Geological and Mining Engineering and Science News

Category: Research

Ask and Answer with GMES Student Sananda Ray, Ph.D. Geophysics, 2025

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GMES Student Spotlight Q&A:
Sananda Ray, Ph.D. Geophysics, 2025
Home City: Cooch Behar, INDIA
Advisor: Dr. Radwin Askari

Sananda’s publications.

Sananda Ray is pictured with Volcán de Fuego, Guatemala, in the summer of 2022 when she had an opportunity to join the field group led by Dr. Greg Waite and geology Ph.D. candidate Gustavo Bejar Lopez.

Get to know our students. Sananda Ray is a Graduate Research Assistant. She loves photography (she took the image of the Northern Lights!), traveling, family, friends, and volcanoes, to name a few. Her favorite class so far at MTU has been Volcanic Seismology with Dr. Greg Waite. Sananda says the best place to eat off-campus is the Ambassador. She has excellent taste in pizza and graduate programs!

Q: Why did you choose to attend MTU?

A: When looking for PhD positions, the program and the project aligned with my research goals. 

Q: Do you have a favorite class or professor so far?

A: Dr. Greg Waite and Volcanic Seismology.

Q. What is your research about?

A: My research focuses on experimental geophysics. I generate and analyze long-period events—commonly observed in volcanoes—using a controlled laboratory setup to bridge the gap between theoretical models and real-world geological observations.

Q: What is your favorite off-campus place to eat? 

A: The Ambassador in downtown Houghton.

Sananda Ray is pictured presenting her research poster at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in 2023.
Sananda photographed the Northern Lights over the Portage Canal.
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Preserving Historic Copper Mining Records

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Boxes of historical data ready to join the digital era.

Preserving historic copper mining records is at the heart of an exciting new project at Michigan Tech! Led by James DeGraff, GMES Research Professor, a team of researchers has secured $118,898 in matching grant funding from the National Park Service (NPS) to archive records through advanced digitization.

Titled “Preservation, Indexing, and Enhanced Utility of Historic Copper Mining Drill Hole Records,” the project is part of the NPS Save America’s Treasures Grant Program, which is dedicated to safeguarding the nation’s cultural heritage. Established in 1988 to celebrate America’s premier cultural resources, Save America’s Treasures grants this year funded 59 projects through the Historic Preservation Fund that will preserve nationally significant sites and historical collections in 26 states and the District of Columbia.

The team will digitize and organize records from over 650 drill holes from 1899 to 1970, creating an interactive map that will be accessible to the public. Copper mining on the Keweenaw Peninsula dates back more than 8,000 years, but an influx of miners in the 1800s—spurred by technological advances and rising demand for copper—made the region a hotbed of activity.

Man stands on dock with stacked copper ingots. A nearby sign reads, “This copper for shipment.” Photo courtesy of Michigan Tech Archives 2017.

Congratulations to DeGraff and his co-investigators—Lindsay Hiltunen (VPOL), Don Lafreniere (SS/GRF), and Erika Vye (GLRC)—on this impactful initiative! The copper mining records hold significant historical and scientific value. They showcase the evolution of drilling technology and geology while contributing to current efforts to secure critical minerals from domestic sources.

Diamond Drill Hole Records

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Meet Professor Shiliang Wu

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Professor Wu

Discover the fascinating work of Professor Shiliang Wu, a leading expert in atmospheric chemistry and air quality at Michigan Tech! As a key faculty member in the Departments of Geological and Mining Engineering & Sciences and Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering, Professor Wu conducts groundbreaking research at the intersection of air quality, climate, wildfires, and ecosystems. He maps the global journey of air pollutants through sophisticated computer modeling, revealing their impact on our environment and health. Take advantage of this opportunity to dive into the science driving cleaner air and a healthier planet!

Figure 1 shows a comprehensive global view of arsenic levels in surface air for 2005. This map integrates sophisticated modeling with measurement data from monitoring stations worldwide, clearly depicting annual average arsenic concentrations. Color gradients represent background arsenic levels, while station locations are marked by circles, directly comparing model predictions and field data. This visualization underscores the global distribution of arsenic in the air, highlighting critical areas of environmental health concern and bridging scientific modeling with real-world impacts.

