HornMarty Horn, PhD


Email: mhorn@lsu.edu
Telephone: 225-578-2681

Marty Horn joined the Louisiana Geological Survey as an Assistant Professor - Research in January 2007. He was previously at the LSU Department of Geology & Geophysics as Instructor and Field Camp Director.  Dr. Horn earned a B.S. in Geophysics at the University of Oklahoma in 1982, an M.S. in Geology at the Arizona State University in 1986, and a Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences & Geology at the University of Texas at Arlington in 1996.  He has taught courses in Physical Geology, Historical Geology, Mineralogy, Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Volcanology, and Field Geology (sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic, and structural geology).  His early research topics at LGS included stratigraphy and structural geology of the North Louisiana Salt Basin structural province in northwestern Louisiana, mapping and petrographic contributions to the USGS STATEMAP initiative to produce 100k scale geologic maps of Louisiana, sampling and analysis of ground water chemistry related to the Haynesville Play, northwest Louisiana, and measurement and analysis of stream discharge at over 50 gaging stations across the State.  His current research develops and applies geophysical techniques of magnetometry and electrical resistivity to study near-subsurface geological relationships and to resolve buried anthropogenic features such as buried waste, pipelines, historic and pre-historic archaeological features, and cemetery and criminal graves. Marty has recently reinforced LGS’ mission in geologic mapping of the state of Louisiana at 1:24,000 scale under the USGS STATEMAP program.

Recent and Current Research:

  • Geophysical search for clandestine grave, Denton County, TX.
  • Electrical study over graves in forensic research facility (FARF), Hays County, TX.
  • Geophysical surveys of suspected impact crater in St. Helena Parish, La.
  • Geologic mapping of Covington, LA 7.5’ USGS quadrangle.
  • Geophysical study of ante-bellum farm cemetery in E. Baton Rouge Parish, La.
    (submitted to Geoarchaeology).
  • Geophysical search for cemetery of ante-bellum church, W. Feliciana Parish, La.

Presentations & Publications:

Geology of the Silver Cliff – Rosita Hills Mining District and Spanish Peaks Area, Paul Krutak, John Barwin, and Marty Horn, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, Field Trip # [403], 2004.

Preliminary Geologic Map of the Ojitos Frios Quadrangle, San Miguel County, New Mexico, Horn, Marty and Michael J. Timmons, New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources map OFGM-130, 2006

Reference Logs for Cotton Valley and Louark Stratigraphic Groups, North Louisiana: A Pilot Study, Horn, M., Joint Meeting of the Geological Society of America and Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, Houston, TX, October, 2008.

Bossier-Haynesville Shale North Louisiana Salt Basin: Geological & Geochemical Characterization, Goddard, D. A., E. A. Mancini, S. C. Talukar, M. Horn, in “Bossier-Haynesville Shale, North Louisiana Salt Basin: Geological & geochemical Characterization”, PTTC and Shreveport Geological Society Workshop, Shreveport, Louisiana, September, 2008.

Hydrocarbon Generating Potential: Jurassic Cotton Valley – Bossier Group, North Louisiana Salt Basin, Goddard, Donald A., Ernest Mancini, Marty R. Horn, and Suhas C. Talukdar, Joint Meeting of the Geological Society of America and Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, Houston, TX, October, 2008.

Reference Sections for Jurassic Cotton Valley & Louark Groups, North Louisiana Subsurface, Horn, M., South-Central Section Geological Society of America, Dallas, TX, March 2009.

Toward a Better Definition of Haynesville Formation, Northern Louisiana Subsurface, Horn, M., AAPG Annual Conference, Denver, CO., June 2009.

Stratigraphic Relationships and Nomenclature of the Cotton Valley and Louark Groups, Northwest Louisiana Subsurface, Horn, M., Transactions Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, p. 353, 2009.

Geology of Grindstone Bluff, A Thalweg Exposure of Wilcox Group Near Shreveport, Louisiana, Horn, Marty, Paul Heinrich, and Richard McCulloh, NewsInsights, v. 19, no. 2, Louisiana Geological Survey, 2009.

Problems and Progress in Defining Louark Group Lithostratigraphic Boundaries: Results from Examination of Well Samples and Recent Geophysical Well Logs, Horn, M., Transactions of the 60th Annual GCAGS Convention, San Antonio, TX, October 2010.

Has Water Demand Associated with Haynesville Hydrofracturing Activity Impacted Wilcox Aquifer Water Quality?, Carlson, Douglas, Thomas Van Biersel, and Marty Horn, Geol. Soc. Amer. South-Central Mtg., New Orleans, March, 2011.

