ridgway - Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences - Purdue University Skip to main content

Kenneth Ridgway

Professor Kenneth Ridgway

ridge@purdue.edu
Curriculum Vitae
Associated website(s):
Google Scholar , Geology and Geophysics


Research Interests

Sedimentary geology, basin analysis, tectonics, petroleum geology

Awards and Honors
  • 2018 - Alumni Achievement Award, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Rochester
  • 2018 - Diversity Award - College of Science, Purdue University
  • 2018 - Condon Lecturer - Oregon State University - The Condon Lecture honors the tradition of science communication to the public.  The list of past lecturers includes Carl Sagan, George Gaylord Simpson, Robert Oppenheimer, Gene Shoemaker, Marcia McNutt, Susan Solomon, John Grotzinger, Barbara Sherwood-Lollar, and many others
  • 2017 - Outstanding Alumnus, Department of Geology and Geography, West Virginia University
  • 2013 - EarthScope Speaker Series
  • 2012 - Geological Society of America Bromery Award
  • 2012 - Purdue University Dreamer Award
  • 2011 - Fellow – Geological Society of America
  • 2009 - College of Science, Graduate Student Mentoring Award
  • 1998 - School of Science Faculty Award for Outstanding Assistant Professor in Teaching and Research
Service
  • Co-Director of Sloan – Purdue Indigenous Graduate Program
  • Faculty Advisor – American Indian Science and Engineering Society – Purdue chapter
  • Faculty Advisor – Society of Petroleum Engineers – Purdue Chapter
Professional Experience
  • 2003 - Professor, Purdue University
  • 1998 - 2003 Associate Professor, Purdue University, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
  • 1992-1998 Assistant Professor, Purdue University, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
  • 1983-1987 Petroleum Geologist, Chevron Oil, Midland-Texas.
Selected Publications - Google Scholar Page for a complete list of publications (* student publication)
  • *Romero, M.C., Ridgway, K.D., and Gehrels, G.E., 2020,  Geology, U‐Pb Geochronology, and Hf Isotope Geochemistry Across the Mesozoic Alaska Range Suture Zone (south‐central Alaska): Implications for Cordilleran Collisional Processes and Tectonic Growth of North America: Tectonics , https://doi.org/10.1029/2019TC005946
  • *Henderson, T., Ridgway, K.D., Johnston, C., and Everett, T, 2020, Integrated reservoir characterization of potential enhanced oil recovery targets in mature basins: an example from the Tar Springs formation, Rock Hill field, Illinois basin, U.S.A.: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin , v. 104, no. 10, pp. 2077– 2098
  • *Fasulo, C.R.,  Ridgway, K.D., and Trop , J.M., 2020, Detrital zircon geochronology and Hf isotope geochemistry of Mesozoic sedimentary basins in south-central Alaska: Insights into regional sediment transport, basin development, and tectonics along the NW Cordilleran margin: Geosphere ; 16 (5): 1125–1152. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02221.1
  • Pavlis, T.L., Amato, J.M., Trop, J.M., Ridgway, K.D., Roeske, S.M., and Gehrels, G.E., 2019, Subduction Polarity in Ancient Arcs: A Call to Integrate Geology and Geophysics to Decipher the Mesozoic Tectonic History of the Northern Cordillera of North America: GSA Today , v. 29, https://doi.org/10.1130/GSATG402A.1 .
  • Bataille, C.P., Ridgway, K.D., *Colliver, L., and Liu, X-M., 2018, An early Paleogene fluvial regime shift in response to global warming: a subtropical record from the Tornillo basin, West Texas, U.S.A., Bulletin of Geological Society of America. link.
  • Finzel E.S., and K.D. Ridgway, (2017) Links between sedimentary basin development and Pacific Basin plate kinematics recorded in Jurassic to Miocene strata on the western Alaska Peninsula, Lithosphere , L592-1, doi: 10.1130/L592.1.
  • Dunn, C. A., Enkelmann , E., Ridgway, K.D.,  and Allen, W.K., (2017) Source to sink  evaluation of sediment routing in the Gulf of Alaska and Southeast Alaska: a thermochronometric perspective, Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface , 122, doi:10.1002/2016JF004168.
  • Finzel, E.S, Flesch,L.M.,  Ridgway, K.D., Holt,W.E., and Ghosh, A.,  2015, Surface motions and intraplate continental deformation in Alaska driven by mantle flow: Geophysical Research Letters , 42, 4350–4358, doi:10.1002/2015GL063987.
