Department of Geosciences - UMass Amherst

20 Pages·2006·2.88 MB·English

Summer 2006
AMherst
The Connecticut River
from Mt. Sugarloaf in S.
Deerfield, MA. Visit www.
geo.umass.edu for photos
in all four seasons by
Richard Wilkie.
A L F D h
e t t e r r o m t h e e p A r t m e n t e A D
FAcuLty news We have come to the specialist in GIS and Remote now well into her NSF Career
end of another academic Sensing, joined us in January, Grant research with fieldwork,
Meet Our New Faculty:
year. Faculty and graduate 2006. Dave got his Ph.D. at new sandbox experiments, and
David Boutt Page 2
students have dispersed for New Mexico Tech and then numerical fault simulations.
Qian Yu Page 2
summer research, and the was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Rob DeConto is gearing up for
Morale is high! Tribute to
pace in the Department has Sandia National Lab. Dave the ANDRILL Project, a multi-
John Hubert Page 3 slowed a bit. Jim Hafner is combines field hydrogeology university drilling effort in the
Faculty Notes Page 5 heading to the Philippines; with numerical and analytical Antarctic. Piper Gaubatz will
Julie B-G has already been modeling in a way that will be studying the changes taking
ALumni news to Russia and Svalbard; keep our program modern place in China as it prepares
Laurie Brown is in Norway. and broad. Qian (pronounced for the next Olympics. Ray
Alumni Notes Page 8
Researchers and students from “Chen”) Yu received a Bradley and the climate group
Alumni Spotlights:
the climate group have gone Ph.D. from the University are going strong, despite the
Steve Carey, BSc ‘75 Page 10 to the Arctic; Sheila Seaman is of California, Berkeley. She best efforts of some politicians
Linda Tompkins, BSc ‘80, preparing for a Five-College has broad interests in using in Washington. Laurie Brown
MSc ‘83 Page 10 trip to Iceland; Piper Gaubatz GIS, remote sensing, and is well into a new funded
Peter Scott, BSc ‘91 Page 11 and Stan Stevens have gone spatial modeling to study paleomagnetism project in
to Tibet; and I headed to environmental systems. Her South America. George
Margaret Carruthers, MSc ‘96
Page 11 northern Canada. The isotope, specialty involves “VHR” McGill has several NASA
microprobe, biogeochemistry, (very high resolution) multi- grants, and Tony Morse is
in memoriAm Quaternary, and XRF labs are spectral image analysis and still working on experiments
going strong as students and information extraction. at Smith. Who said anything
Tom Rice Page 14
faculty make the most of long It seems that the pace of about retirement?
Charlie Pitrat Page 15
days with no classes. student and faculty research Everyone in the
ArounD the The Department is thrilled has only increased in recent department and all alumni
DepArtment to welcome two new faculty years, and that means even are saddened by the loss of
members. David Boutt, our more travel, more meetings, Tom Rice and Charlie Pitrat.
News from the State Geologist hydrogeologist, joined us in and more visibility for the They both helped to make the
Page 16
January, 2005. Qian Yu, a department. Michele Cooke is Continued on page 
Student Research and Awards
Page 17
DepArtment GiFts
Thanks to our Donors Page 18
Giving Opportunities Page 19
The UMass Amherst Geosciences Department tradition of donning field boots and fancy clothes on April Fool’s
Day continues. Photo by Chris Condit
Page  UMass Amherst
m o n F m
e e t u r e w A c u L t y e m b e r s
DAviD boutt, AssistAnt proFessor oF hyDroGeoLoGy
I arrived in January of 2005 on up and is successful at
after a postdoctoral position capturing a variety of complex
in New Mexico at Sandia behaviors (such as stress
National Laboratories where I sensitive permeability and
taught and performed research poroelastic phenomena) using
in the field of hydrogeology. I relatively simple interaction
hail from Michigan originally, laws. I will continue to work Spring 2005
and received my Ph.D. from with and develop these models stream gaug-
New Mexico Tech (NMT) and algorithms for application ing lab at Am-
in Socorro in Hydrology to geological phenomena ethyst Brook.
with Brian McPherson. At while at UMass Amherst. Dr. David Boutt
NMT I studied the role of My interests in hydro- is on the right.
fluid pressure, maintenance geology range from the role
and origin in the genesis of of fluids in various geological
opening mode fractures in the processes to aspects of based simulation of certain sedimentary basins.
shallow (< 5km) crust. This watershed hydrology, including geological phenomena more Laurel Goodwin (University
work combined theoretical the influence of land use change accurately captures the inherent of Wisconsin Madison) and
and numerical analysis of on physical hydrological variability and heterogeneity I are combining a laboratory
the conditions conducive to processes in urbanizing water- found rocks compared to based analysis of natural
fracturing as well as laboratory sheds. I specialize in the ap- continuum-based models. My hydraulic fractures with a
experiments. We have been plication of discrete based group is currently using these coupled numerical analysis
pursing the suitability of a numerical models (such as types of models to simulate of the fluid-rock system.
new technique to model the the discrete element model things like the transport of Work with collaborators at
coupled fluid-solid physics of and lattice-Boltzmann models) colloids through real fracture Sandia National Laboratories
rock. This technique “builds” to geological problems. As geometries and the formation is currently focused on
rocks from the grain-scale alluded to above, discrete- of fractures in overpressured Continued on page 
QiAn yu, AssistAnt proFessor oF Gis AnD remote sensinG
Qian Yu, a recent Ph.D. she started her undergraduate The 1990s was the decade for vegetation, which extracts
from the University of California study in a program for honor of GIS boom. The integration species information and
Berkeley, joined us in January students in physical geography of GIS (spatial data analysis) biophysical parameters from
as an assistant professor of at Nanjing University in and RS (spatial data source) images based on GIS polygons.
