About

Professor Kenneth G. Miller is involved in stratigraphy and earth history research at Rutgers University's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. His work focuses on the study of the North Atlantic's role in ocean-atmosphere heat transport, particularly through deep water formation processes. He has contributed to projects investigating the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) by drilling coreholes in the mid-Atlantic U.S. Coastal Plain to analyze thick sections of this significant climatic event. His research employs multiple temperature proxies, including stable isotopes and geochemical indicators such as TEX86 and Mg/Ca, to study paleoenvironmental changes across the Paleocene-Eocene boundary. Additionally, Professor Miller has developed depositional models for the PETM, examining sediment input from the Appalachian region and the resulting expanded PETM records.

Research topics

• Geology
• Oceanography
• Paleontology
• Computer Security
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Earth science
• Environmental science
• Geography
• Business
• Waste management

Selected publications

• Miocene coastal and shelf processes inferred from the geomorphological analysis of 3D seismic reflection data offshore New Jersey

  2025-03-15

  preprintOpen accessCorresponding

  We present findings from the first academic high-resolution, high-density (3.125x6.25 m line spacing) conventional 3D seismic reflection data (550 km2) acquired on the shallow New Jersey continental shelf. This dataset enables us to identify and describe geomorphological evidence of coastal and marine processes during the Miocene. By combining seismic geomorphological analysis (performed on 3D data in map view) with quantitative geometric analysis of clinoforms (performed on 2D seismic profiles), we examine the interplay between change in margin architecture and dominant processes during major climatic perturbations, including the Miocene Climate Optimum (MCO, 17 - 13.8 Ma), and subsequent global cooling during the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT, ca. 13.8-12.8 Ma).Our analysis shows that during the pre-MCO, clinoforms exhibited moderate lateral shifts of rollover points basinward (up to ~7 km; up to 6 km/Myr) with mostly flat clinoform rollover trajectories. Sediment thicknesses were similar on clinoform topsets and bottomsets. During the MCO, clinoforms transitioned to high aggradation-to-progradation ratios with steep rollover trajectories. In stark contrast, the MMCT and post-MMCT intervals are marked by rapid dramatic progradation (up to 35 km in 0.4Myr) and flat to falling rollover trajectories. During the MMCT, sediments primarily bypassed the topset domain. Topsets of the post-MMCT interval are, however, thick and are associated with relatively small-scale, low-angle clinoforms that we interpret as subaerial delta fronts.Surprisingly, we have not detected signs of subaerial exposure, such as incised valleys, fluvial or tidal channels, barrier islands and beaches, etc., during the pre-MCO, the MCO, and the MMCT intervals. The first signs of subaerial exposure appeared ~12 Ma, where we identified remnants of meander bends within a NNW-SSE-trending channel belt. This channel belt appears to be truncated by an overlying fluvial system trending NW-SE comprising relatively narrow (~20-120 m), up to ~10-12 m deep anastomosing, low-sinuosity channels. The NW-SE fluvial system also cuts through a series of >10 km-long, tens-of-meters-wide, closely spaced, parallel linear to arcuate, positive-relief features. We interpret these as beach ridges that formed on the regressive coast (as opposed to the Holocene transgressive New Jersey coast). Our seismic analysis suggests the Lower to Middle Miocene paleoshelf topsets remained submerged until at least the late Middle Miocene (ca. 12 Ma) following the MMCT and drop in global mean geocentric sea level, which resulted in major shifts in shelf processes and stratal architecture.

  PublisherDOI

• Eocene Sequences and Forward Modeling of the New Jersey Coastal Plain, USA: Changing Depositional Styles in Response to Climate and Sea Level

  Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America · 2025-01-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Short- and Long-term carbon cycle and climate responses due to volcanism, impact, and the aftermath of the Cretaceous/Paleogene mass extinction

  Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen access

  sponsorship: Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid|FED-tWIN project Prf-2020-038

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Eocene sequences and forward modeling of the New Jersey coastal plain, U.S.A.: changing depositional styles in response to climate and sea level

