UMass Geosciences - University of Massachusetts Amherst

20 Pages·2008·2.14 MB·English

Summer 2008
Base camp at
Amherst
17,000ft in the
Little Ice Age
moraines of the
Quelccaya Ice
Cap, Cordillera
Vilcanota, Peru.
A L e t t e r F r om t h e D e pa r tm e n t H e a d
Faculty News
Dear Geosciences Alumni,
New Faculty:
Hello from Amherst.
Stan Stevens Page 3 I (Mike Williams) took a
Faculty Notes Page 4 nine-month break from the
Department Head position,
Retirements:
and Laurie Brown stood in
Rutherford Platt Page 8 for the 2007-2008 academic
James Hafner Page 8 year. Laurie was a fantastic
Alumni News Department Head, guiding
the department through
Alumni Notes Page 9 another visible, productive,
Alumni Spotlights: and successful year. This
Celine Suarez, BS ‘01 Page 12 update comes from both of
Mark Serreze, BS ‘82; MS ‘84 us. There’s lots happening
Page 12 around the department in
William Nechamen, BS ‘83 terms of faculty research, interested in conservation furniture is in.
Page 13 student research, building and development, legal We now have a completely
renovation, retirements, hiring, and political geographies, renovated thin section and rock
James Bradbury, PhD ‘05 Page 13
and much more. Details on environmental history, and crushing lab, also equipped
many of these items are in the the ideas and practice of with a new large cold room
In Memoriam
newsletter, but we will hit some regionalism. Eve is already for core storage. We are ready
Andrew Wyse, BS ‘83 Page 11 of the highlights here. an experienced and excellent now for the cores that Julie
Gerald Williams, BS ‘76, MS ‘79
We had a superbly teacher, having taught a B-G will be bringing back
Page 11 successful search for a new number of courses at all levels. from Lake-E in Russia and
Barry Timson, MS ‘72 Page 11 geographer this year. I am Eve will be a great addition to materials from many other
Around the thrilled to report that we have our department. We can’t wait projects as well. By the way,
Department hired Dr. Eve Vogel as our until she arrives this fall. the USGS just finished drilling
newest human geographer. We also had a successful through a critical section of
Qian Yu research trip Page 3
Eve is coming from the search for a sedimentologist the Lake Hitchcock varved
Geo majors go to Iceland Page 7
University of Oregon where last year, but sadly, our new clay in Sunderland, and those
News from the State Geologist
she has recently finished up faculty member was unable cores are in the cold room.
Page 16
her Ph.D. Eve’s research to accept the position in the One of the great things about
Student Research and Awards
focuses on the politics, political end. Now (summer ’08), we having our own cold room is
Page 17
economy, institutions, ideals, are interviewing candidates that the research materials are
Department Gifts
and environmental impacts and finishing up a new search in house and thus available for
Thanks to our Donors Page 18 of river development and and will hopefully have a new graduate and undergraduate
Giving Opportunities Page 19 conservation. She has studied sedimentologist in house by student projects.
the balance between power sometime next year. If not, we Pete Robinson was back
producer and conservation will just have to recruit John for the NEIGC conference last
interests and between local and Hubert back out of retirement. fall. I think he has been to more
national interests especially From the way he seems around than fifty of them, literally! He
with respect to electric power the department, John should is still living in Norway but
generation. Her dissertation be good for at least another also still working on maps of
was on the Columbia ten years of teaching and field Massachusetts geology. Don
River, and she plans future work. We have already cleaned Wise, George McGill, John
comparative work on other out the old sedimentology lab. Hubert, Tony Morse are all
river systems, beginning with It has been renovated and retired but are all as active as
the Connecticut. She’s broadly remodeled, and the new lab ever around the department.
Page 2 UMass Amherst
Sadly, both Jim Hafner and Rud Platt have joined the ranks of four featured alumni. If you have nominations for future featured
the retired. Both intend to stay active in research and both will alumni, or if you would consider being featured yourself, just
stay involved with the department (see article). It is a big loss for drop us a note.
the geography program, but we wish them both the best. One Don’t forget, the new 2009 calendars will be out in the
piece of good news is that Stan Stevens has been hired as an early fall. They highlight department faculty and students and
Associate Professor in geography (see page 3). In addition, we are automatically given to anyone who contributes to any of the
hope to begin a new faculty search for one more geographer department funds. They can also be purchased directly from the
this year. Stay tuned. The real challenge is keeping up with the department office.
retired faculty around here. Please visit the department webpage (www.geo.umass.
Although our ultimate goal is to build a new building edu) if you have a minute and visit us in person if you get to
someday, hopefully a green building, we continue to clean, Amherst.
paint, renovate, and generally prop up Morrill. We have a new
mass spectrometer in the stable isotope lab and a new SEM. Mike Williams and Laurie Brown
Sheila Seaman has installed a new FTIR (Fourrier Transform
Joe Hartshorn
Infra-red Spectrometer) to look at water in minerals among other
things. We will be adding cathodoluminescence capability to the It is with great sorrow that we relay news of the passing of our
microprobe and SEM. The geosciences are always changing, beloved professor Joe Hartshorn. Joe died May 5th, 2008 in
and we have to keep changing too. We will be outfitting a new Sarasota Florida. Joe was a passionate teacher, colleague
seminar/classroom this summer. AND the best news of all, we and friend to so many, and the gift of his life to us all will
will be adding one new van to our aging fleet this summer. Our live on in our memories and in the students he nurtured. In
vans are still our most important classrooms! Stop by and visit if collaboration with Joe’s family, including Pat Cohen his lov-
you are in the area. ing partner, the Dept of Geosciences has set up the “Joseph
We are anxious to hear from our alumni. We would love H. Hartshorn Memorial Fund”. Contributions can be made
to share your advice and experiences with our graduate and by sending us a check to “UMass-Amherst” with “Joe Hart-
undergraduate students. We’ll share stories about the faculty too shorn Fund” written in the note line. In the next issue of this
if they aren’t too embarrassing. How about sending your best Newsletter, we will provide a much larger article about Joe’s
Don Wise story? We are also continuing our (new) tradition of contributions and legacy. If you would like to contribute to
featuring several alumni in each newsletter. This time, we have this article, please let us know.
