Six GMES Students Receive Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) Awards

The Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences applauds these GMES students and their advisors for receiving the  2022 MSGC Awards:


Brendan Harville, applied geophysics junior advised by Dr. Greg Waite
Title: Seismic Amplitude based Lahar Tracking for Real-Time Hazard Assessment
Abstract: Lahars are strong debris flows or mudflows caused by volcanic activity and also non-volcanic activity in the form of heavy rainfall. They can cause extensive damage to the surrounding environment as well as local communities and infrastructure. The goal of this project is to create a fully automated lahar tracking tool for hazard risk mitigation. Lahars transmit a long-lasting, high frequency tremor signal that is observable in waveform data from seismic stations (Kumagai et al. 2009). This research project plans to use an established network of seismic stations on the slopes of Volcán de Fuego, the resulting tremor signals, and the modified technique presented by Kumagai et al. (2009) to track the origins of individual lahars in real-time.

Espree Essig, geology Ph.D. student advised by Dr. Chad Deering
Title: Analyzing the effects of heavy metals on vegetation hyperspectral reflectance properties in the Mid-Continent Rift, USA
Abstract: In a society focused on global sustainability, metals including copper, nickel and cobalt have become fundamental. Despite increasing demand, deposit discoveries have plummeted owing largely to dwindling ‘low-hanging fruit’ that are near-surface. With this challenge, exploration for buried and vegetation-covered mineralization has become more relevant. However, short of direct geological observations, a proxy correlating mineralization with surficial patterns is necessary. The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of heavy metal enrichment on the hyperspectral reflectance properties of vegetation near polymetallic (Cu- Ni-Co- PGE) mineralization in the Duluth Complex, northeastern Minnesota. This natural laboratory is regionally representative of the mineralization perspective across the Lake Superior region, where vegetation, wetlands and glacial till have impacted exploration efforts and success. This pilot-study investigation will resolve the feasibility of vegetation-based hyperspectral methods to detect poorly exposed deposits in the Lake Superior region.

Caleb Kaminski, geophysics MS student advised by Dr. Aleksey Smirnov
Title: Investigation of Ground-Penetrating Radar Interactions with Basaltic Substrate for Future Lunar Missions
Abstract: Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a suitable tool for interplanetary rover exploration on the Moon. Anticipated future lunar missions sponsored by governmental and private organizations alike are making headway toward a breakthrough in planetary science. Understanding the geological and geophysical properties of the lunar regolith is paramount for the beginnings of permanent structures on the lunar surface. The Moon’s surface is primarily composed of basalt, a common[AS1] volcanic rock found here on Earth. My proposed research will focus on the effect of basaltic grain size on dielectric permittivity [AS2] and electromagnetic (EM) signal velocity, using 500 MHz and 1000 MHz GPR antennas. My hypothesis is that changes in the grain size of basalt from silt to small boulders will affect the EM properties of the material. Gaining a further understanding of the interactions between basalt and EM waves will benefit future engineering and mining efforts that involve the lunar regolith.

Katherine Langfield, geology MS student advised by Dr. James DeGraff
Title: Structural Characteristics of the Keweenaw and Hancock Faults in the Midcontinent Rift System and Possible Relationship to the Grenville Mountain Belt
Abstract: Since the mapping of the Keweenaw Fault in the 1950s, significant advances in mapping technology and knowledge about fault systems have been made. This project will remap the hanging wall and footwall of the fault using advanced geospatial technology to reexamine the kinematics of the Keweenaw Fault in the Laurium and Hancock Quadrangles, Michigan.

Paola Rivera Gonzalez, geology Ph.D. student advised by Dr. Kari Henquinet
Title: Impacts of La Canícula (“Dog Days of Summer”) on agriculture and food security in Salvadoran communities in the Central American Dry Corridor
Abstract: A rising population, demand for natural resources, and a changing climate are exacerbating vulnerabilities globally and elevating the priority to mitigate risks. The impacts of these changes on agriculture in rural communities jeopardize regional food security and water accessibility. In the Central American Dry Corridor, La Canícula or the “Dog Days of Summer”—a short-duration dry period during a six-month-long rainy season—is expected to lengthen and worsen in the next decades (Anderson et al., 2019), bringing more frequent drought to countries like El Salvador. This study examines the changing canícula and its effects on rural, eastern El Salvador using ethnographic methods and physical measurements—satellite-based data of precipitation, soil moisture, and temperature—to correlate geophysical changes to farmers’ experiences, adaptation practices, and decision-making. Integrating local knowledge and hydrometeorological conditions highlights the most affected areas in agricultural communities, documents existing adaptive strategies, and may inform future adaptive planning.

