Geoffrey Plumlee

Geoff Plumlee (BS Univ. NM, PhD Harvard Univ.) is a long-time research geochemist with the USGS. He applies geological and geochemical research to help inform policy decisions on societally pressing issues related to mineral resources, the environment, geology and human health, and disaster response and preparedness. Geoff has studied the interactions of earth materials with the human body, and how these interactions influence toxicity. He helps lead USGS responses assessing environmental and health implications of disasters such as the World Trade Center collapse, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, mine tailings spills, and volcanic eruptions. Geoff works with USGS hazards experts to help anticipate environmental and health implications of future disasters. Keys to the success of Geoff's reasearch have been the transdisciplinary collaborations he establishes with earth scientists and scientists from many other disciplines such as public health, medicine, toxicology, industrial hygiene, hazards, emergency response / preparedness, and engineering.