Teaching with Authentic Deep-Sea Core Data: Lessons from “School of Rock”
In 1985, I was invited by the newly hired education director at port personnel have joined the team. We have conducted mini-
Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Leslie Peart, to develop and workshops at national meetings, museums, and college and
lead a sea-going, hands-on discovery expedition for Earth sci- university campuses. During the summers of 2007 and 2008,
ence teachers and informal educators. The goal was to expose week-long SOR workshops were held at the Gulf Coast Reposi-
educators to (1) the nature of scientific ocean drilling research, tory of the IODP in College Station, TX, while the JOIDES Reso-
which depends on inquiry, technology, and lution is in dry-dock. The plan is to include
teamwork; and (2) the wealth of data col- sea-going SOR workshops again in the future.
lected and discoveries made during four The SOR instructors have developed many
decades of scientific ocean drilling (begin- hands-on, active-learning activities at the col-
ning with the Deep Sea Drilling Project – lege/university level for use at the workshops
DSDP in 1968, the Ocean Drilling Program and in our own classrooms. Topics include:
– ODP, and now the Integrated Ocean testing the seafloor spreading hypothesis,
Drilling Program – IODP). The School of deep-sea core description (lithostratigraphy),
Rock (SOR) was born with the help of co- age model development (biostratigraphy,
instructor Kristen St. John (James Madison magnetostratigraphy, and orbital cyclicity),
University) and supporting educational the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (a
and technical professionals from JOI and 4-part exercise), geophysical methods used
IODP. The 11-day expedition aboard the for site selection and studies of global sea
research drilling-vessel JOIDES Resolution level change (seismic stratigraphy), and down-
from Victoria, British Columbia to Aca- hole logging, to mention a few. The teachers
pulco, Mexico was the first time JOI had and informal educators who participate in the
used a transit between ports, and between SOR workshops then develop age-appropriate
drilling expeditions, for the sole purpose materials for their classrooms or museums.
of education and outreach. The School These materials are available online and the
of Rock was sponsored by JOI in alliance list of activities continues to grow (http://www.
with Texas A&M University and the Lam- oceanleadership.org/materials/activities).
ont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, who If you’re a science teacher, or know a science teacher, who
jointly operate and staff the JOIDES Resolution (the JOI al- might be interested in these activities or participating in a fu-
liance is now part of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership). ture SOR, please contact me ([email protected]).
Since the initial expedition in 1985, other instructors and sup- Contributed by Mark Leckie
Department of Geosciences Page 3
Stan Stevens hired as Associate Professor of Geography
Stan Stevens, a geographer national conservation policies administrators, and NGO and main contributing au-
who has been teaching in the to the geography program’s staffs on conservation and in- thor of Conservation Through
Department for 10 years on new emphasis on environmen- digenous rights issues. He has Cultural Survival: Indigenous
an ad hoc ba- tal geography. also long been active in inter- Peoples and Protected Areas.
sis, has now Stevens is in- national efforts to link
been hired on ternationally indigenous rights and
a long-term, recognized for conservation through
half-time his research in his work with IUCN’s
basis. Stan the Mt. Ever- (the World Conser-
earned three est region of vation Union) World
degrees at Nepal, where Commission on Pro-
the University he has worked tected Areas and its
of California, closely with Commission on Envi-
Berkeley, Sherpa com- ronmental, Econom-
where his ad- munities in ic, and Social Policy.
visors were and around He is the author of
the renowned Sagarmatha Claiming the High
geographers Barney Ni- (Chomolungma/Mt. Everest) Ground: Sherpas,
etschmann and James Parsons. National Park for twenty-five Subsistence, and En- Alan Marcus, Ph.D. Geography,
He brings expertise in political years on collaborative research vironmental Change and Professor Richard Wilkie at
ecology, cultural ecology, en- projects and as an adviser to in the Highest Hima- commencement, May 2008.
vironmental history, and inter- Sherpa leaders, national park laya and the editor
Qian Yu Travels to Gulf of Mexico for Carbon Cycling Research
In August 2007, Qian Yu and in a wet lab on the research cally produced and terrestrial acquired several satellite im-
her graduate student Weining vessel (RV Pelican) for relat- CDOM as it enters the ocean. ages for the study area during
Zhu went on an 8-day cruise ing CDOM with dissolved or- Qian measured apparent op- the field data collection. After
in the Gulf of Mexico and col- ganic carbon. These inherent tical properties (AOP) using careful calibrating between
lected ground truth IOP and AOP
data for carbon cy- measure -
cling research. Jointly ments, she
with other 9 scientists aims to esti-
from UMass-Boston mate riverine
in an Office of Navy carbon flux
Research funded proj- from satel-
ect, the field experi- lite and in
ment was to measure situ data. Her
the chromophoric dis- study will help
solved organic matter to investigate
(CDOM) in the low various bio-
flow period of the Mis- logical, chem-
sissippi River Plume ical, physical,
and Atchafalaya River and optical
Plume. By deploy- processes that
ing an instrumented may affect
undulating vehicle CDOM in the
starting at the mouth Mississippi
of the Mississippi, the River Plume.
cruise explored sever- The Missis-
al cross-shelf transects sppi River
from 20 m isobaths to drains 40% of
2000 m isobaths and the terrestrial
provided high-resolu- area of the
tion 3-dimensional mapping optical properties (IOP) of the a hyperspectral radiometer US. Therefore, this research
of CDOM and sediments. Fre- natural water body are valu- from immediately above the is very important for studying
quent discrete samples were able to examine the sources, water surface every 3 seconds the carbon cycle at the land-
also collected and analyzed behavior, and fate of biologi- (9 meters interval). She also sea interface at a large scale.