GIS and remote sensing. southeast China. After four became an important Her work also involves the
Qian grew up in Lanzhou, years of study, she realized the research topic. More and image spatial variation theory
along the Yellow river in importance of a new spatial more applications required and classification uncertainty
Northwest China. In 1995, technology in Geography and users to have knowledge in analysis. She received a grant
decided to both fields. Her interests were from the National Park Service
continue extended to remote sensing among others to support her
on for her image analysis. Qian came to research. Her work in this area
master’s in the U.S. in the fall of 2001 for appeared in Photogrammetric
Geographic her Ph.D. at the Department of Engineering and Remote
Information Environmental Science, Policy Sensing and the International
Sciences. and Management at University Journal of Remote Sensing.
In her of California-Berkeley. Her Qian has broad interests
thesis, she research focused on VHR (very in using GIS, remote sensing
proposed a high resolution) multi-spectral and spatial modeling
spatial data image analysis and information to study environmental
structure to extraction. VHR remote systems. Besides her
implement sensing imagery had just dissertation topic, she also
the storage become available in the late has journal articles published
of spatial 1990s and the methodology in Hydrological Processes:
data in a of information extraction was Cellular Automata approach
traditional in the exploratory stage. Her of modeling the impacts
relational dissertation was on object- of animal trampling on hill
database. based image classification Continued on page 
Department of Geosciences Page 
“ m ! ” A t J F . h
o r A L e i s h i G h r i b u t e t o o h n u b e r t
John Frederick Hubert (b. Mary Alice was working on her John’s last Ph.D. student, I
November 28, 1930, Quincy, Master’s degree and is now benefited from his tremendous
MA) attended Newton High a retired pre-school teacher. insight, wisdom, expertise, and
School in Massachusetts, and John studied under Paul. D. patience. The phrase: “teach
Harvard College, where he Krynine, a famous pioneer by example” could well have
played “first board” on the sedimentary petrologist, train- been written about John,
chess team (meaning that he ed by the igneous petrologist whose preparation for class
was their best player). Having Adolph Knopf at Yale. Nearing or the field was unmatched
never collected rocks before, graduation, John was offered and from whom his students
John’s interest in geology a job in an oil company learned much not only about
was nonetheless set in stone research lab, but his true love the subject matter but also
1952
in Harvard’s GEO 100 class was teaching, so he declined. about life.
taught by Kirtley F. Mather. Subsequently John accepted John has
“Harvard had the best teachers an Assistant Professorship at supervised 55
teaching the intro classes, the University of Missouri in graduate students,
which stressed lab work and 1958, advancing to Associate including 48 master’s favorite articles is the 1996
the importance of field trips,” and Full Professor. He came candidates and 7 doctoral interdisciplinary study of the
John relayed during a recent to UMass Amherst in 1970. candidates. All benefited taphonomy, petrology and
conversation – a rationale that John, and Mary Alice, who from John’s help in writing diagenesis of dinosaur bone
he wishes colleges today would often goes in the field with grant proposals and their tissue as it transforms to fossil
follow. John graduated from John, have two daughters, theses. All learned about bone. John has served for many
Harvard in 1952, obtained a Amy Susan and Nancy Beth, thorough preparation of years on the editorial board of
Master’s from the University of a son, John Frederick, Jr., and concise annotated graphics, Sedimentary Geology.
Colorado in 1954, and Ph.D. five grandchildren. around which one writes the When I asked John
in mineralogy and petrology John learned much from dissertation or article. Indeed, what his retirement plans
from Pennsylvania State Paul Krynine and John C. one of the hallmarks of the were, somewhat expecting
University in 1958. Griffiths, and he blended the John and his students’ work an answer that involved
At Penn State, John met his best of their teaching into the through the years has been the travel and vacations, John
beloved wife of more than 50 excellent courses he taught effective use of carefully drafted immediately shot back: “I’m
years, Mary Alice, at a dance at University of Missouri and figures and well-written or oral moving into 254” a small
for graduate students, for UMass Amherst, including summaries of sedimentary room off the Student Common
which the advertisement, John Introductory Physical Geology, processes. John is a master of Room, where there will be a
whimsically recalls, was, “come Sedimentology, Statistical this technique, and my friend “Don and John Show,” as he
and meet your future wife!” Geology, Sedimentary and colleague Richard Bailey and another great geologist,
Petrology, and in the Department of Earth Don Wise, educate even more
Sedimentology Sciences of Northeastern students and continue doing
Seminar. John’s University, says that he always research.
courses were always seeks out presentations by Indeed, John has had a
of the highest order, John or his students because long and fulfilling career, and
and underscored they are “always of the highest when John does something he
John’s belief of the quality ever.” is “all in!” Two of John’s favorite
importance of the John’s 60 papers and expressions are: “You’ve got to
professor teaching guidebooks cover many types go in the field!” and “Is morale
the labs and leading of sediments, concentrating high?” which he often asked
the field trips as in recent years on the Newark students at critical times in his
opposed to having Supergroup, with 15 field classes and field trips. Students
their graduate seasons studying the Bay of immediately know that John is
students take on Fundy strata: eolian, fluvial, concerned not only about their
this responsibility playa-sandflat, alluvial fan, education but also about their
themselves. As lacustrine, debris-flow, and life and well being. Thank
John’s TA for Sed- paleosol. John’s Ph.D. disser- you, John for caring, for being
imentology I saw tation on the Fountain Arkose, such an exemplar, for your
first hand some was published in 1960 by the outstanding contributions to
of John’s habits Colorado School of Mines Sedimentary Geology and for
that made him a as a Monograph and quickly your inspiration to those of us
beloved teacher sold out! For several years, who love to teach!
John in the early 1970’s standing in front of the and an outstanding John studied the Morrison (Prepared by Ken Galli, Boston
central Connecticut caliche soils in redbeds. researcher. As Formation, and one of his College).
Page  UMass Amherst
DAviD boutt con’t
Di n n e r H o n o r i n g
understanding grain-scale anisotropic stress in a fractured
J o h n H u b e r t
mechanical behavior of rock’s ability to transport
September 15 at 6:00pm siliclastic rocks through detailed contaminants through bench-
laboratory experiments with an scale experiments in naturally
Campus Center Amherst Room
emphasis on rock porosity and fractured crystalline rock.
