Interest In Geosciences Research Articles

“I think they only study seawater”: Oceanography classroom career panel as a tool to promote geoscience career awareness

The utilization of a professional geoscience career panel as a curricular classroom activity can be essential for promoting career awareness. By interacting with professionals, students can be exposed to diverse geoscientific careers, helping them understand various professional paths and the real-world applications of their studies. Using social constructivism and critical reflection theories of learning, we designed and implemented a two-day career panel attended by ten ocean scientists in an undergraduate oceanography course for majors and non-majors. We used a qualitative, quasi-experimental design involving pre-and-post reflection data collected from the treatment group (n = 22) and control group (n = 19), and five post-treatment interviews to evaluate the effectiveness of the career panel on students’ ocean science career awareness. While the pre-reflections revealed that students in both the treatment and control groups had low awareness and knowledge about ocean science careers and practice, students in the treatment group showed improved awareness about ocean science careers and disciplines, processes of ocean science work, and the social and cultural impact of ocean science work after attending the career panel. Students in the treatment group also showed increased interest in ocean science and geosciences in general. Results indicate classroom career panel that include personal narratives, discussions, and students’ critical reflections can be effective tools to promote career awareness and interest in the geosciences. We provide implications for geoscience education such as supplementing classroom career panel with hands-on activities (e.g., job simulations), advanced organizers (e.g., worksite visits), and experiential learning opportunities (e.g., internships) as instructional tools to promote students’ career awareness.

Strengthening geoscience educational pathways for underrepresented students from two-year to four-year institutions

An opportunity exists to attract students from historically underrepresented communities into the geosciences, the least diverse of the STEM fields. Home to a diverse population, Riverside County in Southern California supports several community colleges with thriving geoscience programs where students can take a range of geology courses in preparation for a geology major at 4-year universities. The Geoscientist Development (GEODE) Program is designed to recruit and retain students from underrepresented groups into geoscience majors and careers and increase students’ interest in transferring from a 2-year college to a 4-year college. In this study, we examined how participation in a 10-week paid research internship affected students’ interest in studying and pursuing a degree or career in geoscience. Combining quantitative analysis of Likert-style survey questions and thematic content analysis of open-ended questions, we determined that paid research internships positively impacted students’ interest in geoscience and increased their interest in transferring from their 2-year college to a 4-year university. The students reported benefits of new research skills, career preparation, and networking; they struggled with a lack of background knowledge and a lack of research time. These results demonstrate a promising way to strengthen geoscience educational pathways and increase diversity in the geosciences. This program can be implemented at other institutions by forming cross-campus relationships and with relatively small financial commitments.

Promoting sense of belonging and interest in the geosciences among undergraduate women through mentoring

ABSTRACT Efforts to diversify STEM fields have not completely eliminated higher rates of women leaving certain science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, such as geosciences. A diverse mentorship network is linked to persistence in STEM among college students, but little is known about how it leads to persistence. In particular, does a student’s sense of belonging mediate the relationship between the diversity of one’s mentor network and persistence in a field? This longitudinal study investigated whether students’ university sense of belonging mediates the relationship between the diversity of mentor networks and interest in geoscience. 253 college women in STEM majors from nine U.S. universities reported on the diversity of their mentor networks, university belongingness, and interest in geoscience from Spring 2018 to Spring 2019. Consistent with our hypotheses, mediation analysis revealed a statistically and practically significant indirect effect of the diversity of mentor networks on interest development through university belonging.

Frequent Limits and Advantages of Conditions for Geology Education: Example of Czech and Slovak State Curricula

Geology is a subject of low interest for many pupils and teachers. The present study aims at examining the organizational conditions for geology education using the model of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, drawing from the national curricula. The study discusses the possible reasons for the unpopularity of the field worldwide and proposes general recommendations that would contribute to increasing interest in geoscience. The main drawbacks of geology education seem to be the large volume of required knowledge, its thematic structure, and a lack of links to real life. The Czech curriculum is vaguely and theoretically defined, placing demand on pupils, especially in the area of memorizing given information and practically pays no attention to recommended teaching methods. In contrast, the Slovak curriculum better reflects current trends. In general, it is necessary to implement continuous educational support for geology teachers and restructure the geology syllabus so that individual sub-fields are interlinked. Moreover, the learning outcome definition should include action-based education, fieldwork, experimenting, and similar elements.