Page 4 UMass Amherst
F a c u l t y N o t e s
Laurie Brown has contin- been especially busy this past the Journal of Paleolimnol- variations in the North Atlan-
ued her paleomagnetic studies year or so and to her delight, ogy. Rob DeConto, Steve tic region over the past 2000
in South America with contin- things won’t let up for a while. Burns, Laurie Brown and years. In particular, we are in-
ued interest in back-arc lava After several years of field Steve Petsch are also in- terested in extending records
flows of southern Patagonia. work, numerous proposal sub- volved from UMass. Kenna of the North Atlantic Oscilla-
The last three Januaries have missions and political visits to Wilkie is the first of several tion and Atlantic Multidecadal
seen field trips to Santa Cruz Moscow, the Lake El’gygytgyn PhD students to be recruited Oscillation beyond the instru-
province, Argentina – two with Drilling Program has finally to the project. Meanwhile, mental record of the past 150
Chris Condit as field assis- been funded. “Lake E” as we Beth Caissie (MS ’06) con- years. Prof. Rob DeConto is
tant, one with undergrad Ho- all know it, is a large lake sys- tinues her PhD work on the sea also involved as we are also
sanna Lilydahl-Schroder. tem lying inside a 3.6 Myr old ice history of the Bering Strait modeling how Atlantic Ocean
Other interests in Patagonia meteorite crater located 100 region and Zach Lundeen temperature variations affect
now include the ICDP (MS ’05) finished his work in climate in Bermuda to help
drilling project PASADO, the Chukchi Sea and is now in interpret our speleothem re-
an international program a PhD program at Univ. Utah. cords. I also continue to work
to drill a maar lake in the Caitlin Majocka (MS ’06) on samples collected several
Pali Aike volcanic field in who worked on Lake E sedi- years ago from Oman and Ye-
southernmost Patagonia. ments is now employed with men and hope someday to be
Laurie submitted the US the Mass. Dept of Environmen- able to continue our fieldwork
proposal for funding this tal Protection in Lawrence. in Yemen.
massive paleoclimate Other good news is that In other news, the Stable
study to NSF this spring the Research Experience for Isotope Laboratory has ex-
and she has her fingers Undergraduates Program on panded to include a second
crossed. When not in South Jullie B-G sizing up pipes used for mov- Svalbard has new funding instrument, which is dedicated
America Laurie continues ing hydrothemal waters during a site visit from NSF for 2008-2012. to analyzing the isotopic ratios
her active collaboration with with the ICDP in April 2007. The program led by Steve of individual organic com-
Suzanne McEnroe and Pete Roof (PhD ’95) of Hampshire pounds, or biomarkers. This in-
Robinson at the Norwegian km north of the Arctic Circle College is a collaboration in- strument will allow us to tackle
Geological Survey in Trond- in Chukotka, Northeast Russia cluding me, Al Werner (Mt Ho- a whole new range of paleo-
heim. She spent 6 weeks in some 250 km from the near- lyoke College), Mike Retelle climate questions. One impor-
Norway last year on collabor- est road or airport. In col- (PhD ’85; now at Bates Col- tant application will be to the
ative fieldwork and lab studies laboration with Martin Melles lege) and Ross Powell (North- sediments of Lake El’gygytyn,
at NGU, concentrating on an- at University of Cologne, Pavel ern Illinois University). Over in Siberia. These sediments
cient rocks with large negative Minyuk in Magadan Russia the past 3 yrs the program (see the work of Prof. Julie
remanent anomalies. Laurie and Christian Koeberl, Univer- has been a complete success Brigham-Grette) contain a
has several active grad stu- sity of Vienna, the international given that nearly all 20 of the 3 million year record of high
dents including one studying group will now conduct drilling participating undergrads from latitude climate change, but
secular variation of Patago- at the lake in spring of 2008, around the country are now in
nian lavas and another work- and February to May in 2009. graduate programs. This in-
ing on magnetic properties of Funding to the tune of $6.5 M cludes Luke Trusel (BS ’06)
basalts as sources of Martian for logistics and another $3M at Northern Illinois University
magnetic anomalies. On the for science is being provided and Eric Helfrich (BS ‘07) at
teaching front Laurie continues as part of the International Po- Northern Arizona University.
to teach Geophysics and Pa- lar Year from the International
leomagnetism, as well as the Continental Drilling Program, Stephen Burns continues
undergrad Geologic Mapping the US National Science to focus his research on us-
course. Last year saw her turn Foundation (Division of Earth ing speleothems to study cli-
at the mega-Intro Oceanog- Sciences (EAR) and the Of- mate change. Together with
Ivo Karmann and Francisco da
raphy course – still popular fice of Polar Programs (OPP)), former Post-doc Francisco
Cruz doing fieldwork on
among the non-science ma- and the German Ministry for Cruz (now on the faculty at
speleothems in Brazil.