(10th Floor)
permeability. This is funded by Together with the Office
a grant from the Department of the State Geologist, my
of Energy’s Office of Basic group is studying the role
Energy Sciences. This work of groundwater storage in
has important implications for bedrock and surficial aquifers
things like compressive storage on the watershed hydrology in
in large aquifers. I also plan the Deerfield River watershed
to expand my research to near Charlemont, MA. I hope
the fractured bedrock of the to hear from many of you soon
region. I am setting-up a lab and encourage you to visit
to explore detailed aspects of my faculty webpage for more
fluid flow and mass transport details of my research and
in fractured rock. This teaching at UMass Amherst.
research looks at the role of
Please contribute
reminiscences about John Dr. Boutt is teaching several graduate-level and undergraduate courses.
even if you cannot attend. these include a seminar on hydrogeologic Processes and intro and
advanced level hydrogeology courses. the advanced courses will
RSVP or for more information:
emphasize the numerical modeling of groundwater flow and transport of
[email protected] or 413-545-1806 contaminants using state of the art software.
QiAn yu, con’t Dept heAD Letter (con’t.)
land sustainability and on linking remote sensing and department what it is, and we be hearing about in future
surface runoff, Atmospheric storm water modeling in will miss them. newsletters. Of course,
Environment: Modeling spatial order to quantify the spatial We have had a busy year we welcome comments,
allocation of PM2.5 Emissions and temporal distribution (or two) of renovations in suggestions, and news
from Residential Wood of dissolved organic carbon Morrill. Ceilings and lights from all alumni and friends.
Combustion in the State of (DOC) from landscapes to have been replaced in many Please check in on the web
California, and the Soil Science coastal waters in collaboration parts of the department. site when you can. We have
Society of America Journal: with UMass Boston. Also, she Asbestos has been removed, a new look and information
Quantity and spatial variability has recently started to explore and new fire alarms and about happenings in the
of soil carbon and analysis vegetation-aided bedrock higher-speed networking department.
of controlling factors in the mapping in collaboration with installed. I am afraid that we It was great to see
conterminous United States. Millersville University, PA. have lost the stained record alumni and friends at the
Based on her quantitative and Qian serves as the GIS of some of the great Morrill UMass Amherst-Geosciences
spatial analytical strengths, lab manager and makes an floods of the past. It’s not reception at GSA in Salt
she specializes in using spatial effort to promote the GIS a brand new Geosciences Lake City. We hope to see
and temporal modeling program on campus. She building, but the old place is as many people as possible
to understand spatial is also the vice president of looking great. at the GSA in Philadelphia
variation and their interactive the International Association During the spring 2005 this fall. The UMass Amherst
processes. of Chinese Professionals in semester, we had our periodic Geosciences reception will
Since Qian started her Geographic Information review. The so-called AQAD be Monday night (10/23) at
work at UMass Amherst, she Sciences. She enjoys serving review involved five outside 8:00 PM, and you don’t need
has endeavored to collaborate in the GIS community and reviewers and a complete to attend the GSA meeting to
with colleagues in geosciences. promoting the exchange of evaluation of department come to the reception. Please
She is involved in a project ideas and knowledge. activities from undergraduate stop by and say hello. Also,
and graduate teaching to watch for the second annual
Qian teaches introductory and advanced GIS and remote sensing
research and the use of Department of Geosciences
courses. She is also planning a course of quantitative environmental
department space. The review calendar, coming this fall.
data analysis and geostatistics. All her courses emphasize both theory
was very positive, and there Best wishes for fall and winter
and computer implementation to enable students to put what they learn
were some great suggestions, of 2006.
into practice. She actively encourages students to link quantitative skills
the results of which you will
to the geographic phenomena that interest them in their final projects.
Department of Geosciences Page 
F n
A c u L t y o t e s
Ray Bradley was recently linois Univ-NIU). Senior Luke she is investigating fractures Human Geography lecture at
elected a Fellow of the Ameri- Trusel finished an honors the- along a fault-cored fold in the the Chicago AAG in March.
can Geophysical Union. A sis based on modern process Spanish Pyrenees—a wonder- Julie’s current research focuses
book he co-edited (with Henry research of an active tidewater ful region to do field work in! on the extraordinary prolifera-
Diaz), The Hadley Circulation: margin near Ny Alësund and In the realm of active faulting, tion of alternative economic
Present, Past & Future, was re- is now off to graduate school she and Ph.D. candidate Scott activity in the Pioneer Valley
cently published by Kluwer Ac- at NIU. Marshall are investigating fault over the last several years. In
ademic. He returned to Elles- Graduate students con- geometry and slip rates within January, students joined her
mere Island, northern Canada tinue to teach Julie new tricks. the Ventura and Los Angeles in forming the Community
this summer to continue his Zach Lundeen worked on the basins of California. Although Economies Research Group
research on varved lake sedi- deglacial history of the Chuk- there is not much field work (CERG), to analyze and
ments. chi shelf and is now at the there, they enjoy helping to chronicle the local commu-
University of Utah. Beth Cais- constrain seismic hazards in nity economy. They received a
sie finished her M.Sc. and will the region. To better under- small grant from the American
continue on for a Ph.D. on stand these ancient and active Sociological Association to
the sea ice history of the Ber- faults, post doctoral research- study community enterprises in
ing Strait. Caitlin Majocka is er Mario Del Castello and Mi- the Pioneer Valley as a contri-
finishing up her M.Sc. on un- chele have developed a new bution to a larger international
derstanding variations in the project of analog experiments study of community-oriented
magnetic susceptibility record of fault system evolution where enterprises. CERG research-
from Lake E. they grow faults in sand and ers and geography Ph.D. can-
A past president of the clay. This last project has a didates Janelle Cornwell and
American Quaternary Associ- fabulous outreach component Ted White are documenting
ation, Julie continues to serve and they have been running the local economic impact of
as chair of the PAGES Interna- sandbox workshops and field the “buy local” campaign of
tional Science Steering Com- trips for students from six high Community Involved in Sus-
Ray Bradley received an hon-
mittee until 2009. schools for the deaf around taining Agriculture, a success-
orary Doctor of Science from
Chris Condit contin- the country. This project has ful NGO that asked CERG to
Lancaster University, England
ues to work on his Dynamic been described in Geotimes, assist them. An undergraduate
Julie Brigham-Grette Digital Map project - visit the SignNews, AP news and the CERG researcher also par-
continues to focus on several DDM web page at http://ddm. UMass Amherst web page. ticipated in a telephone survey
projects. The Lake El’gygytgyn geo.umass.edu where you of potential depositors in the
(Lake E) Drilling program is can download more than 10 Common Good Bank, a com-
on the cusp of being funded DDMs posted there. He’ll be munity-oriented bank that is
by NSF, given the momentum teaching a course on making starting up in the Valley. Julie’s
from a $1.5M award from DDMs this fall. As you can see Ph.D. student Stephen Healy
the International Continental from the department calender, recently completed his disser-
Drilling Program. Along with Chris is still flying his Cessna tation on the community econ-
colleagues from Germany, 170B and shooting pictures. omy and health care reform,
Russia, Austria and Canada, He continues to be interested with a very successful and well
Michele Cooke signs with a stu-
Julie plans to drill during Jan- in volcanic rocks out in the attended defense.
