Events
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Tech Sessions Speaker Series: Bill Collins
Start:April 2, 2015 at 4:00 pm
End:
April 2, 2015 at 5:00 pm
BEG Friday Seminar Series
Start:April 3, 2015 at 9:00 am
End:
April 3, 2015 at 10:00 am
Location:
BEG Main Conference Room; Building 130; PRC Campus
Contact:
Sophia Ortiz, sophia.ortiz@beg.utexas.edu, 512.475.9588
View Event
Ian Duncan
Research Scientist
Bureau of Economic Geology
Abstract:
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) drilling and sampling of two deep-monitoring wells in the Pavillion, Wyoming gas field resulted in a draft report hailed by many as the first compelling evidence that hydraulic fracturing had contaminated freshwater aquifers. Consultants for the gas industry provided the EPA with reports highly critical of the well-completion techniques used and the EPA’s interpretation of the data. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) resampled the wells but did not provide any interpretation of its data. Soon afterward, the EPA dropped the project. This paper provides a new, independent analysis of the extensive data set available for these wells. Using previously ignored stable-isotope data on the water produced from the well, it can be demonstrated that the samples from both wells were contaminated by surface water used for grouting cement. The leached cement water introduced into the wells included most of the contaminants used by the EPA to support its fracturing-fluid contamination theory. Water samples taken from one of the wells was progressively purged and showed systematic decrease in key contaminant concentration with a decreasing percentage of surface water, given the oxygen-isotope values (and increasing purge volumes). As the portion of surface water in each sample decreases, so does the pH and the concentration of potassium, glycol compounds, 2-BE, and phenols. All these compounds are known components of the leachate from the portland cement of the type used. The issues with the EPA’s Pavillion study provide important lessons for any future attempts to carry out baseline or post-drilling monitoring of unconventional-gas development.
UTIG Seminar Series: Samantha Hansen, University of Alabama
Start:April 3, 2015 at 10:30 am
End:
April 3, 2015 at 11:30 am
Location:
PRC, 10100 Burnet Road, Bldg 196, Rm 1.603, Austin, TX 78758
Contact:
Jake Walter, jwalter@ig.utexas.edu, 512-232-4116
View Event
“Investigating the Seismic Structure beneath the Northern Transantarctic Mountains”
Abstract:
With a length of ~4000 km and elevations up to ~4500 m, the Transantarctic Mountains (TAMs) are the largest non-compressional mountain range on Earth. The lack of compressional structures within the TAMs has led to considerable debate regarding their origin, and numerous uplift mechanisms have been proposed. Understanding the uplift history of the TAMs is not only crucial for assessing the geodynamic development of Antarctica but also for understanding the glacial and climatic evolution of the continent. To further assess the structure beneath the northern TAMs, the Transantarctic Mountains Northern Network (TAMNNET), a 15-station seismic array, was deployed in a previously unexplored portion of the mountain range in November-December 2012. Using data collected by this network over the past several years, numerous studies are currently underway to assess the crustal and lithospheric structure and to interpret the TAMs geologic history. This presentation will highlight the most recent TAMNNET findings and their importance in understanding the complex tectonic structure of the TAMs.
Grad School 101
Start:April 3, 2015 at 12:00 pm
End:
April 3, 2015 at 1:00 pm
Location:
JGB 4.102 Barrow Conference Rm.
Contact:
Chelsea Ochoa, chelsea.ochoa@jsg.utexas.edu, 512-232-0893
View Event
Grad School 101 is a workshop series throughout April highlighting different speakers and topics.
April 3: Application Workshop
12:00-1:00 p.m. JGB 4.102
Unsure of what’s involved in a graduate school application? Learn about the steps involved, what you should be doing now, things to avoid and other helpful tips.
Speaker: Philip Guerrero, JSG Graduate Coordinator
Career Center Open House
Start:April 6, 2015 at 9:00 am
End:
April 6, 2015 at 12:00 pm
Location:
JGB 2.112 Martineau Career Services Suite
Contact:
Chelsea Ochoa, chelsea.ochoa@jsg.utexas.edu, 5122320893
JSG students, faculty and staff are invited to come by the Career Center for coffee and bagels.
