The mission of the Geology Department and New York State Geological Survey (NYSGS) is to conduct geologic research, evaluate mineral resources and geologic hazards of the State of New York, and make the data and advice derived from that research available to State agencies, the educational community, and the public for the health, safety, and economic welfare of the citizens of the State. Responsibilities of the Department/NYSGS include maintaining a comprehensive inventory of the geologic resources, conducting research into the characteristics of, and processes operating in, the earth’s crust, and making the resulting geologic knowledge readily available. The guiding principles require that the work of the Department/NYSGS be synoptic and comprehensive throughout the State, be applicable to addressing the geologically related issues facing the citizens of the State, and be assembled in useable formats. Descriptions of various aspects of the State’s geology are presented in the Museum Bulletin, Memoir, Map & Chart, Miscellaneous Publications, and Circular series publications.
Geology
Research Staff
Dr. Andrew Clift
Curator of Bedrock Core andrew.clift@nysed.gov
My research background is in structural geology and stratigraphy, with a focus on subsurface geologic mapping and modeling. I use a variety of geologic data types and methods to understand how Earth's layers and features have formed, shifted, and interacted over time.
Dr. Andrew Kozlowski
Curator of Quaternary Landscape Materials andrew.kozlowski@nysed.gov
My research focuses on geologic mapping of sediments deposited and landforms created during the Pleistocene epoch (2.6 million - 11,700 years ago), the most recent time that episodes of global cooling, or ice ages, took place.
Dr. Marian Lupulescu
Curator of Geology marian.lupulescu@nysed.gov
Research in the Mineralogy lab focuses on the systematic mineralogy, hard rock petrology, geochemistry, and mineral deposits of New York State. It unites field survey and mapping with analytical work. Mineralogy, Petrography and Geology of Ore Deposits
Dr. Charles Ver Straeten
Curator of Sedimentary Rocks charles.verstraeten@nysed.gov
My focus is on Devonian Period Sedimentation and Stratigraphy, including sea level history, mountain building and sedimentation, paleoecology, and Devonian volcanic ash layers.
News Articles
New York State Museum Scientists Conduct Fieldwork in Tompkins County this Fall
Published October 18, 2019 | Geology
This fall State Museum scientists will join staff from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and Cornell University to conduct fieldwork into the Ice Age landscape of the Ithaca, NY area. The scientists will...
New York State Geoparks Highlighted in New Videos
Published March 26, 2024 | Geology
Two videos on classic geologic sites in New York are available from the Geological Society of America “Geoheritage” program. The videos, made by Drs. Ed Landing (New York State Paleontologist, emeritus) and Alexander Bartholomew (SUNY-New Paltz, g...
New Publication on the Devonian Features Significant Contributions from NYSM Geologist
Published December 11, 2023 | Devonian Geology
The Devonian Period occurred between 419.2 million and 358.9 million years ago. Devonian-age rocks in New York State have been utilized by geologists, paleontologists, and educators to study the development of life, understand geological ...
First occurrence of Dissakisite-(Ce) and Jamborite in New York
Published August 11, 2015 | Mineralogy
Dissakisite-(Ce) - Ca(Ce,REE)(Mg,Fe2+)(Al,Fe3+)2Si3O12(OH) - the magnesium analogue of the more common allanite (Ce), was found in a specimen from the Henry Rudy Farm, in Orange County. It occurs as millimeter-size pink crystals associated wi...
Behind the Scenes in the Mineralogy Collection
Published January 14, 2016 | Mineralogy
From rocks to gems to minerals, there are thousands of specimens in the Museum's mineralogy collection. "Every mineral can tell you a story," says Dr. Marian Lupulescu, curator of geology at the State Museum. Many New York pegmatite rock minera...
New Acquisition to the Mineralogy Collection
Published November 30, 2016 | Mineralogy
The Museum's mineralogy collection constitutes the world's largest and most complete array of New York State minerals. However, the collection also contains thousands of non-New York specimens, including minerals from Europe, Africa, Asia, an...
NYSM's State Survey Geologists join federal partners in collaborative Aerial Mapping Project in Northwestern, New York
Published September 29, 2023 | Geologic Mapping
Geologists within the New York State Museum have been conducting geological mapping in partnership with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for 40 years. This long-standing collaboration has helped the State Museum study and map the distrib...
Science Tuesday: Deepest Continuous Cores of Glacial Sediments Ever Collected from Cayuga Lake Basin
Published March 11, 2021 | Quarternary Landscape Materials (QLM)
The layers of rock and sediment on the Earth's surface represent both a time capsule and vessel of stored resources. Geologist at the New York State Museum recently completed deep drilling exploration investigations near Ithaca, New York, to inves...