dent during “Faults in the Field”
May 2008 to recover sediment southwestern United States, The Eastern Mindanao
cores dating back to 3.6 Ma and took a trip out to Arizona Julie Graham has a Conservation Collabora-
from NE Russia. Eleven pa- in June to assess the possibility new book, A Postcapitalist tive (EMCC), directed by Jim
pers summarizing results from of continued work in the south- Politics, co-authored with her Hafner, supports a biodiver-
the pre-site survey work are central Springerville field, longtime Australian collabora- sity archiving project in Min-
now “in press,” filling an entire where mapping has not been tor, Katherine Gibson, under danao, Philippines. EMCC is
issue of the Journal of Paleo- done. He also has accompa- their pen name J.K. Gibson- working to finalize 18 months
limnology. In July 2005, Julie nied Laurie Brown on several Graham, and published by of analysis of endangered
participated in a pilot Research paleomagnetic sampling trips the University of Minnesota species distribution, habitat
Experience for Undergradu- to Chile and Argentina, and Press. Julie and Kathie con- characteristics, and threats
ates program (REU) based looks forward to another trip tinue their work on alternative to the sustainability of those
out of Ny Alësund, Svalbard in January. economies (see www.com- species and habitats. This has
run jointly with alums Steve Michele Cooke contin- munityeconomies.org) and been a collaborative effort with
Roof and Mike Retelle, along ues to work on active and an- have given many keynote and the Philippine Eagle Founda-
with Al Werner (Mt. Holyoke) cient fault systems. With Ph.D. public lectures during the past tion and the University of the
and Ross Powell (Northern Il- candidate Ryan Shackleton, year, including the Progress in Philippines Mindanao who
Continued on page 
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are responsible for field data Her most recent publica- least) loess exposures in Hun- current graduate students all
collection and hosted a two tions include: “On Syphilis and gary with the cooperation of want to study Martian geology,
week GIS training program Nietzsche’s Madness: Spiro- Dr. Erzsebet Horvath of Eotvos whereas he attempts to tackle
run by the UMass Amherst chetes awake!” in The Ameri- Lorand University (ELTE) in Bu- research problems on both
Geosciences can Academy dapest. Of particular concern Mars and Venus. Some of his
department in of Arts and Sci- this year is collecting shells Mars research is as a Co-PI
June 2005. The ences, Daeda- near the middle-Pleistocene on a grant to geophysicist Sue
department’s lus, and “Serial Bag Tephra horizon found in Smrekar at NASA’s Jet Propul-
contributions to Endosymbiotic many sites from Slovakia to sion Lab and he thinks that in-
this project can Theory (SET) and Serbia. After the field season, teracting with a geophysicist is
be credited pri- Composite Indi- Dr. Oches, an Associate Pro- rather fun. He enjoys working
marily to Sean viduality: Transi- fessor of Geology and Chair with graduate students and ex-
Fitzgerald, Lec- tion from bacte- of the Department Environ- pects to continue doing so for
turer (Geogra- rial to eukaryote mental Science and Policy at at least a few more years. He
phy, M.Sc.), Don genomes”, in the the University of South Florida, writes that his overall health is
Sluter (Geogra- UK publication will be spending his sabbatical good, but he has been physi-
phy, M.Sc.) and Microbiology To- year (2006-2007) in our de- cally slowed down somewhat
Alicia Johnson day. With Dr. Mi- partment. by a couple of dramatic falls,
(Geography, Durian Fruit in the Philippiunes chael Dolan and George McGill writes: I one of which broke his left hip.
M.Sc. candidate). UMass Amherst honors under- have been among the “work- This has not affected his re-
John Hubert will retire graduate Hannah Melnitsky ing retired” for nine years now, search or graduate mentoring,
this summer after 36 hap- “Cysts and symbionts of Stau- and very little has changed, however.
py years in the department. rojoenina assimilis Kirby from except I keep getting older (I Rud Platt was the key-
Thanks to everyone who made Neotermes,” their research hit 75 in June of 2006). His note speaker at the Tenth An-
this possible! He remains ac- paper appeared in the latest NASA grants support his re- niversary celebration of Chica-
tive, continuing work with Jim issue of European Journal of search, and also three gradu- go Wilderness at the Field Mu-
Dutcher on an ongoing proj- Protistology. After two years ate students: two Ph.D. can- seum in Chicago on May 17.
ect on the early Mesozoic flu- of work, Dr. Michael Dolan, didates (Dianna McMenamin Chicago Wilderness is an alli-
vial redbeds of the Sugarloaf Jessica H. Whiteside and Lynn and Eileen McGowan), and ance of over 190 public and
Arkose, and supervising Matt submitted their comprehensive one M.Sc. candidate (Fariha private organizations working
Walsh who is a master’s can- paper “Origin of the Nucleus: Islam). There were two suc- to restore, protect, and man-
didate doing sedimentary pe- Attraction spheres and the Chi- cessful defenses in the past age natural ecosystems in the
trology on the arkose. meric Karyomastigont” to the year or so, M.Sc. for Carol Iv- greater Chicago region. Its
Lynn Margulis spoke special 2005 issue of Paleobi- ers, and Ph.D. for Debra Buc- membership includes federal,
with many colleagues includ- ology in memory of Stephen J. state, county, local, and private
ing Vandana Shiva at Conde Gould: Macroevoluton: Diver- agencies which collectively
Duque Cultural Center in Ma- sity and disparity. manage over 225,000 acres
drid at Banquete, an interna- This summer Bill Mc- of protected natural areas.