Soft Rock Seminar - Woong Mo Koo
Start:April 6, 2015 at 12:00 pm
End:
April 6, 2015 at 1:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
Climate Forum speaker series: Bill Collins (DOE)
Start:April 6, 2015 at 3:00 pm
End:
April 6, 2015 at 4:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
Contact:
Kai Zhang, kzkaizhang@gmail.com
Tech Sessions Speaker Series: PhD Talk
Start:April 7, 2015 at 4:00 pm
End:
April 7, 2015 at 5:00 pm
JSG Recruiter Summit
Start:April 9, 2015 at 10:00 am
End:
April 9, 2015 at 3:00 pm
Location:
SAC 3.112 Balcony Room
Contact:
Maurine Riess, mriess@jsg.utexas.edu, 512-232-7673
Tech Sessions Speaker Series: Ryan McKenzie
Start:April 9, 2015 at 4:00 pm
End:
April 9, 2015 at 5:00 pm
BEG Friday Seminar Series
Start:April 10, 2015 at 9:00 am
End:
April 10, 2015 at 10:00 am
Location:
BEG Main Conference Room; Building 130; PRC Campus
Contact:
Sophia Ortiz, sophia.ortiz@beg.utexas.edu, 512.475.9588
View Event
Yandi Hu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Houston
Abstract:
During many subsurface operations, nanoscale mineral-water interactions can degrade the integrity of the cement, lower the permeability of the oil reservoir, and may cause pollutants mobilization and surface water pollution. Despite their importance in determining the safety and efficiency of many subsurface operations, nano- and micro-scale subsurface geochemical reactions and their effects on the porosity and permeability in the formation rock and caprock are far from well-understood, because of their complexity. Especially, CO2 storage in subsurface geologic formations, particularly in saline aquifers, is currently being considered as a major approach to mitigate anthropogenic CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. To ensure the stability and long-term viability of geologic carbon storage, injected CO2 must be kept in the pores of the formation rock by an overlying caprock with very low permeability. Mica alterations (i.e., dissolution, morphological evolution, and secondary mineral phase precipitation) were studied under geologic CO2 sequestration (GCS) conditions. Interestingly, numerous micro-scale fibrous illite precipitated on the mica surface after reaction for only 3 h. Later on, the mica surface cracked and the fibrous illite was detached from the cracked surface. The mobilization of fibrous illite can decrease the permeability in the aquifers greatly and cause serious problems for safe and efficient GCS operations. The mechanisms related to fibrous illite formation and mica cracking were investigated. These results can help to achieve safer GCS operations as well as other subsurface projects. Also, Fe hydroxide nanoparticle precipitation was investigated, which can affect the fate and transport of many aqueous pollutants, including heavy metals, during the surface and subsurface operations.
UTIG Seminar Series: Brendan Hermalyn, NASA Ames/Skybox
Start:April 10, 2015 at 10:30 am
End:
April 10, 2015 at 11:30 am
Location:
PRC, 10100 Burnet Road, Bldg 196, Rm 1.603, Austin, TX 78758
Contact:
Joe Levy, jlevy@ig.utexas.edu, 512-475-6121
View Event
“Ejecta from Impacts: New Experiments and Insight from Missions”
Abstract:
The ejection of mass during an impact event is a shock-driven process that shapes the distribution of materials on planetary surfaces. In particular, the velocity and mass distribution of material launched from an impact controls the ballistic emplacement and appearance of ejecta patterns, and is especially important for interpretation of impact mission data. This talk will present results from new temporally-resolved impact experiments conducted at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range, and will discuss applications to cratering on planetary surfaces and impact missions.
Grad School 101
Start:April 10, 2015 at 12:00 pm
End:
April 10, 2015 at 1:00 pm
Location:
JGB 4.102 Barrow Conference Rm.
Contact:
Chelsea Ochoa, chelsea.ochoa@jsg.utexas.edu, 512-232-0893
View Event
Grad School 101 is a workshop series throughout April highlighting different speakers and topics.
April 10: Grad Student Q&A
12:00-1:00 p.m. JGB 4.102
Get advice from people who have been in your shoes. Learn how to contact professors, research programs and more. Bring questions!