Emily Gochis, geology Ph.D. ‘22, advised by Dr. John S. Gierke
Submitted through the Copper Country Intermediate School District
Title: Lift and Launch the Western U.P.: SOLID Start (Science, Oral Language, and Literacy Development from the Start of School) for First and Second Grades
Abstract: Early elementary students in the Western Upper Peninsula (WUP) have limited access to STEAM learning experiences. The WUP comprises largely remote, rural communities and is home to two Sovereign Tribal entities. WUP communities have historically lacked equitable educational resources because of isolation and poverty. Lift and Launch the Western U.P will increase student engagement in STEAM by coordinating a Pre-college Education program that includes multi-district adoption of the NGSS-aligned curriculum, SOLID Start (Science, Oral Language, and Literacy Development from the Start of School). Additionally, an educational Teacher Training program will integrate place-based and career development activities into the curriculum highlighting unique attributes of the WUP. The new professional learning program would be ongoing, including summer field experiences and school year sessions, designed to increase educators’ pedagogical content knowledge. The innovative and collaborative approach would embed regionally significant examples and community partnerships into the SOLID Start curriculum.

GMES Student Receives Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award

Logan Fike, pictured, joined MTU in the Fall of 2020.

Logan Fike is recognized as an outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant for his work with GE2300, Mineral Science, in Fall 2021. Logan is co-advised by Dr. Chad Deering and Dr. Snehamoy Chatterjee. Seeking a Master’s in geology, Logan shares that the best thing about being a Husky is all of the great people he’s had the chance to get to know and work with.

“Working as a Teaching Assistant lets me share my own passion for geoscience while encouraging others to explore all the ways they can pursue their own professional goals.” – Logan Fike 

Jake Maxon Receives 2022 Department Scholar Award

Jake Maxon pictured at Adventure Mine

Congratulations to Jake Maxon (BS Mining Engineering), who received a 2022 GMES Department Scholar Award to recognize his scholarly achievements! This award, presented to a student entering their senior year, recognizes one who best represents student scholarship in the department by participating in research or scholarly activities, demonstrating a high level of intellectual curiosity and creativity, and showing excellent communication skills. Jacob participates in research led by Associate Professor Dr. Snehamoy Chatterjee on fire size and fire location optimization in an underground mine using machine learning. Jacob is also involved in multiple mining-related activities within the campus and the community, including community-based research to map historical documents, including mining documents.

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship Awarded to Emmeline Wolowiec

Emmeline Wolowiec Emmeline, pictured with Turrialba Volcano in Costa Rica, thinks that her travel to Costa Rica and Switzerland for research has been a highlight of her time at Michigan Tech.

Emmeline Wolowiec, MS geology student, is recognized for her academic accomplishments, receiving the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship in the Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Department. A certificate of recognition for this award will be presented to Emmeline at the Graduate Research Colloquium Banquet held this spring. 

Emmeline, advised by  Dr. Chad Deering, is working to look at the generation of high silica magmas in Costa Rica. They’re looking at the connection between plutonic and volcanic rocks to see what that can tell about where in the crust the volcanic rocks formed in relation to the plutonic rocks and what the possible magma chamber structure looked like. Hopefully, this will give insight into how the volcanic rocks formed, whether through fractional crystallization, magma mixing, or other processes.

GMES Geology Major Accepted to the 2022 Graduate Visitor Program at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

After joining the GMES graduate program in the fall of 2021 to pursue a master’s degree in geology, Natalea Cohen applied for and was recently awarded the 2022 Graduate Visitor Program at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). NCAR is sponsored by National Science Foundation.

“I am honored to have received this opportunity to work with David Yates at NCAR and apply the skills and knowledge gained from my time at Michigan Tech. I will be at NCAR in spring 2023 modeling hydrometeorological data that will be collected in El Salvador this coming summer 2022.” – Natalea Cohen

Nat Cohen with GPS equipment
Natalea is pictured with portable GPS monitoring equipment, assisting the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory.

