Tiffany Rivera

Tiffany Rivera is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Missouri. Her research focuses on understanding timescales of magma evolution on young (< 2.5 Ma) basaltic and rhyolitic volcanoes using the 40Ar/39Ar dating technique combined with zircon petrochronology. She has conducted extensive research on the super-eruptions of Yellowstone, the basalts of the Snake River Plain, and the Black Rock Desert basalt-rhyolite field in southern Utah.

Dr. Rivera earned her BSc in Earth Science from George Mason University (2005), MSc in Geology from Boise State University (2008), and PhD in Geology from Roskilde Universitet, Denmark (2013). Her academic background provides a strong foundation in both field geology and advanced analytical techniques.

Her research interests span geochemistry, mineralogy, petrology, and volcanology, with particular expertise in geochronology. She has developed innovative approaches to studying gravity slides in Utah, focusing on the Marysvale Gravity Slide Complex, which includes the Sevier, Black Mountain, and Markagunt slides. Her work integrates multiple dating techniques to constrain the timing and mechanisms of these catastrophic landscape-altering events.

Dr. Rivera's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on volcanic field evolution, with particular emphasis on the relationship between basaltic and rhyolitic systems. Her research frequently employs detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology alongside 40Ar/39Ar dating to establish precise temporal frameworks for volcanic and tectonic events in the western United States.

• NSF EAR-2412838 grant for gravity slide research
• Students have received GSA Graduate Research Grants and travel awards
• Collaborative projects with multiple universities and the Utah Geological Survey

As an educator, Dr. Rivera teaches Earth systems, geology field camp, graduate school preparation, and radiogenic isotope geochemistry courses. She has pioneered virtual field instruction methods, contributing to the Routledge Handbook of Field Research with a chapter on designing and running virtual field classes.

Dr. Rivera leads an active research group studying the Black Rock Desert volcanic field, Utah Markagunt Gravity Slides, and Yellowstone Rhyolites through collaborative projects involving The Ohio State University, Kent State University, Illinois State University, and the Utah Geological Survey.