Soft Rock Seminar - Brendan Murphy
Start:April 13, 2015 at 12:00 pm
End:
April 13, 2015 at 1:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
Tech Sessions Speaker Series: PhD Talk
Start:April 14, 2015 at 4:00 pm
End:
April 14, 2015 at 5:00 pm
Tech Sessions Speaker Series: Taylor Perron
Start:April 16, 2015 at 4:00 pm
End:
April 16, 2015 at 5:00 pm
BEG Friday Seminar Series
Start:April 17, 2015 at 9:00 am
End:
April 17, 2015 at 10:00 am
Location:
BEG VR Conference Room; Building 130; PRC Campus
Contact:
Sophia Ortiz, sophia.ortiz@beg.utexas.edu, 512.475.9588
View Event
Brad Wolaver
Research Associate
Bureau of Economic Geology
Abstract:
This multidisciplinary study evaluates the structural and hydrogeologic evolution of Cretaceous-age reservoirs in the Putumayo Basin, Colombia. We focused on the Eastern Cordillera fold-thrust belt along the southern Garzón Massif. Many important hydrocarbon accumulations occur regionally along the proximal foreland basin and frontal fold-thrust belt defining the eastern margin of the northern Andes. To understand why recent Putumayo Basin and adjacent thrust belt exploration has resulted in a wide range of oil quality and limited economic discoveries, we reconstructed the structural evolution, timing of oil migration, and timing of groundwater infiltration by: (1) assessing regional trends in formation water, oil, and reservoir properties; (2) quantifying the timing of hydrocarbon generation and migration relative to trap formation using (a) 2¬ ¬D and 3 ¬D seismic data to define and constrain a restorable balanced cross section from the Upper Magdalena Valley to the Putumayo foreland and (b) coupled 1-D thermal basin modeling; (3) evaluating the potential roles of Mesozoic extensional faulting and Paleogene shortening in the generation and preservation of structural traps; and (4) assessing groundwater influx from the modern foothills into the reservoir using a 2-D numerical groundwater flow model. We suggest that four-way closure is limited in the study area, where most foreland-verging structures create three-way fault closures that do not effectively trap light hydrocarbons. In addition, east-dipping structures and a relatively large reservoir outcrop area provide water infiltration pathways. Groundwater modeling suggests reservoirs were water-washed by 1–10 million pore volumes since Andean uplift. Finally, average reservoir temperatures are <80°C (<176°F), which further facilitated biodegradation.
UTIG Seminar Series: Claudia Tebaldi, NCAR
Start:April 17, 2015 at 10:30 am
End:
April 17, 2015 at 11:30 am
Location:
PRC, 10100 Burnet Road, Bldg 196, Rm 1.603, Austin, TX 78758
Contact:
Charles Jackson/Yuko Okumura, charles@ig.utexas.edu/yukoo@ig.utexas.edu, 512-471-0401/512-47
View Event
“Choosing the Next Scenarios: How Close Is Too Close, How Different Is Too Different”
Abstract:
The sensitivity of regional climate to global average radiative forcing and temperature change is important to setting global climate policy targets and designing scenarios. Setting effective policy targets requires an understanding of the consequences of exceeding them, even by small amounts, and effective design of sets of scenarios requires knowing how much different emissions, concentrations, or forcing needs to be to produce substantial differences in climate outcomes. Using CMIP5 climate model simulations, we quantify how differences in global average quantities relate to differences in both the extent and magnitude of climate outcomes at regional (250-1250 km) scales. We show that differences of about 0.3°C in global average temperature or 0.75 Wm-2 in global radiative forcing are required to generate statistically significant changes in regional annual average temperature over more than half of the Earth’s land surface. A global difference of 0.8°C is necessary to produce regional warming over half the land surface that is not only significant but reaches at last 1°C. s much as 2.5° to 3°C is required for a statistically significant change in regional annual average precipitation that is equally pervasive. We also show that global average temperature change provides a better metric than radiative forcing for indicating differences in regional climate outcomes due to the path dependency of the effects of radiative forcing. (Work in collaboration with J.F. Lamarque and B. O’Neill.)
Time permitting, I will also sketch the current proposal regarding the new set of scenarios that will be proposed as forcing pathways for future simulations within CMIP6, whose choice was partly informed by this work.
Grad School 101
Start:April 17, 2015 at 12:00 pm
End:
April 17, 2015 at 1:30 pm
Location:
JGB 4.102 Barrow Conference Rm.
Contact:
Chelsea Ochoa, chelsea.ochoa@jsg.utexas.edu, 512-232-0893
View Event
Grad School 101 is a workshop series throughout April highlighting different speakers and topics.
April 17: GRE Prep
12:00-1:30 p.m. JGB 4.102
Plan to take the GRE this summer or next fall? Get a head start with this presentation by the Sanger Learning Center. They’ll give an overview of what’s on the test, helpful tips on how to study and practice problems for you to try.
