Abigail Axness · Project Geologist · Fort Collins, Colorado
Geomorphologist and environmental geoscientist reading rivers, rocks, and sediment to understand how landscapes change, and sharing the fun of it along the way.
About
Landscapes are living records. A river channel remembers its floods, a gravel bar sorts its history by size, and a burned hillside shows both the disturbance and the road to recovery. I’m drawn to geology because it asks us to look closely, connect patterns across space and time, and turn evidence into better decisions.
By day I’m a Project Geologist in environmental geoscience, collecting field data and turning it into clear analysis and reporting. My graduate research connects lithology, topography, grain size, and climate to how the bedrock rivers of Puerto Rico do their work.
Outside the formal language of science, I’m a storyteller, puzzle-solver, music lover, and lifelong learner with a Goldfish Brain that is always collecting questions. Fun fact: I started out at culinary school, so yes, I can explain stratigraphy with a lasagna.
Sediment moved, lessons learned.
Meet the field partner
Every good field team needs a morale officer. Mine is Dante: a fluffy, speckle-nosed, tongue-out goofball who believes every river cobble might be a ball and every stuffed toy is a demolition project.
You can find him in the sand grain adventure below.
Science & Projects
Thesis · Colorado State University
How lithology, topography, and climate combine to shape the grain sizes rivers carry and the work they can do. Field sampling, grain-size distributions, and maps that make the relationships visible.
Research · Puerto Rico
How rivers cut into solid rock in a humid tropical setting, and how rock type controls the tools, grain sizes, and channel forms that result.
Professional · Environmental geoscience
As a Project Geologist I plan and run field investigations, manage water-quality and site data, and translate it into reports that support restoration and remediation.
Field Notes
Field, lab, and the places in between. Each image is one piece of a much larger story.
See the real field photos →
The column
Goldfish Brain Edition: geology for the joy of it
Landscapes teach us that change is rarely neat. Some things shift slowly, layer by layer. Other things happen all at once: floods, fires, career turns, and the occasional Goldfish Brain detour. This is where I share the fun side of geology: weird facts, terrible puns, and the lessons hiding in the layers.
Erode
Reflections from the field and the profession. Patience, process, and what a river can teach you about not having all the answers.
Explode
Surprising facts, groan-worthy puns, and “wait, really?” moments you’ll want to share at dinner.
Fact
Coming soon
The column is headed to the American Institute of Professional Geologists. Published installments will live here once they’re in print.
Choose your own adventure
You are a tiny grain of quartz with big plans. Every choice is real geology. Erode slowly or explode dramatically. Where will you end up?
Mentorship
I didn’t take a straight path into geoscience. I started at a community college with a culinary degree and found my way to rivers, rocks, and graduate research one layer at a time. Along the way, the people who answered my questions changed everything. Now I want to be that person for you.
Pick a time that works for you. No pressure, no prep required.
Students, early-career geoscientists, community college transfers, and career changers who are curious about the Earth and unsure of the next step.
Grad school or industry, consulting or research, and how to choose without losing yourself.
What to pack, what to ask, and how to show up confident on your first field day.
Making sense of AIPG, the FG and PG exams, and state requirements, from someone in the middle of it.
Resumes, portfolios, and science communication that sound like you.
Book a 30-minute intro call or send a short note about where you’re stuck. We start with a conversation and go from there.
Connect
Collaboration, consulting, speaking, mentorship, or a geology pun you can’t keep to yourself. I’d love to hear from you.
Fort Collins, Colorado