Events
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6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
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20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
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Lithosphere and Dynamic Earth seminar: Wanying Wang
Start:December 1, 2021 at 12:00 pm
End:
December 1, 2021 at 1:00 pm
DeFord Lecture | Steven Davis
Start:December 2, 2021 at 4:00 pm
End:
December 2, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Location:
https://utexas.zoom.us/j/96370762511
Contact:
John Lassiter
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Global and regional drivers of land-use emissions
Dr. Steven Davis, University of California, Irvine
Abstract: Human uses of land have transformed and fragmented ecosystems, degraded biodiversity, disrupted carbon and nitrogen cycles and added prodigious quantities of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the atmosphere. However, in contrast to fossil-fuel carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, trends and drivers of GHG emissions from land use (including both land-use change and agriculture) have not been as comprehensively and systematically assessed. I’ll present recent work my group has done to analyze country-, process-, GHG- and product-specific inventories of global land-use emissions over the last half-century, including uncertainties and decomposition of key demographic, economic, and technical drivers. I’ll then present results of a related analysis of the land-use emissions embodied in international trade and discuss implications for mitigation efforts. Finally, I’ll briefly introduce the Carbon Monitor, an international collaboration hatched during the pandemic to estimate global, country, and U.S. state-level fossil emissions in near real time.
DeFord Lecture Series
Since the 1940’s, the DeFord (Technical Sessions) lecture series, initially the official venue for disseminating EPS graduate student research, is a forum for lectures by distinguished visitors and members of our community. This is made possible through a series of endowments.
BEG Seminar: Richard Sech - Shell
Start:December 3, 2021 at 9:00 am
End:
December 3, 2021 at 10:00 am
Location:
Zoom or PRC, BEG Bldg. 130, Main Conference Room 1.202
Contact:
Dena Miller, dena.miller@beg.utexas.edu
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Bureau Seminar Series
UTIG Seminar Series: Lynnae Quick, NASA Goddard
Start:December 3, 2021 at 10:30 am
End:
December 3, 2021 at 11:30 am
Location:
Zoom Meeting
Contact:
Constantino Panagopulos, costa@ig.utexas.edu, 512-574-7376
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Speaker: Lynnae Quick, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Host: Krista Soderlund
Title: Cryovolcanism on Ocean Worlds Near and Far
Water, Climate and Environment Seminar | Xinyue Ye - Texas A&M U.
Start:December 3, 2021 at 12:00 pm
End:
December 3, 2021 at 1:00 pm
Location:
Online
Contact:
Cansu Demir, cdemir@utexas.edu
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Urban development and its interactions with climate, water and environment
EPS Faculty Meeting
Start:December 7, 2021 at 12:30 pm
End:
December 7, 2021 at 1:45 pm
Masters "Thursday" Presentations
Start:December 9, 2021 at 12:30 pm
End:
December 9, 2021 at 2:00 pm
Contact:
John Lassiter
Please help us celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating Masters students by joining us for a special DeFord Presentation next Thursday (12/9) at 12:30 pm.
Please join us at the following link: https://utexas.zoom.us/j/96370762511
This Fall’s Masters Presentations event will be “klein aber fein”, with two outstanding presentations scheduled:
Xin Liu (Advisor Mrinal Sen): Feasibility of Prediction of Principal stress from reflection seismic data
Matthew Nix (Advisor Brian Horton): Shifts in deposition, sediment dispersal, and provenance for the late Jurassic-early Cretaceous Kootenay and Blairmore Groups: Implications for foreland basin dynamics in western Canada
BEG Seminar: Olvier Duffy - Bureau of Economic Geology
Start:December 10, 2021 at 9:00 am
End:
December 10, 2021 at 10:00 am
Location:
Zoom or PRC, BEG Bldg. 130, Main Conference Room 1.202
Contact:
Dena Miller, dena.miller@beg.utexas.edu
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Bureau Seminar Series
UTIG Seminar: AGU Practice Talks
Start:December 10, 2021 at 10:30 am
End:
December 10, 2021 at 11:30 am
Location:
Seminar Conference Room - Pickle Research Campus, Bldg 196-ROC 1.603
Contact:
Constantino Panagopulos, costa@ig.utexas.edu, 512-574-7376
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In a now annual tradition, the last seminar of the Fall Semester features talks by UTIG graduate students.