Soft Rock Seminar - Wayne Wagner
Start:April 20, 2015 at 12:00 pm
End:
April 20, 2015 at 1:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
Tech Sessions Speaker Series: PhD Talk
Start:April 21, 2015 at 4:00 pm
End:
April 21, 2015 at 5:00 pm
R/V Scott Petty Boat Christening Celebration
Start:April 22, 2015 at 5:00 pm
End:
April 22, 2015 at 7:00 pm
Location:
Able's on the Lake in Austin, TX
Contact:
Jazmine Leon-Wing, jleon-wing@jsg.utexas.edu, (512) 232-8085
Please join us for a special reception to christen the Jackson School’s new coastal research vessel – the R/V Scott Petty. Food and refreshments will be provided. Kindly RSVP by April 15, 2015
Tech Sessions Speaker Series: Linda Elkins-Tanton
Start:April 23, 2015 at 4:00 pm
End:
April 23, 2015 at 5:00 pm
BEG Friday Seminar Series
Start:April 24, 2015 at 9:00 am
End:
April 24, 2015 at 10:00 am
Location:
BEG Main Conference Room; Building 130; PRC Campus
Contact:
Sophia Ortiz, sophia.ortiz@beg.utexas.edu, 512.475.9588
View Event
WenZhan Song
Professor and Director of Sensorweb Research Laboratory
Georgie State University
Abstract:
The seismic imaging process today involves massive seismic data collection from hundreds and thousands of seismic sensors to a central place for post computing. The whole process is expensive and often takes days even months to complete. There is great demand for real-time as it would reduce the costs and risks of E&P and mitigate the environment concerns. This talk presents an innovative Real-time In-situ Seismic Imaging (RISI) system that can compute the 3D subsurface imaging in seconds. The RISI system is a mesh network of seismometers that sense and process seismic signals, and compute 3D tomography in-situ in real-time. Instead of data collection then post processing, the mesh network performs the distributed data processing and tomographic inversion computing under the severe bandwidth and resource constraints, and generates an evolving 3D subsurface image as more events arrive. Several innovative distributed tomographic computing algorithms based on travel-time tomography principles have been successfully developed and validated using both synthetic and real-world seismic data set. The hardware prototype system has also been implemented and can be extended as a general field instrumentation platform, to incorporate new geophysical data processing and computing algorithms, beyond seismic.
UTIG Seminar Series: David Stillman, NCAR
Start:April 24, 2015 at 10:30 am
End:
April 24, 2015 at 11:30 am
Location:
PRC, 10100 Burnet Road, Bldg 196, Rm 1.603, Austin, TX 78758
Contact:
Joe MacGregor, joemac@ig.utexas.edu, (512) 471-0411
View Event
“Evidence of Flowing Liquid Water on Mars, Right Now”
Abstract:
Recurring slope lineae (RSL) are narrow (0.5-5 m) low-albedo features that incrementally lengthen down steep slopes during warm seasons. All RSL sites have steep slopes (25-40°), outcropping bedrock, and lower albedo than average for Mars. Evidence of surficial material transport and unambiguous spectral signatures of salt have not been detected. Dry and wet origins have been suggested, but water-based hypotheses best match observations that correlate incremental lengthening with higher surface temperatures. Over 165 candidate and confirmed RSL sites have been discovered from 42°N to 52°S. Some RSL sites have more than 1,000 individual RSL and numerous RSL sites are found in the deep canyons of Valles Marineris. In this talk, Dr. Stillman will compare and contrast HiRISE (25 cm/pixel) observations of seasonal, yearly, and latitudinal changes in RSL behavior, present atmospheric, thermal, and hydrological modeling of these features, and describe the mechanism(s) that recharge and source RSL.
Soft Rock Seminar - Kealie Goodwin
Start:April 27, 2015 at 12:00 pm
End:
April 27, 2015 at 1:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
Climate Forum speaker series: Mike Wallace
Start:April 27, 2015 at 3:00 pm
End:
April 27, 2015 at 4:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
Contact:
Kai Zhang, kzkaizhang@gmail.com
Career Center Guest Speaker
Start:April 28, 2015
End:
April 28, 2015
Location:
JGB & PRC
Contact:
Chelsea Ochoa, chelsea.ochoa@jsg.utexas.edu, 5122320893
Join us for a full day of workshops and networking opportunities! Full schedule will be posted on GeoSource. RSVP encouraged.
