Events
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JSG | BEG | UTIG | EPS |
UTIG Fellowship Talks
Start:May 2, 2014 at 10:30 am
End:
May 2, 2014 at 11:30 am
Location:
PRC, 10100 Burnet Road, Bldg 196, Rm 1.603, Austin, TX 78758
Contact:
Nick Hayman, hayman@ig.utexas.edu, 471-7721
View Event
“Simulations of Seafloor Methane Venting from Warming-Induced Hydrate Destabilization” (by Kristopher Darnell)
We show with a dynamic, multiphase, fluid-flow model that free gas can temporarily vent through the marine hydrate stability zone and flux into the ocean during the transient response to warming. Our analysis indicates that the venting results from elevated salinities in the upper regions of the sediment column as dissociated free gas migrates upward and forms secondary hydrate, expelling salt from the hydrate cage. The elevated salinities produce a temporary three-phase equilibrium co-existence throughout the sediment column that persists until the gas charge is depleted. The salinity eventually relaxes to a steady-state seawater profile and a hydrate deposit of decreased mass spans the hydrate stability zone. This transient behavior provides a new explanation for methane vents that appear to display gas flow through the hydrate stability zone and, furthermore, may explain past venting events that were the sources for now relict seafloor pockmarks.
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“A replicated record of northern Gulf of Mexico climate variability during the late Holocene” (by Kaustubh Thirumalai)
Sea-surface temperatures (SST) in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) are an important influence on the moisture budget of the Western Hemisphere and play a key role in tropical to extra-tropical heat transport in the region. Changes in the hydroclimate of the GOM region also influence sea-surface salinity (SSS). Marine sediment records from the Pigmy Basin suggest significant SST variability in the northern GOM over the last two millennia. Some, but not all of this SST variability is also observed in paleoclimate records from the Caribbean-GOM region. To assess the spatial coherency of a regional SST signal, we present marine sediment records from another GOM basin, Garrison Basin (26°43’N, 93°55’W), which is located ~250 km west of Pigmy Basin. We generated time series of paired Mg/Ca (SST proxy) and ?18O (SST and SSS proxy) variations in planktic foraminifer Globigerinoides ruber (white variety) from two multi-cores collected in 2010. A radiocarbon-based chronology indicates that these cores span the last 4400 calendar yrs BP. Initial stable isotopic results reveal excellent replication between the multi-cores and indicate coherent, centennial variability in foraminiferal ?18O. Preliminary Mg/Ca-SST results from one of the cores compare well with published results from the Pigmy Basin. Our replicated results in tandem with a Mg/Ca-?18O calibration study from a sediment trap located ~350 km east of the Garrison Basin lend confidence that replicated downcore geochemical variations in this region are a robust record of paleoclimate variability.
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“Gulf of Alaska continental slope morphology: Evolution of a glaciated transform margin” (by John Swartz)
The onset of glaciation in the active St. Elias orogeny in southeast Alaska resulted in massive sediment flux to the Gulf of Alaska, but the resulting sedimentary systems of the continental slope remain poorly understood. During glacial periods ice streams advance across the continental shelf, carving troughs that reach the shelf edge and route sediment to the continental slope and deep sea fan systems.
High-resolution multi-beam data is used to develop the relationship between the Yakutat and Alsek Sea Valleys and the resulting continental slope morphology. The shelf and slope geomorphology can be divided into statistical groupings that relate to the relative balance of erosion and deposition. Our analysis shows that only the paleo-ice stream eroding the heart of the St. Elias orogen has been able to build an incipient Trough-Mouth Fan. The massive sediment supply from this region was able to overwhelm the steep initial topography of the transform margin, while further to the east sediment slope-bypass dominates.
This analysis provides an extreme end member to existing studies of temperate glaciation along continental margins. The unique interplay between rapid uplift due to ongoing collision and the massive erosion caused by temperate glaciers provides for sedimentary flux far above most other systems. This sediment supply allows for formation of progradational trough mouth fans in a system that is otherwise completely unfavorable to slope deposition and progradation.
