Chair’s greeting Punctuated equilibrium marks department’s evolution ur department, like our science future, has been pioneered by Jürgen and our society, is evolving. Punc- Schieber, whose studies range from regional Otuated equilibrium is the norm for distribution of black/gray shale through all evolution in university settings. Here nanobacterial entities. Greg Olyphant’s change happens in steps with long pauses. inverse modeling of multiple field observa- Ours is no exception. We are, however, in tion of soil creep and David Bish’s mastery the middle of climbing a giant step; we are of clay mineralogy are seemingly distant but not in stasis. With four new faculty mem- obvious partners in shale research. Christine bers (David Bish, Mark Person, Juergen Shriner’s interest in archeology has excited Schieber, and Chen Zhu), two simultaneous James Brophy and Arndt Schimmelmann retirements (Lee Suttner and Noel Krothe with different approaches and tools to in summer ’03), one loss to raiding (Chris revive our reputation, which Charles and Maples in fall ’03), and the search for two Dorothy Vitaliano had fostered. or three new tenure-track faculty to hire Geographically, our research spans the within a year, we are surely in an unprec- globe and beyond. Neotectonics of the edented state of evolutionary bloom. Wabash Valley or water pollution in Indiana Alumni and other gifts in response to is of local economic interest. Our faculty are our endowment campaign are now produc- traveling to the Philippines and Italy, Tai- ing enough interest income, despite a low wan and Greece, South Africa and Canada market, to make a huge difference in our for fieldwork, sampling, and analysis. Mars program. Chris Maples, our immediate past and the moon are very much a part of our chair, made very wise spending decisions to existence now. encourage research productivity, visibility of Our students, working in close partner- students’ paper presentations at various Abhijit Basu ship with the faculty and postdoctoral national and international meetings, and fellows, are making research presentations field experience for students. Chris also Merino. Climatic effects on geologic mate- at regional, national, and international patiently waited to fill new positions with rial and the inverse problem of inferring meetings. Largely with the help of alumni utmost care and to recommend appoint- past climate from analytical work and theo- gifts, we support travel to such meetings ments only for the best in the discipline. We retical reduction stimulate the collaborative (and fieldwork, of course) far and wide. owe a lot to Chris’s leadership. research of Arndt Schimmelmann, David Presentations at GSA, AGU, and AAPG/ It is my privilege to share some of our Finkelstein, and Simon Brassell. Sulfur SEPM meetings are common, and those at activities of the past year. Our research isotopic investigations are helping Erika specialized meetings, for example in Poland continues to be field- and sample-based. Elswick, Chusi Li, and Edward Ripley to or Canada, are not rare. This is a great Some are modeling field and sample data to understand processes of ore generation, as incentive for students to be productive in understand the physical, chemical, and are experiments done by James Brophy to research and to get to know what is hap- biological processes that shape earth materi- determine the solubility of copper in basal- pening in the outside world. als and earth features. The models range tic melts. Gary Pavlis, Michael Hamburger, It is not necessary to repeat how field- from chemical reactions or physical re- and Al Rudman are setting up seismic based learning has been, is, and will con- sponses to computer-assisted simulations. arrays and deciphering below-ground “lay- tinue to be a staple for our department. In Lisa Pratt has teamed up with chemists to ering” and theoretical aspects of P-S wave another article in this HGR, James Brophy model the effects of 34S in the hydrolysis of propagation and conversion. Whereas and Bruce Douglas will update you on sulfate esters, common in biological matter. James Brophy is conducting experimental activities at our beloved field station in David Bish has worked out a chemical research for better understanding magmatic Montana. Field trips associated with regular equilibrium model to conclude that hy- processes in volcanism, Michael Hamburger courses continue. drated minerals can exist in the ambience of is using GPS measurements to assess the Something else is happening on campus! the Martian atmosphere. This has far-reach- movements of magmatic and hydrothermal Robert Wintsch has designed and is teach- ing consequences for life outside the earth, systems in volcanoes. Claudia Johnson is ing a course, nominally using the old G111 as well as on planetary evolution. At the applying biological principles to trace the course