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Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

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Faculty Profile

Peter CopelandPeter Copeland

Professor of Geology, Thermochronology

Curriculum Vitae

Office: Science & Research 1, 304
Contact: copeland@uh.edu - 713-743-3649

Education: Ph.D. 1990, Geology, State University of New York at Albany
M.S. 1986, Geology, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
B.S. 1982, Geology, University of Kansas

Google Scholar Profile
ResearchGate Profile

Accepting Graduate Students? Yes

My main research tool is 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology and eochronology. The 40Ar/39Ar technique offers the ability to recover detailed thermal histories from igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. An ability to determine T-t history is a key to understanding a variety of tectonic problems, energy sources such as fossil fuels and geothermal energy, and is the best method for precise dating of young volcanic rocks. Over the past several years I have focused on using this technique to understand problems associated with the collision between Indian and Asia. Thermochronologic data have significantly enhanced our understanding of one of the most exciting problems in geodynamics today. The fact the this collision continues today makes possible to link geophysical constraints from the present day to geologic data from the past. I have active research projects in Nepal involving the High Himalayan crystalline rocks and the foreland basin . I have recently combined the magnetostratigraphic dating of strata in the foreland basin with petrology and geochronology to understand the uplift of the Himalaya. Other projects way in my lab include the dating of the timing of volcanism in the Tertiary Trans-Pecos Volcanic Province in west Texas, the timing of plutonism in the Silver City, NM area, the Precambrian thermal history of central Texas, and dating of diagenesis in sedimentary basins. The 40Ar/39Ar lab (both laser and furnace extraction lines plus the mass spec) at UH is fully automated (a feature available in only a few labs in the world), allowing rapid and continuous gathering of data.

