Marty Giaramita is the hard-rock geologist at Stanislaus State.  For his dissertation research (U.C. Davis) he  examined minor chemical components in staurolite-zone pelitic schists and their implications for the nature of fluid-rock interactions during metamorphism.  As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution, Marty worked on  1) PT-conditions and fluid behavior in type type-C eclogites from the North American Cordillera and the Dominican Republic, and 2.) igneous geochemistry of pillow lavas from the California Coast Range Ophiolite and blocks in the Franciscan Complex.  Presently, Marty is examining ophiolitic rocks exposed in a coastal outlier of the western Klamath terrane in southwestern Oregon.  For his Masters Thesis Marty studied the structural evolution and metamorphic isograds of the Monarch Canyon Area, Death Valley , California--an area he still enjoys visiting on field trips.

Marty teaches the hard-rock curriculum including courses in Mineralogy, Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, as well as the Field Geology class.  In addition to advising Geology majors, Marty is the advisor to Liberal Studies majors having an Earth Science Concentration.  Commonly taught General Education courses include Principles of Geology Lecture and Lab and Introduction to Earth Science.

  • Principles of Geology Lecture and Laboratory
  • Historical Geology Lecture and Laboratory
  • Introduction to Earth Science
  • Mineralogy
  • Optical Mineralogy
  • Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
  • Structural Geology
  • Field Geology
  • Plate Tectonics
  • Hydrogeology
  • California Field Excursions
  • Earthquakes and Volcanoes
  • Geohazards: The Geologic Science of Natural Disasters

Journal Publications and Field Trip Guide Papers

  • Giaramita, M.J. and Day, Howard, W., 1990. Error propagation in calculations of structural formulas. American Mineralogist, 75, 170-182.
  • Giaramita, M.J. and Day, Howard, W., 1991. Buffering in staurolite-aluminum silicate-biotite-garnet-chlorite assemblages. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 9, 363-378.
  • Giaramita, M.J. and Day, Howard, W., 1991. The 4-phase AFM assemblage staurolite-aluminum silicate-biotite-garnet: Extra components and implications for staurolite-out isograds. Journal of Petrology, 32, 1203-1229.
  • Giaramita, M.J. and Sorensen, S.S.,1994.  Primary fluids in low-temperature eclogites: evidence from two subduction complexes ( Dominican Republic and California U.S.A.).  Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 117, 279-292.
  • Giaramita, M.J., MacPherson, G.J., and Phipps, S.P., 1998, Petrologically diverse basalts from a fossil oceanic forearc in California : the Llanada and Black Mountain remnants of the Coast Range ophiolite. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 110, 553-571.
  • Giaramita, M.J., 1998, The Sierra Nevada Batholith as exposed in the Yosemite Valley area and western foothills of the Sierra Nevada , in Garry Hayes, ed. The Living Geology of the Sierra Nevada, Great Valley and Coast Ranges of California, Guidebook for the Fall Meeting of the National Association of Geology Teachers, p. 6-12.
  • Harper, G.D., Giaramita, M.J. and Kosanke, Stefan, 2002,  Field Guide to the Josephine and Coast RangeOphiolites, Oregon and California , p. 1-22,. n, Moore, George, ed., "Field Guide to Geologic Processes in Cascadia".  Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries Special Paper 36.
  • Giaramita, M.J. and Harper, G.D., 2006, Geochemistry of ophiolitic rocks associated with the western part of the Elk outlier of the Western Klamath terrane, southwestern Oregon , in, Snoke, A.W. and Barnes, C.D., Geological Studies in the Klamath Mountain Province, California and Oregon : a volume in honor of William P. Irwin, Geological Society of America Special Paper 410, p. 153 – 176.
  • MacPherson, G.J., Giaramita, M.J., and Phipps, S.P., 2006, Tectonic implications of diverse igneous blocks in Franciscan melange, northern California and southwestern Oregon , American Mineralogist; v. 91, p. 1509 – 1520.  