Speakers: Cat Ross & Shuai Yan, Graduate Research Assistants, University of Texas Institute for Geophysics
Cat Ross: Zircon (U-Th)/He Impact Crater Thermochronometry and the Effects of Shock Microstructures on Helium Diffusion Kinetics
Abstract: Accurate and precise age determination of impact cratering events remains challenging and often contentious; less than half of all known craters are regarded as accurately and precisely dated. Zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) dating of impactites can be employed to date medium to large impact structures as ZHe ages can be fully reset in minutes at T >1000°C, a plausible scenario in the central melt pool. In contrast, complete resetting of ZHe at 200-300°C, encountered near the crater margins or due to post-impact hydrothermal overprinting, may take >103-6 years. To test the reliability of ZHe impact dating, we have quantified the effects of shock-induced microstructures on helium diffusion kinetics in well-characterized variably shocked zircon. We investigated samples from two impact structures, the Chicxulub multi-ring crater and Ries complex crater, to compare diffusion kinetics from structures with different size, age, and hydrothermal system longevity. Shock microstructures were characterized by backscattered-electron imaging prior to determining the He diffusion kinetics by prograde and retrograde fractional-release experiments via light-bulb furnace with incremental step-heating (10°C) from 300°C to 600°C. Next, we examine the internal interconnectivity and sizes of the diffusion domains by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). While we found that zircon with few shock microstructures exhibited no marked deviation from helium diffusion kinetics of undamaged zircon, zircon grains with planar microstructures and granular textures are characterized by a dramatic decrease in helium retentivity due to the reduction in the effective domain size and the introduction of interconnected fast diffusion pathways. A subset of grains were ZHe dated and showed that less deformed grains yielded a weighted mean age within error of the accepted impact ages, while the grains with planar microstructures or granular textures gave systematically younger ages. These new diffusion data and ZHe ages demonstrate that highly shocked grains are unsuitable for ZHe impact crater dating. Therefore, detailed characterization of impact-induced microstructures is critical for determining accurate ZHe impact ages and offers the possibility of investigating post-impact hydrothermal circulation.
Shuai Yan: A widespread subglacial hydrology system detected by airborne geophysics survey in Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica
Abstract: Measurements of the subglacial topography, geology and hydrology of Princess Elizabeth Land (PEL), East Antarctica is critical for our understanding of the dynamics of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). However, PEL has been one of the least surveyed sectors of East Antarctica. Over the past years, several collaborative airborne geophysical surveys have been performed in PEL, aiming to fill in this gap. In this presentation, we propose to show the newly collected geophysical evidence suggesting the existence of a widespread subglacial hydrology system in PEL. This subglacial hydrology system is composed of a large subglacial lake (hereby referred as Lake Snow Eagle, LSE) that is over 40 kilometers long and 10 kilometers wide, and multiple smaller subglacial water bodies around LSE. The existence of these subglacial water bodies provides important constraints on the basal thermal condition in this region. We also propose to address the possibility that this subglacial hydrology system is connected to the coastal regions by an extensive subglacial channel network, which would make it the largest known-to-date interior Antarctic subglacial hydrology system that has a potential direct hydraulic pathway to the ocean.
SSL Seminar Series | Tian DongJanuary, 20 2026Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: Boyd Auditorium (JGB 2.324) Natural and Human Impacts on Coastal Land Building by Dr. Tian Dong Abstract: Sediment and water delivered by rivers build and sustain coastal landforms such as deltas and wetlands, which are densely populated and ecologically vital areas threatened by rising sea levels. In this talk, I highlight theory-driven and field-based research to understand how coastal land building operates across broad deltaic plains and how human activity affects these processes. On the theoretical front, inspired by Hack’s law (the scaling between watershed drainage area and channel length in tributary networks), we analyzed a global dataset of distributary delta networks and discovered a nearly identical scaling relationship between distributary channel length and nourishment area, the land-building counterpart to drainage area. Despite this apparent global scaling, we identified two distinct local land-building patterns: Uniform Delta Networks consistently follow Hack’s law, while Composite Delta Networks exhibit a scale break, transitioning from space-filling growth around the delta apex to quasi-linear growth near the coast. These surprising growth patterns suggest that global simplicity and local variability coexist in how river deltas grow and organize. To assess regional variability and human impacts, we combined remote sensing with field observations from the Lower Rio Grande, finding that the river currently carries about one-third of its median 1900s discharge, and only about 0.3% of its natural flow reaches the Gulf due to human consumption. This reduction leads to channel contraction, higher water levels for the same discharge, and significant shoreline retreat (up to 6 m/yr). I conclude by highlighting three ongoing/future research directions on deltaic land building: (i) sedimentation influenced by human engineering, (ii) wind-driven sediment redistribution, and (iii) the effects of sediment influx from retreating glaciers. |
