PUBLICATIONS Dr. Oliver Frauenfeld (GEOG) was a co-author in Environmental Research Letters: Frauenfeld, O. W. and T. Zhang, 2011: An observational 71-year history of seasonally frozen ground changes in the Eurasian high latitudes. Environ. Res. Lett., 6, 044024, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/6/4/044024. Dr. Heath Mills (OCNG), Dr. Adam Klaus (OCNG) and the rest of the IODP Expedition 336 scientists published, "The Integrated Ocean Program (IODP) Expedition 336 Preliminary Report, Mid-Atlantic Ridge microbiology: Initiation of long-term coupled microbiological, geochemical, and hydrological experimentation within the seafloor at North Pond, western flank of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge." More information about the expedition can be found here. Dr. Heath Mills (OCNG) has a paper accepted, Characterization of microbial populations shifts during sample storage, Frontiers in Extreme Microbiology: Deep Subsurface Microbiology," Mills, H.J., B.K. Reese, and C. St. Peter MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES AGU 2011 The College was well-represented at the AGU conference, Dec. 5-9, in San Francisco with representatives from all the departments participating in multiple sessions. Former Geosciences dean, Dr. Robert Duce, participated in the AGU Awards Ceremony as a co-citationist for Dr. Jarvis Moyers, who was awarded the Edward A. Flinn III Award for "unselfish cooperation in research through facilitating, coordinating, and implementing activities." Dr. Duce reports that "Dr. Moyers, who passed away last summer, was my first graduate student in the 1960s at the University of Hawaii and was director of the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences at the National Science Foundation until shortly before his death." Dr. Heath Mills (OCNG) attended the U.S. Science Advisory Committee (USSAC) and IODP Town Hall meetings at AGU. Dr. Mills is one of 12 members of the national advisory committee for U.S. participation in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program and wider issues in scientific ocean drilling. POSTER SESSIONS Dr. Robert Duce (ATMO and OCNG): "A New NRC Report on Scientific Ocean Drilling: Accomplishments and Challenges," Duce, R.A., Goldstein, A., Glickson, D., Banerjee, S.K., Curry, W.B., Friberg, M., Huber, J.A., Jackson, M.E., Millheim, K., Mukasa, S.B., Naish, T., Olsen, P.E., Summa, L.L., Trehu, A.M. Dr. Oliver Frauenfeld (GEOG): "Observe Station-based 1956-2000 Soil Flux Anomalies at 423 Sites Across the Eurasian High Latitudes," O.W. Frauenfeld and T. Zhang. Dr. Chris Houser (GEOG), Dr. Sarah Brooks (ATMO), Dr. Oliver Frauenfeld (GEOG), Ph.D. student Kelly Lemons (GEOG), Dr. Steve Quiring (GEOG), Dr. Anita Rapp (ATMO), Dr. Brendan Roark (GEOG), Dr. Gunnar Schade (ATMO) and Dr. Courtney Schumacher (ATMO), with Drs. Anthony Cahill and Gretchen Miller of the Civil Engineering Department, Dr. Kevin McInnes of the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, and Drs. Georgianne Moore, Mark Tjoleker and Robert Washington-Allen of the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management:"Eco-Hydrology of a Tropical Montane Cloud Forest: A New REU Site Hosted by Texas A&M University."
Dr. Kate Miller (Dean), Dr. Chris Houser (GEOG), and Dr. Sonia Garcia, (director of recruitment): "A New Pre-college Program to Attract Underrepresented Minorities and First Generation Students to the Geosciences."
Dr. Matthew Howard (OCNG): "The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative: Managing a Multidisciplinary Data Explosion," M.K. Howard, J.C. Gibeaut and D. Reed. Dr. Heath Mills (OCNG) and graduate students Brandi Reese (OCNG) and Alicia Shepard (OCNG) - "Exploring how to characterize the subsurface biosphere by drilling beneath the Great Barrier Reef" by H.J. Mills, B.K. Reese, C. St. Peter, A. Shepard and IODP Expedition 325 Scientists
- "Biogeopgraphy of metabolically active microbial populations within the subseafloor biosphere" by B.K. Reese, A. Shepard, C. St. Peter and H.J. Mills
Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon (ATMO) - "Inclusion of Climate Dynamics in the American Meteorological Society's Bachelor's Degree Statement."
- "AASC Recommendations for the Education of an Applied Climatologist," J.W. Nielsen-Gammon, D. Stooksbury, A. Akyuz, L. Dupigny-Giroux, K.G. Hubbard and M. M. Timofeyeva.
Dr. William Sager (OCNG) - "Analysis of marine multi-channel seismic data using 2D continuous wavelet transform," A.K. Vuong, J. Zhang, R.L. Gibson and W.W. Sager
- "Magnetic properties and paleointensity determinations on basalts from Shatsky Rise," C. Carvallo, P. Camps, M. Ooga, W.W. Sager and M. Tominaga
- "Crustal structure of Shatsky Rise from joint refraction and reflection seismic tomography," J. Krenaga and W.W. Sager
- "Magma variety and geochemical stratigraphy of Shatsky Rise," T. Sano, K. Shimizu, A. Ishikawa, R. Senda, C. Qing, J. I. Kimura, M. Widdowson and W.W. Sager
ORAL PRESENTATIONS Dr. Inci Guneralp (GEOG): "River meandering in heterogeneous floodplains," Inci Guneralp (presenter), Bruce L. Rhoads Dr. Benchun Duan (G&G): - "Using dynamic rupture models to explore physical controls on the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake rupture."
- Co-presented with graduate student Jingqian Kang (G&G), "Dependence of residual displacements on the width and depth of compliant fault zones: a 3D study."
Dr. William Sager (OCNG): "The Shatsky Rise Supervolcano and the Formation of Oceanic Plateaus," by W.W. Sager, T. Sano, J. Korenaga and Expedition 324 Scientists.
Dr. Zhankun Wang (OCNG) presenting and co-authors, Dr. Steve DiMarco (OCNG), Marion Stoessel (OCNG) and Dr. Xioqian Zhang (OCNG): "Oscillation Responses to an Extreme Weather Event from a Deep Moored Observing System," Z. Wang, S.F. DiMarco, M. Stoessel and S. Ingle. SESSIONS Dr. Heath Mills (OCNG) co-chaired "Novel Microbial Process in the Deep Biosphere." Dr. William Sager (OCNG) chaired "Structure, Origin and HIstory of Oceanic Plateaus" oral and poster sessions. MEDIA Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon (ATMO) blogged about AGU for his column Climate Abyss in the Houston Chronicle (entries from Dec. 5 to Dec. 9).
AWARDS AND HONORS
 | GERG employees receive service pins. |
Lisa Reichert, Eddie Webb and Sylvia Mendez-Pitts (GERG) were recently honored for their service to Texas A&M University. Eddie received a pin for his 25 years of service, and Lisa and Sylvia both received 20-year pins.
Dr. Oliver Frauenfeld IN THE NEWS Texas A&M Marketing and Communications division selected the College of Geosciences as its first major ad buy in the Texas Tribune. The ad, "Protecting the Texas Coastline," leads the reader to an article in TAMUTimes, which features a video interview with Dr. Steve DiMarco (OCNG) and interviews with Dr. Norman Guinasso (GERG) and Bill Walpert (GERG). A news release written by Texas Sea Grant's Jim Hiney about giant shrimp and tiger fish invading the Gulf of Mexico appeared in major news outlets throughout the world, including all major newspapers in Texas, the Washington Post and CNN News. AAG SmartBrief reported on Dr. Kathleen O'Reilly (GEOG) receiving a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to study sanitation practices in rural India. |