Jeff Marsh Accepted in the University of Maine's Ph.D. program. He will be working with Dr. Scott Johnson and the geotectonics group. 12.25.2005
Welcome Back SAGE SAGE, the Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience, will be having their annual REU (research experiences for undergraduates) workshop here on campus January 2nd through the 6th.
SAGE is a unique educational program designed to introduce students in geophysics and related fields to "hands on" geophysical exploration and research. The program emphasizes both teaching of field methods and research related to a variety of basic and applied problems. SAGE web site 12.23.2005
Dr. Harold Magistrale and Dr. Kim Olsen Receives grant for "Construction and Verification of a Wasatch Front Community Velocity Model: Collaborative Research with San Diego State University and the University of Utahs", from DOI United States Geological Survey. 12.15.2005
Tuesday December 13th, CSL 425
Undergraduate
Elizabeth
Hartung
8:00
Petrology and Provenance of Eocene Gravels and Sandstones, Picacho State Recreation Area: Implications for the Timing of Formation of the Chocolate Mountain Anticlinorium. Advisor Dr. Gary Girty
Petrology and Geochemistry of Mafic Enclaves, Oriflamme Canyon Granodiorite: Magma Mixing or Assimilation?. Advisor Dr. Gary Girty
Dominique
Ducote 9:00
Field and Petrochemical Investigation of a Tertiary Vent, Abert Rim, Oregon. Advisor Dr. Vic Camp
Mike
Higgins 9:20
The cumulate mystery within a mafic intrusion: Petrology and geochemistry of basic and ultrabasic rocks of Los Pinos Mountain, Penisular Ranges batholith, southern California. Advisor Dr. Aaron Pietruszka
Dr. Aaron Pietruszka Receives GIA grant for student and equipment support. 12.12.2005
Dr. Gary Girty Receives GIA grant for student support. 12.12.2005
November 2005
Joan Kimbrough Awarded for her 20 years of service to SDSU 11.25.2005
Dr. Kim Bak Olsen Interviewed for an upcoming National Geographic documentary about Southern California earthquakes 11.22.2005
Dr. Kim Bak Olsen Receives grant for "Southern California Earthquake Center Community Modeling Environment: An Information Infrastructure for System-level Earthquake Research", from the University of Southern California 11.21.2005
Dr. Steve Day Receives grant for "Anelastic Wave Propagation Model Development and Validation for the Southern California Earthquake Center ITR Project", from the University of Southern California 11.21.2005
TeraShake and National Geographic
Next week a National Geographic film crew will be visiting the department to interview Dr. Kim Bak Olsen. National Geographic is producing a documentary about earthquakes in the Los Angeles area which will be featuring imagery produced by Terashake computer modeling. 11.17.2005
Dr. Monte Marshall and Dr. Mike Walawender Selected as scientific co-leaders for the 2006 GSA Geohostel. 11.16.2005
Inner and Outer Space 2005
The 11th College of Sciences open house was a huge success! 100's of visitors enjoyed the departments hands-on exhibits at the RP oceanography lab and kids and adults both hunted for minerals in the glitter gulch at the "Show Me Geology" exhibit. 11.12.2005
Krishna is visiting from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. His research interest is the physical, chemical and isotopic evolution of the crust and the isotopic and petrologic studies of igneous rocks. He is Director of the PITLAB (Petrogenesis Isotope and Tectonics Laboratory) and is a Principal Investigator in GEON (a Geosciences Network to develop cyberinfrastructure for integrative research to enable transformative advances in Geoscience research and education). His talk will be on "Geoinformatics: Extracting Knowledge from the Rock Record Through Construction of Disciplinary Databases".
This years GSA GeoHostel will focus on the “big picture” of southern California geologic history over the past two billion years. SDSU Scientific Co-Leaders Monte Marshall Michael J. Walawender Date 11–16 March 2006
The Tectonic Development of Southern California, from the Beaches of San Diego to the San Andreas Fault
For complete details on GeoVentures or for full itineraries, contact Edna Collis, Program Officer, 1-800-472-1988, ext. 1034, fax 303-357-1072, ecollis@geosociety.org. 11.02.2005
SDSU Book Signing!
