Nicholas B. Sullivan, Ph.D.

Sedimentary Geologist & Postdoctoral Scholar

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Education

University of Wisconsin - Madison
Ph.D. in Geoscience (2022)

University of Cincinnati
M.S. in Geology (2013)

SUNY Geneseo
B.A. in Geological Sciences (2010)

Analytical Toolkit

  • Sedimentary Geology
  • Cyclostratigraphy
  • Paleoclimate
  • Paleocoeanography
  • Elemental Geochemistry
  • Biochronology (CONOP)
  • R Programming Language
  • Statistics in Earth Science

List of Presentations

Invited Talks

  • Sullivan, N. B. (2026). Strategies for using constrained optimization (CONOP) to quantify chronostratigraphic uncertainty. GSA Connects– Denver, CO. 11-14 October, 2026.
  • Sullivan, N. B. (2026). Integration of Constrained Optimization (CONOP) and cyclostratigraphy: A high-resolution path forward toward quantifying chronostratigraphic uncertainty. Geological Society of America Penrose Conference, June 1, 2026.
  • Sullivan, N. B. & White, T. S. (2025). Patterns and Processes of Lithium Enrichment in Coal Measure Strata from the Northern Appalachian Basin. Penn State Earth Talks, December 15, 2025.
  • Sullivan, N. B. (2023). Planetary Motions Recorded in the Deep Sea: Characterizing Milankovitch Cycles from Neogene strata in the Southern Ocean. Department of Geology, Colorado College, March 16, 2023.
  • Sullivan, N. B. (2013). The Many Faces of a Stratigraphic Succession: Using Multiple Proxies to Distinguish Local and Global Signals in the Lower Silurian of the northern Appalachian Basin and Cincinnati Arch. Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, March 5, 2013.

