NEWS EAS2017

PUSHING BEYOND EARTH'S SURFACE FOR ANSWERS STAYING CONNECTED CHAIR'S MESSAGE

in this issue... New EAS Faculty...... 2-3 DEAR ALUMNI Space Weather...... 4-5 Earth's Resources...... 6 AND FRIENDS, Alaska Experiment...... 7 am pleased to be able to report to a number of impending retirements. Our you for the first time in my capacity goal is to stabilize at a headcount of 19 Li Dong, Ph.D. ’06 and Steve Colucci Joseph Lee ’13 and Steve Colucci connect INSTOC Symposium...... 8 pose at the AMS’s June 2017 Conference at the AMS annual meeting in Seattle. as the incoming chair of EAS. I full-time faculty members and then to on Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid assumed the role in July and, with grow modestly beyond that. Growth to Dynamics in Portland, Oregon. Faculty Updates ...... 9 IRick Allmendinger's help, have been the point where EAS is comparable in rofessor Steve Colucci stays in encouragement or advice or helped Off-Campus Experiences.... 10-13 learning the ropes. As our department size to its aspirational peer institutions touch with our Atmospheric you make important connections to Alumni Thank You...... 14 resides in two colleges and offers degree is a central theme of the department's P Sciences alumni. He sees them further your career? One of the ways programs in a third, our position here forthcoming strategic plan. at American Meteorological Society you can give back is by supporting Transitions...... 15 at Cornell is unusually complex. As our Another recent accomplishment is (AMS) conferences, has ongoing our department as it evolves and In Memoriam...... 16-17 faculty is also small, we are each asked to the completion of a highly constructive connections through email with changes to meet the needs of shoulder more administrative duties than meeting of the EAS Advisory Council many of his former advisees, and educating the younger generation, many of our peers. I am most thankful for (AC) which took place in October. Design and Production Dave Hysell, Matt the support of the faculty for assuming This year, the AC included strong enjoys visits from those who return to who will be given the heavy task Judy Starr, Rob Kurcoba Pritchard, John Thompson, campus. of caring for our Earth and finding Irene del Real, Ming Khan, the committee posts and that duties that representation from geological, ocean EAS faculty are committed to ways to mitigate some of the natural Editors Hannah Lang, Casey Root, come with them, which are necessary for and atmospheric sciences. The AC was giving students the tools they need to hazards and disasters it will face in Syl Kacypyr, Rob Kurcoba, Chris Siron the department to function. pleased with the state of the department build their future and value ongoing the future. Dawn McWilliams So far, we appear to be off to a good and broadly endorsed the direction in Cover Image: Portion connections with alumni. We encourage you to remain Story Contributors of map provided by Geoff start. We are very pleased to welcome our which we are moving. The following are Has a former Cornell faculty connected as we continue to promote Geoff Abers, John Cisne, Abers (see story on page 7) newest faculty member, Esteban Gazel, some of their specific recommendations. DAVID HYSELL advisor given you needed science that matters. Chris Dawson, who comes to us from Virginia Tech as an First, the AC encouraged EAS associate professor. Esteban and his group to increase undergraduate and expedient way to pursue that theme. In study processes in the Earth's interior graduate enrollment overall and in the future, we plan to welcome industry that produce magmas and volcanoes atmospheric sciences especially. This representatives to events showcasing and drive planetary evolution. Esteban's can be accomplished in part through undergraduate and graduate research THE EAS 2020 VISION ENDOWMENT work is conducted both in the field and improved advertising and marketing, in an effort to build new connections Achievable with your help! in the laboratory. Hiring him has had and we are beginning to work with the between industry, our students and our the side benefit of compelling us, finally, administration to see how that might faculty. to renovate the lab space on the ground be done. We were also encouraged to There have been many other positive floor of Snee. You can practically eat off increase our visibility in the College of developments in EAS which you can read THE GOAL: the floors now! We are looking forward Arts and Sciences, the home college of about in the pages of this newsletter. I To raise an endowment of at least one million dollars. to seeing Esteban populate his laboratory many of our alumni. We are presently hope you will continue to keep track of with modern instrumentation. seeking real estate on its website. developments within our department and EAS is furthermore in the process The AC also supported plans in EAS to provide feedback to help us progress. TOPPING THE WISH LIST: of conducting two searches—one in to develop new professional master's atmospheric/climate dynamics, and degree programs including a Master • Postdoctoral fellowship program the other in faults, fluids and fluid-rock of Engineering (M.Eng.) program Best wishes, • Research lab equipment, renovations, maintenance interactions. The latter position is part in remote sensing in the College of of a cluster hire in sustainable subsurface Engineering and a five-year master's • Undergraduate field training support energy performed jointly with Chemical program in atmospheric science in CALS. • Computer lab support and Biological Engineering and Civil and Improving ties between industry and Environmental Engineering. Looking academia was a central theme of the beyond these two searches, we see AC meeting, building the professional Dave Hysell Learn more: http://www.eas.cornell.edu/eas/alumni that a vigorous hiring cadence will be master's programs around projects and Professor and EAS Chair necessary for the next few years to offset funding from industry would be an

