Speakers 2010

Suzanne Carbotte

Portrait of Suzanne Carbotte

Biography

Suzanne Carbotte is the Bruce C. Heezen Senior Research Chair at Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University. Her primary research focuses on the formation and early evolution of the Earth's crust at the global Mid–Ocean Ridge. In her research she makes use of a variety of marine geophysical techniques, including acoustic methods to image the seafloor expression of crustal creation processes and reflection seismic studies to image the crustal interior. Carbotte's field–work has included oceanographic research expeditions in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans as well as closer to home in the Hudson River and New York Harbor. Recently she has become involved in national efforts to develop cyberinfrastructure for the geosciences and is Program Director of the Marine Geoscience Data System hosted at LDEO. She has a B.Sc. degree in Geology and Physics from University of Toronto, M.Sc. from Queens University, Canada, and a Ph.D. in Marine Geophysics from University of California Santa Barbara.

Lectures

 

Matt Schrenk

Portrait of Matt Schrenk

Biography

Matt Schrenk is an Assistant Professor of microbiology at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. Most of his research has focused upon the growth of microorganisms on mineral surfaces, in communities known as biofilms. In particular, he is interested the ecological and evolutionary roles of biofilms in some of the highest temperature ecosystems on Earth- at the deep–sea hydrothermal vents. Matt received his B.Sc. in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Wisconsin– Madison in 1998, while double–majoring in South Asian Studies. He conducted two thesis projects as an undergraduate, one while studying abroad for a year in India– and a second project studying the microbiology of an extreme acid mine drainage environment in northern California. Matt then received his Ph.D. in Oceanography with a Certificate in Astrobiology from the University of Washington, where he worked with Dr. John Baross. Matt participated in the recovery of the largest sulfide chimney structures to date from the Juan de Fuca Ridge in 1998– and later had the opportunity to conduct the first microbiological analyses of the newly–discovered carbonate towers from the Lost City Field in 2001. Matt continues to research the microbial ecology of biofilms in deep–sea vent environments, while conducting comparative studies of shallow marine hydrothermal vents of the Aeolian Islands in Sicily, and terrestrial alkaline seeps in Newfoundland, Canada.

Lectures

 

Bill Seyfried

Portrait of Bill Seyfried

Biography

William E. (Bill) Seyfried, Jr. is a Professor of Geochemistry at the University of Minnesota. He has long been interested in studying geochemical controls on hydrothermal alteration processes at mid–ocean ridges. Submarine hydrothermal systems at mid–ocean ridges play an important role in the exchange of heat and chemicals between the ocean crust and seawater with attendant effects on global geochemical balances. Experiments and theoretical models by Seyfried and co–workers have helped to constrain the cause and effect of pH and redox–controlling reactions on mass transport processes involving both dissolved inorganic and organic species in subseafloor hydrothermal fluids. More recently, however, he has reconfigured chemical sensors initially developed for laboratory studies into stand–alone instruments that can be deployed at vent sites to provide in situ measurements of pH and redox species in hydrothermal fluids at elevated temperatures and pressures. With the expanding opportunities provided by ocean observatory initiatives, the development and application of in situ chemical sensor systems represent an important advance for exploring the interplay between chemical and physical processes that influence the origin and evolution of hydrothermal vent fluids and coexisting biologic communities in space and time.

Lectures

Adam Soule

Portrait of Adam Soule

Biography

Adam Soule is an Associate Scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution specializing in physical volcanology, seafloor mapping, and marine geology. He has a B.A. from Carleton College (1997) and a Ph.D. from University of Oregon (2003). His interest in volcanology began in 1980 when he witnessed the explosive eruption of Mt. St. Helens. Adam began his research career working on the physical processes controlling volcanic eruptions and lava flow emplacement on subaerial volcanoes such as those that make up the Hawaiian Islands. He later began a post-doctoral fellowship at WHOI where he became interested in mid–ocean ridge volcanic eruptions. Adam's research approach is to use detailed observations at the seafloor using deep–submergence technology in order to understand how deep ocean eruptions occur. He integrates observations from the small scale (textures of bubbles and crystals within the rocks) to the large scale (geologic mapping of mid–ocean ridge segments) in order to discern how overlapping and intermingled eruptions collectively build the ocean crust. Adam works closely with seismologists, hydrothermal fluid chemists, and biologists to understand the interconnected processes that occur along the largest magmatic feature on the planet. Adam has active research projects at mid–ocean ridges globally including the East Pacific Rise, Mid–Atlantic Ridge, Gakkel Ridge, Southwest Indian Ridge, and Guaymas Basin and continues to work on subaerial volcanoes in Hawaii, the Cascades, and Antarctica.

Lectures