She/Her
Precambrian Geologist
Contact
Minnesota Geological Survey
2609 West Territorial Road
St. Paul, MN 55114
She/Her
Precambrian Geologist
Alli grew up in Duluth, MN, picking agates off the beach and out of her parents' (also geologists) driveway at a young age. Inspired by the mysteries of the rocks and draw of the outdoors, she decided to pursue a B.S. in geology with a focus in mineral exploration from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She then continued on to receive her M.Sc. in 2015 from Arizona State University, where she mapped Au-Ag-hosted shear zone deposits in Baja California, Mexico. She completed her education at the Colorado School of Mines in 2020, where she earned her PhD for structural and geochronological work in the southeastern New England Appalachians. In her off-time, she loves skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and kayaking, especially when there are some deliciously deformed and perfectly cooked rocks involved. Alli is new to the Survey, and is excited to be learning from and working with the Precambrian geologists - an unparalleled group of researchers!
Severson, A.R., Nowariak, E.S., and Hirsch, A.C., 2026, Bedrock geology, pl. 2 of Severson, A.R., project manager, Geologic Atlas of Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota; Minnesota Geological Survey C-68, 6 pls., scale 1:100,000.
Severson, A.R., Nowariak, E.S., Boerboom, T.J., Severson, M.J., Miller, J.D. Jr., and Radakovich, A.L., 2026, Bedrock geology, pl. 2 of Severson, A.R., project manager, Geologic Atlas of Cook County, Minnesota; Minnesota Geological Survey C-56, 6 pls., scale 1:200,000.
Severson, A.R., Nowariak, .S., and Hamilton, J.L., 2025, Cook County North-Central Bedrock Geology of Minnesota. OFR 25-2: Minnesota Geological Survey, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, scale 1:48,000.
Severson, M.J., Severson, A.R., and Severson, L.S., 2025, Field Trip 6, Unique Keweenawan Inclusion (Colvin Creek) in the Duluth Complex in Institute on Lake Superior Geology, “Institute on Lake Superior Geology: Proceedings, Part 2 – Field Trip Guidebook, 2025,” Archives & Digital Collections at Lakehead University Library, accessed April 14, 2026, https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/exhibits/show/ilsg/item/13010, p. 136–150.
Retzler, A.J., Severson, A.R., and Hirsch, A.C., 2025, Bedrock geology, pl. 2 of Hamilton, J.D., project manager, Geologic Atlas of Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota; Minnesota Geological Survey County Atlas C-70, 6 pls., scale 1:100,000.
Severson, A.R., Jirsa, M.A., Retzler, A.J., and Chandler, V.W., 2024, Bedrock geology, pl. 2 of Retzler, A.J., project manager, Geologic Atlas of Pipestone County, Minnesota; Minnesota Geological Survey County Atlas C-59, 6 pls., scale 1:100,000.
Nowariak, E.S., Severson, A.R., and Block, A.R., 2024, Lithostratigraphy and Geochronology of the Lower Northeast Sequence of the North Shore Volcanic Group, Cook County, MN, USA: Institute on Lake Superior Geology, Part I, Abstracts and proceedings, v. 70.
Severson, A.R., Nowariak, E.S., and Larson, P.C., 2023, Geology and geochemistry of the basal North Shore Volcanic Group and Midcontinent Rift Intrusive Supersuite, Cook County, MN, US: Institute on Lake Superior Geology, Part I, Abstracts and proceedings, v. 69.
Retzler, A.J., Severson, A.R., Jirsa, M.A., and Chandler, V.W., 2023, Bedrock geology, pl. 2 of Retzler, A.J., project manager, Geologic Atlas of Lincoln County, Minnesota; Minnesota Geological Survey County Atlas C-58, 6 pls., scale 1:100,000.
Steenberg, J.R., Severson, A.R., Boerboom, T.J., and Hirsch, A.C., 2023, Bedrock geology, pl. 2 of Bauer, E.J., project manager, Geologic Atlas of Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota; Minnesota Geological Survey County Atlas C-65, 6 pls., scale 1:100,000.
Severson, A.R., Kuiper, Y.D., Eby, G.N., Lee, H.-Y., and Hepburn, J.C., 2022, "New detrital zircon U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotopic data from metasedimentary rocks along the western boundary of the composite Avalon terrane in the southeastern New England Appalachians," in Kuiper, Y.D., Murphy, J.B., Nance, R.D., Strachan, R.A., and Thompson, M.D., eds., New Developments in the Appalachian-Caledonian-Variscan Orogen: Geological Society of America Special Paper Vol. 554, p. 73-91.
Severson, A.R., Kuiper, Y.D., Long, M.D., Pipkin, J.D., 2020, “A structural, geochronological and geophysical boundary in the southeastern New England Appalachians: an Alleghanian Front?,” Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 52, no. 2.