1 | EAS NEWS NEW FACULTY

GEOCHEMIST ESTEBAN GAZEL JOINS EAS FACULTY

ugust 2017, enter Esteban Gazel. Cornell University and the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences has gained a visionary scientist who has immediate plans to renovate a Alarge lab space in Snee Hall to accommodate his ongoing geochemical research. Gazel has always loved science and wants to do what he can to help people understand the secrets of our planet. Growing up in the suburbs of San Jose, surrounded by volcanoes, gave him an early curiosity about how the Earth works. During his youth, Gazel experienced frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes where he lived. He started conducting research at 15 years old in Costa Rica during high school and as an undergraduate at the University of Costa Rica, he continued doing a lot of research to learn more about how the Earth works. During his undergraduate years, Gazel had the opportunity to meet Professor Michael Carr from Rutgers, an expert on the volcanoes he was most interested in, so he applied to Rutgers for graduate school and was accepted into Dr. Carr's lab as a Ph.D. student. From there Gazel became a postdoctoral researcher at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. Gazel began his professorial career at Virginia Tech in the geosciences department. While at Virginia Tech, he published more than 25 academic papers and won Esteban Gazel the prestigious Hisashi Kuno Award from the American Geophysical Union's Volcanology Geochemistry Petrology atmosphere as a connected system. There are many people "I WORK ON FUNDAMENTAL PROCESSES AND IN THAT WAY I CAN section. here that will make excellent collaborators for me and my At Cornell, Gazel and his group will continue students." HELP FILL IN THE BIG PICTURE OF HOW THE EARTH WORKS. JUST to research the processes that produce magmas and Gazel and his team of researchers are looking at what volcanoes and contribute to the evolution of the planet. is responsible for the formation of intraplate volcanoes like AS IMPORTANTLY, I AM HELPING TO PUT SKILLED STUDENTS WITH They are looking at lava production by mantle melting, Hawaii and the Galapagos Islands, how the different types CRITICAL MINDS OUT IN THE WORLD. I REALLY WANT TO INSPIRE the origin of continents, and the deep carbon and water of magma reservoirs formed and how magmas record the cycles. Gazel is certain that his research will branch out compositions of these sources, characterization of volcanic THE NEXT GENERATION OF GEOSCIENTISTS." now that he and a couple of his former Virginia Tech ash at the nanoscale to learn about its composition students are at Cornell. "There is a longstanding tradition and also its connection to respiratory disease, and data of excellence in Earth Sciences at Cornell," says Gazel. collected on Mars to learn more about its early geology — PROFESSOR ESTEBAN GAZEL "It is a progressive institution that sees the Earth and and planetary evolution.

2 | EASEAS NEWSNEWS 3 | EAS NEWS Investigating ESF and F Region Ionospheric Disturbances WINDYMISSION: NASA ROCKETS LAUNCH FROM KWAJALEIN ATOLL

ASA sounding rockets have navigation, and imaging systems and several tracer techniques have been wind speeds and direction over the the ability to launch on pose a hazard to technology and all tried and perfected to accomplish the height ranges where the releases occur. demand. They fly higher than who depend on it. measurements. Lithium vapor and Both clouds will remain in the night many low-Earth orbiting In spite of inclement weather and trimethyl aluminum (TMA) gas have sky for approximately 30 minutes after N satellites. In many cases, they delays, WINDY mission rockets were been proven particularly effective launch. are the only means to study specific launched from the Kwajalein Atoll in in optical tracking of visible gases ARPA Long-Range Tracking and scientific phenomena from strategic the Marshall Islands on September 10, released from the sounding rockets. Instrumentation Radar (ALTAIR) vantage points worldwide. With these 2017. Investigators will use the results TMA reacts spontaneously on contact can monitor the state of the upper rockets, scientists have the ability to from the launch to study the events with oxygen to produce a pale white atmosphere/ionosphere in order take in-situ measurements by placing which precede disturbances of ESF by glow visible from the ground. For the to determine when the large-scale instruments directly into regions where measuring the influence of horizontal WINDY mission, sunlight reflected by disruptions occur and thus when and when the science is occurring. thermospheric winds on the formation the moon will illuminate the lithium, to launch the rockets and monitor Professor David Hysell is the of ESF, as well as taking measurements producing an emission that can be the evolution of the ESF following lead investigator on the Waves and of ionospheric densities and electric detected with cameras equipped with launches. Of this impressive and Instabilities from a Neutral Dynamo and magnetic fields. Winds at very narrow-band filters. Using moonlight versatile radar, Hysell explains, “If (WINDY) mission; a project that will high altitudes carry a tremendous for illumination allows the launches you’re trying to launch rockets, you involve the study of the equatorial amount of energy and are known to to occur later in the evening when can scan the whole sky very quickly. spread F (ESF) and the disturbances have a direct effect on the ionospheric the critical ESF conditions occur. ALTAIR is the finest radar of its kind, a that occur in the F region of the disruptions that are the focus of Both gases, which are harmless when Department of Defense asset.” ionosphere post-sunset at latitudes WINDY. Since wind measurements released at these altitudes, move with near the equator. These disturbances at these high altitudes are difficult the background atmosphere and can interfere with radio communication, due to very low atmospheric density, therefore be used to determine the

