Natalie Mahowald, Cornell's Irving Porter Church Professor of Engineering and Lead Author of 2018 U.N

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NATALIE MAHOWALD, CORNELL'S IRVING PORTER CHURCH PROFESSOR OF ENGINEERING AND LEAD AUTHOR OF 2018 U.N. CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT PG. 3 CHAIR'S MESSAGE

add other components to the effort including autonomous vehicles instrumented for Earth DEAR ALUMNI observing. IN THIS ISSUE Finally, readers may have noticed that the EAS website has undergone a makeover New EAS Faculty...... 2 recently. The upgrade is part of initiatives AND FRIENDS, underway in the College and in CALS. The 2018 IPCC Report Released...... 3 website remains a work in progress but is am writing to you at the start was involved with the International Ocean designed to be better integrated with other of my second term as chair of Drilling Program (IODP). Patrick received Cooling Effect Of Preindustrial Fires sites and feeds on campus, and to have a the Department of Earth and his bachelor’s degree from the Georgia flatter user interface better suited to mobile On Climate Underestimated...... 4-5 Atmospheric Sciences. There have Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in devices. You can use the website to keep up been quite a few changes in the past geosciences from the Pennsylvania State with news about people and programs in Campaign Aims To Bring Climate Science year that I would like to summarize University. EAS, research, seminars, the curriculum and To Every U.S. High School...... 6 here. Many of the changes are related to Finally, I feel fortunate to alumni affairs. We would appreciate your Ifaculty renewal which is occurring at a announce that Karin Olson Hoal will feedback at [email protected]. Emergent Climate Risk Balloon Launch...... 7 rapid pace. We have also seen progress be joining our department in the fall of on other fronts, most notable in our 2019 as the next Wold Family Professor Faculty Updates...... 8 professional degree programs, our project in Environmental Balance for Human Best wishes, teams, which are still in their infancy, and Sustainability. Since 2004, Karin has French President Taps Climate Scientist our departmental website. managed her own consulting company DAVID HYSELL Firstly, I am pleased to welcome which specializes in geometallurgy and To ‘Make Our Planet Great Again’...... 9

Peter Hitchcock to the EAS faculty as an quantitative mineralogy. Her most recent classes and performing research. They will

incoming assistant professor. Peter came to academic background comes from the receive an M.S. degree after a total of five T-Rex Shakes And Calibrates...... 10-11 Dave Hysell us from Ecole Polytechnique where he was Colorado School of Mines where she was years of study backed by an immersive Professor and EAS Chair Geological And Geophysical Analyses And an assistant professor studying dynamical a research professor and the director or the research experience. The new program and radiative processes governing large- Advanced Mineralogy Research Center. will be an alternative to the Master Student Learning In Preparation For A scale circulation in the atmosphere with She has worked all around the world of Engineering (M.Eng.) professional Possible Geothermal Pilot Well At Cornell...... 12-13 an emphasis on tropospheric-stratosphere including in Australia, Africa, Europe, degree offered currently by the College of coupling. Peter received his B.A. and M.Sc. South America, and even previously Engineering. Groundwater Loss Prompts More California degrees from McMaster University and in New York. Karin received her B.Sc. Let me next draw your attention to Design and Production: Land Sinking...... 14-15 his Ph.D. in physics at the University of from St. Lawrence University, her M.Sc. an exciting new initiative led by Professor Rob Kurcoba, Judy Starr Toronto. He was a postdoctoral associate from McGill University, and her Ph.D. Toby Ault. Working with an Ithaca-based Stereonet...... 16-17 at Cambridge and then at NCAR in in geosciences from the University of company, Toby and his students have Editors: Boulder before moving to France. Peter Massachusetts, Amherst. Karin will begun launching instrumented balloons Syl Kacypyr, Rob Kurcoba, Student Awards, Honors, Outreach...... 18-19 will teach atmospheric dynamics in the replace John Thompson who is the current here in upstate New York. The balloons Dawn McWilliams, Judy Starr spring. Wold Family Professor. We wish John well can be tracked using the Amateur Packet Story Contributors: Future Of Right Whales Depends On Next, I am happy to report that our on his next endeavors. Reporting System (APRS) and recovered. Rick Allmendinger,Toby Ault, Adaptive Conservation Policies...... 20 faculty will be joined by Patrick Fulton Back home, the department will The explicit purpose of the balloon Larry Brown, Paula Burgi, as an incoming assistant professor in the be launching a new fifth-year professional launches is to study local weather and Blaine Friedlander, Teresa Jordan, Alumni Profile - Samson Hagos ‘08...... 21 spring 2019 semester. Patrick joins us from master’s degree program in atmospheric regional micro-climate. Implicitly, the Syl Kacypyr, Tasnuva Khan, David Nutt Texas A&M University where he was science in the College of Agriculture and program marks the start of what we Alumni Spotlight: Daniel Rothenberg ‘11...... 22 an assistant professor, and his research Life Sciences (CALS). The new program hope will become a department-wide Cover Image: interests spanned earthquake physics, will admit students during their senior project team comparable to the teams Natalie Mahowald image by EAS Alumni: Then And Now...... 23 hydrogeology, thermal geophysics, year. Students will spend their senior year that are very popular in the College of Lindsay France, geofluids and geomechanics, and where he and an additional year after that taking Engineering. Our goal is eventually to University Photography

1 | EAS NEWS NEW FACULTY CLIMATE SCIENCE

HITCHCOCK AND use to make Ontario, and projections to Hannah's FULTON JOIN EAS about future family who climate, their live up and FACULTY behavior down the is very East Coast." "I am thrilled to be joining the sensitive to Patrick Department of Earth and Atmospheric many of the Fulton will Sciences at Cornell this fall," said Peter smaller scale arrive in Hitchcock upon his arrival to Ithaca in physical and January of September 2018. Peter Hitchcock Patrick Fulton dynamical 2019 as the Hitchcock's research focuses on phenomena that are not." newest member to the EAS faculty. the dynamics and variability of the One of Hitchcock's main goals over Fulton’s research interests are atmospheric circulation at the largest the next five years is to build a better related to hydrologic and thermal scales, and he has a particular interest in understanding of how these waves processes within fault zones and the stratosphere. connect disparate parts of the climate how these processes control fault "Historically a major focus of system, and also how they can be better slip behavior or provide insightful stratospheric research has been in represented in numerical models. "Getting signatures within fault rocks understanding the chemistry and these waves right in models is essential to and borehole and geophysical dynamics that govern the ozone layer, but our ability to predict how the atmospheric observations. in recent decades it has become clear that circulation will change in response to a Much of the work Fulton's group some of the most fascinating dynamical whole range of climate forcings, from does incorporates field and laboratory features of the stratospheric circulation volcanic eruptions to anthropogenic data, including innovative borehole have a surprising impact on near-surface interventions," Hitchcock adds. monitoring techniques, along weather and climate. Stratospheric "I am also excited about the growth with careful quantitative analysis sudden warmings and the quasi-biennial of operational seasonal forecasting. At and numerical modeling. Their oscillation may not be as familiar as El AP Photo/Caleb Jones the intersection between deterministic science tends to combine aspects of Niño or the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, weather forecasting and climate hydrogeology, thermal geophysics Mahowald is second from the right in the above photo at the October 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in Incheon, South Korea. but they too impact our weather. Since projections, these forecasts are extremely and rock mechanics. the stratosphere is often predictable challenging to get right. But they are Ongoing projects involve on timescales of months to years, these steadily improving, and have huge studying slow earthquakes and 2018 IPCC REPORT RELEASED: EXPERTS OUTLINE CLIMATE phenomena can provide valuable potential to improve the resilience related hydrologic transients CHANGE IMPLICATIONS TO WEATHER, HEALTH, ECOSYSTEMS information for seasonal forecasting," says of our societies to extreme weather. using subseafloor observatories in Hitchcock. An Associated Press article written by a report following the week of Oct. 1-8, the report said. Annual carbon dioxide The ensembles produced by seasonal the Japan Trench and Hikurangi Many of the questions Hitchcock Seth Borenstein and released on October 2018 meetings held in Incheon, South pollution levels that are still rising now forecasting centers also present an (New Zealand) subduction zones is thinking about now revolve around 8, 2018, quoted Cornell's Dr. Natalie Korea. The report details how Earth's would have to drop by about half by opportunity to develop whole new and onshore borehole monitoring the behavior of Rossby waves. These are Mahowald, Irving Porter Church Professor weather, health and ecosystems would be 2030 and then be near zero by 2050. methods for studying fundamental observatories along the Cascadia familiar building blocks of extratropical of Engineering, who said, "We have a in better shape if the world's leaders could Emissions of other greenhouse gases, aspects of atmospheric dynamics," margin and San Andreas Fault. In weather on synoptic scales, but they monumental task in front of us, but it somehow limit future human-caused such as methane, also will have to drop. explains Hitchcock. addition, through modeling and also serve as a kind of connective tissue is not impossible. This is our chance to warming to just 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit Switching away rapidly from fossil fuels After arriving in Ithaca with his laboratory experimentation, Fulton's for the atmosphere. "Their propagation decide what the world is going to look from now, instead of the globally agreed- like coal, oil and gas to do this could be wife, Hannah Moland, who is active in group is investigating the sensitivity communicates the state of remote modes like." upon goal of 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. more expensive than the less ambitious art and sustainability, Hitchcock says, of rock strength to fluid pressures, of variability in the stratosphere to Mahowald's comments were made To limit warming to the lower goal, but it would clean the air of other "Coming from a year in Paris, we are and feedbacks between fluids, weather systems that affect our daily after the Nobel Prize-winning United temperature goal, the world needs “rapid pollutants. And that would have the side looking forward to enjoying the richness earthquakes, and rock damage. life," says Hitchcock. "Although they are Nations Intergovernmental Panel and far-reaching” changes in energy benefit of avoiding more than 100 million of outdoor activities available in Ithaca well-resolved by the numerical models on Climate Change (IPCC) of which systems, land use, city and industrial premature deaths through this century, the and beyond. Moving to Ithaca also brings we use to forecast weather and those we Mahowald was a lead author, released design, transportation and building use, report said. us closer to my home town of Hamilton, 2 | EAS NEWS 3 | EAS NEWS CLIMATE SCIENCE

