UC Santa Barbara Earth Science

Chair’s Letter: Andy Wyss In this Issue | Fall 2016 Another eventful year has unfolded in the Department of Faculty Awards: Earth Science. John Cottle 1 Highlights include the arrival of Professor Roberta Rudnick Tanya Atwater 3 (p. 5), who joined us in January. We are also delighted to News from the Field: announce that Dr. Zach Eilon has become a member of our faculty, arriving on campus next winter. A Field Course in the High Sierra 2 To provide you, friends of the Department, a glimpse Summer Field 10 of the enviable quality and accomplishments of our graduate students, we Volcano Geophysics at present profiles of two members of our current cohort (pp. 8-9). We take equal Yasur Volcano, Vanuatu 11 pride in our vibrant and burgeoning undergraduate program, the number Emeriti Spotlight: of majors having jumped more than 70% in the last few years. Professor Phil Gans provides (p. 10) a compelling summary of our capstone Summer Field James Mattinson 3 course, which was divided between east-central Nevada and Iceland this Distinguished Alumni: year. Mountains, Boots, & Backpacks, a course designed to entice beginning Ruth Harris 4 undergraduates into the Earth Science major, took place in the Mammoth Lakes Melissa Morse Reish 4 region in September, as is recounted by Professor Doug Burbank (p. 2). The department hosted Professors Bob and Suzanne Anderson (University Alumni Corner: of Colorado, Boulder) as the 2016-17 John Crowell Distinguished Lecturers. UCSB Shipmate Reunion 6 Fascinating in their own right, Bob and Suzanne’s series of talks also helped Giving & Donors: inform our faculty search in Earth Surfaces Process currently underway. Although public support is sufficient to meet the basic operating demands Your Dollars at Work 6 of our teaching mission, preserving the truly exceptional quality of our With Appreciation 7 undergraduate and graduate programs requires supplemental resources. Our Faculty News: students’ learning environment depends vitally on the philanthropic efforts of Roberta Rudnick 5 our community of supporters. As always, we are deeply Robert D. Ballard 5 indebted to your generosity. Wishing you health and contentment in the New Year. Graduate Student Spotlight: Laura Reynolds 8 Trevor Smith 9 Faculty Awards A free annual publication of: John Cottle Earth Science 1006 Webb Hall We are proud to announce that Associate Professor John UC Santa Barbara Cottle has received the Geological Society of America’s Santa Barbara, CA 93106–9630 coveted Early Career Award from its Mineralogy, Geochem- Information: (805) 893.4688 istry, Petrology, and Volcanology Division, in recognition of Giving: (805) 893.4604 his superior scholarship. www.geol.ucsb.edu John was lauded by his peers with a second major award, the Mineralogical Society of America’s Distinguished Lecturer for 2016-17. This Copyright 2016 Earth Science honor recognizes John’s eminence as a researcher, as well as his speaking skills. Photo: Rainbow Basin by Jackson Cook News from the Field A Field Course in the High Sierra (Earth 6) by Doug Burbank

Developed by Doug Burbank students use relative dating into Mono Lake, and then use and Brad Hacker a decade ago, techniques on glacial moraines to data on evaporation, precipitation Mountains, Boots, and Backpacks separate them into past glaciations gradients, and lake geometry to takes sophomores into the Sierra and calculate paleo-snowlines build a water budget for the basin. to introduce them to the wonders during Pleistocene glaciations. A favorite day begins on Westgard of our natural landscape and Thereafter they survey active faults Pass with a study of the diversity of history, engage them in making and figure out displacements and Early Cambrian Archeocyatha fossils, field observations that underpin approximate slip rates. The rich culminates at 10,000 feet among the geologic discovery, and perhaps (and recent) history of Long Valley 4000-yr-old bristlecone pines, and recruit a few new majors! Held in Caldera and Mono Craters provides then uses modern climate and tree- the two weeks before Fall classes an ideal setting to explore volcanic ring records to examine correlations begin, this year 16 students spent processes, eruptive sequences, and of climate with ring widths. This 10 days based at SNARL (the Sierra the hazards they produce. Going writing-intensive course also provides Nevada Aquatic Research Lab: into deeper magmatic processes, repeated, detailed feedback on one of the UC Natural Reserves a day in Yosemite examines both effective written communication. So, that is situated near Mammoth). dynamics and some mapping even if these students don’t become Each day has a different focus in an quandaries: how do we draw majors, they have picked up new attempt to generate illuminating boundaries between plutons? As the skills and insights that should serve student insights on diverse geologic course wraps up, students gauge them well in the future. processes and history. Early on, the discharge of channels flowing

Students from Earth 6: Mountains, Boots, and Backpacks, and Professor Doug Burbank take a break from mapping glacial moraines above Convict Lake in the Eastern Sierra.

