Department of Earth Sciences :: Dr. Roy B Van Arsdale

Education / Degrees

B.A., Rutgers University at New Brunswick, 1972

M.S. , University of Cincinnati, 1974

Ph.D., University of Utah, 1979

Research Interest

My research interests lie in the fields of structural geology and geomorphology. Most of my research is in active tectonics within plate interiors. I have conducted research in the New Madrid seismic zone of the central Mississippi River valley, Arizona, Oklahoma, and southeastern Australia.

Courses Taught

Structural Geology

Geomorphology

Tectonics

Physical Geology

Landforms

Recent Articles

Van Arsdale, R.B., Arellano, D., Stevens, K.C., Hill, A.A., Lester, J.D., Parks, A.G., Csontos, R.M., Rapino, M.A., Deen, T.S., Woolery, E.W., Harris, J.B., 2012, Geology, Geotechnical Engineering, and Natural Hazards of Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Environmental & Engineering Geoscience, v. 18, p. 113-158.

Calais, E., Freed, A.M., Van Arsdale, R., and Stein, S., 2010, Triggering of New Madrid seismicity by late-Pleistocene erosion. Nature, v. 466, p. 608-611.

Van Arsdale, R.B., 2009, Adventures Through Deep Time: The Central Mississippi River Valley and Its Earthquakes. Geological Society of America Special Paper 455, 107 p.

Csontos, R., and Van Arsdale, R., 2008, New Madrid seismic zone fault geometry. Geosphere, v. 4, p. 802-813.

Csontos, R., Van Arsdale, R., Cox, R., and Waldron, B., 2008, The Reelfoot Rift and its impact on Quaternary deformation in the central Mississippi River Valley. Geosphere, v. 4, n. 1, p. 145-158.

Rosenbland, B, Bailey, Csontos, R., and Van Arsdale, R., 2010, Shear wave velocities of Mississippi embayment soils from low frequency surface wave measurements. Soils Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, v. 30, p. 691-701.

Van Arsdale, R.B., Bresnahan, R.P., McCallister, N.S., and Waldron, B., 2007, The Upland Complex of the central Mississippi River valley: its origin, denudation, and possible role in reactivation of the New Madrid seismic zone. In Continental Intraplate Earthquakes: Science, Hazard, and Policy Issues, S. Stein and S. Mazzotti (eds.), Geological Society of America Special Paper 425, p. 177-192.

Van Arsdale, R., and Cox, R., 2007, The Mississippi’s Curious origins. Scientific American, January, p. 33-39.

Cox, R.T. ,Wang, F., Han, L., Kung H., and Van Arsdale, R., 2006, Applications of Landsat-5 imagery in assessing and mapping water quality in Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee. International Journal of Remote Sensing, v. 27, n. 23, p. 5269-5283.

Baldwin, J.N., Harris, J.B., Van Arsdale, R.B., Givler, R., Kelson, K.I., Sexton, J.L., and Lake, M., 2005, Constraints on the location of the Late Quaternary Reelfoot and New Madrid North faults in the northern New Madrid seismic zone, central United States. Seismological Research Letters, v. 76, n. 6, p. 772-789.

Velasco, M., Van Arsdale, R., Waldron, B., Harris, J., and Cox, R., 2005, Quaternary faulting beneath Memphis, Tennessee. Seismological Research Letters, v. 76, n. 5, p. 598-614.

Smalley, R., Jr., Ellis, M.A., Paul, J., and Van Arsdale, R., 2005, Space geodetic evidence for rapid strain rates in the New Madrid seismic zone of central USA. Nature, v. 435, n. 23, p. 1088-1090.

Broughton, J., and Van Arsdale, R., 2004, Surficial geologic map of the Northwest Memphis Quadrangle, Shelby County, Tennessee, and Crittenden County, Arkansas. U.S. Geological Survey, scale 1:24,000. http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2004/2838/.

Parrish, S., and Van Arsdale, R., 2004, Faulting along the southeastern margin of the Reelfoot rift in northwestern Tennessee revealed in deep seismic reflection profiles. Seismological Research Letters, v. 75, p. 782-791.

Van Arsdale, R., 2004, Surficial geologic map of the Ellendale Quadrangle, Shelby County, Tennessee. U.S. Geological Survey, scale 1:24,000. http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2004/2836/.

Van Arsdale, R., 2004, Surficial geologic map of the Germantown Quadrangle, Shelby County, Tennessee. U.S. Geological Survey, scale 1:24,000. http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2004/2837/.

Van Arsdale, R.B., 2009, Adventures Through Deep Time: The Central Mississippi River Valley and Its Earthquakes. Geological Society of America Special Paper 455, 107 p.