jors. In her free time Laurie is Science and Education. The the University of Sao Paolo), I
associate department head for objective is to collect a contin- am studying variations in the
Geology, and last year took a uous record of Arctic climate South American monsoon sys- without the usual sedimentary
short turn at being Department change over the past 3.6 Myr. tem, which affects climate all recorders of climate. By us-
Head, giving Mike Williams Research on pilot cores and across the tropics in Brazil and ing, for example, the hydro-
a well-deserved break from other site survey work was re- beyond. Ph.D student Steve gen isotope ratios of organic
those arduous duties. cently published in 11 papers Gaurin is using speleothems compounds that are produced
Julie Brigham-Grette has in the January 2007 issue of from Bermuda to study climate by aquatic phytoplankton, we
Department of Geosciences Page 5
F a c u l t y N o t e s
ternary system, fayalite-albite-
can trace changes in the iso- transformations (Piper Gau- fieldwork with Jim Dutcher,
anorthite, and constructed
topic composition of the lake batz), bicycling as an alterna- supervision of a Master’s the-
an Mg-Fe olivine-plagioclase
water, which is controlled by tive means of transportation sis with Matthew Walsh,
diagram relevant to the ori-
regional temperature and hu- (Ted White), doing fieldwork and lively discussions with
gin of syenites and trachytes.
midity. on migration between Brazil Don Wise. Mary Alice uses a
I was pleasantly rewarded for
and the U.S. (Alan Marcus), cane walking, but otherwise is
past crimes by receiving, from
This year Piper Gaubatz and doing fieldwork in Guate- doing well.
colleagues at UCLA, a Gold-
served as acting program mala (Brian Conz). Bill McCoy is continuing work
schmidt Conference abstract
head while Julie Graham on loess of the last several gla-
on the Formation of 4.5 Ga
was on medical leave. Follow- Jim Hafner has retired from cial cycles of Central and East-
Continental Crust that defends
ing discussions the Geosci- ern Europe (in collaboration
my 1987 paper on the origin of
among students ence Depart- with former UMass Geology
earliest planetary crusts. With
and faculty dur- ment, but Master’s and Ph.D. student,
many friends and colleagues,
ing the fall and will remain Dr. Eric Oches, now at the
including Peter Robin-
early spring se- in-residence University of South Florida).
son and Suzanne McEnroe,
mester, the ge- as an Emeri- Bill’s most recent work focuses
I attended the first Frontiers
ography faculty tus Faculty on loess in Hungary and Ser-
of Mineralogy Conference in
undertook a set member. bia. He is also hoping to initi-
June, in Cambridge, England,
of new program He will be ate new work on amino acid
and gave two papers, on the
initiatives dur- continuing paleothermometry of intergla-
syenite work and on internal
ing the spring his interests cial travertines in Europe. The
reservoirs in large magma
semester. Par- in support many thick, interglacial traver-
bodies. We keep on skiing,
ticularly impor- of the East- tines preserve abundant mol-
The now-semiannual department mowing, and farming.
tant and appre- ern Min- lusk shells that should contain
chili cookoff.
ciated by students d a n a o an interesting record of inter-
Steven Petsch joined the
have been efforts Biodiver- glacial paleoenvironmental
Department of Geosciences in
to increase opportunities for sity Archiving project in conditions.
2002. He is a biogeochemist,
faculty and students to share the Philippines, working as
meaning he studies chemical
our research and to talk ge- an ad hoc consultant with S. A. Morse writes: It’s (not)
signatures of the interaction
ography and more informal the Mekong Commission, been a quiet year in Room 12,
of living organisms and their
interaction among faculty and and finishing some long my home town. We have had
geologic environments. One
students. This spring we held delayed writing projects . He three diligent scholars in the
focus of Steve’s research is to
a dinner for new graduate sends his sincerest thanks back rooms, including Cal-
understand
students and established what to the many students he lum Heth-
the process
are hoped will become on- has been privileged to work erington,
of biological
going program “traditions”: with over the years, and now departed
methane gen-
a bi-weekly informal “brown his appreciation to all his for Canada,
eration deep
bag” lunch talk series featur- colleagues in the Geosci- and Nancy
within ancient
ing presentations by faculty ence Department for their Price, enroute
sedimentary
and grad students, a monthly support, encouragement and to Maine. The
rocks. Natu-
faculty colloquium where fac- friendship. Those relation- steady-state
ral gas is a
ulty read and discuss each ships are the most valued characters,
common and
other’s work, and a monthly and rewarding experiences of Greg and
valuable en-
faculty-student dinner in the his career at UMass Amherst. Chris, are
ergy resource
Common Room followed by Many thanks!! hammering
composed pri-
a “World on Wednesday” film away on their
marily of the
and discussion. This spring’s John Hubert retired Sep- theses. Defy-
gas methane,
films engaged with issues of tember 1, 2006, and now has ing all predic-
and is ex-
oil development in the Arctic an office off the student com- tions, I taught
A colony of Bryozoa, Pectinatella tracted from
National Wildlife Refuge, the mon room in 254 - near the the Bulk Earth
magnifica, Puffers Pond , Amherst. sedimentary
abandonment of California’s coffee pot! Still active, John course again
basins all
state-mandated electric car has finished a paper on Scoy- in Fall ‘06,
around the world. In many
program, and Indian efforts enia trace fossils in the Sug- to a fine group of a baker’s
places, methane is generated
to defend sacred places in arloaf Arkose in the Deerfield dozen students and a few stray
through high heat and pres-
the West. Brown bag talks in- basin. He is writing another on faculty, and learned more
sure alongside oil. However,
cluded presentations on Ne- the interplay of tectonics and about the Earth into the bar-
more and more methane with-
pal’s Maoist revolution (Stan sedimentology recorded by the gain. I determined the melt-
in sedimentary rocks is recog-
Stevens), Shanghai’s recent Sugarloaf Arkose, involving ing relations at 5 kb in a new
Page 6 UMass Amherst
F a c u l t y N o t e s
nized as a biological product, and Liberation Ecologies” for which they represent—2012, assess aquatic biomass in
that is, the result of biological the annual meeting of the As- 2036, and 2048. In addition, Assabet River Impoundment
activity occurring deep under- sociation of American Geog- Richard was invited to a spe- using high resolution remote
ground where microorganisms raphers in San Francisco. He cial symposium sponsored by sensing.
