U of M Geosciences

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

Reasons to study Geosciences...

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

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)

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.

Geosciences undergraduate student, Katrina Keleher, puts her oceanography background to use guiding tourists on Alaskan cruise boats.

2011-10-05T10:05:00.003-06:00

I worked in Alaska this summer as a tour guide on a Glacier Cruise boat, and the knowledge I gained from your class (Oceanography 105N) came to be ridiculously useful every day as I taught passengers about ocean currents, plate tectonics, plankton (and also conducted a plankton tow each day and showed passengers various zooplankton and phytoplankton through microscopes), glaciers and refraction. And, not to mention, we saw North Pacific Humpback whales almost every single day!

2011 Newsletter

2011-09-26T12:08:00.000-06:00

Download our 2011 Newsletter here!

NATIONAL FOSSIL DAY

2011-09-26T09:10:00.005-06:00

The University of Montana Paleontology Center will host events Wednesday, Oct. 12, to help celebrate National Fossil Day— going on across the country. In addition to celebrating the history of ancient life, National Fossil Day aims to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils and to foster a greater appreciation of their scientific and educational values. The celebration begins at 6 p.m. on the first floor of the C.H. Clapp Building, around the T-rex exhibit with a reception, food and beverages, lectures, music, tours, activities for children and more. The Paleontology Center contains more than 100,000 fossils from Montana, the West and from around the world. Fossils are a significant part of our record of past changes in life. According to Prof. George Stanley, Director of the Paleontology Center: “A shell, a fossil bone, a leaf impression or a footprint are like a time machine, allowing us to travel through the ever-changing pageantry of Earth’s deep past, perhaps helping us to grasp the significance of our own place in it.” Get more information about National Fossil Day online at: http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/nationalfossilday or on the UM geosciences department website at http://www.umt.edu/geosciences or contact Prof. Stanley at 406-243-5693; Ms. Kallie Moore, UMPC Collections Manager 406-243-5151 or visit the Paleontology Center’s website:

http://www.cas.umt.edu/paleontology

Prof. Bendick Kier in China

2011-04-25T09:51:00.005-06:00

Geosciences’ Dr. Bendick Kier is in China to Advance International Earthquake Science and Preparedness

Dr. Rebecca Bendick Kier is an invited delegate to the 2011 Bi-lateral workshop under the Sino-U.S. earthquake studies protocol. This is a high-level scientific exchange for earthquake science and engineering. It's jointly supported by the NSF and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The purpose is to advance earthquake science of all kinds with the intention to reduce earthquake related disasters. There are 75 delegates, about 2/3 Chinese and 1/3 U.S., by invitation only. Dr. Bendick Kier is one of a select number of renowned U.S. scientists invited to the meeting. She is chairing a session on "Tectonics of Continental Deformation" with a Chinese partner, Gao Mentang, and giving a talk on mechanical heterogeneity in continental deformation.

This year's meeting is being held in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. This was the site of the destructive and deadly Wenchuan earthquake in 2008.

UM’s Commencement Ceremony

2011-04-20T10:40:00.004-06:00

Hi,

UM’s Commencement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 14, at 10:00 a.m. in Washington-Grizzly Stadium. All candidates for degrees are to meet at 8:45 a.m. at the oval. Students should look for signs indicating where Geosciences will begin the line of march. After the main ceremony, the Geosciences Department will conduct a graduation ceremony for all Geosciences graduates in the Charles Clapp Building, Room 304, at noon. Immediately following this ceremony, there will be a graduation picnic for Geosciences students, families/friends, faculty, and staff 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.

Students who are graduating Summer 2011 or Fall 2011 are welcome to participate in the Geosciences ceremony. If you plan on attending the Geosciences’ ceremony and picnic, please send me an email confirming your attendance. There is also a sign-up sheet by the office door, CHCB 311. Cap and gown are not required for the Geosciences’ ceremony.

Loreene

Geosciences

loreene.skeel@umontana.edu

Geology Club T-Shirt Fundraiser

2011-04-20T09:34:00.002-06:00

Dear Faculty, Staff, Alum, and Students,

The Geology Club is selling t-shirts to raise funds for field trips and other events for next year! We have sizes S-XL in both colors for $15 each. Check them out and if you'd like to buy one, either stop by the meeting on Wednesday, April 20 at 5 p.m. in CHCB 304, purchase one after colloquium next Monday, April 25 (CHCB 304), or stop by the department office and talk to Christine or Loreene.

Thanks for supporting Geo Club!!!
Erin, Margeaux, and Kate

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Job Opportunity - Geologist: Williston Basin, USA

2011-03-28T10:12:00.000-06:00

Two positions available starting in May, 2011. Click Image for details.

The Troy Mine is looking to hire...

2011-03-25T09:14:00.001-06:00

The Troy Mine is looking to hire one to three individuals for our exploration projects at the Troy Mine (Lincoln County) and future Rock Creek Mine (Sanders County).

We are open to hiring under grads for the summer and / or individuals who have graduated that want to consider summer work that could evolve into full time employment.

The information below is a brief job description which will be tweaked based on the individual’s experience, career goals, and the project requirements.

The Exploration and Technical Services Department’s summer projects include the exploration drill program, GPS surveys, and tailing impoundment construction.

Projects for the exploration program include the following:

Install and repair the drill water pipeline from the South Adit and Mainhaulage Adit to core drill sites.

Reclamation of the 2010 core drill sites including minor re-contouring, seeding & weed control.

Saw core for assay.

Organize and wrap core for transport from the Ireco building to the Rock Creek core storage building.

