Faculty & Fellows

Jean Dixon

Associate Professor

Department: Earth Sciences

University System: Montana State University - Bozeman

Roles:

Website(s): http://www.montana.edu/earthsciences/directory/1582700/jean-dixon

Professional Summary:

Dr. Jean Dixon is a geomorphologist interested in the chemical, physical and biological processes at Earth’s Surface that form soil from rock, transport soil and sediment and sculpt the land surface. Her research uses geochemical tools such as cosmogenic radionuclides to quantify the rates and patterns of Earth's surface processes. She couples geochemical analysis with field observations, digital terrain analysis and simple numerical models to understand the primary controls on the evolution of diverse landscapes and the sensitivity of the Earth’s soils and surface to changes in tectonics, climate, and human activity.

Dixon's research follows several broad themes:

• Thresholds for soil formation and weathering
• Topographic signatures and rates of geomorphic processes
• The role of external forcings such as climate, tectonics, and humans in landscape evolution
• Geochemical tracing of sediment generation and transport