Brandon Chase | DERTS Trainees

I am PhD student in the Physics department at University of Alberta, working with Dr. Martyn Unsworth. My research in the DERTS program focuses on using Magnetotelluric (MT) and Potential Fields methods to study lithosphere structure and architecture associated with kimberlites and diamond deposits. This research aims to inform on how kimberlite are emplaced and what preexisting structure might guide, assist, or be exploited by them during eruption. Prior to coming to the University of Alberta I completed my BA in Geology at the University of Colorado-Boulder (go buffs!). After graduating I worked for the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) in the Crustal Geophysics and Geochemistry Science Center in Colorado, USA where I worked on in-field projects using a variety of Geophysical methods, and where I ultimately made a shift towards Geophysics. I left the USGS and completed my MSc at Oklahoma State University (go pokes!) under Dr. Estella Atekwana, where I used MT and Potential Field methods to study the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen (SOA), a failed rift. This research aimed to inform on modern intraplate seismic hazards posed by SOA faults, and the lithosphere structure which guide SOA rifting.

Internships

Northwest Territories Geoscience Office: Sept 2020 -Jan 2021

Aurora Geosciences: July - August 2021