Richard G. Stearns

Professor Emeritus

Ph.D. Northwestern, 1953

Structure, Geophysics, and Geohistory

General Interests

Stearns’ long term interests are in structural geology of the craton in central and western Tennessee and Kentucky. This includes the Cincinnati arch, northern Mississippi Embayment (and New Madrid earthquake region), southern Illinois basin faulted area, and the Cumberland Plateau. Students have used gravity, magnetics, earth resistivity, satellite imagery, drill holes and outcrops to decipher structure.

Stearn’s current interest is the interaction of geology of the region and human activities before 1865. Stearns is interested in such things as siting of homes, cities, and roads, land productivity, and military campaigns.

Current Research

Stearns’ research on wear of the Natchez Trace (pioneer’s path) continues at Meriwether Lewis Monument. Stearns is cooperating as a geophysicist with Professor James Starrs, of Georgetown Law School, in a forensic archaeology inquiry into the death of Meriwether Lewis. Lewis was either murdered or committed suicide.

Selected Publications

Stearns, R.G. (1997). Geology, Width, and Wear of the Chickasaw Path and Old Natchez Trace at Meriwether Lewis Monument, Lewis County, Tennessee.  Jour. Tenn. Acad. Science, in Press.

Stearns, R.G. (1992).  Civil War battle of Island 10: the geology of history.  Tenn. Acad. Sci. Jour., 67(1,2):13.

Stearns, R.G. (1992).  Civil War battle of Island 10: the geology of history:,             Tenn.

*Antrobus, R., *Caley, S. and *Shortess, J. (1991).  Statistical analysis of data on joint and stream orientations. Tenn. Acad. Sci., Collegiate Div., March.

Stearns, R.G. (1988).  Mapping of Landsat Satellite and gravity lineaments in West Tennessee. Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 1(1):71-86.

Stearns, R.G., Haselton, T.M., and *Tsau, J.P. (1986).  Earth resistivity as a tool for shallow exploration in the Reelfoot Lake area, Tennessee. Tennessee Division of Geology, Report of Investigations, 43:58.

*student