
EDUCATING GEOSCIENCE LEADERS OF THE FUTURE
2023/2024
EDUCATING GEOSCIENCE LEADERS OF THE FUTURE
2023/2024
KU Geology educates future geoscientists and drives cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research addressing some of Earth’s most pressing issues impacting humanity. As you read this, you play a key role. Thank you for all you do to advance this important work.
David
A. Fowle, Chair KU Geology
We continually seek partnerships that will provide opportunities for our students and faculty.
You may be holding this issue of the magazine and saying to yourself, What is this? Let me begin by telling you we have seen the end of an era as our long-time editor, writer, photographer, and G-Hawker organizer, Diane Silver, retired this past year. Thank you, Diane, for your service to the department, for your help to many department chairs and faculty, and for doing a great job publicizing all things KU Geology.
With change comes opportunity, and we are delighted to offer the new incarnation of the magazine. It has all the old favorites plus a greater number and breadth of articles about our research activities.
We had another great year. Our faculty and students (and some alumni) traveled across and beyond the United States. I have had the pleasure of visiting Pittsburgh, Houston, and Denver in the past 12 months to meet face to face with alumni. The Geology Associates Advisory Board is back on its regular schedule of in-person fall and spring gatherings, leading to productive and engaging meetings.
We continually seek partnerships and collaborations across the university that will provide opportunities for our students and faculty. Our partnership with the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) has been particularly successful this year; a record number of our graduate students are being supported by research assistantships through grants held by KGS scientists. In collaboration with Jay Kalbas (KGS director and KU Geology faculty member), the Office of Research, and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, we successfully appointed two KGS scientists as 0.25 FTE tenure-track faculty: Sam Zipper and Erin Seybold, who joined us in January and April 2024, respectively. Their expertise will bolster our strength in environmental geology, and in water and climate science.
KU Geology maintains strong connections to industry in the energy and environmental sectors. Many students received internship and full-time offers from their top choices when on-campus recruitment resumed in fall 2023. We appreciate alumni efforts to ensure that KU remains an important recruiting stop for your companies. Our industry collaborative research project KICC is evolving into KICE3 (Kansas Interdisciplinary Consortium on Earth, Energy, & Environment) and has already welcomed new partners. Be sure to reach out to Professor Bob Goldstein at gold@ku.edu if your company has an interest in partnering with us.
In May 2023 we learned Lindley Hall would be closing in January 2024 for renovations. This presented tons of challenges for me, my staff, and our faculty — literally, tons of rocks and minerals that needed to be moved. With the leadership of our new building manager Isabelle Busenitz and help of our whole team, we got it done. Some faculty have had to temporarily settle in at Malott Hall, but we all look forward to returning to a Lindley Hall that is modernized, waterproofed, and updated to a standard that endeavors to match the Earth, Energy, & Environment Center.
Alumni giving is being prioritized to support the modernization of Field Camp (see page 26). Renovations will enable the continued use of the old cabins and Recreation Hall, built in the 1940s. We seek funding to construct a new classroom building and add infrastructure to grow a one-season camp into a three-season facility accessible to all populations. We have already received several substantial gifts, including one from Don and Tammy Steeples to support dining facilities in the new building. We are grateful for the support of our alumni, and for the hard work of our faculty and students. I look forward to seeing many of you this year.
KU Geology is led by worldrenowned faculty with expertise in areas that span the geosciences. Teaching, research, and discovery extend from efforts right here at home to the far reaches and depths of the planet and beyond.
Photo by Matt Phillips
13
DEEP LEARNING, MATH MODELS, AND MELTWATER PATHWAYS
Leigh Stearns’ team pursues research in surface-to-bed meltwater pathways across the Greenland Ice Sheet.
PLANNING THE NEXT 100 YEARS OF FIELD CAMP
A campaign is underway to modernize the newly named Robert P. Harrison Field Station in Cañon City, Colorado.
ILLUMINATING EARTHQUAKE POTENTIAL Noel Jackson’s teams make high-precision measurements of tiny tectonic motions on the Cascadia seafloor and search for slow-slip events.
WHAT THE BAHAMAS TEACH US
The modern platforms of the Bahamas serve as a natural laboratory for understanding ancient systems and are central in discussions of global change.
2022 marked a century of Field Camp outside Cañon City, Colorado. We posed the question: “What Field Camp experience would you like to relive, or do for the first time if you didn’t get to before?”
Assessing
When vugs connect: Predicting super permeability
Electron-phonon interactions and multiphonon scattering in hematite
Saving a municipal water supply
Synchronicity of terrestrial and marine carbon isotope excursions
Surface-to-bed meltwater pathways across the Greenland Ice Sheet
Impact of ice shelf estuaries on ice shelf stability
Dissecting an African megafan to understand deep regional aquifers
Tracking flow in fractured media, inside and out
New tool enables hydrogeologic measurements beneath deep lake sediment
Walk like a big brown bat
The mystery of the exotic boulder: A Jurassic whodunit
Closing a 10-million-year gap in the rock record: Utahraptor’s new age
The shifting sands of Pacific atolls and islands
From one atoll to another: A Global Atlas of Atolls
Tectonic and hydrothermal fluid-flow history in the midcontinent
Underwater measurements illuminate earthquake potential in Cascadia
Allan Hemmy’s answer: “Just being surrounded by the diverse background of individuals all there for the love of rocks!”
See more on page 55.
G-Hawker is published annually by the University of Kansas Department of Geology (KU Geology) as a resource for alumni and friends. Articles may not be reprinted or edited for reuse without special permission from the department. Editorial, publication, and distribution costs are underwritten by the Krueger Fund of the Geology Associates Program of the Kansas University Endowment Association.
Chair: David A. Fowle
Editor:
Stephen T. Hasiotis
Assistant editor: Carolyn Church Design and layout: Robin Ward, The Write Design
Ritchie Hall 1414 Naismith Drive, Room 254 Lawrence, KS 66045 785-864-4974 | geology@ku.edu geo.ku.edu
Stephen T. Hasiotis, Editor Professor of Geology
Welcome to the new G-Hawker!
We thank Diane Silver for her 15 years serving as editor of the magazine. She enjoyed getting to know the faculty and learning about the research conducted at KU Geology, particularly with her involvement on field trips.
With Diane’s retirement, the position of editor has been passed to me, and with the help of assistant editor Carolyn Church and our new designer, Robin Ward of The Write Design, we are happy to continue bringing KU Geology news to you in a fresh, new format.
Over the last few years, feedback from a number of alumni has focused on updating how we present the academic news and progress KU Geology makes each year — particularly now with the new Earth, Energy, & Environment Center in Ritchie and Slawson Halls.
As geoscientists, we all know that things evolve with time, and so does the G-Hawker. Sometimes change is slow, and sometimes change rolls all at once, like dominos. The vacating of the Department of Geology from Lindley Hall in the late summer and fall semesters of 2023 pushed back the G-Hawker production timeline considerably. However, this issue is well worth the wait.
With all the changes taking place, consider this a year of transition for the magazine. Our goal is to bring you news from KU Geology alumni, the department, faculty, students, and the Geology Associates Advisory Board. We have replaced “Faculty Updates” with “Research Highlights” to share new and exciting research being generated by KU Geology faculty and students who are published in regional, national, and international peer-reviewed journals. We plan to continue to bring you feature stories about research in KU Geology and the KGS as well as their applications to the community at large.
Your feedback is always welcome so that we can deliver to our alumni and friends the achievements of faculty, students, and staff of KU Geology and our colleagues in the KGS — as well as updates from our extended G-Hawker family.
We hope you enjoy this issue!
Very truly yours,
ALWAYS READY TO ROCK
We extend our gratitude to these foundations and corporations for their gifts to KU Geology in 2023:
BP Corporation
North America, Inc.
Chevron Humankind Matching Gift Program
ConocoPhillips
Coterra Energy Inc.
ExxonMobil Foundation
The Groundwater Foundation
Harrison Family Fund at the Douglas County Community Foundation
Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory
Ovintiv
Thank you for your investment in the geosciences and in KU Geology students and faculty.
As geologists, we understand the significance of evolution in response to environmental change. KU Geology’s industry consortium, the Kansas Interdisciplinary Carbonates Consortium (KICC), has succeeded in its research, service, and training mission for 13 years, because it evolved in response to industry and societal needs. For example, the consortium started off with its focus on conventional carbonate reservoir rocks, but as industry needs evolved, it expanded its mission to include mudrocks and unconventional reservoirs.
Now, the consortium is expanding its mission, once again, in response to the evolving needs of industry and society. Those needs require that energy production is profitable to industry; that it is available and affordable to consumers; and that it is environmentally sustainable, reducing current and reversing past greenhouse gas emissions, protecting water resources, and facilitating the evolution of the energy industry toward environmental sustainability and the addition of renewable energy.
To better serve the evolving energy industry and to continue to do relevant research projects, KICC is now the Kansas Interdisciplinary Consortium on Earth, Energy, & Environment (KICE3). KICE3 includes all the work for which KICC is well known but now includes focus areas on carbon capture, use, and sequestration (CCUS); geothermal energy; critical minerals for renewables technologies; energy storage; hydrogen; and water use and reuse. KU Geology, Kansas Geological Survey (KGS), and KU Engineering already have deep expertise in many of these areas, with decades of research on CCUS, a history of funding on geothermal energy, new KGS grants on critical minerals, world-class research expertise on water, and evolving new research ideas about hydrogen and energy storage.
If we assess the needs of industry and society correctly, this evolution should ensure another 13 years of industry interactions and numerous relevant student projects.
Lindley Hall sits atop Mount Oread at a spot traversed by the Oregon Trail. The limestone building, named for former KU chancellor Ernest H. Lindley, was completed in 1943. It was designed to house the mineral resources departments of geography, geology, chemical and petroleum engineering, mining and metallurgical engineering; the state and federal Geological Survey; and the astronomical observatory. It also served as a barracks and mess hall for Army and Navy trainees until early 1946.
Important work to repair and modernize the 80-year-old, iconic building, which has been under consideration for some time, is moving forward. Plans for the three-year project include improvements to classrooms, labs, and office space, as well as structural repairs.
In the meantime, however, before the building was closed for renovation, faculty offices, classes, and labs had to be relocated. Additionally, tons of minerals and rocks of all shapes and sizes had to be categorized and moved elsewhere for the time being. Good thing G-Hawkers are a strong lot.
Watch for updates in the next issue of G-Hawker
The Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) provides critical assessment of the water resources in the state of Kansas. The data provided are utilized by state agencies, Groundwater Management Districts (GMDs), municipalities, and producers to establish data-driven water policies.
In collaboration with the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources (DWR), Kansas Water Office (KWO), Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), GMDs, the Kansas State University Northwest Research-Extension Center (KSU-NWREC), the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, universities, and nongovernment organizations, the KGS conducts research on water quantity and quality topics including High Plains Aquifer (HPA) sustainability, Dakota Aquifer characterization, Arkansas River, Kansas Alluvial Aquifer, and Equus Beds Aquifer.
The KGS provides access to statewide water databases that include WIMAS, WWC5, and WIZARD that can be visualized through the KGS Interactive Map.
Map of the distribution of the High Plains Aquifer in western Kansas, and the estimated percent change in aquifer thickness from predevelopment to the 2021–2023 average
Water levels are measured annually as part of a joint project to monitor the health of the state’s valuable groundwater resources. New data is continuously being utilized to improve groundwater flow models, leading to more informed water use decisions. Investigations of playas in western Kansas provide important information about HPA recharge.
Map of the distribution of proposed wells and their water source for the proposed ambient groundwater quality monitoring program
The KGS is prepared to continue its research and delivery of data for the state to sustain its most valuable natural resource, as demands for water resources increase and climate change impacts precipitation.
“In several locations, 2022 was one of the driest years on record in Kansas and those prevalent drought conditions carried over into the spring of 2023,” said Brownie Wilson, KGS water-data manager.
The KGS, in collaboration with the KDHE, is developing a groundwater quality monitoring program similar to its current groundwater level monitoring program. Using a network of wells sampled annually for water quality, the KGS will provide a mechanism for assessing statewide groundwater quality and making it available through its databases and visualization tools.
The KGS also addresses surface water concerns through its research on streambank erosion with studies investigating sources and rates of sediment delivery to the state’s reservoirs.
As demands for water resources increase and climate change impacts the frequency, intensity, and distribution of precipitation across the state, the KGS is prepared to continue its research and delivery of data for the state to sustain its most valuable natural resource.
KGS Assistant Scientist Sam Zipper presents on the hydrology of the Arkansas River from a riverbank in Dodge City.
Photo by Franek Hasiuk
On June 7–9, 2023, the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) hosted their annual field conference showcasing geological and environmental research projects to legislators, agency staff, conservation groups, and other interested parties from around the state. Organized by KU Geology alumnus and current KGS Outreach Manager Blair Schneider, the conference focused on southwestern Kansas, based near Dodge City and Garden City.
At many of the stops, KGS scientists with partial or courtesy appointments in the KU Department of Geology — including Jay Kalbas, Franek Hasiuk, Rolfe Mandel, Erin Seybold, and Sam Zipper — shared highlights from their work. This annual event is critical to highlight the importance of geological research and outreach to residents of Kansas.
Determining the subsurface location of stratigraphic zones with extremely high permeability is among the thorniest problems encountered in oil and gas reservoir geology, subsurface CO2 and wastewater disposal, and groundwater hydrogeology.
In some cases, these zones are good for subsurface applications, accepting lots of fluid at high rates — and in other cases, they are problematic, focusing fluid flow and bypassing matrix pore systems. Whatever the application, knowing where they are is key, but figuring this out in the subsurface has been quite challenging. Vugs control permeability in many carbonate reservoirs, but what combinations of vug size, shape, and abundance create passageways for super-high permeability?
Now, thanks to work by former KICC postdoc Hassan Eltom (now assistant professor at King Fahd University); KU Geology professors Gene Rankey, Bob Goldstein, and
Steve Hasiotis; and Reza Barati, associate professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at KU, there is a new approach for determining the probability of vugs connecting to create super-high permeability.
That approach, published in AAPG Bulletin in 2023, uses objectbased modeling and logistic regression to create algorithms that allow the user to input vug size, shape, and abundance to calculate a probability that vugs are connected. Those parameters can be extracted from subsurface image well logs and transformed to a probability log of super permeability.
The results of this research are broadly applicable and scalable to aquifers, conventional oil reservoirs, fluid disposal wells, and even micro and nanopore systems. Because of the wide application, KU Geology has a patent pending on the algorithms resulting from this technological advance.
Examples of vuggy intervals in the Arbuckle Group, KGS Wellington 1–32 well (kgs.ku.edu)
Inset: 3D renderings of 1 m3 volumes containing simulated vugs that are color coded by connected volume; rows are vug abundance and columns are vug shape
Hematite (α-Fe2O3) is a ubiquitous, naturally occurring semiconductor with a central role in global geochemical cycles and significant promise for photocatalysis and photovoltaic technology. First-row transition metal oxide semiconductors, like hematite, regularly possess strong electron-phonon interactions that limit charge transport. These interactions can be probed via Raman spectroscopy, providing insight into how these materials move electrons in natural and engineered systems.
Electron-phonon interactions additionally govern resonant Raman scattering in semiconductors, where the excitation energy is near the band gap energy. Resonance Raman spectroscopy can thus be used to study electron-phonon interactions — and an understanding of electron-phonon interactions can, in turn, elucidate details about the Raman spectrum itself. Despite decades of study, hematite still possesses puzzling resonance behavior and several
Marshall, C., Dufresne, W. J. (2022). Resonance Raman and polarized Raman scattering of single-crystal hematite. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 535, 10.1002/JRS.6309
Raman bands outside those predicted by group theory, some of which are unassigned.
Marshall and Dufresne recently reported on the effects of electron-phonon interactions on hematite’s
Over the past few decades, nitrate concentrations in groundwater beneath farms in rural Ontario, Canada, has been slowly increasing due to fertilizer application practices. The levels are now high enough that the rural municipal water supplies are being affected. Low-cost methods for removing the nitrate from the groundwater are badly needed
This problem is very common worldwide. KU Geology Professor Rick Devlin pioneered a method 20 years ago to stimulate naturally present denitrifying bacteria in the ground, transforming the nitrate to nitrogen gas. That method is now the focus of a pilot study at a town in southwestern Ontario.
The most recent study that drew attention to the Cross-Injection System (CIS) for stimulating denitrifiers, published in 2023, showed that the technique could attenuate nitrate even in geologic strata conducting water at 30–40 m per day. Previous work indicated these high flow zones were problematic for treatment.
The research team (from left: Dave Rudolph, Hanna Szydlowski, Matthew Pendleton, Tony Lotimer, Bryan Heyer) reviews the history of a monitoring well at the field site, Ontario, Canada..
