Michael J. Soreghan

Michael J. Soreghan is the James Roy Maxey Chair Professor in the School of Geosciences at the University of Oklahoma. His research integrates sedimentology, paleoclimatology, and tectonics to study continental sedimentation processes in East Africa and the Southwestern U.S. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona (1994), an M.S. from Indiana University (1990), and a B.S. from UCLA (1986).

Soreghan's research focuses on three primary themes: (1) Quaternary sedimentation in African lakes and impacts on ecosystems, (2) tectonic evolution of rift systems and river morphology, and (3) paleoclimatic signals from Late Paleozoic eolian and lacustrine strata. His methodologies combine field data with geochemistry, GIS analysis, and modeling.

His publications emphasize paleoclimate dynamics, particularly the Late Paleozoic ice age, volcanism impacts, and eolian processes. Research spans rift lakes (Lake Tanganyika, Malawi) and North American Permian basins, revealing insights into tropical glaciation, wind patterns, and sedimentation controls.

He actively advises graduate students and has secured funding from the National Science Foundation, National Geographic Society, and The Nature Conservancy. Current collaborations include projects on rift-flank uplift in Tanzania and land-use impacts on Lake Tanganyika with researchers from the University of Kentucky and Dartmouth.