Sensing the global CRUST1.0 Moho by gravitational curvatures of crustal mass anomalies

ABSTRACT The gravitational curvatures (GC, the third-order derivatives of the gravitational potential) in gravity field modeling are gaining increased interest in geosciences. The crustal effects of the GC and Moho variation sensed by the GC are not fully evaluated for the current study. In this contribution, the effects of the GC induced by topographic and anomalous crustal masses are investigated based on ETOPO1 and CRUST1.0 models using the tesseroids. By adopting the gravitational stripping correction, the residual GC sensed by the CRUST1.0 Moho depths are presented globally to examine whether the GC can sense crustal mass anomalies at the satellite altitude of 260 km . The spatial analysis using the Pearson correlations coefficient (PCC) between the residual GC and the CRUST1.0 Moho depths is performed. Among the 10 residual GC functionals, the PCC value of the residual radial-radial-radial component δ T zzz res is largest with 0.31, where this value is highly dependent on the spectral content removed from the EGM2008, e.g. signals assumed to relate to deeper mass anomalies. Numerical experiments show that with the increased order of the derivatives up to third-order, the fineness level of different global Moho sensed crustal mass anomalies increases correspondingly. Taking the Tibetan plateau for example, the values of the δ T zzz res can better reveal the detailed features of the Tibetan plateau’s Moho depth than these of the lower-order residual radial functionals (i.e. disturbing potential δ T res , disturbing radial gravity vector δ T z res , and disturbing radial-radial gravity gradient tensor δ T zz res ), especially for the Qaidam, Sichuan, Tarim, and Turpan basins. Numerical results over the Himalayan region demonstrate that the GC component δ T z res has some potential in geophysical inversion. These residual GC functionals would help to get a better knowledge of the internal structures of the Earth and other planetary objects.

Structural, hydrogeological and hydrochemical characterization of aquifers in the Paraná Basin: An integrated literature review

The Paraná Basin in Brazil is of vital importance and because of a large groundwater reservoir and the high exploitation of this resource by the population a structural and hydrogeochemical knowledge is needed. Objectives: 1) Analyze studies that address the structural, hydrogeological and hydrochemical characterization of aquifers in the Paraná Basin; 2) Highlight the main techniques used in the respective studies and the scientific development arising from the use of these techniques for a better hydrochemical and structural understanding of the Paraná Basin. Methodology: Tracing lineaments from satellite image and field work are the main techniques used for structural characterization. For hydrochemical analyses, factorial methods physical-chemical analyses are used. Results: the most common chemical types of groundwater that circulate in the sedimentary and volcanic units of the Paraná Basin, which include the Pirambóia, Irati, Rio Bonito, Botucatu and Serra Geral formations are calciumbicarbonates, calcium-magnesian bicarbonates, calcium-sodium bicarbonates and sodium-sulphate-chloride bicarbonates. Sodium-sulfated waters are not found in the Serra Geral Formation, except when they come from the sedimentary units. Sodium and sulfate are not expected ions in basalt weathering, and therefore a greater understanding is needed on structural communication by means of faults that occur between the Serra Geral Aquifer System (SGAS) and the mesozoic and permian sedimentary aquifers and aquitards that contribute for unexpected ions in the SGAS. Conclusion: The Paraná Basin is a reason for interest in geological studies in Brazil because of its link to several areas of interest in geosciences, which include hydrochemistry, stratigraphy, paleontology and hydrogeology.

