NeoGeologic Consulting specializes in combining structural analysis of faulting and deformation mechanisms with site stratigraphy, geomorphology and regional tectonic setting to determine the origin of ground deformation and assess the potential for future movement. Site investigation activities typically include coordination with project engineering to develop design criteria and mitigation strategies using probabilistic and deterministic methodologies, and expert reporting in sensitive regulatory environments.

Michael Angell is the owner and sole employee of NeoGeologic Consulting.  He is recognized worldwide as an expert structural geologist with over 25 years' experience conducting geohazard investigations for critical facilities in onshore and marine environments, including oil and gas field development, pipelines, dams, and nuclear facilities. 

MICHAEL ANGELL

EDUCATION

  • M.Sc., D.I.C., Structural Geology and Rock Mechanics, Imperial College, London, UK, 1987
  • B.A., Earth Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 1985
     

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

  • NeoGeologic Consulting, Principal Structural Geologist / President 2015 to Present
  • Fugro Consultants, Principal Geologist 2011 to 2015
  • William Lettis & Associates, Senior Geologist 2003 to 2011
  • AOA Geophysics, Principal Geologist, 2002 to 2003
  • Geomatrix Consultants, Staff Geologist to Senior Geologist, 1989 to 2002

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Paleoseismology/Fault Characterization Studies

  • Onshore and Offshore Structural Geologic Mapping, South-Central California, Long-Term Seismic Program, Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, California
  • Fault Displacement Hazard Assessment, Afungi LNG Development, Northeast Mozambique, Anadarko Petroleum
  • Probabilistic Fault Displacement Hazard Assessment, Mad Dog Phase II Development, Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, BP Americas
  • Regional Fault Displacement Hazard Screening Study, Lake Albert, Uganda, Tullow Oil
  • Probabilistic Fault Displacement Hazard Assessment, ACG Field Development, South Caspian Sea, BP Exploration
  • Probabilistic Fault Displacement Hazard Assessment, Shah Deniz Field Development, South Caspian Sea, BP Exploration
  • Probabilistic Fault Displacement Hazard Assessment for Mad Dog Phase I Field Development, Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, BP
  • Probabilistic Fault Displacement Hazard Assessment for Atlantis Field Development, Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, BP Americas
  • Fault Displacement Hazard Assessment, West Nile Delta, Raven Field, BP Exploration
  • Seismic Hazard Review, MEDGAZ Pipeline Project, Pre-FEED Geohazard Study, INTEC Engineering
  • Marine Pipeline Seismic Hazard Review, Sakhalin, Russia, URS (For Sakhalin Energy Investment Company)
  • Fault Displacement Hazard Review, Confidential LNG Terminal Site, Shell Global Solutions
  • Seismic Hazard Review, Oromieh Bridge and Causeway, Iran, COWI, SA
  • Bedrock Mapping for the Evaluation of Landslide Potential, Keller Canyon Landfill, California, BFI
  • Fault Capability Assessment, Sual Power Plant, Philippines, Cepa Tileman Power Systems
  • Research Study: Develop Criteria to Differentiate Tectonic From Nontectonic Faults, U.S. NRC
  • Geologic Characterization of Bedrock Site Conditions, Carquinez Suspension Bridge, California
  • Characterization of Quaternary Deformation Adjacent to the San Andreas Fault, California, USGS
  • Fault Capability Assessment, Haysi Dam Site, Virginia, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • Fault Capability Assessment, Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, Colorado, EG&G, DOE
  • Research Study: Late Quaternary Uplift of the Southern Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USGS
  • Evaluation of Faulting near Surface Facilities in Midway Valley, Yucca Mountain Project, Nevada, USGS

Marine Geohazard Assessments (not Fault-Specific)