NASA photo by Mark Griffin

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Roi mission support teams pause for a photo on the Roi-Namur launch pad with a two-stage 47-foot long Terrier-Black Brant IX (left) and a two-stage 36-foot 4 | EAS NEWS long Terrier-Malemute rocket (right) in the week preceding the launch. 5 | EAS NEWS EARTH'S RESOURCES ALASKA AMPHIBIOUS COMMUNITY

ARTH Magazine's October 2017 develop ideas about how we can meet the as well as geoscience and engineering. issue includes a commentary resource demands of the future." “Many technically minded people are from Cornell's Wold Family Thompson explains that discovering uncomfortable bridging the gap to social SEISMIC Professor in Environmental new natural resources containing the science, and yet building collaboration This map shows the planned deployments and also shows past EBalance for Human Sustainability, John elements, materials and commodities across this interface is critical for future earthquakes and existing seismic stations. Thompson, who summarizes what he that society needs with sufficient resource development that is designed to EXPERIMENT feels will be necessary for humans to concentrations and characteristics to meet global sustainability goals.” responsibly develop Earth's resources for permit clean, economic extraction, is of In conclusion, Thompson states, Geoff Abers leads a National Science Science Foundation funds the project Abers and the project team will future generations and draws attention ultimate importance. Many current mines “Earth supports life, obviously including Foundation (NSF) funded project to begin through four programs: GeoPRISMS, deploy 30 instruments on land; the to the upcoming Resources for Future have lower concentrations or grades of humans, but geological processes also in the spring of 2018, which will involve EarthScope, Marine Geology and deployment of the 75 marine instruments Generations (RFG2018) Conference to be metals and minerals than in the recent concentrated natural resources that have a major deployment of seismographs Geophysics, and PREEVENTS (a natural will be done from ships called Ocean held in Vancouver, Canada in June of past, and similarly, hydrocarbons are aided human development for more onshore and offshore of Alaska. The hazard program). Bottom Seismometers or OBSs. Because being extracted from more complex, than 10,000 years. To meet the needs project will leverage new technology The seismic experiment covers the this is a “community experiment,” all lower-permeability host rocks. The of future generations, geoscientists for high-end seismic equipment on the part of coastal Alaska that ruptured in a data collected and organized by the result—we expend more energy, use must work with many others to find sea floor. This is the first project of this Magnitude 9.2 earthquake in 1964, the project team will be free to anyone who more water and disturb more land per and responsibly develop the resources scale in Alaska. Co-PI’s from seven second largest earthquake ever recorded, would like it once they are recovered unit of production than in the past. that we will need. Most importantly, other institutions are involved in the as well as places that look geologically from the instruments. Projects involving The challenge will be to discover new we must work collectively to empower project: Colgate University, University similar but have no record of giant major infrastructure commitments are high-quality, high-value deposits which future generations to take on the natural of Washington, Columbia University, earthquakes. It also covers the Katmai increasingly being handled this way. could reverse this trend, allowing resource challenge in all its aspects." University of Colorado Boulder, region and nearby volcanic centers; the increased efficiency of extraction per University of New Mexico, Washington Katmai eruption in 1912 was the largest unit of commodity. University St. Louis, and University of recorded eruption of any volcano in the Discovering new natural resources "TO CONTINUE California, Santa Cruz. The National 20th century. is vital, but equally important is how DEVELOPING RESOURCES we extract the contained commodities. RESPONSIBLY IN THE Historically, extractive industries have not been viewed well by the public. This FUTURE — AS WILL is hardly surprising given past examples John Thompson BE NECESSARY TO of poor practices, environmental damage 2018. Thompson says, "To continue and limited distribution of benefits. FURTHER HUMAN developing resources responsibly in These industries, however, have changed PROGRESS — WE NEED the future—as will be necessary to significantly over the last 30 to 40 years, TO UNDERSTAND EARTH further human progress—we need to and will continue to advance by using understand Earth in all its complexity, more efficient technologies, reducing IN ALL ITS COMPLEXITY, our relationship to the planet, and the energy consumption and recycling water. OUR RELATIONSHIP TO role that humans will play in maintaining Such improvements are welcome and THE PLANET, AND THE supplies of critical resources while also necessary in the effort to design and exploiting them more cleanly for the maintain responsible extraction practices. ROLE THAT HUMANS WILL benefit of all. Geoscientists are essential in "Geoscientists play major roles in PLAY IN MAINTAINING the process." understanding global change, as well SUPPLIES OF CRITICAL Geoscientists and engineers as assessing the local and regional from around the world, in academia, landscapes. We need the geoscience RESOURCES WHILE government and industry, along with community to apply this knowledge ALSO EXPLOITING THEM indigenous people, policy experts, to identify and mitigate negative members of civil society and young consequences from resource extraction," MORE CLEANLY FOR THE people—students and early career says Thompson. From the perspecitve of BENEFIT OF ALL. " professionals—will meet at the RFG2018. those potentially impacted by resource Thompson says, "The ultimate purpose extraction, he notes that thoughtful - PROFESSOR of the conference is to build the engagement is required involving Above: Geoff Abers explaining his work to the pilots of the plane he and Graduate students Roque Castaneda and Michael Mann understanding of natural resources and expertise from social and political science JOHN THOMPSON Patrick Shore (to Abers’ right) of Washington University St. Louis chartered. at a project site in the Wrangell area of eastern Alaska.