Courses Taught

  • GEOL 1330 - Physical Geology
  • Dinosaurs, Mars, and the age of the Earth
  • Field Methods
  • Petrogenesis
  • Field Camp
  • Isotope Geochemistry
  • Kay, S.M. and Copeland, P., Eruptive history and magmatic evolution of the Late Miocene Chachahuén volcanic complex over a shallow subduction zone under the Neuquen basin, in Kay, S.M. and Ramos, V.A., eds., Late Cretaceous To Recent Magmatism And Tectonism Of The Southern Andean Margin At The Latitude Of The Neuquen Basin (36-39°S), GSA Special Paper (accepted)
  • Rajmon, D., Copeland, P., and Reid, A.M., Thermal history of breccia veins from Roter Kamm crater, Namibia, Metoritics, accepted
  • Burns, M.B., Jordan, T.E., Copeland, P., and Kelley, S., Extensional tectonics in the Oligo-Miocene Southern Andes as recorded in the Cura-Mallín basin (36°-38), in Kay, S.M. and Ramos, V.A., eds., Late Cretaceous To Recent Magmatism And Tectonism Of The Southern Andean Margin At The Latitude Of The Neuquen Basin (36-39°S), GSA Special Paper (accepted)
  • Murphy, M.A., and Copeland, P., Trans-tensional deformation in the central Himalaya and its role in accommodation of growth of the Himalayan orogen, Tectonics. (accepted)
  • Kay, S.M., Burns, W.M., Copeland, P., and Mancilla, O., Late Cretaceous to Recent Magmatism over the Neuquén Basin: Evidence for transient shallowing of the subduction zone under the Neuquén Andes (36°S to 38°S latitude), in Kay, S.M. and Ramos, V.A., eds., Late Cretaceous To Recent Magmatism And Tectonism Of The Southern Andean Margin At The Latitude Of The Neuquen Basin (36-39°S), GSA Special Paper (accepted)
  • Kay, S.M., Mancilla, O, and Copeland, P., Eruptive history and magmatic evolution of the Late Miocene Chachahuén volcanic complex over a shallow subduction zone under the Neuquen basin, in Kay, S.M. and Ramos, V.A., eds., Late Cretaceous To Recent Magmatism And Tectonism Of The Southern Andean Margin At The Latitude Of The Neuquen Basin (36-39°S), GSA Special Paper (accepted)
  • Copeland, P., and Parsons, K., Towards a postmodern paleontology?, Academic Questions, Spring 2004, p. 6-17.
  • Grimes, S., and Copeland, P., Thermochronology of the Grenville orogeny in west Texas, Precambrian Research, 131:23-54
  • Khan, S.D., Stern, R. J., Manton, W. I., Copeland, P., Kimura, J. I. Khan, M. A., (In press). Age, geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic constraints for mantle source characteristics and petrogenesis of Teru Volcanic Formation, Northern Kohistan terrane, Pakistan. Tectonophysics, 393:263-280.
  • Wyld, S.J., Rodgers, J.W., and Copeland, P., Metamorphic evolution of the Luning-Fencemaker fold-thrust belt, Nevada: 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, illite crystallinity, and metamorphic petrology, Journal of Geology, 111:17-38
  • Sisson, V.B, Poole, A.R., Harris, N.R., Burner, H.C., Pavlis, T.L., Copeland, P., Donelick, R.A., and McLelland, W.C., Geochemical and geochronologic constraints for genesis of a tonalite-trondhjemite suite and associated mafic intrusive rocks in the eastern Chugach Mountains, Alaska: A record of ridge-transform subduction, in Sisson, V.B., Roeske, S.M., and Pavlis, T.L., eds., Geology of a transpressional orogen developed during ridge-trench interaction along the North Pacific margin: Geological Society of America Special Paper 371, p. 293-326
  • Kappelman, J., Rasmussen, D.T., Sanders, W.J., Feseha, M., Brown, T., Copeland, P., Crabaugh, J., Fleagle, J., Glantz, M., Gordon, A., Jacobs, B., Maga, M., Muldoon, K., Pan, A., Pyne, L., Richmond, B., Ryan, T., Seiffert, E.R., Sen, S., Todd, L., Wiemann, M.C., and Winkler, A., Oligocene mammals from Ethiopia and faunal exchange between Afro-Arabia and Eurasia, Nature. 426:549-552.
  • Devine, J.D., and Copeland, P., Geology and Geochronology of Union Island, in Daudin, J., ed, A Natural History Monograph of Union Island, Désormeaux, Martinique. pp. 1-36.
  • Jordan, T.E., Burns, W.M., Veiga, R., Pángaro, F., and Copeland, P., Kelley, S., and Mpodozis, C., Extension and intra-arc basin formation in the southern Andes caused by increased convergence rate: a mid-Cenozoic trigger for the Andes, Tectonics, 20:308-
  • DeCelles, P.G., Robinson, D.M., Quade, J., Ojha, T.P., Garzione, C.N., and Copeland, P., Stratigraphy, structure, and tectonic evolution of the Himalayan fold-thrust belt in western Nepal, Tectonics, 20:487-509.
  • Rougvie, J.R., Carlson, W.D., Copeland, P., and Connelly, J., Late thermal evolution of Proterozoic rocks in the northeastern Llano uplift, central Texas, Precamb. Res. 94:49-72
  • Smith, C.A., Avé Lallemant, H.G., Sisson, V.B., and Copeland, P., Two contrasting P-T-t paths in the Villa de Cura blueschist belt, Venezuela: possible evidence for Late Cretaceous initiation of subduction in the Caribbean, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 111:831-8
  • Dressler, B.O., Sharpton, V.L., Copeland, P., Slate Islands, Lake Superior, Canada: A mid-size, complex impact structure, in Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution, Dressler, B.O., ed., Geological Society of America Special Paper 339, p.109-124.
  • Abdelsalam, M.G., Stern, R.J., Copeland, P., Elfaki, E.M., Elhur, B., and Ibrahim, F.M., The Neoproterozoic Keraf Zone in NE Sudan: sinstral transpression along the eastern margin of west Gondwana, J. Geology, 106:133-147