tional program on “Commu- Coy will continue his loess re- Rud organized a series of four
nication and evolution.” Ban- search in Europe with Dr. Eric speakers on “Disasters, Envi-
quete, a two year celebration, Oches (past M.Sc. and Ph.D. ronment, and Public Policy”
creates a dialogue between art, student). He will be pick- held on the UMass Amherst
science, technology, and soci- ing up ground temperature campus between February and
ety. A catalyst of dynamic re- dataloggers at several sites in May of this year. He gave the
lationships, the Banquete sym- Central Europe and collect- concluding talk in the series:
posiums took place inside vol. ing snail shell samples from “Learning from Disasters: The
2 of Miquel Cervante’s book, loess at sites in Hungary. The Synergy of Geography and
Don Quixote (1605-2005). ground temperature data will Public Policy.” He presented a
Some 300 artists, scientists, be useful for understanding shorter version of this talk at
authors and other intellectu- the kinetics of amino acid ra- the Phi Beta Kappa graduation
als participated in response to cemization in fossil snail shells, 18 km wide image from the Mars ceremonies at UMass Amherst
a sixteen page supplement in for determining differences in Odyssey orbiter. on May 27.
the newspaper El Pais, distrib- present-day temperatures be- Under his direction, the
uted to 130,000 readers. Her tween sites, and for estimating zkowski. Carol teaches high Ecological Cities Project (www.
article, “Gaia and the Evolu- the range of thermal diffusivi- school in Milford, CT, and ecologicalcities.org) has com-
tion of Machines,” received ties of loess at various sites. Debra has a post-doc at the pleted an edited book: The
two full well-illustrated pages Fossil shells will be collected at Advanced Physics Lab, Johns Humane Metropoli: People
in this wonderful supplement. many new (for Rick and Bill, at Hopkins University. His three and Nature in the 21st Cen-
Department of Geosciences Page 
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A c u L t y o t e s c o n t
tury City, to be published with organized two field trips. One she’s studied the geochemistry Mahan has finished his Ph.D.
a companion 22-minute DVD to Hawaii for Five College stu- of hot springs and sinters, and and is working on a post-doc
in October by the University of dents taking his Volcanology how it reflects the local igne- at Cal Tech. Ph.D. student
Massachusetts Press in associ- course, and the other to Maine ous rock compositions. Don Greg Dumond is doing superb
ation with the Lincoln Institute for senior petrologists interest- Lac’s M.Sc. research is a study research in Canada and in the
of Land Policy. Launch events ed in magma chambers and of the oxygen concentration Southwest. M.Sc. student Nan-
are planned for the Boston layered intrusions. The trip for of magmas, also using the cy Price is spending the sum-
area and New York City in No- the scientists, which was or- facilities at Brookhaven Lab mer in northern New Mexico
vember. ganized and lead by Marshall on Long Island, in collabora- taking a new look at the thick
2004 saw the publication Chapman and Mike Rhodes, tion with Darby Dyar of Mt. quartzites and Mn-horizons.
in G-cubed of Mike Rhodes’ was to look at the interaction Holyoke College. Sheila ran Post-doc Philippe Goncalves
mammoth paper on Phase-2 of mafic and granitic magmas a Five-College field trip to Ice- has gone to a permanent job
of the Hawaii Scientific Drill- on Isle au Haut and Vinal- land for 39 students and fac- in France, but Callum Hether-
ing Project. This is a multi-in- haven, Maine. The problem ulty in August 2006. ington (post-doc) is now going
stitutional, multi-national proj- was logistics. How to accom- Dick Wilkie had a year strong on the monazite dating
ect that he has been involved modate and feed thirty scien- off from Geography Grad Pro- research projects.
in for the last six years. The tists and their spouses, not to gram Director, but will resume Don Wise has contin-
idea behind this project is to mention transport them from the post this fall. He taught ued his “retirement” by being
document changes in volcanic island to island. The answer: UMass Amherst courses in around the department most
output and magma composi- charter a schooner! Switzerland (July ’05) and Sin- days and now has his office
tion as the Island of Hawaii At the end of last sum- gapore (March ’05 & Jan. in Marie Litterer’s old drafting
moves over the mer, Mike was ’06), as well as his regular room. In the last year, he man-
inferred Hawai- invited to give classes. His chapter “Danger- aged to get out papers on new
ian plume. In a keynote talk ous Journeys: Mexico City Col- interpretations of rift and grain
the paper, Mike at a conference lege Students and the Mexican in the basement of the Rockies,
Vollinger (grad in Fort William, Landscape: 1954-1962” was use of the Biemsderfer plotter,
student) and Scotland, on published in Adventures Into and the Pequea Silver Mine.