6 | EAS NEWS 7 | EAS NEWS INSTOC SYMPOSIUM FACULTY UPDATES

David Hysell began his three-year Esteban Gazel and postdoc Jarek term as EAS department chair July 1, Trela co-authored a paper published in 2017. Nature Geoscience which detailed their findings that young Costa Rican lavas Matt Pritchard was promoted might reflect pockets of primordial to full professor effective July 1, 2017. mantle. HOW CONTINENTS BREAK: Pritchard chairs a current faculty search and the department's strategic planning Toby Ault is principal investigator of a Earthquakes, Fault Rocks and Rock Mechanics committee. new National Science Foundation (NSF) award titled Emerging Frontiers. This Steve Colucci has taken over the n a beautiful macrosystems biology project will strive role of director of graduate studies in autumn day to understand the role of phenology— atmospheric science. during fall break the rhythm of the seasons which drives the progression of vegetation through in October of 2017, Rowena Lohman has replaced its annual cycles from dormancy to O about 60 people Larry Cathles as the new Master of activity and back to dormancy—in from Cornell and other Engineering (M.Eng.) director. Options mediating ecosystem-atmosphere universities gathered for the in this degree program have recently coupling and feedbacks at multiple eleventh annual Kaufman been expanded under Lohman's spatial and temporal scales. Specifically, Symposium of the Institute direction to now include the following: the researchers are using observational for the Study of Continents geohydrology, remote sensing, hazards, "phenocam" sites (cameras set up across (INSTOC). The title of the Greg Hirth and Emily Brodsky during a lunch break in the Snee applied and environmental geophysics, the country to make daily phenological one-day workshop was “How continents break: Earthquakes, Atrium. and ocean science and technology. measurements) along with state-of-the- Natalie Mahowald fault rocks and rock mechanics.” Associate Professor Rowena Lohman talked about detecting Geoff Abers co-authored a paper art atmospheric models to understand was elected the Irving Porter Church Several invited speakers traveled to Ithaca to give induced earthquakes from space. Civil and Environmental with former student Zachary Eilon how plants modify the flow of energy, Professor of Engineering at the presentations including Professors Greg Hirth from Brown Engineering’s Assistant Professor Greg McLaskey talked about this year revealing a new technique to water, and carbon between the land Cornell Board of Trustees October University, Heather Savage from Columbia University’s lab experiments simulating earthquakes. investigate underwater volcanoes that surface and the atmosphere throughout 2017 meeting. The endowed chair Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Shmuel Rubinstein Professor John Thompson identified the themes of the produce Earth's tectonic plates. Through the annual cycle. appointment became effective from Harvard University, and Jamie Kirkpatrick from McGill symposium and moderated a discussion at the end of the this research conducted on a small Ault is also working with Sara November 1, 2017. University. Alumnus and associate professor at Smith College, meeting. He referred to some of the outstanding questions tectonic plate called the Juan de Fuca, Warner and Godfrey Simmons of the In March 2017, Mahowald was Jack Loveless, Ph.D. ‘08 was also thrilled to return to campus posed throughout the day and asked how they could be data indicates that molten rock here is Department of Performing and Media selected by the United Nations' after many years as one of the guest speakers. addressed. found even deeper within the Earth than Arts, as well as the local theater group, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate The keynote address, “The Strength of Faults," was given Of course, Professor Emeritus Muawia Barazangi kept previously thought. Results of the work Civic Ensemble, to develop a play on Change as a lead author on the by INSTOC’s Jack Oliver Visiting Professor Emily Brodsky all of the talks (mostly) on time with help from session chairs were published in a May 2017 issue of climate change, climate science and "Special Report on Global Warming of the University of California, Santa Cruz. Brodsky spent the Professors Geoff Abers and Larry Brown. Last but not least, Science Advances. Tompkins County. of 1.5 degrees Celsius." The report, entire week at Cornell collaborating with fellow geologists. INSTOC’s director, Matt Pritchard, did a fantastic job of She gave two other presentations about hydrogeology and expected out in September 2018, will planning and leading the event. Bruce Monger has received a the expedition to drill into the fault that moved 50 m during Larry Brown, Katie Keranen, present climate change projections and Weiss Provost’s Teaching Fellowship the 2011 Tohoku, Japan and Matt Pritchard received an response options. for excellence in his teaching earthquake—a major Engaged Curriculum Grant for their In leadership at the department of undergraduate students and technical challenge to drill proposal "Field Geophysics," which aims level, Mahowald has served as both contributions to undergraduate almost 1 km below the to bring students out of the classroom the director of undergraduate studies education. ocean floor in 7 km water and into the field where they will use for the science of earth systems major In January, Monger traveled to Fiji to depth. geophysical methods to collect data and the graduate field of atmospheric provide satellite remote sensing training Cornell faculty also about the natural history of the region. science, as well as serving as chair of to 41 participants—university students gave presentations at Brown was also named an Engaged the search committee for a current and working professionals from a variety the workshop. Earth and Faculty Fellow. The one-year fellowship faculty search. At the university of different organizations, institutions, Atmospheric Sciences comes with a $3,000 award to implement level she is the faculty director of and backgrounds. The course taught Assistant Professor Katie community engagement into course environment for Cornell's Atkinson Python programming using a Linux Keranen talked about Speakers Katie Keranen (top left) and Attendees from Cornell and elsewhere listen intently to the science curriculum. Center for a Sustainable Future. Rowena Lohman (above) explain their being presented. platform. induced earthquakes and research.