  • Reano, D., and Ridgway K.D., 2015, Connecting geology and Native American culture on the reservation of Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico: GSA Today , v. 25, no. 8, doi:  10.1130/GSAT-G235GW.1.
  • Enkelmann, E, Ridgway, K.D.,Carignano, C., and Linnemann, U., 2014, A thermochronometric view into an ancient landscape: Tectonic setting, development, and inversion of thePaleozoic eastern Paganzo basin, Argentina :Lithosphere, v. 6, no.2, p. 93-107, doi: 10.1130/L309.1LITHOSPHERE.
  • Richardson, T., K. D. Ridgway, H. Gilbert, R. Martino, E. Enkelmann, M. Anderson, and P. Alvarado, 2013, Neogene and Quaternary tectonics of the Eastern Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina: Active intraplate deformation inboard of flat-slab subduction, Tectonics, 32, doi:10.1002/tect.20054.
  • Ridgway, K.D., Trop, J.M., and  Finzel, E.S., 2012, Modification of continental forearc basins by spreading ridge subduction and flat-slab subduction processes: A case study from southern Alaska: in Recent Advances in the Tectonics of Sedimentary Basins , eds. Cathy Busby and Antonio Azor: Blackwell Publishing, p. 327--346.
  • Finzel, E.S., Trop, J.M., Ridgway, K.D., and Enkelmann, E., 2011, Upper plate proxies for flat-slab subduction processes in southern Alaska: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 303, p. 348–360, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2011.01.014
  • Brennan, P.R.K., Gilbert, H., and Ridgway,K.D., 2011, Crustal structure across the central Alaska Range: Anatomy of a Mesozoic collisional zone: Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, doi:10.1029/2011GC003519.
  • Hampton, B., Ridgway, K. D., and Gehrels, G., 2010, A detrital record of Mesozoic island arc accretion and exhumation in the North American Cordillera: U-Pb geochronology fo the Kahiltna basin, southern Alaska: Tectonics, v. 29, p. 21.
  • Trop, J.M. and Ridgway, K.D., 2007, Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonic growth of Southern Alaska: A sedimentary basin perspective:  in Tectonic Growth of a Collisional Continental Margin: Crustal Evolution of Southern Alaska:  Geological Society of America Special Paper 431, doi:10.1130/2007.2431(04).
  • Hoy, R.G., and Ridgway, K.D., 2003, Sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy of fan-delta and river-delta deposystems, Pennsylvanian Minturn Formation, Colorado:  American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 87, p. 1169-1191.
  • Ridgway, K.D., Trop, J.M., Nokleberg, W.J., Davidson, C.M., and Eastham, K.R., 2002, Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonics of the eastern and central Alaska Range: Progressive basin development and deformation in a suture zone:  Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 114, p. 1480-1504.
  • Hoy, R.G., and Ridgway, K.D., 2002, Syndepositional thrust-related deformation and sedimentation in an Ancestral Rocky Mountains basin, Central Colorado trough, Colorado:  Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 114, p. 804-828.
  • Chen, W.S., Ridgway, K.D., Horng, C.S., Chen, Y.G., Shea, K.S., and Yeh, M.G., 2001, Stratigraphic architecture, magnetostratigraphy, and incised-valley systems of the Pliocene-Pleistocene collisional marine foreland basin of Taiwan:  Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 113, p. 1249-1271.
  • *Hoy, R.G., and Ridgway, K.D., 1997, Structural and sedimentologic development of footwall growth synclines along an intraforeland uplift, east-central Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming:  Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 109, p. 915-935.
  • Ridgway, K.D., Sweet, A.R., and Cameron, A.R., 1995, Climatically-induced floristic changes across the Eocene-Oligocene transition in the northern high latitudes, Yukon Territory, Canada:  Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 107, p. 676-696.
  • Ridgway, K.D., and DeCelles, P.G., 1993, Stream-dominated alluvial-fan and lacustrine depositional systems in Cenozoic strike-slip basins, Denali fault system, Yukon Territory, Canada:  Sedimentology, v. 40, p. 645-666.













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