Two-Year College Students Report Multiple Benefits From Participation in an Integrated Geoscience Research, Coursework, and Outreach Internship Program

Objective: Despite the availability of high-paying, high-demand careers, few women and students from underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities enter undergraduate programs understanding what the geosciences are and associated available career opportunities. This problem is compounded for students from backgrounds underrepresented in the United States. High-impact practices, such as mentoring, internships, undergraduate research experiences, and cohort-building, increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering, and math at 4-year institutions. What is not yet clear is the impact these interventions have on underrepresented students at two-year colleges, where the STEM pathway has become a main postsecondary school entry point for these students due to the affordability, flexibility, and academic support provided. Therefore, we designed, implemented, and researched a year-long program providing underrepresented students at a two-year college exposure to several of these experiences. Methods: We interviewed program participants about their perceptions and experiences in the program. Analysis proceeded using constant comparison. Results: Participants reported benefits from networking opportunities, gains in confidence, and gains in job skills, while some reported challenges for participation such as communication and time expectation conflicts; participants also struggled to balance the program with employment needs on top of school requirements. Different aspects of the program benefited different students, suggesting that all of these experiences could support recruitment and foster interest in geoscience for underrepresented students at two-year colleges. Conclusion: We conclude with implications for future research, program enhancements, and time constraint and mentoring needs related to characteristics of two-year college students.

On the theory of Biot-patchy-squirt mechanism for wave propagation in partially saturated double-porosity medium

Reservoir rocks have a coherent heterogeneous porous matrix saturated by multiple fluids. At long wavelength limit, the composite material of solid skeleton is usually regarded as homogeneous media. However, at grain scale or high loading rate, non-uniform fluid flow plays an essential role in wave dispersion and attenuation. Formulating wave propagation in partially saturated and fractured rocks is challenging and is of great interest in geoscience. Recent studies have shown that the mechanisms of wave attenuation caused by viscous dissipation, patchy-saturation, and squirt flow are different. However, the relationship among these mechanisms and the combined effect on wave attenuation are not clear. Here, a Biot-patchy-squirt (BIPS) model is proposed to characterize wave dispersion/attenuation in fractured poroelastic media saturated by immiscible fluids. BIPS model incorporates local fluid-interface flow (LFIF) and squirt flow into global fluid flow simultaneously. Theoretical analysis shows that BIPS is consistent with the Biot theory, squirt flow, and LFIF models, and is reduced to these models under extreme conditions. More interestingly, numerical simulations reveal that the existence of squirt flow partially counterbalances the dissipative effect of LFIF at the patch interface. The attenuation-frequency relationship observed in experiments capturing evidence of squirt flow and patchy-saturation interface flow is reproduced by using the BIPS model. The results show that BIPS model is computationally reliable and is in reasonably good agreement with laboratory data. The findings advance understanding of the physics of wave propagation in natural reservoir rocks and push forward the potential applications of the triple dispersion/attenuation mechanism to wave velocity prediction.

Crystallization of GeO2 thin films into α-quartz: from spherulites to single crystals

Piezoelectric quartz (SiO2) crystals are widely used in industry as oscillators. As a natural mineral, quartz and its relevant silicates are also of interest in geoscience and mineralogy. However, the nucleation and growth of quartz crystals are difficult to control and not fully understood. Here we report successful solid-state crystallization of thin film of amorphous GeO2 into quartz on various substrates, including Al2O3, MgAl2O4, MgO, LaAlO3 and SrTiO3. At relatively low annealing temperatures, the crystallization process is spherulitic: with fibers growing radially from the nucleation centers and the crystal lattice rotating along the growth direction with a linear dependence between the rotation angle and the distance to the core. For increasingly higher annealing temperatures, quartz crystals begin to form. The edges of the sample play an important role in facilitating nucleation followed by growth sweeping inward until the whole film is crystallized. Control of the growth allows single crystalline quartz to be synthesized, with crystal sizes of hundreds of microns achieved on sapphire substrates, which is promising for further piezoelectric applications. Our study reveals the complexity of the nucleation and growth process of quartz and provides insight for further studies.

Predicting academic and career choice: The role of transformative experience, connection to instructor, and gender accounting for interest/identity and contextual factors

