Department of Earth and Biological Sciences

Kevin E. Nick, PhD

Assistant professor of geology
PhD, The University of Oklahoma, 1990

Department of Earth and Biological Sciences
Office, Griggs Hall 116
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, California 92350

Email: knick@llu.edu
Phone: (909) 558-1000, extension 48900

Teaching and research interests

• Paleomagnetics applied to sedimentology
• Geology related to the health sciences (medical geology or geomedicine)
  • Secretary-treasurer for Division of Geology and Health in the Geological Society of America

• Timing of reddenning in the diagenetic history of sedimentary rocks:
  • Carbonate lenses in the Jurassic Navajo sandstone
  • Ferroan dolomite filled burrows in the Chambliss limestone.
• Magnetostratigraphy of Miocene Barstow Formation in the Calico Mts.
• Application of geology to public health issues

Scanning electron micrograph of a sandstone from Anza Borrego showing infiltrated clays on the surface of the detrital sand grains and beautiful crystals of authigenic feldspar that overlie the infiltrated clays.

Reflected light photomicrograph of carbonate-rich lens in the Navajo Sandstone. Light and medium red colors are hematite pigment found in detrital clays that coat sand grains and have been moved to intercrystalline areas between the clear dolomite crystals. Dolomite crystals are about 150 um across.

• Ethan Allen, 2007, Crustal Contamination Effects in Central San Bernardino Mountains Intrusives, CA

Dr. Benjamin Clausen Co-Supervisor
PDF of Thesis

• Chip McHenry, 2005, Timing of Reddenning of Carbonate Lenses in the Navajo Sandstone

PDF of Thesis

Papers

• LSA Associates, Inc., Bob Reynolds and Kevin E. Nick, 2000, Results of paleontological resource monitoring program: Flint Ridge Development, Chino Hills, San Bernardino County, California. Monitoring Report prepared by LSA Associates.
• Nick, Kevin E., Michael W. Conway, and Kathleen S. Fowler, 1995, The relation of diagenetic clays and sulfates to the treatment of coal bed methane reservoirs: paper number SPE 30736, presented at the 1995 SPE annual meeting, October, 1995, pp. 363-372.
• Nick, Kevin E., R. Douglas Elmore, and K. Xia, 1991, Paleomagnetic and petrographic evidence for early magnetizations in successive terra-rosa paleosols, Lower-Pennsylvanian Black Prince Limestone, Arizona: Journal of geophysical Research, v. 96, p. 9873-9886.
• Nick, Kevin E., and R. Douglas Elmore, 1990, Paleomagnetism of the Cambrian Royer Dolomite and Pennsylvanian Collings Ranch Conglomerate, southern Oklahoma: An early Paleozoic magnetization and non-pervasive remagnetization by weathering: GSA Bulletin, v. 102, p. 1517-1525.
• Cullen, A., D. Fruit, K. Nick, J. Swartz, T. Hillegeist, D. Kaiser, and R.D. Elmore, 1989, Sandy tempestites in the lower/middle Atoka Formation, southeastern Oklahoma: in Suneson, N.H., J.A. Campbell, and M.J. Tilford (eds.) Geology and resources of the Frontal Belt of the Western Ouachita Mountains, Oklahoma, Field Trip No. 2 AAPG Mid-Continent Section p. 155-168.
• Elmore, R.D., Kevin E. Nick, Karen A. Cochran, and Lisa D. Crawford, 1988, Paleomagnetism of the Cambro-Ordovician Arbuckle Group and associated deposits in the southern Oklahoma aulacogen: Evidence for block rotations, GRL, v. 15, p. 380-383.
• Elmore, R.D., M.H. Engel, L. Crawford, K. Nick, S. Imbus, and Z. Sofer, 1987, Evidence for a relationship between hydrocarbons and authigenic magnetite, Nature, v. 325, p. 428-430.
• Magnetizations of reddened carbonate rocks at paleoexposure surfaces, 1990: Norman, OK, University of Oklahoma, Dissertation, 113 pp.

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Selected abstracts

• Raul Esperante, Kevin Nick, and Leonard Brand. 2006. Exceptional occurrence of fossil baleen in the Miocene/Pliocene Pisco Formation, Peru. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 38.7 (2006): 64-64.
• Ethan Allen, Benjamin Clausen, Kevin Nick, Douglas Morton, and Ronald Kistler. 2006. Fractionation trends and assimilation in Cretaceous and Triassic intrusives in the Central San Bernardino Mountains, CA. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 38.7 (2006): 560-560.
• Nick, Kevin E., 2004, Crushed stone industries and respirable dust in southern India, (abst.) Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 36, No. 5, p. 126.
• McHenry, Jared, and Kevin E. Nick, 2004, Timing and origin of reddening in carbonate lenses of the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, (abst.) Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 36, No. 5, p. 375.
• Bryant, Gerald C., R. Cushman, P. Buchheim, K. Nick, and L. Brand, 1999, Sedimentology of an interdune deposit in the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone (abst.) Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 31, No. 7, p. 281.
• Fowler, Kathleen S. and Kevin E. Nick, 1996, Diagenetic clays as pore-lining minerals in coal bed methane reservoirs, (abst.)American Association of Petroleum Geologists Abstracts with Programs.
• Nick, K.E., 1994, Lithologic and stratigraphic evidence for the impact origin of a buried Ordovician age crater and reservoir near Ames, Major County, Oklahoma (abst.) American Association of Petroleum Geologists Abstracts with Programs, p. 224.
• Gale, P.N., M.W. Conway, K.E. Nick, B.N. Carpenter, A.P. Byrnes, 1994, Characterization of Cretaceous and Jurassic Reservoirs, Vat Yegan Field, Western Siberia: Solutions to reservoir production problems (abst.) American Association of Petroleum Geologists Abstracts with Programs, p. 152-153.
• Gale, P.N., B.N. Carpenter, K.E. Nick, 1994, Comparison of borehole image logs, conventional logs and cores in "fractured" sandstone (abst.) American Association of Petroleum Geologists Abstracts with Programs, p. 152.
• Nick, Kevin E. and Bob Sandridge, 1993, The Ames Crater: Origin and reservoir characteristics of a buried, Ordovician impact structure, Major County, Oklahoma (abst.) American Association of Petroleum Geologists Abstracts with Programs, p. 158.
• Nick, Kevin E., P.N. Gale, B. Carpenter, L. King, C.T. Siemers, C. Peck, and R.D. Elmore, 1992, Reservoir Characterization of the deep Upper-Morrow Puryear Sequence in the Anadarko Basin, Western Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle (abst.), American Association of Petroleum Geologists Abstracts with Programs, pp. 96-97.
• Elmore, R. Douglas, D.S. Bagley, D. London, and K. Nick, 1991, Paleomagnetic dating of diagenesis by basinal and meteoric fluids, Ordovician carbonates, Arbuckle Mountains, southern Oklahoma (abst.), American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 75, p. 569.
• Nick, Kevin E., R. Douglas Elmore, and Lisa Crawford, 1987, Contemporaneous speleothem formation and hydrocarbon migration beneath the Permian unconformity, west-central Oklahoma (abst.) Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Annual Mid Year Meeting Abstracts, v. 4, p. 60.

A sand-size grain of quartz showing intersecting sets of shock lamellae. This grain is from an oil well at a depth of about 10,000 feet and is evidence that a a local structure was formed by the impact of a meteor.

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