Daniel Brennan

Daniel Brennan


Mapping Geologist—Assistant Professor
Phone: 406-496-4568
Email: dbrennan@mtech.edu
MBMG—Butte
1300 West Park Street
Butte, MT 59701


  • Biographical Information
  • Outreach & Presentations
  • Publications

Education

2018—MSc, Geology, Idaho State University
2016—BSc, Geology, Hydrogeology, University of Wisconsin--Eau Clare

Biography & Research Interests

Dan is an earth scientist who pairs field-based mapping investigations with geochronology/isotopic analysis to solve tectonic debates and address other questions of geologic and societal importance. During his MSc and PhD, Dan utilized geologic mapping to study the role that western North America played in two ancient supercontinents (a term for when most of Earth?s continents were assembled in single landmass) called Rodinia and Nuna/Columbia. Dan believes accurate and high-quality geologic maps are the vital foundation upon which all earth studies, including those focused on economic mineral resources, water quality, and geologic hazards, are built.

Year Citation
2024 Brennan, D.T., Sears, J.W., and Mosolf, J.G., 2024, Geologic map of the Belmont Park Ranch 7.5' quadrangle, Madison County, Montana: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Geologic Map 99, 1 sheet, scale 1:24,000.
2023 Mosolf, J.G., Brennan, D.T., and Kylander-Clark, A., 2023, LA-ICPMS U-Pb geochronology data from rock samples collected in the Dillon, Ennis, Gardiner, Hamilton, Hebgen Lake, and Wisdom 30' x 60' quadrangles, western Montana, 2022-2023: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Analytical Dataset 5.
2023 Mosolf, J.G., Brennan, D.T., Gavillot, Y., Parker, S., and Sears, J., 2023, Major oxide and trace element analyses of rock samples collected in the Dillon and Hamilton 30' x 60' quadrangles, southwest Montana: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Analytical Dataset 2.
2022 Brennan, D.T., Link, P.K., Li, Z.-X., Martin, L., Johnson, T., Evans, N.J., and Li, J., 2022, Closing the "North American Magmatic" Gap: Crustal evolution of the Clearwater Block from multi-isotope and trace element zircon data: Precambrian Research, v. 369, p. 106533, doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2021.106533.
2022 Brennan, D.T., Pearson, D.M., Link, P.K., and Milton J., 2022, Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic tectono-stratigraphic framework for central Idaho: Windermere Supergroup in the northern sector of the U.S. Cordillera, in Whitmeyer, S.J., Williams, M.L., Kellet, D.A., and Tikoff, B., eds, Laurentia: Turning Points in the Evolution of a Continent: GSA Memoir, v. 220, no. 23, p.457-486, doi: 10.1130/2022.1220(23).
2021 Brennan, D.T., 2021, A short hike on the edge of Ancient North America: Out There Outdoors Magazine.
2021 Brennan, D.T., Li, Z., Rankenburg, K., Evans, N., Link, P.K., Nordsvan, A.R., Kirkland, C.L., Mahoney, J.B., Johnson, T., and McDonald, B.J., 2021, Recalibrating Rodinian rifting in the northwestern United States: Geology, doi:10.1130/G48435.1/5230844/g48435.pdf.
2021 Brennan, D.T., Mahoney, J.B., Li, Z., Link, P.K., Evans, N.J., and Johnson, T.E., 2021, Detrital zircon U-Pb and Hf signatures of Paleo-Mesoproterozoic strata in the Priest River region, northwestern USA: A record of Laurentia assembly and Nuna tenure: Precambrian Research, v. 367, p. 106445, doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2021.106445.
2021 Brennan, D.T., Mitchell, R.N., Spencer, C.J., Murphy, J.B., and Li, Z.X., 2021, A tectonic model for the Transcontinental Arch: Progressive migration of a Laurentian drainage divide during the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian Sauk Transgression: Terra Nova, doi/10.1111/ter.12528.
2020 Brennan, D.T., 2020, When the Mountains Were Made: A New Geological Discovery: Idaho Magazine.
2020 Brennan, D.T., Pearson, D.M., Link, P.K., and Chamberlain, K.R., 2020, Geologic map of the Bayhorse anticline, Custer County, Idaho: Idaho Geological Survey Technical Report 20-01, scale 1:24,000.
2020 Brennan, D.T., Pearson, D.M., Link, P.K., and Chamberlain, K.R., 2020, Neoproterozoic Windermere Supergroup near Bayhorse, Idaho: late‐stage Rodinian rifting was deflected west around the Belt basin: Tectonics, doi:10.1029/2020tc006145.
2020 Krohe, N.J., Brennan, D.T., Link, P.K., Pearson, D.M., and Armstrong, L.T., 2020, Geologic map of the southern portion of the Clayton Quadrangle, Custer County, Idaho: Idaho Geological Survey Technical Report 20-02, scale 24,000.
2020 Nordsvan, A.R., Kirscher, U., Kirkland, C.L., Barham, M., and Brennan, D.T., 2020, Resampling (detrital) zircon age distributions for accurate multidimensional scaling solutions: Earth-Science Reviews, v. 204, p. 103149, doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103149.