  • Tsunami Hazard Source Characterization, Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, coastal California, Pacific Gas & Electric
  • Development of Mudflow Hazard Susceptibility Mapping Methodology, Pilot Study, Minerals Management Service
  • Evaluation of Offshore Active Geologic Structures, California, Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Pacific Gas & Electric, Pacific Gas & Electric
  • Tsunami Hazard Source Characterization, LNG Screening Study, Eastern coastal Australia, confidential client
  • Mudflow Geohazard Assessment for Offshore Pipelines, South Caspian Sea, Mentor Subsea Engineering
  • Tsunami Hazard Source Characterization, Tanguhh LNG Facility, western Irian Jaya, Indonesia, BP
  • Deepwater Pipeline Geohazard Assessment, Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, Green Canyon area, Shell
  • Pipeline Geohazard Assessment, Congo River Canyon Pipeline Crossing Project, West Africa, INTEC Engineering
  • Pipeline Geohazard Assessment, Offshore Trinidad and Tobago, British Gas Trinidad and Tobago, Ltd.
  • Seafloor Geologic Hazard Assessment, Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, Alaminos Canyon area, AOA Geophysics
  • Geohazards Desktop Study, Dolphin Pipeline Feasibility Study, North Indian Ocean, INTEC Engineering

Seismic Source Characterization for Hazard Analyses

  • Afungi LNG Development, Northeast Mozambique, Anadarko Petroleum
  • Goleta Point Development, Trinidad, BP Americas
  • Diablo Canyon Power Plant, California, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)
  • Lake Albert Development, Uganda, Total
  • San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, California, Southern California Edison
  • Sual Power Plant, Philippines, Ove Arup and Partners
  • Haysi Dam Project, Virginia, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • Whitestone Bridge, New York New York, Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority
  • Seismic hazard analysis of Southern Ontario, Atomic Energy Control Board, Canada
  • Cusiana to Coveñas Oil Pipeline and Pipeline Facilities, Colombia, BP Exploration
  • IPEEE Seismic Hazard Study for Nuclear Power Plants, Spain, Westinghouse International
  • DOE Hanford Site, Washington, Westinghouse Hanford
  • Saudi Strategic Storage Program, Saudi Arabia, ABV Rock Group

 ADVISORY PANELS

  • American Nuclear Society Working Group 2.30: Update regulations in ANS 2.27 “Detailed Descriptions of Criteria and Guidelines for Assessing Surface Fault Rupture.
  • Minerals Management Service: Update of Seismic Loading Guidlines for Offshore Facilities.

EXPERT WITNESS

  • Landslide vs. Tectonic Origin of Ground Deformation, Sky Valley Development, Vallejo, California, Pettit & Martin.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • Geological Society of London
  • American Geophysical Union
  • Seismological Society of America
  • American Geological Society

 

