Susan DeBari

Professor

Member of the WWU Geology faculty since 1998

Education

Ph.D. - Stanford 1990
B.A. - Cornell University 1984

Areas of Expertise

Geology: Crustal scale petrologic processes within island arcs. The focus is to understand the physical and chemical processes that operate within and beneath volcanic arc systems. What processes govern magma generation in the mantle wedge? What happens to these magmas as they traverse the Moho into arc crust? How does this arc crust become "continent-like"? This research takes the form of study of active arc systems as well as ancient systems. I am currently involved in three major research fronts: active Cascade volcanism, deep crustal sections of ancient volcanic arcs (Alaska, Vancouver Island, North Cascades Crystalline Core), and a marriage of the former fronts through a proposed research drilling expedition to the mid crust within the active Izu-Bonin volcanic arc of Japan.

Science Education: Using results of research on student learning to develop curricular materials for undergraduate non-science majors that foster deep learning of science and scientific practices.

Courses Taught

Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (field and classroom versions)
General Geology
Volcanology
Advanced Igneous Petrology
Transfer of Matter and Energy in Earth Systems
Transfer of Matter and Energy in Physical Systems
Methods and Practices in the Elementary School
Science Practicum in the Elementary School

Selected Publications

Moore, N.E., S.M. DeBari, 2012, Mafic magmas from Mount Baker in the northern Cascade arc, Washington: probes into mantle and crustal processes, in press, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, DOI: 10.1007/s00410-011-0686-4 (student first author)PDF version

DeBari, S.M., A. Greene, 2011, Vertical stratification of composition, density, and inferred magmatic processes in exposed arc crustal sections, In: Brown, D., P. Ryan (eds.) Arc-continent collision, Frontiers in Earth Sciences, DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-88558-0_2, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011, p. 121-144 (Invited book chapter). PDF version

Baggerman, T.D., S. M. DeBari, 2011, The generation of a diverse suite of Late Pleistocene and Holocene basalt through dacite lavas from the northern Cascade arc at Mount Baker, Washington, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, v. 161, p. 75-99, DOI: 10.1007/s00410-010-0522-2 (student first author) PDF version

Greene, A., S. M. DeBari, P. B. Kelemen, P. D. Clift, J. Blusztajn, 2006, A detailed geochemical study of island arc crust: The Talkeetna arc section, south-central Alaska, Journal of Petrology, v. 47, no.6, p. 105-1093 (student first author). PDF version

Recent M.S. Students

Ricardo Escobar (in progress) - Petrogenesis of intermediate andesites from Mt. Baker
Mai Sas (in progress) - Origin of high-Mg andesites from the northern Cascade arc
Eliza Andrews (in progress) - Mafic enclaves in Glacier Peak dacites – implications for magma mixing
Angela Cota (in progress) - A geochemical study of the Riddle Peaks Gabbro, north Cascades: evidence for amphibole accumulation in the mid crust of an arc
Christina Stout (in progress) - High-Sr magmas from Mt. Lassen
Julie Gross (2012) - Felsic magmas from Mt. Baker in the northern Cascade arc: origin and role in andesite production
Steve Shaw (2011)
Nicole Moore (2011)
Troy Baggerman (2010)
Ben Paulson (2010)