Dr. Jake Ross

I am the principal developer and maintainer for pychron, a data collection and processing application for noble gas geochronology and geochemistry. I am interested in pushing the boundaries of noble gas geochronology via advances in software and hardware. My research focuses on developing software and hardware interfaces to facilitate and ease noble gas experimentation. However, recently I have shifted focus from geochronology to using small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) for geoscience. The sUAS platforms we are developing are used for a variety of purposes, including generating detailed orthomosaics and 3D models, and collecting high-resolution thermal images and georeferenced environmental data.

In addition to my research at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and the New Mexico Geochronology Research Laboratory, I work with two Hydrology groups on campus: 1) the NM Aquifer Mapping program developing data processing software tools and 2) the NMT EES Hydrology department mentoring students on scientific programming.

New Mexico Tech, NM — Ph.D Geochronology, 2014
Dissertation: Geochronology of Southern McMurdo Sound and development of Pychron: A ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data collection and processing software suite.

New Mexico Tech, NM — M.Sc Geochemistry, 2009
Thesis: ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar Chronology of volcanic events in the AND-1B drillcore – implications for age models and glacial history of the Ross Embayment

McGill University, QC — B.Sc Earth and Planetary Science, 2006

Technical Lead, New Mexico Water Data Initiative — 2020—Present

Principal developer, system architect and maintainer for New Mexico Water Data Initiative

Full Stack Developer, New Mexico Aquifer Mapping Program -- 2020--Present
Developing software tools for analysis and visualization of water data

Research Scientist, New Mexico Bureau of Geology — 2016—Present
Advancing software, hardware and analytical procedures for noble gas mass spectrometry and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronology.

Consultant, Pychron Labs LLC — 2015—Present
Founder and principal developer for Pychron Labs LLC, a small consulting firming provide custom scientific software for noble gas mass spectrometry.

Network Administrator, New Mexico Bureau of Geology — 2015—Present
Day to day network administration for the New Mexico Bureau of Geology, an organization of ~70 geoscientists and staff. Network setup and management for New Mexico Geochronology Research Laboratory.

Post-Doctoral Researcher, NMGRL — 2014—Present
Post-doctoral researcher at the New Mexico Geochronology Research Laboratory. Responsibilities include, software developer/advisor, network/database admin, design and fabrication of custom scientific tools, such as a Diode Laser Furnace.

Python Instructor, New Mexico Tech; Socorro, NM — 2014
Taught the CS/IT 107 course “Introduction to Computer Programming with Python”. Semi-weekly 90 minute lectures and weekly 3 hour labs.

Research Assistant, NMGRL — 2006–2014
Research assistant at the New Mexico Geochronology Research Laboratory. Developed multiple software products that are now used globally, for example, Pychron, a full featured data acquisition and processing suite for Ar-Ar thermo-geochronology.

Field Experience

• New Mexico and Colorado, US, 2006-Present
• Minna Bluff, Southern McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, 2007-2008
• Mt. Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica, 2006-2007
• Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania, Africa, 2006
• International Volcanology Field Camp, Kamchatka, Russia, 2005

• Python, Django, Numpy, Scipy, Matplotlib, PySide, Qt, Enthought Tool Suite
• MySQL, HTML, CSS, Javascript
• Software/Hardware interface, Data acquisition, Data management, UX
• Machine vision
• Unix/Mac/Linux
• PIC Microcontrollers/Arduino/RaspberryPI
• Network management
• 2D/3D CAD

• David Harrington Memorial Prize for Geochemistry, McGill University, 2006

• National Science Foundation Grant, “Collaborative Proposal: EarthCube Integration: Geochronology Frontier at the Laboratory-Cyberinformatics Interface". $1,449,662 2017-2020
• National Science Foundation Grant, “Continued development of Pychron for ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronology”. $112,356 2015-2016

• GEOC 516 Ar/Ar Geochronology 2018-Present
• GEOC 517 Advanced Ar/Ar Geochronology 2018-Present
• GEOC 567 Pratical Aspects of Ar/Ar Geochronology 2018-Present
• CS/IT 113, Introduction to Programming 2015

1. Lutz, B.M., Ketcham, R.A., Axen, G.J., Beyene, M.A., Wells, M.L., van Wijk, J.W., Stockli, D.F. and Ross, J.I., 2021. Thermo-kinematic modeling of detachment-dominated extension, northeastern Death Valley area, USA: Implications for mid-crustal thermal-rheological evolution. Tectonophysics, p.228755.

