Cartology Comes Alive: “The Ancient Link Between Siberia and The Rockies” with Geologist Jim Sears at Xplorer Maps

Xplorer Maps is proud to welcome Emeritus Professor of Geology, Jim Sears, as the featured presenter for the January 2026 installment of Cartography Comes Alive, a monthly event series celebrating the intersection of geography, exploration, and storytelling.

Jim Sears is an Emeritus Professor of Geology at the University of Montana, where he taught for
39 years. One of his long-term research interests has been the geology of Siberia and its
comparison to the Rocky Mountains. He proposed that continental drift split Siberia away from
the Rockies in Paleozoic time.

To test this theory, Jim and his son, Robert, undertook three river-rafting expeditions in Siberia with Russian geologists. These expeditions were successful, and he is now writing a book chronicling their adventures.

Jim earned his BS at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, where he spent years hiking and
climbing throughout the Grand Canyon, an MS at the University of Wyoming, and a PhD at
Queen’s University in Canada, conducting research in the rugged Selkirk Mountains near
Revelstoke, B.C. He and his wife, Debra, have lived in Missoula since 1982, raised six children,
and are now proud grandparents of ten.

During the event on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, Sears will share
insights from his decades-long research into the deep-time connection between the Rocky
Mountains and Siberia, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the fieldwork, challenges, and
discoveries that shaped his career.

The presentation promises to combine science, exploration, and storytelling, providing a unique
opportunity for attendees to connect with the natural and geological history of our world.

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