Geoscience Impacts

The broader impacts of geoscience research as told by the scientists themselves. For the inspiration behind this blog, visit http://wp.me/p1t6S3-T5

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Why study paleoclimate?

Instrumental climate data only extend back to the mid-19th century, at best, which means that the anthropogenic climate change signals we are chasing are in most cases longer than the available climate records. A wealth of climate history can be extracted from geologic archives such as corals, deep-sea sediments, cave stalagmites, lake deposits, tree rings, and ice cores. Recent advances in research techniques mean that paleoclimate data have approached the resolution and fidelity of instrumental climate data. This is especially true in many remote regions of the world, where long, high-quality instrumental climate records are often lacking. Using meticulously calibrated climate “proxies”, paleoclimatologists construct centuries- to millennia-long timeseries of climatic histories. They use such records to quantify the range of natural climate variability, investigate the mechanisms of past global climate change events, and gauge the accuracy of computer simulations of past climate changes made under a variety of different climate forcings. The ultimate goal of paleoclimate research is to help identify the strengths and weaknesses of global climate models – models that are charged with projecting the future impacts of anthropogenic climate change. Such projections (and their uncertainties) are arguably the most important input for cost-benefit analyses designed to critically assess the consequences of climate change adaptation and/or mitigation strategies.

Our group’s mission is to uncover the mechanisms of global climate change, both natural and anthropogenic, in order to inform projections of future climate change. We focus primarily on the generation of new high-resolution records of past tropical Pacific climate variability from corals and cave stalagmites, with an emphasis on the last decades to centuries. Through the thoughtful combination of climate models and data, we seek to characterize natural climate variability in this region and identify climate trends that are associated with anthropogenic climate change.

Thanks to NSF grants AGS-0645291, OCE-0752091, and AGS-1203785, and NOAA grant NA11OAR4310165. Field support provided by The Nature Conservancy, Norwegian Cruise Lines, the WAITT foundation, and the Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium.

Learn more about my research on my web-page.

Dr. Kim Cobb, Georgia Tech

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Looking at Rocks and Minerals to "Look" Inside Volcanoes Before an Eruption

I use crystals and rocks to try and understand how the magma changes physically and chemically before an eruption.  For example, volcanologists commonly think that most eruptions are triggered by the injection of a new, hotter magma into the shallow reservoir below volcanoes. When this happens, it often causes in changes in magma and mineral chemistry and mineral textures. I look for evidence of these changes in the rocks and minerals.  If there isn’t evidence, I have to figure out why.  To collect data, I use a variety of geochemical tools such as an electron microprobe, Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer, and lasers!  I also use some pretty basic tools such as a petrographic microscope and hand lens.

Volcanoes are typically monitored using seismometers and satellites. While these tools are very good at collecting data in real time, our understanding of the actual processes that produces these signals is still limited. By looking at the rocks and minerals that directly experienced the magmatic processes, I infer information about the actual magmatic process.  The more we know about how volcanoes work and change with different processes, the better able we will be to predict when the next eruption occurs. With time and more research like mine, volcanologists might be able to link the processes we infer from the rocks and minerals to the signals measured at the surface. Ultimately, this will lead to better interpretations of geophysical signals, and thus, better volcanic unrest assessment and hazard mitigation.

My work was funded by a variety of funding agencies including: the National Science Foundation East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute 2013 Fellowship and an NSF grant to my PhD advisor, the Smithsonian Institution Predoctoral Fellowship, the Geological Society of America Graduate Student Research Grant, and the Society for Economic Geology Hugh McKinstry Student Grant.

Dr. Dawn Ruth, University at Buffalo '14

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Unstable ground: How water causes volcanic collapses

I study the hydrothermal systems of lava domes and volcanoes - specifically, how hot water alters volcanic rocks to weak minerals like clays, and/or how it can increase the pressure inside a lava dome or volcano. Both of these things can weaken an edifice and cause it to collapse. I use a variety of methods to figure out which is happening and where, including analyzing satellite data, looking at the chemistry of water coming out of the volcano or dome, and running computer models to see how water passes through the hydrothermal system. 

Determining which parts of a volcano or lava dome might collapse is very important for the safety of people who live near volcanoes. In my field area in Guatemala, there are coffee plantations directly downslope of the lava domes I study, and a large collapse could kill people and destroy the farms. In other places (like the Pacific Northwest, where Cascades volcanoes undergo similar processes), a volcanic collapse could cause huge landslides and far-reaching mudflows that would bury or destroy anything in their path. My work will help people know where water-related volcanic collapses could occur, how big they might be, how far they might go, and could save lives and property. 

My work was supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and several NSF grants. Without these awards, I would not have been able to pay for my field work and all my years of graduate training.

You can read one of the publications that resulted from my work for free at the Bulletin of Volcanology.

Dr. Jessica Ball, University at Buffalo '14 / Science Policy Fellow, Geological Society of America 

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Welcome to Geoscience Impacts!

The idea behind this blog is to help geoscientists share the broader impacts of their work and provide concrete examples of why geoscience research is important to society at large. Funding for basic research in the US is often under threat of flatlining or decreasing, and having concrete examples of what geoscientists do helps those of us who advocate for funding to better persuade policymakers of the value of geoscience research to society.

Please share the broader impacts of YOUR work using the "Tell us about your work!" link above, and please share the blog URL (geoscienceimpacts.tumblr.com) with your peers and colleagues!