8 | EAS NEWS 9 | EAS NEWS OFF-CAMPUS EXPERIENCES

uring the first week of July, IRON OXIDE geological ADIRONDACK sciences graduate COPPER GOLD OF Dstudent, Irene del Real, LOWLANDS organized a field trip to northern Chile, with travel ADVENTURE NORTHERN CHILE Submitted by Chris Siron specifically around the area of Copiapó in the Atacama embers of EAS embarked Desert to visit some of on a two-day field trip to the most characteristic the Adirondack lowlands to Iron Oxide Copper Gold learn about the fascinating deposits (IOCG). Irene’s Mand complex geology that gave rise thesis has focused on the Irene del Real to the historically important mines of genetic formation and evolution of IOCG deposits, specifically the region. Fourteen students from the Group at the Benson Mine (L-R): John Thompson, Dave Broughton, Casey Root, Maeve Boland, Chris in the Candelaria-Punta del Cobre district, so this recent field Department of Earth and Atmospheric Siron, Michael Kirschbaum, Gerald Broughton (Laurentian University), Larry Meinert, Murray Hitz- man, Michael Mann, Dana Peterson, Nate Stevens, Hannah Lang, Francisco Delgado, Alida Perez trip was also an ideal opportunity for her to gather more Sciences at Cornell and a guest from Fodich, Irene del Real, Andres Aguirre, Xiaolu (Grace) Li, Katie Grant, John Mason. knowledge and enhance her thesis research. Laurentian University (Canada) were Participating in the field trip were Professors John led by Professor John Thompson and zinc district. The afternoon was spent with a visit to the now-closed Benson Thompson (del Real’s advisor) of Cornell, Adam Simon Chris Siron (Ph.D. candidate in economic investigating representative drill core iron deposit that was historically mined from the University of Michigan, Fernando Barra from the geology) and accompanied by five leaders of the deposit and visiting several sporadically for over a century. After pyrite mineralization University of Chile, and six other graduate students from both in the field of economic geology: Murray reclaimed pits that were once mined for a short examination of the rocks, the universities. During the seven-day field trip the group visited Hitzman and Larry Meinert, both with zinc ore. Many excellent conversations group discussed the significance of the in drill core of the the Candelaria-Punta del Cobre IOCG district, the Manto Verde the United States Geological Survey, Dave were had deliberating the depositional local geology and how the deposit may IOCG mine, Santo Domingo IOCG deposit, Cerro Negro Norte Broughton (consultant with Ivanhoe environment including potential have formed based on mineralogical Carola deposit iron deposit and Quince iron prospect. The trip provided many Mines), Maeve Boland (American stromatolites, ore textures, ductile observations. Continuing west, the opportunities for science conversations which could lead to Geosciences Institute), and Anne deformation and metamorphism, and the group stopped to see mylonitic textures future collaborations between the different research groups. Thompson (founder of PetraScience). processes that led to the zinc ore bodies. in the Carthage-Colton Shear Zone and The field trip kicked off with a visit The group departed Balmat eastward a mineralized skarn outcrop near the to the Empire State Mines’ Balmat zinc to Cranberry Lake to arrive at our village of Edwards before having lunch mine near the village of Gouverneur in St. campsite as the sunlight was escaping on the banks of the Oswegatchie River. Lawrence County. The group was hosted over the trees. No time was wasted as Hitzman debriefed the group's morning by their exploration manager, Michael master chef, Nate Stevens, prepared an observations by drawing a cross section Kirschbaum, who kindly provided pizzas exquisite spread of chicken and pork and discussing the significance of the and a presentation on the geology and fajitas. geological relationships. mining history of the Balmat-Edward Day two started bright and early The last half of the day was spent looking at Adirondack lowland geology with roadside stops to examine the Popple Hill gneiss and the intensely folded and boudinaged marbles to the east of Gouverneur. A trip to the North Country would not have been complete without a stop at Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse! The adventure would not have been possible without David Hysell providing department funds to support the trip, as well as the AAPG student chapter for covering BBQ, and of course Michael Kirschbaum and Empire State Mines for their accommodation and hospitality. The entire field trip group poses at the Murray Hitzman discussing the zinc potential in the western Adirondacks. Candelaria open pit iron oxide copper gold mine near Copiapό. 10 | EAS NEWS 11 | EAS NEWS OFF-CAMPUS EXPERIENCES