AbstractWe used the social‐cognitive choice model (Lent et al., 2018) as a framework for investigating academic and career choice in the domain of geoscience for male and female students. In addition, we explored the role of perceived connection to instructors and transformative experience as additional factors in the social‐cognitive choice model. A total of 525 individuals from six geoscience departments participated. We conducted three path models with confidence in geoscience among majors (Model 1), intent to major in geoscience among non‐majors (Model 2), and intent to pursue a career in geoscience (Model 3) as outcome variables. Overall, the baseline social‐cognitive choice model explained a moderate amount of variance with variation by model and gender. Students' interest in and identification with geoscience was an important direct predictor of outcomes in all three models. Adding connection to instructor to the baseline model significantly increased the model fit and contributed to the amount of variance explained in Models 2 and 3, but not Model 1. Further, connection to instructor was found to mediate the relation between interest/identity and outcomes as well as directly predict outcomes in Models 2 and 3. These results held for male and female students. Adding transformative experience to the baseline plus connection to instructor model further increased the model fit and contributed to the amount of variance explained for female student in Models 2 and 3, but not for Model 1 and not for male students. Further, transformative experience was found to mediate the relation between interest/identity and outcomes as well as directly predict outcomes in all three models, but only for female students. These results suggest instructors may strengthen geoscience pathways by developing students' interest in geoscience, establishing connections with students, and, for female students, fostering transformative experiences.

New Discovery and Significance of Microbialites of the Middle Ordovician Majiagou Formation in Liujiang Basin, Hebei, China

The concept, classification, genesis, and significance of microbialites have been constantly improving for over a century, but they are still hot spots in the field of geology because of the strong attractions and many unsolved mysteries such as the mechanism of the microbial deposition process, the microbial induced sedimentary structures, and so on. At the same time doubt and confusion arises among students and beginners because of the mysteries. Generally, any findings of various stromatolites, oncolites, and thrombolites are all classified under microbialites. Moreover, microbialites have also been discovered from the middle Ordovician Majiagou formation in Liujiang Basin, Hebei, China. As an important geological practice base for thousands of students and beginners every year, in order to enhance the interest in geosciences the further research of the microbialites found in Liujiang Basin is necessary. In this study, the classification scheme of microbialites has been summarized. On this basis, the study shows that the main microbialites in the study area are microbial carbonate rocks, which include wavy, columnar, conical-shaped stromatolite carbonate rocks and oncolite carbonate rocks. The variety, macroscopic characteristics, and clear internal features of microbialite carbonate rocks are all have considerable significance in judging hydrodynamic conditions, sedimentary environment, paleogeographic characteristics, and biological evolution. And the evolutionary process of different kinds of microbialites has been discussed. However, the roles of microbialites in the formation mechanism and ecological significance are still need further study. With the new discovery of microbialites from the middle Ordovician Majiagou formation in Liujiang Basin, a new window of study microbialites has been opened for everyone. More findings and detailed characteristics of microbialites in this area are urgently needed during geological practice.

ElectroMagnetic Music: a new tool for attracting people's interest in Geosciences, while sensitizing them to planet sustainability

Abstract. In recent years, different sonification methods used to organize scientific work have come out of the scientific realm and crossed into other areas for purposes other than those pursued strictly by scientific research. ElectroMagnetic Music (EMusic), a project born in Italy, fits fully into this area. By transforming into musical pitches the voltage response collected by the transient electromagnetic method (TEM), a well-known geophysical tool for subsurface exploration, this novel approach enables us to extract musical pieces reflecting the geological setting and to provide a soundtrack (i.e. the soundscape or the audio component of a landscape). The soundscape becomes the basis from which a dedicated band improvises jazz music. Besides being a new method for creating music, the project not only has the ambitious goal of attracting people to Earth sciences and their investigative methods but also of raising awareness of the environmental problems that characterize geological sites through the music. In this work, we explore the EMusic experiences gained as a live band travelling around the world. We also report some preliminary data on people's reactions and anticipate some future plans to better assess the potential of the method as a good science communication tool.

