U of M Geosciences

Owen Anfinson, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Geosciences, University of Calgary

2012-04-24T08:30:00.003-06:00

Monday, April 30, at 4:10 p.m. in CHCB 304, Owen Anfinson, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Geosciences, University of Calgary, will give a talk entitled “New Insights into Arctic Tectonics and the Geologic History of a Missing Continent: U-Pb, (U-Th)/He, and Hf Isotopic Data from the Franklinian Basin, Canadian Arctic Islands

Dr. Gene-Hua C Ng

2012-04-23T09:00:00.000-06:00

Dr. Gene-Hua C Ng from the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, California, will give a presentation Monday, 4/23/2012 at 4:10 p.m. in CHCB 304 entitled “Assessing Ecohydrological Controls on Vegetation Dynamics in the Mojave Desert: An Integrated Data and Model Approach.”

2012 UM /Geosciences Commencement

2012-04-16T11:35:00.000-06:00

The 2012 UM Commencement Ceremony will be held in Washington-Grizzly Stadium at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, May 12. All candidates for degrees are to meet Saturday, May 12, at 8:45 a.m. at The Oval. Students should look for signs indicating where the department will begin their line of march. The Geosciences commencement ceremony will be at NOON (not 2:00 p.m.) in CHCB 304. The graduation picnic will follow at 1:00 p.m. on the lawn south east of the Charles Clapp building. Hamburgers, hot dogs, beverages, plates, and utensils will be provided. Please bring a hot dish, salad, or dessert.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you will be participating in the departmental ceremony (cap and gown are optional for our ceremony). If you do plan to attend, please complete the attached questionnaire and return it to me by May 4. There is also a sign-up sheet by the office door.

Questionnaire.pdf
Questionnaire.doc

Loreene Skeel

The University of Montana

Department of Geosciences, CHCB 311

32 Campus Drive #1296

Missoula, MT 59812

Phone 406-243-2341

FAX 406-243-4028

Presidents Update Highlights UM Paleo Center 1:43

2012-04-16T11:13:00.002-06:00

Monday, April 16, 2012, at 4:10 p.m. in CHCB 304, Dr. Lee Liberty

2012-04-10T14:55:00.000-06:00

Dr. Lee Liberty, Department of Geosciences, Boise State University, will give a talk entitled “Neotectonics and Related Hazards of the Pacific Northwest: Insights from Seismic Reflection Data.”

Tuesday, April 10, at 10:00 a.m. in CHCB 333, Richard Aram

2012-04-09T10:06:00.000-06:00

Richard Aram from ConocoPhillips will give a presentation entitled “Examples of Geoscience Work in the Energy Industry.” Please plan to attend!

Reasons to study Geosciences...

2012-03-28T14:32:00.001-06:00

April 9, at 4:10 p.m. in CHCB 304, Dr. Lucy Marshall

2012-03-28T09:17:00.000-06:00

On Monday, April 9, at 4:10 p.m. in CHCB 304, Dr. Lucy Marshall, Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, will give a talk entitled “New Directions in Modeling Catchment Hydrologic Connectivity and Predictive Uncertainty.”

Monday, March 26, at 4:00 p.m. in CHCB 304, Lindsay Ann MacKenzie, UM Ph.D. Candidate

2012-03-22T08:47:00.000-06:00

Lindsay Ann MacKenzie, UM Ph.D. Candidate, will give a talk entitled "The trials, tribulations and the great rewards of research abroad" Lindsay MacKenzie and Adam Johnson

Monday, March 19, at 4:10 p.m. in CHCB 304, Andrew Hennes

2012-03-14T09:15:00.001-06:00

Andrew Hennes, President, Montana Geological Society, will give a presentation entitled “Unconventional Rocks: The Technology and Challenges of Sourcing Energy from Slope-Formers, Aquicludes, and Condensed Sections.”

Dr. Michael Hofmann - Monday, March 12, at 4:10 p.m.

2012-03-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

On Monday, March 12, at 4:10 p.m. in Charles Clapp 304, Dr. Michael Hofmann, UM Geosciences, will give a talk entitled “Characterizing Architecture and Heterogeneity of Fluvial Reservoirs.”

Dr. Lowell Miyagi - March 5, 4:10 PM CHCB 304

2012-03-05T13:08:00.001-07:00

Dr. Lowell Miyagi Adjunct Assistant Professor Department of Earth Sciences Montana State University will give a talk entitled: "Lattice Preferred Orientation in the Lowermost Mantle: What can Seismic Anisotropy Tell Us about Deformation (and Mineralogy)?"

Dr.Joel Brown Postdoctoral Researcher - Monday, February 27th, 4:10 pm, CHCB 304

2012-02-23T10:38:00.001-07:00

On Monday, February 27, at 4:10 p.m. in Charles Clapp 304, Dr.Joel Brown, Postdoctoral Researcher, UM Dept. of Geosciences, will give a talk entitled “Cirque Glacier Sensitivity to 21st Century Warming.” Refreshments will be served.

