Past Events

Midwest Geobiology Symposium

44th Lunar & Planetary Science Conference

11th International GeoRaman Conference

The 11th International GeoRaman Conference, one of the two major international conferences concentrated on laser Raman spectroscopy and its applications, will be held in the continental United States for the first time. 

The 11th International GeoRaman conference in St. Louis will focus on two major aspects of laser Raman spectroscopy:

1. The most advanced technologies and instrumentation, from laboratories to a wide variety of field applications, e.g., industrial and security monitoring, geo-fields, deep ocean, and on other planets;
2. The newest applications in studying inorganic, organic, and bio-genetic materials in Earth Sciences, Planetary Sciences, Environmental Science, Forensic Science, Archaeology and Archaeometry, Gemmology, and Astrobiology.

Public Lecture: Valerie Fox

McDonnell Center Distinguished Lecturer: John Grotzinger

Abstract: The Murray formation, Gale crater, Mars is distinctive in containing elevated silica compositions relative to other Gale rocks exposed in outcrop. These high silica rocks are also marked by their fine grain size of < 60-70 microns and mm-scale lamina.  Lamination is characteristically parallel, with horizontal to gently inclined attitude, and absence of cross-stratification. Sediment-filled mudcracks (evidence of desiccation) are absent, as are outsized clasts, such as pyroclasts, impact ejecta blocks, or glacial dropstones.  Early to late diagenetic textures are present including dendritic concretions, prismatic crystal pseudomorphs, and calcium sulfate-filled fractures. High silica rocks show repeating characteristic lamina thicknesses reminiscent of terrestrial lake sediments. Deposition is likely to have occurred in a pro-delta environment where clastic sediment was delivered as river plumes, and perhaps also as authigenic phases from lake waters. Chemical and mineralogical analyses indicate that the majority of Murray formation mudstones are composed of roughly equal proportions of clastic igneous minerals, and secondary phases (e.g., phyllosilicates), including amorphous mineraloids of probable secondary origin. The mudstones are sourced by incipiently weathered basalt, and are possibly cemented by Ca-Mg-sulfates and silica, the latter in the form of cristobalite or opal.  Redox cycling is indicated by variable amounts of hematite, magnetite, and jarosite, and likely reflects dynamic primary lake water and/or diagenetic redox conditions. For a smaller number of samples silica contents reach values as high as ~70-85 wt %, and include ~10% trydimite The fine-scale lamination is not disrupted by post-depositional weathering or alteration processes. Hydrothermal and acid-sulfate weathering mechanisms are frequently invoked to explain the occurrence of siliceous rocks on Mars, and the presence of trydimite suggests distal silicic volcanic ash or eroded silica-rich detritus. However, available sedimentological, geochemical, and mineralogic data also support a fourth hypothesis: that at least some silica enrichment occurred via chemical precipitation as sediment within a subaqueous lake setting, perhaps similar to terrestrial banded iron formation.

Graduate Professional Council General Body Meeting

MSA Distinguished Lecturer Clara Chan

The Earth is teeming with microbes that make minerals. In great numbers, these microbes have significant environmental consequences. I will talk about biomineralization of elemental sulfur and iron oxyhydroxides, including insights into composition and formation by the phototrophic S-oxidizer Chlorobaculum tepidum, as well as chemolithotrophic Epsilonproteobacteria. We have also studied Fe-oxidizing bacteria and how they form distinctive Fe oxides that can be used as biosignatures. Using lab- and field-based work, I will show how these tiny architects build macroscopic biomineral structures, and thus how microbes can contribute to geologic-scale deposits.

For information on the speaker, visit her website at: http://udel.edu/~cschan/Site/Home.html

EPS Colloquium: Heather Savage

How Hot Do Faults Get During Earthquakes?

During earthquakes, faults heat up due to their frictional resistance. Sometimes, the temperature rise during earthquakes makes the rocks hot enough to melt. However, solidified frictional melt (pseudotachylyte) is not very common in the rock record, and other paleoseismic temperature proxies have only recently been established. The dearth of pseudotachylyte led researchers to hypothesize that faults get very weak during earthquakes, and hence do not produce much heat. If faults dramatically weaken during slip, there are important implications for how earthquakes propagate, and hence why some earthquakes grow to be very large. Here, we use a new sub-solidus temperature proxy, biomarker thermal maturity, to identify temperature rise on faults in a variety of tectonic settings. With this new temperature proxy we revisit some outstanding questions in fault mechanics such as: Where does earthquake slip occurs in a fault zone? Can creeping faults host earthquakes? Does lithology control rupture propagation? and How is energy partitioned during earthquakes? How strong are faults during earthquakes?

Apollo 50th Anniversary Moon Landing Party

Join us at this free all-day event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing! Meet aeronautics and astronautics professionals, including Moon landing experts, and discover more about the science, technology, ingenuity, and effort involved in getting us to the Moon and back! Explore what it might take to get us back to the Moon and beyond!

11:15 am Moonstruck
Dr. Michael Bouchard, Washington University in St. Louis Earth and Planetary Sciences Department/NASA Earth and Space Sciences Fellow
Explore what the Apollo program taught us about the Moon and why it matters.