SPATIAL-SPECTRAL MANIFOLD EMBEDDING OF HYPERSPECTRAL DATA

Abstract. In recent years, hyperspectral imaging, also known as imaging spectroscopy, has been paid an increasing interest in geoscience and remote sensing community. Hyperspectral imagery is characterized by very rich spectral information, which enables us to recognize the materials of interest lying on the surface of the Earth more easier. We have to admit, however, that high spectral dimension inevitably brings some drawbacks, such as expensive data storage and transmission, information redundancy, etc. Therefore, to reduce the spectral dimensionality effectively and learn more discriminative spectral low-dimensional embedding, in this paper we propose a novel hyperspectral embedding approach by simultaneously considering spatial and spectral information, called spatial-spectral manifold embedding (SSME). Beyond the pixel-wise spectral embedding approaches, SSME models the spatial and spectral information jointly in a patch-based fashion. SSME not only learns the spectral embedding by using the adjacency matrix obtained by similarity measurement between spectral signatures, but also models the spatial neighbours of a target pixel in hyperspectral scene by sharing the same weights (or edges) in the process of learning embedding. Classification is explored as a potential strategy to quantitatively evaluate the performance of learned embedding representations. Classification is explored as a potential application for quantitatively evaluating the performance of these hyperspectral embedding algorithms. Extensive experiments conducted on the widely-used hyperspectral datasets demonstrate the superiority and effectiveness of the proposed SSME as compared to several state-of-the-art embedding methods.

Attitudinal impediments to geology major recruitment among ninth graders at a STEM high school

A university geology department partnered with a STEM-focused high school to introduce project-based learning-centered geoscience content at the ninth-grade level. We hypothesized that these students, already interested in science, would be a natural recruitment pool into geoscience. Because they are enrolled by lottery, their demographics match those of the community, potentially enhancing the recruitment of underrepresented minorities. We administered a survey of students’ attitudes and experiences before and after a semester of geoscience content intervention. We found that two barriers often cited as hindrances to recruitment in geosciences—family/friend opinions and interest in outdoor activity—were not an issue for our students. Students also reported previous exposure to both geoscience and environmental science content, which is significant because they cited interests developed before high school as key influences on college major choice. Although many had not decided on a major, they appear disinclined to view geology as a possibility. Despite their interest in geoscience and “environmentally friendly” careers, fewer students reported a desire to learn more about geoscience after the course than before, and they tended to consider geology as a low-prestige, relatively low-paying career option, perhaps suggesting a failure of the curriculum intervention as a means of recruitment. Our findings also suggest that primary and middle school exposure to geoscience may not adequately convey career possibilities to students. As more geoscience content is integrated at lower grade levels through the Next Generation Science Standards, we should examine how this material is being taught, particularly in promotion of environmental stewardship.

Geosciences at school: didactic experiences in Palaeontology

This paper describes a series of actions and projects based on a collaborative school-university effort, to achieve student orientation, to sharpen interest in geosciences by high school students and to consolidate knowledge on these disciplines by teachers through practical experiences. Proposed actions contributed to build teacher’s practical and personal experience.Didactic divulgation of geo-palaeontological topics was carried out by researchers from the University of Catania in several high schools in Sicily and Lombardy.We first introduce the background and methods for these activities. Then we describe the projects in which activities are included, analysing activities and best practices looking into the processes that students went through in learning. Finally, we discuss issues related to the university-school collaboration and the conditions that are essential for an effective synergy.

O conhecimento de Geologia e Paleontologia como suporte no aprendizado de Geografia no ensino médio

Este trabalho traz a experiência de um grupo de estudos de Geologia e Paleontologia (Grupo de estudos de Geologia e Paleontologia do Ensino Médio – GEOMÉDIO) com vinte alunos do primeiro ano do ensino médio na Escola de Referência Dom Helder Câmara, localizada no município de Lagoa Grande, Estado de Pernambuco. Este grupo foi criado para minimizar o distanciamento dos conteúdos relacionados à Geologia e à Paleontologia, inseridos na matéria de Geografia, visto que na maioria das vezes essas temáticas não são priorizadas, seja, pela carga horária reduzida ou pela ausência dessas disciplinas durante a formação do professor de Geografia. Os alunos tiveram aulas teóricas e práticas, que incluíram atividades de campo, As atividades desenvolvidas com os alunos foram aulas teóricas e práticas, produção de resumos científicos sobre os temas abordados e a experiência no grupo e elaboração de maquetes e outros materiais didáticos. Assim, a experiência do GEOMÉDIO comprova a importância das ações de ensino-aprendizagem além da sala de aula, despertando nos alunos um maior um maior interesse pelas geociências. Essa ação tornou-se necessária e multiplicadora, pois novas turmas serão inseridas no GEOMÉDIO com o mesmo objetivo.