2 Professor Emeritus Profile

offered Jim a job as an Assistant Professor to fill the position about to be vacated by an anticipated Staff Spotlight: retirement. But the retirement was Peter Green delayed, followed by a UC-wide hiring freeze, and then new rules on hiring procedures. After four long years “subsisting” as a researcher (lunar rocks) and lecturer in the Department, Jim finally became an Assistant Professor in 1977. Jim taught a wide range of courses including physical geology, summer field geology, James mineralogy, petrology, geochronology, and radiogenic isotope tracers. He Mattinson also served as Department Chair for a total of 8 years—3 in the early 1990s, Peter started working with and 5 in the mid-2000s Jim came to UCSB in 1973 from the computers as a kid. “My older His research focused on U-Pb Geophysical Lab in Washington D.C. brother was into computers from zircon geochronology of igneous where he was a post-doc helping the very beginning and quickly rocks from Alaska to Antarctica. develop new zircon U-Pb analytical got me hooked. I remember him He also continued his quest for techniques. Previously, he completed bringing home borrowed systems improved analytical methods. His his BA and PhD degrees at UCSB, that I could tinker with—a Zenith greatest success was the invention of with Cliff Hopson and George Tilton the size of a suitcase, a Commodore his “chemical abrasion” technique, as advisors. The path to joining the 64, an IBM PC 8086 and of course which greatly improved the precision UCSB faculty was complex, to say the awesome Macintosh II. I was and accuracy of zircon dates. Jim’s the least. With his post-doc ending, hooked.” Although Peter got his “chemical abrasion” is now the Jim wrote to his faculty advisors to B.A. in English and Comparative standard technique in virtually all ask if they would provide references. Literature, he never lost that passion U-Pb zircon labs world-wide. Instead, then Chair Dick Fisher for computers. After graduating from UCI he worked for Adaptec, based Faculty Awards out of Milpitas, CA. He ended up at UCSB where he’s been for the last 10 years. “What has been so special Tanya Atwater about working on our campus,” Congratulations are in gy and tectonics.” Peter says, “is the people. It’s a order for Professor Emer- No less impressively, different environment than Silicon ita Tanya Atwater. This Tanya also received Valley, much more like a family. past year she received an Emmy! Yes, Tanya Earth Science is a great example of the prestigious Career received an Emmy from that and—they have a reputation. Contribution Award from the Academy of Tele- Everyone on campus knows what a the Structural Geology vision Arts & Sciences great department it is, how happy & Tectonics Division of for her work on the the people are and how well things the Geological Society documentary “Geology Emmy for Instructional work between faculty, staff and of America for “achieve- Across the American Programming,” for “On students. Believe me, that played ments that have led to Landscape.” Specifi- Camera Talent.” Is this a huge part in my coming here. I major advances in the cally, she received the a tantalizing hint of an haven’t been disappointed and hope fields of structural geolo- “2014 Area encore career? to be here for a very long time.”

3 Distinguished Alumni 2016 Every year, the department honors two of its alumni—one from industry, and one from academia— celebrating their accomplishments and providing our current students with exemplary role models.

Ruth obtained her BS and MS degrees During the course of her UCSB Ruth Harris from MIT and Cornell University, graduate studies, Ruth learned respectively, then worked for a few many unexpected things from her years before applying to UCSB’s professors. “For example,” she writes, Department of Geological Sciences “during my Comprehensive Exam it PhD program. UCSB had been highly was discovered that I had not had any recommended to her by a former paleontology classes, so I was signed classmate and coworkers. up to take Bruce Tiffney’s course, The Ruth reports that the Department History of Life. Talk about a fantastic made a huge difference in her opportunity! I also learned that the professional path forward. At UCSB sisters of professors will help out their she learned important skills from her siblings when a field trip experiences supportive geology housemates and bad weather. This occurred during her officemates, and from many other John Crowell’s field friendly and kind classmates too. She trip that journeyed from the Mecca appreciates that her advisor, Ralph Hills to Parkfield. We encountered Archuleta provided her with generous an unexpected snow storm, and the funding and research topic tips. Ralph next thing we knew, our entire class also gave her advice about how to was gratefully bedded down in our succeed as a postdoc and transition to sleeping bags inside John’s sister’s a real job, and he has continued to be home in Victorville.” a supportive mentor through the 20+ years since graduation. (Continued on page 9)