these particles mix with other aerosol interactions can be. Understanding these improve air quality and reduce climate COOLING EFFECT OF PREINDUSTRIAL compositions in climate models, is more interactions is particularly important change will be, according to Natalie important than previously thought to because one proposed way of mitigating Mahowald, the Irving Porter Church FIRES ON CLIMATE UNDERESTIMATED understanding black carbon’s heating the human impact on the climate is Professor of Engineering and Atkinson By David Nutt | October 1, 2018 effect in the present day, and how it could actively reducing only black carbon Center for a Sustainable Future faculty he Industrial Revolution brought the warming from the greenhouse gases same as where they were in the past.” change in a future with potentially more aerosols while not eliminating others. director for the environment, who about many things: the steam at any point because you also have these The paper concludes that pre- engine, the factory system, mass aerosols. It’s really important for us to industrial fire emissions are the single production. But not, apparently, understand the cooling effect from these largest source of uncertainty when it more wildfires. Actually, the aerosols in order to understand the overall comes to understanding the magnitude opposite.T impact human activity has on climate.” of climate warming caused by manmade A new study, “Reassessment of Pre- To gain a clearer picture of aerosols’ forms of combustion. Industrial Fire Emissions Strongly Affects historical impact, Hamilton examined fire Anthropogenic Aerosol Forcing,” by a proxy records, such as ice cores, that hold Black carbon: friend or foe? Cornell postdoctoral researcher, published black carbon emitted from preindustrial in August in Nature Communications, finds fires; charcoal depositions in lake and That sense of uncertainty around that emissions from fire activity were marine sediments; and scarring in tree aerosol impacts on the climate also significantly greater in the preindustrial rings, along with present-day satellite informs a separate paper Hamilton era, which began around 1750, than data documenting the decline in the burnt recently coauthored, “Black Carbon previously thought. As a result, scientists area caused by fires in recent decades. Radiative Effects Highly Sensitive to have underestimated the cooling effect the These paleoenvironmental archives show Emitted Particle Size When Resolving aerosol particles produced by these fires that fire occurrences worldwide peaked Mixing-State Diversity,” also published had on the past climate. around 1850 and fire emissions have in Nature Communications in August. That The above graphic shows the decline of black carbon emissions from fire activity from 1700 to the present, contrasted with the rise in global population. As fire burns, tiny particles— dropped between 45 to 70 percent globally study—led by Hitoshi Matsui, a former aerosols—are released into the since the Industrial Revolution. visiting scholar at Cornell and now at wildfires and less fossil-fuel burning. “Properly describing the particle size coauthored the particle-size paper. “We atmosphere, where they can increase the While common sense might Nagoya University in Japan—finds Black carbon is formed by incomplete of black carbon particles and their mixing really need to understand more about brightness of clouds and reflect sunlight suggest fires would rise as human that better measurements of the size of combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels and with other aerosol components is very preindustrial fires and how we’re changing back into space, cooling the planet in density increased around the planet, in black carbon particles, and the ways wildfires. Because of its dark color, important to understand the contribution the size distribution of the black carbon the process (also known as indirect actuality, the establishment of cities, fire it absorbs sunlight and warms the of black carbon to the current climate and emissions. That’s the bottom line,” radiative forcing). This cooling can help departments and local infrastructure, plus “IN SOME REGIONS planet. The strength of this warming is its future changes,” Matsui said. Mahowald said. “As we try to move offset increased warming caused by the reduction of forests for agricultural WE’RE NOW STARTING determined by a particle’s size and how “What we’re showing here in this new forward and solve problems with air anthropogenic greenhouse gases like purposes, have all curtailed the spread of TO SEE AN INCREASE IN diluted it is by other aerosols—such advanced model is that, as fires increase quality and the climate, we need answers carbon dioxide. wildfires, Hamilton said. THE AMOUNT OF FIRES, as clearer, organic carbon—or by the in the future, the additional warming to these questions.” “Most people are probably very Climate change and land- AND IT’S PROJECTED TO condensation of gases that then mix with that was predicted in more basic models familiar with the idea of greenhouse gas management practices, however, may be CONTINUE,” HAMILTON it. could be an actual cooling relative to Both studies received financial support warming but are less aware that human reversing that trend. Recent years have SAID. "BUT WHERE THE The researchers developed a more present day, because we resolve the size from the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable activities can also create a cooling at the seen an increase in the amount of fires in FIRES ARE AND WHERE detailed model of black carbon than is and composition of black carbon in more Future. David Nutt, author of this article, is same time, through changes to cloud the U.S., for example. THEY WILL INCREASE IN currently used. The model factors in detail, combined with what is going on managing editor of the Atkinson Center. properties via emissions of aerosols “In some regions we’re now starting THE FUTURE IS NOT THE a wide range of particle sizes and the with other aerosol and gases that are also and their pre-cursor gases,” said lead to see an increase in the amount of fires, SAME AS THEY WERE IN different ways black carbon can mix with co-emitted with the fires,” Hamilton said. author Douglas Hamilton, postdoctoral and it’s projected to continue,” Hamilton THE PAST." other atmospheric constituents to show Both of these studies add nuances to researcher in earth and atmospheric said. “But where the fires are and where -Douglas Hamilton, Cornell just how nuanced these atmospheric how effective reducing black carbon to sciences. “You don’t see the full impact of they will increase in the future is not the postdoctoral researcher

