Sept. 3

Dr. Haydon Mort

Geologize LTD

Geocommunication: Unlocking the Future of Geosciences

Abstract: In an era where the energy transition and environmental stewardship are at the forefront of global concerns, the ability to communicate complex geoscientific concepts has never been more critical. This talk will explore how mastering geocommunication can accelerate societal shifts towards sustainable energy solutions, reshape public perceptions of the extractive industries, and attract the next generation of geoscientists. Attendees will discover how improved listening and storytelling can transform their professional impact and contribute to solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Join us as we ask: How can listening, strategic empathy and powerful communication skills help the geosciences?

Sept. 5

Dr. Eldad Haber

University of British Columbia

Physics Informed Neural Architectures

Abstract: Neural networks are considered the main workhorse for many machine learning algorithms with applications ranging from computer vision to social media. Architectures for such networks vary significantly, and in many cases, without much theoretical grounds. In this talk we show that different architectures can be motivated and explained by physical analogs and dynamical systems, which allows us to explore new architectures that are able to deal with new problems that traditional networks are having difficulties to solve.

Sept. 12

Dr. Michael Antonelli

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
University of Houston

Calcium isotopes in igneous rocks: Searching for recycled marine carbonates in a sea of fractionations

Abstract: Tracing the fate of subducted carbon has become a subject of great importance in the 21st century. As a result, the geochemical community has shown keen interest in using non-traditional stable isotope systems to quantify contributions from recycled marine carbonates in mantle-derived magmas. Calcium isotopes have become an especially attractive target for this purpose, mainly due to (i) the intimate link between the calcium and carbon cycles, through the precipitation of carbonates in seawater, and (ii) significant isotopic differences between (average) Phanerozoic carbonates and the mantle. Unlike radiogenic isotope tracers, however, stable isotope ratios [such as 44Ca/40Ca (‘δ44Ca’) and other popular stable isotope systems] are subject to significant modification during high-temperature processes (e.g., partial melting, melt transport, diffusion, crystallization), making them far from perfect tracers and often leading to highly underdetermined conclusions regarding the presence of marine carbonates in the mantle. On the other hand, the growing body of work exploring high-temperature fractionations in non-traditional isotope systems is shedding light on magmatic processes that are key to both the internal workings and geochemical evolution of our planet. In this talk, I will highlight recent work exploring Ca isotope variations in crustal magmas, kimberlites, and carbonatites, and discuss how the lessons we have learned from these systems can be applied to better understanding petrogenetic processes and tracing recycled marine carbonates in future studies.

Sept. 19

Dr. Ana Barros

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
The Grainger College of Engineering
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Rainmaking in High Places and the Future of Secure Water

Abstract: Nearly one billion people live in Earth’s mountainous regions and more than 50% of the world’s biodiversity hotspots are in regions of complex terrain across all climate regions. From headwaters to foreland basins, mountains function as Water Towers (WTs) to their adjacent landscapes (valleys and plains, steppes, savannahs, and prairies) that encompass the breadbasket regions of the world. Changes in mountain hydroclimates, in particular changes in precipitation and temperature, lead to changes in the timing and magnitude of water and materials flows from WTs to the dependent lowland regions, impacting landscape resilience and water availability for both ecosystems and people including agricultural and industrial productive systems. I first review of our current understanding of orographic cloud and precipitation processes from µm-km scales building on 20 years of field and laboratory work, remote sensing, and model development with emphasis on transformative insights gained from synergistic measurement, modeling and analysis of microphysical processes. Recent advances in hyper-resolution modeling across the land-atmosphere continuum are demonstrated with emphasis on water prediction with implications for the resilience of montane ecosystems and flash-flood prediction.

Sept. 26

Dr. Ian Dalziel

University of Texas Institute for Geophysics
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Jackson School of Geosciences

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current: Driver of Cenozoic Glaciation?