can live off of organic com- chaired two sessions on Indig- the AAG (Assoc.of American
pounds in sedimentary rocks, enous Peoples and Protected Geographers and the Univer- Richard Yuretich has spent
producing methane as a by- Areas: Conservation Through sity of Virginia Charlottesville, the past few years focusing
product. Steve’s work has Self-Determination at the AAG entitled, “Geography and the on two main projects. He has
included methane reservoirs annual meeting and also gave Humanities” in late June. His been the director of an NSF-
in the Antrim Shale of Michi- five invited campus talks on paper was entitled, “Light and funded multi-disciplinary proj-
gan, the New Albany Shale themes which included politi- Landscape: Visions of Place ect examining the conditions
in Indiana and Illinois, coals cal ecological and protected through Qualities of Light.” at Davis Mine, an abandoned
in the Powder River Basin of area theory, the significance pyrite mine, in Rowe, Mas-
Wyoming and San Juan Basin of Nepal’s civil war for conser- Qian Yu has a couple of sachusetts. Some of you may
of New Mexico and Colorado, vation and Indigenous rights, new projects on track. Her remember the place from geo-
cyclothems of the Forest City environmental historical and research is more centered on chemistry field trips! Working
Basin in Kansas and Missouri, political ecological research remote sensing of DOC flux in conjunction with faculty and
and coals and shales in the in China, and cross-cultural to coastal water. In addition students from environmental
Wilcox Group of Louisiana. In research ethics for fieldwork to riverine CDOM concentra- engineering and micrbiology,
each of these settings, Steve with Indigenous peoples. tion, she extends the research the project is documenting the
and his group are finding liv- This summer he traveled to study carbon sources from natural processes that may be
ing microorganisms occurring to Nepal to continue advising terrestrial ecosystem. This new helping to contain the acidic
deep underground, along with Sherpa leaders and NGOs on research links her experience drainage. We will make rec-
molecular signatures of coal Indigenous rights, the imple- in remote sensing and spa- ommendations about ways
or shale biodegradation and mentation of a tial modeling to correct the problem in an
economically significant accu- new national to understand environmentally-friendly man-
mulations of natural gas. park manage- the relation- ner. All told, there have been
ment plan for the ship between over 40 people involved in
Stan Stevens continued Mt. Everest re- watershed bio- this project, which is now in its
his research and activism on gion, and com- physical char- closing year.
Indigenous peoples and con- munity-based acteristics and The second project, sup-
servation issues. He was ap- conservation. carbon flux to ported by NASA, promoted
pointed to the IUCN (World coastal environ- the teaching of Earth Sys-
Conservation Union) CEESP Richard Wilk- ment. Because tem Science in middle- and
(Commission on Environ- ie had an ex- hydrological secondary-schools. Over the
mental, Economic and Social tremely busy property plays past 3 years, some 90 teach-
Policy) (he has been an ap- year as the Ge- an important ers from around the country
pointed member of IUCN’s ography Gradu- role in carbon have come to UMass Amherst
World Commission on Pro- ate Program Di- transport pro- for two weeks during the sum-
tected Areas since 1991. He rector. He had cess, she and mer to learn basic principles
is now active in two inter- a July 2007 Hatice Poyralzi making ice her post-doc, of mapping, spatial analysis
commission IUCN groups, publication-- cream with Don Wise holding Hongming (GPS and GIS), environmen-
TILCEPA (Theme on Indige- “Time Realities down the bucket at the 2007 He, quan- tal issues, and engage in sci-
nous and Local Communities, and Memories department picnic. tify the carbon ence research. The goal is to
Equity, and Protected Areas) of Place” in dynamics in have them use Earth Science
and TGER (Theme on Gov- 2048 (Die Planung / A Terv, watershed and in stream flow examples when teaching any
ernance, Equity, and Rights). 2048 No. 247.) - part of a by using SWAT model. She en- science subject.
Among his projects this three volume publication set joyed the three research cruises In addition to his usual
past year have been an analy- in the years: 2012, 2036, for remote sensing of DOC in teaching responsibilities, Rich-
sis for IUCN of the govern- and 2048. The three volumes Hudson River and expects up- ard is on the Council for the
ment of Nepal’s policies on were funded by the German coming cruise for Mississippi National Association of Geo-
community-managed protect- Federal Cultural Foundation River in late August. Her first science Teachers (NAGT) and
ed areas (“Community Con- and the Secretariat for Futures Ph.D student Weining Zhu is an Associate Editor for the
served Areas”) and a paper on Studies (Berlin) and NextLab starts assisting her in this proj- Journal of Sedimentary Re-
“Theorizing Protected Areas: (Budapest). Sixty International ect. These field data will keep search. He was on sabbatical
Fourth World and (Post)colo- scholars wrote pieces in the her busy for a while. In a col- in Spring, 2008 and now be-
nial Perspectives on Conser- three volumes, which also will laborative project with USGS, gins a temporary assignment
vation Enclosures, Commons, be republished in the years she endeavors to monitor and as program director at NSF.
