Events

Bureau of Economic Geology Seminar Series

DeFord Lecture | Dr. Dawn Sumner

Earth and Life Intertwined: A Dynamic Framework For Understanding (partial) Oxygenation of Earth’s Surface by Dr. Dawn Sumner, University of California Davis, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Abstract: Take a deep breath and appreciate the O2 provided by billions of years of photosystem evolution. Getting to this point in time, with enough O2 in the atmosphere to support our large brains, required innumerable interactions among geological, ecological, and evolutionary processes. Studying modern photosynthetic microbial communities in Antarctic lakes helped me step away from looking for a simple “causal” chain of events for oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere. Complex interactions within microbial communities and with their local environments promote considering the intertwined and dynamic relationships among genomic changes, microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, and environmental boundary conditions. I am applying these insights to interpreting evolutionary and global redox changes that occurred during Archean and Proterozoic time. In my talk, I will address why using a system-focused dynamic framework is beneficial, and I will share two examples of new interpretations that have come from this approach: 1) Why oxygenic photosynthesis may have evolved hundreds of millions of years before O2 accumulated in environments (physiology make O2 production inefficient https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gbi.12622), and 2) A new interpretation for ecological change after oxygenation of the atmosphere that led to very 13C-enriched shallow water carbonates (a switch from fermentation to respiration of organic carbon caused the Lomagundi-Jatuli Event https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/aem.00093-24). Asking questions differently can lead to new answers.

Geoscience Hackathon 2024

The Jackson School of Geosciences invites students to participate in the first Geoscience Hackathon.  The hackathon, organized with the UT Open-Souce Program Office (OSPO) support, will take place on October 4-6 at the Perry Castañeda Library.

Hackathons help develop software programming skills, boost creativity, promote collaboration and networking, and provide opportunities to contribute to open-source projects.

The topic of the 2024 hackathon is computational reproducibility. “Geoscience Papers of the Future” (GPF) refer to publications that include links to and descriptions of datasets, software, and workflows used to generate computational results. Hackathon participants will work in teams under the guidance of mentors to translate previously published historically significant papers into the GPF format. A panel of judges will evaluate the team projects and award prizes.

Interested students can register for the hackathon by filling out the registration form. Both undergraduate and graduate students are welcome. Some software programming experience is required. Because of the limited space, preference will be given to students who register early.

The registration deadline is September 6.

Geoscience Hackathon 2024

The Jackson School of Geosciences invites students to participate in the first Geoscience Hackathon.  The hackathon, organized with the UT Open-Souce Program Office (OSPO) support, will take place on October 4-6 at the Perry Castañeda Library.

Hackathons help develop software programming skills, boost creativity, promote collaboration and networking, and provide opportunities to contribute to open-source projects.

The topic of the 2024 hackathon is computational reproducibility. “Geoscience Papers of the Future” (GPF) refer to publications that include links to and descriptions of datasets, software, and workflows used to generate computational results. Hackathon participants will work in teams under the guidance of mentors to translate previously published historically significant papers into the GPF format. A panel of judges will evaluate the team projects and award prizes.

Interested students can register for the hackathon by filling out the registration form. Both undergraduate and graduate students are welcome. Some software programming experience is required. Because of the limited space, preference will be given to students who register early.

The registration deadline is September 6.

Geoscience Hackathon 2024

The Jackson School of Geosciences invites students to participate in the first Geoscience Hackathon.  The hackathon, organized with the UT Open-Souce Program Office (OSPO) support, will take place on October 4-6 at the Perry Castañeda Library.

Hackathons help develop software programming skills, boost creativity, promote collaboration and networking, and provide opportunities to contribute to open-source projects.

The topic of the 2024 hackathon is computational reproducibility. “Geoscience Papers of the Future” (GPF) refer to publications that include links to and descriptions of datasets, software, and workflows used to generate computational results. Hackathon participants will work in teams under the guidance of mentors to translate previously published historically significant papers into the GPF format. A panel of judges will evaluate the team projects and award prizes.

Interested students can register for the hackathon by filling out the registration form. Both undergraduate and graduate students are welcome. Some software programming experience is required. Because of the limited space, preference will be given to students who register early.

The registration deadline is September 6.

Bureau of Economic Geology Seminar Series

DeFord Lecture | Dr. John Bolten

Global Water Resource Management Using NASA Earth Observations by Dr. John Bolten, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Abstract: The strategic combination of remote sensing products and numerical modeling facilitate improved monitoring and management of water resources. Recent advances in sensor technology, application strategies, and modeling approaches have led to improved capabilities for forecasting, monitoring, and managing a range of hydrological processes that are key to water resource management. Many high-quality satellite hydrological data products are now being applied that enable routine monitoring of precipitation, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, snow, irrigation and ground water. This presentation will highlight a few key advancements in water resource management strategies to address agricultural yield forecasting, flood, and drought monitoring and forecasting through the innovative application of remote sensing-based hydrological data products and numerical modeling.

