Events
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UTIG Seminar Series: Alberto Malinverno, Columbia University
Start:November 1, 2013 at 10:30 am
End:
November 1, 2013 at 11:30 am
Location:
10100 Burnet Road, Bldg 196, Rm 1.603, Austin, TX 78758
Contact:
Peter Flemings/Harm Van Avendonk, pflemings@jsg.utexas.edu/harm@ig.utexas.edu, 512-475-9520/512-471
View Event
“Gas Hydrates, Methanogenesis, and Carbon Cycling at Continental Margins”
Abstract:
Vast natural deposits of gas hydrate, a solid ice-like compound of water and methane, have been recently discovered in the sediments of the world continental margins. These deposits accumulate where methane is abundant, pressure is high, and temperature is low. Gas hydrates can dissociate when temperatures rise, releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases to the ocean-atmosphere system, and can amplify a warming trend. Gas hydrate dissociation may have played a key role in past climate perturbations, could be relevant for future climate change, and has the potential to trigger large submarine landslides. Finally, gas hydrates are being actively investigated as a possible energy resource. Scientific ocean drilling has provided crucial information on the distribution of gas hydrates in sediments, and this talk will review past studies and new directions. Future research will concentrate on microbial methanogenesis and gas hydrate formation in the context of the organic carbon cycle in marine sediments. These interdisciplinary studies will integrate data from geophysics, sedimentology, microbiology, and geochemistry in a quantitative model.
*Alberto Malinverno sailed as a logging scientist on Expeditions 311, 321, 334, and 344 of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program.
Hydro Brown Bag: Kim Myers
Start:November 1, 2013 at 12:00 pm
End:
November 1, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
Soft Rock Seminar: Eugen Tudor
Start:November 4, 2013 at 12:00 pm
End:
November 4, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
Contact:
Anastasia Piliouras, piliouras@utexas.edu
Tech Sessions: Julio Leva-Lopez
Start:November 5, 2013 at 4:00 pm
End:
November 5, 2013
Location:
Boyd Auditorium
Peace Corps with Astronaut Joe Acaba
Start:November 6, 2013 at 10:45 am
End:
November 6, 2013 at 11:45 am
Location:
JGB 4.102
Contact:
Chelsea Ochoa, chelsea.ochoa@jsg.utexas.edu, 512-232-0893
The Peace Corps Southwest Region is hosting a special virtual presentation with Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) and current U.S. Astronaut Joe Acaba.
Acaba served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic (1994-96) and is the first RPCV to serve as a NASA astronaut. He’ll be sharing his story of how serving in the Peace Corps inspired his career as an Astronaut. We hope you will join Astronaut Acaba as he shares his story from the NASA Space Center in Houston.
In 1990, Acaba received his Bachelor’s degree in Geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and in 1992, he earned his Master’s degree in Geology from the University of Arizona. Read more about Joe Acaba at his NASA profile here.
Tech Sessions: Cornel Olariu
Start:November 7, 2013 at 4:00 pm
End:
November 7, 2013
Location:
Boyd Auditorium
125th Anniversary Celebration
Start:November 7, 2013 at 5:30 pm
End:
November 7, 2013
Location:
Holland Family Student Center, JGB
Celebrate 125 years of geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin
UTIG Seminar Series: Mark Fahnestock, University of Alaska
Start:November 8, 2013 at 10:30 am
End:
November 8, 2013 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
“Observing Glacier-Ocean Interactions on Calving-To-Seasonal Timescales to Constrain Causes of Tidewater Glacier Acceleration”
Abstract:
Over the last 15 years glaciers that discharge directly into the ocean have shown pronounced increases in flow speed, thinning, and retreat. The resulting increased discharge of ice contributes to an increased rate of sea level rise; in Greenland this has put the ice sheet tens of percent out of balance. While the changes in these tidewater outlet glaciers are large, understanding their direct cause remains elusive. I will present observations of glacier-ocean interaction that range from half-gigaton calving events to tidal and seasonal variations in flow speed from radar interferometry and time-lapse photography. In addition, I will summarize some recent work on the relationship between fjord circulation and melting on an Alaskan tidewater glacier, to introduce the problem of energy exchange between warming sea water and a rapidly flowing glacier, and to highlight a little appreciated tie between increased surface melt on the ice and the stability of a glacier terminus.