Figure 1. Arsenic concentrations in surface air. Model-simulated annual (for the year 2005) mean arsenic concentrations in ambient air (background) compared with measurement data at various stations (circles) around the world.
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GMES Student Spotlight Q&A: Aimee Zimmerman, PhD Geophysics 2027

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GMES Student Spotlight Q&A: Aimee Zimmerman, MS Geophysics 2024, PhD Geophysics 2027
Hometown: Mill Hall, Pennsylvania

After finding a strong sense of belonging, Aimee Zimmerman relocated to Michigan Tech to pursue her Master of Science in Geophysics in 2022. Two years later, her passion for her research led her to continue her academic journey, and she is now working toward a Ph.D. with graduate student advising from Dr. Greg Waite. Aimee wants to know how an earthquake stresses a volcanic eruption. She monitors volcanic activity worldwide using thermal satellite imaging to determine if earthquakes and seismic activity can tell us something about volcanoes. She offers her perspectives on MTU below. 

Popocatépetl is one of the volcanoes Aimee is studying.

Q: Why did you choose to attend MTU?

A: I visited in the spring of 2022, and it immediately felt like home. The community was so welcoming and generous. I attended MTU for my Masters degree and was allowed to continue my education. I decided to stay for my PhD and continue the research I started in my Masters

Q: Do you have a favorite class or professor so far?

A: I have thoroughly enjoyed taking classes on natural hazards and their social dynamics. Learning about the discrepancies in dealing with hazards and how we can mitigate disasters has been extremely helpful. 

Q: Are you in any clubs or groups on campus?

A: I am a part of InterVarsity, a Christian student organization. I lead a small group discussion with other graduate students

Q: What advice would you give to a future Husky?

A: Don’t solely exist to do homework and take exams. College is so much more than just classes, so get involved and branch out. Say yes to things, and you never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll get to experience

Q: What local activities do you enjoy outside of MTU?

A: I love to go rock hunting when the weather is nice. I have a rock tumbler, so finding rocks that polish nicely is always fun. I also love to volunteer for things involving my church. I am involved in the children’s ministry, so I get to spend time every week with pre-schoolers as they learn more about God 

Q: What is your favorite on-campus place to eat? Off-campus?

A: The cafe in the library has amazing coffee, and the yogurt parfaits are also great. Off-campus, my favorite is The Ambassador. The pizza is my favorite up here, and they have such a fantastic atmosphere

Q: How do you survive winter?

A: I love to read, so cozying up on my couch with a good book and a cup of tea is the only way I get through the cold nights. I also love going to hockey games, which makes weekends super fun.

Q: Have your post-graduation plans changed since coming to MTU? If so, how and why?

A: Yes. I never considered going into teaching at the college level, but I was given the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for an introduction to geology lab. I loved seeing the students grasp the material after explaining things to them. 


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Department of GMES Attends the 2024 Annual SME Conference & Expo in Phoenix

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A large group of students and faculty from the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences (GMES) attended the 2024 Annual Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME) Conference & Expo, held in Phoenix, Arizona, from February 25-28. The group included seven BS students, eight MS students, one Ph.D. student, and three faculty members (Chatterjee, Manser, Smirnov). This annual conference provides an excellent opportunity for our students to gain exposure to the latest advances in mining engineering research and practice, network with industry professionals, and explore future career paths. The Department provided full or partial travel support to all student participants thanks to the generosity of the Richard Saccany Mining Program Fund, the Robert Hendricks Mining Endowment Fund, and our friends who have supported the Mining Engineering program.

The students in attendance were Cassie Burch, Aiden Harmon, Lucas Maxon, Ian Repic, Nathan Seidel, Anton Smirnov Grady Williams, Theo Asumah, Alfred Yeboah, Rapheka Targbwe, Maxwell Yeboah, Jhuleyssy L. Sanchez Aguilar, Angela Amoh, Isaac Donkoh, Conor Large, and Abid Danish.