number, on physical geology and other extreme, modeling of field data has ecosystems of reefs throughout the Phan- rudiments of field mapping during fall led Greg Olyphant to predict when the erozoic and especially the Cretaceous. Tec- semester. The course is meant for intended abundance of E. coli would increase in the tonic control of sedimentation even in small science majors, preferably those looking shore waters of Lake Michigan such that we basins and watersheds interests Bruce Dou- into geology. Robert Wintsch, a great do not utilize the beach in the wrong way glas, who is also reviving his longstanding teacher in the field with Socratic gifts, also at the wrong time. This model will go a research in mantle xenoliths vis-à-vis sub- runs short field trips for undergraduate and long way — no pun intended — for ex- duction tectonics. Watershed research and graduate students to distant places. This ample, in application to the two coasts of dynamic modeling of groundwater flow is fall, he was invited by a number of colleges America. now well established in our department by and universities in New England to run a Other faculty research is equally exciting, Mark Person and his newly formed research field trip for their students. And he is not and diverse. Stress-induced neomineral- group. alone in designing field-based learning. We ization, including dolomitization, continues Shale research, which we predict to are truly excited about the quality of the to interest Robert Wintsch and Enrique dominate sedimentary geology in the near (continued on page 4) 1 From the editor Goodwill links faculty, staff, students with alumni, friends In 1991, when I followed Bob Dodd as will generated through the positive interac- observations about how and where the department chair (not to be confused with tion of their students, staff, faculty, friends, department appears to be evolving, and, the title “department stool,” bestowed on and alumni. An important link connecting certainly, news of your own professional me by our late alumnus Harold Kaska after our friends and alumni with the on-campus and personal lives. Chris Maples replaced me), I gained insight members of our departmental family and Many thanks to all who have assisted in into how the coaches who followed the generating goodwill is the Hoosier Geologic finally making this issue of the HGR a Lombardies, Woodens, and Knights of the Record. The importance of goodwill with reality. First, I express my gratitude to Bob sports world must have felt. Little did I and among our alumni and friends cannot Dodd, who has played a variety of news- realize then that these same feelings would be overestimated. Those with good feelings gathering, authoring, and editing roles, in be rekindled after my retirement when I toward the department assist in recruiting addition to being a veritable fountain of would be asked to follow both Bob Dodd good students and providing timely and ideas and advice on content. Kim Schulte (again) and Dave Towell as editor of the seasoned advice, as well as a valuable and took valuable time from her incredibly busy Hoosier Geologic Record. Dave certainly different perspective. Moreover, the gener- schedule to catalog important data on our elevated this publication to a new high in ous financial support of our alumni and alumni gifts, external grants, and other quality, and Bob maintained the same stan- friends permits us to compete in an envi- faculty and student activities. I am also dards. Because of their efforts, many feel ronment where success, even for publicly indebted to many of our faculty and gradu- that our alumni magazine may very well be funded universities, cannot be achieved ate students who contributed articles and among the top two or three in the univer- solely with traditional forms of revenue — information, and to Dick Gibson who sity. As editor, I have already failed in meet- tuition, state subsidy, and research grant graciously allowed us to use news he col- ing one of their standards — timely publi- overhead. lected for the department’s Web site. The cation. I apologize to all for my tardiness. I We sincerely hope that this issue of the cooperation I received from Barb Hill in also harbor fear that my rookie year as Hoosier Geologic Record will magnify the handling all aspects of photos and figures editor will be reflected in my inability to good feelings toward the department that was truly commendable and well above and match several other standards set by Dave we know many of you possess. But regard- beyond the norm. Last but not least, Tricia and Bob. Please bear with me as I learn less of how you feel, do stay in touch with Miles, here in the department, and Julie from my mistakes. us in the same way that we use this publica- Dales in the Alumni Association office Functional, healthy, and happy academic tion to stay in touch with you.