  • Copeland, P., The when and where of the growth of the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau, in Ruddiman, W., ed., Tectonic Uplift and Climate Change, Plenum Publishing, p. 19-40.
  • Volgel, T.A., Cambray, W., Feher, L., Constenius, K.N., Copeland, P., Flood, T.P., Garzione, C., Gehrels, G.E., Hodkinson, D., Hanson, S., Holst, T.B., John, D.A., and Layer, P.A., Petrochemistry and emplacement history of the Wasatch Ingneous Belt, in John, D.A., and Ballantyne, G.H., eds., Geology and ore deposits of the Oquirrh. and Watch Mountains, Utah, Society of Economic Geologists Guidebook Series, vol 29, p. 47-63.
  • Krol, M., Zeitler, P.K., and Copeland, P., Denudation history of the Kohistan Terrane, NW Himalaya, from 40Ar/39Ar dating of K-feldspars, J. Geophys. Res., 101:28,149-28,164.
  • Copeland, P., Harrison, T.M., Yun, P., Kidd, W.S.F., Roden, M., Thermal Evolution of the Gangdese Batholith, Southern Tibet: A History of Episodic Unroofing, Tectonics, 14:223-236.
  • Harrison, T.M., Copeland, P., Kidd, W.S.F., and Lovera, O., The Nyainqêntanghla shear zone: Implications for Tibetan Plateau uplift and onset of the Asian monsoon, Tectonics, 14:658-676.
  • Copeland, P., Harrison, T.M., and Le Fort, P., Reply to the comment on "Age and cooling history of the Manaslu granite: implications for Himalayan tectonics" by Igor Villa, Jour. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 70:262-264.
  • Yin, A., Harrison, T.M., Ryerson, F.J., Wenji, C., Kidd, W.S.F., Copeland, P., The structural evolution of the Gangdese Thrust, southern Tibet, J. Geophys. Res., 99:18,175-18,201.
  • Harrison, T.M., Copeland, P., Hall, S.A., Quade, J., Burner, S., Ojha, T.P., and Kidd, W.S.F., Isotopic preservation of Himalayan/Tibetan uplift, denudation, and climatic histories in two molasse deposits, J. Geol., 101:159-177.
  • Yun, P., Copeland, P., Roden, M.K., Kidd, W.S.F., and Harrison, T.M., Thermal and unroofing history of the Lhasa area, southern Tibet - evidence from apatite fission track thermochronology, Nucl. Tracks Radiat. Meas., 21:543-554.
  • Copeland, P., Two-phase uplift of Higher Himalayas since 17 Ma: Comment, Geology, 21:188-189.
  • Harrison, T.M., Copeland, P., Kidd, W.S.F., and Yin, A., Raising Tibet, Science, 255:1663-1670
  • Richter, F.M., Lovera, O.M., Harrison, T.M., and Copeland, P., Tibetan tectonics from 40Ar/39Ar analysis of a single feldspar sample, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 105: 266-278.
  • Copeland, P., Harrison, T.M., Hodges, K.V., Maréujol, P., Le Fort, P., and Pêcher, A., An early Pliocene thermal disturbance of the Main Central Thrust, central Nepal: Implications for Himalayan tectonics, J. Geophys. Res., 96: 8475-8500.
  • Copeland, P., Harrison, T.M., and Le Fort, P., Age and cooling history of the Manaslu granite: implications for Himalayan tectonics, J. Vol. Geotherm. Res., 44:33-50.
  • Copeland, P., Harrison, T.M., and Heizler, M.T., 40Ar/39Ar single-crystal dating of detrital muscovite and K-feldspar from Leg 116, southern Bengal Fan: Implications for the uplift and erosion of the Himalaya, in Cochran, J.R., and Stowe, D.A.W., eds., Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, 116:93-14.
  • Copeland, P., and Harrison, T.M., Episodic rapid uplift in the Himalaya revealed by 40Ar/39Ar analysis of detrital K-feldspar and muscovite, Bengal Fan, Geology, 18:354-357.
  • Schärer, U., Copeland, P., Harrison, T.M., and Searle, M.P., Age, cooling history, and origin of post-collisional leucogranites in the Karakoram batholith; A multi-system isotope study, J. Geol., 98:233-251.
  • Foster, D.A., Harrison, T.M., Copeland, P., and Heizler, M.T., Effects of excess Ar on K-feldspar age spectra in the presence of large diffusion domains and plagioclase inclusions, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 54:1699-1708.
  • Copeland, P., Parrish, R.R., and Harrison, T.M., Identification of inherited radiogenic Pb in monazite and its implications for U-Pb systematics, Nature, 333:760-763.
  • Copeland, P., Harrison, T.M., Kidd, W.S.F., Xu Ronghua, and Zhang Yuquan, Rapid early Miocene acceleration of uplift in the Gangdese belt, Xixang, southern Tibet, and its bearing on the accommodation mechanisms of the India-Asia collision, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 86:240-252.
  • Copeland, P., and Condie, K.C., Geochemistry and tectonic setting of early Proterozoic supracrustal rocks of the Pinal Schist, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 97:1512-1520.
  • McLemore, V.T., Roybal, G., Birdsall, K., Broadhead, R.F., Chenoweth, W.L., North, R.M., Barker, J.M., Copeland, P., Bowie, M.R., Hingtgen, J.S., Brown, K.B., and Klien, K., A preliminary mineral-resource potential of McKinley County, northwestern New Mexico, New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Open File Report 231, 696 p.
  • McLemore, V.T., Broadhead, R.F., Cook, K., Chenoweth, W.L., Barker, J.M., Roybal, G., North, R.M., Copeland, P., Bowie, M.R., Hingtgen, J.S., Klien, K., and Brown, K.B., A preliminary mineral-resource potential of San Juan County, northwestern New Mexico, New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Open File Report 232, 855 p.
  • McLemore, V.T., Broadhead, R.F., Roybal, G., Chenoweth, W.L., North, R.M., Barker, J.M., Copeland, P., Bowie, M.R., Cook, K., Hingtgen, J.S., Klien, K., and Brown, K.B., A preliminary mineral-resource potential of McKinley County, northwestern New Mexico, New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Open File Report 233, 260 p.