4 | EAS NEWS 5 | EAS NEWS CLIMATE SCIENCE CLIMATE AND WEATHER

CAMPAIGN AIMS TO BRING CLIMATE SCIENCE EMERGENT CLIMATE TO EVERY U.S. HIGH SCHOOL RISK BALLOON LAUNCH By Syl Kacapyr| Cornell Engineering On a cloudy day in October, Assistant Professor Toby Ault and his The Cornell-affiliated Paleontological Research research group headed out with excited anticipation to launch their first Institution (PRI) has launched a new partnership with weather balloon together. It proved an exciting day with both failure and the New York Sea Grant (NYSG) program and is in success being part of the experience. the second phase of a crowdfunding campaign in its Following the initial launch of the weather balloon, Professor UP, UP quest to bring climate change science to every U.S. high Ault gave an enthusiastic report. He said, "All went well, though not school. according to plan (as expected.) However, the balloon was launched (from The crowdfunding effort began in 2017 with The Canaseraga)." Canaseraga is a village in Allegany County, New York, AND AWAY Teacher-Friendly Guide to Climate Change, a 284-page located just southwest of Dansville and north of Hornell. The map above book that provides teachers with perspectives, statistics shows APRS tracking about 30 minutes in. It later passed directly over and graphics for teaching climate science in the Cayuga Lake near Myers Point. classroom. The book was edited by Ingrid Zabel, PRI’s Ault continues, "It reached the stratosphere and we were able to climate change education manager; Don Duggan-Haas, observe a reversal in the temperature gradient. It reached a maximum PRI’s director of teacher programming; and Rob Ross, altitude of 32 km (~20 miles, 104,000 ft.)." an adjunct professor of earth and atmospheric sciences and PRI’s associate director for outreach. “It was originally part of a broader impact Dirk Swart (Wicked Devices) and Marc Alessi '18, now a graduate student in project we were working on with professor Natalie the program, inflate the balloon for its launch. Mahowald,” said Ross. “Her grant had funds to publish the book, but it didn’t have funds to print and chapters and useful footnotes. The authors of this book distribute on a broad scale.” did a great job with making the big picture of climate So PRI launched an online crowdfunding science accessible to the layperson.” campaign to finance distribution of print and digital PRI is also reaching teachers through a new versions of the book to teachers across the country. series of workshops being administered with NYSG, Less than a year later, the book has reached 50,000 a cooperative program of Cornell University and educators, including every public high school science the State University of New York that administers a teacher in New York City and a two-thirds of all science network of integrated research and education services teachers in New York state. around the state. With the goal of providing the book to 200,000 The first workshop, “Climate to Go!,” was teachers, PRI has launched the second phase of its held Aug. 7-9 at the New York City Department of The total horizontal distance the balloon traveled was 110 miles as the crowdfunding campaign through GiveGab, which has Education’s Summer STEM Institute and helped 20 crow flies, which was quite a bit more than planned because the balloon Proof of a successful recovery. already raised more than $115,000. teachers develop activities and approaches to teaching was not quite big enough to exert the buoyant force needed to rise quickly Heather Renyck teaches earth and environmental about climate change. through the fast moving middle troposphere. Ault said, "It made for a sciences to ninth- and 12th-grade students at Bolivar- “We thought that it would make sense to partner long day, but the students were deeply impressed with the activity. It also Richburg Central School in western New York and said with colleagues at Cornell who have a physical moves us towards thinking about what a broader, more regular student- while there are many online climate science resources, presence in New York City and have already been led project would look like. it can become difficult to find easily digestible and working on local resilience issues,” said Ross. The experimental balloon was eventually recovered from its landing accurate information. Nordica Holochuck, NYSG’s Hudson River site—a plot of private land. The owner, once given an explanation of why “What makes this resource invaluable is the estuary specialist, said she received positive feedback they were on his land, agreed to help them retrieve the balloon. He drove breadth and organization of climate science topics,” from workshop attendees. his ATV to where it landed and with a few of the people on the team, said Renyck. “I like the user interface, such as Syl Kacapyr is public relations and content manager for managed to secure it. From left standing: Toby Ault, landowner, Dirk Swart, Lance Nino, Mike definitions in the margins, online resources in the Cornell Engineering. Hojnowski, Rick Moore, Dimitris Herrera, Colin Evans, Jane Smith, Marc Alessi. Kneeling: Vic Aprei, Carlos Carrillo. 6 | EAS NEWS 7 | EAS NEWS FACULTY UPDATES

Toby Ault took students on a field an invited tutorial on "Marine Microalgae: Society of America Pardee Symposium French president Competition for the grants was trip to launch their newly designed Climate, Energy, and Food Security from on the celebration of the 50th anniversary taps climate scientist high, with 1,822 scientists submitting balloon which was created to capture more the Sea" at the AGU/ASLO/TOS Ocean of plate tectonics at the annual meeting applications. Derry was a natural fit for accurate data for weather forecasting and Sciences Meeting in Portland, Oregon, in Indianapolis. The title of her talk to ‘Make Our Planet the program, having lived in France 25 modeling. See article on page 7. an invited talk, " Marine Microalgae: was, "Evolution of an Andean Margin: Great Again’ years ago when he was a postdoc studying Climate, Energy, and Food Security for Magmatic and Tectonic View from the erosion and weathering in the Himalayan Larry Brown has been very busy the 21st Century," as a speaker and panel Central and Southern Andean." By David Nutt | January 9, 2018 Mountains, and he’s fluent in French. this year with the campus Earth Source member at the Circular Carbon Economy And in his role as director of the National John Thompson is working with Heat project. See more about this on pages Meeting sponsored by the Department The race to see who will lead the fight Science Foundation office for critical Resolve on their Natural Resources and 10-11. of Energy in Golden, CO, and a webinar against climate change is heating up. zone observatories (NSF-CZ), he has Energy Leadership Council. Thompson on "Conservation Oceanography of the After President Donald Trump worked in close partnership with French Larry Cathles retired in late was an invited keynote plenary speaker at North Atlantic Right Whale" sponsored announced in 2017 his intention to researchers who have a similar critical Lou Derry summer of 2018 and became an emeritus the XV Chilean Geological Congress Nov. by the Lenfest Ocean Program of the Pew withdraw the United States from the zone organization. In fact, Derry was professor. Cathles continues to be active 18-23, 2018. Thompson also served as chair Charitable Trusts October 2018. Paris climate accord, French President already talking with colleagues in the Paris you kind of need to know everything, in the department and is seen most days for the Resources for Future Generations Emmanuel Macron proposed a “Make Institute of Physics of the Globe about a but you can’t, so you better have smart working away in Snee Hall. Matt Pritchard gave a special EAS (RFG2018) conference in Vancouver in June Our Planet Great Again” program possible collaboration when he learned of friends,” Derry said. lecture during Cornell's Reunion Week of 2018. Steve Colucci and his research that would bring climate scientists to Macron’s initiative. So they teamed up and While Derry is excited about 2018 on the late Professor Emeritus Art group continue research on the Bill White edited the first volume France and fund their research with put together a proposal. the opportunities the new project Bloom's recently published book, "Gorges stratospheric polar vortex and stratospheric of the Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences $70 million in three- to five-year grants. “These ideas were percolating for will create—such as promoting the History: Landscapes and Geology of the anticyclones, and their relationship to cold- series, Encyclopedia of Geochemistry: A On Dec. 11, Macron unveiled the first a while,” said Derry, who plans to step international exchange of researchers and Finger Lakes Region." air outbreaks at the earth's surface. Comprehensive Reference Source on the round of recipients. Among the initial down as director of the NSF-CZ in the bridging French and U.S. programs—he acknowledges it will be a challenge to Lou Derry was one of the initial Sara C. Pryor was awarded the Chemistry of the Earth, published by 18 scientists selected—13 of whom are spring. juggle his various commitments. He 18 scientists selected by French President 2018 CALS Research and Extension Springer in August 2018. American—is Louis Derry, professor of The new project will use isotopic anticipates spending his fall semester Emmanuel Macron in December 2017 for Award for Outstanding Accomplishments White also gave two seminars on earth and atmospheric sciences in the tracers to study how the chemistry of teaching and running his lab at Cornell, the program, "Make Our Planet Great in Research. She is recognized for her mantle geochemistry in the State Key College of Engineering and faculty fellow streams is controlled, and how it varies then living and working in Paris the other Again." See the Cornell Chronicle article work in monitoring wind turbines using Laboratory of Isotope Geochemistry at with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a with rainfall and the creation of new half of the year. But it is the current state of about this on the next page. seismometers. The value and relevance the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry Sustainable Future. pathways. Ultimately, the four-year, 1.5 research funding in the U.S. that has him Derry has presented several public of Pryor's research is also reflected in her of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, “Usually people don’t pay too much million euro grant will help researchers truly worried. presentations through 2018 including one contributions to international debates on Guangzhou, China, and also participated attention to what people like me do,” better model and predict the ways “The uncertainty and chaos in the to the Climate Change Awareness and renewable energy and climate change. in field work in the Qinling Mountains in Derry said, “And I think the visibility it water systems respond to changes in Central China in June 2018. gives us in this field is good.” precipitation caused by an increasingly funding and budgeting process through Action citizen group, Syracuse, NY: “The Suzanne Mahlburg Kay is the In October 2017, White was the invited The field, for Derry, is “critical erratic climate. This has long been a Congress is a significant problem,” he Climate of Climate Science on Two sides of recipient of the Herbert Thomas Award speaker of the University of Kerala, India's zone” science, which refers to the study “black box” problem for researchers, who said. “You can’t just turn off these kinds the Same Ocean." from the Geological Society of Chile. The Department of Geology's erudite scholar- of the Earth’s outer layer of skin—from lacked the computational tools needed as of research efforts and then turn them Derry also built and successfully award is given at each Chilean Geologic in-residence lecture series. the bottom of groundwater to the tops well as the ability to make the necessary back on again. You lose the people, the tested a low-cost atmospheric CO2 Congress, held triennially, to a foreigner of trees—where water, atmosphere, high-precision measurements, according expertise, the infrastructure, the data monitor for outdoor environmental who has worked with Chilean colleagues Dan Wilks authored and edited ecosystems, soil and rock all meet. Derry’s to Derry. Now the technology is available. streams.” applications at Cayuga Nature Center. in making major contributions to the a newly published book, Statistical research focuses on the intersection of And thanks to Marcon’s program, so is the “This is particularly a problem for He is currently helping to develop geology of Chile and contributed to the Postprocessing of Ensemble Forecasts. Wilks geochemistry and hydrology, specifically funding. young scientists because they’re trying educational activities to use this and other training of young geologists. The award became an emeritus professor upon his the kinds of chemical processes that occur Derry is currently involved with a to start a career. They can’t afford to wait environmental monitoring data with the will be presented during the XV Congreso retirement in July of 2018. in a natural system. By developing new number of projects at Cornell, from NSF- a year or two for the funding situation staff at the Cayuga Nature Center and Geológico Chileno (Chilean Geologic Dr. Jasper F. Kok, former tracers that provide a chemical or isotopic funded research that studies the chemistry to clarify. If we don’t do something, Paleontological Research Institution. They Congress) on Nov. 19, 2018, in Conception postdoctoral associate with Professor fingerprint of a particular kind of reaction of silicon and aluminum in streams, to an this is going to have a long-term impact will make designs, parts lists and software Chile. Previous recipients with Cornell Natalie Mahowald, has received the or source, he gains insight into the reaction interdisciplinary collaboration with the on science and engineering, and other publically available, and will seek funding connections include John Hunt who American Meteorological Society 2019 mechanisms and ultimately the ways SRI-Rice program and Matt Reid, assistant disciplines as well,” he said. “One of to distribute these to high school science received a B.S. from Cornell in the early Henry G. Houghton Early Career water is moving through the system. professor in civil and environmental the reasons why the French grant was programs. 1950’s and is famous for his work on Award for novel approaches to studying “There are 90 elements in the periodic engineering, that examines arsenic in attractive is it insulates me from that a bit. Andean copper deposits, and Dr. Charles Chuck Greene was elected to a the physics of dust emissions into the table, there’s a lot of things to play with,” rice and water and was funded by the I’m lucky to be in this situation, but most Stern (University of Colorado) who was a three-year term (2018) as the representative atmosphere and the interactions of dust Derry said. “We’re measuring things at the Atkinson Center, where Reid is also a people aren’t. I just happened to be in the visiting professor at Cornell around 1978. for biological oceanography on The aerosols with Earth's climate system and part-per-trillion level. It’s not easy to do faculty fellow. right time and the right place.” On Nov. 6, 2018, Mahlburg Kay Oceanography Society Council. beyond. that. Or let’s say it’s easy to screw it up in “I tell my graduate students all the David Nutt is managing editor at the gave a talk in the all-invited Geological Throughout 2018, Greene presented the process. It’s not hard to get it wrong.” time that in order to work in these areas Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future.

