Ray Salazar
Degrees Held
B.Sc., Earth Sciences – Geology focus; Montana State University, 2021
Degree Sought:
M.S. Earth Sciences
Advisor:
Research Project:
Understanding Yellowstone’s Youngest Supereruption Through Remapping the Sour Creek Dome
My research interests involve mapping and geochemical analysis of volcanic rock units. Currently, I am working on a part of the Lava Creek Tuff in Yellowstone National Park. The Lava Creek Tuff is Yellowstone’s least understood supereruption, despite being the youngest of three. Recent work done on the Sour Creek Resurgent Dome in Yellowstone has revealed two ignimbrite units, mapped as the older Huckleberry Ridge Tuff, are actually associated with the Lava Creek Tuff. My research focuses on remapping the geology of the Sour Creek Dome to characterize these newly recognized ignimbrite units and determine if they are part of the Lava Creek Tuff sequence. This will be done using a variety of techniques such as field mapping, petrographic descriptions, and chemical analyses.
Preferred Email Address:
Research and Professional Experience:
Master’s Research
- Advisor: Madison Myers, “Disentangling the Lava Creek Tuff Through Remapping the Sour Creek Dome, Yellowstone”
Undergraduate Research
- Advisor: Madison Myers, “Petrographic Descriptions and thermobarometry of the Lava Creek Tuff”
Publications and Presentations:
Conference Presentations
Salazar, R., Myers, M., Wilson, C. J.N., Henderson, S., “Disentangling the Lava Creek Tuff eruption through remapping of sour creek dome, Yellowstone National Park”, GSA 2021 Fall Meeting, Portland, OR
Research Related Publications
Salazar, R., Grimes, J., “Pushing the boundaries: Montana State University updates Yellowstone’s geologic map”
Salazar, R., Myers, M., Wilson, Colin., “Exciting insights into Yellowstone’s youngest supereruption”