Department of Geological Sciences – Page 11

To Aid Utilities, Researchers Seek Ancient Floods Near Tennessee River

October 9, 2017

From the October 2017 Desktop News | With funding from energy utilities, a team of researchers at The University of Alabama are collaborating with peers across the Southeast to understand the frequency and possible size of floods along the Tennessee River that pre-date reliable weather and streamflow records. With a better understanding of floods from the past 10,000 years, utilities can better prepare for historic natural disasters that could threaten dams and nuclear plants in and around the Tennessee River, said […]

Two Professors Earn Fulbrights for International Research

September 11, 2017

From the September 2017 Desktop News | Two University of Alabama professors will pursue work and research through the U.S. Fulbright Scholars Program in 2017 and 2018. Dr. Samantha Hansen, associate professor of geological sciences, will be in Greece for the fall semester, working at the National Observatory of Athens. She will combine seismic data from a countrywide seismograph network with her tomographic imaging technique—producing images through a ground-penetrating wave—to develop models for the Hellenic Subduction Zone. The Hellenic Subduction Zone is […]

A&S in the News: July 9-15, 2017

July 17, 2017

Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program COLLEGE NEWS: July 9: Tuscaloosa News – July 9 Seventeen college students from a variety of academic programs participated in the summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program in chemistry at The University of Alabama in 2017. The program is funded by the National Science Foundation. The NSF has supported the REU program in the UA department of chemistry for 31 years, providing 371 students, mainly from primarily undergraduate institutions in the Southeast, a 10-week summer research […]

Chesapeake Bay Pollution Extends to Early 19th Century, UA Study Confirms

July 11, 2017

Heather Black, a UA graduate, collects oyster shells in the Chesapeake Bay as part of the research project. (Photo Courtesy of Dr. C. Fred T. Andrus.)

From the July 2017 Desktop News | Humans began negatively impacting water quality in the Chesapeake Bay in the first half of the 19th century, according to a study of eastern oysters by researchers at The University of Alabama. The work, published in Scientific Reports, shows pollution’s effect appears a bit earlier than previously thought. The study shows that using oyster shells from archeological sites is an effective way to measure the environmental impacts of waste input on estuaries, particularly levels of nitrogen […]

Ancient Clam Species Named for Emeritus Geology Professor

July 11, 2017

From the July 2017 Desktop News | A newly discovered species of an ancient chemosynthetic clam was named after Dr. Paul Aharon, professor emeritus of geological sciences at UA. Two European scientists classified the fossil clam as Archivesica aharoni in a scientific article recently published in the Journal of Paleontology. The paper was written by Dr. Steffen Kiel, senior curator at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, and Dr. Marco Taviani, research director at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Bologna, Italy. “The species honors Paul Aharon, long-lasting friend and […]

Summer Reading List 2017

June 23, 2017

As you enjoy your summer months, read through these books written by A&S faculty (and one alumnus) from several departments: Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life, by E.O. Wilson Written by one of The University of Alabama’s most distinguished alumni, Half-Earth proposes a plan to preserve our planet’s biodiversity. In order to solve a problem as seemingly insurmountable as extinction, Wilson suggests an incredible plan: dedicate half of Earth’s surface to nature. In order to be successful, Half-Earth explains, we […]

A&S in the News: May 31–June 10, 2017

June 9, 2017

Phi Beta Kappa Inductees Excellence in Education: Meridian Star (Mississippi) – May 30 Joshua Campbell of Bailey, Miss., has been inducted into the University of Alabama’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. UA recently inducted 43 College of Arts and Sciences students into its chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. SummerTide SummerTide returns to Gulf Shores for 14th Season (Live Interview): WPMI-NBC (Mobile) – May 30 The University of Alabama’s professional summer theater, SummerTide, is returning to Gulf Shores for its 14th season with […]

Professor Compiles Accessible Book on the Mobile-Tensaw Delta

April 13, 2017

From the April 2017 Desktop News | The quarter of a million acres located in Alabama known as the Mobile-Tensaw Delta is considered one of the most biologically diverse environments in the country, but until recently, there was no literature fully explaining how the existing system works in laymen’s terms. Department of Geological Sciences Chairman Dr. Fred Andrus spent the last three years working to create a book meeting those qualifications. Since 2014, Andrus has been helping to find experts in different […]

Scientist Finds Historical Precedent for Warm Water Melting Antarctic Ice Shelves

March 9, 2017

From the March 2017 Desktop News | In the last few decades, oceanographers have recognized that warm currents running underneath modern ice shelves in Antarctica are compromising ice sheet stability and contributing to rising sea levels, but there has been little evidence of historical precedent, until now. University of Alabama assistant professor Dr. Rebecca Totten Minzoni recently completed a study proving that the relatively warm Circumpolar Deep Water Current caused melting on the underside of ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea thousands […]

UA Students Win First Environmental Research Competition

January 12, 2017

From the January 2017 Desktop News | Two students in the Department of Geological Sciences recently received $5,000 by winning the first University of Alabama Outstanding Research Competition. The competition funds theses and dissertations that perform cutting-edge research related to the assessment and treatment of chemical contaminants in soil and groundwater. The competition was created by Geosyntec Consultants, an engineering firm that works with clients to address new ventures and complex problems involving the environment, natural resources, and civil infrastructure. “Geosyntec is […]

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