Geological and Mining Engineering and Science News

GMES People Attend the Annual Meeting of ILSG in 2023

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Eau Claire picture of the waterfront and city buildings.
Eau Claire, Wisconsin, by Itrytohelp32. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Michigan Tech was well represented at the 69th annual meeting for the Institute on Lake Superior Geology (ILSG), held in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, from April 23-26.

Research Professor Jim DeGraff and Professor Emeritus Bill Rose (GMES) presented a poster titled “Digital Image Capture and Database Compilation of Historical Mining Data from the Keweenaw Copper District, Michigan: A Progress Update.”

Graduate student Katherine Langfield (geology) delivered an oral presentation titled “Slip Kinematics of the Keweenaw and Hancock Faults within the Midcontinent Rift System, Upper Peninsula of Michigan.”

Graduate student Daniel Lizzadro-McPherson (geology) delivered an oral presentation titled “Structural Analysis and Slip Kinematics of the Keweenaw Fault System between Béte Grise Bay and Gratiot Lake, Keweenaw County, Michigan.”

Rose also delivered an oral presentation titled “New Work Developing Geoheritage Awareness.”

Geosciences Research Scientist Erika Vye (GLRC/GMES) delivered an oral presentation titled “Geoheritage as an Educational Tool to Explore Relationships with Land and Water in the Keweenaw.”

Professor Emeritus Ted Bornhorst (GMES) presented Peter Hollings, professor at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, with the prestigious ILSG Goldich Medal recognizing outstanding contributions to the understanding of Lake Superior geology. He also attended the ILSG Board of Directors meeting; the board approved the 70th annual meeting to be held in Houghton in 2024, which will be chaired by Bornhorst.

The ILSG is a nonprofit professional society that provides a forum for promoting better understanding of the geology of the Lake Superior region. The major activity of the institute is an annual meeting with geological field trips and technical presentations.

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Congratulations Spring 2023 Graduates!

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It takes a lot of hard work, determination, and sacrifice to complete a college degree, and you have done it. Congratulations on your achievement!

The Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences offers our sincerest congratulations on your well-deserved success! This is a momentous occasion and a testament to your dedication and perseverance. You should feel proud of your accomplishments and the bright future that awaits you.

Doctorate of Philosophy Degrees Awarded


Bartel, Beth Ph.D. Geology, Advised by Greg Waite
@eatthecrust

Chakrapani Lekha, Vishnu Ph.D. Geological Engineering, Advised by Thomas Oommen

Ewing, Jordan Ph.D., Computational Science, and Engineering, Advised by Thomas Oommen

Master of Science Degrees Awarded

Anderla, Madeline MS Geological Engineering, Advised by Luke Bowman

Barth, Elana  MS Geology, Advised by Chad Deering
She is joining AECOM in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Eshwar Reddy Sirigiri, Dharmasai  MS Mining Engineering, Advised by Snehamoy Chatterjee

Gamet, Nolan MS Geology, Advised by James DeGraff

Kaminski, Caleb  MS Geophysics, Advised by Aleksey Smirnov
He is joining PND Engineers in Anchorage, Alaska.

Langfield, Katherine MS Geology, Advised by James DeGraff

Lizzadro-McPherson, Daniel  MS Geology, Advised by James DeGraff
He is working as a geospatial research scientist at the Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Tech.

Ricchio-Hitchcock, Evan  MS Geological Engineering, Advised by Snehamoy Chatterjee
He is joining Colliers Engineering & Design in Charlotte, North Carolina as a geotechnical engineer.

Rivera-Gonzalez, Paola  MS Geology, Advised by Luke Bowman 

Bachelor of Science Degrees Awarded

Anderson, Cole  BS Mining Engineering
Carley, Michael  BS Geological Engineering, He is joining Riverside Energy in Michigan as a production engineer. 
Carpenter, Kolby  BS Geological Engineering, He is joining Coleman Engineering as a geotechnical engineer.
Donajkowski, Clay  BS Mining Engineering
Doud, Quin  BS Geology, He is joining the Affordable Housing Development.
Gabriel, Aidan BS Applied Geophysics, He is joining RS&H in Asheville, North Carolina, working as a CEI inspector. 
Goecker, Addison  BS Applied Geophysics, She is continuing her education, accepting a full scholarship to the University of Utah’s Graduate School.
Klein, Peter  BS Geological Engineering, He is joining  Geoengineers in Springfield, MO, doing geotech work on pipeline projects.
Maxon, Jake  BS Mining Engineering, He is joining Pogo Mine in Alaska to work as an underground mining engineer.
Ojala, Grace  BS Applied Geophysics, She is continuing her education at the University of Denver for an MA program in archeology.
Searl, Jared  BS Geological Engineering
Max Stange  BS Geological Engineering, He is joining Freeport-McMoRan’s Chino Mine to work as a geomechanical engineer.

Undergraduate advisors: John Gierke, Jeremy Shannon, Nathan Manser, and Snehamoy Chatterjee

Take a moment to reflect on all you have accomplished and to thank those who have supported you along the way.

