Earth Horizons

Dr. Claiborne aims to understand how magmas move, are stored, and evolve within the Earth’s upper crust. She uses mineral and rock chemistry and geochronology to investigate the events that lead up to volcanic eruptions and tries to better understand how those processes are recorded in rocks and minerals. Her field work includes areas in the western US, including Mount St. Helens, Washington, older volcanoes in Arizona and Nevada, and on ancient ash beds in Tennessee. She is also interested in understanding best practices in teaching geoscience and in undergraduate research experiences and pursues research related to those topics.  At VU, Dr. Claiborne teaches introductory Earth Science, volcanology, and petrology. Dr. Claiborne is one of the primary instructors for the introductory Dynamic Earth course at TSU and co-teaches the Earth Horizons Career Seminar.