Kathleen Benison Professor Ph.D. in Geology (1997), University of Kansas Office:  314 Brooks Hall Phone:  (989) 774-4494   Fax:  (989) 774-2142 Email:   benis1kc@cmich.edu

COURSES TAUGHT:

Physical Geology, Earth History, Sedimentation and Stratigraphy, Marine Geology, Glacial Geomorphology and Landforms, Global Change, Paleoclimate, Current Issues in Science and Technology

RESEARCH PROGRAM AND GOALS:

I am a sedimentary geologist and geochemist interested in deciphering past environments, water chemistry (including salinity, pH, termperature, and major, minor, and trace elemets), climate, and life from the clues contained in sedimentary rocks, especially evaporites and red beds, as well as their fluid inclusions. To do this, one needs to try to understand relationships among the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. A combination of field work, analyses of natural samples in the lab, and lab experiments helps me in these endeavors.

I also study diagenesis, any physical, chemical, or biological changes that occur to sediments and sedimentary rocks over time.  Some diagenetic features, such as cements, form from groundwater.  So some diagenetic features can be proxies for groundwater chemistry and temperature.

My main research project is a comprehensive study of acid saline lake and groundwater systems in southern Western Australia. I also study modern acid lakes in Chile and Victoria, Australia, and Permian acid saline lake deposits in the mid-continent of the U.S. This work has implications for red bed formation, life in extreme environments, role of long-term weathering on brine evolution, and a better understanding of Mars.
      
    A second current study aims to unravel late Paleozoic - Mesozoic geologic history for the central portion of the Michigan Basin from the study of newly-discovered red bed units here.  As a result of field work and coring, we have proposed two new formations for previously-undescribed sedimentary rocks in the Michigan Basin.   The late Pennsylvanian - Permian "haybridge formation" consists of coals, red sandstones and shales, and gray shales.  The haybridge formation records streams, floodplains, and  forests  and contains an abundant and diverse plant fossil assemblage, as well as evidence of fires and soil formation.  The "pewamo sandstone" is an aeolian quartz sandstone with iron oxide diagenetic features such as iron oxide cements, concretions, and Lisegang bands. 

RECENT PUBLICATIONS: (student authors underlined):

• Bowen, B.B. and Benison, K.C., in press, Geochemical characteristics of naturally acid and alkaline saline lakes in southern Western Australia: Applied Geochemistry
• Benison, K.C., 2008, Life and death around acid-saline lakes: Palaios, v. 23, p. 571-573.
• Benison, K.C., LaClair, D.A., and Walker, J.W., 2008, Acid waters as physical sedimentology agents: Implications for Mars: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 288, p. 330-337.
• Bowen, B.B., Benison, K.C., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., Story, S., Mormile, M.R., 2008, Active hematite concretion formation in modern acid saline lake sediments, Lake Brown, Western Australia: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 288, p. 52-63.
• Benison, K.C. , Jagniecki, E.A., Edwards, T.B., Mormile, M.R., and Storrie-Lombardi, M., 2008, "Hairy blobs": Microbial suspects from modern and ancient ephemeral acid saline evaporites: Astrobiology, v. 8, p. 523-538.
• Mormile, M.R., Hong, B-y., Adams, N.T., Benison, K.C., and Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., 2007, Characterization of moderately halo-acidophilic bacterium isolated from Lake Brown, Western Australia: in Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology, Hoover, R.B., Levin, G.V., Rozanov, A.Y., and Davies, P.C.W., eds., Proceedings of SPIE, pp. 66940-1 - 66940-8.
• Benison, K.C., Bowen, B.B., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E, Jagniecki, E.A., LaClair, D.A., Story, S.L., Mormile, M.R., and Hong, B.Y., 2007, Sedimentology of acid saline lakes in southern WesternAustralia: Newly described processes and products of an extreme environment: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 77, no. 5, pp. 366-388.
• Benison, K.C. and Bowen, B.B., 2006Acid saline lake systems give clues about past environments and the search for life on Mars: Icarus, v. 183, p. 225-229.
• Benison, K.C., 2006, A Martian Analog in Kansas: Comparing martian strata with Permian acid saline lake deposits: Geology, v. 34, n. 5, p. 385-388.
• Benison, K.C., 2005, Artificial outcrops give real experience in interpreting a geologic history: The CMUland group project for historical geology students: Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 53, n. 5, p. 501-507.

RECENT GRANT AWARDS:

• Benison, K.C. (with Bowen, B.B, and Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E.), National Science Foundation, Sedimentary Geology and Paleobiology program, EAR-0719822, $257,982 (Benison budget only), “Collaborative Research: The evolution of extremely acid lakes and groundwaters in Western Australia"; 2008 - 2011
• Sirbescu, M.C., Benison, K.C.,  Student, J.J., and Tecklenburg, M.M., National Science Foundation, Major Research Instrumentation Program, $70,000, “MRI: An advanced fluid and melt inclusion laboratory"; 2008 - 2010
• Benison, K.C. and Joanne Dannenhoffer, CMU Research Excellence Fund, $101,746, “Newly-discovered rocks from Michigan’s “Missing Time”: Implications for coal resources”; 2007-2009
• Benison, K.C. , National Geographic Society Research and Exploration Committee, $20,000, “Are mafic-hosted acid saline lakes in Western Australia and Chile the best analog for martian rocks?”; 2006 - 2007
• Benison, K.C. (with Mormile, M.R., and Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E.), National Science Foundation, Biogeosciences Program, EAR-0433040, $208,070 (Benison budget only); "Collaborative Research: Biogeochemical Exploration of Acidic and Neutral Hypersaline Environments of Australia"; 2005 - 2007
  

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