Phillip B Gans

Associate Professor
Department of Geological Sciences University of California Santa Barbara

Ph.D. Stanford University, 1988

Webb 1034
Office: (805)893-2642
Fax: (805)893-2314

gans@geology.ucsb.edu

 

Structural geology, tectonics, continental magmatism, field geology, 40Ar/39Ar geochronology

 

RESEARCH

My interests lie in the general fields of structural geology and tectonics and are focused on deformational and thermal processes within the continental lithosphere. My research is mainly in the field of Extensional Tectonics and is focused on exactly how continents rift and the relationship between extension and magmatism. I make most of my observations and draw much of my scientific inspiration from field-based investigations. My research projects generally involve detailed geologic mapping of critical areas followed by appropriate laboratory measurements (e.g., radiometric dating, geochemical analyses) and numerical modeling in order to better understand the structural and/or thermal process under study. Recent work has focused on the Cenozoic evolution of the Basin and Range province of the western U.S. and on the origin of Cretaceous gneiss domes in Arctic Alaska and northeast Russia. Current and future studies will expanded on these themes and will focus on the evolution of the Mexican Basin and Range province and the structural evolution of gneiss domes on the Tibetan plateau.

 

Specific interests in:

 

Current investigations: Click a location

 

 

 

TEACHING

Courses

 

Graduate Students

 

PUBLICATIONS AND RECENT ABSTRACTS

 

  • Gans, P. B.(in press) Large-magnitude Oligo-Miocene extension in southern Sonora: Implications for the tectonic evolution of northwest MexicoTectonics

     

  • Gans, P. B., Miller, E. L., Huggins, C. C., and Lee. J. (in press) Geologic map of the Little Horse Canyon Quadrangle, Nevada and Utah Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Field Studies Map, Reno

     

  • Gans, P. B., Miller, E. L., and Lee. J. (in press) Geologic map of the Spring Mountain Quadrangle, Nevada, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Field Studies Map, Reno

     

  • Lee, J., and Gans, P. B., (in press) Geologic map of the Morman Jack Pass Quadrangle, Nevada, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Field Studies Map, Reno

     

  • Lee, J., Gans, P. B., and Miller, E. L. (in press) Geologic map of the Third Butte East Quadrangle, Nevada, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Field Studies Map, Reno

     

  • Lee, J., Miller, E. L., Gans, P. B., and Huggins, C. C. (in press) Geologic map of the Mount Moriah Quadrangle, Nevada, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Field Studies Map

     

  • Miller, E. L., and Gans, P. B., (in press) Geologic map of the Cove Quadrangle, Nevada, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Field Studies Map

     

  • Miller, E. L., Gans, P. B., Grier, S. P., Huggins, C. C., and Lee. J. (in press) Geologic map of the Old Mans Canyon Quadrangle, Nevada, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Field Studies Map

     

  • Miller, E. L. and Gans, P. B., ( in press) Geologic map of the Wheeler Peak and Minerva quadrangles, U. S. Geological Survey Open File Report.

     

  • Dilles, J. H. and Gans, P. B. (1995) The chronology of Cenozoic volcanism and deformation in the Yerington area, western Basin-and-Range and Walker Lane. Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 107, p. 474-486.

     

  • Dumitru, T. A., Miller, E. L., O'Sullivan, P. B., Amato, J. M., Hannula, K. A., Calvert, A. T, and Gans, P. B. (1995) Cretaceous to Recent Extension in the Bering Strait Region, Alaska, Tectonics, v. 14, p. 549-563.

     

  • Faulds, J. E., Feuerbach, D. L., Reagon, M. K., Metcalf, R. V., Gans, P. B., and Walker, J. D. (1995) The Mt. Perkins block, northwestern Arizona: An exposed cross section of an evolving, pre- to syn-extensional magmatic system, Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 100, p. 15,249-15,266.

     

  • Miller, E. L., Gans, P. B., and Grier, S. P. (1995) Geologic map of the Windy Peak 7.5' quadrangle, White Pine County, Nevada, U.S. Geological Survey Open File Map OF 94-0687.

     

  • Howard, K. A., Gans, P. B., John, B. E., Davis, G. A., and Anderson, J. L. (1995) A guide to Miocene extension and magmatism in the lower Colorado River region, Nevada, Arizona, and California, U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report, OF 94-0246.

     

  • Amato, J. M, Wright, J. E., Gans, P. B., and Miller, E. L. (1994) Magmatically induced metamorphism and deformation in the Kigluaik gneiss dome, Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Tectonics, v 13, p. 515-527.

     

  • Little, T. A., Holcombe, R. J., Gibson, G. M., Offler, R., Gans, P. B., and McWilliams, M. O. (1992) Exhumation of Late Paleozoic blueschists in Queensland, Australia, by extensional faulting. Geology, v. 20, p 231-234.

     

  • Dumitru, T. A., Gans, P. B., Foster, D. A., and Miller, E. L. (1991) Refrigeration of the western Cordilleran lithosphere during Laramide shallow angle subduction. Geology, v.Ê19, p. 1145-1149.

     

  • Miller, E. L., and Gans, P. B. (1990) Cretaceous crustal structure and metamorphism in the hinterland of the Sevier thrust belt, western U. S. Cordillera: Reply to comment. Geology. REPLY

     

  • Smith, D. L., Miller, E. L., and Gans, P. B. (1990) Palinspastic restoration of Cenozoic extension, eastern Basin and Range province, Nevada. Geological Society of Nevada, Special Volume: Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin.

     

  • Gans, P. B., G. A. Mahood, and E. Schermer. (1989) Synextensional magmatism in the Basin and Range province: A case study from the eastern Great Basin. Geol. Soc. America Special Paper 233, 53 p.