Dr. Cliff Riebe - Monday, February 13th, 4:10 pm, CHCB 304

2012-02-09T14:14:00.001-07:00

Geosciences Spring Seminar Monday, February 13th, 4:10 pm, CHCB 304.

Please join us for Dr. Cliff Riebe's (University of Wyoming) talk "Gauging the Reproductive Potential of Salmon Spawning Substrates".

Geosciences Monday Seminar is Reinstated! (First talk will be Feb. 6)

2012-02-01T16:15:00.004-07:00

We are happy to announce the Monday seminar series at the UM Geoscience Department has been reinstated this semester, beginning February 6th at 4:10pm in room CHCB 304. Subscribe to our RSS feed, email list, or check HERE for upcoming speaker announcements. Full Schedule HERE (.pdf)

Seminar Talk - February 6th at 4:10pm in room CHCB 304

2012-02-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

Dr. Jim Sears will present: “Transforming Siberia along the western margin of Laurussia: Paleomagnetic and geologic evidence.”

Amy Singer (PhD student) will present her recent research from Friday Harbor Laboratories at University of Washington: “Infernal Macroinvertebrate Diversity of East and West Sound, Orcas Islands: Use of Multibeam and In-Situ sampling to characterize soft-sediment communities.”

Winter Solidus Potluck!

2012-01-24T09:27:00.002-07:00

Dear UM Geosciences Undergraduates, Graduate Students, Faculty, Staff, and Alums:
We are excited to announce our first annual UM Geosciences Winter Solidus Potluck! Please plan to join us to kick off the new semester.

Where: The Orchard Homes Country Life Club at 2537 3rd St. West, Missoula
When: Thursday, January 26, 2012, at 6:00 p.m.

What will be Provided: Chicken, Beer, Non-alcoholic Beverages, Music

What to Bring: Significant others; a main dish, side, salad, or dessert to share; and ID if you plan to have a beer
We need Clean-up crew volunteers willing to work after the party so please let Andrea Stanley (andrea.stanley@umontana.edu) or Sharon Bywater-Reyes (sharon.bywater-reyes@umontana.edu) know if you can help out. The more volunteers we get the less time cleanup will take.

UM LAUNCHES PARTNERSHIP WITH RENEWABLE CHEMICAL COMPANY

2011-12-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

Dec. 12, 2011

MISSOULA, Mont. –

Two geoscience faculty members at The University of Montana have started a partnership with a private company to sustainably produce commercial products from algal biomass.

Potential products include organic fertilizers, natural pigments, food flavorings, fatty acids for biofuels, cholesterol-reducing compounds for food additives, and natural anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer drugs. Natural inputs and nontoxic production methods will give potential products a competitive advantage over similar products produced from petroleum and other nonrenewable sources.

Carrine Blank, a research assistant professor in UM’s geosciences department, and Nancy Hinman, a geosciences professor, are working on the project with Blue Marble Biomaterials, a company specializing in fully sustainable, zero-carbon, specialty chemicals.

The company was founded by Kelly Ogilvie and James Stephens, a UM alum. Stephens, also the company’s chief science officer, leads Blue Marble’s role in the collaborative effort, which largely takes place in the company’s biorefinery near the Missoula airport.

“Our goal will be to tap into Blue Marble’s carbon dioxide waste stream and then turn that CO2 into algal biomass,” Blank said. “We will then work together to harvest commercial products from that biomass.”

She said the diverse collection of patent-pending cyanobacterial and microalgal strains they work with derive from a number of regional waters, including Puget Sound, Washington’s Soap Lake, and local rivers and lakes in Montana. Additional strains come from soil.

Blank said she and Hinman are working to publish a paper about the research being used with the UM/Blue Marble partnership.

Stephens says UM’s favorable attitude toward industry partnerships was one factor in the decision to move the company from Seattle to Missoula in 2010.

“Partnering with UM is key to our research and development program,” Stephens said. “Innovation happens at the nexus of science and market opporunity. This partnership combines Blue Marble’s expertise in chemistry, microbiology and industrial manufacturing with the University’s excellence in research methodology, geoscience and biology. By combining these strengths, we are able to take advantage of an existing market opportunity.”

Joe Fanguy, UM director of technology transfer, said the research partnership with Blue Marble offers an excellent example of how university research can aid private industry and help the Montana economy.

“Successful research collaborations with innovative companies like Blue Marble are a priority for the University’s research enterprise,” Fanguy said. “These partnerships stimulate new research, new inventions, new educational opportunities and, ultimately, new, high-wage jobs in our community, which is a big win for Missoula and Montana.”

