McKinney Research Profile
(Samuel) Tyson McKinney
Scientific Research Profile
About Me
Hello! Thanks for visiting my website. I created this site as a way to present some of the research projects I've been involved with throughout my educational and professional career. Currently, I am employed as a Research Scientist Associate at the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) within the Jackson School of Geosciences at the The University of Texas at Austin.
A bit about myself: I was born in Colorado, but grew up in Austin, TX and am a proud product of AISD. I obtained B.Sc. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and General Geology at The University of Texas at Austin before pursuing a M.Sc. degree in Earth Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. My geologic research to this point has been focused in igneous and metamorphic petrology, particularly trace element and isotope geochemistry and U-Pb geochronology. I am interested in making a transition to hydrologic research as I feel that water is already, and will continue to be, the most important natural resource on our planet. Outside of research, I have spent time working in oil and gas regulation for the State of California and teaching chemistry and physics at Eastside Memorial High School here in Austin. In my free time I like to do any and all things outdoors. I am an avid camper and backpacker and on weekends you can find me at one of Austin's many greenbelts, playing pick-up sports or out on a long bike ride around Austin. You can click on the icon below to see my curriculum vitae (CV). Scroll down to learn more about the research projects I've been involved with.
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My ResearchConstructing a Hydrogeologic Model for San Solomon Springs, West TX
As a field technician for the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) at The University of Texas at Austin, I assisted with field operations for a project investigating the San Solomon Spring system, which is located near Balmorhea, TX at the base of the Davis Mountains. The goal of the project is to monitor precipitation along with stream and groundwater flow and to look for associated changes in spring flow and chemistry in order to refine previous hydrogeologic models. The field work included supervising the drilling of groundwater monitoring wells, collecting water samples, performing field alkalinity titrations and installing/maintaining pressure-temperature-conductivity sensors. The following is the contract report submitted by the BEG: Maintaining a Statewide Seismic Network - TexNet
While employed as a field technician for the BEG, I also assisted with field operations for TexNet, a research group that is responsible for maintaining a statewide seismic network and processing seismic data for the state of Texas. I assisted TexNet personnel with installing and maintaining field site sensors to improve the accuracy and precision of determining the depth and location of earthquakes, particularly in west Texas, where the highest concentration of significant seismic activity occurs. Below is a link to the TexNet Seismic Monitoring program homepage: Proterozoic rare earth element (REE) deposit in Joshua Tree National Park
For my Master's research, I conducted an independent research project investigating the mechanisms for rare earth element mineralization in a Proterozoic deposit located in a remote corner of Joshua Tree National Park. I presented the results of my research in oral format at the 2014 Annual Goldschmidt Geochemical Conference in Sacramento, CA and published my thesis in GSA Bulletin (July/August 2015). You can see various documents from this research below, including the slides from my Goldschmidt talk, a poster I made for a UCSB graduate research symposium and a link to my published paper.
Fluid Inclusion Analysis of REE-bearing rocks from Bokan Mountain, Alaska
In the summer of 2013, I participated in a USGS-NAGT internship at the USGS offices in Denver, CO. I worked on a project (under the direction of Dr. Albert Hofstra) analyzing fluid inclusions contained in quartz from rocks associated with a rare earth element (REE) deposit located near Bokan Mountain, Alaska. You can see a brief written summary of the research I performed during this internship here:
Precambrian Basement Rocks of Yellowstone National Park (NSF REU)
In the summer of 2011, I participated in a NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) led by Dr. David Mogk of Montana State University and Dr. Darrell Henry of Louisiana State University. The project was focused on investigating Precambrian basement rocks exposed in Yellowstone National Park and the Beartooth Mountains. Each student was tasked with taking a deeper dive into one of the primary questions of the investigation, and I chose to study the leucogranites that we encountered in the field. At the conclusion of the REU, we presented posters of our research at the 2012 GSA Rocky Mountain section meeting in Albuquerque, NM. You can see my poster here:
Petrography and Geochemistry of Basalts from Kula, Turkey
As an undergraduate at UT, I worked with Dr. Elizabeth Catlos to investigate the petrography and geochemistry of some basaltic samples she had collected in Kula, Turkey. You can see a brief summary of some of the work I did here:
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