Ian Coulson

Contact Info

Research interests

Expertise and areas of study

Dr. Coulson's research focuses on the investigation of igneous activity and volcanism, and this work has expanded into the study of these products on other terrestrial planets and small bodies in our Solar System. He is also interested in cathodoluminescence techniques applied to the Geosciences, and provenance studies in Archaeology.

Dr. Coulson is an Associate Editor of Mineralogical Magazine, and sits on the Editorial Boards of Geosciences and Earth.

Courses taught

Environmental Geology (Geol 102): An introductory course designed to give students an appreciation of the interactions between the Earth, geological processes and humans.

Mineralogy I (Geol 210): An introduction to the study of minerals which focuses on their description, symmetry, crystallography and optical properties.

Mineralogy II (Geol 211): A systematic study of the principal ‘rock-forming’ minerals, including studies of mineral composition, structure, properties and paragenesis.

Metamorphic Petrology (Geol 315): Deciphering lithospheric processes as recorded through the chemistry, mineralogy and textures of metamorphosed rocks.

Igneous Petrology (Geol 313): A course that is concerned primarily with the classification and genesis of igneous rocks.

Senior undergraduate and graduate courses (Geol 400/800 level) on topics in the fields of volcanology/igneous petrology and geochemistry.

Field school (Geol 496): Geological study and mapping in crystalline rocks of the Precambrian shield, northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Selected recent publications (2014-2021)

Coulson, I.M. (In press) Chapter 15: Vulcanism on Mars. In: Beech, M., Seckbach, J. and Gordon, R. (editors), Terraforming Mars. Series: Astrobiology Perspectives on Life in the Universe. Wiley-Scrivener. ISBN: 1119761964, 586 p.

Guo, Z., Li, Y., Chen, H., Zhang, M., Wu, Y., Hui, B., Liu, S., Coulson, I.M., Li, S., Li, X., Liu, J. and Ouyang, Z. (2021) Evidence for the disproportionation of iron in a Eucrite meteorite: implications for impact processes on Vesta. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 126: e2020JE006816. doi: 10.1029/2020JE006816

Beech, M., Comte, M. and Coulson, I.M. (2020) The Cape York meteorites, the Younger Dryas, and their possible association with the Hiawatha and Paterson impact craters. American Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics 8:4, 66-74.

Guo, Z., Li, Y., Liu, S., Xu, H., Xie, Z., Li, S., Li, X., Lin, Y., Coulson, I.M. and Zhang, M. (2020) Discovery of nanophase iron particles and high pressure clinoenstatite in a heavily shocked ordinary chondrite: implications for the decomposition of pyroxene. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 272, 276-286.

Chow, C.M., Qing, H. and Coulson, I.M. (2019) Lithofacies of the Mississippian Midale Beds in the Pinto-Roche Percee area, southeastern Saskatchewan. In: Summary of Investigations 2019, Volume 1, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Saskatchewan Ministry of Economy and Resources, Miscellaneous Report 2019-4.1, Paper A-2, 16 p.

Barbi, M., Bell, P.R., Fanti, F., Dynes, J.J., Kolaceke, A., Buttigieg, J., Coulson, I.M. and Currie, P.J. (2019) Integumentary structure and composition in an exceptionally well-preserved hadrosaur (Dinosauria: Ornithischia). PeerJ 7: e7875.

Beech, M., Comte, M. and Coulson, I.M. (2019) The Production of Terrestrial Meteorites – Moon accretion and lithopanspermia. American Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics 7:3, 1-9.

Beech, M., Coulson, I.M. and Comte, M. (2018) Lithopanspermia – the terrestrial input during the past 550 million years. American Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics 6:3, 81-90.

Kolaceke, A., Velez, M.I., Coulson, I.M., Barbi, M. and Tokaryk, T. (2018) Lithostratigraphy of sections in the vicinity of the excavation site of a nearly complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton (Scotty) in southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. In: Summary of Investigations 2018, Volume 1, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources, Miscellaneous Report 2018-4.1, Paper A-6, 12 p.

Qi, Y., Hu. R., Liu, S., Coulson, I.M., Qi, H., Tian, J., Feng, C., Wang, T., Zhu, J., Chen, H. (2016) Petrogenesis and geodynamic setting of Early Cretaceous mafic–ultramafic intrusions, South China: A case study from the Gan–Hang tectonic belt. Lithos 258-259, 149-162. doi: 10.1016/j.lithos.2016.04.027.

Daku, R.M., Rabbi, F., Buttigieg, J., Coulson, I.M., Horne, D., Martens, G., Ashton, N.W. and Suh, D.-Y. (2016) PpASCL, the Physcomitrella patens Anther-Specific Chalcone Synthase-Like Enzyme Implicated in Sporopollenin Biosynthesis, Is Needed for Integrity of the Moss Spore Wall and Spore Viability. PLoS ONE 11(1): e0146817.

Lei, M., Qing, H. and Coulson, I.M. (2014) A preliminary investigation of the mineralogy of the Bakken shales in southern Saskatchewan. In: Summary of Investigations 2014, Volume 1, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Saskatchewan Ministry of the Economy, Miscellaneous Report 2014-4.1, Paper A-5, 14 p.

Coulson, I.M., editor. (2014) Cathodoluminescence and its application to geoscience. Mineralogical Association of Canada Short Course 45, 182 p.

Bechberger, M. and Coulson, I.M. (2014): Chapter 4: Applications of cathodoluminescence imaging to sedimentary rocks. In: Coulson, I.M. (editor), Cathodoluminescence and its application to geoscience. Mineralogical Association of Canada Short Course 45, pp. 47-74.