FOLLOW THE SUN
By GORDON and JANET GASTIL
Gordon And Janet Gastil will be at the Aztec Book store on November 10th at 2pm. Get a signed copy of this historical novel and travelogue about the first geologist. 11.02.2005
Joan Kimbrough - 20 Years of Excellence
October 2005
Bachelor of Science
Friday October 28th - GMCS 422 - 1:00pm
Stacy Pickard - "Subsidence in Borrego Valley as observed by InSAR"
Dr. Eric Frost Receives grant for "OptiPuter", from the University of California at San Diego 10.24.2005
Source: San Diego Union Tribune
Students and Researchers Dredge Rare Find!
SDSU students take part in an historic event. On the recent Scienctific Cruise to Map the Seafloor and Dredge Rocks in the Baja California Borderland, they have snatched rare volcanic rocks off the sea floor, bringing to the surface chemicals direct from Earth's mantle. The rocks, dredged from a ridge 200 miles southwest of San Diego, popped like firecrackers as some of the high-pressure gas bubbles trapped inside them exploded as they were hauled onto the Revelle research vessel. Scientists have located similar volcanic rocks in only one other place – at a spot in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. For more info see the San Diego Union Tribune Article 10.10.2005
Chris Martinez, Jennifer Perez and Audrey Reznik Selected to participate in a 6-day cruise onboard the Scripps Institution of Oceanography's R/V Roger Revelle 10.05.2005
Paul's research interests revolve around the study of sedimentary response to tectonic events and sea-level changes over various time scales. His approach to basin analysis involves field observations, process modeling, geomechanics and thinking.
Paul's talk will be on "Late Cenozoic tilt and incison of the U.S. Rocky Mountains: tectonics vs. climate" 10.04.2005
Scienctific Cruise to Map the Seafloor and Dredge Rocks in the Baja California Borderland
Students Chris Martinez, Jennifer Perez and Audrey Reznik will participate in a 6-day cruise onboard the Scripps Institution of Oceanography's R/V Roger Revelle. They will be departing from San Diego, CA on Wednesday, October 5th, and returning at on Monday, October 10th. Scripps has invited ~25 students (grads and undergrad's in geology, from Scripps, San Diego State, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, and Indiana State) to participate. 10.03.2005
New Faculty Book!
FOLLOW THE SUN
By GORDON GASTIL This epic tale of exploration and discovery tells the story of Follow the Sun, a young man talented in language, science, and diplomacy, whose patron is the Pharaoh, Rameses II, and of his journey around the earth - by boat, horse, and on foot - in 1278 BCE. Sunbelt Publications 10.03.2005
Dr. Gordon Gastil Publishes a new book. Follow the Sun, An epic tale of exploration and discovery. Sunbelt Publications10.03.2005
September 2005
SAGE Goes to Capitol Hill
The workshop last week (September 20 - 22) was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and brought together 60 invited faculty who are engaged in NSF's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program, e.g., SAGE. There were five participants from California. The workshop addressed the impact of the REU Programs at the national and student level, how to optimize and assess the programs, and strategies and models for success. The kick off to the workshop was a poster session in the Science Sub-Committee Room of the House Rayburn Office Building on Capitol Hill. This was attended by several congressman and their staffers. 09.27.2005
The vertical motion database for Southern California is a compilation of geologic data, reference frame information, and processing tools to determine vertical crustal motions at 104 – 106 year time-scales. Data compilation efforts are complete for marine terraces from central California to the border with Mexico. Thermochronology data available for the Transverse Ranges have been compiled to provide exhumation rates at million-year time scales. River terrace and aquifer elevation data have also been added. Results may presently be viewed online in table format, downloaded as a GIS-compatible file, or browsed via the Google Maps web service.
Dr. Eric Frost Receives grant for "GEON - Geosciences Information Network", from the University of California at San Diego 09.23.2005
Dr. Eric Frost Assists Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
Eric and computer visualization researchers use image processing in the SDSU Visualization Center to assit in Hurricane Katrina efforts. The Viz Center has partnered with dozens of government agencies and NGOs in reconstruction and relief work. More... 09.15.2005
Jorge is visiting from California State University, Northridge. His research interest is volcanology. His current projects include; timescales of magma chamber evolution from in situ dating of accessory minerals, experimental determination of allanite and chevkinite stability in silicic magmas, timing of trachyte magmagenesis at Hualalai volcano, Hawaii, and dynamics of base-surge currents from maar volcanoes. His talk will be on "Dating the evolution of caldera magma chambers using zircon and allanite". 09.15.2005
Dr. Eric Frost Highlighted for his efforts to assists hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts SDSU Universe09.15.2005
Dr. Steve Day and Dr. Kim Bak Olsen Receives grant for "Implementation of SCEC Research for Seismic Risk Reduction", from University of Southern California 09.01.2005
August 2005
Dr. Tomomi Kani - Kumamoto University, Japan Working on Nd, Sr, Pb and Hf isotope analyses in the Baylor Brooks Isotope lab with Dr. Barry Hanan. Tomomi and her student will be visiting with us until October.
