Schmitt

Professor of Geology

Contact Information:

Office:   Traphagen Hall 109-109A
Email:   jschmitt@montana.edu

Office Hours: Spring 2016

Monday: 1:00-2:00
Wednesday: 9:00-10:00

Education:

B.S., University of Michigan, 1977
M.S., University of Wyoming, 1979
Ph.D., University of Wyoming, 1982

Courses Taught:

GEO 105 Oceanography
GEO 140 Planetary Geoscience
GEO 307 Sedimentary Petrology

Research Interests:

My research interests in sedimentary geology include understanding: 1) relations between tectonics and sedimentation in foreland and extensional basins, 2) tectonic controls on the dispersal of sediment from orogenic belts to alluvial basins, and 3) the sedimentology and facies analysis of modern alluvial fans and ancient alluvial fan deposits.

I also have research interest in vertebrate paleontology, including taphonomy of bone beds and nesting grounds, deciphering processes of exceptional fossil preservation, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction of fossil-bearing strata.

I will not be accepting any new graduate students for the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 academic years.

Current Graduate Students:

Cody Bodman
Jack Boski
Casey Reid
Kimberly Roush

Selected Publications:

Sedimentary Geology

Lageson, D.R., Schmitt, J.G., Burton, B., Kalakay, T.J., and Horton, B.K., 2001, Influence of Late Cretaceous magmatism on the Sevier orogenic wedge: Geology, v. 29., p.723-726.

Cooley, J.T., and Schmitt, J.G., 1998, An anastomosed fluvial system in the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) of southwest Montana: Modern Geology,v.22, p.171-208.

Horton, B.K., and Schmitt, J.G., 1998, Development and exhumation of a Neogene sedimentary basin during extension, east-central Nevada: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 110, p. 163-172.

Horton, B.K., and Schmitt, J.G., 1996, Sedimentology of a lacustrine fan-delta system, Miocene Horse Camp Formation, Nevada, USA: Sedimentology, v. 43, p. 133-155.

Lageson, D.R., and Schmitt, J.G., 1994, The Sevier orogenic belt of the western United States: Recent advances in understanding its structural and sedimentologic framework, in M.V. Caputo, J.A. Peterson and K. J. Franczyk, (eds.), Mesozoic Systems of the Rocky Mountain Region, USA, Society for Sedimentary Geology, Rocky Mountain Section, P. 27-64.

Lawton, T.F., Boyer, S.E., and Schmitt, J.G., 1994, Influence of inherited taper on structural variability and conglomerate distribution, Cordilleran fold and thrust belt, western United States: Geology, v. 22, p. 339-342.

Schmitt, J.G., Jones, D.A., and Goldstrand, P.M., 1991, Braided stream deposition and provenance of the late Cretaceous-Paleocene(?) Canaan Peak Formation, Sevier foreland basin, southwestern Utah: Geological Society of America Special Paper 260, p. 27-45.

Schmitt, J.G. and Steidtmann, J.R., 1991, Interior ramp-supported uplifts: Implications for sediment provenance in foreland basins: Geological Society of America Bulletin, vol. 102, p. 494-501.

Vandervoort, D.S. and Schmitt, J.G., 1990, Cretaceous to early Tertiary paleogeography in the hinterland of the Sevier thrust belt, east-central Nevada: Geology, vol. 18, p. 567-570.

Steidtmann, J.R. and Schmitt, J.G., 1988, Provenance and dispersal of tectogenic sediment in thin-skinned thrusted terranes, in K. Kleinspehn and C. Paola, eds., New Perspectives in Basin Analysis, Springer-Verlag, New York, p. 353-366.

Vertebrate Paleontology and Taphonomy

Jackson, F.J., Garrido, A., Schmitt, J.G., Chiappe. L.M., Dingus, L., and Loope, D., in press, Abnormal, multi-layered titanosaurid (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) eggs from in situ clutches at the Auca Maheuvo locality, Neuquen Province, Argentina: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

Chiappe, L.M., Schmitt, J.G., Jackson, F.J., Garrido, A., Dingus, L., and Grellet-Tinner, G., 2004, First nest structures for sauropod dinosaurs: Palaios, v. 19, p.89-95.

Schweitzer, M.H., Jackson, F.D., Chiappe, L.M., Schmitt, J.G., Calvo, J., and Rubilar, D., 2002, Late Cretaceous avian eggs with embryos from Argentina: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 22, p. 191-195.

Jackson, F.J., Schweitzer, M. H., and Schmitt, J.G., 2002, Dinosaur eggshell study using scanning electron microscopy: SCANNING, v. 24, p. 217-223.

Horner, J.R., Schmitt, J.G., Jackson, F.J., and Hanna, R., 2001, Bones and rocks of the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine-Judith River clastic wedge complex, Montana: Guidebook for Field Trips of the 61st Annual Meeting, Society for Vertebrate Paleontology, Museum of the Rockies Occasional Paper No. 3, p. 3-13.