Blank says such industry partnerships also offer educational opportunities for UM students. Since 2010 Blue Marble has hired six UM graduates, including four students from the College of Technology. Currently, Blue Marble hosts five interns from UM who gain broad experience in biology, chemistry, engineering and business operations.

For more information on Blue Marble Biomaterials, visit http ://bluemarblebio .com.

PhD Student Lindsay MacKenzie's work highlighted in Discovery News

2011-11-21T10:00:00.004-07:00

http://news.discovery.com/animals/teeth-prehistoric-111117.html

Lindsay

Studying Dam Removal

2011-11-15T10:23:00.005-07:00

UM Geosciences professor Andrew Wilcox is studying the response of the White Salmon River to the removal of the Condit Dam.

See these websites for detailed description of Andrew's research:

http://www.cbbulletin.com/413964.aspx

http://www.cbbulletin.com/413585.aspx)

See a video here:

http://whitesalmontimelapse.wordpress.com/

Explosive Breach of Condit Dam from Andy Maser on Vimeo.

Guest speaker: Frankie Jackson TODAY 11/14

2011-11-14T09:51:00.004-07:00

“Dinosaur Eggs & nesting Horizons: unraveling the biology of extinct taxa”
4:00 CHCB #304 TODAY 11/14
Dept. of Earth Sciences, MSU

Alumni Update - Meg Doolittle (BS 2008)

2011-11-03T10:10:00.001-06:00

Meg is heading into her fourth winter in Baker City, Oregon, where she is employed as a geologist for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. She is currently working with gold miners in the area. She says there are both placer (in gravels or free gold) and lode (underground) operations in the forest, and they have over 800 unpatented claims! Her job includes working with mineral laws and determining if operations in an area are reasonable or if there might be gold. “Lots of miners are looking to hit it big with gold prices over $1,500/oz.” Meg says the geology is quite interesting--everything from CRBs to accreted terrain. They even had an icthyosaur fossil pulled out of a formation in the forest in the 1980’s, and Meg has conducted some research on this fossil. Meg frequently returns to Missoula and is considering graduate schools to further her education after being a government employee for the last five years.

Alumni Update - Kevin Connors (B.S. 2009)

2011-11-03T10:05:00.000-06:00

Kevin now lives in Bismarck, North Dakota, and currently works as a geologist for the state of North Dakota’s Department of Mineral Resources Oil and Gas Division. He and his wife Julie have two children, Donny (2) and Faith (4 months). They have moved around quite a bit since leaving Missoula, and Bismarck now feels like their final destination (for awhile). Kevin spent the last two years working in the oil fields in northwestern North Dakota. They even lived in Williston, North Dakota, the center of the oil boom for a year. He started out as a mudlogger/wellsite geologist drilling horizontal Middle Bakken Formation wells. After a year of living on a drilling rig and rarely seeing his family, he was given an opportunity with the state of North Dakota as a petroleum engineer. This was a great experience for him and more importantly, he was able to be home every night with his wife and children. This last July Kevin was promoted within the department, and his position is both challenging and exciting. He is currently revising the North Dakota Administrative code while working with the EPA to meet federal requirements for carbon sequestration. Carbon capture and storage is on the fringe of project development after years of research. Kevin feels blessed to have been given this opportunity. “As far as I am concerned this is a dream job.” Kevin says his education at the University of Montana made all of this possible. He is grateful for the opportunity to support his family and to be with them on a daily basis while at the same working in the field of geology.

Alumni Update - Ken Wells

2011-10-18T10:46:00.015-06:00

Kenneth Wells (BA 1984/MS 1989)

Ken completed his master's degree with Steve Sheriff. Right after he defended his thesis in March of 1989, he went to Anchorage to work for BP. He is still with BP and has worked for them in Alaska, London and Aberdeen in the UK, Kuwait and Egypt, and now in Houston on the Atlantis field in the Gulf of Mexico. In May of this year Ken was invited on a BP deepwater sedimentology and stratigraphy field course to the Karoo basin of South Africa. The trip was led by Dr. Steve Flint from Liverpool University. They spent eight days looking at Permian age basin floor fan and shelf/slope channel outcrops. “Great trip!” Attached are a few photos of the trip: A basin floor fan lobe outcrop; Ken (in the orange shirt) pointing at an amalgamation surface (Flint is the tall guy in the dark jacket); Ken in his UM hat riding in a truck; and some non-native wildlife they saw at a rehab facility. Ken says he really needs to get up and visit sometime. Ken, we’d love to have you visit and hope you are able to do so soon!

Sigma Xi Lecture - October 20 - Noon

2011-10-17T15:18:00.003-06:00

Dr. Dan Peterson
Animal Science, California Polytechnic State University
“Biotagrifoonability: Biotechnology in Agriculture to Support Food Security and Sustainability”
Thursday, October 20, 2011
12-1 PM Clapp Building, Room 304