Initial Examination of Chemical Variability within Atchafalaya Basin During Spring-Summer Flood of 2011, Carlson, Douglas A. and M. Horn, GSA Annual Meeting & Exposition Program, 9-12 October, 2011.

Examination of Factors Influencing Methane Concentration Within Wilcox Aquifer in Northwest Louisiana, Carlson, Douglas A. and M. Horn, GSA Annual Meeting & Exposition Program, 9-12 October, 2011.

Leesville, Louisiana 30 X 60 Minute Quadrangle Geologic Map, Louisiana Geological Survey, LGS Open File Map 2011-01, July 2012.

Winnfield, Louisiana 30 X 60 Minute Quadrangle Geologic Map, Louisiana Geological Survey, LGS Open File Map 2011-02, July 2012.

Impact of Seasons, Nutrient Pulse, and Mississippi River Flood of the Spring-Summer of 2011 on Water Quality in Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana, Carlson, Douglas and M Horn, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Proceedings, October 21-24, 2012.

Evidence that Old Oil and Gas Fields Influence Chemistry of Overlying Wilcox Aquifer, Carlson, Douglas and M. Horn, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Proceedings, October 21-24, 2012.

Wilcox Aquifer, Northwest Louisiana: Influences on Groundwater Chemistry as Determined from Chloride and Bromide Concentrations, Horn, M. and Douglas Carlson, Geological Society of America, South-Central Mtg., Austin, TX, Abstracts with Program, p.26, 2013.

Geophysical Study of an Archeological Site near Buras, Louisiana, Horn, M., submitted to R. Goodwin & Associates, New Orleans, Louisiana, 36 pp. 2014.

Methane and VOC Concentration Within Southern Bossier, Southern Caddo, and Northern DeSoto Parishes, Carlson, Douglas and Marty Horn, Report of Investigation 14-01, Louisiana Geological Survey, 130 p., 2014..

Geophysical and Geological Investigation of Bishop Cemetery, St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, Horn, M., submitted to Marathon Petroleum Company, Garyville, Louisiana, LSU-SPS #43433, 27 p. + Appendix, 2015.

Trials of Near-Surface Geophysics at Archeological Sites in SE Louisiana, Gregory, B., M. Horn, and Brooks Ellwood, Gulf Coast Associations of Geological Societies Proceedings, Houston, TX, September, 2015.

Final Report on Stream Gaging and Rating Curve Study of Fifty-One Louisiana Streams, Carlson, Douglas, Marty Horn, Reed Bourgeois, Riley Milner, Brian Harder, Patrick O’Neil, Chacko John, and Robert Paulsell, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Interagency Agreement 2215-13-02, 2015.

Coal Bed Atlas of Louisiana, Horn, M., John E. Johnston, and Warren Schulingkamp, NCRDS Report, US Geological Survey Contract # G10AC000456, 15p + plates, 2015.

LGS Finishes Coal-Bed Methane Study under National Resources Data System (NCRDS), Horn, M. (not credited), NewsInsightsOnline, La. Geol. Surv., v. 25, p. 7, 2015.

Geophysical Investigation of Bishop Cemetery, St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, Horn, M. (not credited), NewsInsightsOnline, La. Geol. Surv., v. 25, pp. 8 – 9, 2015.

Electrical and Magnetic Geophysical Surveys at Highland Cemetery, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Horn, M., La. Geol. Surv. Rept. of Invest., 2016, in prep.

The 2016 Texas State Archaeological Field School at the Cross Bar Ranch, Bousman, Britt, Marty Horn, Robert Z. Selden, Chris Lintz, Chris Jurgens, Mike Mudd, and Caitlin Gulihur, Texas Arch. Soc. 87th Ann. Mtg., Oct. 28-30, 2016, Nacogdoches, TX, 2016.

Subsidence, Past Storms, and Preservation for the Future: Geoarchaeology in Historic Fort Pike (16OR57), Louisiana, USA, Feathers, V., B. Ellwood, B. Gregory, V Harrington, A. Patnukao, and M. Horn, submitted to J. Hist. Arch., 2017.

What are the Impacts of a Dense Field of Septic Systems on Groundwater Quality?, Carlson, Douglas A., and Marty Horn, GCAGS Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, Nov. 1 – 3, 2017.