8 | EAS NEWS 9 | EAS NEWS EARTH SOURCE HEAT

T-REX SHAKES AND CALIBRATES As part of the Earth Source Heat project, 400 Woods Road at full power to calibrate several of ornell University is currently affectionately known as T-Rex, injected seismic exploration methods and analysis seismograph nodes were deployed on and the seismographs, including two that are at local exploring the feasibility low-frequency vibratory signals in the of distant earthquakes that may also be around campus in September 2018. A vibroseis high schools and one at the School of Veterinary of Earth Source Heat, our ground over several seconds at regular recorded. Additional seismographs were truck, dubbed “T-Rex,” shook along McGowan Medicine. version of an enhanced intervals. The nodes then recorded the placed around the Cornell campus and geothermal system that could acoustic reflections from various rock in the Ithaca Valley to calibrate the local potentiallyC meet the heating challenges formations. These signals can then be ground response to seismic waves in the on our Ithaca campus without the use of used to produce a seismic image which future. fossil fuels. The project is being led by the should reveal critical details about the Other Cornell faculty are part of the College of Engineering with support from subsurface conditions. Data from these Earth Source Heat project. On May 17, Facilities and Campus Services. instruments are now being processed at 2018, Associate Professor Katie Keranen Professor Larry Brown has secured Cornell. Recent Cornell graduate Daniel was a featured panelist at a public funding to perform active seismic May '18 who directed the deployment of forum hosted by Cornell along with surveys essential to the critical task of the instruments, will now lead the team Lance Collins, the Joseph Silbert Dean of understanding rock formations beneath that is processing the collected data for Engineering, Jefferson Tester, the Croll the campus. His research is based on the subsequent interpretation. Professor of Sustainable Energy Systems vibroseis method, in which a large shaking The project is a not only a living and chief scientist for Earth Source Heat, truck generates sound waves in the ground laboratory for seismic research, it has Tony Ingraffea, professor emeritus of whose echoes from subsurface features been augmented to engage Cornell with civil and environmental engineering, were recorded by approximately 400 small students at Ithaca High School and Dryden and Todd Cowen, professor of civil and self-recording geophones (nodes) along High School, by establishing seismic environmental engineering and faculty designated routes. recording stations at those schools. Those director for energy at the Atkinson Center The vibroseis truck, obtained from stations will help students learn more for a Sustainable Future. the University of Texas at Austin and about both Earth Source Heating as well as

Daniel May installing a nodal recorder in Stewart May retrieving nodes following the vibroseis surveys The seismograph stations installed at Ithaca High Park to calibrate ground response in Ithaca Valley to near possible ESH drilling locations. School to record the vibroseis waves as well as seismic wave. distance earthquakes to quantify ground response in Ithaca Valley. Professor Larry Brown observes May's work while holding an umbrella to protect them from the elements. Tasnuva (Ming) Khan '18, stands with Andrew Valentine, a technician from University of Texas at Austin responsible for the operation of T-Rex.

