Mark Leckie's research centers on questions of Earth system history and paleoceanography, with a particular emphasis on biosphere response to changes in the ocean-climate system. He studies planktic and benthic foraminifera of Cretaceous and Cenozoic age. His research has included modern and ancient marginal marine depositional environments, late Paleogene-early Neogene neritic glacial marine deposits of the Ross Sea region of Antarctica, Late Cretaceous epicontinental sea depositional systems of the U.S. Western Interior Sea, and a variety of low latitude deep sea settings of Jurassic, Cretaceous and Cenozoic age. Professor Leckie has sailed with 5 legs of scientific ocean drilling (Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 79, and Ocean Drilling Program Legs 101, 130, 165, and 198) and has spent numerous summers conducting field work in the western United States with students and colleagues. Micropaleontological studies by his students include taxonomy, biostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, and population analyses. In addition, isotope paleoecology of ancient planktic foraminifera and time-series isotopic analyses of multi-species planktic and benthic foraminifera are important components of their deep-sea research as independent and complementary proxies of upper water column hydrography and productivity.

Courses Taught:

• GEO 103: Introductory Oceanography
• GEO 201: History of the Earth
• GEO  231 - Introductory Field Methods
• GEO 591P - Paleoceanography (with Rob DeConto)
• GEO xxx: Seminars in Micropaleontology

Representative Publications:

Leckie, R.M., and Olson, H., in press 2002. Foraminifera as proxies of sea-level change on siliciclastic margins. In, Olson, H.C., and Leckie, R.M., editors, Microfossils as Proxies of Sea-Level Change and Stratigraphic Discontinuities: Tulsa, SEPM (Society of Sedimentary Geology), Special Publication.

Tibert, N.E., Leckie, R.M., Eaton, J.G., Kirkland, J.I., Colin, J.-P., Leithold, E.L., and McCormick, M., in press, 2002.  Recognition of relative sea-level change in Upper Cretaceous coal-bearing strata: a paleoecological approach using agglutinated foraminifera and ostracodes to detect key stratigraphic surfaces. In, Olson, H.C., and Leckie, R.M., editors, Microfossils as Proxies of Sea-Level Change and Stratigraphic Discontinuities: Tulsa, SEPM (Society of Sedimentary Geology), Special Publication.

Leckie, R.M., Bralower, T., and Cashman, R., 2002. Oceanic Anoxic Events and plankton evolution: Biotic response to tectonic forcing during the mid-Cretaceous. Paleoceanography, 17(3):10.1029/2001PA000623. See the PDF Document!

Yuretich, R., Khan, S.A., Leckie, R.M., and Clement, J.J., 2001. Active-learning methods improve student performance and scientific interest in a large introductory oceanography course. Journal of Geoscience Education, 49:111-119.

Leckie, R.M., and Yuretich, R., 2000. Investigating the Ocean: An Interactive Guide to the Science of Oceanography, second edition. McGraw-Hill/Primis Custom Publishing, 189 pages.

Sigurdsson, H., Kelley, S., Leckie, R.M., Carey, S., Bralower, T., and King, J., 2000. History of circum-Caribbean explosive volcanism: 40Ar/39Ar dating of ODP Leg 165 tephra layers. In, Leckie, R.M., Sigurdsson, H., Acton, G., and Draper, G., Editors, 2000. In Leckie, R.M, Sigurdsson, H., Acton, G., and Draper, G., eds., Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, Volume 165: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), p. 299-314.

Huber, B.T., Leckie, R.M., Norris, R.D., Bralower, T.J., and CoBabe, E., 1999. Foraminiferal assemblage and stable isotopic change across the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary in the subtropical North Atlantic. Journal of Foraminiferal Research (special memorial issue in honor of William V. Sliter), 29(4):392-417.

Leckie, R. M., Yuretich, R.F., West, O.L.O., Finkelstein, D., and Schmidt, M., 1998. Paleoceanography of the southwestern Greenhorn Sea during the time of the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary (Late Cretaceous). In, Dean, W., and Arthur, M.A. (eds.), Stratigraphy and Paleoenvironments of the Western Interior Seaway, USA, SEPM Concepts in Sedimentology and Paleontology No. 6:  Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM), Tulsa, OK, 101-126.

West, O.L.O., Leckie, R.M., and M. Schmidt, M, 1998. Foraminiferal paleoecology and paleoceanography of the Greenhorn Cycle along the southwestern margin of the U.S. Western Interior Seaway. In, Dean, W., and Arthur, M.A. (eds.), Stratigraphy and Paleoenvironments of the Western Interior Seaway, USA, SEPM Concepts in Sedimentology and Paleontology No. 6: Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM), Tulsa, OK, 79-99.

