Geophysics - Seismic refraction and reflection, microearthquake studies; magnetics; gravity; DC-resistivity, magneto- tellurics; terrestrial heat transfer; rock physics; and numerical modelling. Emphasis in geothermal exploration, ground water studies, fault zone characterization, earthquake prediction, crustal studies, regional tectonics, and GIS applications to geologic studies.
Hydrogeology - Geophysical studies of groundwater basins, DC and SP studies of aquifer-aquitard distributions, stable isotopes, aqueous chemistry, recharge experiments, chemical modeling, flow modeling, and low-temperature geothermics.
Petrology - Geochemistry - Geothermics - Geological, geochemical and geophysical studies of active volcanic and geothermal systems; geochemical and stable isotopic studies of hydrothermal fluids; field and laboratory studies of mineral deposits and ore mineral deposition; field and laboratory studies of igneous and metamorphic rocks in the Mojave Desert Peninsular Ranges and Salton Trough, groundwater problems in sedimentary basins.
Structural Geology - Development of Transverse Ranges, Salton Trough, San Jacinto Trough, Elsinore Trough, Mojave Desert; offset history of San Andreas fault.
Sedimentology - Stratigraphy - Paleontology -Tertiary of Great Basin (Nevada), Mojave Desert (California) and Eastern Lake Eyre Basin (Australia); Cretaceous and Tertiary of California; Paleozoic of Great Basin and Appalachians; Paleozoic of Permian Basin; Upper Cretaceous-Eocene of Seymour Island, Antarctica; precision of bio- and lithostratigraphic correlation; diagenesis in rift-valley saline lake sediments; geologic history of bioturbation; evolutionary paleoecology; carbonate diagenesis..
Urban and Locational Analysis - GIS applications in spatial analysis; transportation; environmental policy and law; industrial geography; urban planning and policy; metropolitan service provision; local economic development; foreign direct investment.
Spatial Analysis - GIS, surface analysis, spatial autocorrelation, map pattern, spatial statistics, spatial strategies in wildland fire management, modeling of fire occurrence, airline transportation, network structure, nodal accessibility.
Biogeography - Landscape Ecology - Conservation Biology - Recurrent fire and vegetation steady-states at the landscape scale. Fire regimes and dynamics of California forests and woodlands. Alien plant and animal invasions of California shrublands and desert scrub communities. Studies of habitat fragmentation and connectivity, land-use planning at the wildland/urban interface. Vegetation ordination and wildlife-habitat relationships with Geographic Information Systems. Spatial aspects of demography and behavior. Vegetation and fire history mapping from aerial photographs.
Climatology - Storm snowlines in southern California. El Niņo/Southern Oscillation and California rainfall. Wind modelling with Geographic Information Systems.