Hydro Brown Bag: David Rudolph, PhD
Start:November 8, 2013 at 12:00 pm
End:
November 8, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
2013 Darcy Distinguished Lecturer
Soft Rock Seminar: Rattanaporn Fong-Ngern (Jah)
Start:November 11, 2013 at 12:00 pm
End:
November 11, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
Contact:
Anastasia Piliouras, piliouras@utexas.edu
Tech Sessions: Kenneth Befus
Start:November 12, 2013 at 4:00 pm
End:
November 12, 2013
Location:
Boyd Auditorium
Tech Sessions
Start:November 14, 2013 at 4:00 pm
End:
November 14, 2013
Location:
Boyd Auditorium
TBD
UTIG Seminar Series: Fritz Hanselmann, Texas State University
Start:November 15, 2013 at 10:30 am
End:
November 15, 2013 at 11:30 am
Location:
PRC, 10100 Burnet Road, Bldg 196, Rm 1.603, Austin, TX 78758
Contact:
Jamie Austin, jamie@ig.utexas.edu, 512-471-0450
View Event
“The Search for Lost Ships: Methodology for Discovering and Studying Sunken Shipwrecks”
Abstract:
While much is known about our ancestors that preceded us on land, the vast oceans, lakes, and rivers that cover 70% of the earth’s surface, provided the preferred medium through and over which humankind traveled for thousands of years. Vessels and craft of all kinds have sunk due to storms, battles, and human error. Shipwrecks can be unique from terrestrial archaeology sites in that they provide a very clear snapshot of not only the material culture for a specific time period, but often times yield a very well preserved collection of artifacts for analysis, all of which gives us further insight into broader human activity. In the search for and the study of shipwrecks, the Initiative takes a multi-disciplinary approach by incorporating experts and technology across other scientific disciplines. The Underwater Archaeology and Exploration Initiative at The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University studies shipwrecks from the depths of the Gulf of Mexico to the Caribbean coast of Colombia.
Hydro Brown Bag: Linzy Brakefield, USGS
Start:November 15, 2013 at 12:00 pm
End:
November 15, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
Climate Forum: Prof. Zhanqing Li, U Maryland
Start:November 15, 2013 at 12:30 pm
End:
November 15, 2013 at 1:30 pm
Location:
Barrow Conference Room, JGB 4.102
Contact:
Kai Zhang, kzkaizhang@gmail.com, 5125206902
Speaker: Prof. Zhanqing Li
Affiliation: University of Maryland, Department of Atmospheric & Oceanic Science
Title: “Aerosols and climate change: breakthroughs and challenges”
Prof. Li is a well known expert in radiation and aerosols climate research, his research interests include: cloud remote sensing, aerosol remote sensing and climate effects, fire monitoring and mapping, land remote sensing, etc. More information can be found at http://www.atmos.umd.edu/~zli/.
Climate Forum: Dr. Ronald G. Prinn, MIT
Start:November 18, 2013 at 3:00 pm
End:
November 18, 2013 at 4:00 pm
Location:
Barrow Conference Room, JGB 4.102
Contact:
Kai Zhang, kzkaizhang@gmail.com, 5125206902
Dr. Prinn has been on the MIT faculty since 1971, and headed the MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences from 1998 to 2003. He received the Sc.D. in 1971 from MIT, and the M.Sc. in 1968 and B.Sc. in 1967 from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), a recipient of AGU’s Macelwane Medal, and a Fellow of the AAAS. He has published over 230 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and co-authored or edited 4 books. His website is web.mit.edu/rprinn/.
Topic: “Integrated Global System Models: New Tools for Environmentally and Economically Beneficial Development of Energy, Food and Water Resources”
Tech Sessions: Kim Myers
Start:November 19, 2013 at 4:00 pm
End:
November 19, 2013
Location:
Boyd Auditorium
Tech Sessions: Helge Gonnerman
Start:November 21, 2013 at 4:00 pm
End:
November 21, 2013
Location:
Boyd Auditorium
Internship Info Session
Start:November 21, 2013 at 4:00 pm
End:
November 21, 2013 at 5:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
Contact:
Chelsea Ochoa, chelsea.ochoa@jsg.utexas.edu, 512-232-0893
Attend this info session to learn about internships across the country in all areas of the geosciences. Application deadlines for many programs begin in January, so make the most of your winter break! Opportunities in Research, Policy, Conservation, Industry and more.
Open to JSG freshmen, graduate students and everyone in between.
UTIG Fellowship Talks: Dan Eakin & Anna Svartman Dias
Start:November 22, 2013 at 10:30 am
End:
November 22, 2013 at 11:30 am
Location:
PRC, 10100 Burnet Road, Bldg 196, Rm 1.603, Austin, TX 78758
Contact:
Nick Hayman, hayman@ig.utexas.edu, 512-471-7721
View Event
“Origins and Evolution of the Gagua Ridge Bathymetric Feature: A Possible
Example of Failed Subduction in the West Philippine Basin” (Eakin)
Abstract:
The area in and around Taiwan is dominated by the eastward subduction of the South China Sea along the Manila trench in the south and collision between the North Luzon volcanic arc and the passive Chinese continental margin in the north. The development of this plate boundary is enigmatic however it is likely the rupture and subsequent initiation of subduction was related to the change from extension to compression along structures such as fracture zones inherited from the rifting phase of the South China Sea.
