Research


Image of Mars (Jezero crater) and a ship out to sea with a Venn diagram overlapping the middle.


Areas of Interest

Sedimentology
Arctic paleoclimate
Fe-oxide sands ("heavy mineral sands")/ Ice Rafted Debris (IRD)
Grain size analysis (traditional and Malvern)
Geochemical analysis (electron microprobe)
Deep-sea critical minerals
Robotic exploration (AUV/ ASV/ HOV/ ROV)

Planetary Geology
Mars sedimentology (MRO-CTX/HiRISE and rover)
Geologic orbital mapping (CTX/HiRISE)
Crater stratigraphy (Jezero crater and Gale crater, Mars)

Primary Certifications
PADI Divemaster
PADI Rescue Diver
Mine Diver






Ongoing Expedition Livestreams (ROV dives and seafloor mapping)
Sitting on the back deck of the R/V Atlantis in a folding chair reading a book.
Down time at sea means catching 
up on reading
                                                                      
2027
(Upcoming) Aptim/ Terradepth AUV | Technology field test (Location TBD)

(Upcoming) Blake Plateau (Ashore Scientist)
                                                                       
2026
NOAA Okeanos Explorer (Ashore Scientist) | Technology Demo in Hawai'i and Johnston Atoll | EX2701 (Oct 28-Nov 16, 2026) | PI: TBD

NOAA Okeanos Explorer (Ashore Scientist) | American Samoa (transit to Hawai'i) | EX2607 (Sep 23-Oct 18, 2026) | PI: TBD

E/V Nautilus with ROV Hercules (Ashore Scientist) | Hawai'i | NA182 (Sep 22-Oct 12, 2026) | PI: TBD

E/V Nautilus with ROV Hercules (Ashore Scientist) | Wake Island | NA181 (Aug 20-Sep 18, 2026) | PI: TBD

NOAA Okeanos Explorer with ROV (Ashore Scientist) | American Samoa | EX2606 (Aug 19-Sep 16, 2026) | PI: TBD

E/V Nautilus with ROV Hercules and AUV Sentry (Ashore Scientist) | Mariana Islands | NA180 (Jul 25-Aug 16, 2026) | PI: TBD

NOAA Okeanos Explorer with ROV (Ashore Scientist)  | Cook Islands | EX2605 (Jul 16-Aug 12, 2026) | PI: TBD

E/V Nautilus with ROV Hercules and AUV Sentry (Ashore Scientist) | Mariana Islands | NA179 (Jun 28-Jul 21, 2026) | PI: TBD
                                                                       
2025
E/V Nautilus with ROV Hercules and Little Hercules (Ashore Scientist) | Cook Islands | NA176 | PI: Kane (OET); Elmore (NOAA); & Soule (OECI)

R/V Atlantis with HOVAlvin | Aleutian Islands, AK | AT50-38 | PI: Morrison (USGS) & Demopoulos (USGS); Final Report (in progress)

R/V Atlantis, STEMSEAS | San Diego, CA to Dutch Harbor, AK | AT50-37 | PI: Subramaniam (Columbia); Final Report (in progress)
                                                                        
2024
E/V Nautilus with ROV Jason and AUV Sentry (Ashore Scientist) | American Samoa | NA165 | PI: Sowers (OET) & Govindarajan (WHOI)
                                                                        
2023
E/V Nautilus | Oah'u, Hawai'i | NA157 | PI: Sowers (OET), Roman (U of RI), & Mueller (BOEM)

                                                                      
2016
R/V Ron Brown | San Diego, CA/ Manzanillo, Mexico | ETNP-16 | PI: Mulholland (ODU)
                                                                        
2015
R/V Atlantis | Arica, Chile | AT26-26 | PI: Mulholland (ODU)



Scientists walking on the pier along the R/V Atlantis.
R/V Atlantis (2015)

Science and Ops Team taking a group photo aboard the R/V Atlantis in 2016.
Attempts at group photos aboard the R/V Ron Brown (2016)







  1. U.S. East Coast heavy mineral sands exploration with uncrewed vehicles (DriX); BOEM-NOAA Intraagenecy Agreement (Upcoming)
  2. Shallow-water geophysical mapping by autonomous vehicle(s): Field Test (Aptim, In Progress)
  3. Baseline Characterization of Offshore Mineral Ecosystems (BCOME) BOEM-USGS Interagency Agreement (Ongoing since 2024)
  4. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Resource Evaluation of Critical and Hard Offshore Mineral Programmatic Reference (RE-CHOMPR)- (Aptim, 2023)
  5. Shallow-water geophysical mapping by autonomous vehicle(s): feasibility assessment for autonomous surface vehicles (ASV) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV)- (Aptim et al., 2023)



Octopus cup (2015)

Learn more:
Ocean and Earth Sciences Department,
Old Dominion University 
(Norfolk, Virginia, USA)


Courses Taught*

Lecturer, Historical Geology (OEAS 111)

Earth Science Laboratory (OEAS 110)

Historical Geology Laboratory (OEAS 111)

Oceanography Laboratory (OEAS 106) 

Sedimentology and Stratigraphy Laboratory (OEAS 328)

Paleontology Laboratory (OEAS 303)


*Old Dominion University- Department of Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences







*Full resume or CV available upon request. Please use contact form on side menu.