DeFord Lecture | Venkat LakshmiJanuary, 22 2026Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: JGB 2.324 Progresses and Challenges in Hydrology by Dr. Venkat Lakshmi, professor at the University of Virginia Abstract: In order to study land surface hydrology, we need to use a multitude of tools, namely, modeling, observations and their synergism. After multiple decades of hydrological modeling, we still have major challenges. However, we have novel observations and mathematical methods that are now available and can be harnessed to achieve progress. These include earth observations that are available at global scales and at high spatial resolutions and frequent temporal repeat. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) can be used (specifically Transfer Learning) to determine streamflow in un-gaged or poorly-gaged watersheds. In this talk, I will focus on four major questions and provide examples for each of the questions. These examples will highlight both advances and limitations for each issue. (i) Do earth observations compare well with in-situ counterparts? (ii) How important is rainfall in hydrological modeling? (iii) Can we get higher spatial resolution of earth observations? (iv) How do we study un-gaged/poorly gaged watersheds? |
Bureau of Economic Geology Seminar SeriesJanuary, 23 2026Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PMLocation: BEG VR Room 1.116C BEG Seminar presented by Dr. Bridget Scanlon, BEG in person. Topic: Remote sensing, hydrology |
SSL Seminar Series | Kristin BergmannJanuary, 27 2026Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: Boyd Auditorium (JGB 2.324) Temperature and the earliest animals: Quantitative climate reconstruction across the Neoproterozoic–Phanerozoic transition by Dr. Kristin Bergmann Abstract: The Neoproterozoic–Phanerozoic transition records the emergence of complex animals, the origin of biomineralization, and the establishment of modern marine ecosystems—yet the climate context for these evolutionary milestones remains poorly quantified. Reconstructing ancient temperatures requires integrating sedimentology, carbonate petrography, and isotope geochemistry. Our field-based stratigraphic analysis establishes depositional context and identifies the most promising sampling targets; detailed petrographic screening and microstructural analyses constrain diagenetic paragenesis. Clumped-isotope thermometry (Δ47–Δ48) reconstructs temperature signals within this sedimentological framework, resolving the ambiguity between temperature and seawater composition that limits traditional δ¹⁸O approaches. This rocks-first workflow reveals large, directional climate shifts with ecological consequences. In the Tonian and Cryogenian, data from Oman and elsewhere indicate near-modern tropical temperatures before and after Snowball Earth glaciations, suggesting dynamic hydrologic and climatic transitions. During the Ediacaran, post-glacial warming followed by ≥20 °C cooling likely expanded oxygenated habitats and set the stage for early animal diversification. In the Ordovician, ~15 °C of long-term tropical cooling over ~40 Myr culminated in brief but extensive glaciation, providing the climate context for the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event. By grounding geochemical data in sedimentological and petrographic observations, we build a quantitative framework linking climate and habitability and provide evidence that temperature change guided life\'s evolutionary trajectory in deep time. |
SSL Seminar Series | Ted PresentJanuary, 29 2026Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: Boyd Auditorium (JGB 2.324) Biogeochemical Signals of Seafloor Oxygenation by Dr. Ted Present Abstract: Earth’s oxygenation transformed the atmosphere, oceans, and ultimately the seafloor, establishing the carbon and sulfur cycles that govern our planet today. When and how did oxygen penetrate into marine sediments, shifting where organic matter was recycled and setting up the biogeochemical architecture we recognize in modern oceans? I approach this question by studying how microbial and chemical processes at the sediment-water interface leave lasting signatures in sedimentary rocks. Using sulfur isotopes and detailed sedimentology, I will show how Paleozoic carbonates and evaporites track the reorganization of ocean redox structure through critical evolutionary transitions like the Late Ordovician glaciation and mass extinction. The Permian Reef Complex of West Texas demonstrates how cementation and dolomitization patterns archive ancient sulfur cycling, with insights grounded in observations from modern tidal systems where diagenetic processes govern carbon storage along our changing coasts. I will close with how I envision training UT Austin students in integrated field and laboratory approaches to pursue future research leveraging evaporite basins, novel phosphatic archives, and terrestrial carbonates. By extracting environmental signals from the diagenetic processes that create the rock record, this work builds a framework for understanding how Earth’s oxygenation reshaped life and its environment. |