MTU Geology Major Assists in Tracking Uplift at the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory in Oregon

The area around Three Sisters volcanoes in Oregon is moving, and geology MS student, and NAGT/USGS intern Natalea Cohen, demonstrates the portable GPS monitoring equipment used to track it. Uplift, a subtle rise in the ground’s surface, is monitored by the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory. Could magma underground be to blame? See how radar satellite data and GPS equipment come together to get scientists one step closer to knowing the truth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QfARy8zPEk

Nat Cohen Volcano Picture
Natalea Cohen, pictured, received the 2021 NAGT/USGS Cooperative Summer Field Training Internship before joining MTU.

Chad Deering on Key Links in the Evolution of Earth’s Rock Cycle and Its Ocean

Chad Deering
Chad Deering

Chad Deering (GMES) was quoted in a University of Wisconsin Oshkosh news story picked up by Science Daily and Phys.org. The story explains how a study led by Deering and UW-Oshkosh geologist Timothy Paulsen links zircon data from sandstones recovered from Earth’s major continental landmasses to the evolution of the Earth’s rock cycle and its oceans. Snehamoy Chatterjee (GMES) is also a co-author on the study.

“Continents tend to be worn down by weathering and rivers tend to transport this sediment to the oceans, leaving scattered puzzle pieces for geologists to fit together,” said Chad Deering, a Michigan Tech geologist and coauthor on the paper. “There is increasing evidence that important pieces of the puzzle are found in the ancient beach and river sediments produced through continental weathering and erosion.”

Read more at UW Oshkosh Today, by Natalie Johnson.

Continental Magmatism and Uplift as the Primary Driver for First-Order Oceanic 87Sr/86Sr Variability with Implications for Global Climate and Atmospheric Oxygenation
T. Paulsen, C. Deering, J. Sliwinski, S. Chatterjee, and O. Bachman
GSA Today, pp. 4–10, 2022.
doi.org/10.1130/GSATG526A.1

Simon Carn Comments on Tonga Eruption

Umbrella cloud from the volcanic eruption.
Umbrella cloud from the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai eruption, captured by NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 17 (GOES-17).

A powerful volcanic eruption has obliterated a small, uninhabited South Pacific island known as Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai. Damage assessments are still ongoing, but preliminary reports indicate that some communities in the island nation of Tonga have been severely damaged by volcanic ash and significant tsunami waves.

“The umbrella cloud was about 500 kilometers (300 miles) in diameter at its maximum extent,” said Michigan Tech volcanologist Simon Carn. “That is comparable to Pinatubo and one of the largest of the satellite era. However, the involvement of water in the Tonga eruption may have increased the explosivity compared to a purely magmatic eruption like Pinatubo.”

Read more at Earth Observatory by Adam Voiland, with Mike Carlowicz.

Happy Holidays: A Note from the Chair

Dr. Aleksey Smirnov, Professor and Chair, Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences

Dear Alumni and Friends!

I hope that this newsletter finds all of you and your families healthy and safe. Winter is in full swing in Houghton County, with over 30″ of snow this season so far. The Tech Trails are groomed, the broomball fields are set, our students have completed final exams and many are celebrating their recent graduation. As the holidays approach, I am happy to share some exciting developments that happened at the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences since we sent you our previous newsletter in early June.

Before all, I am thrilled to report that our recently-reinstated Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering program has been accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The meticulous accreditation process ensures that the program meets the strictest professional standards and provides the students with a solid educational foundation and posits them for successful and impactful careers. You can read more about it here.

Our faculty, staff, and students continued their diligent and productive work to move our department forward. 

Due to the previous year’s cancellations, this summer we offered two sections of our Field Geology and Field Geophysics courses each. Everyone was happy to get back in the field for experiential learning. And to add to the excitement, our Field Geophysics students were the first cohort to take the advantage of cancellation of the laboratory fee, thanks to the Carl G. Schwenk Field Geophysics Lab Endowment.

Our faculty, alumni, and students have been recognized for their contributions and hard work. Most importantly, we celebrated two of our colleagues being named inaugural faculty fellows. Dr. Snehamoy Chatterjee, Associate Professor, was appointed the Witte Family Endowed Faculty Fellow in Mining Engineering; and Jeremy Shannon, Principal Lecturer, was named the Carl G. Schwenk Faculty Fellow in Applied Geophysics. We are extremely grateful to Carl Schwenk and the Witte family for their generosity, which will have a tremendous and long-lasting impact on the academic and professional successes of our students and faculty. 

This fall, we congratulate Angela Hammond (BS ’00, MS ’02; Geological Engineering) who has been inducted into the Presidential Council of Alumnae.

