Student Research Experience
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Antarctica Research Project (January 2008)
Samantha Buck
Geological Sciences Undergraduate
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Antarctica was not somewhere I expected to visit during my undergraduate experience at U of I (or in my lifetime, for that matter).
Drs. Dennis Geist (Idaho), Karen Harpp (Colgate) and Mike Garcia (Hawaii) developed a field and laboratory-based project through the NSF to study the Vanda dike swarm in the Dry Valleys area of Victoria Land, Antarctica. The overall goal of the project is to understand a phase of Antarctica’s tectonic history where a period of subduction ended and magmatic extension began. Each professor brought an undergraduate student from their respective universities, and we helicoptered and hiked around the desolate icescape recording field observations and collecting rock samples to support various research projects.
My project investigates the conditions at which these dikes formed. I’ve worked in the lab, preparing the rock samples for a variety of analyses (X-ray fluorescence, ICP-mass spectrometry, electron-microprobe) that will be used to determine the pressure/depth at which those dikes were emplaced. For these analyses, I draw upon knowledge gained in undergraduate classes like mineralogy, igneous/metamorphic petrology, and geochemistry. This experience makes those classes far more relatable and has made me realize how much we are learning.
This has been an amazing learning process, and I encourage everyone to seek out any opportunity for hands-on experience. Learning through actual application is the perfect accompaniment to a classroom education.
If you want to know more about the United States Antarctic Program, please visit http://www.usap.gov/.
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Planetary Geology
Christina Coulter - Geological Sciences Graduate Student
My graduate career started at the University of Idaho in January 2007 under Dr. Simon Kattenhorn with a "big bang", so to speak. Within 6 weeks of arriving at UI to start my master's degree in geology, I was writing my own eight-page proposal for funding. My efforts paid off eventually, and I was awarded an EPSCoR Fellowship through NASA's Idaho Space Grant Consortium, which funded both my fall '07 and spring '08 research on Europa, a moon of Jupiter… Thanks ISGC!
My research focuses on quantifying both lateral motion and associated components of contraction or dilation along Europa's ridges, to better determine their formation mechanisms. The images I'm analyzing are from NASA's Galileo mission. These images are downloaded directly from NASA's PDS imaging node and reprojected using ISIS software (developed by the USGS). Understanding the tectonics of Europa's ice shell is important because if future scientific missions want to explore the possibility of life in Europa's subsurface ocean, we need to know where we would be likely to access this ocean from the surface.
Geomechanics research in planetary geology is strengthening my understanding of GIS mapping techniques and image projection skills. I'm also acquiring new strengths in geomechanics and structural geology. Planetary work is very rewarding, in that almost everything you do or find is new (even though it is rather difficult to schedule a field trip to your study area). I feel that my work will be an insightful contribution to the scientific community. |
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Paleoenvironments & Paleoclimatology
Renee Breedlovestrout - Geological Sciences Graduate Student
My research, under direction of Dr. Judy Parrish, entails the study of environments of deposition and the paleoclimate of the Chuckanut Formation (55-30 MYA), located in northwestern and central Washington and southwestern British Columbia. Detailed collection and evaluation of paleoenvironmental indicators such as plant and sediment types are needed to improve our understanding of natural climate change and may ultimately shed light on future changes in Earth’s climate.
Many layers within the Chuckanut Formation contain plant micro- and macro- fossils within layers of siltstone, mudstone, and coal. Using palynology (study of pollen) and a process of sorting unknown fossils into groups based on their characteristic features (called “morphotyping”), I am creating a detailed catalog of ancient terrestrial plant species obtained from the rocks that will allow me to correlate between discontinuous outcrops.
Data collected from fossil plants in limited areas of the Chuckanut Formation indicate that the sediments were deposited in at least two paleoclimate regimes, subtropical and temperate. Additional fossil localities have the potential to refine our understanding of the changing paleoclimate and may reveal further climate variation.
With data from this study, I will determine paleoclimatic gradients from the West Coast to the Rockies, providing a more detailed reconstruction of the paleoenvironment than previously available. In turn, this reconstruction will be compared to other sites, yielding a more complete understanding of the paleogeography of that time.
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Planetary Geology & Martian Resources
June Clevy - Geological Sciences Graduate Student
As a doctoral candidate at the University of Idaho, I have had the pleasure of taking my terrestrial map-reading skills to 'new heights'. While studying fracture mechanics under Dr. Simon Kattenhorn, I began working with Scylla and Charybdis Scopuli, two ~1125 km long normal fault systems west of Hellas Basin on the planet Mars. As the work progressed we were invited to Los Alamos National Laboratory to examine hydrogen abundance data calculated from satellite measurements of epithermal neutron counts.
Since then I have incorporated Geographic Information System routines to analyze the spatial relationships between regions of relative hydrogen enrichment/depletion and currently available elevation, crustal thickness, and thermal data for Eastern Mars. While my field area is a bit inaccessible, I have traveled to Canyonlands National Park outside Moab, UT to compliment classroom studies of normal fault processes. I have also been privileged to attend several international conferences, building professional relationships and gathering a couple of awards along the way.
Planetary science is a relatively young field, but funding through the NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium is available at both the undergraduate and graduate level for U of I students. Please contact Dr. Kattenhorn or Space Grant Director Jean Teasdale for more information on space science opportunities, or browse the ISGC website at http://isgc.uidaho.edu/. |
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Climbing/Rappelling Rope Course at Granite Point
April 24-27, 2008
Geology graduate students Ryan Pollyea and Scott Brinton, along with their advisor Dr. Jerry Fairley and Geological Sciences research associate Jennifer Hinds, participated in a rope-safety training course for work in steep terrains.
This summer, Ryan and Scott will be studying fracture networks exposed in steep basalt canyons at the Box Canyon experimental field site located near the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in southern Idaho.
This work is part of an ongoing collaborative research project between the University of Idaho and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES). The objective of the work is to develop new techniques for storing carbon dioxide in the deep subsurface as a means of reducing carbon emissions and reversing global climate change. |
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Nevada Hot Springs Research (Summer 2007)
by Theresa Taylor
Geological Sciences Undergraduate
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When I signed up to be a 'research assistant' to spend two to three weeks of the summer in Nevada collecting hot spring data, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had never previously worked with or studied hot springs, so I liked the idea of experiencing something new. As I am approaching my senior year as a geological science major at the University of Idaho, trying to figure out what comes after graduation, I had hopes for this experience to spark any interests I may have in hydrogeology and to give me a glimpse of what to expect in terms of field work for graduate school research or surveying jobs.
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My experience did just that. Working with Professor Jerry Fairley and his crew in this field area gave me confidence that I can perform the required duties for field research. This experience is priceless in the sense that the knowledge I gained could never be duplicated in a book or classroom. I developed insight for the code of behavior for hot spring safety and the importance of detailed data collection, along with following the protocols to ensure honest information. My most prized lesson was discovering the value of working with a sincere and hard-working team of people. In our case, our awesome field crew finished an anticipated two week project in just four days, which is valuable on so many levels, including time, money, and resources. I will take these lessons with me beyond my college career and keep them in mind when I am looking for a research area. I'll be sure to pick a location in the remote wilderness far from any 'tremors' but close to military bases to enjoy the free air shows!
Thank you for this priceless experience!
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