Demopoulos, A., Morrison, C., Cofield, S., Prouty, N., Kellogg, C., & Andrews, B. (in progress). Cruise report for R/V Atlantis/ Alvin AT50-38. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Silver Spring, MD. XX pp. dot: 10.XXXXXX

*Cofield, S., Bonsell, C., Demopoulos, A., Knorr, P., & Rasser, M (submitted). BOEM Studies to Support Critical Mineral Research: Aleutian Arc, Alaska Expedition 2025. Underwater Minerals Conference.

Cofield, S., & Darby, D. (2025). History of the Barents Sea Ice Sheet, MIS 11 to present. Quaternary Science Reviews, 370, 109684.

Cofield, S. & Darby, D. (2024). History of Ice-Rafting in the Arctic Ocean During Glacial Maxima Through Marine Isotope Stage 6. AGU, PP23A-0549.

Long, A., Piatkowski, D., & Cofield, S. (2024). Addressing coastal resilience sediment needs. AGU, EP43B-1283.

Cofield, S., Rice, A., Bucatari, J., & Knorr, P. (2024). Offshore Sand, Other Sediment, and Mineral Resources: Researching, Utilizing, and Related Environmental Analyses. Ocean Sciences.

Cofield, S. (2023). History of Ice-Rafting in the Arctic Ocean During Glacial Maxima Through Marine Isotope Stage 6 (Doctoral dissertation, Old Dominion University), DOI: 10.25777/j3j5-ag82 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_etds/190

Stack, K., Dietrich, W., Lamb, M., Sullivan, R., Christian, J., Newman, C., O’Connell-Cooper, C., Sneed, J., Day, M., Baker, M., Arvidson, R., Fedo, C., Khan, S., Williams, R., Bennett, K., Bryk, A., Cofield, S., Edgar, L., Fox, V., Fraeman, A., House, C., Rubin, D., Sun, V., & Van Beek, J. (2022). Orbital and in-situ investigation of periodic bedrock ridges in Glen Torridon, Gale Crater, Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 127(6), e2021JE007096.

Jarmak, S., Leonard, E., Shurmeier, L., Akins, A., Cofield, S., Cremons, D., Curtis, A., Dahl, E., Dong, C. F., Dunham, E., Journax, B., Murakami, D., Ng, W., Piquette, M., Pradeepkumar Girija, A., Rink, K., Stein, N., Tallarida, N., & Telus, M. (2020). QUEST: A new frontiers Uranus orbiter concept study. Acta Astronautica.

Jarmak, S., Leonard, E., Shurmeier, L., Akins, A., Cofield, S., Cremons, D., Curtis, A., Dahl, E., Dong, C. F., Dunham, E., Journax, B., Murakami, D., Ng, W., Piquette, M., Pradeepkumar Girija, A., Rink, K., Stein, N., Tallarida, N., & Telus, M. (2018). QUEST: A New Frontiers Uranus Orbiter Concept Study from the 30th Annual NASA/ JPL Planetary Science Summer Seminar, Outer Planets Assessment Group Meeting.

Cofield, S. & Darby, D. (2018). Constraints on the Drift of Ice Across the Arctic Ocean During the Last Glacial Intervals (MIS2 and 6), Ocean Sciences, Abstract 313443.

Stack, K., Sun, V., Arvidson, R., Fedo, C., Day, M., Bennett, K., Edgar, L., Fox, L., & Cofield, S. (2019). Origin of linear ridges in the clay-bearing unit of Mount Sharp, Gale Crater, Mars. LPSC 50, Abstract 1210.Cofield, S., & Stack, K. (2018). Geologic Mapping and Stratigraphic Analysis of a Candidate Mars 2020 Landing Site: Jezero Crater, Mars. LPSC 49, Abstract 2563. 

Posing in front of the CTD Rosette on the R/V Ron Brown.
CTD Rosette on the R/V Ron Brown



Cofield, S. & Stack, K. (2018) Geologic mapping and stratigraphic stratigraphic analysis of a Candidate Mars 2020 landing site: Jezero Crater, Mars. LPSC 49, Abstract 2563. 

Cofield, S., Stack, K., Fraeman, A. (2017). Geologic mapping and stratigraphic analysis of the ClayTrough, Mount Sharp, Gale Crater, LPSC 48, Abstract 2531. 

Stack, K., Cofield, S., Fraeman, A. (2017). Geologic map of the MSL Curiosity rover extended mission traverse of Aeolis Mons, Gale Crater, Mars, LPSC 48, Abstract 1889.
 
Cofield, S., Darby, D., St. John, K. (2016). History of ice-rafting in the Arctic Ocean during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 and MIS 4, AGU 49, Abstract 190176, C31B-0750.

Cofield, S., Darby, D., St. John, K. (2015). History of ice-rafting in the Arctic Ocean during the last glacial maximum, GSA, Abstract 269702. 

*Cancelled due to 2025 appropriation lapse


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