UTIG Seminar Series: Brandee Carlson, University of Houston

Speaker: Brandee Carlson, Assistant Professor, Geomorphology, Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Houston

Host: Ginny Catania

Title: Shifting sands: How humans and climate keep river deltas on the move

Abstract: Arctic deltas are increasingly threatened by coastal erosion due to enhanced wave energy and reduced sediment stability at the shoreline caused by the loss of sea ice and permafrost. As the Arctic continues to warm, permafrost degradation and reduced glacial ice mass will increase sediment availability to Arctic rivers, with sediment discharge projected to rise by 22% for every 2º C of atmospheric warming. However, the impacts of increased sediment supply are expected to vary spatiotemporally. In Greenland, sediment supply appears to counteract shoreline erosion and promote progradation at the present-day. Alternatively, high sediment loading rates may increase mass failures (e.g., submarine landslides), shifting sediment from shallow coastal environments to deep water at the delta front and intensifying shoreline erosion. To gain a better understanding of the relationship between atmospheric warming and sediment mass balance in Arctic deltas, this study uses field measurements to assess the depositional fate of sediment in an actively prograding Arctic delta, specifically, the Quinnguata Kuussua (Watson River) in West Greenland. Herein, delta dynamics are driven by the large volumes of water and sediment discharged from the melting Greenland Ice Sheet. The Quinnguata Kuussua experiences rapid subaerial channel progradation and migration, which repeatedly alters the rate and location of sediment loading at the delta front. We measured flow and sediment properties of the subaerial and subaqueous delta, utilizing a combination of data collected during the summers of 2022, 2023, and 2024, including delta-front bathymetry, flow velocity profiles, sediment cores, grab samples, and satellite imagery. Our findings reveal a well-developed submarine channel at the delta front, transporting sand grains up to 2 mm from the subaerial delta to deep water (>180 m water depth). Near-bottom currents within this channel can reach speeds of up to 1.5 m/s and extend up to 10 m in thickness, occurring intermittently and accounting for approximately 8% of the observation period. Our preliminary findings suggest that increased sediment supply due to atmospheric warming can sustain sediment deposition at the delta front and deep water in the Arctic.

Bureau of Economic Geology Seminar Series

DeFord Lecture | Dr. Oliver Jagoutz

Profitable Carbon Sequestration: Harnessing Natural Processes for Sustainable Climate Solutions by Dr. Oliver Jagoutz, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Abstract: Human-caused CO2 emissions far exceed natural geological sources and sinks, leading to its accumulation in the atmosphere and oceans, which drives global warming. According to the 2023 IPCC report, billions of tons of CO2 need to be sequestered annually to avoid catastrophic impacts. One promising approach is converting atmospheric CO2 into stable minerals like calcite (CaCO3), which can safely and permanently store large amounts of carbon. Common methods focus on capturing CO2 from the air or point sources and reacting it with mafic rocks (e.g., basalt) or ultramafic rocks (e.g., peridotite). Alternatively, finely ground rock powders could be spread on agricultural fields to react with atmospheric CO2 over time. However, the main challenge for these methods is cost—sequestering the vast amounts of CO2 required, even at less than 0 per ton, is prohibitively expensive. The key to large-scale carbon sequestration is finding solutions that are economically viable, independent of political support, subsidies, or premium pricing for carbon-neutral products. Sequestration will only succeed if it can be profitable.
In this talk, I will introduce a novel carbon sequestration method inspired by natural processes. Our approach not only captures significant amounts of CO2 but also generates valuable byproducts, making the process economically sustainable.

UTIG Seminar Series: Chi Yan, UTIG

Speaker: Chi Yan, Research Associate, University of Texas Institute for Geophysics

Host: Krista Soderlund

Research Theme: TBA

UTIG Seminar Series: Chi Yan, UTIG

Speaker: Chi Yan, Research Associate, University of Texas Institute for Geophysics

Host: Krista Soderlund

Title: Curious Planetary Dynamos: Insights from Saturn and Jupiter

Abstract: Over the decades, space missions have revealed that many planets and moons have, or once had, their own magnetic fields. These fields originate deep within the planets’ interiors through a self-sustained dynamo process, driven by complex motions of electrically conducting fluids in the presence of existing magnetic fields. Numerical simulations indicate that dynamo action is sensitive to variations in interior structure (e.g., helium rain) and boundary conditions (e.g., thermal perturbations. Therefore, diagnosing the effects of hypothesized structures and conditions is essential for comparing with observational data of planetary magnetic fields, thus providing information on their interior structures. Using Saturn and Jupiter as case studies, we can explore how their magnetic fields provide insight into the structures and dynamics of their deep interiors.

Tailgate 2024

Get ready for the Jackson School’s annual tailgate event! Wear your best burnt orange and join friends, alumni, and faculty for this festive occasion.