I came to UCSB in the fall of 1992 full-time after finishing my master’s Melissa with little notion of what I wanted to in 1999. Living in New Orleans study. One of my first college courses and working offshore in the Gulf of Morse Reish was Bill Prothero’s Mexico, I discovered the addictive course. It was fascinating! Mid-way thrill of drilling for oil. Witnessing the through the quarter, I went on a merger of Exxon and Mobil first- departmental field trip to the Eastern hand sparked a second professional Mojave, led by Art Sylvester, Tanya passion for me, business. A few years Atwater, and Bob Norris. After that later, while working for Occidental in trip, I was completely hooked! Long Beach, I earned my MBA from After finishing my bachelor’s Pepperdine University. in 1996, I stayed on to do my Today, I am fortunate to manage master’s with Jim Boles, working a team of incredibly talented on cores from the fluvial deltaic geologists, engineers, and support Oficina Formation in Venezuela. We staff that is focused on developing collaborated with geologists from ’s vast heavy oil potential. Benton Oil and Gas Company in I am married to an amazing (and Carpinteria. This was my introduction amazingly patient) geologist, Nathan to the oil business. From there I Reish, and we have two beautiful and interned with Exxon and joined them funny sons.

4 Faculty News

Rudnick came to UCSB after Roberta serving 15 years as a Professor at the University of Maryland, in College Rudnick Park, MD. Prior to that she spent six years on the faculty at Harvard, where Dr. Roberta Rudnick, who joined the she was the only woman on the Department in January of this year, is faculty and was the first woman to a geochemist who studies the origin receive tenure there. Prior to Harvard and evolution of Earth’s continents. she spent five years as a Research By analyzing the elemental Fellow at the Research School of concentrations and isotopic Earth Sciences at the Australian compositions of rocks and minerals National University (where she had she endeavors to gain insights into drill hole in the Kola Peninsula), received her PhD in 1988), and two the composition of the continental xenoliths allow geologists to sample years as an Alexander von Humboldt crust and underlying mantle much deeper in the Earth, to Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for lithosphere, and the processes depths of 250 km or more. Rudnick Chemistry in Mainz, West Germany. responsible for creating them. equates the volcanic pipes that carry Hailing from Portland, OR, where she Rudnick integrates geophysical xenoliths as “the poor man’s drill saw Mt. St. Helens explode as her data, such as seismic velocities and hole,” and, like drill cuttings, the capstone experience as a senior at heat flow measurements, with her recovery is incomplete, so Rudnick Portland State University, Rudnick is petrologic and geochemical studies and her students and collaborators happy to be back in the West, where to place bounds on lithospheric have to piece together lithospheric geology is inescapable. composition. One line of evidence structure relying on the mineral comes from study of xenoliths— assemblages in the xenoliths. Her literally foreign rock fragments that main field areas are eastern China are carried rapidly to Earth’s surface and northern Tanzania where she Bruce from the lower continental crust is investigating how processes and lithospheric mantle. While the such as subduction and continental Luyendyk deepest drill hole on Earth reached rifting affect ancient continental depths of about 12 km (the Russian lithosphere. Professor Emeritus Bruce Luyendyk was his undergraduate degrees in honored this year Geology and Chemistry with minors with a mountain in Mathematics and Physics from the named after him! University of California, Santa Barbara Mount Luyendyk in 1965, along with a Commission is in Antarctica’s in Army Intelligence. In 1967, while remote Fosdick attending the Hancock School of Mountains, a place Bruce knows at the University well from his years conducting of Southern California, he was field research there. The United “called up” for active duty during States Board on Geographic Robert D. the Vietnam War and transferred Names recognized Bruce by into the U.S. Navy, where he served noting “his cumulative research, Ballard for 30 years. He was assigned to findings, and publications have the Office of Naval Research as the significantly increased scientific Dr. Robert D. Ballard joined our oceanographic liaison officer in the knowledge in Antarctica.” ranks as Adjunct Professor in Earth Northeast, which included M.I.T. Congratulations, Bruce! Science, July 2016. Bob received (Continued on page 9)