Our students continue to be successful in their classes, participating in research, and presenting their work worldwide. These efforts have brought them much recognition. Most notably, our student chapter of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) has been named the 2021 Student Chapter of the Year for the second year in a row! We also are very proud of Emily Street, a mining engineering senior, who won a prestigious nationwide 2021 Copper Club Lord Bagri Scholarship.

Last but not the least, our heartfelt congratulations go to our Summer and Fall 2021 graduates.

On behalf of our students, faculty, and staff, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all of you who have provided support to our department! Your support is more important for us than ever during these challenging times. As we head toward 2022, we are aware of the hurdles we face, and the opportunities ahead. We look forward to your continued engagement with GMES as we recommit to our mission and goals.

As always, I will be happy to hear from you at any time by email (asmirnov@mtu.edu), phone (906.487.2365), or in-person (Dow 631).

Wishing you a very happy holiday season and a peaceful and prosperous new year!

Aleksey Smirnov
Professor and Chair

Congratulations to GMES Summer and Fall 2021 Graduates!

We are pleased to announce our Summer and Fall graduates. We are proud of you, and wish you the best of luck in your next chapter.


Leonid Surovitskii
Leonid Surovitskii

Leonid Surovitskii will soon graduate with a PhD in Geophysics. A highlight of his time here has been conducting fieldwork in China, Canada, and the U.S. Leo shared that all of his experience at Michigan Tech is a bright spot on his life path. Moving forward, Leo plans to publish more research papers and is looking forward to finding a postdoctoral position.


Domenicca (Dome) Guillen

Domenicca (Dome) Guillen is graduating with an MS in Geology. Dome shared this when asked to reflect on the last two years: “My time at Michigan Tech was a self-revolution for me; I had to adapt myself to a new language, culture, and weather. Certainly, I have improved academically and even emotionally, during this time, and I thank MTU for who I am now. In terms of courses, I love the remote sensing courses and the course on geostatistics and data analysis.”


Katie Nelson

Katie Nelson will soon graduate with an MS in Geophysics. Katie is continuing with her research working towards a PhD. A few highlights of Katie’s time here have been playing on a broomball team her first year, getting to travel to do fieldwork, and meeting so many wonderful people.


Dianna Bullen

Diana Bullen is graduating with an MS in Geology. After graduation, Diana plans on relocating back home to lower Michigan while searching for a job. When asked what she enjoyed and will miss the most, she had this to say, “I am going to miss all of my university Zoom friends the most. I am thankful that I got to meet such a great group of people. When I met them in person they were just as amazing as they were online!”


Nick Potter is graduating with an MS in Geology.


Ryan Klida is graduating with an MS in Geological Engineering.


Shubham Mahajan is graduating with an MS in Geological Engineering.


Sienna Meekhoff

Sienna Meekhoff will soon graduate with a BS in Geology. Sienna had this to say about her time at Michigan Tech:  “The highlight of my time here would have to be my involvement with the Geology Club and our AIPG student chapter. They really got me to open up to other students in and outside our department. I had several traveling opportunities with them, too, like our spring break trips to Arkansas, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee as well as the AIPG national conferences in Burlington, Vermont, and Sacramento, California. I am going to miss the Keweenaw Peninsula the most. I love swimming in Lake Superior and finding agates on the beaches as well as skiing with the amazing scenery Ripley and Bohemia have to offer.”


Emily Pray

Emilie Pray will soon graduate with a BS in Geology. After graduation, Emilie plans to stay at Michigan Tech to pursue an MS in Geology. The highlight of her time here so far has been the undergraduate research she’s conducted. Through it, she was able to learn a lot about the geology of the Upper Peninsula outside of the classroom. She studied some of the oldest rocks in the region! Working in the lab and collecting data were the hands-on experiences she wanted during her studies at Tech.


Hannah Hunt

Hannah Hunt will soon graduate with a BS in Geology. Hannah is pictured using a Geonics EM-16 VLF receiver at Taylor Mine.


Cristhian Salas ’21 finished this summer, earning an MS in Geology. More details to come.


Sanna Mairet ’21 finished this summer and earned an MS in Geology. Info coming soon.


Kay Sivaraj ’21 finished this summer, graduating with an MS in Geology. Stay tuned for more details.


Stepan Pikul ’21 finished this summer, earning an MS in Geology. Check back later for full details.