Horizons in Earth Science Research. Volume 23

2022 ◽  
Eos ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Baker ◽  
Gregoire Mariethoz ◽  
Laia Comas-Bru ◽  
Andreas Hartmann ◽  
Silvia Frisia ◽  
...  

A global investigation discovers where annually laminated stalagmites are found, analyzes their growth properties, and explains how they can be best used in Earth science research.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 669-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Dietze

Abstract. Environmental seismology is the study of the seismic signals emitted by Earth surface processes. This emerging research field is at the intersection of seismology, geomorphology, hydrology, meteorology, and further Earth science disciplines. It amalgamates a wide variety of methods from across these disciplines and ultimately fuses them in a common analysis environment. This overarching scope of environmental seismology requires a coherent yet integrative software which is accepted by many of the involved scientific disciplines. The statistic software R has gained paramount importance in the majority of data science research fields. R has well-justified advances over other mostly commercial software, which makes it the ideal language to base a comprehensive analysis toolbox on. The article introduces the avenues and needs of environmental seismology, and how these are met by the R package eseis. The conceptual structure, example data sets, and available functions are demonstrated. Worked examples illustrate possible applications of the package and in-depth descriptions of the flexible use of the functions. The package has a registered DOI, is available under the GPL licence on the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN), and is maintained on GitHub.


2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-265
Author(s):  
Colter J. Kelly ◽  
Daniel E. Harlov ◽  
David A. Schneider ◽  
Simon E. Jackson ◽  
Renelle Dubosq

ABSTRACT The use of zircon in the dating of geological processes and tectonic events has become a standard approach in many aspects of Earth science research. As a result, understanding how zircon interacts with aqueous fluids during metasomatism has become increasingly important. The alteration of natural zircon is driven primarily by coupled dissolution–reprecipitation or by ion-exchange with an aqueous fluid. In this study, whole and intact, euhedral light-brown zircon crystals (100–250 μm in length; 2 mg) from the Oligocene Fish Canyon Tuff (FCT) were experimentally reacted with an alkali-bearing reactive fluid and a REE + P source (0.5 mg CePO4 or 0.5 mg YPO4). Experiments were conducted in sealed Au metal capsules at 350 °C and 100 MPa for 182 days. During the experiment, the zircon became colorless, indicating annealing of the radiation damage in the crystal. Two-dimensional element maps of the outermost 3 μm of unpolished zircon crystal surfaces were produced using a grind of contiguous 7 μm analytical spots via laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The chemical maps indicate that the surface of the zircon crystals from each experiment heterogeneously reacted with the fluid, such that the Ce and Y concentration of chemically modified areas increased (by an order of magnitude) in the CePO4-bearing and YPO4-bearing experiments, respectively, when compared with the chemical maps of unaltered zircon grain surfaces. Helium ion microscopy of polished crystals revealed discontinuous micron-scale altered domains at the crystal margin, consistent with the findings of the unpolished mapping technique. Interestingly, the Th and U concentration of the altered zircon grain surfaces were consistent with the unaltered zircon regardless of the experiment. Incorporation of REEs on the zircon grain surface likely occurred via the coupled substitution REE3+ + P5+ ↔ Zr4+ + Si4+. The results from these experiments imply that the surfaces of minimally metamict zircon can be chemically modified by alkali-bearing fluids via ion exchange under lower greenschist pressures and temperatures over relatively short time periods with respect to the geological time scale.


1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Armand ◽  
Yu. G. Tishchenko

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Cooper ◽  
Lisa White ◽  
Jonanthan Lewis

<p>Many countries face significant challenges in attracting, retaining and diversifying the workforce in the geosciences.  In the U.S. likely contributing factors include the homogeneity of the pool of mentors/role models available both within the workforce and in the professorate.  Another probable factor is “exposure gaps” among student populations; i.e., differing access to engaging facets of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). To address these challenges, the authors have created a set of NSF-funded programs. The STEMSEAS program recruits undergraduates from diverse backgrounds and institutions to sail on research vessels transits in the U.S. Academic Fleet – giving them relatively short, but transformative experiences at sea. Along with carefully selected mentors who are also from diverse backgrounds, these students spend 5-10 days at sea with a network of students from across the country experiencing a wide range of oceanography and Earth science research techniques and data collection methods.</p><p>For educators, the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) utilizes transits and tie-ups of the scientific ocean drilling vessel <em>JOIDES Resolution</em> to provide professional development for educators based on the science and technology of science drilling. School of Rock programs aim to address specific diversity goals, focusing on measures to broaden participation at all levels (i.e., pre-college, undergraduate and beyond) in innovative ways (e.g., from place-based curriculum to longitudinal peer mentoring through extracurricular STEM communities).  We seek to add rich international experiences to enhance educators’ motivation and morale, while fostering connections to establish new mechanisms for increased engagement, broader recruitment, enhanced support, and improved retention of students from underrepresented communities from the middle school level to the undergraduate and graduate levels and into the workplace. </p><p>A sister program, Ambassadors for STEM Training to Enhance Participation (ASTEP) works with more upper-level undergraduate and graduate students to leverage both STEMSEAS and School of Rock.  In particular, ASTEP participants take part in both STEMSEAS and/or School of Rock programming, and then build on these experiences to create outreach materials and presentations to share with diverse communities afterwards. This presentation will share best practices and survey results from these programs and our participants that contribute to the conversations around diversity and inclusion, and replication of these models in international settings.</p>


2014 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. xvii-xxxi
Author(s):  
Gordon F. West ◽  
Ron M. Farquhar ◽  
George D. Garland ◽  
Henry C. Halls ◽  
Lawrence W. Morley ◽  
...  

Fifty years ago, the world’s Earth Scientists experienced the so-called “Revolution in the Earth Sciences”. In the decade from 1960 to 1970, a massive convergence took place from many diverse and contradictory theories about the tectonic processes operating on Earth (then loosely called “mountain building”) to a single widely accepted paradigm now called Plate Tectonics. A major player in leading the international “Revolution” was Canadian geophysicist J. Tuzo Wilson. This tribute reviews how he helped define and promote the Plate Tectonic paradigm, and also, from 1946 to 1967, how he led a rapid expansion of the role of geophysics in Canadian and international earth science. Wilson was a controversial figure before and during the “Revolution”, but his influence was large. It was not coincidental that earth science research in Canada grew by 1964 to the point where the National Research Council of Canada could add the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences to its group of Canadian research journals.


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