5 Alumni Corner UCSB Shipmate Your Donation Dollars Reunion at Work We are deeply grateful to you, our many alums, colleagues, and friends of the department who have helped us financially this past year! You have helped another group of students travel to Eastern Nevada and Iceland for an unforgettable Summer Field experience. Your support also helped students travel throughout the world. You have underwritten awards to our many Steve Miller, Antoinette Padgett, Laura Penvenne, Ken Macdonald, accomplished students, supporting their lab research, Rachel Haymon, Andreas Stollar, Nell Beedle, Suzanne Carbotte. and field work, providing them the resources needed to On May 1, 2016, there was a reunion of about 30 reach their full academic potential. UCSB Earth Science Department alums and others who You have helped us host internationally-renowned participated in UCSB-led expeditions from the early scholars, bringing the fruits of their scholarship through 1980s to the present (Chief Scientists: Emeriti Professors our doors. Ken Macdonald and Rachel Haymon). Many had gone And your generosity has helped us recruit on one of several expeditions to Easter Island, or to the exceptional faculty and graduate students, raising the South Atlantic (traveling from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to already enviable stature of our department globally. Capetown, South Africa). It all started when Steve Miller posted his seagoing We wish … photos online, and shared them with his old shipmates. 12-passenger van for field trips.This vehicle would The photos triggered much nostalgia, and led to the save the Department much of the cost of renting terrific idea of a reunion at Ken and Rachel’s home vehicles, and give us ready access to mobility when the in Santa Barbara. Professor Emerita Tanya Atwater need arises. generously offered lodgings at her home for anyone New field equipment: camp stoves, the replacement of who needed a place to stay. Steve put together a great aging Bruntons, and new field-oriented technologies. slide show spanning the decades. Attendees and hosts Revitalization of department’s space, especially provided a delicious buffet and libations, and Professor main office, tectonic work room, computer lab, and Emeritus Cliff Hopson (who went on an Easter Island seminar rooms. expedition) brought a beautiful cake. There was no shortage of hugs and sea stories! Also, quite a few Your Ideas Welcome fellow alumni and shipmates who could not attend We truly welcome your thoughts. What do you communicated greetings and joyous memories by email. remember as a student here? What needed the most As we reminisced, we all marveled at our extraordinary help or support? We are very interested in your input, shared experience of exploring and learning about the and greatly value your perspective. deep sea, and bonding as shipmates and friends. We also celebrated recent honors bestowed upon several of Thank you all so much! UCSB’s seagoing alums: Suzanne Carbotte, Fellow of the Andy Wyss, Chair American Geophysical Union, Jeff Severinghaus, National Academy of Sciences, and Dawn Wright, the Greg Leptoukh Lecture of the American Geophysical Union. A wonderful time was had by all!

6 With Appreciation

Earth Science Fund Drive The Earth Science Department wishes to thank the following for their generous donations. Donors to Earth Science July 2015 to June 2016