PUBLICATIONS

  • Nishenko, S.P., Page, W.D., Langenheim, V.E., Watt, J., Greene, H.G., Rietman, J., Lettis, W.R., Angell, M., and Kvitek, R., 2010, Shoreline Fault Zone, South-Central Coastal California, Geological Society of America Cordilleran Section Annual Meeting 2010, Denver, Colorado.
  • Angell, M., Hanson, K., Swan, F.H., and Abramson, H., 2008, Late Quaternary Fault Systems of the Sigsbee Escarpment, Northern Gulf of Mexico, Geological Society of America 2008 Annual Meeting, Houston, Texas.
  • Angell, M. and Hitchcock, C., 2007, A geohazard perspective of recent seismic activity in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, 2007 Offshore Technology Conference, Paper No. 19035, Houston, Texas.
  • Combellas-Bigott, R., Angell, M., Delfino, N., Orange, D., Rhinehart, K., and Tootill, N., 2007, Congo Canyon evolution: Subsurface and geohazard analysis, AAPG Annual Meeting, Abstracts Volume, p. 27, Long Beach California, April 2007.
  • Hanson, K., Nishenko, S., Cluff, L., Angell, M., Thio, H.K., and Greene, H.G., 2006,  Incorporating geologic constraints into a tsunami hazard assessment, south-central coastal California, EOS Transactions, 2006 Annual Meeting, American Geophysical Union, v. 87, no. 52.
  • Hitchcock, C., Hooper, J., and Angell, M., 2006, Lessons learned from Hurricane Ivan” – a pilot study for regionally-consistent hazard susceptibility mapping of submarine mudslides, presented at the 2006 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas.
  • Angell, M., Orange, D., Egan, J., Hooper, J., and Demetrious, D., 2005, Successive geohazard assessments in a tectonically active shallow gas environment, Offshore Technology Conference, Paper Number 17444, Houston, Texas, May 2005
  • Angell, M. and Hanson, K., 2005, Characterizing site geologic conditions for quantitative hazard analyses, Offshore Technology Conference, Paper No. 17678, Houston, Texas, May 2005.
  • Orange, D., Maher, N., McConnel, D., Levey, M., Decker, J., Tease, P., Schneider, Saller, A., Curiale, J., Johnson, E., Demetriou, D., Du Sik, J., Jeanjean, P., Thomson, J., and Angell, M., 2005, Identifying processes relevant to exploration and geohazards with high-resolution seafloor mapping, Abstract, presented at the AAPG Annual Meeting, Calgary, Alberta CA, June 2005.
  • Angell, M., Hanson, K., and Swan, F.H., 2004, Structural geology in marine geohazard assessment, Oral presentation at Seabed and Shallow Section Marine Geoscience – Shared Lessons and Technologies fromIndustry and Academia, Geological Society of London Special Conference, 24-26 February, 2004.
  • Angell, M., Youngs, R., Hanson, K., Swan, F.H., and Hamilton, I., 2004, Genetic classification of shallow extensional faulting in marine sediments and their characterization for hazard analysis, Poster presentation at Seabed and Shallow Section Marine Geoscience – Shared Lessons and Technologies fromIndustry and Academia, Geological Society of London Special Conference, 24-26 February, 2004.
  • Orange, D., Angell, M., and Smith, J., 2004, Visualization and analysis of the Nakika pipeline export routes--including discovery of the wreck of the Alcoa Puritan,  2004 Offshore Technology Conference, Paper No. 16763-8, Houston, Texas.
  • Angell, M., Hanson, K., Swan, B., Youngs, R., and Abramson, H., 2003, Probabilistic fault displacement hazard assessment for flowlines and export pipelines, Mad dog and Atlantis field developments, deep water Gulf of Mexico 2003 Offshore Technology Conference, Paper No. 15402, Houston, Texas.
  • Brand, J.R., Angell, M., Lanier, D.L., Hanson, K.L., Lee, E., and George, T., 2003, Indirect methods of dating seafloor activity: geology, regional stratigraphic markers, and seafloor current processes, 2003 Offshore Technology Conference Proceedings, Paper No. 15200, Houston, Texas.
  • Hanson, K.L., Wesling, J.R., Angell, M., and Bullard, T.F., 2001, Quaternary investigations to evaluate seismic source characteristics of the Frontal Thrust Belt, Palo Alto region, California:  Status report of ongoing morphometric and geochronology studies, (abs.), Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 2001 Annual Meeting.
