyukuk Basin, Alaska

  • In collaboration with Victoria Pease and Simone Seminara (Stockholm University), we are carrying out field work and sedimentary provenance analysis of this poorly understood Cretaceous basin of  interior Alaska.
  • Maps and Photos of 2023 field work near Unalakleet by J. Toro and Shadya El-Ashkar
  • 2022 GSA presentation.

Zircon Geochronology of Middle Devonian (Tioga) Ash Beds in the Marcellus Shale

  • Project with Amy Weislogel, Jessica Hayward (MS 2012) and Chantelle Parrish (MS) (WVU) and Joe Wooden (Stanford) funded the the Advanced Energy Initiative
  • Presentation given at University of Pittsburgh and WV Geological and Economic Survey. Oct 2012.
Tectonic Evolution of Chukotka (NE Russia)
  • Collaborative Project with Elizabeth Miller (Stanford), Marinna Tushkova (Russsian Academy of Sciences, Moscow), and Sergey Sokolov (Russsian Academy of Sciences, Moscow)
  • Does the Brooks Range Fold-and-Thrust Belt Continue into Arctic Russia? Pending proposal to NSF Polar Programs
  • AGU 2004 Presentation
  • Deformation History of Central Chukotka (Alarmaut Uplift) Northeastern Arctic Russia
    *S M Katkov, E E Miller, I I Podgorny, J Toro AGU 2004
  • Triassic terrigeneous deposits of Western Chukotka: sedimentation, mineral composition, deformations (NE Russia) *M I Tuchkova, G Y Bondarenko, E L Miller, S M Katkov

Intelligent Systems Approach to Reservoir Characterization

  • Collaborative Project with Shahab Mohaghegh (Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering) and Tom Wilson.
  • Funded by DOE NETL
  • M.S. Thesis- Alejandro Sanchez (asanchez@geo.wvu.edu)- 3D SEISMIC INTERPRETATION AND SYNTHETIC MODELING OF THE ATOKA AND MORROW FORMATIONS, IN THE BUFFALO VALLEY FIELD (DELAWARE BASIN, N.M, CHAVES CO.) FOR RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION USING NEURAL NETWORKS
  • AAPG 2004 Eastern Section Abstract 

Fault-related gas reservoirs in the Appalachian Foreland

  • M.S. Thesis -Craig A. Edmonds (Craig_Edmonds@DOM.com) - NATURAL GAS EXPLORATION ASSOCIATED WITH FRACTURE SYSTEMS IN ALLEGHENIAN THRUST FAULTS IN THE GREENBRIER FORMATION, SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
  • Sponsored by Dominion Exploration and Production
  • AAPG 2004 Eastern Section Abstract 

Extensional Deformation in the York Mountains, Seward Peninsula, Alaska

  • EDMAP project funded by the USGS and WVU Senate Grant.
M.S. Project -Laura Burnette (lburnette@geo.wvu.edu)

North to Alaska - Sept. 2003 story in the Mountaineer Spirit

2004 Northeastern GSA Presentation 

3D Structural and Kinematic Model of the Hope Basin, Alaska 
  • M.S. Project- Virginia Elswick (vaelswick@hotmail.com)
  • See abstract and download PDF files of Virginia's Thesis (2003) 
  • 2003 GSA Presentation in Seattle: SEISMIC INTERPRETATION AND STRUCTURAL EVALUATION OF THE HOPE BASIN, ALASKA
    • Virginia Elswick is currently working for Schlumberger in Oklahoma.

  Mesozoic rifting in the Middle Magdalena Basin, Colombia  

  • M.S. Project- Luisa Rolon Vidal (lrolon@geo.wvu.edu)
    • Contact me for a PDF of the abstract submited to the VIII Congress on Petroleum Exploration in the Subandean Basins, Cartagena, Sep. 2003.
 Kinematic and Thermal History of the Verkhoyansk Fold and Thrust Belt (Eastern Siberia) 
  • Funded by EXXON-Mobil
  • 2001 GSA- PowerPoint presentation on the South Verkhoyansk
  • 2004 AGU- PowerPoint presentation
SHRIMP-RG and Partial Dissolution U-Pb Geochronology of the Brooks Range Orthogneisses (Alaska)