The CIS works by injecting a carbon source, or electron donor, into the ground between wells oriented perpendicular to the ambient flow direction. This pulse of carbon is permitted to transport with the groundwater in the direction of flow that prevails when the injection and withdrawal wells are off. The pulsing continues at intervals determined by the groundwater velocity — higher velocity leads to shorter pulsing intervals. The pulses promote dispersion of the carbon, and
Raman spectrum through polarized, resonant, and temperaturedependent Raman spectroscopy. Resonant conditions give rise to the forbidden 1LO band, up to fourth-order LO overtones, and previously unassigned multiphonon bands at 820, 1050, and 1100 cm-1.
For the first time, 3LO and 4LO phonons are reported in hematite, showing that a series of 1-4LO phonons is activated near the band gap, potentially offering a new method to study radiative or nonradiative recombination pathways. The symmetry and resonance behavior of the induced Raman bands confirms that long-range electron-phonon interactions called Fröhlich interactions are the source of the resonance enhancement.
Our findings also show that the putative one magnon (1 M) mode at 820 cm-1 is inconsistent with a 1 M assignment through symmetrical polarization behavior and weak temperature dependence, in agreement with isotopically substituted hematite spectra. Comparison to the calculated two-phonon density of states (DOS) substantiated our experimental data and allowed for proposed band assignments of the second-order modes.
enhanced mixing with the nitratecontaining groundwater, so biotransformations can occur as fast as the bacteria can manage. This system was presented by KU Geology master’s degree student Hanna Szydlowski in 2023 at the Consortium for Field-Focused Research meeting in Guelph, Ontario. The recent published work by J. Shaw and others highlights the fact that even in the most challenging hydrogeologic settings, this method is effective at stimulating nitrate removal from the groundwater within 7 m of the carbon pulsing wells. The next phase of the research will be to install a pilot system next to a working municipal well to determined the pumping rates, carbon loadings, and pulse timings necessary to address the nitrate problem without creating secondary water quality problems at the production wells.
Szydlowski presents her poster on the Cross-Injection System history of in situ denitrification studies at the Consortium for Field-Focused Research meeting in Ontario, June 2023.
Shaw, J., Devlin, J. F., Rudolph, D., & Schillig, P. (2023). Extended pilot test of a cross-injection in situ denitrification system for pre-emptive treatment of municipal well water. Contaminant Hydrogeology, 256, 104196. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.jconhyd.2023.104196.
Szydlowski, H., Devlin, J. F., & Rudolph, D. (2023). Use of bioremediation for in situ denitrification of agricultural impacted groundwater. Presented at the University Consortium for Field Research, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, May 31–June 2, 2023.
As an experiment, we have color coded Research Highlights to indicate primary disciplines. Each article is marked with just one color; however, as you know, our research is interdisciplinary. Every story is one of spirited collaboration, as remarkable people work on critical issues facing our planet.
Energy
Geochemistry
Geomicrobiology
Geophysics
Glaciology
Hydrogeology
Paleontology
Sedimentology & Stratigraphy
Tectonics & Structural Geology
Implications
A team of researchers lead by Gulbranson (Gustavus Adolphus College) including KGS and KU geologists Ludvigson, Möller, and Suarez, are working to understand how marine anoxia is ultimately recorded in continental deposits of the Lower Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation (CMF) in central Utah. The perturbations in the Early Cretaceous carbon cycle associated with ocean anoxia have been interpreted from this succession, as expressed in stable carbon isotopes. However, refining the timing of these stable isotope excursions remains a major challenge in understanding how marine anoxia affects the Earth system and is ultimately recorded in the continental realm.
The team focused on a carbonate sample collected in 2003 from the Ap7 global carbon isotope excursion near the base of this succession in the uppermost Yellow Cat member of the CMF. They used petrographic and geochemical analyses to test that the incorporation of U was at or close to the timing of carbonate precipitation.
High-resolution element maps indicated that U emplacement occurred in a micritic carbonate lamina and within diagenetic quartz cements and microfractures within the micritic lamina. The U was likely incorporated into the micritic calcite under reducing conditions, as evidenced by the prevalence of redox sensitive elements and a positive Ce anomaly. Spatial heterogeneity of U concentrations is consistent with its early diagenetic incorporation. This was followed by subsequent fluid-rock interactions that was constrained by elevated carbonate clumped isotope temperatures, and the development of distinctly elevated U concentrations along microfractures and microcrystalline quartz cements.
Outcrop map of the Cedar Mountain Formation (shaded region) in present-day Utah, and the paleogeographic reconstruction of the study area with respect to the Sevier Foreland Basin and the Skull Creek-Thermopolis Seaway
Summary of Cedar Mountain Formation (CMF) strata with radiometric constraints on the Yellow Cat, Poison Strip, and Ruby Ranch members and marine-based carbon isotope stages: A) Composite stratigraphic column including field areas on the eastern San Rafael Swell; B) Composite stratigraphic column including field areas on the Paradox Basin; C) Summary of C and O stable isotope compositions, based on individual members and chemostratigraphic trends
These results indicate that the new U–Pb ages of 122.3 ± 3.15 Ma and 123.66 ± 1.91 Ma most likely reflect an early diagenetic event in the subsurface, and that the uncertainties about the range of isotopic ages likely constrains the timing of authigenic carbonate stable isotope values, particularly δ13C, in the micritic components of this complex sample prior to the U–Pb age information. Thus, the numerical ages, and corresponding stable isotope composition of U-bearings carbonate domains, indicate early subsurface fluid-rock interactions and not a record of atmosphere-soil geochemical reactions.
Gulbranson, E. L., Rasbury, E. T., Ludvigson, G. A., Möller, A., Henkes, G., Suarez, M. B., Northrup, P., Tappero, R. V., Maxson, J. A., & Shapiro, R. S. (2022). U–Pb geochronology and stable isotope geochemistry of terrestrial carbonates, Lower Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah: Implications for synchronicity of terrestrial and marine carbon isotope excursions. Geosciences, 2022, 12, 346. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12090346
created the large tunnels, which are now partially filled.
In February 2023, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) awarded Leigh Stearns and her colleagues a collaborative grant to pursue research in surfaceto-bed meltwater pathways across the Greenland Ice Sheet. Stearns is working with Ching-Yao Lai (Stanford University), and Laura Stevens and Ian Hewitt (Oxford University) on this research.
Meltwater at the surface of the ice sheet, which has been increasing in a warming climate, affects the movement of Greenland glaciers when it gets to the bottom of the ice sheet. Melting ice at the surface forms large supraglacial lakes that can drain through cracks in the ice and reach the bottom of the ice sheet within a few hours. Once at the bed, the water can both lubricate the ice-bed interface and hydraulically lift the ice off of the bed — both of which can cause ice to flow faster.
The team is using Deep Learning, an artificial intelligence algorithm, to find the locations of cracks and draining lakes in satellite imagery. Based on this new dataset, they will use mathematical models to understand the formation of new cracks and their impact on the movement of the ice sheet. Their approach contains an exciting mix of observations and mathematical models. The ability to use artificial intelligence to detect cracks and draining lakes offers opportunities to drive new understandings at the ice-sheet scale.
© 2003 Sentinel-2
This project supports a United States–United Kingdom collaboration and the development of open-source AI codes for the Arctic sciences community. Three of the principal investigators on this project are women, and two (Stevens and Lai) are early career researchers. Given robust findings of the impact of mentorship programs on the retention of students from minoritized groups in the geosciences, all senior and junior principals of this project will work together to create a mentoring program COMPACT (Communityled Mentoring Program for Advancing Cryosphere Trainees) for doctoral students and early career researchers from minoritized groups within the U.S. and U.K. cryospheric communities.
Leigh Stearns also was a recent awardee of the Heising Simons Foundation to explore the sensitivity of ice shelves to surface estuaries.
There is ample concern about the fate of ice shelves and their stability in a warming climate. Ice shelves are vast floating extensions of the ice sheet that are thought to provide crucial support (or “buttressing”) to the glacier ice that drains into them.
Ice shelves encircle the Antarctic Ice Sheet and are also present at the northern extent of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Recent work suggests that 60% of Antarctica’s ice shelves are vulnerable to surface melting which can deepen crevasses and trigger ice-shelf collapse. However, our present-day understanding of ice shelf river hydrology is insufficient to forecast ice shelf stability and sea level rise.
The ice shelf estuary on the Petermann Ice Shelf in northwest Greenland reveals a new iceocean interaction where relatively warm ocean water flows atop the —continued on page 14
Placement of field instrumentation for the 7–10 days of deployment: Shown are CTDs (conductivity, temperature, and depth profilers); TLS (terrestrial laser scanners); ADCPs (acoustic doppler current profilers); and the AWS (automatic weather station). The AWS is part the autonomous river monitoring system. Airborne instruments (topobathy LiDAR, radar, camera) will survey a grid over the terminus and estuary.
—continued from page 13 ice shelf surface. These estuaries have also been observed in Antarctica, but no in situ observations of their occurrence or impact has been conducted.
Estuaries are unique because they allow for the inflow of warmer ocean water as well as the outflow of surface melt. The researchers hypothesize that the intermittent advance of relatively warm ocean water increases channel incision that contributes to fracture propagation along the bottom of the channel. Additionally, intermittent flow reversals may lead to periodically decreased discharge at the estuary mouth, increasing the likelihood of ice hydrofracture.
A) Satellite imagery of the ice shelf estuary and main fractures on Petermann Ice Shelf
B) The presence of sea ice and (C) dark ocean water suggest a flow reversal into the estuary.
D) Longitudinal crevasses and (E) rifts show active fracture processes.
Instruments deployed for this project
The primary objective of Stearns’ Heising Simons Foundation research is to make foundational physical measurements of ice shelf river and estuary processes to understand whether these processes promote fracture development.
This summer, Stearns and colleagues from the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Resource and Engineering Lab, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency will deploy a suite of instruments on Petermann Glacier in northern Greenland, to address fundamental questions about ice sheet surface hydrology. These measurements will allow researchers to quantify such parameters as estuary and river geometry, flow behavior, estuary efficiency, and estuary erosion rates which are essential for accurate modeling of their evolution.
Examples of core intervals show a variety of pedogenic features including bioturbation, gleiing, and carbonate nodules.
Seeking sustainable, drinkable water sources in Africa, particularly in the western part of the Owambo Basin on the Cubango Megafan in northern Namibia, is extremely important for this most populous region of Namibia. Hand-dug, 5–10 m-deep wells in this area have supported local populations for centuries.
However, waters in the subsurface deposits are highly saline, and the wells become brackish towards the end of the dry season or give out before the summer rains begin. Locating new potable water sources is paramount, as well as understanding the formations that compose the aquifers in exploration boreholes.
A recently published study presented an integrated overview of the geological and evolutionary record of the newly discovered deep groundwater aquifers in the 260 m-thick Andoni Formation, which is part of the thick, Cenozoic “Kalahari succession.” Core from borehole WW203302 was collected with only 8% loss of 400 m of mostly unconsolidated strata. This formation was deposited by an ancestor to the Cubango-Okavango River and forms the 350 km-long and 300 km-wide, ultra-low gradient, symmetrical Cubango Megafan. Stephen Hasiotis interpreted the depositional and pedogenic history of the deposits, while lead author R. Miller and coauthors C. Lohe, F. Lindenmaier, and M. Quinger evaluated the sedimentology,
Most hydrogeologists are trained by studying equations and examples of groundwater flow in granular porous media: sand, gravel, silt, and clay. However, as professionals, they soon encounter aquifers that comprise fractured rock.
Professor J. F. “Rick” Devlin and his lab are working in a variety of collaborative projects to bring the In-Well Point Velocity Probe (IWPVP) into the field of fractured media aquifer site characterization. The projects have involved such collaborators as BP, TOTAL, GSI Environmental, Stantech, Ozark Underground Labs, and Guelph University. Their approach is to 1) validate the instrument and gain intuition for its performance characteristics in lab studies, and 2) deploy it at field sites for comparison with other methods. Ultimately, the instrument will provide data that can be used to answer hydrogeological questions previously deemed out of reach.
The first field testing of the IWPVP in fractured media took place in 2019 at the Edwards Air Force Base, famous for being the place Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier and for serving as a Space Shuttle landing site for many years. We worked with GSI, an environmental consulting firm, conducting borehole profiling to compare with several other technologies geared at characterizing subsurface flow. That project allowed them to try out 3D-printed probes of widely differing diameters, designed for the specific wells in which they were deployed. The profiling was consistent with the other methods tested and appeared to work well in both screened and open boreholes.
In 2022, the IWPVP was tested in a well-characterized borehole in Guelph, Canada, home base of Morwick G360 Groundwater Research Institute, a world leader in fractured rock hydrogeology and contaminant remediation.
petrography, micropaleontology, geochemistry, and hydrologic conductivity of aquifer and nonaquifer intervals of the formation.
Unsorted clay and silt-rich sands suggest weak depositional currents, but aquifer sands point to wetter conditions with greater runoff. Seasonal floods were separated by long intervals of nondeposition.
Extensive postdepositional bioturbation associated with pedogenesis took place during periods of nondeposition. Bedding and sorting were destroyed mostly by meniscate backfilled burrows likely produced by beetle larvae and soil bug nymphs, bioturbation by other invertebrates, and plant roots that formed the A, B, and/or C horizons of each soil. As climate became drier, these features in those intervals were overprinted by pedogenic carbonate and later by phreatic carbonate nodules. Pedogenic carbonates are indicative of limited annual rainfall and extremely stable land surfaces upon which little sediment was deposited for centuries to millennia.
Miller, R., Hasiotis, S. T., Lohe, C., Lindenmaier, F., Wilkinson, J., & Quinger, M. (2023). An investigation of lithology, hydrogeology, bioturbation, and pedogenesis in a borehole through the Cubango Megafan, Northern Namibia. In Wilkinson, M. J. and Gunnell, Y. (eds.), Fluvial megafans on Earth and Mars (p. 287–307). The Cambridge University Press.
A) IWPVP adapted for use in fractured rock wells
B) Laboratory model to simulate fracture flow between two parallel plates
C) Bryan Heyer shows an IWPVP fabricated for use in a six-inch well.
D) Work at the Guelph fractured rock well site, 2022
Bryan Heyer logged a borehole previously logged by distributed temperature sensing, Flute liner deployment, heat pulse tracing and temperature probe logging. Once again, the preliminary comparisons are favorable. Our understanding of the new technology has been aided by the study of responses obtained in a laboratory model of a fracture. Earlier studies focused on a single fracture, but a dual, stacked fracture model is now in place to permit the study of interfracture flow through a borehole, and its effects on each fracture’s ability to conduct water as well as the confounding effects of flow in the borehole itself.
Heyer, B. R., Munn, J. D., & Devlin, J. F. (2023). Fractured rock-adapted IWPVPs: Advances and progress in flow characterization of boreholes intersecting multiple fractures. Presented at the University Consortium for Field Research, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, May 31-June 2, 2023.
Heyer, B. R., Osorno, T. C., Carrera, B. A., Mok, C. M. W., & Devlin, J. F. (2022). Water flux profiling in fractured rock boreholes with an In-Well Point Velocity Probe (IWPVP). Journal of Hydrology, 613, 128383.
Heyer, B. R., Osorno, T. C., Devlin, J. F., (2021). Laboratory testing of real-time flux measurements in fractured media. Journal of Hydrology, 601, 126639.
The Bemidji oil spill site in northern Minnesota has been under study by the USGS and their collaborating partners since 1981. Most of the work has focused on the distribution and fate of the non-aqueous-phase in the shallow vadose zone. Recently, KU Geology was invited to help characterize the groundwatersurface water interactions at a small lake, ironically called Unnamed Lake, thought to be receiving petroleum breakdown products in the groundwater.
The conventional tools used for these kinds of studies have been hampered by a thick layer of relatively low permeability muck, or gyttja, that fills much of the lake basin; only the top meter or so of the more than 10 m-deep lake is clear water. Rick Devlin and his students undertook studies using the Stream Bed Point Velocity Probe (SBPVP), which can be deployed through the muck into the bottom sandy bed of the lake. The SBPVP readings indicated that groundwater was behaving in an unexpected way.
How did it get there? A boulder of lacustrine carbonate suspended in massive eolian sandstone, overlain by fluvial sandstone
A) SBPVPs
B) Muck sample recovered by SBPVP hyporheic shield
C) Slug tests in the lake
D) Velocity measurement in progress on the deck of the KUSS Cantwo (named for the double canoe pontoons!)
The muck apparently prevents groundwater from entering the lake over much of its bottom surface, forcing the water to bypass the lake underneath. Slug testing performed at various
locations on the lake edges and in the middle of the lake suggested about two orders of magnitude difference in permeability between the two sediment types, which is easily enough to impede flow into the lake from the ground.