  Journal of Sedimentary Research · 2025-04-10 · 1 citations

  article

  ABSTRACT We map the spatial and temporal distribution and depositional environments of Eocene sequences and formations in the New Jersey Coastal Plain, USA, using an array of coreholes and gamma logs. On this passive margin, Eocene depositional systems reflect a change from prograding earliest Eocene mud lobes, to early to middle Eocene hemipelagic ramp, and finally to late middle Eocene prograding sandy sequences. The Marlboro Clay, containing the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), was deposited as prograding fluid mud during times of high global temperatures; it is found in northern and southern lobes but is absent from the central coastal plain. Lower and lower middle Eocene sediments consist of carbonate-rich clays (“marls”) deposited in middle to outer neritic (50–150 m) paleodepths on a hemipelagic ramp during a peak in global mean sea level. Exceptionally deep early Eocene deep water depths compared to other regions are attributed to mantle dynamic topography. The upper middle to upper Eocene consists of three prograding lithologic units found in parallel belts with coarse-grained sediments in the most updip positions and fine-grained sediments found in the most downdip positions; the lithologic units transgress time and sequences. Comparison of the timing of sea-level falls constructed using oxygen isotopes with New Jersey Eocene sequence boundaries shows a correlation between sequences boundaries and global mean sea-level falls controlled by ice-volume changes, even in the purportedly ice-free early Eocene. We date the change from ramp to prograding sequences to the late middle Eocene (ca. 41.5 Ma). We use a forward stratigraphic model to evaluate the primary controls influencing changing styles of sedimentation on the Eocene New Jersey margin. Our forward stratigraphic model shows that the appearance of prograding sands and silts in the middle Eocene is a response primarily to changes in siliciclastic input, presumably due to climate or tectonics in the hinterland. Our study of the New Jersey Eocene shows that by integrating stratigraphic and chronostratigraphic data with an independent estimate of global mean geocentric sea level, our forward model was able to disentangle the effects of sea level and sediment supply on the stratigraphic record.

  PublisherDOI

• An Uncommon Presentation of Crowned Dens Syndrome Without Systemic Inflammation

  Cureus · 2025-05-26

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Crowned Dens Syndrome (CDS) is a rare but important consideration in the differential diagnosis of cervical spine pain in older adults. CDS is characterized by calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition around the odontoid process, often leading to symptoms that overlap with more common conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), meningitis, or cervical spondylosis. We report the case of a 74-year-old male with chronic neck pain and restricted cervical range of motion. Advanced imaging revealed characteristic calcifications surrounding the odontoid process, pannus formation, and erosive changes at the C1-C2 articulation, consistent with CDS. Clinical evaluation supported a diagnosis of CPPD-related CDS. The patient was successfully managed conservatively with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy, with notable symptomatic improvement over time. This case reinforces the utility of CT imaging in diagnosing CDS and differentiating it from other inflammatory or degenerative cervical conditions. Awareness of CDS and a high index of suspicion are essential for early diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and avoidance of unnecessary interventions. Conservative management remains effective in most cases; however, further studies are necessary to evaluate alternative therapies for refractory presentations.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• CENOZOIC TIME SCALE AND SEA-LEVEL RECORDS: ASTROBIOGEOCLIMATOMAGNETOCHRONOLOGY?

  Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America · 2024-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Abstract TP52: Reducing Door-to-Imaging Times in Acute Stroke Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department by Private Vehicle: Triage Hallway versus Room Evaluation

  Stroke · 2024-02-01

  article

  Background: Delays in IV thrombolytic and thrombectomy treatments are associated with worse outcomes after ischemic stroke. The objective of our study was to compare door-to-CT imaging times among Code Stroke patients who presented by private vehicle and were evaluated by a physician in the emergency department (ED) either in the triage hallway or the emergency department room. Methods: We prospectively collected real-time data on Code Stroke patients presenting by private vehicle to a primary stroke center from May 1, 2022 through September 18, 2022. A Code Stroke was activated for all patients presenting to the emergency room with positive BE-FAST symptoms occurring within 24 hours from last known normal time. Patients were evaluated by a physician either in the triage hallway or an ED room prior to CT imaging. We compared baseline demographic data, NIHSS scores and door-to-CT times in patients evaluated by the physician in the ED triage hallway versus the ED room. Results: Of 55 patients who presented to the ED by private vehicle during the study period, the mean age was 54 ± 15 years, 53% were female and 45% non-white. The median NIHSS score was 1 [IQR 0-4]. There were 27 (49%) patients who underwent physician evaluation in the triage hallway and the remaining went into a patient room before going to CT. The median NIHSS scores for evaluations in the room were higher than in the triage hallway (2 vs 0, p=0.037). Overall, median time from door-to-CT was 11 minutes for patients who went directly from the triage hallway to CT and 21 minutes for patients who were roomed prior to CT (p=0.005). Conclusions: This study found that Code Stroke patients presenting by private vehicle and evaluated by an emergency physician in the triage hallway saved 10 minutes in door-to-CT time compared with physician evaluation in a room.