Three E-W wide-angle refraction datasets combined with coincident active source seismic reflection data allow us to develop a new model to describe the origin and evolution of the Gagua Ridge bathymetric feature in the West Philippine Basin. One observation we have been able to make is that the oceanic crust to the east of Gagua Ridge appears to be underthrust to the west beneath the oceanic crust of the Huatung Basin to a depth of 15-20 km. extend east to west across the Gagua Ridge bathymetric feature to reveal deep crustal structure of the easternmost West Philippine Basin. Data were acquired offshore Taiwan as part of the 2009 TAIGER program. Far-field evidence of this.
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“The Effect of Crustal Thickness and Lithospheric Rheology on the Width and Subsidence History of Rifted Margins” (Svartman Dias)
Abstract:
The width of the sedimentary basins in the eastern Brazilian margin and their amount of rift related magmatism generally decrease from south to north. This trend coincides with changes in geological domains onshore Brazil, from the Neoproterozoic Ribeira and Araçuaí mobile belts to the Archean Sao Francisco Craton. It seems there is a relationship between the width of the sedimentary basins and both the age of the lithosphere and the initial thickness of the crust. We use numerical experiments to test if there is a physical relationship between these factors and their effect on the evolution of rifted continental margins. Our parameter space is a range of composition, temperature structure, initial thickness and velocity of extension. Roughly summarizing our results, narrow rifts can be consequence of relatively cold geotherm and dry rheologies, where localized extension leads to rapid initial subsidence of a rigid wedge-shaped crustal block (block H) in the mantle. Thinning of block H is delayed until its base is heated up by the increased geotherm. Therefore, thinning of the lithosphere occurs from bottom to top (mantle to crust). Part of the rift basin is uplifted during crustal thinning forming shallow water environments and even subaerial erosion. Hyperextension of the crust is mostly limited to the initial block H domain and each conjugate margin is 100km or less wide. On the other hand, wide rift occurs when the upper mantle is weak and/or crust is much thicker than the brittle lithosphere. Crust-mantle coupling decreases with increasing crustal thickness because increase in ductile lower crust thickness causes deformation to delocalize. Unlike the evolution of narrow rifts, the hyperextended domain greatly exceeds the edges of the initial graben, with lateral migration of the maximum strain with time. A young lithosphere/hot geotherm also helps to widen the rift basins. Syn-rift subsidence is mostly shallow (300m depth or less), locally reaching 1-1.5km depth more than 10Myr after the onset of rifting.
Hydro Brown Bag: Di Long
Start:November 22, 2013 at 12:00 pm
End:
November 22, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
Soft Rock Seminar: Brandee Carlson
Start:November 25, 2013 at 12:00 pm
End:
November 25, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Location:
JGB 3.222
Contact:
Anastasia Piliouras, piliouras@utexas.edu
Tech Sessions: MS Saturday
Start:November 26, 2013 at 3:30 pm
End:
November 26, 2013 at 5:30 pm
Location:
Boyd Auditorium
DeFord Lecture | Ian KaneOctober, 09 2025Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: Boyd Auditorium (JGB 2.324) Transport and Burial of Anthropogenic Pollutants in Deep-Marine Sedimentary Systems by Dr. Ian Kane, professor at the University of Manchester |
UTIG Seminar Series: Kelly Nunez Ocasio, Texas A&MOctober, 10 2025Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PRC 196/ROC 1.603 Speaker: Kelly Nunez Ocasio, Assistant Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University Host: Danielle Touma Title: Novel Regional Modeling Approaches for Current and Future Tropical Weather and Climate Abstract: Africa’s weather–climate system, including the African Easterly Jet (AEJ) and West African Monsoon, strongly influences high-impact weather across Africa and the tropical Atlantic. However, how this system responds to climate warming remains unclear due to limitations in global climate models. We address this using convection-permitting simulations with MPAS-A and a pseudo-global warming approach. Results show a northward-shifting and intensifying AEJ under mid-century warming, alongside increased monsoonal moisture. These changes alter the intensity and location of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) and African Easterly Waves (AEWs), which can seed Atlantic tropical cyclones and cause significant impacts. In the second part of the talk, I turn to Mesoamerica and the Caribbean—regions with complex hydroclimates and sparse observations. I will introduce the Mesoamerica Affinity Group (MAAG), an NSF NCAR-supported initiative promoting collaborative, high-resolution climate research. A key project includes a two-week convection-permitting MPAS-A simulation of Hurricane Maria (2017), using a variable-resolution mesh (15–3 km). Preliminary validation shows strong performance in simulating precipitation, the ITCZ, and low-level jets. This dataset, now publicly available via NCAR’s Research Data Archive, supports broader analysis of tropical cyclones and extreme rainfall events. At Texas A&M, my group continues to explore how tropical systems across Africa, the Atlantic, Central America, and the Caribbean are evolving in a warmer, moisture-rich climate. |