     

  • Miller, E. L., and Gans, P. B. (1989) Cretaceous crustal structure and metamorphism in the hinterland of the Sevier thrust belt, western U. S. Cordillera. Geology,v.Ê17, p.Ê59-62.

     

  • Hagstrum, J. T., andGans, P. B. (1989) Paleomagnetism of the Kalamazoo Tuff: Implications for Middle Tertiary extension in east-central Nevada. Jour. Geophysical Research, v. 94, p. 1827-1842.

     

  • Miller, E. L., Gans, P. B., J. E. Wright, and J. F. Sutter. (1989) Metamorphic history of the east-central Basin and Range province: Tectonic setting and relationship to magmatism. In Ernst, W. G., ed., Metamorphism and Crustal Evolution, Western Coterminous United States, Rubey Volume VII: Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, p. 649-682.

     

  • Miller, E. L.,Gans, P. B., and J. Lee. (1987) The Snake Range Decollement. In Geological Society of America Centennial Field Guide, v. 1, pp. 77-82 - Cordilleran Section.

     

  • Gans, P. B. (1987) An open-system, two-layer crustal stretching model for the eastern Great Basin. Tectonics, v. 6, p. 1-12.

     

  • Gans, P. B., E. L. Miller, J. McCarthy, and M. L. Ouldcott. (1985) Tertiary extensional faulting and evolving ductile-brittle transition zones in the northern Snake Range and vicinity: New insights from seismic data. Geology, v. 13, p. 189-193.

     

  • Gans, P. B., and E. L. Miller. (1985) Comment on "The Snake Range decollement interpreted as a major extensional shear zone" by John M. Bartley and Brian P. Wernicke. Tectonics, v. 4, p. 411-415.

     

  • Miller, E. L., Gans, P. B., and J. Garing. (1983) The Snake Range decollement: An exhumed mid-Tertiary ductile-brittle transition. Tectonics, v. 2, p. 239-263.

     

  • Gans, P. B., and E. L. Miller. (1983) Style of mid-Tertiary extension in east-central Nevada. Utah Geol. and Mineral Survey Special Studies 59, p. 107-160.

     

 

Abstracts
  • Gans, P. B. (1996) Large-magnitude Oligo-Miocene extension in southern Sonora: Implications for the tectonic evolution of northwest Mexico EOS Transactions, AGU, v.77 p. 641.

     

  • Miller, J. M., John, B. E., andGans, P. B. (1996) Extensional strain models evaluated by coeval sedimentary record, Colorado River extensional corridor, Geol. Soc. America Abstracts With Programs, v. 28 , p. 511.

     

  • Vogl, J. J., and Gans, P. B. (1996) Post-subduction deformation and metamorphism in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska, Geol. Soc. America Abstracts with Programs, v., p.

     

  • Lee, J., Rubin, C., Austin, K., Blanton, W., Cadena, A., Johanson, E., and Gans, P. B. (1996) Quaternary faulting along the Deep Springs fault, California, EOS Transactions, AGU, v. 77, p. 461.

     

  • Calvert, A. T., and Gans, P. B. (1996) Jurassic (?) kyanite grade metamorphism and earliest Cretaceons exhumation of the Senyavin complex, Chuckchi Peninsula, NE Russia, EOS Transaction, AGU, v. 77, p. 767.

     

  • Lueddecke-Pinter, S. B., Pinter, N., Gans, P. B. (1995) Single-crystal 40Ar/39Ar dating of Plio-Pleistocene rhyolitic ashes along the White Mountain front, Geological Society of America Abstract with Programs, v. 27, no. 6, p. 175.

     

  • Gans, P. B., Calvert, A.T., Dinklage, W.S. and Akinin, V.V. (1995) A Geologic Reconnaissance of the Senyavin Metamorphic Complex, Chukotka Peninsula, Northeast Russia EOS Transactions, v. 76, no. 46, p. F589.

     

  • Calvert, A.T. and Gans, P. B. (1995) A Reexamination of the Late Cretaceous Cooling History of the Kigluaik Gneiss Dome, Seward Peninsula, Alaska EOS Transactions, v. 76, no. 46, p. F589.

     

  • Sieh, K., Gans, P. B. (1994) Active tectonics of Sumatra, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 26, no. 7, p. 382.

     

  • Toro, J., and Gans, P. B. (1994) Structure and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of the Igikpak Gneiss, Brooks Range, Alaska, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 26, no. 7, p. 195.

     

  • Hopson, C. A., Gans, P. B., Baer, E., Blythe, A., Calvert, A., and Pinnow, J. (1994) Spirit Mountain pluton, southern Nevada: A progress report, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 26, n. 2, p. 60.

     

  • Faulds, J. E., Gans, P. B., and Smith, E. I. (1994) Spatial and temporal patterns of extension in the northern Colorado River extensional corridor, northwestern Arizona and southern Nevada, Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. Programs, v. 26, no. 2, p. 51.

     

  • Gans, P. B., Landau, B., and Darvall, P. (1994) Ashes, ashes, all fall down: Caldera-forming eruptions and extensional collapse of the Eldorado Mountains, southern Nevada, Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. Programs, v. 26, no. 2, p. 53.

     

  • Nauert, J. and Gans, P. B. (1994a) 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of whole rock basalts, Abstracts of the Eigth International Conference on Geochronology, Cosmochronology, and Isotope Geology (USGS CIRCULAR 1107), ed. by M.A. Lanphere, G.B. Dalrymple, and B.D. Turrin, p. 231.

     

  • Nauert, J. and Gans, P. B. (1994b) 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of whole rock basalts: examples from the Patsy Mine and Mt. Davis volcanics, Eldorado Mountains, Southern Nevada, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs (Cordilleran Section), p. 76.

     

 

Complete list of published abstracts