Root Chronicles 2017 was a busy year for Casey Root, a I presented some of this work at the Houston semi-automatically identifying closed depressions, geological sciences Ph.D. candidate advised by Geological Society Mudrocks Conference and the which may be possible sources for groundwater Professor Terry Jordan. Here are some of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists infiltration, using high-resolution LiDAR data. highlights of his year as described by Root: (AAPG) Annual Convention and Exhibition in April. Jansen Smith and I represented Cornell at the In research-related work I was awarded SEDHeat Field Workshop in Utah and Nevada this the Students in Mining and Energy TerraSpec During a summer internship with the United May. This National Science Foundation-sponsored, Instrument Program Award by the corporation States Geological Survey (USGS), I spent the last seven-day field workshop examined key elements Analytical Spectral Devices, Inc. (ASD). It’s an two summers with the USGS Water Science Center of large to fine scale hydrothermal fluid flow/ instrument lending program that allows the here in Ithaca. I primarily worked on a project storage through Paleozoic (and younger) strata in award winners to use ASD’s TerraSpec 4 mineral that focuses on groundwater contamination in eastern Nevada and western Utah. analyzer for a couple months. This device the karst-bedrock aquifers throughout New York provided compositional data (without destroying State. The report is titled, “Statewide Assessment samples) for my Master of Science thesis on of Focused-Recharge Features Overlying and spatial relationships of diagenesis in the Cherry Adjacent to New York’s Karst-Bedrock Aquifers,” Valley Member of the Marcellus subgroup in New and will likely be in review by September. My part York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In March, in the project has been developing a process for

The SEDHeat Geothermal Field Workshop participants stop on an opal mound to observe a sinter terrace, deposited where a fault intersected with the surface, near the Roosevelt hot springs in southern Utah. Leading the group in the forefront is Dr. Stuart Simmons of the Energy & Geoscience Institute at the University of Utah. Casey Root at far right (red jacket.)

STUDENT AWARDS AND HONORS wo EAS seniors traveled the convention through a rigid Mike Hoffmann. to Bonn, Germany in three-step application process Delegates attended technical Alida Perez Fodich (advisor, Derry) at the Cornell Annual Spring Forum thermal anomalies detected by satellite: November as Cornell starting with over 600 initial seminars hosted by various received a GSA Graduate Student Research Presentation, spring semester Precursors to eruption?" Their faculty delegates to the United applications, narrowed down organizations and countries that Research Grant. 2017. This forum is a university-wide supervisor is Matt Pritchard. Moruzzi TNations Framework Convention to 490 viable candidates. Skype presented on issues from climate- undergraduate research presentation. was one of four featured undergraduates on Climate Change Conference sessions allowed them to report change refugees to nuclear power Sam Kachuck (advisor, Cathles) in the summer 2017 issue of Cornell of Parties 23 (UNFCCC COP 23). back to their class with ongoing as a means to be carbon neutral. received an Outstanding Student Paper Tasnuva "Ming" Khan '18 and Engineering Magazine. The story tells how At the annual meeting, countries learning during the week as "Eco A Cornell booth managed by Award at the American Geophysical Marc Alessi '18, were selected out of she pursued undergraduate research negotiate climate change policies, Collaboratives" which was tapped some of the delegates provided Union's meeting. The paper title 490 students to represent the Cornell opportunities at Cornell. recommendations and goals to broadcast to a larger campus information to attendees on was: "Sloppy inversion and optimal delegation at the United Nations Ming Khan to keep maximum warming to audience. Cornell's efforts towards carbon experiment design for last glacial Framework Convention on Climate Three Atmospheric Science 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre- Cornell, a registered observer neutrality and sustainability, maximum Barents Sea Ice Sheet Change Conference of Parties 23 undergraduate students were conference industrial levels. organization at the annual and research by various faculty configuration." (UNFCCC COP 23) in Bonn, Germany in presenters at the 2017 Great Lakes Tasnuva "Ming" Khan, climate change convention, sent in collaboration with different November. UNFCCC has near universal Atmospheric Science Symposium Casey Root has been selected for a science of earth systems major, faculty, staff and students as countries on environmental membership and is the parent treaty of in Oswego, NY. Griffin Mooers second year for a grant to support his and Marc Alessi, atmospheric delegates to the event including issues. the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Ming Khan gives presented his research in the Heavy research expenses. The grant is from the science major, in Professor Allison Chatrchyan, Director of an account of the work leading up to this Rain and Extreme Weather session; 2017 American Association of Petroleum Natalie Mahowald's special topics the Cornell Institute for Climate conference and their role as delegates on Stephanie Lin and Tyler Leicht Geologists Foundation Grants-in-Aid seminar course, Global Climate Smart Solutions (CICSS) and a the following page. gave presentations in the Numerical program. See more about Casey's research Change Science and Policy, were senior research associate in EAS, Modeling session. Mooers is the Cornell above. Samantha Moruzzi '20 and Allison chosen by Cornell to attend and Executive Director of CICSS, Chapter of the Meteorological Society's Marc Alessi Alcott '20, received summer research Anant Hariharan '18, was the (CCAMS) co-president; Leight is the awards from Engineering Learning chemistry and physical sciences category CCAMS forecasting chair. Initiatives for their project, "Volcano winner for his poster presentation

