Brian Cousens

Dr. Brian Cousens is a Full Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Carleton University, within the Faculty of Science. His research focuses on igneous petrology, geochemistry, and volcanology, with particular emphasis on the geochemistry and petrology of igneous rocks as probes of mantle and crustal composition. He has conducted extensive studies on mid-ocean ridge basalts, ocean island volcanic rocks, continental basaltic lavas, and back-arc basalts, among others.

Dr. Cousens holds a B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. from McGill University, the University of British Columbia, and the University of California Santa Barbara, respectively. He has held NSERC research grants since 1991 and has been an Assistant Professor (2007), Associate Professor (2009), and Full Professor (2017) at Carleton. From 2019 to 2022, he served as Chair of the Department of Earth Sciences, overseeing administrative challenges including pandemic-related transitions.

His research includes collaborations with institutions such as the MBARI, U.S. Geological Survey, and international partners. He has supervised numerous graduate students, including Susan Varve (MSc 2013), Matt Trenkler (PhD), and others. His work involves radiogenic isotope analyses for academic, government, and private institutions, with a focus on environmental applications like groundwater contamination tracing.

Teaching highlights include Advanced Igneous Petrology field courses in California, Iceland, and Nevada, and introductory geology courses. He has also led field camps to exotic locations, emphasizing both educational and exploratory goals. His research extends to projects in Nevada, Hawaii, Morocco, and the Slave Province, addressing topics like magma sources, crustal contamination, and tectonic evolution.

Dr. Cousens' isotopic laboratory, in collaboration with colleagues, specializes in Pb-Pb, Sm-Nd, and Rb-Sr analyses, supporting environmental and geological studies. His contributions to the field include over 50 peer-reviewed publications and ongoing projects in continental arc magmatism and mantle dynamics.