The SBPVP tests found high rates of groundwater flow beneath the lake, suggesting that the contact between the muck and the sand was poor, and that a highly permeable conduit exists at this interface. Work continues to characterize the variability of the flow at the interfaces between the lake and groundwater as well as the muck and groundwater.
French, L., Heyer, B., Osorno, T., Jones, M., & Devlin, J. F. (2022). Groundwater–lake water interaction using seepage velocity point measurements at crude oil spill site. Presented at the 29th Annual Kansas Hydrology Seminar, Lawrence, KS, November 18, 2022.
French, L., Heyer, B., Osorno, T., Jones, M., & Devlin, J.F. (2022). Using seepage velocity point measurements to characterize groundwater–lake water interaction at an oil spill site. Poster presented at Groundwater Week, NGWA, Las Vegas, NV, December 6–8, 2022.
When a 1.8 m-long x 0.85 m-wide x 0.7 m-tall, angular, nearly rectangular boulder weighing about 2838.15 kg (6,257 pounds!) (3.12 tons!) is found “floating” in a massive Jurassic eolian sandstone, questions will arise.
How did the boulder get there? Where is the rest of the bed from which it came? How did this huge boulder become suspended in massive windblown sand?
A team of researchers — KU’s Stephen Hasiotis, University of Utah lead-author M. A. Chan, and University of Idaho emeritus J. T. Parrish — were notified of this unique discovery and were determined to solve this real Jurassic whodunit.
The unusually large exotic boulder occurs in strata near the interfingering transition of the fluvial deposits of the Lower Jurassic Kayenta Formation and eolian deposits of the Lamb Point Tongue of the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah. This boulder, composed of weakly bedded, pink, thrombolytic-burrowed mudstone and siltstone in a carbonate mudstone matrix, is similar to other carbonate units of the region interpreted as lacustrine in origin that are also found in the interfingering deposits.
Bats (class Mammalia, order Chiroptera) are unique among animals in that they are the only mammal capable of powered flight. Their body fossil record extends to the early Eocene, about 54–56 million years ago, with some of the best and oldest fossils from the Green River Formation, Wyoming.
Most of us are familiar with bats because they fly around at dusk preying on insects, or we find them under bridges or in our attics. We know they are important because they eat mosquitoes and other insects, reducing the need for pesticides, and because they provide dung (guano) that is mined for fertilizer.
But have you ever wondered if or how well a bat can walk or run? How did bats became bats? Were bats adapted ground dwellers that became tree dwellers and then later fliers? Or were they poor-walking, tree-dwelling shrewlike mammals that became exceptional fliers?
A recent study published in Mammal Research by newly minted Dr. Matt Jones and Professor Stephen Hasiotis presents the first detailed report of the terrestrial locomotion and track morphology of the widespread North American big brown bat, otherwise known as Eptesicus fuscus (family Vespertilionidae, the vesper bats).
Although E. fuscus represents the intermediate pelvic and hindlimb morphotype (Type 2), this bat is capable of performing a lateral sequence walk that is common to quadrupedal vertebrates such as horses. The terrestrial locomotion behaviors of E. fuscus are similar to those reported for species of European vesper bats, but it shows greater terrestrial ability than nonvespertilionid Type 2 bats. The results further support a wider range of terrestrial ability in Type 2 bats than has previously been understood.
This research builds on a previous study published jointly from Jones’ master’s thesis project in geology that examined the terrestrial ability and resultant traces produced by bats from five different subfamilies of phyllostomids (leaf-nosed bats) and the emballonurid Saccopteryx bilineata (sac-winged bat) via video recordings and analysis of resultant tracks and trackways produced in a large sandbox and cast in plaster. The research goal of Jones and Hasiotis is to build a track-trackway database that can be used for comparison to potential bat traces recorded in the geologic record, allowing for a better understanding of bat evolution and dispersal patterns.
Three types of bat pelvic and hindlimb morphology: (Type 1) poor; (Type 2) good; and (Type 3) very good walkers
The big brown bat begins its lateral sequence walk in the experimental sand box apparatus.
Jones, M. F., & Hasiotis, S. T. (2023). Terrestrial locomotor behaviors of the North American brown bat Eptesicus fuscus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). Mammal Research, 68, 253–262. doi.org/10.1007/s13364-022-00669-9
continued
So another question arises: How did this lacustrine limestone boulder become separated from its original bed and end up isolated in eolian sand disrupted by soft-sediment deformation?
Three models (a–c, with time slices) to explain the emplacement of the carbonate boulder (lacustrine origin, blue) into massive sand (eolian, yellow; clastic pipes, orange) and final resting position (red line) prior to lithification
Surprisingly, the boulder does not co-occur with any other clasts of similar lithology, nor is any obvious source bed of similar lithology present within the immediate area. It is clearly embedded in and eroding out of massive- to weakly bedded Jurassic, fine- to medium-grained host sandstone. Further, the upper half of the sandstone shows low-angle cross-stratification that abuts against the edge of the boulder, indicating that Jurassic sedimentation lapped up against the sides of the boulder.
One thing is clear: The boulder is evidence of dynamic processes of the Early Jurassic landscape. The research team suggests the boulder was emplaced in one of three ways: 1) it was transported upward in the subsurface by fluid overpressurization, likely triggered by strong ground motion that produced the massive and deformed sand host; 2) it was an erosional remnant produced by Jurassic landscape degradation; or 3) it was transported by a hyperconcentrated overland flow.
Chan, M. A., Parrish, J. T., Hasiotis, S. T. (2023). An erg landscape mystery: An exotic boulder in Jurassic eolian-fluvial deposits, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah. Journal of Geology, 1–14.
Matt Joeckel, Greg Ludvigson, and then KU graduate student Brittany Hendrix measure section at Stikes Quarry, November 2014. These are the Lower Cretaceous beds of mottled paleosols that yielded the Utahraptor fossils and the new dates.
Photo by A. Möller,
2014
Some side projects stay side projects. Sometimes they turn into bigger deals. That was the case for a project involving KU geologists and KGS scientists and the iconic dinosaur Utahraptor (Utahraptor ostrommaysi).
The project culminated in a paper in the journal Geosciences that has received national and international attention for the of age determination of a spectacular site known as Utahraptor Ridge.
For Marina Suarez, the story started when she was a master’s degree student, just before she became a G-Hawk. During her last summer of field work in Utah she surreptitiously met two scientists who would years later push this side project forward: Greg Ludvigson (Kansas Geological Survey) and Matt Joeckel (Nebraska Geological Survey). Greg ultimately led Suarez to KU Geology.
During that summer, Marina visited a site north of Arches National Park that had a few dinosaur bones. The site was at the base of a large sandstone cliff and up a particularly treacherous slope. This site became one of the largest excavations ever completed in the Cedar Mountain Formation. Over the years, Greg, Matt, Marina’s twin sister and KU alumna Celina Suarez, Andreas Möller, and Noah McLean developed a plan to determine the age of the site.
The Cretaceous is known for having carbon-cycle perturbations that impart significant stable carbon isotope changes in the rock record. Researchers can take advantage of that and use a combination of high-precision radiometric dating, especially of paleosols, to narrow or improve the age constraints on those carbon-isotope excursions.
KU Geology is in a unique position for this work by having both the instrumentation and expertise in one lab facility.
After 10 years — after all, it was a side project — the result was a paper defining the age of the bonebed at Utahraptor Ridge as 135.1 ± 0.3 Ma. This is significant because it closes a major gap between the Jurassic rocks and the Cretaceous rocks of Utah and shows that Utahraptor is much older than previously thought. In addition, the carbon-isotope record shows an event of global cooling.
“The splash this paper has made beyond the specialist audience is a great recognition of our scientific tenacity,” said Andreas Möller. “The combination of high-speed and high-precision U-Pb dating with highly resolved climate signals is a really exciting path forward to a more robust understanding of paleoclimate and evolutionary changes.”
More details can be found in the May 4, 2023, issue of KU Today: news.ku.edu/news/ article/2023/05/04/universityof-kansas-geochemistsdetermine-age-of-dinosaurutahraptor.
Joeckel, R. M., Suarez, C. A., McLean, N. M., Möller, A., Ludvigson, G. A., Suarez, M. B., Kirkland, J. I., Andrew, J., Kiessling, S., & Hatzell, G. A. (2023). Berriasian–Valanginian geochronology and carbon-isotope stratigraphy of the Yellow Cat Member, Cedar Mountain Formation, Eastern Utah. Geosciences, 13(2), 32.
Although there is general agreement that global change will influence low-lying atoll islands, considerable uncertainty remains concerning the nature, rates, and causes of morphologic change — or resilience — of islands. These questions are of more than academic interest — with recent increases in the rate of sealevel rise, and as anecdotal evidence suggesting island erosion mounts, coastline dynamics have become an existential concern for small, low-island nations.
As the net product of sediment erosion, transport, and accumulation, islands are intimately tied to reef flat sedimentologic processes. Exploring this concept, recent work by Gene Rankey and colleagues Tion Uriam and Mika Perez examined changes in islands and bar forms evident in historical aerial imagery and high-resolution remote-sensing imagery in the context of oceanographic forcings.
Data from the central Pacific atoll nations of Kiribati and Tokelau reveal a story more complex than a simple, “sealevel is rising, islands are disappearing” narrative.
Rather, the data reveal how sediment transport processes and pathways also are shaped by El Niño-Southern Oscillation variability, seasonal shifts in direction of wave approach and wave energy, and swell events. These oceanographic influences also are markedly shaped by contingencies unique to each atoll, including such factors as lagoon size, as well as atoll shape and orientation.
These insights provide the observational basis for further numerical modeling and management of these sensitive seascapes. The results are published in Earth Science, Systems and Society (ES3)
Changes in extent of Bikenakei Island, Aranuka Atoll, Kiribati
A) Island extent, mapped 2005–2021: The island, supplied by bars from the east, has grown most markedly to its west.
B ) Area through time: Far from eroding away, the island shoreline is quite variable, but appears overall to be expanding consistently in this time interval.
Across vast expanses of the globe’s tropical and subtropical oceans, atolls lie like scattered dots rising from the depths. They have provided habitable land for millions of residents through the millennia, captured the imagination of travelers, and intrigued scientists.
In a new book, A Global Atlas of Atolls (CRC Press, 2023), Walter Goldberg and KU Geology professor and co-author Gene Rankey describe and document geomorphology and habitats of each of the world’s 476 atolls using high-resolution remote sensing data and summarize the environmental conditions of winds, waves, currents, and tides for each atoll region.
Written to be accessible to any diver, armchair traveler, or reader interested in these spectacular habitats, the volume is expansive in scope. Beyond the science, it also includes tidbits on historical lore and traditions. It concludes by describing some current challenges and perspectives on the future of these sensitive seascapes and societies living with them.
“Some of the world’s greatest explorers started in or travelled among atolls. Scientists have examined their ecosystems and landscapes. And since they include only low-lying land in remote areas, atolls are now cited as being on the front lines of the
Remote-sensing image
challenges of climate change and sealevel rise,” Rankey said. “The goal for this volume was to produce a readable, accurate, and complete description of every one of the world’s atolls to foster broad appreciation for these unique, spectacular places. Partnering with a biologist was an exciting way to provide an informative reference text.”
Paleozoic sedimentary rocks in the southern midcontinent have a complex diagenetic history affected by multiple events of deformation and fluid flow, resulting in petroleum migration, thermal alteration, and Mississippi Valley-type mineralization. The major questions are, How do cratonal settings respond to tectonic and non-tectonic drivers? and How is a hidden history revealed?
A team of researchers from KU Geology and the KGS — Mohammadi, Hollenbach, Goldstein, and Möller — and their colleague Burberry from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, tackled these questions to better
Summary of thermally relevant dates in the midcontinent, United States (previous studies were assessed to eliminate unreliable or irrelevant age data for this study)
understand the controls on fluid migration in Paleozoic strata and determine whether hydrothermal activity is affected by tectonic or nontectonic processes.
The team summarized and assessed the distribution of published dates related to thermal events in the southern midcontinent. They obtained new U-Pb dates using laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) on calcite cements formed from hydrothermal fluids from three samples: 1) Berexco Wellington KGS 1-32 core in Sumner County, Kansas; 2) an ore sample from the Tri-State mineral district, Neck City, Missouri; and 3) a core sample from the Blackbird 4-33 well in Osage County, Oklahoma.
The age distribution of hydrothermal fluid flow confirms a syntectonic driver during the
The Cascadia region stretches along the west coast from northern California past the Canadian border. It lies on top of a subduction zone, a region where two tectonic plates are engaged in a collision lasting hundreds of millions of years. Subduction zones like this one are capable of generating huge earthquakes and tsunamis, similar to one that devastated northern Japan in 2011. No one knows exactly when the next disaster will strike in Cascadia, but when it does, it is important to be as prepared as possible.
The most dangerous part of the subduction zone lies miles offshore where tsunamis are generated. To predict the impacts of future earthquakes and tsunamis, scientists need to know exactly which parts of the contact between the two tectonic plates are frictionally stuck or locked and ready to slide in a future earthquake. This requires making high-precision measurements of small tectonic motions on the seafloor. Assistant professor Noel Jackson is part of two teams doing exactly this off the coasts of Oregon and Washington using cutting-edge seafloor geodetic instruments. In addition, she is searching for mysterious sliding events called slow-slip events which may trigger future earthquakes.
In 2022, Jackson embarked on an expedition along with collaborators from the University of California, San Diego and the University of Washington to deploy two types of seafloor instruments in this region. One type of instrument uses a combination of GPS and sonar to measure motions as small as 2 cm. The other instruments measure even smaller changes in the length of a 250 m-long fiber optic cable buried on the seafloor. Jackson returned in 2023 with an even larger team including KU graduate student Saiful Apu to retrieve the first year of data from the fiber optic cable, and to deploy even more GPS and sonar system instruments. Her team plans to carefully analyze and model their data over the next few years in the hopes of discovering important slow-slip event signals in this critical offshore region.
Jackson’s pioneering work in the field of seafloor geodesy is funded by the National Science Foundation and was recently featured as part of the National Science Foundation’s 2023 Frontiers in Ocean Sciences Symposium, which featured four invited speakers whose research is funded by NSF’s Ocean Sciences program.
Conceptual model E–W cross section showing hypothesis for climatechange-induced hydrothermal fluid flow. Regional recharge in highlands produced eastward fluid flow in the Western Interior Plains Aquifer (WIPAS) and in the basement.
Ouachita Orogeny and Ancestral Rocky Mountains Orogeny deformation. A post-tectonic driver is indicated by continuation of hydrothermal fluid flow well into the Permian and subsiding early in the Triassic. Uplifted areas continued to provide the recharge from gravity-driven fluid flow, until the mountains were mostly beveled by the early part of the Triassic.
A lack of Triassic and Jurassic hydrothermal events recorded in the study interval suggests Gulf of Mexico rifting and extension were less important. Hydrothermal fluid flow in the Cretaceous and into the Paleogene indicates that elevation and regional flexure from both the Sevier and Laramide events
continued to drive fluid flow far from the main sites of mountainous uplift and deformation. Further, hydrothermal fluid flow associated with more recent uplift of the Rocky Mountains may have been activated by recharge events that pressurized a regional basement aquifer and triggered seismic activity.
Mohammadi, S., Hollenbach, A. M., Goldstein, R. H., Möller, A., & Burberry. C. M. (2023). Controls on timing of hydrothermal fluid flow in south-central Kansas, north-central Oklahoma, and the Tri-State mineral district. Midcontinent Geoscience, 3, 1–25.
Whether your help is through mentorship, networking and promoting our reputation, or helping financially, we will always need our beloved G-Hawks.
I can’t believe a year has passed and I’m already entering my second year as chair of the Geology Associates Advisory Board! It has been a great year with lots of progress on many fronts, whether catching up with alumni and former classmates at conference receptions; creating greater value for our students through alumni support; and/or continuing to maintain a vibrant and active Associates board.
On the first topic, KU Geology has hosted many alumni receptions this past year across the country during various conferences with plenty of alums getting to revisit with old G-Hawk friends and make new ones. Everything from a Field Station drilling demonstration to fall football tailgating has taken place — and more events are scheduled, so please join us if you are in town.
Second, in June 2022 we hosted our Field Camp Centennial celebration and kicked off the fundraising campaign for the Robert P. Harrison Field Station. We continue to see great support from our G-Hawk friends and are especially honored to have received a $100,000 gift from longtime geophysics faculty and friend, Don Steeples, and his wife Tammy last spring. The Steeples’ gift will be put to great use in supporting “Don’s Diner,” a much-needed, upgraded kitchen and dining facility. KU Geology received another spring 2023 gift of $100,000 for the Field Camp Modernization Fund from Roscoe Jackson. Jackson’s funds will be used to renovate one of the existing cabins at the Field Station. With so many facilities and rooms needing to be replaced and/or repaired, there is ample opportunity for alums to contribute at any scale for this much-needed and long-awaited update — preparing for the next 100 years of incredible Field Camp experiences. A big thank you to those who have already made donations for the Field Station.
