Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Biography

After receiving his MSc degree in Geology from Universidad de Chile, Jose Luis worked for 7 years with the Geological Survey of Chile as a Quaternary geologist and geomorphologist, mapping the glaciated terrain of the Lake District in southern Chile and the alluvial and rockslide deposits in the Andes of central Chile. His PhD dissertation at Dalhouse University, in Canada, dealt with quantitative analysis of geomorphic processes in the southern Central Andes. After finishing his PhD, he moved to Reno, Nevada, where he worked on projects aimed to understand the linkages between late Quaternary paleoclimate and the pace of alluvial and hillslope processes in semiarid and alpine areas of the US, Mexico and South America. His expertise includes Quaternary geochronology techniques (cosmogenic isotopes and IRSL/OSL dating). He has also incorporated outreach activities for teachers and at the K-6 level in his research projects in Chile and the US.