Welcome to my home page.  My name is Peter Larson, and I am a geology professor at Washington State University.  I arrived in Pullman in 1983 after receiving my PhD from Caltech that same year.  This website documents my current and recent research interests, and provides contact info for me.

 

My newest research project focuses on understanding the older hydrothermal alteration exposed in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park (upper left photo).  There is a wealth of geochemical information on the active hot springs in the Park (e.g., Grand Geyser, upper right photo), but the older hydrothermal activity has been largely ignored.  Preliminary results indicate that the alteration in the Canyon extends back as far as at least 143,000 years (Ar-Ar dating).  You can find more information on this and other ongoing  projects on my Research Pages. That’s me on the rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, in the photo to the right.