10 | EAS NEWS 11 | EAS NEWS EARTH SOURCE HEAT

GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL ANALYSES AND STUDENT LEARNING IN Ithaca are poorly documented, yet vitally important PREPARATION FOR A POSSIBLE GEOTHERMAL PILOT WELL AT CORNELL to the design of a geothermal heat extraction program. Key unanswered questions are the Professor Teresa Jordan is involved in a collaborative Working closely with Jordan are civil and environmental nature and spacing of natural fracture sets, the research and technical effort to utilize heat stored in the Earth’s engineering Ph.D. candidate Jared Smith and geological sciences thermal conductivity and heat generation capacity crust in an unconventional manner—to heat a university M.S. student researcher Jood Al Aswad. Sponsored by DOE, of the metamorphic lithologies, the mechanical community rather than to produce electricity. The collaborative the team is investigating two geological target zones, one in properties of the rocks, and the mineralogy that team of engineers, facilities staff, geologists, geophysicists, and Ordovician sedimentary rocks at around 2,300 m (7,500 ft.) may be involved in rock-water reactions if hot brine water scientists are moving forward the Earth Source Heat (ESH) depth, and the other in metamorphic rocks at more than 3,000 m circulates through a geothermal reservoir. Two project, which aims to warm Cornell University’s Ithaca campus (9,800 ft.) depth. Al Aswad, whose degree program is sponsored summers ago, Ben Valentino (M.S. ’16) conducted using geothermal heat harvested from several kilometers depth. by the King Abdullah Scholarship Program, is characterizing petrographic analysis of the sparse samples that exist To extract geothermal heat requires mastering a complex system the Cambrian units in the intervening zone (target 3 in the of the metamorphic basement rocks, using samples of natural and engineered components, and to utilize that energy illustration), which also may have suitable reservoir properties. collected in the deep gas exploration wells. During as efficiently as possible for a campus community is itself a Engineers on the project are applying reservoir models to the last year, Jordan has been working with Smith, complex system problem. simulate the amount of heat that can be extracted from those Al Aswad, Cornell facilities full time employee Currently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is rocks and delivered to Cornell’s heat distribution system. Olaf Gustafson, and Tasnuva Ming Khan ’18 to sponsoring five projects nationally to examine the feasibility The team is also investigating various combinations of extract information from the metamorphic basement of “Deep Direct-Use” (DDU) district heating and cooling. The geothermally supplied heat flux and campus heat distribution exposed in the Adirondack Mountains that may DOE’s DDU program fits very well with Cornell’s Earth Source system design, to learn what options are possible to meet provide insight to Ithaca’s basement. This group Heat project, and Jordan is the co-principal Investigator of a Cornell’s goal of heating without fossil fuels. Ultimately, the has examined in the field the natural fracture sets DOE-sponsored team that is led by chemical and biomolecular pieces will come together in an economic analysis, and as well of the metamorphic rocks in the Adirondacks. With engineering professor Jefferson Tester. The project uses legacy as in comparisons of the environmental and social values of the the assistance of Emeritus Professor Bryan Isacks data sets from oil, gas and water boreholes to investigate plausible Earth Source Heat geological and distribution system and Professor Rick Allmendinger, Khan is mapping temperatures of the rock at depth and the likelihood of natural options. fractures using very high resolution topographic data flow of fluids through the rocks. Below the sedimentary rocks, the basement rocks below for parts of the Adirondack High Peaks area. EARTH ENERGY EDUCATION During the spring 2018 semester, EAS Planning, Biology, and four engineering Source Heat to existing direct-use offered an undergraduate course dedicated fields: chemical, biological/environmental, community heating projects else- to Earth Source Heat, titled Addressing En- civil/environmental, and mechanical and where. ergy Needs with Earth Source Heat: Sub- aerospace. • Describe several simple experiments surface Characterization at Cornell. This Pritchard and Jordan developed the that can be conducted using geo- one credit course met three times a week course content to achieve the following physical remote sensing and/or a for one month. Professor Matt Pritchard learning outcomes: pilot borehole, and how the results was the lead organizer for this course, would enable answering key research • Communicate to peers and the general with significant back-up from Professor questions. public the reasons that geothermal Terry Jordan. Also contributing content to energy plays an important role in Although faculty and staff expertise to the course were CBE Professor Jeff Tester, Cornell’s plan to achieve carbon cover these objectives was readily avail- and Cornell Facilities staff professionals neutrality. able, selecting written materials for the Steve Beyers and Ole Gustafson. Fourteen • Articulate in words and diagrams the novel content and suitable to the broad students completed the course, at ranks physical underpinnings for a source range of skills and expertise among the that ranged from freshman to the Master of of geothermal heat in the subsurface students was a challenge. Consequently, Engineering professional degree program, below Cornell. the capstone activity for the students was, T. Pasquini photo Pasquini T. to the Master of Science program. The stu- • Compare and contrast Cornell’s aspi- as a collaborative group, to compose and dents’ departmental affiliations were even Pictured left to right: Jared Smith (Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate student), Olaf Gustafson (Cornell facilities staff geologist), Professor Teresa Jordan ration for campus heating via Earth illustrate a “textbook” for future versions and geological sciences graduate student, Jood Al Aswad on field trip to examine fractures in the metamorphic rocks of northern New York state. broader, spanning EAS, City & Regional of the course.

12 | EAS NEWS 13 | EAS NEWS REMOTE SENSING

correct slope to carry a given amount of water,” she said. “Now, one of the major aqueducts in that area is bowed and can't deliver as much water. It’s been a huge engineering nightmare.” Groundwater—as an agricultural and municipal resource—is incredibly important to Groundwater loss prompts more communities in central California and elsewhere. Said Lohman: “The subsidence we see is a sign California land sinking of how much the groundwater is being depleted. By Blaine Friedlander | Cornell Chronicle Eventually, the water quality and cost of extracting Kevin Laubacker/Brand Communications it could get to the point where it is effectively no longer available.” Kyle Murray and Rowena Lohman atmospheric sciences, examined satellite Fresno and Visalia border the Tulare examined the southern portion of imagery of the San Joaquin Valley. This Basin to the north, with Bakersfield to the Funding for this research was provided by NASA. California's Central Valley. They found region, like many others in the western south. About 250 agricultural products Graphics credit: Murray and Lohman. that in spite of heavy rains in early 2017, United States, faces ongoing groundwater grow there with an estimated value of groundwater extraction for agriculture and extraction, happening faster than it can be $17 billion annually, according to the U.S. human use leads to a continual sinking of replenished. Their research, “Short-lived Geological Survey. The valley holds about land, as seen from satellites. Pause in Central California Subsidence 75 percent of the California’s irrigated Despite higher-than-normal amounts After Heavy Winter Precipitation of 2017,” agricultural land and supplies 8 percent of of rain in early 2017, the large agricultural was published Aug. 29 in Science Advances. the United States’ agricultural output. and metropolitan communities that rely About 80 percent of groundwater “The California water problem has on groundwater in central California usage in California is agricultural. In been examined from different angles experienced only a short respite from an the farming region of the Tulare Basin in the past decades. This is one piece of ongoing drought. in central California, growers have been that,” said Lohman. “In this research, we When the rain stopped, drought extracting groundwater for more than observed 50 centimeters of subsidence conditions returned and the ground has a century, said the researchers. Winter during the drought, and then heavy continued to sink, by up to a half-meter rains in the valley and snowmelt from rains and snowfall over several months annually, according to a new Cornell study the surrounding mountains replenish the in the spring occurred and subsidence in Science Advances. groundwater annually to some extent, but slowed down. Six months after the “With the heavy storms in early drought has parched the valley since 2011. rain—in summer, 2017—we observed that 2017, Californians were hopeful that the Between 1962 and 2011, previous subsidence rates are again approaching drought was over,” said Kyle Murray, a studies had found that the average volume their previous high levels. It was business Cornell doctoral candidate in the field of of groundwater depletion each year was as usual.” geophysics. “There was a pause in land at least a half cubic-mile. Using satellite- As an engineering problem, subsidence over a large area, and even based measurements between 2012 subsidence damages infrastructure, causes uplift of the land in some areas. But by and 2016, depletion of the Tulare Basin roads to crack and give rise to sinkholes— early summer the subsidence continued groundwater volume was estimated at 10 expensive problems to fix, said Lohman. at a similar rate we observed during the miles cubed, which is comparable to five “One of the places where it really matters drought.” times the water volume of Cayuga Lake in California is the aqueduct system Murray and Rowena Lohman, (in the New York’s Finger Lakes region) in that brings water to the region. They’re Cornell associate professor in earth and that period of time. engineered very carefully to have the

14 | EAS NEWS 15 | EAS NEWS STEREONET

Though well-known for his geological research, several tens of thousands of scientists and students, in fields diverse as planetary science, archeology, anthropology, geotechnical engineering, and even entomology, know Professor Rick Allmendinger for his user-friendly software. He is helping to lead the digital revolution in field data collection using smart phones and employing real time geometric constraints to improve geologic mapping. And, you can give his apps a spin for free.