Abstract: The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is the mightiest ocean current on Earth. Moving ocean water at 130 Sverdrups (millions of cubic meters per second), it is three times stronger than the Gulf Stream and equivalent to 100 times the flow of all the rivers on the planet. Complete circum-Antarctic flow has only been possible since the early Cenozoic opening of the Tasman and Drake Passage gateways south of Australia and South America in the early Cenozoic. Approximately coeval global cooling and development of the Antarctic Ice Sheet has led to a long-standing debate over the possible role of the ACC as a driver of the glaciation, the other main contender being reduction in CO2 due to silicate weathering triggered by the uplift of orogenic plateaux. Ten years ago, a cruise led by scientists from the Jackson School’s Institute for Geophysics found compelling evidence that a now-extinct island arc in today’s central Scotia Sea formed a barrier to complete, deep circum-Antarctic flow until after the mid-Miocene climate transition (~14-10 Ma). Recent studies of drill cores from the Pacific and Indian oceans have confirmed that the modern ACC developed in the late Miocene as the planet underwent further cooling. This has reopened the debate concerning the possible role of the ACC as a driver of Cenozoic glaciation.

Oct. 3

Dr. Dawn Sumner

University of California Davis
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Earth and Life Intertwined: A Dynamic Framework For Understanding (partial) Oxygenation of Earth’s Surface

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.

Oct. 10

Dr. John Bolten

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Global Water Resource Management Using NASA Earth Observations

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.

Oct. 17

Dr. Oliver Jagoutz

Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Profitable Carbon Sequestration: Harnessing Natural Processes for Sustainable Climate Solutions

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 $100 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.

Oct. 24

Dr. Dan Peppe

Baylor University

Early Miocene Evolution of Open Ecosystems and C4 Vegetation in Equatorial Eastern Africa

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.

Nov. 7

Dr. Bill Dietrich

University of California, Berkeley

The shock of the familiar: Observations on Mars raise questions about Earth surface processes.

Abstract: Evidence from satellite imagery of features like channel networks, gullies, meandering rivers, alluvial fans, and deltas abound on Mars. These provide crucial evidence that in the past, at various times, Mars had an atmosphere that supported a liquid water hydrologic cycle. These features make the Martian landscapes one sees (in close up rover-derived imagery) seem strangely familiar: Earth-like but lacking any vegetation. In my talk, I will describe our rover encounter with two very different alluvial fans and a pediment surface, which raised unanticipated fundamental questions about fan and pediment processes and the hydrologic signals they may record. Mars meandering river observations also motivated our field and modeling study of a channel on Earth that explains how lateral accretion deposits can form in muddy meanders.

Nov. 14

Dr. Carl Tape

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Exploration of Seismic Anisotropy of Earth Materials and Alaska Structure

Abstract: For many seismologists, seismic anisotropy is a complex nuisance. Yet it is undeniably present in the Earth, from the scale of crystals like feldspars to metamorphic terranes to the uppermost mantle. Alaska offers an exciting testbed for exploring anisotropy, with insights from exhumed mantle rocks, corner flow at the edge of a subduction-collision zone, and foliated metamorphic units and other fabrics in the crust. One of the grand challenges of seismology is to estimate the variations in subsurface anisotropic elastic properties using seismic waves recorded at the surface. I will discuss how this challenge can be faced with efforts from realms of theory, computation, laboratory, and observation.

Nov. 21

Dr. Saravanan Ramalingam

Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Texas A&M University

The Limits of Predictions: Weather vs. Climate

Abstract: Prediction plays an important role in the physical sciences. Knowing the mathematical equations that govern a physical system and its initial state should, in principle, allow us to compute the future time evolution of the system. In practice, our ability to predict is limited by how well we know the equations and the initial state. Awareness of these limits can guide us in setting priorities for predictive model development and help calibrate our expectations for improvements in model performance.
In this talk we address the limits of scientific prediction, with a focus on weather and climate prediction. The talk will discuss the philosophical underpinnings of weather and climate prediction. The evolution of modern weather and climate prediction is intertwined with advances in computing. Since the advent of the digital computer, physics-based “deductive” models have been used for weather and climate prediction. However, recent advances in machine learning have opened the door for a new class of “inductive” models for weather and climate. Climate models have also grown in complexity over time as computers have become more powerful. However, in the most recent IPCC assessment, some of the most complex models have been criticized as being too sensitive to carbon dioxide concentrations. This suggest that increased model complexity may be yielding diminishing returns in reducing uncertainty.