2. BRUCK, Benjamin T., QUINN, Daven P., SINGER, Brad S., JICHA, Brian R., ROSS, Jake and SCHMITZ, Mark D.^. A CYBER WORKFLOW FOR COLLECTION, MANAGEMENT, AND EXPLORATION OF ⁴⁰AR/³⁹AR AND U-PB GEOCHRONOLOGY DATA

3. QUINN, Daven P., LINZMEIER, Benjamin J., SUNDELL, Kurt, BRUCK, Benjamin T., YE, Shan, GEHRELS, G.E., GORING, Simon, MARCOTT, Shaun A., MEYERS, Stephen R., PETERS, Shanan E., ROSS, Jake, SCHMITZ, Mark D., SINGER, Bradley S. and WILLIAMS, John W. THE SPARROW LABORATORY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM — A TOOL FOR CONNECTING GEOCHEMICAL DATA TO CONTEXT AND COMMUNITY

4. Bruck, Benjamin; Quinn, Daven P.; Singer, Brad S.; Jicha, Brian R.; Ross, Jake; Schaen, Allen., 2020. A Cyber Workflow for Collection, Management, and Exploration of 40Ar/39Ar Geochronology Data.

5. Quinn, Daven P.; Linzmeier, Ben J.; Sundell, Kurt E.; Bruck, Ben T.; Ye, Shan; Gehrels, George G.; Goring, Simon M.; Marcott, Shaun A.; Meyers, Stephen R.; Peters, Shanan E.; Ross, Jake I.; Schmitz, Mark D.; Singer, Brad S.; Williams, Jack W., 2020. The Sparrow software interface for linking analytical data and metadata in laboratory archives.

6. Quinn, Daven Patel; Allen J., Schaen; Kurt, Sundell; George, Gehrels; Simon, Goring; Stephen R., Myers; Shanan, Peters; Jake, Ross; Mark, Schmitz; Brad S., Singer; Jack, Williams., 2019. Sparrow: a laboratory management software tool and distributed data infrastructure component for geochronology.

7. Ross, J. I. and McIntosh, W. C., 2012. Hardware and Software Interfacing at New Mexico Geochronology Research Laboratory: Distributed Control Using Pychron and RemoteControlServer.cs. AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts p. 1501

8. Ross, J. I., McIntosh, W. C., and Wilch, T.I., 2012. Detailed Ar-Ar Geochronology of Volcanism at Minna Bluff, Antarctica: Two-Phased Growth and Influence on Ross Ice Shelf. AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts p. 578

9. Ross, J. I., McIntosh, W. C., and Dunbar, N. W., 2012. Development of a precise and accurate age–depth model based on ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of volcanic material in the ANDRILL (1B) drill core, Southern McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Global and Planetary Change, v96-97, p. 118-130

10. Naish, T. R., Powell, R. D., Barrett P. J., Levy, R. H., Henrys, S., Wilson, G. S., Krissek, L. A., Niessen, F., Pompilio, M., Ross, J. I., Scherer, R., Talarico, F., Pyne, A., and the ANDRILL-MIS Science team. 2008. Late Cenozoic climate history of the Ross Embayment from the AND-1B drill hole: Culmination of three decades of Antarctic margin drilling." Antarctica: Keystone in a Changing World. Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences. Washington DC: The National Academic Press.

11. Ross, J. I., McIntosh, W. C., and Dunbar, N. W., 2007. A-2 Preliminary ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar results from the AND-1B core. The 10th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences.

12. Wilson, G. S., Levy, R. H., Browne, G., Florindo, F., Henrys, S. A., Graham, I., McIntosh, W. C., McKay, R. M., Naish T. R., Ohneiser, C., Powell, R. D., Ross, J. I., Sagnotti, L., Scherer, R., Sjunneskog, C., Strong, C. P., Taviani, M., and Winter D. A-3 Preliminary chronostratigraphy for the upper 700 m (upper Miocene-Pleistocene) of the AND-1B drillcore recovered from beneath the McMurdo Ice Shelf, Antarctica. The 10th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences.

13. Wilson, G., Levy, R., Browne, G., Dunbar, N., Florindo, F., Henry, S., Graham, I., McIntosh, W., McKay, R., Naish, T., Ohneiser, C., Powell, R., Ross, J., Sagnotti, L., Scherer, R., Sjunneskog, C., Strong, C.P., Taviani, M., Winter, D., and the ANDRILL MIS Science Team, 2007. Preliminary integrated chronostratigraphy of the AND-1B Core, ANDRILL McMurdo Ice Shelf Project, Antarctica. Terra Antarctica 14, p. 297-316.