Rhodes report the geochemi- Mexico: American Tourism Be- He also helped organize three
on the geo- cal arguments yond the Border, (Rowman & different runnings of a field
chemistry of supporting a Littlefield 2006) in the Jaguar trip across the Pennsylvania
systematically mantle plume Series on Latin America. Five Piedmont, and a two day trip
sampled lavas for the origin of of his grad students finished for the department (Chickies
from the 3.1 Mike Rhodes working in Hawaii. the Hawaiian Is- degrees in the past year--four Rock, Rheems Quarry, etc.).
km diamond drill hole. The lands. Master’s (Donald Sluter, Mer- He was outside examiner on
top 245 m provided informa- Sheila Seaman is enjoy- edith Gray, Walker Korby and two Ph.D. committees at the
tion on Mauna Loa’s eruptive ing working with five graduate Jennifer Bonin) and one Ph.D. Univ. of Rome and, while there,
history over the last 100 thou- students on a variety of proj- (George Roberson). Two of his become involved in some new
sand years, whereas the rest of ects. She is working with Ph.D. Ph.D. students (Jeffrey Blan- interpretations of the structure
the hole provided information student Paul Low on geochem- kenship and Alan Marcus) of the Antarctic ice sheet. This
on about 400 thousand years istry and mineral chemistry of have advanced to the ABD summer he again taught field
of Mauna Kea’s eruptive his- ultramafic rocks in the Grand stage. camp at the Yellowstone Big-
tory. Canyon and with Ph.D. student Mike Williams contin- horn Research Association
The most exciting part of Chris Koteas on magma dy- ues to study lower crustal rocks (YBRA) in Red Lodge, MT.
the research is the recognition, namics and crystallization his- exposed in northern Saskatch-
near the bottom of the hole, of tory of the bimodal plutons on ewan, mid-crustal rocks in the
Look for notes from
lavas that are chemically simi- the coast of Maine. With M.Sc. southwestern U.S.A., and the
the following facullty
lar to Loihi lavas inter-layered student Anna Keskula-Snyder spectacular Paleozoic rocks of
members in upcoming
with typical Mauna Kea lavas. she is studying the behavior of western New England. In ad-
newsletters: Laurie
Loihi, a submarine volcano water as a trace compound in dition, he is heavily involved
Brown, Steve Burns,
south of the Big Island is the feldspar, with a focus on lava with the effort to develop the
Rob DeConto, Piper
newest addition to the Hawai- flows in Iceland. Anna has techniques of microprobe
Gaubatz , Mark Leckie,
ian chain. So, what does this become an expert on the use geochronology (with Mike Jer-
Tony Morse, Peter
mean? Stay tuned, drilling will of Fourier transform infrared cinovic). The new techniques
Panish, Steve Petsch,
hopefully resume sometime, spectroscopy at Brookhaven allow ages to be determined
Pete Robinson, Stan
and they expect to be analyz- Lab to measure small amounts for small portions of monazite
Stevens, and Richard
ing more samples within the of water in minerals. M.Sc. crystals, and constraints to be
Yuretich
near future. student Katie Niman’s work is placed on timing of deforma-
Last summer (2005) Mike also based in Iceland, where tion and metamorphism. Kevin
Page  UMass Amherst
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L u m n i o t e s
Bob Walker (M.Sc., ‘66) helped with the siting studies (M.Sc., ‘77). He wrote, “To- be irresistible.” “Phenomenal
After twenty years doing oil of high-level nuclear waste day I am living in Abu Dhabi idea Mr. President,” I said.
and gas exploration in the repositiories; served as the and working for the Crown “Let me check with my people
Gulf Coast and Mid-Conti- government’s geology and Prince, Sheikh Mohamed bin and get back to you (wink!).” I
nent areas, I tried the envi- tunneling expert in the site se- Zayed al Nayhan, within a am now leading- with my UAE
ronmental/geotechnical field; lection for the Superconduct- company he chairs called national colleague, next week,
first as a drilling contractor in ing Super Collider, and led a Mubadala Development www. the first official UAE delegation
Dallas, then Baton Rouge, and multi-year project to clean up mubadala.ae. Long gone are to Iceland - ever - at the invi-
finally migrating to Los Ange- former nuclear research facili- the days of practicing geol- tation of President Grimsson.
les. This month I celebrated ties in central Ohio. ogy. Today I am in the fast It’s going to be great…”
ten years at the Army Corps of I thought I was going to paced corporate world of high Rusty Gilbert (M.Sc.,
Engineers working flood-con- have more time for art, but stakes project development ‘80) is working for Chevron’s
trol design and environmental these first three months of re- and mergers and acquisitions Energy Technology Co. (ETC)
projects in Nevada and south- tirement have kept me busy (the Enron collapse was the fi- in San Ramon Calif. and is
ern California. Within the last battling the Ohio Board of Ed- nal straw – after 19 years with team leader of ETC’s shallow
month I found myself initiating ucation which has fallen under Enron’s E&P businesses). I marine (clastic and carbon-
a groundwater study at Ed- creationist influences. We are still have a very active hand in ate) stratigraphy group. “Most
wards Air Force Base (Muroc starting to see the unraveling the energy industry managing of the work we are involved in
Lake) and reconning a huge of the success achieved two and building this company’s is international based and in-
alluvial fan in the Pahrump years ago when a new set of oil and gas portfolio, but it’s cludes sequence stratigraphy
Valley of Nevada for a flood public school science curricu- equal measures of aviation studies (utilizing core, logs,
control structure. Both areas lum standards were approved and aerospace, automotive, seismic, biostrat.), field work,
are but a “stones throw” from which—for the first time ever petrochemicals, basic metals, and leading field schools.” He
Big Smoky Playa in Nye Coun- in Ohio—mentioned evolution precious metal mining, and a also noted, “FYI, Alan Reed
ty (NV) where Ward Motts and made understanding it a lot of advisory on re-inventing (B.Sc., ‘73) (Bakersfield)
guided my field work in the central theme of 10th Grade and re-engineering the gov- is working in my team and
summer of 1965. Who would Biology. ernment of Abu Dhabi. Brook Olsen (M.Sc., ‘02)
ever guess that I would urge My biggest preoccupation will report soon, both alumni
I would retrace every student to during the last year has been of UMass Amherst. Say hi to
my steps forty become familiar to lead the development of a all including Dr. Hubert. Sorry
years later? My with the cultural new economic sector in Abu to hear about John retiring but
email is rob- war between Dhabi centered on renew- it will be good for him. He’s
ert.f.walker@ rationalism and able energy and sustainable one of the few professors I
usace.army. conservative development and creating in have seen who really under-
mil for any- religion that is Abu Dhabi, a global center of stands the rocks.”