Dec. 3

Dr. Joana Voigt

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology

Effusive Volcanism on Earth and Mars

Abstract: Lava surfaces are expressions of the volcanic and magmatic evolution of planetary bodies and thus provide a window into the emplacement as well as interior dynamics. The morphologies of volcanic terrains and shallow subsurface contain information about the thermo-physical parameters of the lava itself as well as the pre-eruption environment and thus can be used as a key to reveal emplacement conditions. This information is particularly important for interpreting eruption conditions for ancient lava flow-fields on Earth and other planetary bodies where only a post-emplacement geologic record is available.

A region of outstanding interest is Elysium Planitia on Mars. It is home to the youngest volcanic terrains, which are only a few million years old and the region may still be volcanically active. Elysium Planitia also exhibits the largest fluvial outflow channel carved in the late Amazonian epoch. By integrating geomorphological (CTX and HiRISE), geophysical (SHARAD and MOLA), and chronological constraints, we reconstructed the fluvial, volcanic, and magmatic evolution in Elysium Planitia.

While Mars’ surface is dominated by volcanic terrains, the surface and subsurface have experienced aqueous modification and are thus often shaped by an interplay between volcanic and aqueous activities. In Elysium Planitia, no spectral evidence of aqueous alteration minerals has been found to date. However, older volcanic terrains, such as Syrtis Major, show signs of water–rock interaction, as indicated by the detection of hydrated silica by CRISM. Hydrated silica is significant for understanding past environmental conditions, such as the longevity and intensity of aqueous alteration. In addition to implications on aqueous conditions, siliceous materials—including opal—provide an excellent substrate to preserve biosignatures in the geologic record and thus represent prime targets for future astrobiological exploration.

Further, analog sites here on Earth provide the means of testing our tools, approaches, and interpretations used in planetary sciences. The 2014–2015 Holuhraun lava flow-field in the Icelandic highlands provides a unique martian analog, allowing us to refine our understanding of eruption dynamics and lava morphology through a combination of remote sensing, unoccupied aircraft systems, and field observations. This seminar will demonstrate how these tools and techniques enhance our comprehension of effusive eruptions and the interactions between water and rock within volcanic terrains.

Dec. 5

Dr. Taiyi Wang

California Institute of Technology

Caldera Collapse Earthquakes at Basaltic Volcanoes: A Trilogy of Waves, Magma and Friction

Abstract: Caldera collapse eruptions are among the most destructive forces in nature. Yet, we have very little knowledge regarding their dynamics at the time scales of seconds to minutes. Rare seismic observations of caldera collapses at silicic volcanoes suggest that large earthquakes accompany these eruptions. The key question is, how do these earthquakes couple with the dynamics of the eruptions?

A window into these coupled dynamics comes from the more frequently observed caldera collapse eruptions at basaltic volcanoes. A defining feature of these eruptions are the episodic, M_w > 5 collapse earthquakes. These collapse earthquakes display puzzling characteristics defying conventional understanding of earthquakes: they do not obey scaling laws of rupture duration and magnitudes for tectonic earthquakes. Up until recently, efforts to understand these earthquakes were hampered by the lack of a self-consistent model accounting for the earthquake-magma reservoir coupling.

I will present the first model that simultaneously explains seismic observations (at Kīlauea volcano in 2018) of earthquake nucleation, rupture propagation on the ring fault, and subsequent coupling between the caldera block and the underlying magma reservoir. Next, I will examine the role of magma viscoelasticity in controlling the dynamics of collapse. High viscosity of magma results in the development of boundary-layer flow near the chamber walls, which can significantly reduce the magnitude of collapse earthquakes. Lastly, I will demonstrate that, observations of meter-per-day fault creep in between the collapse earthquakes, accompanied by tens of thousands of micro-seismicity, reveal the spatial heterogeneity of friction on the ring fault.

I will conclude by elaborating on my vision for future research on the mechanics of various geohazards, leveraging advancements in analytical theory, numerical simulations, and neural operators.