12 | EAS NEWS 13 | EAS NEWS ALUMNI THANK YOU TRANSITIONS

he generosity of several EAS alumni has made possible some needed upgrades to computer workstations in Atmospheric Science's Bradfield JOHN L. CISNE THall computer lab. Among the donors were alumni Bruce known as Beecher’s Trilobite Bed. Long continue teaching online in Cornell’s Bailey '74, Mish Michaels '90 and Greg hours in the X-ray darkroom gave Cisne summer and winter sessions. The Poulos '89. Engraved gold plates have plenty of time (and incentive) to plan course materials are available online been affixed to the stations to acknowledge the field work he began on coming to through a publicly accessible Facebook contributors. In some cases, stations were Cornell. He used volcanic ash layers as group (https://www.facebook.com/ given a special name by the donor—Wind time markers to study the distribution, groups/1501183123521716/). There, Guy (Bailey) and Bombogenesis (Michaels.) paleoecology and evolution of open to all, are the slides and notes from Thank you to all who have contributed Ordovician invertebrates along the the lectures, plus a years-long running to our student educational and research submarine slope that led down the accumulation of news items. needs. Mohawk River Valley into what Cisne Cisne’s career has come full circle. helped show was a subduction trench He first had ambitions of becoming where ancestral North America was an ornithologist, but gave up birds then colliding with New England. for fossils; and now that birds are Atmospheric science students in Bradfield His work branched out into sea-level dinosaurs, he’s back to chasing both, as Hall using new computer work stations. change, chemical paleoceanography, the picture below shows. synthetic stratigraphy and the mechanics of sedimentary basins. rofessor John Cisne, a Around this time, he was elected a paleontologist, retired at the Fellow of the American Association for INTROSPECTION: A BLEND OF ART AND GEOLOGY end of the spring 2017 semester the Advancement of Science. after 44 years on the Cornell Science of earth systems major, Hannah Lang '18, has found a way to blend her love of art with her Cisne’s later work has focused faculty. He received his B.S. from the study of geology. Lang's new artwork combines her senior thesis in geology with the art of printmaking. on the study of ancient and medieval Department of Geology and Geophysics She has produced striking prints which will be displayed in an art exhibit called Introspection in the Olive manuscripts as if they were fossils. at Yale University in 1969, and his Ph.D. Tjaden Gallery on campus in November. The prints use imagery collected from viewing thin sections of For instance, he showed from the from the Department of Geophysical black shale formation from British Columbia under a microscope. “population dynamics” of handwritten Sciences at The University of Chicago manuscripts that roughly 10 percent in 1973. Cisne came to Cornell as an of medieval Europe’s copies of its assistant professor in the Department foremost computation handbook, the of Geological Sciences that fall, stayed Venerable Bede’s De Temporum Ratione, on as an associate professor and still survive in some form. Cisne’s professor, and emerged this past July as explanation of certain early medieval a professor emeritus in the Department monks’ long-lost secret to illuminating of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. manuscripts like the Book of Kells in He has been a member of the graduate astonishingly intricate, microscopic fields of geological sciences since 1973 detail centuries before magnifying and ecology and evolutionary biology glasses, much less microscopes, first since 1974. made news in The New Yorker, of all Cisne started out in invertebrate places, before appearing in print. paleontology as a specialist in Cisne is perhaps best known Carboniferous trilobites, on which he to students from his introductory published his first paper half a century courses: “Evolution of the Earth and ago this fall. For his Ph.D. research, Life,” which he taught from 1974 Cisne studied the very rarely preserved until he entered phased retirement “soft” internal anatomy of trilobites in 2015; and “Dinosaurs,” which he from stereoscopic X-ray photographs organized in 1990 and expects to An original image (taken from a microscope) of a calcite vein within the black shale A lithography print made from a microscope of specimens from the famous layer and tuff bedded rock that Lang is studying. The rock samples used erew given to image. Predominantly calcite, with black shale in her from the British Columbia mining company, Pretivm. the lower right corner. Specks of light within the shale are fossils.