Geophysical Investigation of Part of the Second Baptist Church Cemetery near Jackson, Louisiana, East Feliciana Parish, M. Horn, submitted to Mark Dousay, Chief of Police, Jackson, LA, and Det. Greg Phares, Sheriff’s Office, East Feliciana Parish, Clinton, LA, 2017, 13 p.

Geophysical Investigation of Boone-Maryman Cemetery, West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, M. Horn, submitted to Robert Connell, JD, Jackson, Louisiana, November 22, 2017.

Geophysical Investigations of Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, Part I: Rodriguez Plantation and Cemetery Sections 131 & 132, Horn, M., NPS Study JELA-00109, Permit JELA-2016-SCI-0025, Rept. of Investigation No. 18-01, Louisiana Geological Survey, 16 p., 2018.

Preliminary Geophysical Investigation of Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Washington County, Texas, M. Horn, submitted to Mt. Calvary Committee, Somerville, TX, May 16, 2018.

Preliminary Geophysical Investigation of Shaw-McHugh Cemetery, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, M. Horn, submitted to Mr. Jack Carmena, Custodian, Shaw-McHugh Cemetery, Baton Rouge, LA, June 29, 2018.

Geophysical Investigation of a Location of Interest in Tensas Parish, Louisiana: Site TPS01, M. Horn, submitted to Rickey Jones, Sherriff, Tensas Parish, LA., 07 August, 2018.

Report of Research Performed by Louisiana Geological Survey at TSU-FARF Facility in Calendar Year 2018, M. Horn, submitted to D. Wescott, PhD, Director TSU-FARF forensic facility, San Marcos, TX., Dec. 20, 2018.

Progress Report of Geological and Geophysical Study of Quaternary Geology of the North Sulphur River Fluvial Basin, Fannin County, Texas, M. Horn, submitted to M. Hall, AR Consultants, Inc., Richardson, TX, 05 April, 2019.

Preliminary Geophysical Investigation of Gotcher Cemetery, Lee County, Texas, M. Horn, submitted to Mr. P. Gotcher, custodian Gotcher Cemetery, 07 May, 2019.

Electrical Resistivity Profile of a Site of Interest in Hebert Cemetery, western Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana: Site HECEM01, M. Horn, submitted to: Det. V. Leger, Allen Parish Sheriff Dept., Oberlin, LA., 28 August, 2019.

Electrical Resistivity Study of a Site of Interest near Port O’Connor, Calhoun County, Texas: Site PORV01, M. Horn, submitted to J.D. Lingle, Texas Rangers, Co. F, Victoria, TX, 05 September, 2019.

Geophysical Study of the Central Burial Site, Noranda Alumina Refinery, St. James Parish, Louisiana, M. Horn, submitted to B. Sullivan, P.E., Gramercy Holdings LLC, dba Noranda Alumina, Gramercy, LA, 04 December, 2019.

Looking for Pre-Clovis Geological Deposits in the Sulphur River Valley, Texas, M. Horn, B. Bousman, J. Whittington, S. Morris, and M. Hall, Society for American Archaeology Ann. Mtg., Austin, TX, 22-26 April, 2020.

Electrical Resistivity Profiles and Geologic Models of the North Sulphur River Fluvial Basin, Fannin County, Texas, M. Horn, submitted to B. Bousman, Professor, Dept. of Anthropology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 17 January, 2020.

Electrical Resistivity Survey of a Possible Impact Structure, Brushy Creek Feature, St. Helena Parish, LA, Don R. Hood, M. Horn, S. Karunatillake, C. Matherne, A. Webb, and A. Sivils, 51st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Woodlands, TX, March 16 – 20, 2020.

Planar Deformation Features Found Within a Possible Impact Structure, The Brushy Creek Feature, St. Helena Parish, LA, Connor Matherne, S. Karunatillake, D.R. Hood, J. Duxbury, A. Herr, P. Heinrivch, M. Horn, A. Webb, A. Sivils, 51st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Woodlands, TX, March 16 – 20, 2020.

Electrical Resistivity Surveys of Mock Clandestine Graves in Outdoor Forensic Facilities, M. Horn, Open File Series No. 21-01, Louisiana Geological Survey, 16 p., 29 March, 2021.

Possible Pleistocene Impact in Louisiana as an Analog for Craters in Martian Duststone Settings, Marty Horn, Paul Heinrich, Don Hood, Andrew Herr, Andrew Webb, Peter James, Suniti Karunatillake, Anton Ermakov, Juan Lorenzo, 12th Planetary Crater Consortium Meeting, Houston, TX, 11-13 August 2021.