Richard and Beverly Abrams Leslie Edgerton Bruce Luyendyk Bruce and Robin Tiffney Leslie Ames and Doug Klingensmith Chris Mattinson Steven Tippets Timothy and Lloyd and Mary Edwards James and Roxane Mattinson Cameron Toyne Ursula Anderson James and Anne Elwell Thomas and William and Joanne Travers Lucy and Ralph Archuleta John Erickson Deborah McCarthy C. Ray Turnley and Cass Ariey Robert Fariss and B. Ross and Ingrid McNeil Jessica Glicken Turnley Tanya Atwater Kristina Haggard Charles Meertens and Robert Varga and James Barker Charles and Carolyn Forte Kathleen Glass Lori Bettison-Varga Howard Berg and Phil and Libby Gans Laurent and Laura Meillier Earl and Leslie Wahrmund Kristine Fernandez Brian Gaylord and Tessa Hill Richard and Eleanor Migues Chester and David and Sherry Blumberg Emery Goodman Kevin Molloy Margaret Wallace Marty Bobroskie Mark and Valerie Grivetti Thomas Moore Leland and Junie Webb James and Stacey Boles Brad Hacker and Sharon and Emil Mottola R. Ian and Louise Webb Nathan and Anna Brewer Mary Wenzel Thomas Neely Sebastian and Marian Wiedmann David Buck Erik Hale Barbara Nida William and Holly Wilson Doug and Rachel Burbank Michael and Mary Harding Bruce and Jeanne O’Connor William and Mona Wise Robert and Iona Bushnell Bruno and Janet Harris Thomas and Kathleen Parris Jane Woodward Robert and Catherine Butler Rachel Haymon and Roy and Patti Patterson Ken Macdonald Andy Wyss and Susan Walker Steven Campbell Stephen Piatt Judy Heffner Grant and Karen Yip Barbara Christy Susannah Porter and James Hickey and James Kellogg David and Andrea Clague Karen Sanzo Corporate Sponsors Beth Pratt-Sitaula Jordan Clark and Dotti Pak Clifford and Mary Hopson Nina Rosenberg and AfricaGems Michael Clark and Curtis and Cheryl Hopkins Joyce Lucas-Clark David Wolpert Allianz Global Corporate & Cynthia Hovind Specialty Thomas and Michele Clifton Edward and Lisa Saade Milton and Nancy Howe Apple Inc. Matching Steven and Sharen Comstock Michael and Shayne Santos Eric and Debra James Ayco Charitable Foundation Robert and Kathryn Crippen Marc Sarosi and Dale and Kelsey Julander Lillian Kanter-Sarosi Chevron Matching Gift Claudia Culling Jim and Diana Kennett Alex and Andrea Simms Program Thomas Danehower Kirk and Kathy Kiloh John Sinton Coast Geological Society Marcy Davis Dennis and Laurie Laduzinsky Harold and Margaret Sjovold Exxon Mobil Corporation Peter and Linda DeOreo (Foundation) Bruce Laws Carol and Middleton Squier Mark and Karel Detterman Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund James and Ellen Leavitt Arthur and Diane Sylvester James Dixon and Map Royalty Inc. Barbara Day Kate and Bob Lima Toshiro and Hiroko Tanimoto YourCause LLC John and Barbara Duggan Lorraine and Philip Lisiecki J.C. and Phyllis Thompson

The leadership award made it pos- Thank you Your generosity makes an enor- sible for me to afford field camp, mous difference to graduate and for that I cannot thank you I am honored by your support and students...I plan to use this enough. I Hope to contribute to the your confidence in my research award to help with the costs of Department for years to come, so I my upcoming field work in Pata- abilities. …I can only hope to fulfill may make it possible for students gonia—a trip which would not your expectations and will work have been possible without your to achieve more the way you made it — hard to do so JG donation ... —ES possible for me. —LS

7 Graduate Student Spotlight

The rest of my is based off Laura sediment cores from Carpinteria Marsh, a structural estuary along Reynolds the Santa Barbara Channel. I am working on describing the impact I am a 5th year PhD student working of California’s “Great Storm” of with Dr. Alex Simms. I graduated 1861 on the coast, using a multi- with a B.A. in Earth Science and proxy geochronology based on Creative Writing from Dartmouth the sedimentological record of College in 2011. For my thesis I historically-dated human impacts conducted a palynological analysis (European pollen, byproducts of of a New Hampshire lake sediment hydrocarbon combustion, etc.). core, which peaked my interest in I am currently working in Japan using sedimentology to decipher with Dr. Yusuke Yokoyama at the past environmental change. University of Tokyo on the final At UCSB I study the Quaternary chapter (or two) of my thesis, using evolution of the beautiful coast of stable isotope measurements to Southern California. In my first year, identify Holocene environmental I collaborated with researchers at changes and subsidence events in has opened the world to me. In my UCLA and UCI to determine marine Carpinteria Marsh. future, I can only hope to pass on radiocarbon reservoir corrections As I approach the end of my what I’ve learned here: integrity in for California estuarine shells. studies, I am grateful for the scientific research, enthusiasm for Shortly after, Alex and I compiled opportunities and support I have teaching and outreach, and the radiocarbon dates from southern received from this remarkable joy of being able to look over a Californian estuaries to develop the community of students, faculty, landscape and understand a little of first uplifted-corrected Holocene and staff. From my first scientific how it came to be. relative sea-level database for conference to my first trip outside Southern California. of North America, graduate school