Published Abstracts

  • Giaramita, M.J., Day, Howard, W., and Troxel, B.W., 1983. Structural, metamorphic, and plutonic evolution of the northern Funeral Mountains, Death Valley, California, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 15, 419.
  • Giaramita, M.J., Burnley, P.C., Day, Howard, W., and Troxel, B.W., 1985. Lithologic control of deformation style in a detachment fault complex, Funeral Mountains, southeastern California. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 17, 356.
  • Giaramita, M.J. and Day, Howard, W., 1987. The 4-phase AFM assemblage staurolite-aluminosilicate-biotite-garnet: extra components and implications for buffering. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 19, 675.
  • Giaramita, M.J. and Day, Howard, W., 1988. Variance of the assemblage staurolite-aluminosilicate-biotite-garnet: implications for staurolite-out isograds. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 20, 160.
  • Giaramita, M.J. and Day, Howard, W., 1989. Buffering of H2O in staurolite-aluminum silicate-biotite-garnet-chlorite assemblages. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 21, 238.
  • Giaramita, M.J. and Sorensen, S.S., 1991. Fluids attending moderate depths of subduction: Evidence from fluid inclusion in type-C eclogites from high-grade blocks. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 23, 447.
  • Giaramita, M.J., MacPherson, G.J., and Phipps, S.P., 1992. Forearc geochemical signatures in volcanic rocks: Llanada and Black Mountain remnants, Coast Range Ophiolite, California. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 24, 42.
  • Anderson, S., Dutrow, B. Henry, D., Mueller, P., and Giaramita, M., 1995: High-grade metamorphic roof pendants in the Sawtooth Mountains, ID:  A missing piece of the accretionary puzzle?  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program, 27:A437..
  • Dutrow, B., Henry, D., Anderson, S., Mueller, P., and Giaramita, M, 1995:A new Precambrian crustal province in south-central Idaho? EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 76:F678.
  • Giaramita, M.J., MacPherson, G.J., and Phipps, S.P., 1996, Tectonic Implications of Diverse Igneous Blocks in Melange: Northern California and Southwestern Oregon. Geological Society of Ameica Abstract with Programs.
  • Harper, Gregory D., Kosanke, Stefan, Giaramita, M.J., Saleeby, J.B., and Heizler, M., 2000, Tectonostratigraphy and geochemistry of the Coast Range Ophiolite at Snowcamp Mountain, SW Oregon: Implications for the exotic vs. native origin of the Coast Range Ophiolite.  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 32 p. a-17.
  • Giaramita, M.J., and Harper, G.D., 2001, Newly discovered outlier of the Jospehine Ophiolite (?) on the Elk River, southern coastal Oregon. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 33, p. A-51.
  • Price, E.L., Giaramita, M.J., and Harper, G.D., 2001, Preliminary Petrography and geochemistry of a newly discovered sheeted dike complex on the Elk River, southwestern Oregon. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 33, p. A-47.
  • Giaramita, M.J., and Harper, G.D., 2002, Lithologies, field relations, and petrotectonic affinities of a probable outlier of the Josephine Ophiolite, Elk River Area, SW Oregon, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs
  • Leikam, D., Karambela, K.K., Giaramita, M.J., and Harper, G.D., 2002, Petrography and geochemistry of new pillow and dike localities, Elk River area, southwestern Oregon, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs
  • Wetenkamp, J.A., Christman, Nathan, and Giaramita, M.J., 2003, Field, Petrographic, and Geochemical Variations in Rocks Previously Mapped as the Pearse Peak Diorite, Elk River, Southern Costal Oregon: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 35, p. 17.
  • Giaramita, M.J. and Harper, G.D., 2004, Geochemical and lithologic evidence of possible Rattlesnake Creek-like basement associated with a coastal outlier of the Josephine Ophiolite, SW Oregon, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, p. 33.
  • Giaramita, Mario J., 2008, Ophiolitic rocks of the eastern Elk outlier of the western Klamath terrane, southwestern Oregon, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 40,  p. 46.
  • Green, Erin and Giaramita, Mario J., 2008, Petrology and geochemistry of dikes cutting pillows in the eastern Elk outlier, Oregon, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 40,  p. 66.
  • MacInnes, Steve and Giaramita, Mario J., 2008, Petrology and geochemistry of pillow basalts in the eastern Elk outlier of southwestern Oregon, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 40, p. 67.
  • Green, Erin and Giaramita, Mario J., 2009, Layered mafic to ultramafic intrusives in the eastern Elk Outlier of the western Klamath Terrane; ophiolitic crust or syn-Nevadan intrusives?, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 41,  p. 14.
  • Rogers, Tamera L. and Giaramita, Mario J., 2010, Petrology and geochemistry of pillow basalts, eastern Elk outlier of the western Klamath Terrane, southwestern Oregon, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 42,  p. 62-63.
  • Hammond, Christopher and Giaramita, Mario J., 2011, Petrography and geochemistry of pillow basalt and igneous breccia form the eastern Elk outlier of the western Klamath terrane, southwestern Oregon.  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.  In press
  • Thompson, Molly and Giaramita, Mario J., 2011 Petrology and geochemistry of ophiolitic dikes fo the eastern Wlk outlier of the western Klamath terrane, southwestern, Oregon.  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.
  • Scheftner, T.R. and Giaramita, Mario J., 2013, Stratigraphic, petrographic, geochemical and structural analysis of a pillow lavasa and overlying metasdeimetns: Colebrooke Schist, Southwestern Oregon.  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.
  • Shaddox, H.R., Barrera, A.Y., and Giaramita, M.J., 2013.  A newly discovered sheeted dike complex on the western margin of the Iron Mountain Peridotite, within the eastern Elk outlier of the western Klamath terrane, southwestern, Oregon.  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. 
  • Sandhu, Resham, Loogman, Ashley, and Giaramita, M.J. 2014.  Do supra-subduction-zone dikes cutting gabbro in the eastern Elk outlier of the western Klamath terrane, southwestern Oregon, correlate with the Josephine ophiolite?  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.
  • Toth, Rene, Inman, Adam, and Giaramita, M.J. 2015.  Intermediate to ultramafic plutonic rocks exposed on Johnson Mountain, eastern Elk outlier of the western Klamath terrane, southwestern Oregon: arc or ophiolite?  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v.47, no. 4.
  • Ocon, J.M., Toth, Rene, and Giaramita, M.J., 2016, Petrograpy and Geochemistry of ophiolitic dikes and pillow lavas from blocks in serpentinized-matrix mélange near the eastern margin of the Elk Outlier of the Western Klamath Terrane, near Powers, Oregon. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.

Image of Mario Giaramita
Image of Mario Giaramita
Image of Mario Giaramita