Alumni Reception in conjunction with the SW Section meeting of AAPG
Start:May 12, 2014 at 5:00 am
End:
May 12, 2014 at 7:00 am
Location:
Petroleum Club of Midland
Contact:
Kristen Tucek, ktucek@jsg.utexas.edu, 512-775-6745
UTIG Seminar Series: Melisa Diaz, The Ohio State UniversityMarch, 29 2024Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PRC 196/ROC 1.603 Speaker: Melisa Diaz, Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University Host: Benjamin Keisling Title: Biogeochemistry of a Greenland Ice-Marginal Lake Abstract: Due to polar amplification, nearly every glacier in Greenland has thinned and/or retreated in recent decades. The meltwater generated from these glaciers can take several paths, ultimately discharging into coastal waters or stored in closed-basin lakes. Ice-marginal lakes are a common but poorly understood feature in many glaciated regions, including Greenland. The lakes receive freshwater input from a combination of subglacial, supraglacial, terrestrial and meteoric sources, and a subset periodically drain, resulting in the rapid discharge of large volumes of water downstream (glacial lake outburst floods – GLOFs). In the case of drainages under adjacent marine terminating glaciers, GLOFs can deposit large amounts of sediment, nutrients, and freshwater directly into coastal waters and fjords. Lake Tininnilik, a large (~40 km2) ice-marginal lake that forms along Saqqarliup Glacier in west Greenland, drains ~2 km3 on quasi-cyclic decadal timescales into Saqqarleq Fjord to the north. For this talk, I will discuss the first comprehensive biogeochemical analysis of Lake Tininnilik and its potential influence on coastal primary productivity, including its major and minor nutrient stoichiometry and microbial composition. As the climate continues to warm, GLOFs are expected to become more frequent in Greenland. Therefore, it is imperative that we understand how these events can impact coastal community resilience. |
UTIG Discussion Hour: Kaitlin Schaible (UTIG)April, 02 2024Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PMLocation: ROC 2.201 |
UTIG Seminar Series: Chuanming Liu, UT AustinApril, 05 2024Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PRC 196/ROC 1.603 Speaker: Chuanming Liu, Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow, UT Jackson School of Geosciences, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas Institute for Geophysics Host: Thorsten Becker |
UTIG Discussion Hour: Soraya Alfred (UTIG)April, 09 2024Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PMLocation: ROC 2.201 |
UTIG Seminar Series: Tanner Miller, UTIGApril, 12 2024Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PRC 196/ROC 1.603 Speaker: Tanner Miller, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas Institute for Geophysics Host: Peter Flemings |
UTIG Seminar Series: Crispin Little, University of LeedsApril, 12 2024Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PMLocation: PRC 196/ROC 1.603 Join us for a special seminar with Professor Cris Little. Speaker: Crispin Little, Professor, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds Host: Rowan Martindale Title: Biotic response to environmental perturbations in the Pliensbachian and Toarcian stages of the Lower Jurassic Abstract: The Lower Jurassic period was characterized by instability in global climate, with alternating greenhouse and icehouse states, and episodes of widespread oxygen depletion in the shallow marine environment. These episodes of oxygen depletion are marked by frequent intervals of increased organic carbon preservation in shallow marine sediments. The Pliensbachian stage of the Lower Jurassic was characterised by significantly cooler global temperatures than the preceding Sinemurian, and the following Toarcian stages, and ended with an extinction event (notably for ammonites) at the Pliensbachian-Toarcian boundary (Pl-To) ca. 184.2 Ma. About one Myr later the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (T-OAE) is characterized Corg rich black shale successions, particularly well developed in sedimentary basins in NW Europe, which display a negative ?13Corg excursion of -5 to -6‰, lasting 0.5 to 1.5 Myr. This excursion has been tied to a disruption of the global exogenic carbon cycle, but the ultimate source of the injected 12C is a matter of debate, with suggestions including methane hydrates, thermogenic methane produced by volcanism in the Karoo-Ferrar Large Igneous Province (LIP), wetlands, and permafrost destabilisation. The onset of the T-OAE in many (but importantly not all) sections is intimately linked to an extinction event that especially impacted the marine benthic macrofauna, but left the nekton largely unaffected. The recovery from this event is not well studied, but in one site, the Cleveland Basin of North Yorkshire, UK, although species richness recovered markedly as soon as environmental conditions ameliorated, other metrics of functional diversity and community structure did not attain pre-extinction levels until much later, some five million years after the extinction event. The talk will be of interest to those working on macroevolution, paleontology, and the effect of large scale climate change on marine ecosystems. |
UTIG Discussion Hour: Medha Prakash (UTIG)April, 16 2024Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PMLocation: ROC 2.201 |
UTIG Seminar Series: Emma \"Mickey\" MacKie, University of FloridaApril, 19 2024Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PRC 196/ROC 1.603 Speaker: Emma \"Mickey\" MacKie, Assistant Professor, Geological Sciences, University of Florida Host: John Goff |
Master\'s Thesis PresentationsApril, 19 2024Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PMLocation: JGB The Master of Science (MS) degree at the Jackson School of Geosciences is considered to be the professional degree for a career in the Geosciences. This degree is the foundation for students pursuing employment in the petroleum industry, environmental and hydrogeological fields, state and federal government agencies, and other related geoscience fields. Some students also use the MS degree as preparation for pursuing a Ph.D. The Energy & Earth Resources Interdisciplinary program provides the opportunity for students to prepare themselves in management, finance, economics, law and policy leading to analytical and leadership positions in resource-related fields. The private sector and government organizations face a growing need for professionals that can plan, evaluate, and manage complex resource projects, commonly international in scope, which often include partners with a variety of professional backgrounds. As requirements for these degrees, students must present a professional talk on Master\'s Thesis Presentations. |
Planetary Habitability Seminar SeriesApril, 22 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: Nicholas Montiel - PhD Talk (UTIG)April, 23 2024Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PMLocation: ROC 2.201 |
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 |
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 |