Staff Retirement: Dave Robbins

I began working in the Department carried the network cabling through in 1988, practically the Pleistocene the building, a student walking in IT terms. I led the wiring project by asked me if I was installing of the Department’s then-seven earthquake reinforcement. There buildings; it was September 16, seemed nothing else I could do but 1991 when I connected Webb Hall answer in the affirmative. to the Internet. On the same day, I I later led a second wiring project opened the Department Mac Lab in 1999 to upgrade the network for student use. And six days later, cabling and in 2002, I returned my wonderful daughter was born. to management of the Mac Lab Following that week, I always loved where in 2008 and again in 2016, I to tell people that I had three babies purchased large numbers of Macs to born that week. again update the lab. On one occasion while up on a ladder installing the raceway that HAPPY TRAVELS, DAVE!!

8 Graduate Student Spotlight

enjoyed my research. I’ve always Trevor Smith been fascinated by the petroleum industry, and I couldn’t have asked I was born and raised in San for a more perfect project to work Diego, CA. I attended UCSB for on during graduate school. Since my undergrad receiving a B.S. in fracking is a hot-button topic that Geophysics (2014). I started research we’ve all seen on the news, many with Professor Chen Ji during my places are trying to ban it, including junior year not knowing much about Santa Barbara County. For the last the field. We had a really cool project two years, I have been testing an that dealt with hydraulic fracturing, a algorithm that detects and locates controversial topic. Although I never micro-earthquakes induced by produced any “official” results, this hydraulic injections. The algorithm project required me to learn skills was successful in detecting more that prepared me for graduate level micro-earthquakes compared to research. This project intrigued me traditional methods, and our results I’m glad to have spent the past six so much that I decided to continue reveal more detail about the fracture years at UCSB and I’ve really enjoyed research on the same project at the network. My research is important becoming a part of the Earth Science graduate level. for the industry because it can be Department. Thanks. Currently finishing my thesis for used to assess and mitigate some of my M.S. in geophysics, I have really the issues associated with fracking.

Ruth Harris the same enthusiasm and energy that founded the Deep Submergence (Continued from Page 4) she remembers from decades ago is Laboratory that developed the first Following UCSB, Ruth was an NRC still there today. remotely operated vehicle system postdoc at the USGS, then after two For more details about her career, please ARGO/JASON for the academic see https://profile.usgs.gov/harris years of scrambling, writing NSF community. He is now the Founding proposals, etc., for an uncertain future, Director of the Center for Ocean she was fortunate to be hired into a Exploration at GSO and Founding Robert D. Ballard President of the Ocean Exploration permanent research position. She says (Continued from Page 5) that she enjoys working at the USGS, Trust that owns and operates the E/V and that important aspects of her and the Woods Hole Oceanographic NAUTILUS. He is also a Distinguished job include the breadth of expertise Institution (WHOI). After three Graduate of UCSB and a member and kindness of her colleagues, the years of active duty he entered of its Board of Trustees, and an exciting research topics, and the the Reserve. From 1970 to 1974 “Explorer-in-Residence” of the availability of flexible work hours (she he was a member of WHOI’s Deep National Geographic Society. and her husband, whom she married Submergence Group while attending while she was a student at UCSB, have the University of Rhode Island’s Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust two children who are now college- Graduate School of Oceanography age). Ruth emphasizes that without (GSO) where he received his Ph.D. the encouragement of her parents, in Oceanography. For the next 30 and her UCSB Geological Sciences years, Dr. Ballard moved back and (Earth Science) education, she would forth between WHOI’s Department of not be where she is today. She has Marine Geology and Geophysics and fond memories of her time in the their Department of Applied Ocean Department, and is happy to see that Physics and Engineering, where he News from the Field Summer Field Geology (Earth 118): 2016 Edition by Phil Gans considerable assistance from the University of Iceland. Field exercises included mapping vents, lava channels, and flow lobes associated with the 1975–1984 Krafla eruptions, measuring fault scarps and fissures across the active rift system, and analyzing the formation of tuff cones, central volcanoes, and subglacial eruptions. The Icelandic culinary experience was memorable as well, from delicious legs of lamb to the more questionable “rotten shark.” Students returned from their summer adventure exhausted but in great spirits. Professor Gans commented: “I am not sure I have ever had a group that was quite this enthusiastic and engaged in what we were doing—and I have had UCSB students standing in a portion of the 1984 Krafla fissure vent system, Iceland (above), and some great groups before. On one examining the 1875 fallout and surge deposits inside the Askja Caldera, Iceland (bottom right). of our scheduled days off, the entire The 2016 edition of our capstone this portion of the class by carrying class chose to go out in the field and Summer Field course (Earth 118) out independent mapping projects in continue with their current mapping was, by all accounts, a great success. key problem areas. project rather than go to town Ten undergraduates completed the After the desert heat of Nevada, for some R and R. This has never intensive six-week geologic mapping the class returned to Santa Barbara happened before!” course under the incomparable and boarded flights to Iceland for guidance of professor Phil Gans. The their final two weeks. Transported first four weeks were situated in the to 65° N, students were met with Snake Range of eastern Nevada—a perpetual daylight, cold rainy spectacular alpine mountain range. weather, and a starkly beautiful This range, with its famed low angle landscape of waterfalls, glaciers, detachment fault, provides an ideal hot springs, and the most active laboratory for students to hone their volcanic systems on Earth. Situated field skills in a broad spectrum of astride the Mid-Atlantic ridge and rock types. Field exercises included a mantle plume, Iceland is the only (a) preparing a detailed structure place on Earth where an active contour map of the detachment spreading center is exposed on surface, (b) unraveling the geometry land, and many of the landforms and of extensional faulting of upper plate bedrock exposures are Holocene or Paleozoic carbonate rocks, and (c) historic. This portion of field camp analyzing the strain history in lower was basically an intensive field plate tectonites. Students concluded volcanology course, taught with

