Douglas McCarty
Senior Staff Geologist
Chevron Energy Technology Company
Houston Texas

Education: Ph.D. Geology, Dartmouth College, 1993; M.S. Geology, University of Montana,1990; B.A. Geology, University of Montana,1986

Areas of Expertise:

"Quantitative phase analysis, one and three-dimensional computer modeling of mixed-layer clay structures, clay mineral crystal chemistry, and petrophysical properties of clay bearing rocks.

How I Became Interested in Clays

"My career in clay mineralogy began when I was searching for a topic for my senior thesis as an undergraduate student at the University of Montana. I walked into Professor Gray Thompson's office and asked him for advice on choosing a topic and he asked me what area of geology I was interested in. That particular day I was keen on volcanoes, which I mentioned and he said he had just the topic for me. My senior thesis was on the mineralogy and petrology of potassium bentonites in the Disturbed Belt of Montana. I had so much fun doing this study, I stayed in Montana and did a M.S. thesis on burial diagenesis in Montana's Tertiary non-Marine basins. During this period I met Pioneer clay scientist, Bob Reynolds and decided to do a PhD under him at Dartmouth that turned out to be on the crystal structure and crystal chemistry of Paleozoic bentonites from the Appalachian basin. This study led to a collaboration with the great clay science Pioneer, Professor Victor Drits from the Russian Academy of Science, which has continued now for the last 15 years. "