Dr. Amos Salamon - Geological Survey of Israel Working on seismotectonics in the Neotectonics Lab with Dr. Tom Rockwell. Amos will be staying with us throughout the Fall and Spring semesters.
Diego Almanza - Undergraduate Student From San Diego, CA
Tina Baynes - Undergraduate Student From Honolulu, HI
Jerri Carter - Undergraduate Student From San Diego, CA
Angela Cavallini - Undergraduate Student From San Diego, CA
Reid Cummins - Undergraduate Student From Holtwood, PA
Michelle Dooley - Graduate Student Undergraduate - Humboldt State University - Advisor Vic Camp
Jeff Eddo - Graduate Student Undergraduate - San Diego State University - Advisor Kim Bak Olsen
Wade Fordham - Undergraduate Student From Lakewood, CA
David Johnson - Undergraduate Student From San Diego, CA
Elizabeth Landau - Graduate Student Undergraduate - University of Southern California - Advisor Stephen Schellenberg
Christie Lindemann - Graduate Student Undergraduate - University of California, San Diego
Caitlin Lippincott - Graduate Student Undergraduate - Franklin & Marshall College - Advisor Tom Rockwell
Shana McCarthy - Graduate Student Undergraduate - California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Stephanie Melad - Undergraduate Student From Spring Valley, CA
Lauren Palazzolo - Undergraduate Student From Orangevale, CA
Matthew Stillings - Graduate Student Undergraduate - Texas Christian University
Carrie Tyler - Graduate Student Undergraduate - University of Colorado, Boulder - Advisor Lindsey Leighton
Loren Wimmer - Graduate Student Undergraduate - San Diego State University
Peter Winther - Graduate Student Undergraduate - Arizona State University - Advisor George Jiracek
Joshua Woodworth - Undergraduate Student From San Diego, CA
Luke Zimmerman - Undergraduate Student From Lake Forest, CA
Julia Clark Spent 3 weeks at Los Alamos National Laboratories in northern New Mexico working on earthquake rupture inversion. 08.15.2005
Dr. Rob Mellors and Dr. Eric Frost Receives grant for "Education and Outreach Web Site Development for the CSSC", from the California Seismic Safety Commission 08.10.2005
Melanie Lindsey Publishes poetry on Poetry.com. Sponsored by the International Library of Poetry. The One & True and Decent 08.08.2005
Dr. Luis Dalguer Gudiel Receives grant for "Development of Dynamic Rupture Models and Their Use in Ground Motion Simulations", from URS Corporation 08.08.2005
Dr. Steve Day Receives grant for "ITR Collaborative Research: Multiresolution High Fidelity Earthquake Modeling: Dynamic Rupture, Basin Response, Blind Deconvolution Seismic Inversion and Ultrascale Computing", from NSF 08.05.2005
July 2005
Dr. Eric Riggs and Dr. Eleanora Robbins Receives grant for "Sharing the Land: Building Tribal Earth Science Expertise TRACK 2", from NSF 07.27.2005
Dr. George Jiracek Receives grant for "Research Experiences for Undergraduates to support the SAGE program", from NSF 07.11.2005
Retirement Celebration - Pat Abbott, Dave Huntley, George Jiracek The Department of Geological Sciences at San Diego State University is planning a celebration for the retirement of Drs. Patrick Abbott, David Huntley, and George Jiracek. This event is scheduled for Sunday evening, August 21, 2005, more information.....07.08.2005
June 2005
Dr. Lindsey Leighton Receives grant for the examination of Devonian crushing predation as a test of the role of predation as an agent of natural selection from the ACS Petroleum Research Fund. 06.30.2005
SDSU's colorful expert in geology still a class headliner Lisa Petrillo, Union-Tribune staff writer, highlights Pat Abbott's scientific flair in life and in the classroom. Union-Tribune Article06.16.2005
Dr. Pat Abbott Highlighted in the Union Tribune. SignOnSanDiego.com 06.16.2005
USGS releases 24 Hour Forcast Maps of Earthquake Shaking in California
Scientists with the Swiss Seismological Service and the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) have collaborated to develop techniques that quantify the increased likelihood of future earthquake shaking from earthquake clusters in California. In this system, the probability of strong earthquake shaking (with a Modified Mercalli Intensity of VI or greater) in the next 24 hours is calculated and updated every hour. USGS maps.05.19.2005
Dr. Eric Riggs Reappointed with tenure and promoted to Associate Professor. 05.19.2005
Doug Baumwirt - Structural geometry of tertiary gravels with the Taylor Lake fault zone: Implications for the timing of Miocene distributed shear. 9:20am
Billy Thomas - Geomorphology of the Agua Blanca Fault, Santa Thomas Valley, Baja. 5:00pm
Congratulations - Promoted!! Dr. Eric Riggs has been reappointed with tenure and promoted to Associate Professor.