Oral Presentations

  • Sullivan, N. B. & White, T. S. (2026). Diagnosing a Pennsylvanian Critical Mineral Deposit: Volcanic Sourcing and Mineralogical Partitioning of Lithium in Mercer Formation Paleosols. GSA Connects– Denver, CO. 11-14 October, 2026.
  • Burns, J., McKay, R., Golledge, N., Meyers, S., & Sullivan, N. B. (2026). An Evaluation of Millennial-Scale Antarctic Ice-Sheet Variability During Contrasting Orbital Configurations of the Early–Middle Miocene. 12th SCAR Open Science Conference, Oslo, Norway, August 10–14, 2026.
  • Ishii, H., McKay, R., Grant, G., Meyer, S., Sullivan, N. B., Golledge, N., Desy, B., Seki, O., & Ishino, S. (2026). Centennial to millennial-scale West Antarctic Ice Sheet discharge events during the late Pliocene. 12th SCAR Open Science Conference, Oslo, Norway, August 10–14, 2026.
  • Sullivan, N. B. & White, T. S. (2025). Patterns of lithium enrichment in Pennsylvanian paleosols from the Northern Appalachian Basin. Sedimentary Geology and Energy Transitions Research Conference (SEPM), June 2–6, 2025.
  • Sullivan, N. B. & White, T. S. (2025). Sequence Stratigraphy and Depositional Environments of the Mercer Formation (Pottsville Group) and Controls on the Distribution of Critical Minerals in Underclays Through the North Appalachian Basin. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 57(3). https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2025NE-408604
  • Golledge, N., Levy, R., Meyers, S., Weber, M., Clark, P., Burns, J., Ishii, H., Knahl, H., Lowry, D., McKay, R., Naish, T., Grant, G., & Sullivan, N. (2025). East Antarctic Ice Sheet regime shifts during climate transitions. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2025 (EGU25).
  • Sullivan, N. B., Meyers, S. R., Levy, R. H., & McKay, R. M. (2022). Astronomically influenced millennial-scale cyclicity of the Antarctic Cryosphere during the Early Miocene. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 54(5). https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2022AM-383483
  • Sullivan, N. B., Meyers, S. R., Levy, R. H., Sadler, P. M., Crampton, J. S., & McKay, R. M. (2019). Astronomical forcing of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and strategies for integrating proxy data into regional chronostratigraphic frameworks generated by constrained optimization (CONOP). AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
  • Zambito, J. J., Sullivan, N. B., & McLaughlin, P. I. (2018). Sea-level history of Cambrian-Ordovician boundary interval strata on the Wisconsin Arch. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 50, No. 6.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Hildred, G. V., Riley, D. A., Pearce, T. J., & Roach, C. (2017). Assessing the utility of stable isotope chemostratigraphy in Jurassic and Cretaceous strata on the eastern margin of Canada: refining correlations and the history of Atlantic rifting. Abstracts from the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists Meeting – Geoconvention.
  • Riley, D. A., Pearce, T. J., Hildred, G. V., Roach, C., & Sullivan, N. B. (2017). Whole Rock Inorganic Elemental Data Toolkit: case studies from East Coast Canada. Abstracts from the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists Meeting – Geoconvention.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Montgomery, P., Ratcliffe, K. T., Mathia, E., Pierce, J. D., Willis, K. H., & Umbriaco, J. T. (2017). Investigating links between climate and nutrient cycling in the Early Permian: an integrated study of new inorganic geochemistry and stable isotope data from the Midland Basin of west Texas. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 48, No. 7.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Montgomery, P., Mathia, E., Ratcliffe, K., Dawson, B., Carson, A. E. B., & Chhajlani, R. (2017). Chronostratigraphy, Correlation, and Depositional History of the Marcellus Shale in the Central Appalachian Basin: A Study of Inorganic Geochemistry, Stable Isotopes, and Magnetic Susceptibility Data From Pennsylvania and West Virginia. AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition.
  • Hutchison, M. P., Sullivan, N. B., Fraser, T. A., & Hildred, G. V. (2016). The application of δ13Ccarb stable isotope chronostratigraphy to correlate upper Palaeozoic black shales of the northwestern frontier, Yukon Territory, Canada. AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Abstract #90259.
  • Griffiths, J. G., Hildred, G. V., Roach, C., Lees, B., Porter, S., Sullivan, N. B., & Ratcliffe, K. R. (2015). The Use of Elemental and Stable Isotope Chemostratigraphy for Regional Correlation of the Duvernay Formation, Western Canada. GeoConvention 2015 – Geoscience New Horizons.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Brett, C. E., McLaughlin, P. I., Kleffner, M. A., Cramer, B. D., & Thomka, J. R. (2014). New Chronostratigraphic Data from the Telychian (Llandovery; Silurian) of the Northern Appalachian Basin and its Implications for Existing Sequence Stratigraphic Frameworks. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.
  • Zambito, J., Stewart, E. K., McLaughlin, P. I., Sullivan, N. B., & Hurth, M. (2014). New Insights into the Cambrian-Ordovician Boundary Interval Sea-Level History on the Wisconsin Arch. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.
  • McLaughlin, P. I., Sullivan, N. B., Emsbo, P., & Brett, C. E. (2013). Chronomap: Chronostratigraphy-Guided Geologic Mapping and Resource Assessment in the United States. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 45(7).
  • Sullivan, N. B., Brett, C. E., & Kleffner, M. A. (2012). Age, Taphonomy, and Paleoecology of a Pyritic-Phosphatic Lag Bed in the Llandovery (Late Telychian) of West Central New York State. Abstracts from the International Geoscience Program (IGCP) Project 591 2nd Annual Meeting and 1st Foerste Symposium, p. 33.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Brett, C. E., McLaughlin, P. I., & Thomka, J. R. (2012). Revised Sequence Stratigraphic Framework in Aeronian and Telychian Strata (Llandovery; Silurian) of the East Cincinnati Arch. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 44(5), p. 17.
  • Brett, C. E., McLaughlin, P. I., Thomka, J. R., & Sullivan, N. B. (2011). Widespread, Time-Specific Facies Motifs in the Late Llandovery-Early Wenlock: A Signature of Unique Paleoceanographic Conditions? Abstracts and Programme of the International Subcommission on Silurian Stratigraphy Meeting, p. 5.
  • Over, D. J., Sullivan, N. B., Peteya, J., Minjin, C., Myrow, P., & Soja, C. (2011). Conodonts from the Tsagaanhaalga Formation (Emsian?–Eifelian) and the Tentaculite Member of the Govialtai Formation (Eifelian–Givetian), Tsakhir Well Section, Govi Altai Terrane, Southern Mongolia. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 43(1), p. 75.