Direct the storage of Troy 2010 - 2011 exploration core at the Rock Creek core storage building.

Organizing Rock Creek rejects at the Rock Creek core storage building.

Assist the surveyor in GPS triangulation survey.

Weed control spraying at the Rock Creek Support Facilities site.

Core logging for GeoTech.

Projects for the Troy Mine include the following:

Assist the surveyor in layout and final volume surveying for the Section I main dike and the decant dike.

Assist the surveyor in GPS triangulation survey.

Cover letter, resume, and transcripts should be sent to: GuisewiteR@TroyMine.com. My phone number is 406-295-5882, ext. 224.

WANTED: internship providers

2011-03-22T11:50:00.002-06:00

Help our students explore geoscience career options while you utilize the skills and
knowledge they have gained in their courses in UM Geosciences, by offering them summer
intern positions. Internships contribute a unique component of professional experience to a
college degree that helps students define their goals beyond graduation. Contact Kathleen
Harper, our Internship Coordinator (kathleen.harper@umontana.edu), to help out!

UM Hydrologist Maneta featured in Montana Water News

2011-02-25T14:49:00.005-07:00

UM Geosciences Professor Marco Maneta is featured in the latest issue (February) of Montana Water News. The article highlights the research that Marco and his students are conducting in the Bitterroot Range of Western Montana.

Read the entire feature here.

Check out Marco's other work at his website.

Scholarships and Grants avaliable from SPWLA

2011-01-26T09:31:00.001-07:00

The Foundation of the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA), has funds available for Scholarships and Grants. Additional information is available at www.spwla.org. SPWLA scholarships provide financial assistance to qualified undergraduate students pursuing a study program directly related to the science and application of formation evaluation. Grants aid in the support of graduate student and faculty research projects directly related to the science and application of formation evaluation. The deadline for receiving applications is April 1, 2011.

Application forms are also available in the UM Geosciences office (CHCB 311).

Undergraduate Robert Livesay Receives Award!

2010-11-29T13:53:00.003-07:00

Geosciences student Robert Livesay has been awarded a Davidson Honors College Undergraduate Research Award for Spring 2011. Robert will be researching geomorphic changes on the lower Blackfoot River, in collaboration with his advisor Andrew Wilcox.

Photo caption: Robert Livesay prepares to conduct a bathymetric survey on the lower Blackfoot River using an echosounder and GPS (November 2010).

GSA Action

2010-11-04T14:54:00.003-06:00

GSA a Rousing Success!

Faculty and students had a large presence at the GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA meeting in Denver this year. Two vans headed south for the meeting and returned safely. Faculty and students presented talks and posters and hosted an information table that received lots of action. Jim Sears led a pre-meeting trip here in western Montana and wrote a nice guidebook--make sure to get a copy. Thanks to all those that participated and all the alumni that visited our table in Denver.

Jeremy Malberg and Kyle Durrett presenting posters at GSA:

Jim Sears Pre-meeting Fieldtrip in Western Montana:

Name That Mineral!

2010-09-27T09:13:00.010-06:00

Fieldtrip news and a mineralogy quiz from Julie Baldwin:

I took my grad/undergrad petrology seminar class on a field trip to the Clearwater Mountains in Idaho this weekend (the focus of the seminar is on metamorphic core complexes so we wanted to actually have a look at one). It was the Cork students' [here as part of the International Field Geoscience Program] first trip outside of Missoula since they arrived [from Ireland this fall]. The rain amazingly only fell between 6:00 and 8:00 AM and held off, until a nice downpour at the last stop. Otherwise a beautiful fall weekend. The photo in the above right is a challenge to "name that mineral". Let us hear from you on our blog.

Ice Rocks: Rolling Stone Highlights Greenland Ice Sheet Work

2010-09-24T13:50:00.006-06:00

The latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine has an article on the Greenland Ice Sheet and the research being conducted by Joel Harper and his colleagues. To read the article online go to:

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/208775

Make sure to click to page 2 where Joel's is quoted. Joel is now (September 24th, 2:00PM MDT) stuck in Greenland. He says in an email this afternoon, "Stuck in Greenland for an extra two days. High winds and un-flyable conditions. Plenty of coffee left, but only oatmeal to eat." Modern communications are amazing--news is published before the researchers doing it are even out of the field!!

Your Inner Stromatoporoid: Freshman Fieldtrip

2010-09-16T14:42:00.008-06:00

On a beautiful September Sunday, Jim Sears took his "Introduction to Honors" class on a field trip into the Garnet Range to re-create the type of experience that paleontologists have when they search for fossils. The trip was an outgrowth of the UM 2010 Freshman Reading Experience “Your Inner Fish” by Neil Shubin. Shubin is a paleontologist who, with his colleagues, found the missing link between fish and amphibians in Devonian rocks in the Canadian Arctic. On Sears’ fieldtrip, the students explored fossiliferous outcrops of Devonian strata in western Montana and collected samples of stromatoporoids, under the direction of paleontologist George Stanley, who joined the trip. The goal of the trip was to give non-geoscience students a taste for geological exploration and discovery.

Origins of the Ice Ages: Talk by Peter Huybers

2010-09-14T13:29:00.005-06:00

Dr. Peter Huybers of Harvard University and a MacArthur "Genius" Grant awardee will give a talk titled, "On the Astronomical Control of Late Pleistocene Ice Ages" on Monday at 4:10PM in the South Underground lecture Hall. Come hear about the latest research on what started and controlled the ice ages. This is a chance to hear about one of the most fascinating aspects of Pleistocene geology and how it affects the future of the Earth's climate. Do not miss it!