I urge all of you to consider joining me in continuing to support not only the Field Camp fundraising but the myriad of other departmental needs such as scholarships, equipment, research funding, and software licenses.
Current specific KU Geology departmental and research opportunities include the following:
• Connections and networking to facilitate the KICC consortia transition to KICE3 (Kansas Interdisciplinary Consortium on Earth, Energy, & Environment) and working with companies for the direct support of research at KU.
• Pilot-scale funding for new projects: Small-scale, unrestricted funding at the $5,000–$10,000 range can facilitate high-risk and innovative proof-ofconcept research that is often the cornerstone of a successful federal grant.
• Named Postdoctoral Fellow Fund: Many of our peers in the earth science space have a competitive endowed postdoctoral scholar fund. Such funds attract the best and brightest, and also bring new science and energy to research. Funding of this sort can greatly benefit KU Geology, now and in the future.
Finally, I’d like to mention the continued work being conducted by the Board. Since the spring of 2020 our GAAB meetings have been held virtually with a slow return to in-person meetings. We elected to return to in-person-only meetings starting last year. We believe this will foster enhanced discussions and committee participation — and, of course, greater student/alumni interaction and camaraderie.
In addition to conducting GAAB business and updates, we hope to capture greater Board input through focused committee work. Several years ago, Jim Funk, then GAAB chair, outlined the committees defined by the by-laws (see the 2013 issue of G-Hawker magazine), and we plan to reinvigorate participation disrupted by the pandemic. We are also looking to strengthen the diversity in our Board member composition to ensure quality representation that reflects the industries and peers that support KU Geology students.
Our Board purposes and objectives as defined in the by-laws are as follows:
The purposes of the GAAB are to promote the recognition, welfare and progress of the Geology Department, University of Kansas and to encourage financial support of The Geology Associates Funds
• To assist the faculty, research staff, and students of the Department of Geology in strengthening and promoting the quality of earth science education at the university.
• To provide input from industry in maintaining high-quality curricula and degree programs of the school.
• To generate and maintain an active interest in and financial support for the department.
• To aid students in achieving career objectives.
• To inform alumni and friends of the university, and the public, about the department and to promote its work and services to the industry, the state, and the nation.
If you would like to learn more about joining the Board or know of persons you feel have the passion and qualifications, please feel free to reach out to me (littlerocks2020@outlook.com) or David Fowle (fowle@ku.edu). We can provide the by-laws and the list of member responsibilities, and pass along names to our nominations committee.
As we move forward from the 2020 pandemic crisis, we have seen great changes on many fronts, many that will never see a return to the past. We, as geoscientists, know more than most that this is a form of evolution and that evolution requires shifts in the status quo and allows for improvements in processes. The Board will continue to adapt our processes as needed to support the changes reflected in the needs of the department and its students. The one constant, however, is the need for continued assistance for KU Geology and the university to remain healthy. Whether your help is through mentorship, networking and promoting our reputation, or helping financially, we will always need our beloved G-Hawks.
Thank you all!
PREVIOUS CHAIRS
MERRILL W. HAAS: 1971–1989
HUBERT H. HALL: 1990–1994
WILLIAM L. ADAMS: 1995–1999
WILLIAM D. POLLARD: 2000–2004
SCOTT D. ADAMS: 2005–2008
JAMES M. FUNK: 2009–2012
STEVE C. DIXON: 2013–2016
BRADFORD E. PRATHER: 2017–2019
RON WALLACE: 2020–2022
ANDREA STEINLE
Chair of the Advisory Board Senior Geologist Jonah Energy
DAVID A. FOWLE
Chair and Dean’s Professor Department of Geology University of Kansas
RICK ABEGG
Exploration Review Team Earth Science Consultant, Upstream HQ Chevron
JOEL ALBERTS
President Chalk Creek Production Co., LLC
ERNEST E. ANGINO** Professor Emeritus Department of Geology University of Kansas
STEVE J. BLANKE
Retired Occidental Petroleum
ALLYSON ANDERSON BOOK
Vice President Energy Transition Baker Hughes
RAUL F. BRITO
President & Principal Brito Oil Company, Inc.
STEPHEN BURNS
Owner B-4 Oil & Gas
NICK CESTARI
Manager of Business Development & Commercial Strategy Criterion Energy Partners
DAVE CLOTHIER
Retired McCoy Petroleum Corporation
GEORGE COYLE Managing Partner Energy Innovation Capital
MACKENZIE CREMEANS
Assistant Teaching Professor Department of Geology University of Kansas
SARAH DARBY Vice President Geology Parsage Oil
PETER M. DILLETT Vice President of Geology Birch Resources, LLC
STEVE DIXON Investor
RONALD DRAKE Assessment Geologist U.S. Geological Survey
MARTIN DUBOIS Retired Improved Hydrocarbon Recovery, LLC
GONZALO ENCISO Oil and Gas Consultant
KRISTIE FERGUSON President KLF Geological Consulting, LLC
WILLIAM L. FISHER** Professor and Barrow Chair Emeritus, Department of Geological Sciences The University of Texas at Austin
JIM FUNK** President J. M. Funk & Associates, Inc.
NATHAN A. GEIER Geophysicist Cimarex Energy Co.
BOB GOLDSTEIN** Haas Distinguished Professor Department of Geology University of Kansas
KYLE GORYNSKI Advisor Chesapeake Energy
BOB HENTHORNE Vice-President, Geotechnical Engineering Professional Engineering Consulstants
STEPHEN R. HOFFINE Retired Burns & McDonnell
CHRISTOPHER W. HOLIEN Retired ConocoPhillips
DAVID McBRIDE** Retired ExxonMobil Exploration
JOHN McCLURE Retired Detech Inc.
KENT McDONALD Retired USD 497, Lawrence, Kansas
ALEX NOLTE Geophysicist ExxonMobil
SANDRA PERRY Partner/Owner Perry Remote Sensing LLC. Vice President Emerald Operating Co.
JIM PHILLIPS President/Agent Phillips Exploration, L.C.
WILLIAM D. POLLARD Retired Burnett Oil Company
BRAD PRATHER Managing Member CarTerra, LLC
BILL REETZ Owner A Better Earth LLC
CLAYTON ROARK Retired Koch Exploration Company, LLC
DEBRA RUTAN Retired CrownQuest Operating, LLC
ARTHUR SALLER Geological Consultant
BLAIR SCHNEIDER Associate Researcher & Scientific Outreach Manager Kansas Geological Survey
CRAIG SLAWSON Founder Slawson Energy, LLC
JIM SNYDER President Snyder Exploration Co.
ANDREW SPARKS Business Development JDH Capital
GEORGE STANLEY Professor Emeritus, Department of Geosciences Director, Paleontology Center University of Montana
SUSAN STOVER Retired Kansas Geological Survey
ERIC VOGL Retired ExxonMobil
RON WALLACE Retired Georgia Department of Natural Resources
TONY WALTON** Associate Professor Emeritus Department of Geology University of Kansas
STACEY WELTMER Retired ExxonMobil
JULIE WESTHOFF Principal Kennedy/Jenks Consultants
BOB WILLIAMS JR. Certified Petroleum Geologist #4573 Pathway Petroleum, LLC & Pathfinder Minerals, LLC.
**Honorary Life Members
The centennial of the KU Field Camp in Cañon City, Colorado, was celebrated in the summer of 2022. More than 100 alumni and their families attended events and activities in the area during the multiday celebration.
The receipt of a new $2 million donation from the Robert P. Harrison family and a new name for the facility — the Robert P. Harrison Field Station — were announced during the celebration, as was a campaign to modernize the Field Camp.
Robert “Bob” Harrison (B.S. 1938) of Lawrence had fond memories of his time at the KU Field Camp. It was Bob’s wish that part of his estate be used to help ensure its future. The Harrison Family Geology Field Camp Operating Fund will provide funds for maintenance, as well as supplemental funds for faculty and teaching assistants. This generous gift will ensure that KU Geology can continue to provide firsthand experiences when teaching field education.
The Harrison Family Fund at the Douglas County Community Foundation had previously made another significant contribution to KU Geology. In 2018, the 600-acre Blue Ridge mapping area was up for sale. A developer had plans to divide the property into lots, making it impossible for KU students to continue to use the property for geology studies. A Harrison family gift made it possible for the University of Kansas to purchase the entire property.
For nearly 150 years KU Geology has been a leader in geosciences, educating future earth scientists and conducting cutting-edge research. The KU Geology Field Camp is a unique experience that takes education beyond the classroom. Every KU geology undergraduate student must pass at least the introductory Field Camp class to graduate. Students acquire skills in stratigraphy, structural mapping, and metamorphic and intrusive relations. As did Bob Harrison, many alumni consider the Field Camp experience the hallmark of their time as a KU student.
—continued on page 28
Since the centennial celebration of Field Camp and announcement of the gift from the Harrison Family Fund at the Douglas County Community Foundation, KU Geology has received many donations to aid in the modernization of the Field Camp, including gifts from these individuals and entities:
Allyson Anderson Book
Banks Family Foundation, Inc.
ConocoPhillips
Martin K. Dubois, Ph.D.
Mary Ann and Robert G. Elliott
Roscoe G. Jackson II, Ph.D.
Jeffrey M. Jordan
David J. McBride, Ph.D.
John W. McClure
Tammy and Don Steeples
Stacey E. Weltmer
Gifts made in the latter half of 2023 and since will be featured in subsequent issues of the magazine.
Most of the buildings on the Field Camp site north of Cañon City are at least 80 years old. The largest building currently serves as the kitchen, classroom, and recreation hall. Additionally, the camp is inaccessible to anyone with mobility issues. None of the buildings or bathrooms are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
KU Geology’s vision is to retain the best of the past by renovating existing facilities, improving on infrastructure like heating and plumbing, and constructing new buildings to create a research field station where new technology can be used three seasons of the year. This will allow us to broaden our activities to include our hydrology, geophysics, and environmental geology programs and on-site short courses. With the support of generous donors, plans are to upgrade the current cabins, add two new ADA-accessible cabins, and make camp infrastructure and communal areas ADA accessible by adding a new academic center that will include a classroom, dining hall, exhibit area, and offices.
These needed upgrades will help facilitate the development of a statewide outreach program to introduce Kansas high school students and their teachers to the profession of geology in an incredible setting. When the improved facilities are not being used by KU Geology, the department hopes they can be rented for other educational activities or events to generate income.
“Field Camp is an essential component of geological education.”
—Roscoe G. Jackson II
Roscoe G. Jackson II (B.S. 1970) said he hopes his donation for the renovation of an existing cabin will assist the department in initiating the ambitious effort of modernizing the camp. “Field camp is an essential component of geological education,” he said. “The KU Field Camp, as I witnessed during the June 2022 centennial celebration, is top-notch. The geology is diverse and spectacular, the faculty enthusiastically involved, and the StraboSpot and drone demonstrations showed state-of-the-art technology unheard of in 1969.”
Jackson went on to earn master’s and doctoral degrees in geology from the University of Illinois. He worked as an assistant professor of geology at Northwestern University and a visiting assistant professor at the University of Michigan. In 1981 Jackson returned to Eureka, Kansas, to work for the family business, Jackson Brothers, whose principal activity was independent oil production.
In 2003 Jackson established the Roscoe G. Jackson II Graduate Research Fund in Geology at University of Kansas. In 2007 he created the Alice Mitchell Jackson Award for Graduate Student Support in Geology in honor of his mother who graduated from KU in 1937 with a bachelor’s degree in English. Roscoe’s father George attended KU on the GI Bill for two semesters in 1946 and 1947 and always praised legendary Professor Lowell Laudon. Roscoe said his “superlative undergraduate education in geology from first-rate professors” and “the enduring excellence of the (KU) Geology program” motivated him to donate again to KU Geology for the Field Camp modernization initiative.
The rich student experiences and innovative research that set KU Geology apart are possible because of our donors. Funds are still needed for renovations and new construction at the Robert P. Harrison Field Station. We respectfully request your consideration of support for preserving and modernizing our Field Camp facilities.
Larger donations with naming opportunities for the new academic center may be discussed directly with KU Geology Department Chair David Fowle, 785-864-1955, or with a member of the KU Endowment Association development staff team for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences:
• SHERI HAMILTON, senior development director and team lead, 785-832-7454
• RICHARD FLOERSCH, associate development director, 785-832-7397
• CONOR TAFT, associate development director, 785-832-7386
• JOSH WINDHOLZ, development officer, 785-832-7351
Tammy and Don Steeples, Kansas residents with homes in Palco and Lawrence, contributed to the Field Camp modernization initiative because they want to help future generations of students. Once the project is completed in Cañon City, the new dining hall will be named “Don’s Diner” in honor of Don, University of Kansas McGee Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Applied Geophysics.
Tammy, a Kansas State University alumna, earned a doctoral degree in special education from KU in 1999. Don, also a Kansas State University alumnus, completed his master’s and doctoral degrees in just 35 months at Stanford University, earning his doctorate in 1975.
Don joined the Kansas Geological Survey with the intent to do groundwater modeling on the Ogallala Aquifer. Instead, at the urging of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, he studied earthquakes in Kansas and Nebraska, work that led him to near-surface imaging, the research focus that would make him internationally renowned. Don was a thesis advisor for 24 master’s students and nine doctoral students, and held 11 positions during his 41-year career with University of Kansas, serving as chair of geology and later as senior vice provost for areas including facilities operations, design and construction management, parking and transit, and instructional development and support, as well as the Office of Space Management.
Tammy, now retired, worked as a teacher and researcher in education in the areas of elementary and early childhood special education. She still occasionally serves as a substitute teacher and a volunteer for her church and other community organizations.
Don became Professor Emeritus in 2014. He stays connected with former KU colleagues and students and is an active board member in his communities. Tammy said she and Don chose to provide funds for “Don’s Diner” to “help the students and faculty studying and working at Field Camp have a rewarding, productive, nourishing, and memorable experience.”
“...a rewarding, productive, nourishing, and memorable experience...”
—Tammy and Don Steeples
GEOLOGY 761 BAHAMAS FIELD TRIP
PETROLOGY FIELD TRIP 2023
FIELD CAMP 2023
In-water discussion of observations made while snorkeling patch reefs
A lasting geological adage is “The present is a key to the past…,” and the modern platforms of the Bahamas have served as a natural laboratory for understanding ancient carbonate depositional systems. The Bahamas also are central in discussions of global change, ocean acidification, blue carbon, and deterioration of reefs.
To explore these concepts, five students participated in a field trip to the Bahamas, led by Professors Gene Rankey and Stephen Hasiotis in May 2023.
The trip examined the oceanography, geomorphology, ecology, sedimentology, ichnology, and early diagenesis of a range of environments via outcrop and water-based excursions — examined further with satellite images, sub-bottom profiles, sonar, and snorkeling.
The objectives were to observe the physical, chemical, and biological processes that define and shape tidal channels, tidal flats, shorefaces, shoals, reefs, patch reefs, seagrass beds, and the platform interior. Students observed the diversity and distribution of carbonate-producing organisms and endobenthic, epibenthic, and nektonic sea life.
Highlights of our field trip included the drift dives facilitated by currents exceeding 1 m per second — everyone enjoyed watching the bottom stream by while floating, but found going against the tide impossible.
Some of the more impactful experiences involved exploring the effects of Hurricane Dorian, which tore through the area in 2019 and stalled over Grand Bahama, the third largest island in the Bahamas, for three days. The eastern villages of Grand Bahama were markedly depopulated and still reeling; the same was evident in the nearby tidal flat wetlands where most of the mangroves were killed. However, they are now showing signs of recovery with new growth sprouting from “dead” mangroves.
The impact of Dorian was felt even on Grand Cay, at the northernmost reaches of the Bahamas, but the marine realm seemed to have had less impact. We examined before and after remote-sensing images and field-checked them in the shelf-margin and patch reefs, oolitic sand shoals, and tidal deltas of the affected area.
We were reminded that hurricanes are not new to the Bahamas and the greater Caribbean region during our travel to the new Bahamas Maritime Museum in Freeport. Our visit included a special guided and behind-the-scenes tour of the efforts to recover maritime artifacts from the Maravillas, a Spanish ship that went down in the Bahamas during a hurricane in the 1600s.