2:15 pm Exploring the Moon Fifty Years After Apollo 11
Dr. Brad Jolliff, Washington University in St. Louis
Discover the legacy of Apollo 11 and what comes next in the exploration of the Moon.

3:00 pm Apollo Moon Landing Countdown
Dr. Brad Jolliff, Washington University in St. Louis
Join us for a special Facebook live stream of a countdown to 3:17pm, when the Apollo 11 Lunar Module landed on the Moon 50 years ago! Stay for a flag-planting photo op on the Energy Stage.

POSTPONED: Fostering an Inclusive Classroom Climate

Teaching to a Diverse Population

St. Louis Astronomical Society Meeting - Water, water, everywhere

“Water, water, everywhere: from the study of meteorites to the origin of Earth's water”, a presentation by Dr. Lionel Vacher of Washington University, will be featured at the September meeting of the Saint Louis Astronomical Society. The meeting will be held via Zoom online conference only, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The meeting and lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 18. Zoom access information is posted on the Society’s website, https://www.slasonline.org/. The event, cosponsored by NASA's Missouri Space Grant Consortium, is open to the public free of charge. 

Over 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, to an average ocean depth of almost 2.5 miles. Where did all that water come from?  The origin of Earth’s oceans is a major topic of modern planetary science research. Most theories about the formation of the Earth propose that our planet formed too close to the Sun to retain large quantities of water. Dr. Vacher will explain the leading theories for the original source of Earth’s water, and indicate how his own studies of certain types of meteorites may provide some answers to water questions. 

Dr. Lionel Vacher is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Physics at Washington University and a member of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences.  His primary research interests include “primitive” meteorites, the origin of water in the solar system, the effects of water on meteorite chemistry, and hydrothermal experiments. 

The St. Louis Astronomical Society is an organization for individuals interested in astronomy and telescopes. The public is invited to attend its meetings, telescope observing sessions, and special events. For more information about Astronomical Society events, please visit https://www.slasonline.org/, or call 314-962-9231. 

Midwest Climate Summit - Session 3

The Midwest Climate Summit planning committee has worked hard to bring together a phenomenal lineup of talented and inspirational speakers. Coming from various backgrounds, sectors, and identities, each of them brings a unique perspective to the table.

Registration Required

Call to Action: Anti-Racism Efforts in the Geosciences

Geoscientists of Color and Call to Action teams will host the workshop to grow awareness of the anti-racism calls to action. It will occur during the Geological Society of America (GSA) virtual conference week. The workshop will revisit two widely shared calls for anti-racist action in the geosciences, No Time For Silence and A Robust Anti-racism Plan, published in Summer 2020. During this workshop, participants will hear from organizers of the calls, reflect on anti-racist actions they can take and advocate for, and consider ways to move forward as a community.

To register, fill out this brief form to then receive a Zoom link. You do not need to be a member of GSA or be registered for the GSA conference to participate.

Midwest Climate Summit - Session 4

The Midwest Climate Summit planning committee has worked hard to bring together a phenomenal lineup of talented and inspirational speakers. Coming from various backgrounds, sectors, and identities, each of them brings a unique perspective to the table.

Registration Required

Wednesdays with WashU: Robert L. Behnken

Join us for a conversation between Chancellor Andrew D. Martin and Robert L. Behnken, BS ’92, BS ’92, (Colonel, U.S. Air Force) NASA Astronaut. The two will discuss Colonel Behnken's experience as a NASA astronaut and his most recent Spaceflight experience as a member of the SpaceX Crew Dragon, Demo-2 mission, which landed August 2, 2020. 

A St. Louis native, Colonel Behnken attended WashU as an Air Force ROTC scholar. Behnken earned bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and engineering physics and was the university’s Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Senior. He was awarded the engineering Young Alumni Award in 2009 and the Founder’s Day Distinguished Alumni Award in 2013.

Climate Change Speaker Series: Scott W. Tinker

Tinker is the director of the Bureau of Economic Geology at UT-Austin, the State Geologist of Texas, and the chairman of the Switch Energy Alliance. His work in energy and the economy in 65 countries integrates industry, government, academics, and NGOs.

Midwest Climate Summit - Session 5

The Midwest Climate Summit planning committee has worked hard to bring together a phenomenal lineup of talented and inspirational speakers. Coming from various backgrounds, sectors, and identities, each of them brings a unique perspective to the table.

Registration Required

Climate Conversation: Extreme Weather Events

James E. McLeod Honors & Awards Program

These awards were established by the Black Studies Program in 1971 to recognize students who have served the community and the campus, and/or who achieved outstanding academic accomplishments.

Virtual Pride: Mapping LGBTQ St. Louis

Join Curator of Local History, Miranda Rectenwald, for a virtual presentation and discussion of the new updates on the Mapping LGBTQ St. Louis website. With over 800 locations represented, this digital project puts queer history on the map. 

Free and open to all, pre-registration required.

Tyson Summer Seminar Series: Tallgrass Prairie Restoration

Every summer, the Tyson Research Center hosts a weekly seminar series with presentations on a variety of environmental topics. The goal of the series is to provide a casual forum for local and national researchers to speak to the St. Louis scientific community and to foster camaraderie and collaboration. The Seminar Series will be live-streamed on the Tyson YouTube channel.

Photogrammetry for Architecture