tructural geology is all about geometry: documenting the current shape and orientation of various deformation features and then deconstructing them back to their initial conditions. These tasks lend themselves to Smathematical rigor and automation via computing. As a Cornell undergraduate in the early 1970s, immediately after the move of the Geological Sciences Department to Cornell Engineering, Rick Allmendinger was encouraged to take not one but two computer science classes. Back then, computing was not the user-friendly activity that it is today: code was recorded on punch cards and heaven forbid you slip and drop your box of cards on an icy Libe Slope! Nonetheless, taking those two courses more than 40 years ago, along with using the program to show the orientation of larval nests. to noise ratio. “Following the Pisagua earthquake in 2014, we a lot of cool science in between, eventually contributed to Today, however, Allmendinger is most excited about collected about 3,700 measurements of coseismic cracks with Allmendinger becoming one of the best-known structural two related applications: extracting quantitative information iPhones in just 12 days of field work, something that would geologists of his generation. from geological maps and using mobile devices to capture have been impossible with traditional Bruntons.” Two other “My professional career began with the advent of data in the field. The old graphical methods of extracting mobile apps facilitate field collection of fault-slip data and personal computers and has continued through the dawn of data from geological maps are so slow and tedious that maps stratigraphic section data. mobile devices,” said Allmendinger. “Just to accomplish our are very underutilized. “I wrote a program a few years ago “Of course, as a scientist, you want to be known for your own research, we had to write our own programs because to facilitate the extraction of stratigraphic map thicknesses science contributions and I think my publication record bears there was nothing available. It turns out that those programs because we wanted to factor that uncertainty into balanced that out,” said Allmendinger. “However, my software has were of interest to a large number of other scientists as well.” cross-section shortening estimates,” said Allmendinger. reached a vastly larger audience and that, too, is gratifying.” Allmendinger is the author of a suite of major programs GMDE (Geologic Map Data Extractor) now does a and numerous utility apps that are available for Macintosh, host of other calculations as well and is a primary vehicle Check out his programs at: http://www.geo.cornell. Windows, and Linux platforms. Today, his various download that Allmendinger uses in his structural geology teaching. edu/geology/faculty/RWA/program web pages get more than 58,000 hits per year. The programs The program makes it easy to extract XYZ data from a map are free and employ modern, user friendly interfaces that for the students to use in their calculations and then check encourage deep exploration of data sets. Because all of the their answers against that which the program provides. programs were developed by a practicing field structural Allmendinger’s 2012 book, "Structural Geology Algorithms," geologist, they are intuitively designed for, and appeal to, documents his code and has already accrued nearly 500 other field geologists. citations. His most popular program, Stereonet, was one of Mobile devices are the future of field work, according the first such programs available anywhere for personal to Allmendinger. “Few geologists realize how many highly computers and today accounts for more than half of the accurate sensors are packed into the smartphone that they total downloads. “Back when I first developed it in the carry around in their pocket,” said Allmendinger, who now mid-1980s, personal computers were so slow that you could has three apps available in the iOS app store. literally watch the display draw a great circle segment by Stereonet Mobile not only displays strikes and dips segment,” said Allmendinger. Stereonet has now found uses but can also be used to collect orientation data instead of a far beyond structural geology: archeologists use it to plot Brunton Compass. Field data collection is about an order of the orientations of artifacts, geotechnical engineers use if for magnitude faster with a smartphone than with a traditional slope stability evaluation, planetary scientists display their analog compass, meaning that the field geologist can begin App: Stereoone spatial measurements, and an entomologist even reported to enjoy the benefits of data redundancy and increased signal Rick Allmendinger takes measurements using his mobile app.

16 | EAS NEWS 17 | EAS NEWS STUDENT NEWS o

observatory in the world. At Cornell, he was STUDENT AWARDS AND HONORS part of the earthquake prediction program in Vanuatu, helped developed the highest reso- Doyeon (DK) Kim Ph.D. '18 (Brown), (OSPP) Award at the European Geosciences states using oil and gas well logs. lution instruments of the time (e.g. oscillatory now a postdoctoral associate in EAS, Union General Assembly 2018 in Vienna Sage Mitchell (Greene) spent the equipment), and lead many projects exploring received a 2018 Student Presentation Austria. Only one out of 33 students receive spring 2018 semester as a teaching assistant new instrumentation methods for geophysics. Award from the Seismological Society this award. His presentation was titled, with the CORALS program in Friday George Hades' interview can be seen on You- of America for his presentation, "High "Impact of different crustal elastic models Harbor, Washington. Tube: youtu.be/YN_NPGeO6DE Resolution Imagine of the Plate Interface on interpreting regional GIA deformation Anant Hariharan '18 received in Central Alaskan Subduction Zone Using in southeast Alaska." Co-authors were Sam a National Science Foundation (NSF) Autocorrelation with Local Earthquakes." Kachuck Ph.D. '18 (Cathles) and Professor Graduate Research Fellowship Program Kim was mentored by Professors Katie Matt Pritchard. (GRFP) award for his research in the field BARAZANGI Keranen, Geoff Abers and Larry Brown. Marc Alessi '18 (DeGaetano and of seismology. Only 2,000 students received Burgi introduced Barazangi by saying, "Mua- wia Barazangi, a seismologist who created the Jansen Smith, Ph.D. '18 (Dietl) was Ault) received the 2018 Father James B. the NSF fellowship awards out of over first global map of seismicity, discovered the co-author of a highly publicized paper with Macelwane annual award in meteorology 12,000 applicants. Technician and storyteller extraordinaire, George Hade, surrounded by the graduate students back-arc seismic anomaly, discovered in- attending his talk. Students clockwise: Alida Perez-Fodich, Dana Peterson, Katie Grant, Nate Greg Dietl, adjunct associate professor in from the American Meteorological Society Alida Perez Fodich (Derry) and Stevens, Kyle Murray, Doyeon Kim, Patricia MacQueen, Aristides Alfaro, Whyjay Zheng, Casey Root, traplate seismicity in California, and so much EAS and curator of Cenzoic invertebrates for his honors thesis, "Identifying a Soil Kyle Murray (Lohman) are featured Andres Aguirre, Michael Mann, Paul Morgan more. Muawia is originally from Syria, and at the Paleontological Research Institution Moisture-Rainfall Feedback in the 2016 students on Cornell Engineering's Ph.D. traveled to the USA for his bachelor's degree (PRI) in Ithaca, and John Handley, a New York Summer Drought." spotlight section of their website. at University of Minnesota in the 1960s. He research associate at PRI and a scientist Tasnuva "Ming" Khan '18 Whyjay Zheng (Pritchard) produced then went to Lamont Observatory at Columbia with the University of Rochester's Goergen (Allmon) stayed on after graduation to a popular YouTube time-lapse video on the University for his Ph.D., subsequently moving Institute for Data Science. The title of their work on Cornell's Earth Source Heat collapsing Vavilov Ice Cap in the Russian to Cornell University and becoming full pro- work is "Effects of Dams on Downstream project. Khan has multiple lab and field High Arctic. The article that it complements fessor. Muawia enjoys practical jokes, classical Molluscan Predator-Prey Interactions in based assignments. In particular, her was published in Earth and Planetary Science music, and feeding hungry graduate stu- Letters the Colorado River Estuary," and was research involves identifying lateral mass . The paper whose first author dents." His video can be viewed on YouTube: published in the Proceedings of the Royal discontinuities using gravity methods; the is Mike Willis, former postdoc of Matt youtu.be/f7F8__RJeGs Society B, May 30, 2018. orientation of fractures in the crystalline Pritchard, "Unprecedented Ice Loss in Joey Durkin (Jordan) was selected for basement using digital elevation models Russian Ice Cap," shows how quickly cold an Outstanding Student Poster and PICO of the Adirondacks as a proxy; and stress glaciers can change speed and lose mass. KARIG Dan Karig is described by Burgi as "a marine geophysicist, experimentalist, world-class Emeritus professor and caretaker of Snee Hall, Muawia Barazangi with the graduate students SGO OUTREACH athlete, and more! Karig did his master's work who attended his talk. Students clockwise: Alida Perez Fodich, Kyle Murray, Lester Olivares, Kevin at Colorado School of Mines, and moved to Reath, Michael Mann, Whyjay Zheng, Patricia MacQueen, Kayla Crosbie, Roque Soto Castaneda, Jinyi Li, Paul Morgan, Katie Grant, Charlotte Devitre, Dana Peterson, Irene del Real Contreras he EAS Student Graduate Organization (SGO) organized interviews of Snee Hall's exemplary Scripps Oceanographic Institute for his Ph.D. technician, George Hade, and Emeritus Professors Muawia Barazangi and Dan Karig for posterity. While there (~1970), he made the major discov- The willing subjects shared a wealth of knowledge and history. The students recorded the sessions ery of back-arc basins, which was a huge ad- T which can be viewed on YouTube, courtesy SGO's president, Paula Burgi. Other officers of SGO are vance in the understanding of plate tectonics. vice president and treasurer, Dana Peterson, GPSA representative, Kyle Murray, faculty liaison, Alida Perez Dan went on to become a professor at Cornell Fodich, and member at large, Andrés Aguirre. University, continuing his research in back Paula Burgi and fore-arc basins and other problems in tectonics. After retirement, he became a world HADE champion cross country skier and marathon George Hade is described by Paula and worked for a short stint as an engineer Columbia University. He worked there canoer. He is still active in research pertaining Burgi as "an instrument engineer who for drag racers. After running into an old until 1972, before moving to Cornell where to the local (upstate New York) glacial history. worked in the golden years of plate tecton- friend who invited him to New York City, he has worked until now." View his recorded interview: ic theory." As a brief biography, she added, George enrolled in engineering classes While at Lamont, he helped develop youtu.be/TAZ08IBsNDs "George Hade was born and raised in New at NYU and a local night school in New high-gain broad band systems, assisted Jersey. After high school, he worked a Jersey, completing his education in 1956. with the Fiji/Tonga seismic station deploy- few odd jobs and then joined the navy in As fortune had it, he answered an ad in the ment (essential to the development of plate Emeritus professor and dedicated educator of geological sciences, Dan Karig, standing amongst 1948. He worked as a naval aviation flight newspaper for a instrumentation designer tectonics theory), and helped establish attendees of his talk. Students clockwise: Alida Perez Fodich, Paul Morgan, Dana Peterson, Doyeon Kim, Kyle Murray, Andres Aguirre, Whyjay Zheng, Casey Root, Irene del Real Contreras engineer for 4 years. He then left the Navy, and engineer at Lamont Observatory at the largest underground geophysical

18 | EAS NEWS 19 | EAS NEWS SAVING THE RIGHT WHALES ALUMNI PROFILE

FUTURE OF RIGHT WHALES DEPENDS SAMSON HAGOS '08 Samson Hagos received his M.S./Ph.D. in atmospheric sci-

ON ADAPTIVE CONSERVATION POLICIES ences from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 2008 By Blaine Friedlander | Cornell Chronicle under the advisorship of Kerry Cook. Hagos came to Cornell Humanity may forfeit the chance small, highly endangered population over 2,500 pounds of plankton daily, after earning a bachelor's degree in physics from the University to save North Atlantic right whales cannot sustain elevated mortality rates but the southern distributional range of Asmara in his home country of Eritrea. Hagos is employed from extinction if new international for long. of their preferred prey species may by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) where he conservation policies are not drawn Studies from 1980 to 2012 showed be shifting northward with warming is an earth systems analysis and modeling scientist. Following up and implemented quickly, accord- that the right whale population was ocean temperatures. Cornell graduation and prior to joining PNNL, Hagos spent ing to a new Cornell study in the June gradually increasing. More recent The scientists also suggest: two years as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Mi- 2018 issue of Oceanography. population models, which include increasing vessel-based, aerial and ami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. Following a dramatic northward demographic data through 2015, in- passive-acoustic monitoring; examin- Hagos chose Cornell for his studies because he felt that shift in the whales’ territory, scientists dicate that the right whale population ing the management area strategies Cornell was an excellent school with a lot of resources. He says, last summer confirmed the deaths of has entered a period of decline, Mey- for fisheries and shipping channels in "the atmospheric science graduate program was particularly at least 17 right whales primarily in er-Gutbrod said. the Gulf of St. Lawrence this summer; attractive for it allows the student to design their academic pro- Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence. This Marine experts know most, if not testing fishing gear modifications gram based on their background and interests. It also provides range shift brought right whales into all, of the whales by name or number. to reduce entanglement risks; and opportunity to interact with prominent faculty members not areas unprotected by policies meant Researchers observed only five North finding ways to minimize the overlap only in the atmospheric sciences, but also in related fields such to reduce ship strikes and fishing gear Atlantic right whale calf births in between sojourning whales and fish- as planetary sciences, fluid mechanics and applied mathemat- entanglements. spring 2017, and zero births in spring ing gear in space and time. ics." Hagos was really interested in understanding complex “The 2017 Gulf of St. Lawrence 2018. If the dramatic increase in right “The mounting pressure from a systems and in solving physics and mathematical problems, so emergency management action was whale mortality rates observed last warming and increasingly acidified Cornell's atmospheric science program gave him a unique op- Samson Hagos informed by the temporary, near year persists, the population will ocean requires timely implementation real-time right whale search effort, but decline to extinction in 30 to 35 years, of adaptive conservation and man- and under her tutelage, was able to publish his findings. these rapid-response measures were Meyer-Gutbrod said. agement policies to protect ocean eco- While at Cornell, Hagos' graduate work was on regional arduous and expensive,” said Erin Canadian government agency systems and their living inhabitants,” climate modeling. For his Ph.D. thesis, he developed a regional L. Meyer-Gutbrod, Ph.D. ’16, now a Fisheries and Oceans Canada has an said Greene. mixed layer ocean model and coupled it with an atmospheric postdoctoral scholar at the University updated 2018 plan to protect right Added Meyer-Gutbrod: “As it has model. He also worked on problems related to the onset of the of California, Santa Barbara, who whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence by in the past, the fate of this iconic spe- West African monsoon and on the causes of the Sahel droughts co-authored the study with Charles including mandatory speed reductions cies—and the ecosystem upon which of the last decades of the 20th century (which he experienced Greene, Cornell professor of earth and for vessels greater than 20 meters (65.5 it depends and contributes—will be firsthand growing up in Eritrea). atmospheric sciences, and Kimberley feet) long, closing snow crab fisheries determined by policy decisions.” Hagos’ current research interests are focused on under- Davies, Dalhousie University postdoc- early to prevent equipment entangle- standing and modeling of precipitation processes over a wide toral fellow. ment, and creating areas where no Meyer-Gutbrod was funded by Cor- range of spatiotemporal scales, from the life-cycles of individu- “We are now challenged to devel- snow crab or lobster harvesting gear is nell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable al convective cells, to tropical intra-seasonal oscillations, atmo- op a program that combines scientific permitted. Future and by the National Defense spheric rivers and monsoon systems as well as their responses effort and conservation policy that is Additionally, the scientists sug- Science and Engineering Graduate to global climate change. sustainable and adaptive,” said Mey- gest restoring the now-defunct Contin- Fellowship Program of the Department The American Meteorological Society has recognized er-Gutbrod. uous Plankton Recorder Survey proof Defense. Greene was supported by the Hagos with a 2019 award for his outstanding work. For novel The North Atlantic right whale gram in the Gulf of Maine to monitor Atkinson Center and the Office of Naval use of observations, theory, and modeling to advance under- population currently hovers around prey conditions for the right whales in Research. standing of tropical convection and its interactions with the 500 animals, with about 20 percent their traditional foraging areas. Right large-scale circulation, Hagos has received the 2019 Clarence being reproductive females. This whales typically need to consume portunity to use his interests and aptitude to work on problems Leroy Meisinger Early Career Award. that are not only technically challenging, but also are of utmost Hagos hopes to "contribute my small part to help make societal importance and urgency. While at Cornell, Hagos ben- this earth a great home for us, our children and grandchildren efitted from the guidance of his advisor, Professor Kerry Cook, by continuing to be part of the global scientific enterprise."

20 | EAS NEWS 21 | EAS NEWS ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS EAS ALUMNI: THEN AND NOW

Jase Bernhardt, B.S. '12, Atmospheric Science, students for any questions regarding his classes, about forecasting Director of Meteorology at ClimaCell, Agriculture and Life Sciences. the weather, about possible career paths and anything at all in life. While at Cornell: Performed research at the North- Currently: Employed at WSTM NBC3 in Syracuse where he started Daniel Rothenberg '11 east Regional Climate Center all 4 years under the right after graduation. direction of Regional Climatologist Keith Eggleston For fun: Peter enjoys cooking, playing drums/guitars, and listening "I knew pretty early on that I courses of study, too—and there was and digitized historical climate data; analyzed east to music. wanted to study meteorology in college; always ample opportunity to bring that coast winter storm climatology with Professor Art DeGaetano. I had spent some time in High School knowledge back home and apply it to EAS Currently: Assistant professor at Hofstra University on Long Stephen Hudson, B.S. '00, Atmospheric Science, volunteering at the National Weather work in some way, shape or form. Island, on the tenure-track. Agriculture and Life Sciences. Service Weather Forecast Office in I immediately attended MIT for For fun: Jase loves running, lifting weights, watching the New While at Cornell: Interest was mainly in Arctic and Antarctic climate. Stephen enjoyed the com- Louisville, KY, and was a huge weather graduate school after Cornell. There, I York Mets and traveling. Jase is attempting to reach each Major munity that seemed to naturally form among the nerd. The biggest open question, though, went straight into the Ph.D. program League Baseball stadium and each state capitol building. He's visited 26 of each of these already! fairly small group of atmospheric science majors and developed was what I actually wanted to do with in atmospheric science, working on good relationships with the instructors as well. my degree in atmospheric science. I problems relating to aerosols in the climate Louis Caiola, B.S. '17, Science of Earth Systems, Currently: Research scientist at the Norwegian Polar Institute in gambled that working hard in my major system. My advisor didn’t have a set, Engineering; M.Eng. '18 (Energy Economics and Tromso, Norway. and supplementing with rigorous math, mandatory project for me to work on, but Engineering) For fun: Stephen likes travelling and scuba diving, being outside, physics, and computer science courses we developed a very prescient project While at Cornell: Studied subsurface energy recov- reading and brewing beer (or find good breweries while travelling. would help me find my way as I worked which used sophisticated new modeling ery and sedimentary rock characterization. Enjoyed Daniel Rothenberg Garrett Koehler, B.S. '12, Atmospheric Science, through college. techniques to build parameterizations for the close-knit community, specialized modules, and the opportunity for field study abroad. EAS allowed the most Agriculture and Life Sciences. At Cornell and as an undergraduate, climate models which we hoped would work balance.” It’s easy at a place like flexibility in pursuing energy industry interests with the ability to While at Cornell: For a short period of time, improve our ability to study the aerosol Cornell to lose yourself in your studies I didn’t have a really well-developed idea study and research energy and mineral resources in conjunction conducted undergraduate research with Professor of what research interested me until quite indirect effect on climate. and your work. Don't. Always make time with a core engineering curriculum. Natalie Mahowald. The opportunity to work with late. However, I knew that I wanted to fuse I’m an avid violinist, and still to cultivate your hobbies and interests, Currently: Deep-water production engineering at Shell Oil in New such a renowned professor as an undergraduate two different interests—computer science enjoy playing in numerous orchestras and be sure to stay in touch with your Orleans supporting Gulf of Mexico assets. highlights the immense opportunities that undergraduates have. Currently: Air quality consultant, primarily conducting air dis- and atmospheric science. Naturally, and chamber ensembles. Since moving friends or social scene. As wonderful as For fun: Louis enjoys fishing and surfing. More recently, Louis has persion modeling for clients in the petroleum refining, chemical something involving atmospheric or to the private sector I’ve had to scale meteorology and EAS are, there is much been really enjoying exploring New Orleans culture. manufacturing, roofing and asphalt, and IT data center industries. climate modeling was a good fit for joining back considerably, but nothing feels as more to life than sitting in Mann library John Cintineo, B.S. '09, Atmospheric Science, Agri- For fun: Garrett enjoys spending time outdoors. In the summer these two interests. Professor Natalie rewarding as picking up the violin after cramming for your dynamics mid-term culture and Life Sciences. Garrett spends time on the lake with family and friends; in the Mahowald started teaching during my pouring over two decades of study into it. every night. Go randomly grab a bite at While at Cornell: The tight-knit community of winter he is an avid waterfowl hunter. first year, and once I learned about her Beyond my music, I spend a lot of one of the spots on the Commons, and say faculty and students was indispensable for rigorous, Maureen McCann, B.S. '02, Atmospheric Science, background and research interests, and time working on side projects involving “hi” to a stranger. Check out what’s going open inquiry and personal growth. Studied severe Agriculture and Life Sciences. cool technologies and computational on at Ithaca College. Make a short road- thunderstorms, hurricanes and snowstorms. John how they involved numerical modeling, While at Cornell: Broadcasting focus by participat- I approached her about research problems. Nowadays, with the trip to hike up Watkins Glen. If you’re grew up on a flower farm, always tracking the weather. Currently: Research meteorologist, Space Science and Engineering ing in the local student television station at Ithaca opportunities. I ended up working on democratization of compute resources and into it, check out a concert in Syracuse Center/Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, College. a multi-disciplinary project involving their availability on the cloud, anyone can or Rochester— the Cornell Concert University of Wisconsin-Madison Currently: Broadcast meteorologist at Spectrum biogeochemistry and climate. set up an high performance computing Commission brings awesome shows to For fun: John likes serving his community church and playing News 13 in Orlando, Florida since 2013; graduate student focusing EAS provided a very well-rounded system on the cheap. I continue some of campus, but check out your favorite band with his kids. on emergency management and geographic information systems at STEM education. The comprehensive my research, but spend just as much time in an unfamiliar environment. Join a University of Central Florida. In addition to her role as a morning exposure to topics across math and science looking at ways to apply AI and machine totally random club just for the sake of it. Adam Epstein, B.S. '14, Atmospheric Science, Agri- meteorologist, Maureen serves as the Commissioner on Profession- culture and Life Sciences. al Affairs for the American Meteorology Society. really prepared me for my graduate learning to interesting problems in our The point of all this is to experience all While at Cornell: Focus was on how to most For fun: Maureen enjoys going to the beach year-round now that studies (the only person in my graduate field. of the amazing things that Cornell and the effectively communicate emergencies to the public she's in Florida, in addition to playing tennis and golf. And, being cohort who I thought had seen more from Something I’ve learned over the last region have to offer. After all, after college, through linking communications minor with mete- from Boston, she still likes to follow the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins their basic, mandatory classes than I did few years is not too to worry or hope too you may never really get another chance to orology courses. The best thing about Cornell as a and Celtics. was a friend from Caltech—but that’s a much about the long-term. I have personal take advantage of them! whole was to be surrounded by people driven to succeed. whole different type of college experience.) goals, such as starting my family, but For the more hardcore, academic- Currently: Broadcast meteorologist at FOX40 News in the Morning Alex Perez, '12, who minored in science of earth But the really great thing about the major professionally, I’ve come to discover that types: learn how to write scientific in Sacramento, California. systems as an undergraduate at Cornell, and is now was that chance to integrate other interests. the more you plan, the more likely you’ll software. Develop and cultivate those For fun: Adam plays competitive year-round volleyball, indoors and on the sand. an M.D./Ph.D. candidate at Weill Cornell Medicine, During my tenure on campus, a lot of be to miss really amazing opportunities as skills early, and practice them often. The appeared in Forbes in the 30 Under 30 - Science 2018 EAS students would find time to study they randomly appear." physical sciences are rapidly changing, Peter Hall, B.S. '95, Atmospheric Science, Agricul- category. Perez's career goal as a physician-scientist in applied economics and management Rothenberg offers some advice to and these technical skills—how to create ture and Life Sciences. is to use computational techniques to better understand cancer. To or other pre-business courses. There was students: reproducible, transparent code and work— While at Cornell: Interests were in forecasting and that end he developed GuideScan, a app for researchers who use just as much opportunity to branch out " There’s this thing that you learn to will be the skills you need to succeed in the getting experience in the TV business. The best thing CRISPR that ensures precision in adding and removing sequences into computer science or other technical appreciate later on in life called a “life- research world of tomorrow." about EAS and Cornell was absolutely Professor from DNA molecules. GuideScan is currently being used by more Mark Wysocki by far. He always had time for his than 3,000 researchers worldwide.

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