10 Faculty in the Field Volcano Geophysics Experiment At Yasur Volcano, Vanuatu by Robin Matoza

In late July to early August 2016, rate, high-definition video. Robin Matoza and graduate student Seismo-acoustic wavefields at Allison Austin conducted a volcano volcanoes contain rich information geophysics field experiment at the on shallow magma transport and active Yasur Volcano, Tanna Island, subaerial eruption processes. Vanuatu. This experiment was part of Acoustic wavefields from eruptions a new collaborative project between are predicted from theory to be UC Santa Barbara and researchers directional, but sampling this Long-exposure of a strombolian explosion at Yasur during sunset. Photo: Allison Austin at GNS Science, New Zealand; the wavefield directivity is challenging University of Alaska, Fairbanks, because infrasound sensors are USA; the University of Canterbury, usually deployed on the ground pressure waves. At sunset, the New Zealand; and the Vanuatu surface. The field data collected this spectacular display of fireworks Meteorology and Geohazards summer represents unprecedented began. The team lodged in a Department, Vanuatu. spatial sampling of the seismo- nearby village, just a couple of The field experiment consisted of acoustic wavefield from an erupting kilometers from the volcano. From a deployment of infrasound (low- volcano. These data will be there, the booms from the volcano frequency acoustic, <20 Hz) sensors analyzed in detail by the research were audible, and at nighttime, an on tethered balloons (developed team over the coming years to incandescent orange glow often by GNS) in tandem with a suite help test hypotheses about how hung above the mountain. of dense ground-based seismo- volcanoes work and improve volcano acoustic, geochemical, and eruption monitoring efforts. imaging instrumentation to capture Field days were spent digging and quantify the Strombolian holes for the seismometers, running explosive activity. The research cables through the jungle for the Deployment of infrasound station on the crater rim of Yasur. Left to right: Alex Iezzi (University team’s observations included data infrasound sensors, and observing of Alaska, Fairbanks); David Fee (University from a temporary network of 11 and imaging the eruptions and of Alaska, Fairbanks); Robin Matoza. Photo: Allison Austin broadband seismometers, 6 single infrasonic microphones, 7 small- aperture 3-element infrasound arrays, 2 infrasound sensor packages on tethered balloons, an FTIR (Fourier Transform InfraRed) spectrometer, a FLIR (Forward Looking InfraRed) camera, UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) video imaging and photogrammetry, and various other visual imaging data. The UCSB group contributed an 8-station broadband seismic network and two 3-element infrasound arrays, while recording the volcanic activity using GPS-time stamped, high-frame

11 Earth Science News

MT. LUYENDYK, see page 5

Department of Earth Science University of California, Santa Barbara 1006 Webb Hall Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9630 Yes! I want to support The Department of Earth Science with a gift of $ ______

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