one who would being fought excellence in this space with Peter Jacobson, (M.Sc.,
care to write. in this country supported R&D, new graduate ‘80) wrote, “Thank you for
Tom Baillieul on many dif- university programs, the whole sending the UMass Amherst
(B.A., ‘71; Laurie Brown is held up by Art ferent levels. works. It’s a go. While in Geosciences calendar; it is ex-
M.Sc., ‘76) Goldstein (now at NSF) and Bill How soon will New York last Fall at a Colum- citing to see the variety of field
Just received Kelly (now State Geologist of it be before we bia University conference, the activities underway in the de-
the latest news- NY) in the late 70’s. have political President of Iceland took me partment….Greetings to all. I
letter from the Department; my appointees with anti-evolu- aside, sat me down, and said, have practiced in the environ-
compliments to all those who tion and anti-science leanings “Albert, wouldn’t it be sexy (he mental consulting field for the
contributed and put it together. sitting at the head of govern- used the word sexy) if Iceland past 26 years and the field is
I especially appreciated Tony mental funding bodies like the and Abu Dhabi could combine as stimulating, challenging
Morses’ eulogy for Howard NIH or the NSF? their respective expertise
Jaffe. I was one of Howard’s Deb and I are still going in developing natural
early grad students, and Tony’s strong after 31+ years; eldest energy resources from
words brought back a rush of son, Alex, has taken up nuclear underground, and with
memories. engineering and brewing beer Abu Dhabi’s stature in
As an update, I retired (a Geologist’s dream come the Middle East, African
at the end of 2003 from 25 true!). Younger son, Ben, is and South Asian region,
years’ service with the Federal finishing up at Ohio University bring low grade geo-
Government. Over that span as a Philosophy major (Earth- thermal power to aid the
of time I worked as a geolo- FriendArts.tripod.com). development of impov-
gist with the Botswana Geo- George McGill had a erished peoples, a prop- Jack Wishart hones his Brunton skills in
logical Survey (Peace Corps); note from Bert Stromquist osition that I think would Geo231--Field Methods.
Department of Geosciences Page 
A n ’ .
L u m n i o t e s c o n t
and varied as it was in the be- Davidson (B.Sc., ‘85) at him instead of going to Field in 7.5-minute quadrangles in
ginning. I have the pleasure of our Denver GSA reception last Camp in the summer of my Ju- Connecticut and Vermont. In
working with other UMass Am- year. He is a Senior Manag- nior year. He was working on cooperation with Steve Ma-
herst geo-grads (e.g., Scott ing Scientist, at Exponent in a Pleistocene glacial deposits bee, I recently started mapping
Laird (M.Sc., ‘74), Bob Boulder, CO, specializing in map for the quadrangle that again in MA: the Grafton 7.5-
Day-Lewis hydrology. covers UMass Amherst down minute quadrangle. My efforts
(M.Sc., ‘80) Lee Allison towards Northampton. I had in New England are focused
amongst the (Ph.D., ‘86) a section of the quadrangle to on ground water in fractured
professionals I is now the map south of UMass Amherst bedrock, tectonics, and geo-
interact with reg- State Ge- that covered the north side of chronology. I’m also working
ularly. I hope ologist of Ari- the Holyoke range. I remem- in the Anti-Atlas Mountains of
other geosci- zona. Con- ber a time I spoke with Tom Morocco as part of a multi-
ence graduates gratulations after graduation. I was home agency geologic mapping ef-
have the same Lee … not in on leave and made a visit to fort for the Moroccan Ministry
robust career Kansas any- the campus. I ran into Tom of Mines and Energy. If you’re
opportunities I more! in the department and told ever in Morocco, I strongly
have enjoyed. Rob Mc- him I was flying B-52’s. He suggest a trip to the Anti-Atlas,
My wife, Ju- Clure (B.Sc., was very excited. He grew up the geology is spectacular!”
lie, and I have ‘86) writes: near Westover Air Force Base
three boys: Jas- It makes me in Springfield. It was a base
Eric Oches (Ph.D. ’93) examines
cha (21, junior feel old that for B-52s until the early 70s,
a loess/paleosol exposure in
at RIT), Alex so many of so Tom remembered watch-
Ruma, Serbia with his grad stu-
(15), and Sam the professors ing the aircraft take off and fly
dent Richard Walther (standing).
(11). All three I had the plea- in the local pattern as a kid.
are very different, which, to- sure of learning from have He was so happy to finally get
gether with their age spread, retired or passed on. I had some answers about the air-
has made our lives frenzied at classes with Steve Haggerty, craft he had seen years ago
times, but almost always fun. and David Alexander. David’s as they few around his home.
We live in the suburbs of Phila- Geomorphology class was a That conversation will be my
History of the Earth field trip to
delphia, PA. I welcome hear- favorite of mine. I am glad to memory of him.
Canajoharie, NY in April 2005.
ing from others!” hear Don Wise is still taking Joe Hartshorn was my first
Jane Bolton (B.Sc., the students out into the field. professor (Geo 101), and he Peter Mazzone (Ph.D.,
‘81) writes: I really enjoy He was a great teacher, and a is probably why I changed my ‘88) is the co-founder and
reading the department news- lot of fun to be with out in the major to geology. He was also partner of Phillips and Maz-
letters and hearing about what field. a bomber pilot, and had a lot of zone, Lawyers in downtown
everybody is doing. I am in I was saddened to hear of great war stories about the RAF Everett, WA where he focuses
my sixth year working as a Howard Jaffe’s passing. I re- and 8th AF in England during his practice on criminal law.
civil engineer for the Army member Howard Jaffe fondly WWII. He also taught a kick- On February 2nd, 2003 Peter
Corps of Engineers in Sacra- mostly because after having ass Glacial Geology course. married Amy Monnin in Boca
mento, CA. Work wise it’s the done well (A- I believe) in his Mike O’Connor (BSc, Raton, Florida. Peter and Amy
best job I’ve ever had, but I Petrology class, he said I had ‘86), a registered geologist currently live in Mill Creek,
doubt I will finish up my career a good chance of leaving in Oregon and Washington, Washington. Peter also re-
here. My male co-workers UMass Amherst with a Geol- has launched Assessment As- cently co-authored a book
are so rednecked they make ogy degree. I still remember sociates, Inc., an environmen- entitled “Pages From Another
Omaha, Nebraska look like the Steinman Trinity, and his tal consulting firm in Portland, World” in 2002 which is cur-
San Francisco, and the central discussions about “American Oregon. He’s been in Port- rently available on the inter-
California heat makes out- Rice Beer.” land since ’88, and is married net.
