Lewis A. Owen

Biography

Throughout my career, I have been particularly concerned with defining the timing and quantifying the relationship between tectonics, geomorphic processes and Quaternary climatic change to understand the evolution of landscapes. Consequently my efforts have concentrated on mapping and numerically dating landforms and sediments to help determine the timing of geomorphic events, and rates of geomorphic and tectonic processes. To undertake the numerical dating, I established geochronology laboratories at the University of Cincinnati (UC) to utilize the newly evolving methods of terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure and optically stimulated luminescence dating.

Research Interest

My research and teaching focuses on understanding the nature and dynamics of Quaternary paleoenvironmental change and landscape evolution, environmental geology and natural hazards along active plate margins. I have concentrated my efforts on two major geologic-geographic regions: 1) the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen; and 2) the western Cordilleras of North and South America. This is because these regions provide some of the best natural laboratories for understanding the dynamics of geomorphic, tectonic and climatic processes, and ultimately they provide analogs for understanding the evolution of many ancient plate boundaries. I have also undertaken research in other regions, including the American Midwest, Egypt, Venezuela, Morocco, Trinidad, Thailand, Yemen, Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom.