B.Sc. Geology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 1982
M.Sc. Geophysics, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, 1985
Ph.D. Tectonics, University College London, UK, 1989
Background
Where I grew up, the sun rises each day over glaciated volcanic peaks of the Cascade Range and sets over folded strata of the Coast Range. This incredible landscape stirred my curiosity from as early as I can remember. I would commonly ask how these ranges formed, why they were parallel, why the spacing of the volcanoes was so regular, why the ice that sculpted them was gone, and if the forces that shaped the landscape were still active? I loved maps and would stare at them for hours wondering what caused the global patterns that shaped the continents and ocean basins. These experiences convinced me that nature spoke a language of patterns, but I could not decipher the meaning.
My first geology course introduced me to the theory of plate tectonics, which provided a way for me to translate the pattern language of nature I had observed over the years into something meaningful. The astonishment I experienced stirred a passion in me that deepens with every new discovery about how the Earth works.
The greatest discovery I have ever made was finding Deb, whom I married as an undergraduate at the University of Oregon. My master’s thesis research brought us and our first two boys to Alaska. The active tectonic landscape of Alaska greatly influenced the pathway of my career. It was like going back in time several millions of years to when the Rocky Mountains were born and full of fire and ice.
So exactly how are mountains born? The mountains of Alaska are still not young enough to fully understand this. So, I begin exploring the tectonic evolution of southeast Asia, which is a nursery of mountain systems at various stages of development. This research led us to England to pursue my Ph.D. with the Southeast Asian Tectonics Studies Group at the University College London.
My professional career began as part of the geology faculty at West Virginia University, where I taught and conducted research for 9 years. By this time we had four boys, who are great field companions!
I joined the geology faculty at BYU in 1998. My research has expanded to investigating how tectonic processes impact humans. To assist with this research I founded a non-profit organization called In Harm's Way. The purpose of the NPO is to save lives through accurate forecasting of natural hazard events coupled with effective communication to those most at risk and the implementation of disaster mitigation strategies. See inharmsway.org
Employment
1998-present PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY, Brigham Young University
1996-1998 ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY, West Virginia University
1989-1995 ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY, West Virginia University
2010 VISITING PROFESSOR, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, Arc-Continent Collision Processes
1997 VISITING PROFESSOR, Universitas Pembangan Nasional, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Natural Disaster Mitigation in Indonesia.
1991-1995 GEOLOGIST, U.S. Geological Survey, Branch of Alaskan Geology (intermittent).
1986-2010 GEOLOGIC CONSULTANT, U.S. Geological Survey/ U.S. Bureau of Mines; Exxon-Mobil, Chevron-Texaco, Union Texas Petroleum, British Petroleum, and ARCO (geologic evolution of Eastern Indonesia).
1988 Instructor, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
1986-89: RESEARCH ASSISTANT, University of London (structural field studies of mountain building processes in the active Banda and Taiwan orogens, and Alaska, Oman, and Cyprus).
1985-86 Director of Field Geology Course in Alaska Range, Univ. of Alaska,
1983-86 RESEARCH ASSISTANT, Geophysical Institute, Univ. of Alaska (structure, thermochronology, and paleomagnetism of Yukon-Koyukuk Province, Alaska).
1983 GEOLOGIST, Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (field mapping in the Brooks Range and its metamorphic borderlands).
1982: GEOLOGIST INTERN, Unocal Oil Co., Ventura, CA (exploration of Ventura Basin, California)
>75 invited talks at Universities, international conferences, government institutes, and Industry.
Multiple research and teaching awards
Several newspaper articles and television and radio interviews.
Research
Mountain Building Processes and Hazards
1. Active and Ancient Collisional Processes
Structural, petrological, geochemical, geophysical and geomorphological studies of Arc-Continental Collisions and Ophiolites.
Active collisions of the Banda Arc (Indonesia, E. Timor), Himalaya, and Taiwan
Ancient Collisions of Brooks Range (Alaska), Oman, Turkey, Himalaya, Tibet, California, and Utah
Active Faults in Indonesia and the Wasatch Range, Utah
2. Natural Disaster Mitigation
Compilation of historical records of major earthquakes and tsunamis in Indonesia since 1528
Investigation of tsunami deposits to constrain tsunami inundation models of densely populated coastal communities.
Numerical modeling of historical and potential tsunami events
Construction of tsunami inundation maps for urban coastal areas throughout Java and E. Indonesia.
Tsunami and earthquake hazards education throughout the Indonesia region and the Guerrero Coast of Mexico
Seismic hazards education and disaster mitigation in Utah
The BYU Department of Geological Sciences is excited to announce a generous donation from PE Limited of their MOVE software suite, valued at $2,764,444.11.
Audley-Charles, M.G. and Harris, R.A., 1990. Allochthonous terranes of the Southwest Pacific and Indonesia. Phil. Trans. Royal Soc. London, V. 331, p. 571-587.
Harris, R.A. and Wu, S.,1991. Postcollisional extension in arc-continent collision zones, eastern Indonesia. Geology, V. 20, No. 1, p. 92-93.
Foley, J.Y., Light, T.D., Nelson, S.W., and Harris, R.A., 1997. Mineral occurrences associated with mafic-ultramafic and related alkaline complexes in Alaska, in: Mineral Deposits of Alaska, R.J. Goldfarb and L.D. Miller eds. Economic Geology , Monograph 9, p. 396-449.
Graham, C. R., Burgoyne, N., Cantrell, P., Smith, L., St. Clair, L., & Harris, R. (2009). TPACK development in science teaching: Measuring the TPACK confidence of inservice science teachers. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 53(5), 70-79.
Harris, Ron, 2011, Exploring the Geology of Little Cottonwood Canyon: The Greatest Story Ever Told by Nine Miles of Rock, 2nd edition, 80 p,., Linus Press, Ronkonkoma, NY, ISBN 13: 978-1-60797-562-5.
Sarah Hall, Chad Emmett, Amelia Cope, Ron Harris, Gilang Damar Setiadi, William Meservy and Bryce Berrett, 2019, Tsunami knowledge, information sources, and evacuation intentions among tourists in Bali, Indonesia, Journal of Coastal Conservation, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-019-00679-x
Josephine C. Di Maurizio, Christopher J. Spencer, Ron Harris, Eleanore Blereau, Carolus Prasetyadi, Matthijs Smit, Fred Jourdan, Geochronology and metamorphic conditions of Earth’s youngest blueschist terrane, Banda Arc, Indonesia, Submitted to Geosphere.
Brinkerhoff , R., McBride , J., Hudson , S., Sprinkel , D., Harris , R., Rey , K., and Tingey , E., 2022, Strain partitioning between ductile and brittle stratigraphy: Characterizing the Sand Wash Fault System, Uinta Basin, Utah: Utah Geological Association Publication, v. 50, p. 1-39., doi: 10.31711/ugap.v50i.109.
Muhlestein, Kerry, Cannon Fairbairn, and Ronald A. Harris, 2020, The Fayoum, the Seila Pyramid, Fag el-Gamous and its Nearby Cities, In: Muhlestein, Kerry; Pierce, Krystal and Jensen, Bethany (Editors),” Excavations at the Seila Pyramid and Fag el-Gamous Cemetery,” Brille Pub., Boston, p. 1-31.
Muhlestein, Kerry, Brian D. Christensen and Ronald A. Harris, 2020, Ritual Objects from the Northern Side of the Seila Pyramid, In: Muhlestein, Kerry; Pierce, Krystal and Jensen, Bethany (Editors),” Excavations at the Seila Pyramid and Fag el-Gamous Cemetery,” Brille Pub., Boston, p. 76-92.