Department of Geosciences Page 7
G e o s c i e n c e s M a j o r s G o T o I c e l a n d
Hiking on a glacier and on a brand new basaltic lava flow soaked in the local geothermal spa and, on the following day,
were two of the high points of a Five-College geology field drove 100 km into the interior of Iceland to visit Askja, where, in
trip to Iceland during early August, 2006. Seven Geosciences 1875 an eruption left the 12 km Oskuvatn crater, now filled with
majors, including Dean Bebis, dark, cold water, and the smaller
Evan Gearity, Renee Mackey, Viti crater, a popular swimming
Jose Molina, Andy Piermarini, hole now filled with blue, warm
Karen van Wagner, and Caleb water. On the next day we set
Worthman, participated in the out on the Sprengisandur, one
field trip, led by five faculty of the two roads that cross the
members, including Sheila interior of Iceland. The edges
Seaman from UMass. We of Iceland are very green and
hired a huge bus with a slightly lush, with few trees but lots of
threatening giant of a driver fields and quaint, ancient farms.
named Borkur, and two cooks, The interior of Iceland is almost
Solla and Hatha, to take care of devoid of vegetation. The
logistics. Sprengisandur passes close to
The days were long and Vatnajökull, the largest glacier
mostly lovely, the campsites on Iceland, that has generated
were scenic, and the food was major floods when volcanic
tasty and plentiful. We drove eruptions take place under the
the magnificent ring road, the ice. We hiked in rhyolitic ash
only road that circumnavigates Iceland, from Reykjavik in the mountains at Landmannalaugar, and on and around glaciers
southwest to the Krafla volcanic complex in the northeast, at Skaftafell, two of Iceland’s spectacular national parks. We
where we hiked through volcanic rocks so young that a major visited Thingvellir, where the mid-Atlantic rift is exposed on land,
geothermal energy facility is built on the steamy ground. We also the site of the first Parliament, established in 930 A.D.
The many joys of the trip were summarized in a poem written by Karen Van Wagner, who graduated in May
2008. The poem should be sung to the tune of “Walkin’ in a Winter Wonderland”!
Walkin’ Round the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Krafla sings, are you listening? Later on, if you wanna,
As you watch, you’ll hear her hissing! We can soak in a natural sauna
A wonderful sight (though it don’t Divergence of plates really is great
smell quite right) Walkin’ roung the mid-Atlantic ridge.
Walkin’ round the mid-Atlantic ridge.
In the distance you’ll see Vatnajökull
Bubbling lakes and clayish mires Peering south from Askja’s crater rim
Black landscape from Krafla’s fires If Grimsvötn’s lake floods, take to high
The walk works your legs, the vents ground
reek of eggs ‘Cause that’s one river no one wants to
Walkin’ round the mid-Atlantic ridge. swim!
In the meadows you can see basalt Should you see lava fountains,
flows; Stay away from active mountains!
Looking down the big fissure is swell! And if you should dare to breathe
But if you stand downwind from it, sulfured air
then you’ll know Come walkin’ round the mid-Atlantic
The origin of lava’s really hell! ridge!
Page 8 UMass Amherst
R u d P l at t R e t i r e m e n t
Chicago, Los Angeles, Port-
the City University of New York
land, Oregon, and elsewhere.
Longtime department of Land Policy, 2006). At least (CUNY) and expects to contin-
member Rud Platt “retired” last a dozen UMass grad students ue his research and writing on
year and is now Professor of have participated in Ecologi- greening initiatives in New York,
Geography Emeritus. He has cal Cities research activities,
moved his Ecological Cities and many more have taken
Project to an off-campus of- Rud’s Ecological Cities semi-
fice at 1 Short Street in down- nar. He has also given public
town Northampton, closer to lectures around the country.
where he and Barbara live in A series of regional
Florence. The Ecological Cit- workshops is now in progress
ies Project began in 2000 as a based on the themes of The
reflection of Rud’s longtime in- Humane Metropolis under the
terest in cities, water, and haz- auspices of the Lincoln Institute
ards. It has combined teach- of Land Policy, a well-known
ing, research, and outreach on land use research center in
how urban communities at all Cambridge, MA. The first of
scales are reinventing them- these was held in Pittsburgh in
selves to be more green, more March, 2007 with Joy Abbott
healthy and safe, more equita- (Mark Abbott’s wife and Rud’s
ble, and more people-friendly. former grad student in Region-
The program has co-orga- al Planning) as local facilita-
nized six regional conferences tor. The second was held in
and produced an edited book Riverside, California on Janu-
and companion DVD film: The ary 24, 2008, with the next
Humane Metropolis: People one to be held in Baltimore.
and Nature in the 21st Century Rud is also being appointed Rud Platt presented a copy of his book, The Humane Metropolis, to Chi-
City (University of Massachu- a Senior Fellow with the Insti- cago’s Mayor Richard M. Daley in Portland, Oregon on June 28 where
setts Press and Lincoln Institute tute for Sustainable Cities of both were speakers at a regional greenspaces conference.
J i m H a f n e r R e t i r e m e n t the Geography BA, M.S. and change, population mobility
Ph.D. programs in the and the political ecology of
After a long and reward-
Geoscience Department, resource management in the
ing career at the University
often serving as Geogra- context of the development
and the Geoscience Depart-
phy Graduate Program process. Those interests often
ment, Jim Hafner retired in
Director. As Director of the involved work with U.S. Fed-
June 2007. He will remain as
Asian Studies Program at eral Agencies, International
an Emeritus Faculty member
the University he helped Development Agencies, and
working with graduate students
to create the recent un- universities in Southeast Asia
and continuing research activi-
dergraduate Certificate to develop basic research
ties with the Eastern Mindanao
Program in Asian/Asian and training programs in that
Biodiversity Archiving project
American Studies and a region. In 1972-1973 he
in the Philippines, in the Me-
similar Five College pro- worked as a Research Con-
kong River Basin of Southeast
gram. Jim’s career often sultant at the Social Science
Asia, and finishing some long
involved him in numerous Research Institute, Chulalong-
delayed writing projects. This
research and program korn University in Bangkok,
issue of the Newsletter pro-
development consultan- Thailand. Later in 1975-76 he
vides an opportunity to express
cies with the U.N. Mekong held a post as a Geographic
his gratitude to the many stu-
Committee, U.S. For- Consultant to the United Na-
dents he has been privileged
eign Service Institute, the tions Mekong Committee as
to work with over the years,
Ford Foundation, and the part of an international re-
and his appreciation to all his
Thailand-U.S. Educational search team studying ques-
colleagues in the Geoscience
Foundation among others. tions of population displace-
Department for their support,
Much of his teaching and ment and resettlement in the
encouragement and friend-
research activities fo- impact area of the proposed
ship. Those relationships are UMass Amherst. Many thanks!!
