David Evans

About

David Evans is a Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Yale University. His research focuses on continental reconstructions, supercontinents, paleomagnetism, and the characteristics of the Precambrian geomagnetic field. His work has significant implications for understanding the long-term evolution of Earth, including geodynamics, tectonics, climate change, and the development of life. He employs field- and laboratory-based research methods in paleomagnetism and has conducted projects in various countries including Angola, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Russia, South Africa, and the United States. Professor Evans has a comprehensive educational background with a B.S. from Yale University and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Caltech. His doctoral research involved Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic supercontinental tectonics and true polar wander, as well as the temporal and spatial distributions of Proterozoic glaciations. He has contributed to the development of the Yale Paleomagnetic Laboratory, which is equipped with advanced magnetostatic shielding and measurement apparatus. His teaching includes courses on dynamic Earth, regional geoscience perspectives, earth resources, global tectonics, paleogeography, and Earth's magnetic field, among others. He actively collaborates with visiting scientists and students, guiding research on paleomagnetism and Earth's tectonic history.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Geology
• Artificial Intelligence
• Paleontology
• Geodesy
• Philosophy
• Epistemology

Selected publications

• The magnificent seven: A proposal for modest revision of the quality index

  Tectonophysics · 2020 · 175 citations

  DOI

• Paleomagnetic evidence for modern-like plate motion velocities at 3.2 Ga

  Science Advances · 2020 · 68 citations

  The mode and rates of tectonic processes and lithospheric growth during the Archean [4.0 to 2.5 billion years (Ga) ago] are subjects of considerable debate. Paleomagnetism may contribute to the discussion by quantifying past plate velocities. We report a paleomagnetic pole for the ~3180 million year (Ma) old Honeyeater Basalt of the East Pilbara Craton, Western Australia, supported by a positive fold test and micromagnetic imaging. Comparison of the 44°±15° Honeyeater Basalt paleolatitude with p…

  DOI

• North China craton: The conjugate margin for northwestern Laurentia in Rodinia

  Geology · 2021 · 54 citations

  Abstract In the Rodinia supercontinent, Laurentia is placed at the center because it was flanked by late Neoproterozoic rifted margins; however, the conjugate margin for western Laurentia is still enigmatic. In this study, new paleomagnetic results have been obtained from 15 ca. 775 Ma mafic dikes in eastern Hebei Province, North China craton (NCC). Stepwise thermal demagnetization revealed a high-temperature component, directed northeast or southwest with shallow inclinations, with unblocking t…

  DOI

• The Balanced Billion

  GSA Today · 2024-02-01 · 19 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Paleomagnetic evidence for Neoarchean plate mobilism

  Nature Communications · 2024-12-30 · 9 citations

  articleOpen access

  Plate tectonics is a unique feature of Earth, but its proposed time of initiation is still controversial, with published estimates ranging from ca. 4.2 to 0.7 Ga. Paleomagnetic data can provide a robust argument for one essential aspect of plate tectonics: large-scale relative lateral motions of distinct, rigid crustal blocks. Previously, the oldest relative horizontal motion between two or more blocks was constrained to a broad age interval of ca. 2.7–2.17 Ga using paleomagnetic data. In this s…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Collaborative Research: Integrated Geochronology and Paleomagnetism of Neoarchean-Paleoproterozoic Dikes in Wyoming, A Keystone of North American Cratons

  NSF · $238k · 2010–2013

Frequent coauthors

• Zheng Gong

  74 shared

• Taylor M. Kilian

  65 shared

• Ross N. Mitchell

  Institute of Geology and Geophysics

  64 shared

• Richard E. Ernst

  Carleton University

  62 shared

• Ulf Söderlund

  53 shared

• Jikai Ding

  China University of Geosciences (Beijing)

  50 shared

• Kevin R. Chamberlain

  University of Wyoming

  47 shared

• Chris Rogers

  Carleton University

  38 shared

Education

• PhD, Geological & Planetary Sciences

  California Institute of Technology

  1998

Awards & honors

• Fulbright Fellowship on supercontinents (2018, 2010)
• Yale Paleomagnetic Laboratory (established 2005)

Similar researchers at Yale University

• Shun-ichiro Karatoh-81
• Derek Briggsh-72
• John Wettlauferh-64