Scott D Elrick

Scott D Elrick is a Principal Research Scientist and Head of the Coal, Bedrock, and Industrial Minerals Section at the Illinois State Geological Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on geological sciences with specialization in paleontology, stratigraphy, sedimentology, and paleoclimatology, particularly concerning Pennsylvanian and Permian periods in North America.

Research interests center on:

• Stratigraphic analysis of Paleozoic systems
• Paleoclimate reconstruction through sedimentology
• Evolution of tropical wetlands and basin development
• Coal formation processes and fossil preservation techniques
• Chronostratigraphic boundary definitions

Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on:

• Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of Carboniferous-Permian transitions
• Innovative fossil curation methodologies
• Regional stratigraphic framework development
• Multi-proxy paleoclimate analysis

As section head, he leads research on coal, bedrock, and industrial minerals, coordinating collaborative studies across institutions.