cused on exploring issues in Pa Mong Dam on the Mekong
the most valued and reward- After joining the University fac-
rural social and economic
ing experiences of his career at ulty in 1970 he helped frame Continued on page 15
Department of Geosciences Page 9
A l u m n i N o t e s
1950s Campbell, BS Geol-
Sherman Clebnik (BA Ge- ogy 1968, MS Geology
Don Goodwin (BS Geol- ology, 1965; PhD Geology, 1975 to name some) in-
ogy, 1958) writes “It’s always 1975) writes, “With the end terested in glacial aspects
a pleasure to get the update of the Spring semester and and studying under Joe
from the UMass Amherst another academic year, I’ve Hartshorn. I like to think
Geology Department. The started the annual cleanup of of that time as a Golden
amazing changes from small the office—all the stuff that Era of Glacial Geology at
department there when I went somehow didn’t get tossed or UMass Amherst. I fondly
to school to the “empire” just filed previously. I came upon recall the Glacial Geol-
boggles me. I graduated the Geosciences Dept. news- limantic quad. As you can tell ogy seminars we had that
in 1958. Chris Alex (BS letter from last summer among from the time I’ve been here, were held at Joe’s home on
Geology, 1958) and myself the items put off to the side. it turned out to be a very com- the outskirts of Amherst. The
were the first recipients of the As one who was at UMass fortable fit. As I now am pon- session began with the aca-
L.R. Wilson award—and the Amherst when I was, it was dering retirement in the near demic part, an analysis and
graduating seniors numbered poignant to come upon the future, I think back to certain discussion of some topic for
about seven. This particu- obituaries. Tom Rice was the of my other UMass professors which we had done the neces-
lar letter is a special one for person with whom I had my and would like to extend them sary reading. After perhaps a
me. Your new Asst. Prof., Da- first geology course—physical a word of credit while they are couple hours of that, we would
vid Boutt, is working with my geology—when I began my able to enjoy it. then adjourn into an adjoining
daughter, Laurel Goodwin, on freshman year in Fall 1961. I was approaching com- room where a spread of food
a paper—kind of nice for me When I became a senior, pletion of my freshman year in and drinks had been arranged
to have her reach out to my Charles Pitrat was then a new- 1962 at UMass—physical ge- on a table by Mrs. Hartshorn.
old alma mater—especially in ly hired professor with whom I ology with Tom Rice, as noted After the period of hard think-
the same field.” had my paleontology course. above, and historical geology ing, we’d stand around en-
Later, when I returned as a with Greg Webb. George Mc- gaged in pleasant and light
grad student, he offered a Gill, accompanied by some of conversation. After all these
special course designed for his grad students, was plan- years, those episodes still are
us Quaternary types, “Ce- ning a summer of field work in imprinted in my mind.”
nozoic Molluscs.” Also as the mountains near Augusta,
a grad student, I experi- Montana. He had a splendid 1970s
enced a course presented idea: take some of these nov-
by John Hubert, (just re- ice geology majors and show Paul Hague (BA Geology,
tired from the department) them what geologic field study 1973) retired several years
in “Geostatistics.” I never really is by using them as field ago after 10 years with Geo-
took a sedimentology assistants. So I and 2 fresh- physical Survey Systems, Inc.
course with him, but he of- man colleagues spent a sum- (Salem, NH). He is now as-
fered helpful advice to me mer camped out in the Bob sisting in 7th and 8th grade
as I worked on till samples Marshall Wilderness Area, math and science classes at
Gail Ashley, Rutgers University, received
from my dissertation field taking strike and dip measure- the Henniker (NH) Commu-
the 2nd Annual Distinguished Alum
area. ments, carrying rock samples, nity School and is active in lo-
award from Acting Department Head
Upon getting ready and amassing a lot of memo- cal conservation activities and
Laurie Brown in February.
to leave UMass Amherst ries from an experience unlike the Geological Society of New
for employment, one of any we had before. It would Hampshire.
1960s those quirks of fate led me to have been easy for George
the position I’ve held for the McGill to have used more Doug Heath (BS Geology,
Walter F. Brown (BS Geol- last 33 years. Eastern Con- experienced majors for field 1979) wrote to thank us for the
ogy, 1960) has retired from necticut State (then) College aides. So my hat is off to him 2007 Geosciences Calendar
teaching astronomy, geology, was starting an Environmental for what he did. and attached a photo of him
and chemistry at Northampton Earth Science major in 1973 Later, when I returned as taken in 2004 by the Boston
High School. He now sub- and was looking for a 3rd per- a grad student, I was part of Globe (see above). He was
stitute teaches at Northamp- son for the department facul- an enthusiastic bunch of stu- maintaining a datasonde at a
ton High until mid December ty—someone oriented toward dents (Gail Ashley, BS Ge- stream in New Hampshire as
or January when he retreats geomorphology and glacial ology, 1963, MS Geology, part of a larger study of I-93
south—sometimes to Arizona aspects. ECSU is located in 1972; Tom Gustavson, BS road-salt impacts to aquatic
and Texas, other times to Flori- Willimantic and there I was Geology, 1961, PhD Geology habitats and stream quality
da. Hiking, biking and canoe- wrapping up my Ph.D. work on 1973; John Boothroyd, (this project is still ongoing).
ing are still his favorites. the surficial geology of the Wil- MS Geology 1972; Kerry He has worked at the Envi-
Page 10 UMass Amherst
A l u m n i N o t e s c o n ’ t.
tal Science and Forestry, asso-
ronmental Protection Agency and; to aid and encourage Service TEAMS Planning Enter-
ciated with Syracuse University.