This year, our AggCelerate student team made it to the top six nationally in the final phase of the SME/National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association (NSSGA) Student Design Competition! This annual competition is a demanding two-phase, team-based, problem-solving activity involving a technical design and an oral presentation. The problem highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with operating a sand and gravel quarry, developing an overall design plan, and optimizing the operating methods and economics. Students work on the problem from the perspective of an engineering consulting team responsible for developing the pit and mineral processing plant configuration.

The AggCelerate team at SME: (left to right) Ian Repic, Cassie Burch, Nathan Seidel, Grady Williams, Aiden Harmon, and Lucas Maxon

The interdisciplinary Michigan Tech team included mining engineering majors Aiden Harmon, Lucas Maxon, Ian Repic, Nathan Seidel, Grady Williams, and geological engineering junior Cassie Burch. “Under the expert guidance of Dr. Nathan Manser, Professor of Practice at GMES, the team has demonstrated exceptional skill and knowledge in their field,” said Aleksey Smirnov, Department of GMES Chair, who attended the conference. Although our team did not make it to the podium, the judges complimented the novelty of their design solutions.

On the research side, Associate Professor and a Witte Family Faculty Fellow in mining engineering, Dr. Snehamoy Chatterjee, delivered an oral presentation titled “Developing a Recourse Action to Survive Low Commodity Prices in Open Pit Mine Planning.” This research develops a recourse action strategy under an uncertain environment to revisit the mine production planning when metal prices decline.

Dr. Chatterjee’s Ph.D. student, Abid Danish, presented a talk titled “Enhancing Workplace Safety in the Mining Industry: A Data-Driven Approach through Unstructured Accident Narrative Analysis and Clustering.” He analyzed MSHA accident/injury data narratives using natural language models and unsupervised machine learning algorithms to understand the risks associated with mining accidents.

PhD student, Abid Danish presents his talk.

The GMES department co-sponsored and hosted an alumni engagement event. The two-hour social event was well-attended by alumni from several MTU departments, such as GMES, Chemical Engineering, Material Science and Engineering, and other programs and current MTU faculty and students. The event was a great opportunity for everyone to network and catch up with old friends. Overall, the alumni engagement event was a success, and plans for the next meeting in Denver are already underway. We are grateful to all the alumni who attended and look forward to seeing even more of them at future events. This year, the event was co-sponsored by the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Associate Professor Dr. Chatterjee welcomes guests.
The GMES alumni event.
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Rumbling Recognition: Volcanology Professor Achieves Dual Honors

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Dr. Simon Carn

In a stunning display of ‘when it rains, it pours,’ Dr. Simon Carn, a Professor at the Department of GMES, has bagged two prestigious awards within a month—a feat as rare as spotting a double rainbow. On April 5, Dr. Carn was honored with the Michigan Tech Research Award, recognizing his outstanding achievements in research. Just weeks later, on April 18, he was bestowed the title of Distinguished Professor, an accolade awarded to faculty members who have made substantial contributions to the University and their discipline.

Dr. Carn has made seminal contributions to both applied and fundamental aspects of volcanology, remote sensing, and meteorology. Recognized as a world authority on multi-sensor remote sensing of volcanic clouds, he uniquely blends advanced knowledge of remote sensing, volcanology, and atmospheric science. His research is noted for its innovation, collaborative spirit, and versatility, focusing on employing remote sensing data in studies of volcanic degassing, eruption clouds, and anthropogenic pollution. Dr. Carn excels in translating theoretical understanding into practical solutions, significantly impacting volcanic hazard prediction and mitigation and enhancing aviation safety. This blend of academic and practical prowess has earned him broad international recognition, including the American Meteorological Society Special Award and the NASA/US DOI William T. Pecora Award.

Dr. Carn has secured substantial external funding to support his research, with contributions from prestigious agencies such as NASA, NSF, and NOAA, underscoring the scientific community’s strong confidence in his work. His external expenditure ranks among the highest at MTU. His scholarly output is both prolific and collaborative, featuring 133 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, many co-authored with his students. He is also among the most cited researchers at the university.