Bureau of Economic Geology Seminar SeriesOctober, 10 2025Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PMLocation: BEG Bldg 130, VR Room 1.116C pyCoreRelator: A Quantitative Tool for Core and Log Data Correlation (Automated Stratigraphic Correlation, Dynamic Time Warping, Deep-Water Turbidites) presented In Person by Dr. Larry Syu-Heng Lai, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow, BEG |
Hot Science - Cool Talks: How to Make Your Cat Love You. With Science!October, 10 2025Time: 5:30 PM - 8:30 PMLocation: Welch Hall 2.224 and Grand Hallway What if there was a science to making your cat love you? In the next Hot Science – Cool Talks, Dr. Mikel Delgado explores the secrets behind feline behavior. Learn what makes cats unique, how to create their purrfect home, and how to build a stronger bond with your whiskered companion with the power of science! |
DeFord Lecture | Nadja DrabonOctober, 16 2025Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: Boyd Auditorium (JGB 2.324) |
UTIG Seminar Series: Lizz Utlee, NASA GoddardOctober, 17 2025Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PRC 196/ROC 1.603 Speaker: Lizz Ultee, Associate Research Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Host: Ginny Catania Title: Greenland ice sheet variability and its implications for sea-level projections Abstract: In Greenland, ice flows from a central ice sheet out to the ocean through more than 200 outlet glaciers. The balance of ice flow through those outlet glaciers is a fundamental control on the ice sheet’s contribution to global mean sea level rise. Satellite remote sensing shows that outlet glaciers respond to changes in the atmosphere and ocean at different time scales. While short-term variability is generally not accounted for in ice sheet models, model experiments show that including it affects sea-level projections at longer term. In this talk, I will show how we identify responses across time scales in the satellite data and what we can gain from in situ data. I will highlight preliminary findings from my group’s 2025 field campaign on Sermeq Kujalleq, Greenland’s fastest-flowing outlet glacier. (Yes, there will be gratuitous photos of really cool ice.). Finally, I will summarize how we can incorporate these insights into future sea-level projections. |
Bureau of Economic Geology Seminar SeriesOctober, 17 2025Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PMLocation: TBD TBD - Topic, Title and Presenter updated once available |
DeFord Lecture | Jeff SchraggeOctober, 23 2025Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: Boyd Auditorium (JGB 2.324) |
UTIG Seminar Series: Michael Young, The University of Texas At AustinOctober, 24 2025Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PRC 196/ROC 1.603 |
Bureau of Economic Geology Seminar SeriesOctober, 24 2025Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PMLocation: BEG Bldg 130, VR Room 1.116C Landslides, critical zone, geomorphic decay of volcanic islands presented In Person by Dr. Justin Higa Department of Earth Sciences University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa |
DeFord Lecture | Shi Joyce SimOctober, 30 2025Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: Boyd Auditorium (JGB 2.324) |
UTIG Seminar Series: Shujuan Mao, UT AustinOctober, 31 2025Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PRC 196/ROC 1.603 Speaker: Shujuan Mao, Assistant Professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Texas at Austin Host: Zhe Jia Research Theme: Climate & MGGST; Shallow fluid systems including groundwater, geothermal energy exploitation, carbon capture and storage, and volcanic unrest |
Bureau of Economic Geology Seminar SeriesOctober, 31 2025Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PMLocation: BEG Bldg 130, VR Room 1.116C Remote sensing, water resources presented In Person by Dr. Bridget Scanlon Research Professor, BEG |
Gateway to Graduate Studies in Sciences (G2S2)November, 06 2025Time: 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM |
DeFord Lecture | Don FisherNovember, 06 2025Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMLocation: Boyd Auditorium (JGB 2.324) |
UTIG Seminar Series: Sophie Nowicki, University of BuffaloNovember, 07 2025Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PMLocation: PRC 196/ROC 1.603 NOTE: This seminar is hosted jointly with the Bureau of Economic Geology and will be held at 3pm. The seminar will be followed by a reception in the first floor UTIG lobby at 4pm. Speaker: Sophie Nowicki, Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, University at Buffalo Host: Ginny Catania Research Theme: Polar & Climate; Ice sheet modeling in global climate models |
Bureau of Economic Geology Seminar Series - Joint Session with UTIGNovember, 07 2025Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PMLocation: ROC Polar & Climate; Ice sheet modeling in global climate models presented by Dr. Sophie Nowicki University of Buffalo BEG and UTIG Joint Seminar - reception to follow. |