Poster Presentations

  • Sullivan, N. B. (2026). A Microscopic View of Global Events: Iron Sequestration during Silurian Oceanographic Disturbances Revealed by Mineral Mapping. GSA Connects– Denver, CO. 11-14 October, 2026.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Meyers, S. R., Levy, R. H., McKay, R. M., van de Flierdt, T., Marschalek, J., Perotti, M., Zurli, L., Talarico, F. M., Harwood, D. M., De Santis, L., Florindo, F., Naish, T., Grant, G. R., & Patterson, M. (2022). The astronomical evolution of Antarctica's ice sheets. AGU Fall Meeting 2022.
  • McKay, R. M., Patterson, M., Grant, G. R., Turton, N., van de Flierdt, T., Jimenez, F. J., Keller, E. D., Golledge, N. R., Naish, T., Levy, R. H., Dunbar, G. B., Riesselman, C. R., Duke, G., Sullivan, N. B., Meyers, S. R., Williams, T., & Escutia, C. (2022). Eccentricity modulation of East Antarctic Ice Sheet in Wilkes Land over the past 6 million years. AGU Fall Meeting 2022.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Sadler, P. M., Grant, G., Meyers, S. R., Crampton, J. S., Levy, R. H., & McKay, R. M. (2022). Strategies for the integration of astrochronology and constrained optimization (CONOP) in the Southern Ocean. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 54, No. 5. doi:10.1130/abs/2022AM-383410
  • Sullivan, N. B., Meyers, S. R., Levy, R., McKay, R., Marschalek, J., van de Flierdt, T., Perotti, M., Zurli, L., Harwood, D., De Santis, L., & Grant, G. (2021). Astronomical pacing of the Antarctic Cryosphere: Terrestrial vs. Marine-based Ice Sheet Responses during the Early Miocene. AGU Fall Meeting 2021.
  • Sullivan, N. B., & Febo, L. A. (2021). The application of cyclostratigraphic methods to calibrate rock accumulation rates using petrophysical log data: a case study from the Eagle Ford Group. AAPG | SEG Image ’21.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Meyers, S. R., Sadler, P., Grant, G. R., Levy, R. H., & McKay, R. M. (2020). The intercalibration of astrochronological data with composite sections produced by constrained optimization (CONOP): A case study from Neogene strata in the Southern Ocean. AGU Fall Meeting 2020, PP037-0010.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Meyers, S. R., Sadler, P. M., Crampton, J. S., Levy, R., & McKay, R. (2018). High-resolution Earth history: A synthesis of astrochronology and constrained optimization (CONOP). Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 50, No. 6.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Loydell, D., Montgomery, P., Molyneux, S., Zalasiewicz, J. A., Ratcliffe, K., & Griffiths, J. D. (2017). Organic Carbon Isotopes and Silurian Chronostratigraphy in Eastern Europe. AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Jablonski, D., Forbes, A., & Bond, A. (2016). Inorganic and stable isotope geochemistry of Ordovician strata in the Canning Basin: the manifestation of global bioevents in northern Gondwana. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 48, No. 7.
  • Thomka, J. R., Sullivan, N. B., & Brett, C. E. (2016). False crinoid column impressions in the lower Silurian Estill Shale of central Kentucky. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 48, No. 7.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Ratcliffe, K. R., Hildred, G. V., & Roach, C. (2015). Integration of Stable Isotope Chemostratigraphy to Characterize Paleoenvironmental Diachroneity in the Duvernay Formation (Mid-Frasnian), a Mixed Carbonate Siliciclastic Unconventional Play in the Western Canada Basin. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Annual Convention and Exhibition. Search and Discovery Article #90216.
  • Hutchison, M. P., Fraser, T. A., Sullivan, N. B., & Hildred, G. V. (2015). Canol Formation chronostratigraphy: δ13Corg stable isotope results from the Richardson Mountains, north Yukon. GeoConvention 2015 – Geoscience New Horizons.
  • Sullivan, N. B., McLaughlin, P. I., Emsbo, P., & Barrick, J. E. (2014). Integrated Conodont Biostratigraphy and Chemostratigraphy (δ13Ccarb, 87Sr/86Sr, Major and Trace Elements) of the Waubakee Formation (Upper Silurian) in Eastern Wisconsin: A New Approach to an Unresolved Chronostratigraphic Problem. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.
  • Danielson, E., Over, D. J., Sullivan, N. B., Smith, D. M., Minjin, C., Myrow, P. M., & Soja, C. M. (2013). Lower Silurian Conodonts and Trilobites from the Gobi Altai – Mandalovoo Terrane, Southern Mongolia. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.
  • Sullivan, N. B. (2013). A Multi-Proxy Approach to Determining Basin Architecture and Facies Distribution: Integrating Sequence Stratigraphy, Biostratigraphy, and Chemostratigraphy. Poster Presentation at the 2013 AAPG – SEG Student Expo in Houston, Texas.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Brett, C. E., & Thomka, J. R. (2012). Co-Occurrence of a Burrowed Firmground and a Negative Shift in Magnetic Susceptibility: Implications for Correlation and Sequence Stratigraphy. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 604.
  • Sullivan, N. B., Over, D. J., Minjin, C., Soja, C., & Myrow, P. M. (2010). The Eifelian Givetian Stage Boundary (Middle Devonian) at Tsakhir, Govi Altai Region, Southern Mongolia. Poster Presentation at the 23rd Keck Geology Consortium Undergraduate Research Symposium.
  • Sullivan, N. B., & Day, J. E. (2008). Very Late Frasnian (Upper Devonian) Brachiopod Fauna of the Theodossia scopulorum Zone in the Paleoequatorial Mackenzie Shelf (Northwest Territories-Canada) – Western Laurussia. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 40, No. 6, pp. 475.
Page last updated 15 September 2026
Unless otherwise noted, all content © N. B. Sullivan