WHEN: Saturday, October 19, two hours before kickoff (UT vs. Georgia) 
WHERE: Holland Family Student Center and Munib & Angela Masri Family Courtyard – Jackson Geological Sciences Building at 23rd & San Jacinto

Bureau of Economic Geology Seminar Series

Gateway to Graduate Studies in Sciences (G2S2)

DeFord Lecture | Dr. Dan Peppe

Early Miocene Evolution of Open Ecosystems and C4 Vegetation in Equatorial Eastern Africa by Dr. Daniel Peppe, Department of Geosciences, Baylor University

Abstract: Grasslands and savannas currently occupy ~50% of the African land mass and are largely dominated by C4 grasses. The assembly these iconic C4 grassland and savanna ecosystems is central to evolutionary interpretations of many mammals, including hominins. Isotopic data from terrestrial African sites and plant waxes from deep-sea cores suggest that C4 grasslands became ecologically dominant in Africa only after 10 Ma. However, paleobotanical records older than 10 Ma are sparse, hindering a full assessment of the timing and nature of C4 biomass expansion. We combine analyses of phytoliths and stable carbon isotopes from soil organic matter, plant waxes, and pedogenic carbonates to document vegetation structure from ten early Miocene fossil hominoid sites across eastern Africa (Kenya and Uganda). Taken together, our results demonstrate that in the Early Miocene, between 21 and 16 Ma, C4 grasses were locally abundant in vegetation at all sites, but not for every sample from those sites, demonstrating that they contributed to habitat heterogeneity ranging from closed forests to wooded grasslands. This pattern points to heterogeneity in vegetation both within and among sites (locally to regionally) during the early Miocene. It also pushes back the oldest fossil evidence of C4 grass-dominated habitats in Africa – and globally – by over 10 million years, calling for new paleoecological interpretations of mammalian evolution.

Gateway to Graduate Studies in Sciences (G2S2)

UTIG/BEG Seminar Series: Tina Dura, Virginia Tech

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: Tina Dura, Assistant Professor of Natural Hazards, Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech

Title: Improving Subduction Zone Hazards Assessments Using the Coastal Stratigraphic Record

Abstract: Seismic hazard models for Alaska require estimates of the size and frequency of prehistoric megathrust earthquakes. However, geologic observations that place limits on the size of prehistoric earthquakes along the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone are scarce so current hazard maps for the region must rely on short instrumental records of seismicity. To help place bounds on the along-strike extent of prehistoric Alaska-Aleutian subduction ruptures, we employ coastal stratigraphic and microfossil methods at a series of coastal sites (Old Harbor, Sitkalidak, and Sitkinak) spanning the western portion of the AD 1964 M_w9.2 rupture patch. We find evidence at all three sites for earthquakes AD 1964, AD 1788, and ~400 cal yr B.P. Our geologic evidence shows that past ruptures in the region extended beyond the western limit of the 1964 rupture and show that permissible maximum magnitudes of future Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone ruptures should consider the possibility for larger, multi-segment earthquakes than those that have occurred in the historical and instrumental period. We also consider how a future multi-segment Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone earthquake and associated tsunami would propagate across the Pacific Ocean and affect the coast of California, and compare the effects to previous distant-source tsunami scenarios.

Bureau of Economic Geology Seminar Series

DeFord Lecture | Dr. Sean Gulick

DeFord Lecture | Dr. Sean Gulick

Chicxulub and Beyond: Exploring Impacts as Geologic and Biologic Processes by Dr. Sean Gulick, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Institute for Geophysics, University of Texas at Austin

Abstract: The most recent of Earth’s five largest mass extinction events occurred 66 Ma, coeval with the impact of a ~12 km asteroid, striking at ~60 degrees into what is today the Yucatán Peninsula, México. This impact drove the extinction of ~75% of life on Earth including all non-avian dinosaurs, but also fundamentally restructured the northern Yucatán crustal structure into a 200 km wide impact basin. In 2016, 835 m of core was recovered from the Chicxulub’s peak ring through International Ocean Discovery Program-International scientific Continental Drilling Program Expedition 364. Analyses done on these cores, downhole logs, and geophysical site survey data have led to a series of advancements to our understanding of impact cratering processes, how the Chicxulub impact affected the Earth’s environment leading to the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction, and what ecosystems existed within the newly formed crater. Key areas of discovery include: 1) clear evidence for origin of peak rings and crater dynamics in large impacts, 2) highest resolution record to date of impact processes within the crater include deposition of impactites and role of ocean resurge, 3) rapid recovery of life at ground zero with a key niche being filled by cyanobacteria, and 4) development of a long-lived hydrothermal system. These results have spurred investigations on additional terrestrial and lunar impact structures to explore the role of pre-existing structure of crater morphology, mechanisms of crater infilling and formation of impactites with implications for lunar exploration, and critical constraints on formation and evolution of hydrothermal systems in impact basins for consideration of these systems as key biological habitats on Earth and perhaps off world.