Congratulations again to the graduates, and best wishes for a bright and successful future!

Photo gallery

Evan Ricchio-Hitchcock
Grace Ojala
Jake Maxon
Addison Goecker
Aidan Gabriel
Daniel Lizzadro-McPherson
Max Stange
Elana Barth
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Gierke and Bowman on Building Rainwater Collection Systems

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Group of locals and two researchers standing outside
Fundación Cartagena Nuevo Amanecer project partners celebrating the completion of another phase of their demonstrative community garden in Magangue, Colombia. Image courtesy of Damaris Guerra.
Man standing near a tank holding a sticker with mining picks and a Husky illustration.
Foundation’s lead technician Jesus Fandiño with a GMES sticker to be placed on the main rainwater catchment/irrigation supply tank.

John Gierke and Luke Bowman supported Fundación Cartagena Nuevo Amanecer, with Dr. Gierke serving as Small-Scale Irrigation Systems Expert and Dr. Bowman serving as Water Capture (Hydrology) Specialist.

The two assisted the Fundación in the design of a small-scale water catchment and irrigation system for FCNA’s school garden beds as well as local backyard gardens.

In addition to designing and building functional systems during 10 days of work, Gierke and Bowman provided community partners with user-friendly, Spanish-language, spreadsheet tools to explore design considerations for sizing, purchasing components, and building new systems.

Read more at Partners of the Americas Economic Development & Health, by Farmer.to.Farmer.POA.

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Simon Carn on the Shiveluch Volcanic Eruption

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Satellite view of the peninsula with orange coloring.
Kamchatka Peninsula with Shiveluch in the upper, right quadrant. Image taken on April 11, 2023, by NASA Earth Observatory.

Simon Carn was quoted by the Washington Post in a story about the eruption of Russia’s Shiveluch volcano, located on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s far east. The story was picked up by MSN and the Benzie County Record Patriot.

The incident “looks like the largest Shiveluch eruption of the satellite era,” Michigan Technological University volcanologist Simon Carn said on Twitter.

Carn is a professor in the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences with a PhD in Volcanology from Cambridge University. His 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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A Fresh Perspective: GMES Freshman Shines in Hydrological Research

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Meet Natalie Sorensen, the exceptional first-year student at the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences (GMES) who has defied the odds and conducted scientific research during her freshman year. Natalie’s project focused on helping farmers adjust their farming practices based on water availability, which is dictated naturally by climate and enhanced anthropogenically. She worked closely with Dr. John Gierke to test the Mark 2 soil moisture sensor against independent measurements of meteorological parameters and soil moisture in a local agricultural setting.

Student standing in the field with two apparatuses.
The HOBO station is on the left, and Arable Mark 2 is on the right.

Natalie’s project was a rare feat for a freshman, as most students don’t join research until their junior or senior years. However, Natalie’s passion and dedication to the field drove her to take on this challenge early in her college career. Natalie compared data from an Arable Mark 2 weather station to data from a HOBO RX3000 weather station, which is commonly used in climate-monitoring research. To independently test the soil moisture sensors on both weather stations, she also took soil core samples to measure soil moisture using gravimetric analysis. While the results of Natalie’ study are still being analyzed, the preliminary data seem promising and compatible with the natural variability of soil properties in glacial settings.

Student in the field taking core samples near an instrument.
Natalie takes core samples for gravimetric analyses.

Natalie’s work was supported by the URIP program and Dr. Gierke’s Institutional Research and Development (IRAD) for matching funds. In addition, in-kind support for the fieldwork was provided by the Gierke Blueberry Farm. Natalie presented a poster of her work at the Undergraduate Research Symposium on March 24, 2023, where she impressed her peers and professors with her research.

Natalie’s story is a testament to the power of hard work, passion, and dedication. She is a shining example of how early exposure to research opportunities can help students achieve their academic and professional goals. We look forward to hearing more about Natalie’s future research endeavors and wish her continued success in her studies within GMES.

Natalie Sorensen standing near her poster on the floor of the symposium.
Natalie at her poster at the Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Poster Extract

Field Testing of Climate and Soil Moisture Monitoring in an Agricultural Setting

Student Presenter: Natalie Sorensen, Geological Engineering
Faculty Advisor: John Gierke, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences

Farmers need to adjust their farming practices based on water availability, which is dictated naturally by climate and enhanced anthropogenically.

Data from a Mark 2 was compared to data from a HOBO RX3000 weather station (Onset, Bourne, MA), which is commonly used in climate-monitoring research, on the Gierke Blueberry Farm for the past decade.

I am still processing data to compare the Arable Mark 2 and HOBO measurements of air and soil temperatures and precipitation (along with solar intensity, atmospheric pressure, and relative humidity–the Mark 2 is not equipped to measure wind).

Read more in the URSS Booklet.