An inspiring mentor and instructor, Dr. Carn has guided four postdoctoral researchers, 22 PhD and 36 MS students. He led our successful dual International Master in Geology (INVOGE) program from 2009 to 2015 in collaboration with Université Blaise Pascal, the University of Buffalo, and the University of Milan Bicocca. His students have found employment in the public, government, and academia worldwide.

Dr. Carn has made significant contributions to his professional community, serving as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Geophysical Research and as Secretary of the Remote Sensing Commission of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI) since 2008. Additionally, he has been a member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Improving Understanding of Volcanic Eruptions, the AAAS Review Committee for the U.S. Geological Survey Volcanic Hazards Program, and various scientific committees for international conferences and workshops.

Importantly, Dr. Carn has been very active and efficient in outreach and promotion of science. He is a frequent and long-term contributor to NASA’s Earth Observatory educational website and other outlets such as Scientific American and National Geographic. He conducted TV, radio, and newspaper interviews with BBC World Service, The Weather Channel, Wall Street Journal, Weather Underground, and others. Finally, he has actively promoted his research on X (formerly Twitter) with more than 7000 followers as of today.

Congratulations, Simon, on these well-deserved awards!

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Shiliang Wu on Air Quality in Detroit

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Shiliang Wu
Shiliang Wu

Shiliang Wu (GMES/CEGE) was quoted by Planet Detroit in a story explaining how a winter atmospheric inversion lowered air quality January 7-8, 2024, in Detroit. Wu co-authored a 2016 study that found a 50% increase over the last 60 years in the frequency of winter atmospheric inversions and summer heatwaves, which can both increase air pollution. The story was picked up by Great Lakes Now.

“For the last at least 60 years we have data for, we can clearly see a trend of increasing temperature inversions in mid-latitude regions.”

Shiliang Wu, professor at Michigan Tech

Wu is a dual-appointment professor in Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences and Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering. His research involves impacts of global change on atmospheric chemistry and long-range transport of air pollution.

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Simon Carn on the Eruption from a Fissure on the Reykjanes Peninsula

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Pair of color maps of the peninsula, with a bright region in the right map.
Reykjanes Peninsula on December 18, 2023 (left) and December 19, 2023 (right). Visit NASA Earth Observatory for legend and labels.

Simon Carn (GMES) was quoted by NASA’s Earth Observatory in a story about the eruption of lava from a new fissure on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, which began late on Dec. 18. Carn interpreted a brightness temperature image comparison of the eruption area between Dec. 18 and 19, and commented on the reported risk to nearby infrastructure.

“If lava continues to flow north, it could eventually reach the key main road from Keflavík airport to Reykjavík.”

Simon Carn, professor in Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences

Carn’s current research focus is the application of remote sensing data to studies of volcanic degassing, volcanic eruption clouds, and anthropogenic pollution.

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Elliz McClelland Interns for EarthScope and Presents at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting

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This summer, Elliz McClelland interned in the URISE (Undergraduate Research Internships in Seismology) program, funded by EarthScope (formerly known as IRIS). This internship experience gave them professional research experience, guidance about graduate schools, and the opportunity to work with an institution they’d like to work at during their career. As part of their internship experience, they will also present at the annual national American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in December 2023, a completely new experience for them.

During Elliz’s internship, they conducted research into a volcanic caldera using geophysics in New Mexico. Elliz worked under the mentorship of the United States Geological Survey and spent part of their summer working in the USGS office in Denver, Colorado. This internship was a multi-faceted experience where they had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling. Elliz spent their first couple of weeks performing fieldwork in New Mexico in their study area, then moved into Denver to work at the USGS office. They were also lucky enough to work on a separate USGS project where they traveled to Hawaii to help their mentor conduct field research. Their summer was full of new experiences and cultures!

Elliz preparing to get on a helicopter for field work in Hawaii.

The URISE internship was highly targeted toward providing research experience and preparation for graduate school. While Elliz intends on taking a least one gap year before attending graduate school, the information the internship coordinators provided them about graduate school was instrumental in making their decisions about furthering their education. 