This promotion is in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the University and his discipline through his teaching, scholarship, and service. 05.19.2005
New Member of the Family Stephen & Reneé Schellenberg proudly announce the birth of Kaila Dylan Schellenberg. Born Tuesday, May 17th at 1:46 pm, Weighing 8 lbs. 2 oz. and 21 in. long. 05.19.2005
Preliminary Geologic Map of the El Cajon 30' x 60' Quadrangle, Southern California - Now Available!
Compiled by Victoria R. Todd
The El Cajon quadrangle is one of about 20 1:100,000-scale topographic quadrangles in southwestern California being mapped and compiled by geologists of the U.S. Geological Survey and California Geological Survey as part of the Southern California Areal Mapping Project (SCAMP) and STATEMAP. Sources used for compilation of the El Cajon quadrangle include unpublished mapping at 1:24,000 scale, and unpublished reconnaissance mapping. Data and Printing Files05.13.2005
Mathew Sisk Traveling to Turkey to further fault gouge studies of the Northern Anatolian Fault, under the direction of Dr. Tom Rockwell. June 1st – June 22nd. 05.10.2005
Danielle Verdugo and Tim Middleton Traveling to the San Juan Argentina area to do a paleoseismic study of the La Laha Fault ,under the direction of Dr. Tom Rockwell. May 16th - June 9th. 05.10.2005
Dr. Tom Rockwell Receives grant for "Stratigraphic, Geomorphic and Paleoseismological Record of Coseismic Fold Growth in Western Argentina", from NSF 05.05.200
Andrey is visiting from the Carnegie Institution of Washington's NASA Astrobiology Institute. His research interests is primarily Archean and Paleoproterozoic geology, and the relationships between tectonics, change in atmospheric composition, climatic changes, and the rates of these changes. Some of his most recent work includes iron isotope constraints of pyrite. His talk will be on the "Changes in the Redox State of the Paleoproterozoic Atmosphere and Ocean". 05.01.2005
April 2005
Audrey Reznik Awarded a 2005 GSA Graduate Student Research Grant and a Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research. 04.28.2005
Dr. Eric Frost reaches out to local students Center for Community-Based Service Learning brought about 50 sixth-graders from the ethnically diverse local Mann Middle School for a day of exploration at SDSU. Eric gave a presentation in the SDSU visualization laboratory titled "Exploring the World," in which students were shown pictures of the area surrounding SDSU and Mann Middle School. The Daily Aztec Story. 04.27.2005
DigitalGlobe and San Diego State University work together to use high-resolution QuickBird satellite imagery DigitalGlobe’s QuickBird satellite is the world’s highest resolution commercial imaging satellite. SDSU’s Immersive Visualization Center used the imagery initially to help establish refugee camps and provide medical reachback. According to Eric Frost, the relief team focused its efforts on Indonesia primarily because it was the hardest hit area, has the least infrastructure and needed the most reparation. SDSU is now processing the images into GeoFusion’s Geomatrix format by Silicon Graphics Prism™, a new high-performance, IT visualization system from SGI. This provides an ultra powerful way to distribute terabytes of satellite imagery. DigitalGlobe | SDSU’s Immersive Visualization Center. 04.27.2005
Dr. Clive Dorman's work on the Northern Adriatic Sea makes the front page of EOS Northern Adriatic Response to a Wintertime Bora Wind Event, Volume 86, Number 16, 19 April 2005. EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union. 04.27.2005
Donnie Dressler Awarded a 2005 GSA Graduate Student Research Grant. 04.25.2005
Heather Ford Awarded a 2005 GSA Graduate Student Research Grant. 04.25.2005
The Department of Geological Sciences Alumni Banquet Pictures Are Now Online! Visit the Alumni Website. 04.23.2005