Above:
Group photo at the top of the Pilot Knob iron mine: (from left) Marc Center (GTA), Russell Myers (economic geologist and mine tour leader), Jordan van Sickler, Ellis Fangmann (in background); Greg Seitter, Nick Flores, Luis Aparicio Avila, Andreas Möller, Rory Sweedler, Ghalib Al-Mehrazi, Makenna Harris, Gaston Meya
At right:
Presentation of the Undergraduate Haworth Award to Ellis Fangmann at dinner in Ironton, (from left): Ellis Fangmann, Nick Flores, Andreas Möller.
This field trip is always more than identifying rocks and minerals and petrology.
Practicing essential skills of observation, description, interpretation of rocks and outcrops, and documenting all this in well-organized and informative notes are the main instruction goals.
The St. Francois Mountains in southeastern Missouri have been a staple of KU geology field trips and for many other geology programs. They provide an opportunity to study exceptionally preserved Proterozoic volcanic and plutonic rocks, but recently they have also captured attention again as one of the major sites of the Great Unconformity, the near 1-billion-year gap in the geological rock record between the Mid Proterozoic and the Cambrian. Three of our stops show the unconformity, expressed in different contact relationships and details.
Worth mentioning is that Marc Center was the GTA for the petrology lab and for the fieldtrip, and that he especially appreciated finally seeing the rocks in their natural habitat, as one of the students who experienced the field trip only virtually during COVID year 2021.
This year’s trip had various highlights, including having a mini-awards ceremony for undergraduate Haworth winner Ellis Fangmann presented during dinner at one of the local restaurants in Ironton, Missouri. Ellis is continuing on at KU as a master’s degree student in hydrogeology.
The next highlight was having Russell Myers guide us again at the Pilot Knob iron mine, where he has done a deep dive into its mining history. Dr. Myers graciously added expertly annotated LIDAR imagery to our field trip guide. He provided great discussions about this enigmatic ore deposit, and expert details about aspects of economic geology.
The third highlight, on our last day in the field, was being able to access the exceptional outcrops at Tiemann’s Shut-Ins in perfect weather, and study details of crosscutting relationship and magma mingling and mixing — great training for observational skills and remembering some fundamentals.
“The eye of the petrographer, the mind of the petrologist,” as P. Robinson wrote, which captures the essence of the field trip.
The eye of the petrographer, the mind of the petrologist...” “
University of Kansas Field Camp had a successful year teaching upper-level undergraduate students the important fundamental skills of field mapping, understanding geologic maps, and hands-on experience using geologic skills in real-world settings.
During GEOL 560, which took place at the Utah Valley University field station in the heart of Capitol Reef National Park, students spent two weeks mapping the exceptional exposures of the Triassic Moekopi and Chinle formations. Undergraduates quickly picked up the basic skills of field geology, producing high-quality maps and cross-sections of the outcrops in the area. Practicing the ability to locate yourself on maps, understanding how to identify and differentiate sedimentary rock units, and working through structural problems were tasks focused on during the beginning of the course. There was also the opportunity to explore potential new mapping areas with the help and recommendations of local geologists. For the final week, students returned to the KU Field Station in Cañon City, Colorado, for the remainder of the course and were introduced to StraboSpot2, the leading data-collection software for mapping, data collection, and note-taking. Despite rain and afternoon thunderstorms, students concluded the this portion of Field Camp with quality maps and written reports.
The majority of students stayed for the remainder the second half of Field Camp, GEOL 561, to map the classic field areas of Cañon City. Students quickly learned how to utilize StraboSpot2 for field photos, field notes, strike and dip measurements, and drawing contact lines for their field maps. The students returned to KU’s own Blue Ridge field area, where the weather was nicer and a rewarding time was had by all learning about the metamorphic and structural features of the area, and thinking through the its rich geologic history. For the last two weeks, students mapped the fantastic structures exposed at Twin Mountain.
Plans are in progress to improve the KU Field Station for better accommodation of a wide variety of geologists who attend KU Geology’s renowned Field Camp program and to provide the best possible field experience for future generations of G-Hawkers (see page 26).
At left, and on page 38 (suitable for framing):
The KU Field Station and Four Mile Creek river valley with a double rainbow ending at the top of Sheep Mountain after an evening thunderstorm
Practicing the ability to locate yourself on maps, understanding how to identify and differentiate sedimentary rock units, and working through structural problems ...
Undergraduate Field Camp student McCain Dryer takes his rock hammer to an outcrop of quartzite at the Blue Ridge mapping area with the Cañon City embayment of Colorado in the background
Above:
The Utah Valley University field station in the heart of Capitol Reef National Park with a double rainbow over Pleasant Creek Valley, highlighting the wonderful exposures of the Moenkopi Formation throughout the park
At left:
Geology 560 students with Instructor Dr. Diane Kamola (second from bottom right) and GTA Andrew Hoxey (bottom right) pictured at one of the favored mapping areas of Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Three KU Geology graduate students — Andrew Hoxey, Clay Campbell, and Dan Mongovin — traveled with Professor Mike Taylor to Pokhara, Nepal, in the fall of 2022 to attend the HimalayanKarakoram-Tibet (HKT) workshop, an international conference attended by some of the world’s leading experts in collisional tectonics.
Andrew, Dan, and Clay presented talks on the western Nepal fault system, the Gangdese Rifts of southern Tibet, and lithospheric drip tectonics in central Anatolia, respectively. After making a strong presence at HKT, the KU group then embarked on the post-meeting field trip from
Pokhara to the Mustang region near Mukti Nath in the southern part of the Thakkola Graben.
The route followed the Kali Gandaki River and, surprisingly, the field trip leaders stated that little geochronology work had been attempted on the incised fluvial terraces along the middle to lower reaches of the Kali Gandaki (Fort and Cossart, 2013). The incised and youthful landscape of the Kali Gandaki occurs where a hypothesized crustal ramp is thought to have a vertical interseismic uplift rate of approximately 7 mm per year based on geodesy (InSAR by Grandin, et al., 2012), that also coincides with clustered
earthquake seismicity, a physiographic transition to the highest topographic relief (Hodges, et al., 2004), the deepest gorge in the world, and spectacular fluvial incision with stranded fluvial gravels and highly incised fluvial terraces.
Since the drivers behind the incised landscape of the Kali Gandaki are currently unknown, Dan Mongovin will study the fluvial and geomorphic record in central Nepal, where a compelling uplift signal and spectacular preservation of the fluvial record will help to better understand the rates and processes of mountain building in the Himalaya.
Dan Mongovin of Olympia, Washington, is the newest KU Geology student to be named a Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellow. Mongovin is one of only 15 University of Kansas doctoral students selected to the prestigious fellowship for 2023–2027.
A first-year doctoral student, Mongovin earned a bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University and a master’s degree in geology from KU. His doctoral research is focused on using field methods, remote sensing techniques, and methods drawn from active tectonics to study the history, effects, and mechanics of earthquakes within the Earth’s crust. His dissertation is focused on applying these techniques to the Nepal Himalayas.
Begun in 1989, the Self Fellowship’s mission is to identify and recruit exceptional doctoral students who demonstrate the promise to make significant contributions to their fields and to society. The fellowships provide a four-year package valued at more than $180,000 that covers full tuition and fees and provides graduate research assistant support — as well as a professional development ward, and a professional development program that includes general education and training in communication, management, innovation, policy, and leadership to assist Self Graduate Fellows in preparation for future leadership roles.
Evan K. Franseen, professor in the University of Kansas Department of Geology and senior scientific fellow at the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS), and co-director of the Kansas Interdisciplinary Consortium on Earth, Energy, & Environment (KICE3), is the recipient of the 2023 Honorary Membership Award from SEPM, the Society for Sedimentary Geology, for “excellence in professional achievements and extraordinary service to the Society.”
SEPM is the largest and one of the oldest international societies in the field of sedimentary geology.
“I’ve been involved in SEPM since 1983 and served in many roles for SEPM throughout my career. I’ve enjoyed all of it and, importantly, SEPM has provided me with so much,” Franseen said. “My involvement in SEPM has been one of the most important and rewarding aspects of my career, so receiving this award is really special.”
Franseen, a sedimentary geologist and stratigrapher who has been with KU for nearly 35 years, studies carbonate rocks that form important aquifers and oil and gas reservoirs, and that are targets for deep underground storage of carbon dioxide.
“As a research geoscientist, I try to understand how geologic systems work and answer important scientific questions that not only advance our understanding but also have application to real world issues. I’ve been fortunate to have great research collaborators over the years, and this award is an important indication by the international peer community that the research has had some impact,” Franseen said.
Dr. Diana Ortega-Ariza, KGS assistant scientist and KU courtesy assistant professor who met Franseen as a student participant in a geology field trip, nominated Franseen for the SEPM award.
“I have known Evan since 2008, first as a participant of his world-famous Spain field trip, then as his Ph.D. student, and now as a colleague at the KGS,” she said.
“Evan is a very well-deserving recipient of this prestigious award. Thirteen experts from around the world wrote letters of support for the nomination. Their comments spoke to him being a leader in carbonate sedimentology, the important impact of his research, and his longstanding record of service to SEPM. He easily meets and surpasses the criteria of ‘excellence in professional achievements and extraordinary service to the Society.’”
Franseen has received nine Excellence of Presentation awards at national or international American Association of Petroleum Geologists and SEPM meetings as well as four acknowledgments of Excellence and Best Paper Awards for papers published in key professional journals. He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is the author of more than 200 scientific publications and reports, and editor of three books related to sedimentary geology.
Franseen is retiring at the end of the 2023–2024 academic year.
For the 2023 academic year, Leigh Stearns worked as a Faculty Fellow for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).
Over the past 10 years, she has been using satellite remote sensing techniques to study iceberg distributions and trajectories around Greenland. Students in her group have been at the forefront of using satellite imagery, machine learning, and cloud computing to build systematic datasets of icebergs in the Arctic.
Sea ice and iceberg characteristics have changed dramatically in the Arctic in the past several years. Sea ice extent is greatly reduced as has the percentage of thick, multi-year, sea ice which has been replaced by thin first-year sea ice. As a result, ship traffic in the Arctic has increased dramatically, predominantly by non-ice hulled ships.
The NGA is a division of the Department of Defense whose primary mission is collecting, analyzing, and distributing geospatial intelligence. Given recent geopolitical tensions, rapid environmental changes, increased ship traffic, and a shift in satellite remote sensing coverage, there is renewed interest in developing improved imaging techniques in the Arctic.
“I’ve been working in the research and development group at the NGA on several of these projects aimed at using remote sensing to improve ice products (sea ice, icebergs),” Leigh said. “Coming from academia, I have loved working with NGA on products that have an operational need and timeline. It has also given me even more gratitude and appreciation for my students and postdocs, who are doing similar research by themselves that whole teams at the NGA are working on.”
The NGA (and similar geospatial and geodetic agencies) want to ensure that students are trained in the fundamentals of remote sensing, geospatial analysis, and geodesy. Leigh noted that, “These skills are rare in the current workforce, and the need is high.”
Stearns was a recent awardee of the Heising Simons Foundation (see page 13). She and colleagues also received a recent collaborative grant from the National Science Foundation and the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (see page 13)
© University of Kansas
Far above the golden valley, glorious to view, stands our noble Alma Mater, towering toward the blue.
Lift the chorus ever onward, crimson and the blue. Hail to thee, our Alma Mater, hail to old KU.
Graduate Program
ADENIYI AJOBIEWE, M.S. geology
“Seismic Analysis of the Arbuckle Group in the Patterson and Hartland Fields, Western Kansas”
Advisor: George Tsoflias
CODY BARNETT, M.S. geology
“Spatiotemporal Trends in Basal Melt and Basal Crevasse Growth for Tidewater Glaciers in Northern Greenland”
Advisor: Leigh Stearns
ARWIN DOBBER, M.S. geology
“Diagenetic Controls on Reservoir Character of the Lower Permian Wolfcamp and Bone Spring Formations in the Delaware Basin, West Texas”
Advisor: Robert Goldstein
WILL DUFRESNE, M.S. geology
“Electron-phonon Interactions and Resonant Multiphonon Scattering in α-Fe2O3”
Advisor: Claire Marshall
ZACHARY GROSCH, M.S. geology
“Critical Minerals in Pennsylvanian Strata of the Cherokee Forest City Basin”
Advisor: Franek Hasiuk
SARAH C. GUNDRUM, P.S.M. environmental geology
DOROTHY LINNEMAN, P.S.M. environmental geology
DANIEL MONGOVIN, M.S. geology
“Strike-Slip Faulting in the Cascadia Backarc: Documentation of Quaternary Dextral Slip on the Tumalo Fault, Central Oregon, and Implications for Regional Kinematics”
Advisor: Mike Taylor
MATTHEW NEAL, P.S.M. environmental geology
JOHN PALMERTON, P.S.M. environmental geology
MISTY E. PORTER, Ph.D. geology
“Multivariate Spatiotemporal Data Visualization for Water Resource Management” Advisor: Mary Hill
RYAN K. POWELL, P.S.M. environmental geology
RACHAEL PULEO, P.S.M. environmental geology
FREDERICK TARLEY, P.S.M. environmental geology
Undergraduate Program
ISABELLA BRAY, B.S. environmental geology
DANIELLE BRUNIG, B.S. general geology
CLAIRE CARR, B.S. engineering geology
ELLIS FANGMANN, B.S. general geology
DALTON PELL, B.S. general geology
GREGORY SEITTER, B.S. general geology
AMADEO SUAZO, B.S. general geology
JORDAN VAN SICKLER, B.S. general geology
Abbreviation Key
B.S. – Bachelor of Science degree
P.S.M. - Professional Science Master’s degree
M.S. - Master of Science degree
Ph.D. – Doctor of Philosophy degree
ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK KU
Degrees awarded December 2023–Summer 2024 will be listed in the next issue.
Air & Waste Management Association
Midwest Section 2023 Scholarship
Hanna Szydlowski
Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists
Norman R. Tilford Field Studies Grant
Nicholas Ferry
Colorado Scientific Society
Student Research Grant
Nicholas Ferry
2023 CUSP West Annual Conference Honorable Mention
Hannah Proffitt
GSA Graduate Research Grant
Nicholas Ferry
GSA On To the Future Professional Development Award
Nicholas Ferry
Houston Geological Society Calvert Scholarship
Nicholas Ferry
International Association of Sedimentologists
Postgraduate Research Grant
Nicholas Ferry
International Association of Sedimentologists
Student Travel Grant
Nicholas Ferry
Kansas Geological Foundation Scholarship
Marc Center
Nicholas Ferry
Bryan Heyer
Hannah Proffitt
National Ground Water Association Farvolden Scholarship
Bryan Heyer
OSHA Monroe Scholarship
Hannah Proffitt
Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists Bolyard Family Grant
Nicholas Ferry
Rocky Mountain Section-SEPM Fluvial Sedimentology Award
Nicholas Ferry
Madison and Lila Self
Graduate Fellow 2020–2024
Nicholas Ferry
Madison and Lila Self
Graduate Fellow 2021–2025
Bryan J. Rodriguez Colon
Madison and Lila Self
Graduate Fellow 2023–2027
Dan Mongovin
SEPM Student Research Grant
Nicholas Ferry
SEPM Student Travel Grant
Nicholas Ferry
SIPES Foundation Speed Scholarship
Nicholas Ferry
Society of American Military Engineers Greater Kansas City Scholarship
Nicholas Ferry
Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts
Student Research Grant
Nicholas Ferry
Wyoming Geological Association J. David Love Field Geology Award
Nicholas Ferry
GEOLOGY DEPARTMENT NAMED AWARDS
Erasmus Haworth Honor Awards
Undergraduate
Ellis Fangmann Doctoral
Christine Chan
Lee C. and Darcy Gerhard
Student Prize for Field Research in Geology
Clayton F. Campbell
Leo M. and Robert M. Orth
Water Resources Award
Bryan R. Heyer
Jan F. and Mary L. van Sant
Geology Excellence Award
Dr. Noah McLean
FOR SUMMER
Introductory Field Geology (Field Camp) Courses GEOL 560 & 561
Beu Geology Field Camp Scholarship
Makenna Harris
Cari Matthaei
Grace Nelson
Olivia Reed
Michael Rabena
Greg Seitter
Rory Sweedler
Louis F. & Bets Dellwig
Geology Field Camp Scholarship
Ethan Blaney
Claire Carr
Ellis Fangmann
Gaston Meya
Morgan Stoughton
Robert P. Harrison
Geology Camp Scholarship
Ellis Fangmann
Makenna Harris
Gaston Meya
Greg Seitter
Rory Sweedler
Field Methods in Hydrology Course GEOL 556
Robert and Mary Elliott
Field Courses Support Fund
Scholarship
Thomas Coole
Stella Finch
James Minton Patterson
Scholarship in Geology
Andrea Lisi
Tim Saban
Arron Schroeder
Geology Field Investigation Course GEOL 360
Geology Department Scholarships
Aiden Burke
Serenity Stafos
Frederick T. Holden Scholarship
Isabella Ceruzzi
Matthew Donnellan
Grace Dorst
Noah Harty
Charles Micek
Lillian G. Reed
Claire Romine
H.A. and Elsie Ireland
Scholarship
Joaquin Suazo
Jen Townsdin
Ralph C. Lamb
Geology Scholarship
Sophia Dvorak
Samuel Walters
Landon Woodworker
Angino-Ferry Geochemistry Scholarship
Christine Chan
Bryan Rodriguez Colon
Encana Energy Scholarship
Austin Bruner
Henbest Scholarship in Geology
Colleen Sullivan
Frederick T. Holden Scholarship
Fatema Panahi
Michael Shahin
Hanna Szydlowski
Angela Torres-Zamora
Dean A. McGee
Scholarship in Geology
Nick Ferry
Logan French
Z.J. Gao
Hillary Mwongyera
Merriam Graduate Student Research Award
Bryan Heyer
Raymond C. and Lilian B. Moore Scholarship
Margaret “Meg” Birmingham
James A. & Rowena E. Peoples Scholarship in Geophysics
Hannah Proffitt
Mary Ama Tsiboe
Wallace E. Pratt Geology Graduate Student Support Fund
Malisse Lummus
Ray P. Walters Scholarship in Geology
Andrew Hoxey
Association for Women Geoscientists Awards (AWG)
AWG Osage Chapter Undergraduate Research Scholarship
Rory Sweedler
AWG Osage Chapter Graduate Research Scholarship
Megan Nibbelink
Hannah Proffitt
Colleen Sullivan
AWG Osage Chapter Sean S. Thomson Service Scholarship
Makenna Harris
Becca May
Celine Mazzella
KU Rising Student Scholars Funded by James Minton Patterson Scholarship in Geology
Makenna Harris, Crimson & Blue Award
Luke Maresh, Crimson & Blue Award
Alec Waggoner Memorial Scholarship
Nick Greer
Alfred Ferguson Geology Scholarship
Noah Harty
Marian Hershberger
Herndon Scholarship
Andrew Paget
Frederick T. Holden Scholarship
Ali Hassan Albulushi
Tenley Caroline Bertz
Caden Bokarae
Aiden Burke
Claire Carr
Isabella Ceruzzi
Laikyn Coursen
Eiljah Ditto
Shelby Dunn
Sophia Dvorak
Nicolas Flores
Reagan Lee
Bill D. & Carolyn A. Holland Scholarship
Veronica Hostmark
H.A. & Elsie Ireland Scholarship
Michael Rabena
Lillian Reed
Sylvia Saadat
Kristen Spinelli
Landon Woodworker
Freda and Roy Lehman Scholarship
Theo Le Bourdonnec Sr.