Bralower, T.J., Paull, C.K., and Leckie, R.M., 1998. The Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary cocktail: Chicxulub impact triggers margin collapse and extensive sediment gravity flows. Geology, 26:331-334.

Leckie, R.M., Kirkland, J.I., and Elder, W.P., 1997. Stratigraphic framework and correlation of a Principal Reference Section of the Mancos Shale (Upper Cretaceous), Mesa Verde, Colorado. In, Anderson, O.J., Kues, B.S., and S.G. Lucas (eds.), Mesozoic Geology and Paleontology of the Four Corners Region, 48th annual field conference of the New Mexico Geological Society: Albuquerque, NM (NMGS), p. 163-216.

Bralower, T.J., Fullagar, P.D., Paull, C.K., Dwyer, G.S., and Leckie, R.M., 1997. Mid-Cretaceous strontium-isotope stratigraphy of deep-sea sections. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 109:1421-1442.

Bralower, T.J., Leckie, R.M., Sliter, W.V., and Thierstein, H.R., 1995. An integrated Cretaceous microfossil stratigraphy.  In, Berggren, W.A., Kent, D.V., Aubry, M.-P., and Hardenbol, J., (Eds.), Geochronology, Time Scales, and Global Stratigraphic Correlation: SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology), Spec. Publ., 54:65-79.

Bralower, T., Arthur, M., Leckie, M., Sliter, W., Allard, D., and Schlanger, S., 1994. Timing and paleoceanography of oceanic dysoxia/anoxia in the late Barremian to early Aptian (Early Cretaceous). Palaios, 9:335-369.

Leckie, M., Farnham, C., and Schmidt, M., 1993. Oligocene planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy of Hole 803D (Ontong Java Plateau) and Hole 628A (Little Bahama Bank), and comparison with the southern high latitudes. In Berger W., Kroenke, Mayer, L.A., et al., Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, Vol. 130: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 113-136.

Chaisson, W., and Leckie, M., 1993. High-resolution Neogene planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy of Site 806, Ontong Java Plateau (western equatorial Pacific). In Berger, W., Kroenke, Mayer, L.A., et al., Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, Vol. 130: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 137-178.

Berger, W., Leckie, M., Janecek, T., Stax, R., and Takayama, T., 1993. Neogene carbonate sedimentation on Ontong Java Plateau - highlights and open questions. In Berger, W., Kroenke, Mayer, L.A., et al., Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, Vol. 130: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 711-744.

Bralower, T., Sliter, W., Arthur, M., Leckie, M., Allard, D., and Schlanger, S., 1993. Dysoxic/anoxic episodes in the Aptian-Albian (Early Cretaceous). In Pringle, M., Sager, W.W., Sliter, W., and Stein, S., eds., Mesozoic of the Pacific: American Geophysical Union, Geophysical Monograph 77, 5-37.

Sliter, W., and Leckie, M., 1993. Cretaceous planktonic foraminifers and depositional environments from the Ontong Java Plateau with emphasis on Sites 803 and 807. In Berger, W., Kroenke, Mayer, L.A., et al., Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, Vol. 130: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 63-84.

Jansen, E., Mayer, L., Backman, J., Leckie, M., and Takayama, T., 1993. Evolution of Pliocene climate cyclicity at Site 806 (5-2 Ma) - oxygen isotope record. In Berger, W., Kroenke, Mayer, L.A., et al., Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, Vol. 130: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 349-362.

Tarduno, J., Sliter, W., Kroenke, L., Leckie, M., Mayer, H., Mahoney, J., Musgrave, R., Storey, M., and Winterer, E., 1991. Rapid Formation of Ontong Java Plateau by Aptian Mantle Plume Volcanism. Science, 254:399-403.

Leckie, R.M., Schmidt, M., Finkelstein, D., and Yuretich, R., 1991. Paleoceaographic and paleoclimatic interpretations of the Mancos Shale (Upper Cretaceous), Black Mesa Basin, Arizona. In Nations, D., and Eaton, J., eds., Stratigraphy, Depositional Environments and Sedimentary Tectonics of the Southwestern Margin, Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway: Geological Society of America, Special Paper 260, 139-152.

Leckie, R.M., 1990. Mid-Cretaceous planktonic foraminifera of the antarctic margin: Hole 693A, ODP Leg 113. In Barker, P.F., Kennett, J.P., et al., Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, Vol. 113: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 319-324.

Scott, D.K., and Leckie, R.M., 1990. Foraminiferal zonation of Great Sippewissett salt marsh (Falmouth, MA). Journal of Foraminiferal Research, 20(3):248-266.

Leckie, R.M., 1989. An oceanographic model for the early evolutionary history of planktonic foraminifera. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 73(1/2):107-138.