Faculty Laura Levy Geology Received a Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities Program (RSCA) grant for $4980 to purchase equipment for her new Paleoclimate Lab.

Faculty Wyeth Wunderilch, Edward Davis, Jasper Oshun, Margaret Lang Geology Jasper Oshun and two HSU students presented at the American Geophysical Union Annual Conference in San Francisco. The work is part of a Geoscientists Without Borders Award directed by Jasper Oshun and Margaret Lang (ERE).
Wyeth Wunderlich (MS, Environmental Systems-Geology) presented a poster on water storage in high Andean wetlands.
Edward Davis (B.S. Geology, 2019) presented a poster on geophysical imaging of the subsurface of an Andean watershed.
Jasper Oshun presented a talk explaining the importance of bofedales, or peatlands, in sustaining flow in mountain catchments.

Student Tammy Phrakonkham Geology HSU geology student Tammy Phrakonkham has been selected to represent northern California at the 2019 Geosciences Congressional Visits Day (GEO-CVD) on Sept. 10-11 in Washington, D.C.
           
GEO-CVD is sponsored by American Geophysical Union along with other Earth science societies each year “to increase the visibility of and support for the geosciences in Congress.” During this event, participants will be given an opportunity to meet with members of the congressional delegation representing their state and with staff from congressional committees who have jurisdiction over issues related to geoscience.

Faculty Tyler Ladinsky, Harvey Kelsey, Melanie Michalak Geology Tyler Ladinsky (MS '12), Harvey Kelsey and Melanie Michalak were awarded a one year grant through the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program to conduct a paleoseismic investigation on the Little Salmon Fault in Humboldt County. Their proposal, "In Southern Cascadia, Do Upper-Plate Faults Rupture in Concert with Subduction Zone Earthquakes: A Paleoseismic Investigation of the Little Salmon Fault Zone" is a collaborative effort between HSU faculty and students, the California Geological Survey, and United States Geological Survey to evaluate the chronology and style of earthquakes on the Little Salmon Fault in context of the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

Faculty Melanie Michalak, Susan Cashman Geology Melanie Michalak and Susan Cashman (Geology) were awarded a 3-year, multi-institutional National Science Foundation grant, with Eric Kirby (OSU) and Kevin Furlong (Penn State), to study geologic deformation in the Klamath Mountains. This research addresses both mountain building (long term deformation) and crustal strain associated with megathrust earthquakes (short term deformation). Principal investigators and students will partner with Hoopa Valley Elementary School’s 6th grade teachers for research-related activities and field trips for HVES 6th graders. HSU was awarded $158,636 to support graduate and undergraduate students, 6th grade teachers, supplies, and analyses.

Faculty Mark Hemphill-Haley Geology Mark Hemphill-Haley is co-author on a recent publication in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America entitled "Onshore to Offshore Ground‐Surface and Seabed Rupture of the Jordan–Kekerengu–Needles Fault Network during the 2016 Mw7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake, New Zealand" It provides detailed observations of one of the most complex earthquake surface ruptures in history.
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/bssa/article/530021/onshore-to-off…

Faculty Mark Hemphill-Haley Geology Mark Hemphill-Haley (Geology) returned from two-week investigation of the 2016 M 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake, South Island, New Zealand. He joined HSU alumni Russ Van Dissen ('83) and Jessica Vermeer ('13 BS, '16 MS) and NZ researchers to investigate the deformation associated with more than 9 m (27 ft) of offset during the earthquake. The investigation involved trenching across the fault to assess fault structure and timing of previous earthquakes.

Faculty Jasper Oshun, Margaret Lang Geology Geoscientists Without Borders funded a two year $100k project to complete a sustainable water project in the highlands of Perú. Jasper Oshun and Margaret Lang will lead a small group of students to Perú next summer to map the geology, explore surface runoff patterns and learn novel shallow geophysical techniques to determine the extent of the aquifer. These data will be used to design a water reservoir and agricultural canal system. They will return in the summer of 2019 to support the community in the construction phase. The canal will allow for year round agriculture, directly benefitting over 120 families.

Faculty Melanie Michalak Geology Melanie Michalak was awarded a American Chemical Society- Petroleum Research Fund grant toward her proposed research, "Reconstructing Neogene Paleogeography and Forearc Basin Evolution of Southern Cascadia using Detrital Mineral Geochronology." The grant of $55,000 is awarded over a two year period and will support original research by PI Michalak, a MSc student and a team of undergraduates. Their work in the coastal deposits along the north coast seeks to characterize paleogeography and forearc development over the past several million years using quantitative dating techniques.

