Angela Stetson Master's Candidate

/

Titled "Orphan Basalts: Investigating the Petrogenesis of Unassigned Eastern Oregon Basalts," my thesis project is focused on detailing the origins of basalts mapped within the Telephone Butte, Calamity Butte and Craft Point quadrangles located along the boundary between the Harney Basin and the southern foothills of the Blue Mountains Province. Named for the localities in which basalt samples were collected, several basalt units are mapped in each quadrangle. Similarities in geochemical analyses of each basalt unit suggest that although these basalts have different unit names, they are in fact related and likely originated from the same source. 

Read More

Alyssa Smith PhD candidate

/

My research is focused in the central to northern Oregon Cascade Range. In this part of the Cascade Range, erupted lavas are very compositionally restricted as compared to other arc segments. Although the central to northern Oregon Cascade Range does have several large, more andesitic stratovolcanoes, such as Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, and the Middle and South Sister, volcanism is dominated by hundreds of smaller, basaltic volcanoes. Studies of the Cascade Range have acknowledged the prevalence of basaltic volcanism in this portion of the range, but many regional studies have focused on the andesitic centers, leaving most of the basaltic centers unstudied. 

Read More

Lizzet Reyes Master's Candidate

/

Volcanic eruptions release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, which contributes to the carbon cycle. However, much is still unexplored about how volcanic eruptions affect the movement of organic carbon from vegetation and soil. My thesis focuses on the impact of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption on the terrestrial carbon cycle. It examines how the eruption affected carbon storage in vegetation and soils in the affected area. By comparing terrestrial carbon levels before and after the eruption, we aim to establish a carbon budget for the period since 1980. 

Read More

Obinna Ozioko PhD candidate

/

Temporal clustering of deep-seated landslides in the Puget Lowlands; a seismic trigger? 

The Puget Lowlands of Washington State is about the most seismically active region in the Pacific Northwest. Paleoseismic records show ample evidence of prehistoric crustal and Cascadia megathrust earthquakes in the region with a temporal cluster of earthquakes in the crustal faults about 1000 years ago. Although multiple paleoseismic records exist for crustal and Cascadia megathrust earthquakes in the area, little is known about the temporal and spatial distribution of earthquake-triggered landslides. To address this, we conducted a comprehensive study applying surface roughness age dating techniques to over 600 landslides in the lower Puget Sound region to explore earthquake-triggered landslides' spatial and temporal patterns. 

Read More

Brett Hopt Master's Candidate

/

Black shales are rocks that are enriched in heavy metals and metalloids. Previous studies have shown that agriculture crops grown on soils formed on black shales pose a health hazard to humans and biota. However, no study has been conducted on the environmental hazard that these outcrops may pose in watersheds with black shale outcrops. I will be studying how these heavy metals are partitioned in streams once released during weathering; heightened knowledge is needed in this area so that state agencies may better protect human and environmental health in areas where metalliferous black shales occur. 

Read More

Javaria Aziz Master's Candidate

/

My master’s thesis focuses on understanding magma evolution and eruptive history of Three Fingered Jack, a dissected mafic composite cone volcano in the central High Cascades of Oregon. This region is characterized by intra-arc extension, creating an extensive mafic platform dominated by dozens of small scoria cones and voluminous mafic flows of basaltic and basaltic andesitic composition. It has the largest concentration of mafic monogenetic volcanoes in the entire Cascade arc, some of which have erupted in the past 2,500 years. Three Fingered Jack is much larger compared to its neighboring scoria cones.

Read More

George Anim Master’s Candidate

/

My research is focused on understanding shock deformation in shergottites, the most commonly sampled Martian meteorites. My goals are to estimate deformation intensities in shergottites, identify the number of asteroid impact events they have undergone, and develop additional deformation estimation criteria based on changes in the crystal structure of key minerals such as olivine and pyroxene. Understanding the shock deformation in shergottites (and, by extension, all Martian meteorites) will allow for an unbiased interpretation of primary features that can reveal a lot about the geologic processes that shaped Mars.

Read More