(EPA) in Boston as a hydro- academic training in the geo- prise in the Green Mountains.
Jessica Bloom (MS Geol-
geologist since 1985 and has sciences. She is now part of a “floating”
ogy, 2005) went to Tibet with
been fortunate to have bosses response team which allows
her Dad in April 2007. She’d
who have allowed him to get Bruce Taterka (MS Geol- her to visit USFS project sites
love to keep in touch with fel-
involved in a great deal of ogy, 1987) writes, “I got the across the country. In Septem-
low alumns!
field work over the years. calendar today. It looks like ber she will relocate to South
there’s awesome worldwide Carolina to be closer to her
David Brand (MS Geogra-
fieldwork going on!” family.
phy, 2002) has taken a teach-
ing position in environmental
George Thomas (MS Rick Oches (MS Geology,
studies at Martha’s Vineyard
Geology, 1984) and Pat- 1990; PhD Geology 1994) is
High school beginning in Sep-
ty Weisse’s (MS Geology a faculty member in the De-
tember, 2007.
1983) daughter Elizabeth partment of Geology at the
who toddled around Mor- University of South Florida. He
Matt Cleveland (BS Geol-
rill when they were in grad just completed a sabbatical
ogy, 2006) had a six-month
school is now in a Master’s year at UMass working with Bill
job with Schlumberger in New
program in the Geology McCoy and the Climate Cen-
Mexico and has now begun
Department of SUNY ter. Rick said, “As an alum, it’s
Luke Trusel (‘06) sampling fresh glacial till a new job with Groundwater
Buffalo. She is working especially nice to see that the
on an iceberg, near Ny Alesund, Svalbard. Analytical in Boston. A major
with Jason Briner on program I was once a student
aspect of the job is optical mi-
climate change. Mar- in has continued to strengthen
croscopy!! He and his family
1980s shall, their oldest son is work- and build over the years.”
recently took a long trip to Ha-
ing for the National Institutes
waii. He writes, “We had been
In September 2007, Peggy of Health in Baltimore. 2000s
planning this trip for a many
Dillon (BA Geography, 1983)
years and had to keep pushing
begins a one-year position as 1990s Jeffrey Blankenship (Ph.D.
it back due to summer school,
an Assistant Professor of Jour- candidate) has been hired into
jobs, etc. Our trip consisted of
nalism at Salem State Col- Rebecca L. (Buswell) a tenure track position as Assis-
island hopping from Oahu to
lege in Salem, Massachusetts. Woolley (BS Geology, 1992)
Maui and then the big island
writes, “I am pleased to an-
where we hiked out to the ac-
John D. Donnelly (BA Ge- nounce that I have accepted
tive lava flow on Kilauea’s rift
ography, 1981) writes that he a position with the Massachu-
zone. Kilauea’s crater was very
“enjoyed the summer 2006 setts Department of Environ-
interesting with steam vents all
Geosciences magazine. It’s mental Protection (MassDEP)
over the place but Haleakala’s
great to hear about my old as an Auditor in the Audits/
crater on Maui was by far
professors Bradley, Hafner, Site Management Group in
more spectacular in its gran-
Platt, and Wilkie.” the Western Regional Office
deur. My father and I were
located in Springfield, MA.”
also able to get up to the top
Michael Forlenza (MS Ge-
of Mauna Kea at sunset to see
ology, 1982) has been elected Tom Davidson (BA Geol-
the Southern Cross and other
to the Board of Directors of the ogy/Psychology, 1994) was
southern hemisphere constel-
Houston Geological Society officially hired as the Earth Sci-
lations from the vantage point
(HGS) for 2007 – 2009 (www. ence/Environmental Science
of the Keck Observatory. The
hgs.org). The HGS is the teacher for Amherst Regional
trip was a lot of fun and very
world’s largest local geological High School. “Now I’m not
much like a pilgrimage for
society and was established in teaching for someone else, this
me.”
1923. Michael will serve one time it’s all me! I’m the lone
year the editor elect and one Earth Science teacher now,
Doug Hardy, Ray Bradley & Selby Cull just got back from
year as the editor for the HGS there will be other teachers
Carsten Braun on the summit of the the 7th International Mars
Bulletin. The objectives of the helping cover some sections.
Quelccaya Ice Cap (~18,560ft): July Conference in Pasadena—
society are: to stimulate inter- It will be up to me to carry the
2007, to service the high elevation it was an amazing 5 days of
est and promote advancement torch!”
meteorological station (behind). Mars—Joy! She’s working on
in the geosciences; to dissemi-
mapping the landing site for
nate and facilitate discussion Sue Howle, (M.S. Geogra-
the Phoenix lander right now—
of geological information; to phy 1998) has changed her tant Professor of Landscape Ar-
it launched in August—and
enhance professional inter- status as an Environmental chitecture in the SUNY system
Continued on page 14
action among geoscientists, Coordinator with the US Forest at the College of Environmen-