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Dr. Dave Love

Dr. Dave Love
Dave Love logging stratigraphy in shored trench in front of Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon. Photo by Dr. W. Wills.
Emeritus - Sr. Principal Environmental Geologist
New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources
New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology
801 Leroy Place
Socorro NM 87801-4796
575-517-0023
(575) 835-6333 fax

Education

  • B.S., Geology and Anthropology, Beloit College, 1969
  • M.S., Geology, University of New Mexico, 1971
    M.S. thesis: "Geology of the Rammel Mountain area, Teton County, Wyoming", unpublished, 124 pp. (A general geologic field study of the structure, stratigraphy, and history of a portion of the Teton Mountains. Results of this study are included in two publications.)
  • Ph.D., Geology, University of New Mexico, 1980
    Ph.D. dissertation: "Quaternary geology of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico", unpublished, 613 pp. (A study of the recent geologic history of an archaeologically important canyon in northwestern New Mexico. Results of this study are included in several publications.)

Specialties and Interests

  • Environmental geology
  • Sedimentology
    • Sediment transport and bedform characteristics of flashy flows, Rio Grande and Rio Puerco
    • Sediment transport characteristics of volcanic base-surge deposits
    • Evidence of natural aggradation of prehistoric arroyos
  • Quaternary geology and geomorphology

Professional Societies and Service

  • Association of Engineering Geologists
  • Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Trail Association
  • Geological Society of America
  • Jornada Research Institute
  • New Mexico Archeological Council
  • New Mexico Archaeological Society
  • New Mexico Geographic Information Council
  • New Mexico Geological Society
  • Sigma Xi
  • Society for Archaeological Sciences

Research Projects

Love and Bustos
Dave Love (left) and National Park Ranger David Bustos measuring detailed lake-bed stratigraphy of Pleistocene Lake Otero, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Current Projects

  • Investigations related to Pleistocene and Holocene features of White Sands National Monument
  • Investigations related to Pleistocene and Holocene features of northern Tularosa Basin on White Sands Missile Range
  • Investigations of geology along the Camino Real across the northern Jornada del Muerto
  • Twentieth century incision of Abo Arroyo revealed by coal from train wrecks deposited by floods
  • Tiltmeter and GPS monitoring of uplift of Socorro magma body
  • Surficial geology of the Black Butte, Becker SW, and Cerro Montoso Quadrangles
  • Updates to state of New Mexico's understanding of geologic hazards for the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (earthquakes, landslides, problem soils)
  • Geologic Education Outreach:

Past Projects

Patents

serious research
Sophisticated research in Hell Canyon on Isleta Pueblo lands.
  • Whitworth, T. M., Love, D. W., and Love, J. C., 1999, Containment system for spills — Patent: no. 6,431,793 (2002):

    This invention is a set of designs for structures to contain light and/or dense non-aqueous phase liquids to prevent release into the subsurface environment; commercial use to be licensed through the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Foundation

University Courses Taught

  • Earth Resources
  • Environmental Geology
  • Oceanography
  • Physical Geology
  • Sedimentology