When reflecting on the value of the URISE internship, Elliz says, “For my needs, this internship was also immensely useful in determining my career path. I ‘put my boots on the ground’, so to speak, working directly with the USGS under a position I might like to hold myself in the future. My summer experience really confirmed for me that I love doing field work and I would enjoy working for an institution like the USGS.”

In December, Elliz presented their work at the AGU national conference in San Francisco, California. This conference is one of the biggest Earth Science conferences in the nation and is an excellent opportunity for students to meet potential employers, experience the professional research conference environment, and network with fellow geoscientists. For more details about Elliz’s internship experience and the research they conducted, you can visit their summer blog at URISE. Elliz would also like to highly recommend this internship to any geoscience students with an interest in research and geophysics. Anybody can apply and prior geophysics experience is not required! You can stay updated about internship applications at URISE.

Elliz and their USGS mentor Paul setting up a field station in New Mexico.
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Murchek Successfully Defends Geophysics Ph.D. Research Proposal

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Jacob T. Murchek presented his doctoral research proposal defense on Friday, December 1, 2023. Advised by Dr. James DeGraff, with Dr. Benjamin Drenth, Dr. Jeremy Shannon, and Dr. Aleksey Smirnov serving as committee members. 

Murchek pictured collecting geophysical data across the Keweenaw Fault using the Lacoste Romberg Model G Gravity Meter and the Trimble differential GPS unit to create better constrained models of the subsurface geology crucial to refine the history of the Midcontinent Rift System and copper mineralization.

Title: Integration of Geophysical Data with Geologic Constraints to Infer Tectonomagmatic Controls on Mineral Systems in the Yukon-Tanana Uplands, Alaska, and Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan

Abstract: Critical minerals are necessary for the everyday needs of modern human society and are paramount for the advancement of technology. Lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite are some examples of critical minerals used in cell phones, military equipment, vehicles, batteries, and other essential products. To increase domestic production of critical minerals, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) seeks to identify areas favorable to host deposits of such minerals through the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative. In collaboration with the USGS, the proposed research aims to identify tectonomagmatic controls of mineral systems in the Yukon-Tanana Uplands (YTU), Alaska, and along the Keweenaw Peninsula (KP), Michigan, using geophysical and geologic data to better understand the distribution and origin of such systems and to judge critical mineral potential in the two areas.

Both the YTU and KP have the potential to host critical mineral deposits, however, mineral systems in these areas are not completely understood. Critical minerals in the YTU are most likely to occur as secondary minerals associated with precious metal mineral systems. Aeromagnetic data will be interpreted, modeled, and integrated with regional geology, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and geochemical data to aid in delineating the boundary between the parautochthonous North American Basement (NAb) and allochthonous Yukon-Tanana Terrane (YTT) that underlie the YTU. Establishing a firm boundary for these terranes has major implications for understanding the origin and distribution of mineral systems across the YTU (e.g., porphyry Cu-Au, orogenic Au) and, consequently, the potential for such systems to host critical minerals. The research will emphasize developing geophysically mappable criteria for these and other mineral systems and the plutonic suites that may be associated with their deposition and enrichment. Along the KP copper district and its southwest extension, gravity and magnetic data, and possibly seismic reflection data, will be acquired to model the structure of the Midcontinent Rift System (MRS), thereby testing published cross-sectional models for the rift and the Keweenaw fault system (KFS). Better definition of the KFS is relevant to understanding migration pathways of copper-bearing hydrothermal fluids that produced economic deposits of copper and silver in the region. Quantitative geophysical modeling in the region can be tightly constrained by bedrock outcrops and rock property measurements (e.g., density, magnetic susceptibility). A better constrained subsurface model across the southeast margin of the MRS will establish a stronger tie to offshore geophysical data previously collected across Lake Superior. Such models should also improve the definition of known faults in the KFS as well as identify new faults beneath Jacobsville Sandstone, thus helping to infer mineralization pathways for copper and other elements associated with the MRS.

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