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Thomas Oommen on the Slow-moving Portuguese Bend Landslide

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Land near the shore showing cracks and buckling.
By Pricetveyron – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47502552

Thomas Oommen (GMES) was quoted by SFGATE and the Seattle Times. Both outlets picked up a March 6, 2023, Los Angeles Times story about the slow-moving Portuguese Bend landslide affecting the city of Rancho Palos Verde in southern California.

Palos Verdes Peninsula has long been prone to landslides, and the most dramatic one is affecting Portuguese Bend, an area named after a Portuguese whaling operation. The geological phenomenon has hit a 240-acre area hard over the last seven decades, causing fissures to open in the earth and homes to strain, buckle and drift, sometimes outright wandering onto adjacent properties.

The land moves sometimes horizontally, sometimes vertically. Sometimes inches, sometimes feet.

Thomas Oommen, professor of geological sciences at Michigan Technological University, said it’s an interesting case study because there are only a few landslides with such significant movement every year. What distinguishes Portuguese Bend is that the slope has not failed catastrophically — yet — and the humans atop are largely staying put, riding the slow-moving land for as long as they can.

Oommen’s research efforts focus on developing improved susceptibility characterization and documentation of geo-hazards, such as earthquakes and landslides.

Read more at the Los Angeles Times, by Jack Flemming.

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International Team Analyzes Ice Cores to Calculate Levels of Sulfate Aerosols

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Geophysical Research Letters cover.

An international team which includes Simon Carn analyzed layers of an ice core from central Greenland to calculate levels of sulfate aerosols between the years 1200 and 1850. They discovered that non-erupting volcanoes leak sulfur at up to three times the rate previously believed.

https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL102061

The discovery impacts efforts to model past, present, and future climate.

“We found that on longer timescales the amount of sulfate aerosols released during passive degassing is much higher than during eruptions,” said first author Ursula Jongebloed, a UW doctoral student in atmospheric sciences. “Passive degassing releases at least 10 times more sulfur into the atmosphere, on decadal timescales, than eruptions, and it could be as much as 30 times more.”

Read more at UW News, by Hannah Hickey.

Related

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Chad Deering Nominated for Michigan Tech Distinguished Teaching Award

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Chad Deering
Chad Deering

The William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is seeking input for its annual Distinguished Teaching Awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to Michigan Tech’s instructional mission. Based on more than 40,000 student ratings of instruction responses, 10 finalists have been identified for the 2023 awards. The selection committee is soliciting comments from students, staff, faculty and alumni to be referenced during their deliberations.

Among the Associate Professor/Professor finalists is Chad Deering, who is an associate professor in the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences.

Comments for the finalists are due by March 31 and can be submitted online.

The process for determining the Distinguished Teaching Award recipients from this list of finalists also involves the additional surveying of their spring 2023 classes. The selection committee makes the final determination of the award recipients. The 2023 Distinguished Teaching Awards will be formally announced in May.

For more information, contact the CTL at ctl@mtu.edu or 906-487-3000.

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Bay College and Michigan Tech Offer Mine Safety Annual Training

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Mine interior with lights and a track.

Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) refresher training is offered by Bay College and Michigan Technological University.

This 8-hour program covers the annual training requirements under 30 CFR parts 46 & 48.

Attendees must be “experienced miners” and have completed their 24-hour New Miner training.

Location: Escanaba at Bay College, Joseph Heirman University Center, room 908J.

Dates: Choose one of Wednesday, February 15, Thursday, February 16, or Friday, February 17.

Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET

Cost: $70 includes lunch

To register or view all offerings, visit mytraining.baycollege.edu.

For questions, workforcetraining@baycollege.edu.

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Brittany Buschell Receives the Above and Beyond Making a Difference Award

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Brittany Buschell
Brittany Buschell

Our heartfelt congratulations to Brittany Buschell, the GMES department coordinator, on receiving the 2022 Above and Beyond Making a Difference Award!

Brittany, who joined GMES in 2014, goes above and beyond her duties as coordinator. She is incredibly creative and very skilled in artistic endeavors. She quietly applies these skills to her work in GMES as the unofficial department photographer and as a media creator. Any time that a picture of someone is needed, Brittany is there with her camera and the perfect flash for the event time and place. The pictures that are presented always look great—many of the faculty photos on our faculty webpage were taken by her!

With her love of rocks, Brittany fits right in at the geological and mining department. Several times each year she organizes Yooperlite hunting trips with our students. She grabs a bucket, her UV flashlight, and groups of brave students to walk the shores of Lake Superior at night collecting the Yooperlites. She even puts together gift bags to give out to donors, visitors, or prospective students. Each bag contains a Yooperlite and a card (that she designed of course) explaining Yooperlites. It can take a few hours to collect just a couple of Yooperlites, so you can imagine the time Brittany spends looking for these during the months without snow!

Brittany constantly goes above and beyond to create a comfortable, safe, enriching environment for our faculty, staff, and most importantly, our students. The GMES community is thankful for the positive difference she makes, and we congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition!

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