  • Orange, D.L., Angell, M., Pawlowski, B., Meaux, D., Gee, L., Kleiner, A., and Anderson, B. 2001, Visualizing seafloor, seismic, gravity and magnetics data in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico improves understanding of geohazards, salt, and seeps, 2001 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas.
  • Hanson, K.L., Kelson, K.I., Angell, M., and Lettis, W.R., 1999, Techniques for identifying fault and determining their origins – NRC-sponsored research, Division of Engineering Technology, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C., USA, NUREG/CR-5503.
  • Orange, D., Angell, M., and Lapp, D., 1999, Applications of Multibeam Mapping to Exploration and Production: Detecting Seeps, Mapping Geohazards, and Managing Data Overload with GIS, The Leading Edge, v. 18, no. 4, p. 495-501, May 1999.
  • Angell, M., Hanson, K., and Crampton, T., 1998, Characterization of Quaternary contractional deformation adjacent to the San Andreas fault, Palo Alto, California, American Geophysical Union, EOS, Transactions, v. 79, no. 45, p. F613, Supplement.
  • Angell, M., and Hall, N.T., 1995, Compressive structures along the San Andreas fault in northern California: a relationship between Miocene and Quaternary tectonics and implications for seismic hazard, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, V. 79, No. 4, p. 578.
  • Hanson, K.L, Coppersmith, K.J., Angell, M., Crampton, T.A., Wood, T.F., Kamman, G., Badwan, F., Peregoy, W., and McVicar,T., 1995, Evaluation of the capability of inferred faults in the vicinity of Building 371, Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, Colorado, in Proceedings of the 5th DOE Phenomena Hazards Mitigation Conference, p. 185-194, 1995.
  • Angell, M., Bullard, T.F., Swan, F.H., Hall, N.T., and Egan, J.A., 1994, Post-earthquake geologic investigations of the January 1994 Mw 6.7 earthquake, northern San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys, California, Seismological Society of America, 89th Annual Meeting, Program for Northridge Abstracts, No. 33.
  • Bullard, T.F., Angell, M., and Lettis, W.R., 1994, Characterization of blind thrust faults using Quaternary geologic, geomorphic and structural analysis, Seismological Society of America, 89th Annual Meeting, Program for Northridge Abstracts, No. 39.
  • Fisher, R.G., Clahan, K.B., Wright, R.H., Angell, M.M., and Bullard, T.F., 1994, Earthquake-induced landsliding on Coal Mine Ridge, Portola Valley, San Mateo County, California, Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, 1994 Annual Meeting, V. 26, No. 7, p. 217.
  • Hall, N.T.,  Angell, M., Cole, W.F., and Wallace, J.M., 1994, Geologic investigations of mechanisms causing deformation of Coyote Lake Dam, Santa Clara County, California, , Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, 1994 Annual Cordilleran Section Meeting, V. 26, No. 2, p. 56.
  • Lettis, W.R., Kelson, K.I., Wesling, J.R., Angell, M.M., Hanson, K.L., and Hall, N.T., Alterman, I.B., McMullen, R.B., Cluff, L.S., and Slemmons, D.B. (eds.), 1994, Quaternary deformation of the San Luis Range, San Luis Obispo County, California, Seismotectonics of the Central California Coast Ranges, Geological Society of America Special Paper 292, p. 111-132.
  • Youngs, R.R., Coppersmith, K.J., DiSilvestro, L.A., and Angell, M.M., 1993, Predicting seismicity rates using fault slip rates on a fault-specific and regional basis - an example from the San Francisco Bay region, California,  Seismological Research Letters, V. 64, No. 1, p. 33.
  • Hall, N.T., Angell, M.M., de Wit, M.W., and Lettis, W.R., 1991, Late Quaternary deformation of the Santa Cruz Mountains, California, Geological Society of America, Annual Meeting, Abstracts with Program, V. 23, No. 5, p. 430.
  • Wesling, J.R., Swan, F.H., Bullard, T.F., Angell, M.M., Perman, R.C., and Gibson, J.D., 1991, Surficial mapping in Midway Valley: Implications for future studies to assess surface faulting potential at prospective surface facilities for the potential Yucca Mountain Repository, Nevada,  Geological Society of America, Annual Meeting, Abstracts with Program, V. 23, No. 5, p. 118.
  • Smith, D.L. and Angell. M.M., 1990, Neogene thrust kinematics in the San Luis range, south-central California coast ranges: Balanced cross-sections of basement-involved thrust faults, EOS Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 1990 Fall Meeting, V. 71, No. 43.