Jared Marske Accepted into the University of Hawaii's Doctoral program, he will be studying Volcanolgy with Dr. Michael O. Garcia. 04.22.2005
Nicole Garcia, Lee White, and Loren Wimmer Accepted into the 2005 SAGE (Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience) program. 04.22.2005
Loren Wimmer Awarded SCEC/SURE internship to work with Dr. Ned Field involving OpenSHA. OpenSHA develops object-oriented, web- & GUI-enabled, open-source, and freely available code for conducting Seismic Hazard Analyses. 04.11.2005
Afton VanZandt Awarded SCEC/SURE internship to compare surface deformation measuring using interferometric synthetic aperture radar with known measurements based on existing field measurements and geodetic data, working with Dr. Rob Mellors. 04.11.2005
Loren Wimmer and Afton van Zandt have each been awarded Southern California Earthquake Center internshipsEach summer, the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) coordinates undergraduate research experiences, bringing students with a broad array of backgrounds and interests to work one-on-one as student interns with the world’s preeminent earthquake scientists and specialists. More...04.11.2005
Gary Axen is visiting from University of California, Los Angeles, the Department of Earth and Space Sciences. His research interests are primarily in continental tectonics and fault mechanics. He is interested in extensional, convergent, and wrench settings. Gary has experience in a variety of areas, from structural geology to isotopes, and has some novel ideas about the formation of the Salton Trough. He is visiting as part of the Salton Trough graduate seminar course but everyone is welcome to attend. 04.07.2005
Alumni Field Trip Pictures Online! The 19th Annual Alumni Field Trip was a success! You can view the pictures on the Alumni web site. Alumni Fieldtrip Page...04.04.2005
March 2005
Reserve Your Spot Now! The Annual Department of Geological Sciences Banquet sponsored by your SDSU Geology Alumni Association will be held on Friday, April 22 at Tom Ham's Lighthouse on Harbor Island. JOE CORONES is this year's Baylor Brooks Honored Alumnus. If you wish to attend, click on the link below to complete your reservation form and return by APRIL 15th. Hope to see you there! 03.28.2005
KUSI's Rod Luck visited Dr. Kim Olsen and reported on TeraShake, simulations and models of a large earthquake occurring on the southern San Andreas Fault. Video Clip03.23.2005
KUSI Rod Luck visited Dr. Lindsey Leighton and reported on predation and extinction in the fossil record. Video Clip03.23.2005
Anne Sturz is visiting from University of San Diego, the Department of Marine Science and Environmental Studies. Her research interests include: Deception Island, Antarctica: dissolved iron in sea water. Salton Sea, California: the mudpots project.
Anne will be discussing "Distribution of Dissolved Nutrients in Seawater at Deception Island, Antarctica." 03.21.2005
KUSI Visit Wednesday!
Rod Luck from the KUSI Morning News Show will be visiting with Dr. Lindsey Leighton to discuss predation in the fossil record and with Dr. Kim Olsen to discuss TeraShake, simulations and models of a large earthquake occurring on the southern San Andreas Fault. Watch the Live show March 23rd from 6:00am to 7:00am on KUSI 9/51. 03.21.2005
Dr. Robert Mellors and Dr. Eric Riggs Receives grant for "Show me the future: Enriching and Measuring Spatial Reasoning in Teacher Education", from NASA 03.17.2005
Dr. Robert Mellors Receives grant for Near-fault Deformation Measured by Geologic Methods and InSAR, from the Southern California Earthquake Center 03.17.2005
SAGE, the Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience, will be having their annual REU (research experiences for undergraduates) workshop here on campus January 2nd through the 6th. 
Deception Island, Antarctica: dissolved iron in sea water.