Faculty Brandon Browne, Raul Becerra Geology Dr. Brandon Browne, Associate Professor of Geology, and four undergraduate thesis students, including Raul Becerra ('16), recently published their study titled "Quaternary basaltic volcanism in the Golden Trout Volcanic Field, southern Sierra Nevada, California" in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. The study uses results from geologic mapping and geochemical analyses of rocks and minerals to interpret the eruption styles and geologic evolution of the volcanic field - the only one of its age in the High Sierra.

Student Mindi Curran, Tim Bailey Geology MSc (Environmental Systems-Geology) students Mindi Curran and Tim Bailey presented their work at the annual Salmonid Restoration Federation Conference in Davis, CA on March 30-April 2. This year's theme was "Restoring Watersheds and Rebuilding Salmon Runs." Both Curran and Bailey were invited to give oral presentations in the "Using Photogrammetric and Aerial Vehicle Technology to Support Salmonid Restoration Planning and Engineering" topical session, which was aimed to teach specific tools to researchers using high resolution imagery to quantify aspects of stream habitat.

Student Mark Szymanski Geology Mark Szymanski (MS Student, Geology) received a $1,000 research grant from the Northern California Geological Society. Mark will these funds to measure oxygen isotope ratios of olivine crystals in lavas erupted over the last 750,000 years in the Sierra Nevada. Results from Mark's thesis will advance our understanding the controls of where mafic volcanoes form and how they evolve.

Faculty Dr. Jason R. Patton Geology Dr. Jason R. Patton was invited to and participated in the research cruise CASEIS16. The goals of this cruise were to characterize the tectonics of the convergent subduction zone plate boundary along the Lesser Antilles in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. Dr. Patton provided essential advice to the chief scientist Dr. Nathalie Feuillet for cruise planning by helping Dr. Feuillet locate core sites; locate seismic profile locations; describe, sample, and archive sediment cores; and conduct preliminary stratigraphic analyses. Dr. Patton provided expert advice on the methodology of turbidite paleoseismology.
Here is Dr. Patton’s research cruise blog http://humboldt-jay.blogspot.com/

Faculty Dr. Jason R. Patton Geology Dr. Jason R. Patton is a recipient of the Geological Society of America's (GSA) Kirk Bryan Award, granted by the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division. This is one of the most prestigious awards granted to geologists that study the Quaternary (from 2.56 million years ago to present). http://www.geosociety.org/awards/divisions.htm#kirkBryan
Dr. Patton was a coauthor to the Goldfinger et al., USGS Publication, "Turbidite Event History—Methods and Implications for Holocene Paleoseismicity of the Cascadia Subduction Zone." The award is presented to all coauthors. http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/pp1661f/
The award will be presented at the September 2016 GSA national meeting in Denver, CO.

Faculty Brandon Browne, Raul Becerra Geology Brandon Browne and Raul Becerra ('16) presented research at the Geological Society of America Cordilleran Section meeting in Ontario, California April 5-7. Their research project focused on understanding the origin and eruption of volcanoes on the Kern Plateau in the southern Sierra Nevada.

Faculty Melanie Michalak Geology Melanie Michalak, Assistant Professor of Geology, recently published a paper with co-authors in the peer-reviewed, Geological Society of America journal "Lithosphere." The paper, entitled "(U-Th)/He thermochronology records late Miocene accelerated cooling in the north-central Peruvian Andes," investigates the relationship between large-scale tectonics and long-term climate changes reflected in the morphology and rock uplift of the Peruvian Andes Mountains. doi:10.1130/L485.1

Faculty Lori Dengler, Amanda Admire Geology Geology Professor Lori Dengler and Lecturer Amanda Admire presented talks at the 26th International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics in Prague, Czech Republic

Faculty Lori Dengler Geology Lori Dengler is the co-editor and contributor to the 2nd edition of UNESCO's International Tsunami Survey Team (ITST) Post-Tsunami Survey Field Guide. For more, visit http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002294/229456E.pdf

Faculty Lori Dengler Geology Geology Professor Lori Dengler has been named Chair of the California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN) Advisory Committee. CISN is the system that integrates the data inputs from the USGS, California Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, Caltech Seismo Lab, and the California Geological Survey into a seamless interface for rapid dissemination of earthquake information to a broad spectrum of users. CISN software packages are designed for first responders, emergency managers, and critical lifeline organizations. In the next decade, CISN will be taking the lead in implementation of California's Earthquake Early Warning System. More information about CISN is at http://www.cisn.org/

Faculty Lori Dengler Geology Geology Professor Lori Dengler will present the Berkeley Lawson Lecture at the University of California, Wednesday April 16 5:30 p.m. in the Banatao Auditorium of Sutardja Dai Hall (CITRIS). More information at
https://seismo.berkeley.edu/news/lawson_lecture.html