• Tectonics and sedimentation in the Lake Mead region, Southern Nevada
• Depositional mechanics of sediment gravity flows
• Experimental sedimentology
• Earth surface processes
• Geoscience education

Courses:

• GEOL 115, Environmental Geology
• GEOL 252, Earth Surface Processes and Geomorphology
• GEOL 260, Regional Geology and Geological Field Methods
• GEOL 320, Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
• GEOL 430, Advanced Earth History
• GEOL 460, Advanced Field Geology

Recent publications :

Lamb, M.A., Umhoefer, P.J., Anderson, E., Beard, L.S., Hickson, T.A., & Martin, K.L., 2005, Development of Miocene faults and basins in the Lake Mead region: a tribute to Ernie Anderson and a review of new research on basins.  In Pederson, J. & Dehler, C.M., (Eds.), Interior Western United States: Geological Society of America Field Guide 6 (pp. 389-418).  Denver:  Geological Society of America.

Hickson, T.A., Sheets, B.A., Paola, C. and Kelberer, M. 2005. Experimental test of tectonic controls on three-dimensional alluvial facies architecture, Journal of Sedimentary Research.

Strong, N., Sheets, B.A., Hickson, T.A., and Paola, C., in press, A mass-balance framework for quantifying downstream changes in fluvial architecture, in: Blum, M.D., ed., Fluvial Sedimentology VII, International Association of Sedimentologists.

Lamb, M.P., Hickson, T.A., Marr, J.G., Sheets, B., Paola, C., and Parker, G., 2004, Surging versus continuous turbidity currents: flow dynamics and deposits in an experimental intraslope minibasin, Journal of Sedimentary Research, Vol. 74, no. 1, pp. 148-155.

Sheets, B.A., Hickson, T.A., Paola, C., 2002, Assembling the stratigraphic record: Depositional patterns and time-scales in an experimental alluvial basin: Basin Research. Vol.14, no.3, pp.287-301.

Hickson, T.A. and Lowe, D.R., 2002, Facies architecture of a submarine fan channel-levee-overbank complex: the Juniper Ridge Conglomerate, Coalinga, California, Sedimentology, Vol 49, no. 2.

Paola,C., Mullin, J., Ellis, C., Mohrig, D., Swenson, J., Parker, G., Hickson, T., Heller, P., Pratson, L., Syvitski, J., Sheets, B., Strong, N., 2001, Experimental Stratigraphy; GSA Today, Geological Society of America, Vol. 11, pp. 4-9.

Abstracts (co-authors in bold are undergraduate students):

Holter, S.A., Theissen, K., Hickson, T., and Bostick, B., 2004, Using Gamma ray and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) to Evaluate Elemental Sequences in Cap-carbonates and Cap-like Carbonates of the Death Valley Region, American Geophysical Union 2004 Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 13-17, 2004.

Goeden, J., Lamb, M., and Hickson, T., 2004, Integrating field-based courses and research across the geoscience curriculum at the University of St. Thomas, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, November 7-10, 2004, p. 160.

Hickson, T., 2004, One-hundred percent project-based learning in a sedimentology and stratigraphy course, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, November 7-10, 2004, p. 277

Hannon, M., Lindberg, J., Barrie, C., Johnson, T., Donatelle, A., Goeden, J., Holter, S., Hickson, T., Theissen, K., and Lamb, M., Using gamma spectrometry to determine U, Th, and K signatures in cap carbonates of the Death Valley region and their relation to other carbonates, American Geophysical Union/Canadian Geophysical Union 2004 Joint Assembly Meeting, Montreal, QC, May 17-21, 2004.

Donatelle, A., Goeden, J., Hannon, M., Hickson, T., Holter, S., Johnson, T., Lamb, M., and Lindberg, J., Implications of stratigraphic and structural data from the Bitter Spring region, Southern Nevada, American Geophysical Union/Canadian Geophysical Union 2004 Joint Assembly Meeting, Montreal, QC, May 17-21, 2004.

Hickson, T.A., Paola, C., and Heller, P, 2003, Using experimental sedimentology in inquiry-based exercises: from the grain to the basin scale, Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, GSA Annual Mettin, Seattle, WA, November, 2003, p. 363.

Hickson, T.A., and Lamb, M.A., 2003, Three examples of the use of inquirey-based, data-centered exercises in geoscience courses at the University of St. Thomas, Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, GSA Annual Mettin, Seattle, WA, November, 2003, p. 120.

Zybala, J.G., Twichell, D.C., Hanson, A.D., Buck, B.J., Hickson, T.A., Rudin, M.J., Howley, R.A. and Steinberg, S., 2003, Sediment deposition in Las Vegas Bay, Lake Mead, NV: implications for marine sandstone distributions, Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, GSA Annual Mettin, Seattle, WA, November, 2003, p. 172.

David C. Twichell1, VeeAnn Cross, Brenda Buck, Andrew Hanson, Thomas Hickson, Mark Rudin, and Jonathan Zybala, Seismic Architecture of Turbidites in Lake Mead, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, National Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, May 11-14, 2003.

Jonathan G. Zybala, David C. Twichell, Brenda J. Buck, Robyn A. Howley, Thomas A. Hickson, Andrew D. Hanson, Mark J. Rudin, Spencer Steinberg, and VeeAnn Cross, Sediment Coring in Lake Mead Reservoir, Nevada and Arizona: Implications for Deep Marine Sandstone Distributions, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, National Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, May 11-14, 2003.

Kelberer, M., Hickson, T., Strong, N., Sheets, B., and Paola,C. 2002. The effects of variable subsidence rate and geometry on river avulsion: some experimental results, Geological Society of America, North-Central Regional Meeting, April 3-5, Lexington, KY.