Dean A. McGee
Scholarshipin Geology
Luis Aparicio
Eliot Manning
Raymond C. and Lilian B. Moore Scholarship
Ethan Blaney
Rory Sweedler
James Minton Patterson Scholarship in Geology
Mohammed Salim Al-Shukaili
Makenna Harris
Avery Gustafson
Braden Kendrick
Elisa Larson
Luke Maresh
Peter Maynard
Allysen McDaniel
Mussi Mereid
Gaston Meya
Charles Micek
Grace Nelson
Olivia Reed
Claire Romine
Morgan Stoughton
Joaquin Suazo
Samuel Thomas
Jennifer Townsdin
Liliana Vargas
Samuel Walters
Taylor Wiyninger
James A. & Rowena E. Peoples Scholarship in Geophysics
Andrew Paget
Ray P. Walters Scholarship in Geology
Ghalib Al Mahrezi
Clockwise, from top left:
Image from A Global Atlas of Atolls (CRC Press, 2023), co-authored by Gene Rankey; studying Bahamian outcrops; mermaid’s wineglass, green algae that produces carbonate mud; Dave Fowle with Baby Jay; northern Namibia on the Cubango megafan during the day
MICHAEL D. BLUM
Ritchie Distinguished Professor; Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin, 1992; fluvial and coastal sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy
MACKENZIE CREMEANS
Assistant Teaching Professor University of Kansas, 2018; ecologic site and hydrologic field assessment, remediation design, transport
J. F. DEVLIN
Professor; Ph.D., University of Waterloo, 1994; hydrogeology, groundwater remediation, contaminant, transport, geochemistry
DAVID A. FOWLE
Dean’s Professor and Chair; Ph.D., University of Notre Dame, 2000; geomicrobiology, aqueous geochemistry, limnology
EVAN K. FRANSEEN
Professor; University of Wisconsin, 1989; carbonates, sequence stratigraphy
ROBERT H. GOLDSTEIN
Merrill Haas Distinguished Professor; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1986; sequence stratigraphy, diagenesis, fluid inclusion studies of carbonates
STEPHEN T. HASIOTIS
Professor; Ph.D., University of Colorado, Boulder, 1997; paleontology, ichnology, sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy, terrestrial paleoecology, geomicrobiology
NOEL M. JACKSON
Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Stanford University, 2013, geodesy, fault mechanics, subduction zones
JAMES (JAY) KALBAS
Professor; Ph.D., Purdue University, 2006; Director and Senior Scientist, KGS, siliciclastic sequence stratigraphy, tectonics of sedimentary basins
MARY C. HILL
Professor, Ph.D., Princeton University, 1985; water resources, uncertainty analysis, food-energy-waste systems
DIANE L. KAMOLA
Associate Scientist, Ph.D., University of Georgia, 1989; sequence stratigraphy, basin analysis, clastic sedimentology
CLAIRE MARSHALL
Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Technology Sydney, 2001; mineralogy, solid-state Raman spectroscopy
NOAH M. McLEAN
Hubert H. & Kathleen Hall Associate Professor, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012; thermochronology
ANDREAS MÖLLER
Associate Professor; Dr. rer. nat., Christian-Albrechts Universitat zu Kiel, Germany, 1996; petrology, geochronology
ALISON N. OLCOTT
Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Undergraduate Research; Ph.D., University of Southern California, 2006; paleogeobiochemistry
EUGENE C. RANKEY
Professor; Ph.D., University of Kansas, 1996; carbonates, seismic and sequence stratigraphy, coastal processes, geomorphology
JENNIFER A. ROBERTS
Professor and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies; Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin, 2000; microbial hydrogeology
MARCIA K. SCHULMEISTER
Ph.D., P.G., Professor and Director, Professional Science Masters; University of Kansas, 2000; hydrogeology, aqueous geochemistry, environmental geology
LEIGH A. STEARNS
Professor; Ph.D., University of Maine, 2007; glaciology, remote sensing, machine learning
MARINA B. SUAREZ
Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Kansas, 2009; paleoclimate, stable isotopes, sedimentary geology, petrography
MICHAEL H. TAYLOR
Professor; Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 2004; neotectonics, continental deformation
GEORGE P. TSOFLIAS
Professor; Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin, 1999; exploration geophysics, near-surface geophysics, induced seismicity
J. DOUGLAS WALKER
Union Pacific Resources Professor; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1985; structural geology, geoinformatics, geochronology, tectonics
EMERITI AND RETIRED FACULTY
ERNEST E. ANGINO
Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., University of Kansas, 1961; geochemistry
ROSS A. BLACK
Associate Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., University of Wyoming, 1990; geophysics, reflection seismology
PAUL ENOS
Distinguished Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Yale University, 1965, carbonate geology
LUIS A. GONZÁLEZ
Professor, Retired; Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1989; stable isotopes, carbonate geochemistry, diagenesis, paleoclimate
GWENDOLYN L. MACPHERSON
Professor Emerita; Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin, 1989; hydrogeology.
CARL D. McELWEE, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., University of Kansas, 1971; physical hydrogeology, geophysics
RICHARD A. ROBISON
Distinguished Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin, 1962, paleontology
PAUL A. SELDEN
Gulf-Hedberg Distinguished Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., University of Cambridge, 1979; paleobiology of Arthropoda (especially Chelicerata and Myriapoda), paleoecology
DON W. STEEPLES
McGee Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Vice Provost; Ph.D., Stanford University, 1975; shallow seismic reflection, crustal analyses, micro earthquake recording
WILLIAM R. VAN SCHMUS
Distinguished Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1964; geochemistry, meteorites, geochronology
ANTHONY W. WALTON
Ph.D., P.G., Associate Professor Emeritus; The University of Texas at Austin, 1972; sedimentology of siliciclastic and volcanoclastic rocks; petroleum geology
PALEONTOLOGICAL INSTITUTE
ELIZABETH BLACK
Assistant Editor; Tabor College, 1968; English
MIKE CORMACK
Editorial Staff,; Ph.D., University of Kansas, 1999; philosophy
BRUCE LIEBERMAN
Director; Ph.D., Columbia University, 1994; geological sciences
DENISE MAYSE
Editorial Staff; Mars Hill College, 1980; business administration
SUPPORT TEAM
JOE ANDREW
Research Associate, 2009–present
JASON ASH
Information Specialist, 2006–present
KIT AUNER
Undergraduate Advisor, 2022–present
ISABELLE BUSENITZ
Facilities Manager, 2023–present
MANUEL CARMONA
Administrative Associate, 2023–present
CAROLYN CHURCH
Endowment & Alumni Coordinator, 2019–present
KATE COLLINS
Graduate Program Coordinator, 2021–present
PIKE HOLMAN
Research Technician, 2021–present
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS
MARIA ELENA ORDUNA ALEGRIA
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Kansas
SHANNON FASOLA Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Kansas
GAURAV TALUKDAR Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Kansas
See website (geo.ku.edu) for list of courtesy and adjunct faculty.
Alumni inquiries: Carolyn Church, 785-864-0086, cchurch@ku.edu
Faculty
Blum, Michael mblum@ku.edu 785-864-8868
Cremeans, Mackenzie mcremeans@ku.edu 913-897-8544
Devlin, J. F. JFdevlin@ku.edu 785-864-4994
Fowle, David A. fowle@ku.edu 785-864-1955
Franseen, Evan K. evan@kgs.ku.edu 785-864-2723
Goldstein, Robert H. gold@ku.edu 785-864-2738
Hasiotis, Stephen T. hasiotis@ku.edu 785-864-4941
Hill, Mary C. mchill@ku.edu 785-864.2728
Jackson, Noel M. nmjackson@ku.edu 785-864-0590
Kalbas, James (Jay) jaykalbas@ku.edu 785.864.5686
Kamola, Diane kamola@ku.edu 785-864-2724
Marshall, Claire cpmarshall@ku.edu 785-864-3071
McLean, Noah noahmc@ku.edu 785-864-7193
Möller, Andreas amoller@ku.edu 785-864-1447
Olcott, Alison N. olcott@ku.edu 785-864-1917
Rankey, Eugene C. grankey@ku.edu 785-864-6028
Roberts, Jennifer A. jenrob@ku.edu 785-864-1960
Sculmeister, Marcia mschulme@ku.edu 913-897-8426
Stearns, Leigh A. stearns@ku.edu 785-864-4202
Taylor, Michael H. mht@ku.edu 785-864-5828
Tsoflias, George P. tsoflias@ku.edu 785-864-4584
Walker, J. Douglas jdwalker@ku.edu 785-864-7711
Retired and Emeriti Faculty
Angino, Ernest E. rockdoc@sunflower.com 785-864-4974
Black, Ross A. black@ku.edu 785-864-4974
Enos, Paul enos@ku.edu 785-864-4974
Gonzáles, Luis A. lgonzlez@ku.edu 785-864-4974
Macpherson, Gwen L. glmac@ku.edu 785-864-4974
McElwee, Carl D. cmelwee@ku.edu 785-843-4164
Robison, Richard A. rrobison@ku.edu 785-864-4974
Selden, Paul selden@ku.edu 785-864-4974
Steeples, Don don@ku.edu 785-737-3399
Van Schmus, W. R. rvschmus@ku.edu 785-843-0072
Walton, Anthony W. twalton@ku.edu 785-864-2726
Paleontological Institute
Black, Elizabeth eblack3@ku.edu 785-864-0959
Cormack, Mike msc@ku.edu 785-864-2737
Lieberman, Bruce blieber@ku.edu 785-864-2741
Mayse, Denise dmayse@ku.edu 785-864-0962
Support Team
Andrew, Joseph jeandrew@ku.edu 785-864-7709
Ash, Jason jasonash@ku.edu 785-864-2750
Auner, Kit k.auner@ku.edu 785-864-2834
Busenitz, Isabelle Isabelle.busenitz@ku.edu 785-864-0874
Carmona, Manuel manuel.carmona@ku.edu 785-864-5653
Church, Carolyn cchurch@ku.edu 785-864-0086
Collins, Kate katecollins@ku.edu 785-864-0131
Holman, Pike plholman@ku.edu 785-864-1508
See website (geo.ku.edu) for list of courtesy and adjunct faculty.
Wakefield Dort Jr., KU emeritus professor of geology, died peacefully at his home on Saturday, May 13, 2023, in Lawrence, Kansas. He would have celebrated his 100th birthday on July 16.
Wake obtained his bachelor’s degree in geology from Harvard in 1944, went on to California Institute of Technology for a master’s degree in 1948, and then a doctorate from Stanford in 1955. Between earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, he served in the U.S. Marines as a second lieutenant in the Engineer Battalion of the First Marine Division and saw action on Peleliu (Palau Islands) in the South Pacific. His first teaching experience was as an instructor in mathematics in the Marine Corps schools in North Carolina.
After discharge from the Marines, he taught at Duke (1948–1950) and Pennsylvania State (1952–1957) universities prior to joining the faculty at the University of Kansas as an associate professor and was promoted to professor in 1970. In addition to his teaching, he supervised nine doctoral students (including two in geography and two in special studies) and 24 master’s students.
Arriving at KU in the fall of 1957, Wake took up teaching his specialty courses of geomorphology and Quaternary geology. In addition,
for three and half decades he also taught a variety of courses including Physical Geology, History of the Earth, Geology for Engineers, and Environmental Geology. He was the geomorphologist at the University of Kansas and many, if not all, geology majors were introduced to his subjects in their time at KU.
He worked in Idaho for a quarter of a century, studying alpine glaciers in the Lemhi Mountains northwest of Idaho Falls. He was also drawn to Antarctica where he could study the modern glaciers. After retirement he researched the geomorphology of the Great Plains and the river systems, especially in the Kansas River. He published extensively on Pleistocene geology and geomorphology of Kansas, described some of the archeological sites in the state, and published on the Pleistocene and recent environments of the central Great Plains with the effects of climate change. He conducted field trips for various groups in Kansas and Nebraska. In addition to his studies in Idaho, Kansas, and Nebraska, another interest was the geomorphology of Antarctica.
Wake was active in several organizations and was a Fellow of the AAAS and the Geological Society of America. He was a member of the American Geographical Society,
the Association of American Geographers, the Society of American Archeologists, and Sigma Xi. He was a member of the Executive Committee & Education for the Institute of Tertiary-Quaternary Studies, honorary lecturer for the Mid-American University Association, research associate at Idaho Museum of Natural History, member of the American Geological Institute’s Visual Education Committee and Earth Science Curriculum Project, and member of the U.S. Antarctic Expeditions in 1965, 1966, and 1969.
Wake retired from teaching with emeritus status in 1993 but continued his research, one result being an in-depth study of the changes of the course of the Kansas River through time. The results of his investigation were published as an American Geographical Society Special Publication in 2009.
HIs students made many phone calls and visits to their mentor.
Wake is survived by his son, Christopher Dort, his wife Missie, and two granddaughters. He was preceded in death by his wife, Doris Virginia Stage Dort.
Memorial contributions may be made to KU Endowment, Geology Department, and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th St., Lawrence, KS 66044.
Albert “Bert” John Rowell, emeritus professor of geology, University of Kansas, and emeritus curator of invertebrate paleontology, KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, died at home on September 28, 2023, in Lawrence, Kansas, at the age of 94.
Bert was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. He graduated from the University of Leeds with a BSc in mining engineering with 1st Class Honours in 1950 and a doctorate in geology in 1953. Between 1953 and 1955, he completed two years of National Service with the Royal Corps of Engineers and was deployed to Kenya as a troop commander.
His teaching career began at the University of Nottingham as assistant lecturer in geology (1955), lecturer (1956–1964), and reader (1964–1967). From 1964 to 1965, Bert was a visiting professor at the University of Kansas. In 1967, he accepted the positions of professor of the Department of Geology and curator of the invertebrate paleontology division, KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum. In 1990, he was a visiting scientist with the British Antarctic Survey and Bye-Fellow of Robinson College, University of Cambridge. He retired in 1995.