Preliminary Data on the Nanoscale Chemical Characterization of the Inter-Crystalline Organic Matrix of a Calcium Carbonate Biomineral

Chemical signatures of carbonate biominerals are important for understanding biomineral formation, and are a subject of great interest in geosciences for applications in paleoclimatology and paleoceanography. A prominent unknown factor is the chemistry of organic matrices, in particular that of the inter-crystalline fraction. Here, we use atom probe tomography (APT) for the nanoscale chemical characterization of the mineral-organic interface in calcite from mussel shells. Our findings indicate that the quality of APT bulk chemistry results is highly dependent on sample preparation, yet data on biogenic calcite could be geochemically interpreted with confidence. Three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of calcite tip specimens show the presence of organic matrix domains, characterized by the depletion of cations but enrichment in oxygen and carbon, and with at least 1% atomic increase in 16O relative to the surrounding mineral phase. This is the first relative, in-situ quantification of the chemical composition of the inter-crystalline organic matrix (IOM) for a carbonate biomineral, with implications for a better understanding of vital effects, proxy calibration, and the formation of these biocarbonates. Overall, our findings demonstrate the potential of nanoscale characterization of biominerals and their abiogenic counterparts to further advance our understanding of their chemistry.

Didactic and Divulgative Resources of the Middle Triassic Vertebrate Tracksite of Los Arroturos (Province of Guadalajara, Spain)

The Middle Triassic reptile tracksite of Los Arroturos (Guadalajara, Spain) provides a high scientific and didactic interest. In this site, numerous tracks and trackways of rauisuchian archosaurs are preserved, being an especially characteristic site in the Triassic of Spain. The tracksite is very useful for developing educational goals, such as fieldtrips and teaching activities. In this work, some fieldtrips have been carried out for students of primary and secondary school levels. These type of activities offer a great opportunity to promote interest in geosciences and improve awareness about the importance of palaeontological heritage. Nevertheless, this tracksite is extremely vulnerable, and suffers from continuous degradation caused by weathering. The plan to develop it as an educational site relies on its survival; however, if no adequate protection is provided, the tracks will quickly be completely deteriorated. It is necessary to take urgent measures to protect this site. The surrounding area offers an outstanding cultural heritage and it would be interesting to publicise this tracksite as well as using this publicity to promote its protection.

An Earth Hazards Camp to Encourage Minority Participation in the Geosciences

ABSTRACTSummer camps have proven to be effective tools to engage students in the geosciences. Findings from this study highlight perceptions and experiences of middle school students from predominantly African American school districts in Mississippi who attended a 3-d residence camp focused on increasing interest in the geosciences through an earth hazards theme. The 2013 summer camp was structured to emphasize three subject areas: geology, hydrology, and meteorology. Nine middle school students (seven males and two females) attended the camp developed and held at Mississippi State University. Students' pre- and postcamp understanding about geoscience processes and interest in and knowledge about geoscience careers were measured to evaluate the camp's success. Overall interest in geosciences increased after completing the program. Among the three subject areas emphasized in this camp, students gained more knowledge about geology than about the other two areas (hydrology and meteorology). Results indicate that hands-on and experiential learning methods, especially those held indoors or with optimal conditions outdoors, were most successful at stimulating interest.

Promoting education in the geosciences rewards all stakeholders

As an international geoscience company operating in ap-proximately 40 countries, CGG is keen to play a positive and active role in the communities that host its geophysical activities and permanent centers as part of its strong commitment to social responsibility. This role includes promoting awareness of and interest in geoscience among children and young adults to educate them in the nature of our business activities and inspire them to consider an education and future career in the geosciences. Whether in our geoscience sector or the wider E&P industry, there is consensus that we are faced with a growing shortage of qualified staff, principally because of an aging workforce and the increasing challenges companies face finding qualified science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates, particularly in developed countries. At a time when science and technology applications are becoming increasingly prevalent — not only in our own industry but also in everyday society — it is vital that companies operating within a STEM industry take an active role in identifying and equipping the next generations of STEM graduates. Only by attracting, nurturing, and retaining the right talents can we be sure of securing our industry's continued development and safeguarding its future. Educating and training young people in the geosciences can contribute to this effort, and CGG pursues a sponsorship program of carefully selected education-related initiatives to help support these aims.