Alaina G. Levine is an award-winning entrepreneur, science journalist, science and engineering careers consultant, professional speaker and corporate comedian. Her new book on networking strategies for scientists and engineers, Networking for Nerds, will be published by Wiley in 2015. As President of Quantum Success Solutions, a career consulting enterprise with a focus on advancing the professional development expertise of scientists and engineers, she has been advising emerging and established scientists and engineers about their careers for over a decade, and has consulted with tens of thousands of early- and mid-career scientific and engineering professionals. She has given over 600 workshops and seminars for clients in the US, Europe and Mexico, and is the author of over 200 articles pertaining to science, engineering, science careers and business in such publications as Science, Nature, World Economic Forum, Smithsonian, Scientific American, IEEE Spectrum, New Scientist, and COSMOS. As a science careers journalist, Levine constantly researches employment trends in STEM fields and delivers up-to-date vital information about STEM career issues from interviews with hiring managers, decision-makers and recruiters in myriad industries. Levine has also served as a Contributor to National Geographic and currently pens the career columns for Physics Today and the American Physical Society’s international publication, APS News.
Tech Sessions Speaker Series: PhD Talk
Start:April 28, 2015 at 4:00 pm
End:
April 28, 2015 at 5:00 pm
Tech Sessions Speaker Series: Mike Wallace
Start:April 30, 2015 at 4:00 pm
End:
April 30, 2015 at 5:00 pm
DeFord Lecture | Dr. Richard TaylorApril, 25 2024Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PMLocation: Boyd Auditorium (JGB 2.324) Adapting to the Amplification of Climate Extremes Through Freshwater Capture: Evidence from the Tropics by Dr. Richard Taylor, Department of Geography, University College London Abstract: In low-income countries of the tropics undergoing rapid growth, global warming presents challenges to the expansion and sustainability of water supplies required to advance progress toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Substantial uncertainty persists in projections of precipitation under climate change. A widely observed impact, pronounced in the tropics, is the intensification of precipitation comprising a transition towards fewer but heavier rainfalls. How does this transition impact terrestrial water balances? How might these changes influence freshwater demand? I will interrogate these questions and review mounting empirical evidence from the tropics of the resilience to climate change of groundwater resources, which act as a natural inter-annual store of freshwater supporting adaptation to the amplification climate extremes. Presented evidence includes case studies and local-to-regional scale analyses from tropical Africa and the Bengal Basin of South Asia. Outcomes emphasize the interconnected nature of surface water and groundwater as well as the value of groundwater as a natural, distributed store of freshwater. This insight provides a platform to explore more equitable and sustainable water development pathways resilient to climate change. |
UTIG Seminar Series: Cornelia Rasmussen, UTIGApril, 26 2024Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PRC 196/ROC 1.603 Speaker: Cornelia Rasmussen, Research Associate, University of Texas Institute for Geophysics Host: Krista Soderlund Title: The Emerging Field Of Position-Specific Isotope Analysis: Applications in chemical forensics, exobiology, geo- and environmental sciences Abstract: Complex organics can be found all over our solar system and within each living thing on our planet, be it as part of its physiology or as a contaminant. However, different processes can lead to the formation of chemical identical molecules. This makes answering a number of scientific questions challenging. One example is distinguishing between biotic and abiotic molecules, hence hindering life detection on early Earth but especially on other planetary bodies, such as on Mars, Titan, Enceladus and on meteorites where organics have been detected. Moreover, tracing molecules as they move through the environment can be demanding, yet is essential in studying the flow of organic molecules as well as correlating pollutants with their source. Novel tools to address these challenges are currently being developed. Especially, the emerging field of position-specific isotope analysis is beginning to grant access to the unique intramolecular carbon (13C/12C) isotope fingerprint preserved in complex molecules. This fingerprint can be applied in various scientific disciplines, ranging from forensics to exobiology, geo- and environmental sciences, including geo health. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) has the potential to become a key player in this research area, as it allows the analysis of organics within complex mixtures, all without the need to fragment the molecule into single carbon units or the combustion of the molecule of interest. We have been developing several NMR tools that allow us to investigate the intramolecular carbon isotope distribution within various molecule classes and to test the central hypothesis that the position-specific carbon isotope distribution within complex organics depends on a molecule’s source and formation history. |
Planetary Habitability Seminar SeriesApril, 29 2024Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PMLocation: PMA 15.216B UT Center for Planetary Systems Habitability Seminar Series. See website for speaker schedule and more details: View Events Join remotely: https://utexas.zoom.us/j/94052130734 In person: Classroom 15.216B, Physics, Math and Astronomy Bldg. UT Austin, Department of Astronomy 2515 Speedway, Stop C1400 Austin, Texas 78712-1205 |
UTIG Discussion Hour: Kristian Chan - PhD Talk (UTIG)April, 30 2024Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PMLocation: ROC 2.201 |