Bert was an exceptional teacher and mentor. His teaching was recognized in 1973 with the university-wide “Outstanding Classroom Teaching” award from Standard Oil (Indiana). He served as chair of the graduate studies
committee for KU Geology for several years. A highly successful researcher, Bert was continuously funded as a principal investigator by the National Science Foundation from 1968 to 1996. These grants supported studies in Antarctica, Newfoundland, and the western United States. Bert published more than 89 papers and was a principal author and editor for the first two-volume set of the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology for the Phylum Brachiopoda. Likewise, he co-authored and co-edited the textbook Fossil Invertebrates. His published research topics include brachiopod systematics, development, ecology, and evolution; Cambrian stratigraphy and tectonics; Antarctic geology; and glacial geology of the English countryside.
Bert served in key roles at the National Science Foundation including member of the Antarctic Earth sciences working group (1994–1997, Chair 1994–1996); member of the polar Earth sciences panel (1993); member of the Earth sciences advisory committee (1980–1982); member of the geology program panel (1979–1982, Chair 1980–1982). He served as editor of the Journal of Systematic Zoology (1971–1973); member of the International Geological Correlation Program working group for the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary (1978–1994), and Cambrian subcommission of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (1974–1995); and associate editor of Lethaia (1980–1991) and Palaeobiology (1978–1983). He was a Senior Fellow of the Geological Society of America and Fellow of the Geological Society of London. In 2000, he evaluated four research institutes for the Greek Ministry of Development. Following retirement, Bert made his eighth visit to Antarctica with The Ohio State University.
Bert is survived by Marge, his wife of 69 years; daughter, Alison Jane Nye (Jim); son, Gareth Alwyn Rowell (Millisa); five grandchildren; six great grandchildren; and his brother, Jack Allan Rowell. Bert was preceded in death by two sons, Ian and Colin, and two granddaughters, Sally and Mhari.
Jan F. van Sant (M.S. 1958, Ph.D. 1963) died peacefully at his home at age 91 in Houston, Texas, on October 26, 2023. Jan earned his bachelor’s degree in geology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and graduated from UW as a ROTC lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers at The Presidio, California. He briefly served in the CIA before being transferred to the U.S. Army as a 1st Lieutenant for special assignments in Korea, Alaska, and elsewhere. Jan arrived at KU to study with Raymond Moore, who was the first editor of the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology Jan studied crinoids (one of Moore’s specialties). Contributors to the Treatise have included the world’s specialists in the field, and Jan worked on the project while earning his doctorate. Additionally, he graduated from the Harvard University School of Business in management of industrial research.
During Jan’s 34-year oil industry career with ExxonMobil and Penzoil, he developed experience in the areas of exploration, production, research, and technology that led him to posts from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Bordeaux, France, then to Houston, Texas. After retiring, he became the executive director of the American Geological Institute Foundation, raising more than $20 million for their educational programs. Jan also served as assistant to the vice president for research at the University of Houston and was a member of advisory committees at —continued on page 50
—continued from page 49 various times at institutions such as the University of South Carolina, the University of Utah, the University of Kansas, and Rice University.
Jan was a very active member of the KU Geology Associates Advisory Board for many years, 1998–2012. He was skilled in advising geology department chairs in the best practices for fundraising and leadership. In 2020 GAAB members named him an Honorary Life Member of GAAB. He had a very generous spirit and strongly believed in giving back to the institutions that trained him and advocated that others do the same. In a 2020 interview Jan said, “I stressed the point that when they became successful as geologists, they should consider giving back to the place where they learned.” In 1994 Jan and his wife established the Jan and Mary van Sant Geology Excellence Award fund. The annual award, named for him and his late wife, is open to faculty, staff, and students. Jan is survived by his two children, Ann van Sant and John van Sant.
Jack D. Farmer (M.S. 1971), former professor of geobiology in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University (ASU), passed away on February 22, 2023. His research interests included biological mediation of sedimentary processes, the microbial fossil record of the Precambrian biosphere, and the origin and early evolution of animals. “Dr. Rock” Farmer’s career spanned nearly 50 years as a paleontologist and an astrobiologist, and he helped pioneer the field of exopaleontology. Throughout his career, he played crucial roles in contributing to the development of NASA’s exploration strategies, particularly in the search for fossil biosignatures on Mars. Much of his research focused on understanding the factors that control biosignature preservation and how this knowledge can be translated into strategies for the search for evidence of past life on the Precambrian Earth or other planets, such as Mars.
Prior to joining the faculty at ASU, Farmer was on the faculty of the Department of Earth and Space Exploration at UCLA (1986–1991) and a research scientist in the Exobiology Branch of NASA’s Ames Research Center (1991–1998). Farmer was instrumental in promoting the exploration for a Martian fossil record and in the selection of the landing sites for Mars Pathfinder and the Mars Exploration Rovers. He served on the science definition teams for the Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions, was a participating scientist on the Mars Exploration Rover mission and was a member of the CheMin instrument team on the Mars Science Laboratory mission, which landed at Gale Crater on Mars on August 6, 2012.
Farmer served as a past director of ASU’s NASA-funded Astrobiology Program. He was a charter member of the Executive Council of NASA’s Astrobiology Institute (NAI) from 1998 to 2003 and chairperson of the NAI Mars Focus Group (2000–2003) and of the community-based Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) in 2003. He was also an active member of the Geological Society of America (GSA) and was co-founder and past chairperson for
GSA’s Geobiology/Geomicrobiology Division and a recipient of the Division’s 2012 Award for Outstanding Contributions to the fields of Geobiology and Geomicrobiology.
Farmer received the Erasmus Haworth Alumni Award from KU Geology in 2013. He was a Sequoyah Fellow of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and an associate editor of the journals Astrobiology and the International Astrobiology Journal Farmer was part Native American (Chickasaw and Cherokee) and proudly engaged with tribal communities. Wearing his “Dr. Rock” name badge, he did not hesitate to share his passion for the beauty of geology in many public outreach efforts over the years. He had a deep passion for exploring varied field environments, collecting samples in situ that could be studied in the lab, and instilling in his students an understanding of their contextual environment.
Joe Anderson, age 67, died on October 20, 2023, at his home in Lawrence, KS, from esophageal cancer. Joe attended KU in the mid-1970s, majoring in philosophy, and later found his life’s work in the Exploration Services division of the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS). Joe worked closely with Rick Miller at the KGS and eventually held the position of drilling manager and senior research assistant. Joe loved working in his machine shop and turning Rick’s ideas for machines into reality. Joe also assisted with seismic testing. Joe’s work at KGS for the past 35 years was foundational to building the world-class Field Services Program.
Joe was a big man with a big laugh and a big heart. As is fitting a driller he leaves a big hole in the lives of those who loved him. Joe was predeceased by his parents and his sister, Sondra Pence. He is survived by his wife Debra Wilson, of the home; his daughter Michelle Wilson of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; his son Ben Wilson, of Lawrence; and his grandchildren; as well as many nieces, nephews, and great nephews.
John Clinton Youle (M.S. 1992) of Durango, Colorado, died December 3, 2022, while body surfing in Oaxaca, Mexico. He was 64.
Before arriving at the University of Kansas, John graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 1979 with a double major in economics and geology. He married Maura Ellis in 1987. In 1992 he received a master’s degree in geology from KU, graduating first in his class and defending his thesis the same day his daughter was born.
John was a self-described “geo-dork,” loving everything about geology and earth science. He worked in Brazil and Indonesia, and in 1997 he moved to Egypt to work for Apache Corporation. In 2002, Calgary, Canada, became home for two years before he moved to Longmont, Colorado, where he started his own business with his long-time partner, mentor, and friend Bill Moore. He loved working for himself and was able to use all of his many talents — exploration, economics, land leasing, contracts, and sales. In 2014, John was recruited by Red Willow Production Company headquartered in Ignacio, Colorado, and owned by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. John and his family settled in Durango. In 2018 he purchased Mr. Plant Interiorscapes, and after a 40-year career he retired in 2019.
John is survived by his wife, Maura; children Brigid “Bridie” and Jack Tasman, and Bridie’s fiance, Kevin Sanchez, all of Durango; his sister Susan Millstein of Lawrence, Kansas; step-mother Carol Youle of Scales Mound, Illinois; mother-in-law Jackie Ellis, brothers-in-law Sean and Brendan Ellis; and sister-in-law Barb Ellis, all of Casper, Wyoming; and several special nieces and nephews who loved their “Uncle J.”
Margaret Angino, 90, passed away peacefully July 12, 2023, at LMH Health (Lawrence Memorial Hospital). Margaret went to high school with her future husband and soulmate Ernest Angino (pictured above with Margaret) whom she married June 26, 1954. Both were delighted by the fact that while they didn’t care much for each other in school, something sparked the summer after Ernie’s freshman year at college. Following his graduation, they wed and moved to Mississippi for his first professional job. A desire to attend graduate school brought them to Lawrence, Kansas, for Ernie to attend the University of Kansas.
Margaret was his biggest supporter throughout graduate school, spending days working professionally at the Kansas Union and many evenings typing papers, reports, a thesis, and a dissertation for Ernie on a manual typewriter from the 1950s. During this time, the couple welcomed their first child. Following KU, they moved to College Station, Texas, where Ernie took a position at Texas A&M University. In 1965 Ernie accepted a position at KU.
Margaret, always Ernie’s biggest fan and supporter, returned to Lawrence with him ready to embark on a beautiful life in Lawrence, which included a second child, numerous friends, receipt of her own degree in accounting, and a professional career as an accountant. Margaret was an avid cookbook collector and was well known for incredible skills as a gourmet cook. Her gatherings, banquets, and parties were legendary among her friends. She loved to entertain and host her friends.
Most of all, Margaret lived for her family. Ernie referred to her as “his gift from God.” Her children, granddaughter, grandsons, and great grandson all adored her. Margaret is survived by her husband Ernest Angino; her sister Edna Lachat of Winsted, Connecticut; her daughters Cheryl (Gregg) Holcomb and Kimberly (Norman) Jennings, both of Lawrence; her grandchildren; and one great grandson. She is also survived by several lifelong friends from a decadesold sewing group whom she treasured deeply. She was preceded in death by her parents, her Aunt Margaret Durr after whom Margaret was named, and her brother Paul Lachat.
Earl Bahnmaier (B.S. 1957, geological engineering), 93, of Lawrence and Lecompton, Kansas, passed away on December 3, 2023. He was born in Lawrence on May 21, 1930, to parents William (Bill) and Ellen Bahnmaier. He served in the Korean War in the Army. Following his service, he attended the University of Kansas where he earned a bachelor’s degree in geology. On August 26, 1954, Earl married Alice Marie Harwood of McLouth, Kansas. Earl was a resolute employee of Texaco, Inc. in south Louisiana (Houma, New Orleans). His career took him and his family to London, England, for several years and then back to New Orleans.
Earl retired from Texaco after 25 years of employment. He enjoyed being a farmer, landlord, and community servant. Earl offered his services to the local elementary school, reading and helping in any way he could. He was involved in the Lecompton Masonic Lodge and the Grand Lodge in Topeka, supporting the Shriners. He volunteered his time to the Triangle Fraternity at KU for several years and worked with the Kansas Geological Survey.
Earl is survived by his wife Marie; son Bill and his wife Terry; brother Carl; widowed daughter-in-law Becky Bahnmaier of deceased son Donald Bahnmaier; and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Mackensi Belden, 30, of Valley Center, Kansas, passed away October 30, 2023, at her home. She was born on March 4, 1993, in Wichita, the daughter of David Campos and Nancy Belden. Mackensi graduated from Maize High School with the Class of 2011. While in college, Mackensi worked for the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) as a member of the KGS Sample Repository (KGSR) team in Wichita. Mackensi was in her final semester of work at Wichita State University, earning her bachelor’s degree in geology with minors in physics and mathematics. During her final years of degree work, Mackensi worked at the KGS-KGSR and was an innovative thinker and contributor. She is survived by her parents; brother David (Alyssa) Campos; sister Alexis (Hayden) Morrison; grandmother Linda Schrock; a niece; a nephew; and her boyfriend Cory Brown of Valley Center, Kansas.
Lea Ann Davidson passed away on July 10, 2023, at LMH Health (Lawrence Memorial Hospital). Lea Ann worked at the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) over 31 years from 1981 to 2012, doing administrative and research support work for several KGS researchers in energy and stratigraphic research (Lynn Watney, Chris Maples, Evan Franseen, and Tim Carr). Lea Ann was born in Carthage, Missouri, on April 19, 1959. She is survived by her daughter Jessie Pfannenstiel (Jake); her son Sam Davidson; her brother Kevin Millikan (Laura); and four grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her father Roger Millikan; mother Barbara Jameson; brother Randy Millikan; and daughter Courtney Davidson. Lea Ann will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and all who knew her. Her memory will live on, not only in the hearts of her loved ones but also in the countless lives she touched with her kindness and warmth.
F. D. (Bud) Holland Jr. (B.S. 1948) died on February 20, 2023. Bud was born to Frank D. and Francys Bell Holland on March 6, 1924, in Leavenworth, Kansas. He graduated from Leavenworth High School and attended the University of Kansas until called up by the U.S. Navy to the V-12 program and was stationed at Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio. He was commissioned at Columbia University, New York, in December 1944, and reported aboard the USS Quick DD490 in May 1945. He married Margine McVey, whom he had met at Oberlin, on July 14, 1945. After VJ day and shakedown out of Norfolk, Holland served as sonar officer and gunnery officer on the Quick out of Sasebo, Japan, on several trips to Korea, repatriating Korean prisoners from Japan and sweeping mines in the Yellow Sea. After separation from the Navy July 10, 1946, he returned to KU, earning a bachelor’s degree in geology, a master’s degree at the University of Missouri, and a doctorate at the University of Cincinnati where he also was curator of the University Museum In the fall of 1954, Bud joined the geology faculty at the University of North Dakota (UND), retiring from there as professor emeritus in 1989. In addition to teaching and research on North Dakota invertebrate fossils, he was chairman of the building committee for Leonard Hall, and supervised the excavation and preparation of the triceratops skull that is displayed in the Leonard Hall lobby-museum.
Bud spent the years 1970–1972 in Washington, D.C., on leave from UND, as director of education of the American Geological Institute. He was a member of Sigma Xi (national honorary science society) and past president of the UND chapter, and of Sigma Gamma Epsilon (national honorary earth science society), of which he was also honorary member and past national president and the UND student chapter advisor for 35 years. Bud was a member of numerous paleontology, geology, science, and teaching societies and associations.
He is survived by his son Frank Delno Holland III (Del) and his partner Barb Bailey, of Iowa City, Iowa; son Erik L. Holland of Bismarck, North Dakota; four grandchildren; and six great grandchildren.
Max Gail Merrill, (B.S. 1954), Lenexa, Kansas, passed away peacefully on December 10, 2021. Max spent his childhood in Marion, Kansas, and attended Marion High School, graduating in 1950. In 2004, he was named one of Marion County’s Top 100 Athletes of all time. For Marion High School Max played quarterback in football, forward in basketball, and pitcher and shortstop in baseball, while becoming the only Marion athlete to ever letter in three sports over the span of four seasons.
At KU Max was a proud member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Following college he served two years in the Air Force, stationed in St. Louis, Missouri. He then began his career in the oil business working for ExxonMobil, living in the Midwest locations of Wichita, Kansas; Amarillo, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Midland, Texas. In 1973, Max and his family moved to London, England, where he spent eight years working for Esso Europe. Max returned from Europe to Oklahoma City, working for Seneca Oil until his retirement.
Max was an avid golfer and enjoyed playing throughout the United States and Europe. His numerous trips to play golf in Scotland and attend the British Open were among his favorites. He was also a two-time winner of the Kansas Senior Four-Ball Championship. Playing the piano and ukulele were favorite hobbies and he loved to entertain with a spirited rendition of the Boogie Woogie. He was a dedicated University of Kansas Jayhawk fan, no matter the sport.
Max and his wife Patricia Harris Merrill were married 67 years. He and Patsy had their first date in 7th grade and grew up in Marion together until they were married in 1954. They especially enjoyed their time in London where they traveled extensively throughout Europe. Collecting antiques from small English villages was a special joy to them both.
His loving family includes children, Mitch Merrill (and Tonya) of Sioux City, Iowa, and Sarah Hickey (and Tom) of Overland Park, Kansas; sister Carolyn White, Clark, Colorado; nephew Mike Wafer, Denver, Colorado, and niece Julie Wafer, Denver, Colorado; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Edna Van Schmus, Lawrence, Kansas, passed away at home in the presence of family on February 23, 2023, after a prolonged illness.
Edna was born in July of 1938 to Arthur and Elizabeth Evison. She grew up in Liverpool, England, during and following WWII. Edna did her primary and middle schooling in Liverpool, then emigrated with her family to Montreal, Canada, and then Chicago, Illinois, where she graduated from Kelly High School. After graduation, Edna worked for United Airlines, then transferred to Los Angeles, California, where her father moved the family once again. In 1959, Edna resumed schooling, enrolling in the nursing school at Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena and Pasadena City College. At this time, Edna also became a U.S. Citizen.