Bureau of Economic Geology Seminar SeriesJanuary, 30 2026Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PMLocation: BEG VR Room 1.116C BEG Seminar presented in person by Dr. Todd Halihan, Oklahoma State University, and Chief Technical Officer for Aestus, LLC in person Topic: Subsurface hydrogeology |
SSL Seminar Series | Mackenzie DayFebruary, 03 2026Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: Boyd Auditorium (JGB 2.324) From sand to stratigraphy: How dunes record the changing landscape of Earth and other planets by Dr. Mackenzie Day Abstract: Desert dune fields preserve rich sedimentary records of environmental change, providing insight into both past climate and modern landscape evolution. This presentation explores three desert systems on Earth and Mars, using dune fields as a lens to examine how landscapes, both ancient and modern, respond to shifting environmental conditions. These investigations address the longevity of Earth’s dune fields, the interplay between wind and water, and the applicability of aeolian sedimentology to planetary bodies beyond Earth. Together, they highlight how dune fields serve as dynamic archives of change, and how Earth, Mars, and other bodies can be studied in tandem as natural laboratories for generalizing aeolian sediment transport to arbitrary fluid-gravity conditions. |
SSL Seminar Series | Marjorie CantineFebruary, 05 2026Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: Boyd Auditorium (JGB 2.324) Human, climate, sediment and geobiological history of a rapidly-growing carbonate island by Dr. Marjorie Cantine Abstract: You may have heard the line that real estate is valuable because \"they aren\'t making more land\"; in this talk, I\'ll show you that that\'s not true. I\'ll use the sedimentary and radiocarbon records of a carbonate island in the Caribbean, Little Ambergris Cay, to describe its formation over the last millenium, how its growth relates to past climate, and what it means for mechanisms potentially capable of protecting shorelines in the near future. I\'ll leverage geobiological field experiments to help explain the mechanisms of island growth. Finally, I\'ll share how ongoing work in my group is leveraging geoarchaeological archives to better understand the human and climate histories of the Common Era and inform hazard predictions in the region through testing climate models. I will also briefly describe other work ongoing in my group, which tackles questions at the nexus of time, sedimentary processes, and geochemistry from the Precambrian to the Common Era. |
15th Annual Jackson School of Geosciences Student Research SymposiumFebruary, 06 2026Time: 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM |
Bureau of Economic Geology Seminar SeriesFebruary, 06 2026Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PMLocation: BEG VR Room 1.116C BEG Seminar presented by Stacy Timmons and Mike Timmons, New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources, in person. Topic: New Mexico Geological Survey |
SSL Seminar Series | Vamsi GantiFebruary, 10 2026Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: Boyd Auditorium (JGB 2.324) From Dunes to Channel Belts: How Rivers Organize and Move Across Scales by Dr. Vamsi Ganti Abstract: Rivers are Earth’s arteries: they transport water and sediment from uplands to oceans, sustain ecosystems and agriculture, and build the stratigraphic record of past environmental change. Yet rivers are far from static—they are dynamic systems that evolve across scales, from ripples and dunes on the riverbed to entire channel belts. In this seminar, I will present three discoveries that reveal the mechanisms shaping alluvial river form and motion across these scales. (1) Laboratory experiments and theory identify a previously unrecognized transition in river-dune organization at the onset of significant suspended sediment transport. This transition influences flow roughness, flood-driven dune reconfiguration, and the nature of preserved fluvial strata. (2) Using a new image-processing tool, we analyzed 36 years of satellite imagery from 84 rivers to uncover the origins of single- versus multithread channels. Single-thread rivers achieve a balance between lateral erosion and accretion, maintaining equilibrium width, while multithread rivers arise when erosion outpaces accretion, causing individual threads to widen and split. This mechanistic insight informs both planetary geomorphology and cost-effective river restoration. (3) Finally, I’ll show how human activity and climate change are already altering the way rivers flow and evolve. Dams dampen river motion and reduce the number of active threads, whereas increased sediment supply from land-use change and glacial melt are making rivers in the Global South and High Mountain Asia more dynamic. Together, these discoveries provide a mechanistic view of river evolution across scales and highlight why understanding river behavior is essential—not only for managing water, life, and landscapes they sustain today, but also for decoding the history of environmental change recorded in sedimentary strata. |
DeFord Lecture | Jake JordanFebruary, 12 2026Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: JGB 2.324 |
DeFord Lecture | Daniel MinisiniFebruary, 19 2026Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: JGB 2.324 |