door recreation in the sum- After graduation, I was a with two children. He would It was great to see Steve
mer virtually impossible for a Bombardier in the USAF flying love to hear from his UMass Herzog (B.Sc., ‘87) when
cold-blooded Yankee like me. B-52 aircraft. I am now living Amherst friends. Please email he was in the Department for
I recently returned from an ad- in Nashville, TN and work as him at mike@aaiconsulting. a visit in June. He and family
venture tour of New Zealand’s a salesman for Nalco, a spe- com or visit his website at are now living in Petersham,
south island. AWESOME, cialty chemical company that www.aaiconsulting.com. MA. On the side, Steve and
although I had to skip the provides chemicals for boiler Greg Walsh (B.Sc., ‘86) Lynn work as host/guides at
glacier hike due to knee sur- and cooling systems. wrote, “I am continuing bed- the Fisher Museum at Harvard
gery six weeks before the trip. I am very sad to hear of rock mapping efforts for the Forest.
Keep the newsletters coming! Tom Rice’s passing. I took a USGS in New England. I’m Mark Leckie heard from
We enjoyed seeing Jim Surficial Mapping class with currently finishing some work Continued on page 12
Page 10 UMass Amherst
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had several
steve cArey, b.sc. 1975 cruises and
I entered UMass Amherst like the perfect match. fieldtrips to
in the fall of 1971 intent on I graduated from UMass the area.
becoming a geologist even Amherst in 1975 with what I This rein-
though I really wasn’t sure ex- now realize was a remarkably forced my
actly what they did. I only knew broad background in earth interests in
that I didn’t want to sit behind sciences. I was fortunate to volcanology
a desk in some office for the have selected my major early and petrolo-
rest of my life. My experience and consequently was able gy. In 1980,
with backpacking in the White to take several graduate level as I was
Mountains of New Hampshire courses from Pete Robinson working on
had sparked my curiosity of the and Tony Morse in my senior my PhD, Mt. St. Helens erupt- bridge University in England.
processes that form such inter- year. I applied and was ac- ed and we were at the volcano I thought this was pretty exotic
esting features. The early sev- cepted into the marine geol- about a week after the big but was quickly brought back
enties were a very stimulating ogy program at the Gradu- event. This was a real turning to Earth when I walked into
time in geology because of the ate School of Oceanography, point for my career. Standing their computer lab on my first
dramatic plate tectonics revo- University of Rhode Island. My within the blast zone of what day and there was Tony Morse
lution and its impact on virtual- advisor, Haraldur Sigurdsson, looked like a nuclear explo- sitting at one of the terminals.
ly all fields of geoscience. One was a volcanologist from Ice- sion I realized that explosive You can never get away from
could sense that something land who had recently joined volcanism was what I wanted the long arm of UMass Am-
exciting was happening but the faculty. This would be the to study. herst! Turns out he was there
being an undergraduate often beginning of a collaboration I got my Ph.D. in 1983 and for a sabbatical.
limited my sense of the scope that has lasted for some 30 continued on as marine re- In 1987 I joined the fac-
of its importance. During that years. search scientist (which is just ulty at the Graduate School
time I also had a keen interest I initially began working on a fancy term for someone who of Oceanography, URI and
in the ocean and when I found volcanic ash layers in deep has to raise all of their salary have been here ever since.
out there was a course called sea sediments around the money). During that time I was I crossed paths again with
marine geology, it sounded Lesser Antilles island arc. We a visiting scientist at Cam- Continued on page 17
Dr. LinDA A tompkins, bsc 1980, msc 1983
all involved as Brazil re-wrote
During my studies at three months I could com- I managed to see quite a bit its Constitution and just about
UMass Amherst I was the odd municate one-on-one in Por- of the country. Although we every single piece of legisla-
one out in wanting to work tuguese. never found any kimber- tion including its Mining law.
in minerals exploration. My I am absolutely lites our team did find This time of uncertainty led
opportunity came soon after petrified of snakes many alkaline rock many mining and exploration
graduating with an M.Sc. in and for me field intrusions some companies to leave Brazil and
1983 when I was offered a work in Brazil was with close affini- invest elsewhere.
job with BP Minerals, Brazil to a great step for- ties to kimberlite. I then moved to Perth to
work in their diamond explo- ward because, in Most of my time begin my Ph.D. at the Uni-
ration program. I didn’t even contrast to West was spent work- versity of Western Australia in
have to think about the offer Africa where I ing on diamond 1990. Before leaving Brazil I
– I just went. worked with exploration organized to have the 5th In-
I ended up spending seven Haggerty as projects ternational Kimberlite Confer-
and a half years in Brazil, the an M.Sc. throughout ence held in Brazil in 1991. It
first five working as an explo- student, at Brazil but was a fantastic success.
ration geologist full-time in the least the snakes in Brazil I also worked for one year I completed my Ph.D. on
Brazilian bush. I didn’t know were on the ground (and not on a gold project in western a Mississippi-Valley type Zn-Pb
a word of Portuguese before I in the trees). A good “no Matto Grosso near the Boliv- deposit in the Kimberley region
started. For my first field trip I snake day” was only seeing ian border within the Amazon of Western Australia. I chose
was sent into the bush with five about six to eight snakes in proper. this project for two reasons: it
Brazilian workers who didn’t and hearing about the same Politically, the time I spent was a new deposit that no one
know a word of English and number squirming in the in Brazil was also very inter- had worked on yet and it was
told to “go find kimberlites” bush. But on some days we esting as the country was half way between the Argyle
and basically don’t call back would encounter dozens of emerging from a dictator- and Ellendale diamond depos-
until you find one. Needless snakes. I am amazed that ship and moving towards a its. I managed to get myself
to say the first few months were no one ever got bitten. democracy. These transition invited to both diamond areas
incredibly difficult but within During my time in Brazil years were very difficult for Continued on page 13