  PublisherDOI

• EARLY EOCENE PERSPECTIVES ON MESOZOIC GREENHOUSE WORLDS

  Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America · 2024-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Global Mean and Relative Sea-Level Changes Over the Past 66 Myr: Implications for Early Eocene Ice Sheets

  Earth Science Systems and Society · 2024-01-18 · 39 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  We estimate ice-volume driven (barystatic; BSL) sea-level changes for the Cenozoic using new Mg/Ca data from 58 to 48 Ma and a revised analysis of Mg/Ca trends over the past 66 Myr. We combine records of BSL, temperature-driven sea level, and long-term ocean basin volume variations to derive a new global mean geocentric sea level (GMGSL; “eustatic”) estimate. Bayesian analysis with Gaussian process priors shows that our BSL estimate shares a component that covaries on the Myr scale with “backstripped” relative sea-level (RSL) estimates (accounting for compaction, loading, and thermal subsidence) from the US Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain, validating our method and estimates with errors of ±10 m. Peak warmth, elevated GMGSL and BSL, high CO 2 , and ice-free conditions occurred at times in the Paleocene to Eocene (ca. 64, 57.5, 35 Ma) and in much of the Early Eocene (55–48 Ma). However, our new results show that the Early Eocene was punctuated at specific times by several Myr-scale sea level lowerings (∼20–40 m) that require growth and decay of significant continental ice sheets even in the supposedly “ice-free” world. Continental-scale ice sheets waxed and waned beginning ca. 34 Ma (>50 m BSL changes), with near complete collapse during the Miocene Climate Optimum (17–14.8 Ma). Both the BSL and RSL estimates have markedly higher Oligocene to Early Miocene Myr-scale amplitudes (20–60 m) than recently published δ 18 O-based estimates (<20 m) and much lower estimates than those of Exxon Production Research (>100 m), leading us to reject those estimates. The US Mid-Atlantic margin RSL was dominated by GMGSL but was overprinted by changes in mantle dynamic topography on the several Myr scale, showing approximately 50 m higher Eocene estimates and regionally propagating Miocene RSL changes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Holocene Foraminifera, Climate, and Decelerating Rise in Sea Level on the Mud Patch, Southern New England Continental Shelf

  The Journal of Foraminiferal Research · 2024-04-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract We examined Holocene benthic foraminiferal biofacies, % planktonic foraminifera, and lithofacies changes from New England mud patch cores and present a relative sea-level (RSL) record to evaluate evolution of these rapidly deposited (30–79 cm/kyr) muds. Sandy lower Holocene sections are dominated by Bulimina marginata. The mud patch developed from 11–9 ka as RSL rise slowed from 10 to 7 mm/yr; mud deposition began when the cores (69 to 91 m modern) were inundated below storm wave base. An Elphidium-B. marginata fauna developed at ca. 7–6 ka as RSL rise slowed from approximately 7 to 2 mm/yr. A Globobulimina fauna developed at 3 ka as RSL rise slowed to 1 mm/yr, reflecting lower O2 conditions. Single specimen δ18O analyses of Globobulimina show ∼1‰ variations over the past 3 kyr, reflecting a shelf bottom water seasonal cycle of 4–5°C, and a temperature minimum during the Little Ice Age with warming since.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant F32NS009565

  NIH · $74k

• Archiving and Advancing Core Curation and Database Management of ODP Legs 150X and 174AX cores: The Rutgers U.S. Atlantic Margin Core Repository

  NSF · $161k · 2008–2013

• Renewal of Curation of ODP Legs 150X and 174AX cores: The Rutgers Core Repository

  NSF · $204k · 2012–2015

• Collaborative Research: Post-Impact Studies of the Chesapeake Bay Impact Structure: Implications for Continental Margin Evolution and Groundwater Resources

  NSF · $95k · 2005–2007

• Renewal of Curation of ODP Legs 150X and 174AX cores: The Rutgers Core Repository

  NSF · $246k · 2015–2019

Frequent coauthors

• James V. Browning

  Planetary Science Institute

  282 shared

• James D. Wright

  Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  163 shared

• Gregory S. Mountain

  Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  149 shared

• Peter J. Sugarman

  145 shared

• Miriam Katz

  New York Medical College

  131 shared

• Mark D. Feigenson

  Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  68 shared

• Stephen F. Pekar

  62 shared

• Michelle A. Kominz

  Western Michigan University

  60 shared

Labs

• Stratigraphy & Earth HistoryPI

Education

• Ph.D., Earth and Planetary Sciences

  Rutgers University

  1980

• M.S., Earth and Planetary Sciences

  Rutgers University

  1976

• B.S., Geology

  Rutgers University

  1974

Awards & honors

• 2003 Rosenstiel Award from the University of Miami
• JOI/USSAC Distinguished Lecturer (1995, 2006)
• AAPG Distinguished Lecturer (2014)