In 1960, Edna met her future husband, William R. (Randy) Van Schmus, who was a senior at Caltech in Pasadena. They were married in 1961 and made their home in Pasadena where Edna completed her schooling in 1962. She then worked as a registered nurse for Huntington Memorial Hospital while Randy finished his doctorate at UCLA. In 1964 the couple moved to Bedford, Massachusetts, where Randy served on active duty as a research officer in the United States Air Force.
In August 1967 they moved to Lawrence where Randy took a faculty position in geology at University of Kansas. Edna became an active member of the community, lending her time and talents to local schools, scout troops, the university, and Plymouth Church. She also enjoyed several social groups, through which she made many treasured friends. She resumed her professional career as a nurse at the pediatrics office of Drs. Branson & Gilles and continued pediatric nursing until 1996, when she retired after more than 20 years.
Edna was a woman of many talents and interests. She was a skilled craftswoman and is especially remembered for her beautiful needlework, including knitting, crocheting, embroidering, and quilting. She also enjoyed both cooking and baking and took great pride in entertaining and serving traditional holiday meals. Edna was beloved by many and is survived by her husband Randy of the home; daughter-in-law Nina Van Schmus; son Derek (Pam) Van Schmus; daughter Jennifer (Michael) Chartier; grandchildren; a brother-in-law; sistersin-law; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by son Brian Van Schmus, sister Pauline Dolinski, and her parents.
1951–1960
Curtis E. Adams, 1951
William L. Brown, 1954
Victor C. Cope Jr., 1956
Bill B. Crow, 1956
John E. Donnici, 1951
M. Robert Douglass, 1952, 1954
G. Lloyd Foster, 1958
Julian W. Hawryszko, 1957
Robert W. Heil, 1959
Robert K. Melton, 1957
Herbert A. Mendoza, 1959
Patricia Tucker Morgridge, 1956
George W. Plant, 1952
H. Jack Reed, 1956
Warner H. Sorenson, 1959
Robert L. Tedrick, 1960
Jay D. Whiteford, 1954
1961–1970
Thomas D. Brown, 1964
Carlos R. Canard, 1967
Gary P. Davidson, 1967
Ibrahim Abd El Wahid, 1963
Jack D. Fowler, 1962
Musa A. Haggiagi, 1970
Patricio Harrington, 1961
John Huh, 1968
Wayne E. Kanzig, 1969
Federico F. Krause, 1970, 1974
Tommy R. McKellar, 1962
J. Peter Mills, Ph.D., 1965, 1974
James W. H. Monger, 1961
Yacoub Ahmad Qandil, 1959, 1961
Malcom B. Roy, 1966
Frank Radke Jr., 1967
Howard C. Thornton Jr., 1967
Fred R Weiner, 1962
1971–1980
Ola Green Bangole-Yenvou, 1975
Abdurrazak A. Endisha, 1979
Hugo I. Guerra. 1980, 1987
Federico F. Krause, 1970, 1974
Randy T. Laney, 1976, 1978
Edward L. Leanhard, 1979
Yehuda Lilo, 1978, 1981
Robert W Merritt, 1979
J. Peter Mills, Ph.D., 1974
Francois R. Nguene, 1978
Adeleke Odutola, 1972
Ali Seyrafian, 1978
Benja Songsirikul, 1978
John M. Thomen, 1971
Leonard L. Woolsey, 1971
1981-1990
Zulkifly Ab Rahim, 1985
Talat Y. Abdullah, 1984
Mehemmed A. Busifi, 1982
Mark Carpenter, 1985
Andrew Daniel, 1985
Rodziah H. Daud, 1986
Dave Evans, 1984
Hugo I. Guerra, 1980, 1987
Mitchell D. Hall, 1983
E.F. Johnson, 1982
Karan S. Keith, 1983
Yehuda Lilo, 1978, 1981
Chung-Yao Lui, 1981
Mastura Abdul Malik, 1986
Paul B. Myers III, 1989
Soheila Nasseri, 1983
Gillian B. Poulter, 1984
Nelda Haraldson Radford, 1983, 1985
Karen K. Smith, 1983
Stephen M. Smith, 1987
Monsef A. Swedan, 1981
Milos Velechovsky, 1985
Kent R. Wells, 1987
Susie Woltkamp, 1989
Di Zhou, Ph.D., 1985
1991–2000
Abdulrahman M. Alissa, 1999
Tyan-Ming Chu, Ph.D., 1996
Karma, 1999
Terence J. Meehan, 1993
Thomas G. Sabin, 1995
Alan Wade, 1992
Katherine N. Zentmire, 1999
2001–2010
Mohammad A. Abdullah, 2005
Sa’Ad Fahd Al-Awwad, 2003
Abdullah Alqahtani, 2005
Aisha H. Al-Suwaidi, 2008
William R. Bailey, 2003
Govert J. A. Buijs, Ph.D., 2006
Michael W. Christie, 2005, 2008
Peter W. Davis, 2002
Vionette DeChoudens-Sanchez, 2007
Pema Deki, 2008
Christopher R. Jones, 2009
Susanne E. Jones, 2001
Rebecca Scheppy King, 2001
Patrick K. McKenna, 2010
Emily A. McWilliams, 2006
Joseph C. Miller, 2010, 2013
Carolyn R. Perry, Ph.D., 2001
Jessica E. Poteet, 2004, 2007
Benjamin J. Rocke, 2007
Niall D. Toomey, 2003
Javier De Palacios Zambrana, 2009
Mustapha Zater, 2006
2011–2020
Shamma S. A. K. Al Kaabi, 2014
Hussain O. A. Bohuliga, 2019
Chase V. Breckwoldt, 2018
Logan C. Byers, 2013
Xi Chen, 2016
Xiaoru Chen, 2015
William T. Dugard, 2012
Maggie E. Duncan, 2017
Yousuf K. Y. Fadolalkarem, 2015
Holly L. Field, 2018
Christian Hager, 2015
Bei Huang, Ph.D., 2012
Isaac T. Javier, 2015
Huan Liu, 2014
Joseph C. Miller, 2010, 2013
Fatma Ouaichouche, 2012
Edgardo J. Pujols-Vazquez, 2012
Jeffrey T. Steen, 2014
Andrew J. Templin, 2019
Isabel Villaneda-Vanvloten, 2017
Abdul Wahab, 2017
Graham M. Wicks, 2019
If you are in touch with these G-Hawkers, please ask them to reconnect!
email geology@ku.edu
phone
785-864-4974
online geo.ku.edu
We’re thinking a lot about Field Camp (and it’s fun to think about Field Camp). Many alumni consider the Field Camp experience the hallmark of their time as a KU student. It’s been delightful to ask KU Geology alumni and friends this question and hear their responses:
“All of it. I always wanted to do field work, and Field Camp really solidified that. If I had to pick one thing, it would be exploring Blue Ridge and seeing the metamorphic rocks and minerals.”
—Joseph Tierney, B.S. 2022, KGS assistant lab technician
“As a Field Camp student in 1973, eight of us guys shared one of the wooden cabins. Two of the guys brought guitars, so most evenings we would have a few beers and sing — mostly old Beatles and Rolling Stones songs.”
—John McClure, M.S. 1978, retired geologist
“The late night work sessions with other students — drawing our maps, laughing, and sharing stories.”
—Blair Schneider, M.S. 2012, Ph.D.. 2017, associate researcher
“I would love to just relive the experience and energy of the Field Camp, just being surrounded by the diverse background of individuals all there for the love of rocks!”
—Allan Hemmy, B.S. 2005, exploration geologist
We’d love to know your response. We all might learn something! Email us at geology@ku.edu or call us at 785-864-4974
“In a word, Blanche, Roger Kaesler’s pug. Professor Kaesler would philosophize and explain the geology to the dog. Blanche would look like she totally understood the tack, nodding her head in agreement.”
—William “Bill” Dodd, B.A. 1976 history, B.S. 1980 language arts, B.S. 1994 geology
“In Dyer, Nevada, we went out and mapped a new area in more detail than it had ever been mapped before.”
—Tobey Billinger, B.S. 2009, construction consultant
Kwan Yee Cheng, 2600W 121st St, Leawood, KS 66209, 785-979-2003, chengkwanyee@gmail.com. B.S. 2008, M.S. 2011 geology. Registered nurse, St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City. We moved back to Kansas late last year to be closer to our family. I started a new career as a registered nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City’s cardiovascular ICU. We look forward to visiting the department, friends, and the beautiful campus!
Joe Orso, 438 Marilu St, Richardson, TX, 75080, 570-772-4093, orso.joseph@gmail.com. M.S. 2019 sedimentary geology. Senior geologist, Matador Resources.
Eugene Szymanski, Ph.D. 2013 geology. Senior geologist, Utah Geological Survey.
Tobey Billinger, 7515 SW Blue Inn Pl, Topeka, KS, 66614, 785-230-5878, tobey158@gmail.com. B.S. 2009 geology. Warehouse clerk, Vail Resorts.
Natalie Burris, PO Box 84, Maize, KS, 67101, 316-518-4107, natalie.burris@ gmail.com. B.S. 2005 geology, M.S. 2014 geology. Senior hydrogeologist, SCS Engineers, Madison, Wisconsin.
Jessica Cundiff, 142 River St, Apt 3, Haverhill, MA 01830, 617-448-7402, paleogirl23@hotmail.com. M.S. 2001 geology. Curatorial associate, Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Kit Tincher, 15884 Burrowing Owl Ct, Morrison, CO, 80465, 303-881-2336, ktincher@gmail.com. B.S. 2002 geology, M.S. 2005 geology. Executive vice president of geology and development, Nickel Road Operating LLC.
Paul Vincent, 1400 Smith St, Houston, TX, 77002, 713-834-7248, pvincent@ chevron.com. B.S. 2003 mathematics, M.S. 2005 geophysics. Geophysicist, Chevron.
Albert J. Robb III, 22777 Springwoods Village Pkwy, Spring, TX, 77389, al.j.robb@exxonmobil.com. M.S. 1991 geology. Safety, security, health and environment manager, ExxonMobil. My family and I have been living in Maputo, Mozambique, since January 2018, and continue to enjoy the geology, wildlife, and cultures of southern Africa. I have been doing some research on ammonite biostratigraphy and pre-Iron Age archaeology of Mozambique and was able to publish a few papers.
William Anderson, 3020 Ohio St, Miami, FL, 33133, 305-205-2948, andersow@fiu.edu. B.A. 1992 geology. Associate vice president research office, and associate vice provost at Florida International University.
Cihat Basocak, Efeler Mahallesi, 1695, Sokak 1/22, Didim, Aydin, Turkiye 09270, +90-553-510-1146, hammal@ gmail.com. M.S. 1980 geology. Senior GIS technologist, Spiapeg, France.
Steve Hageman, 177 Trout Vista Dra, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, 828-4068667, sjh@fastmail.fm. B.S. 1985 geology. Professor, Appalachian State University. I teach Historical Geology for non-majors, Introduction to field methods, Principles of Paleontology, and Introduction to Multivariate Data. During the pandemic I sold my house of 23 years in Boone, North Carolina, and bought a townhouse with longrange mountain views of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a very good decision.
David Foran, 46 E 52nd St, Kansas City, MO, 64112, 913-371-6780, caver_ skier@hotmail.com. B.S. 1981 geology. Chemist (retired), Food & Drug Administration.
Alice Hart, 610 10th St SE, Sidney, MT, 59270, 307-690-1618, ahart013005@ gmail.com. B.S. 1984 geology. Superintendent Park Ranger at Ft. Union Trading Post National Historic Site.
David Kopaska-Merkel, Ph.D. 1984 geology. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Last year we dodged the hurricane bullet in Baton Rouge. In the meantime, I have been spending most of my free time writing poetry and reading. My latest book of poetry, Some Disassembly Required, came out last summer. I am working on another collection now, as well as a paper on microalgae in a small Mississippian bioherm in north Alabama.
Norman Meek, 6282 Casita Ave, Oak Hills, CA, 92344, 760-244-2521, nmeek@csusb.edu. B.A. 1982 geography (honors) and geology. Professor emeritus of geography and environmental studies at CSU San Bernardino (retired). Because my eyesight is rapidly declining, I retired from CSUSB after 34 years. Because my campus sits immediately adjacent to the San Andreas fault, I feel lucky I got out before the campus and region are seriously damaged. I’ve spent my career trying to warn of the hazards, but only very few take the hazard seriously.
David M. Svingen, 16566 Valley Cir, Omaha, NE 68130, 402-598-2992, dmsvingen@gmail.com. M.S. 1981 water resources science. Senior principal environmental engineer (retired), Terracon.
Tim Wallen, 5224 Chapman St S, Salem, OR, 97306-2167, etimothywallin@yahoo.com. Ph.D. 1989 geology.
Dale Gearhart, 808-989-6653, dalegearhart@hotmail.com. B.S. 1977 geology. Chief information officer (retired), RBI-Gearhart. Traveling around the U.S. in a class B sized van with my wife of 42 years, Jeré. George Pisani, 809 Connecticut St, Lawrence, KS, 66044, 785-842-7419, gpisani809@gmail.com. GTA in early 1970s for Prof. Dort. Adjunct herpetologist, Kansas Biological Survey.
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William D. Pollard, 17901 Flagler Dr, Austin, TX, 78738, 817-313-0719, william.pollard17901@gmail.com.
M.S. 1970 geology. President of petroleum exploration and production (retired), Burnett Oil Co. Inc. My wife, Kathy, and I are enjoying retirement in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin. Mike Tuckey, 2104 Robinson Rd, Lansing, MI, 48910, 517-930-8031, m.tuckey@sbcglobal.net. Hydrogeologist (retired). A Lindley Hall room 13c reunion was held in August 2022 as Ron Wallace, Tom Birch, and I met in Marquette, Michigan.
Lee Gerhard, leegtn37@gmail.com. M.S. 1961 geology, Ph.D. 1964 geology. Senior scientist emeritus, University of Kansas. Having reached an age where my Christmas card list is seriously shrinking, I am losing friends and family. From KU, Chuck Zandell is the latest. Despite difficulty walking (I think a tick bite while turkey hunting), my companion and I have made it through an expedition to Australia and New Zealand and recently, into India to visit the Taj Mahal and go tiger hunting (with camera only). I still maintain my climate change communication group and writing. The second novel is coming along, albeit very slowly. I take great pleasure in watching my grandchildren grow up and being a part of their lives.
Tony Gogel, 9904 Cherokee Lane, Leawood, KS, 66206, 913-558-2216, tgogel96@gmail.com. M.S. 1969 geology. Senior vice president/regional manager, ARCADIS (retired). Enjoying retirement. Happy to report that our granddaughter, Kathleen, is attending KU as a third-generation student.
Max Reams, 36 Castle Coombe Dr, Bourbonnais, IL, 60914, 815-919-8954, mreams@olivet.edu. B.A. 1961 zoology, B.S. 1961 geology, M.S. 1963 geology. Professor, Olivet Nazarene University. I still teach a bit part-time for Olivet Nazarene University, as well as give lectures at the local community college.
Don Scafe, 11220 73 Ave NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 780-436-1328, scafe@shaw.ca. M.S. 1963 geology. Geologist, Alberta Geological Survey. Still married (60 years) to the most beautiful dame on the planet. Still edit and produce (26 years) the quarterly newsletter of the Edmonton Radial Railway Society that restores and operates historical streetcars. I still work out at the gym three times a week. Self-medicated with red and white wine (plus four jabs) during COVID and it kept the bug at bay.
Can’t wait to hear!
Frederic R. Siegel, 4353 Yuma St NW, Washington DC, 20016, 202-362-2545, frfmsiegel@msn.com. M.S. 1958 geology, Ph.D. 1961 geology. Emeritus professor of geochemistry at George Washington University (retired). I stopped writing after The Earth’s Human Carrying Capacity: Limitations Assessed, Solutions Proposed (2021, Springer). I often get requests for reprints or books through Research Gate, many of which are from the developing world, and try to fulfill their needs and offer advice when asked to do so.
John L. Stevens, 909 Poe Ave, Ames, IA, 50014, 515-451-3810, j_c_stevens@ msn.com. B.S. 1962 geology. Salesman.
Richard L. (Dick) Nicholas, 333 Lee Dr, Apt E-180, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, 225-766-2331, richardnicholas@msn. com. M.S. 1954 geology. Chief geologist, Shell Oil Co. (retired).
Lloyd Stullken, 59495 W Christina Ct, Topeka, KS, 66614, 785-608-3916, lstullken@att.net. B.S. 1958 geological engineering. Retired hydrologist.
Ritchie
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