14 | EAS NEWS 15 | EAS NEWS IN MEMORIAM

JOHN M. BIRD ARTHUR L. BLOOM “Art’s geomorphology December 27, 1931 - April 28, 2017 September 2, 1928 - May 31, 2017 class, and especially the local field trips associated Geologist, John "Jack" Bird was one Throughout his long career at Cornell, with it, had a lot to do of the pioneers in the 1960s of using the Professor Art Bloom was a generous with helping me learn then newborn theory of plate tectonics local source of information on the to make observations of to explain the geology exposed on the superficial geology of the Finger Lakes the natural world. He continents. Two classic papers were Region. But his geology colleagues knew also taught a senior-level co-authored by Bird and a colleague that geomorphology, coastlines, and in oceanography class in 1968 (before that was and friend, John F. Dewey, in 1970 and particular, sea-level change, were his first a common thing) that and chief academic focus. His work on 1971 explaining how the geology of helped me greatly in mountain belts such as the Appalachians uplifted coral reefs in Papua New Guinea my later career. It’s the is consistent with, and evidence for, plate tectonics. In 1972, is his most famous contribution to the science, and his publications passing of an era.”—Jim Bird complied a volume of reprints published by the American provide a baseline for what the earth is capable of in the absence Kirkpatrick '68 Geophysical Union which quickly became a benchmark of human beings. Bloom's bookshelf contained copies of his early reference on the development of all aspects of the plate tectonics book on The Surface of the Earth, translated into German, Polish, “I think we will all theory. Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese. A later expansion resulted in fondly remember Art for Bird was fascinated with the study of ophiolites, an odd Geomorphology: A Systematic Analysis of Late Cenozoic Landforms, his great contributions assortment of iron and magnesium rich rocks whose origin was a considered the last comprehensive textbook on the subject as to geosciences, his take-no-prisoners observations and humor, and of course, the ascots. Like many of us, he was mystery to earlier geological concepts. He recognized ophiolites subsequent works have focused on subsets of the field. my geomorphology professor. Just this past weekend, Sabbatical leaves took Bloom to Australia, twice to Japan, as fragments of oceanic crust thrust up onto the continents while visiting West Virginia, I was searching my memory and for lesser periods of time to Korea and China. Research areas Jack Bird at a Taughannock State Park alumni by plate tectonic forces. Bird was particularly interested in to find the correct geomorphology terms needed to accu- picnic in 2014. the extraordinary collection of metallic phases found in the included Micronesia and New Guinea, and when the focus of his rately describe the Potomac's inscribed meanders across Josephine ophiolite in southwestern Oregon containing iron, department shifted to South America his research expanded to the underlying folded strata. I was thinking I needed to nickel, cobalt, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, platinum and gold. Argentina. consult Art's textbook which is currently sitting on the He considered these metals to be primordial—in the form of Bloom remained a regular visitor of Snee Hall, still bookshelf across the office from me. I'm glad I had the metals ever since Earth formed. Bird actively pursued the study maintaining his wit and a twinkle in his eye until shortly before opportunity to learn from him, and now I'd better consult of ophiolites for the rest of his career at Cornell. his death. This renowned geomorphologist will truly be missed. that book!”—Harvey Cohen '85 Jack's field work in geology took him to many parts of the “Art's geomorphology class was the first course I took world including Newfoundland, Siberia, Italy and Greenland, after introductory geology, which Jack Bird taught. His and across the continental United States from Vermont to Alaska. class was also the first that took me to the field where I He loved the outdoors and enjoyed golfing, hunting and fishing. began to appreciate what careful observation of earth can Colleague and friend, Bill Bassett, remembers of Jack, "He teach you. And the way he brought geomorphology into was dedicated to exposing misinformation and replacing it the broader seismology and tectonics theme of the depart- with more reliable information. Generating new ideas was his ment with his study of uplift of reefs in the south Pacific passion. If his new ideas bothered others, well, that just added a was exemplary.”—Richard Chuchla '78 little extra incentive." Stimulating challenges to conventional wisdom—Jack was “Art was not only an outstanding observer of the earth always ready for these. He will be missed by many. but a strong and interested supporter of any student working to gain some new insight about processes that help shape the surface of the earth or, in my case the moon or Mars.”—Ray Willemann '86

“More than any class I have taken, in geology or other- wise, I apply what I learned in Dr. Bloom's class almost every day as I seek to understand, and sometimes explain to others, the surface of the earth that I see as I travel for Left: The Bloom family gathered in the Snee Hall atrium in August of 2014 for a recep- business and pleasure. Dr. Bloom was a great teacher, Jack Bird, Maura Weathers, and Bill Bassett in 1984. tion to celebrate the establishment of the Arthur L. Bloom Fund. Left to right are Eric, always practical and hands on in his approach. He really Donna, Art, Jay, Ann, Jeff, Ryan, Lori and Pomaika'i front and center. was a wonderful man.”—Jim McDonnell '80

16 | EAS NEWS 17 | EAS NEWS 2122 Snee Hall/11th Floor Bradfield Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853

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