Ron Counts

Ron Counts is Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute at the University of Mississippi. His research employs field geology, geochronology, and geophysics to study neotectonics and paleoenvironmental change.

Education includes a PhD from the University of Cincinnati (2013) and USGS Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellowship (2013-2014). Professional experience includes roles at USGS Eastern Geology and Paleoclimate Science Center (2013-2017) and Kentucky Geological Survey (2002-2012).

Research investigates Quaternary fault systems, including the 1886 Charleston earthquake source and Wabash Valley seismic zone. Methodologies integrate luminescence dating, sediment coring, GPR, and electrical resistivity for 3D landscape modeling.

Current NSF-funded projects include fault mapping beneath the National Mall using geophysical methods and Mississippi Alluvial Aquifer recharge studies. Fieldwork spans the Himalayas, Atlantic Coastal Plain, and Mississippi Embayment.

Publications (2017-2022) focus on paleoseismology of Eastern North America, detrital zircon provenance, and geophysical characterization of fault systems. Laboratory facilities include the Core Analysis and Paleoenvironmental Research Laboratory with Giddings drill rig.