REU Site: Earth Science on Volcanic Islands

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Earth Science on Volcanic Islands (ESVI) is a new Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) Site hosted by the Department of Geology and Geophysics, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii at Mânoa. Oceanic island formation, evolution, and sustainability are unifying themes that a group of 10 undergraduate students will explore during an exciting 9-week program. The Hawaiian Islands, being of volcanic origin, are windows into the Earth's interior. Built by magma that has ascended roughly a hundred kilometers to reach the surface, the volcanoes subsequently experience deformation, erosion, flank collapse and eventually sink below sea level. Oceanic islands are also sites of intense biological evolution and are ecological niches in a vast ocean. The University of Hawaii is uniquely positioned to take advantage of these phenomena and our new program will provide cutting-edge STEM research opportunities for motivated undergraduate students, in particular traditionally underrepresented groups such as Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, as well as students enrolled at undergraduate institutions that provide few opportunities to participate in cutting-edge research. During the first week, students will engage in a series of introductory, daylong crash-courses on quantitative analysis and modeling tools, which will enhance their abilities to conduct research. During the next eight weeks, students will work along-side individual world-class scientists (host mentors) who will guide the student through a modest yet challenging research project during an eight-week intense collaboration.Following the core theme of Earth science on volcanic islands, the student activities are expected to contribute to various fields of research, but more importantly, to engage motivated undergraduate students in the process of doing science and to energize them for future study in STEM-related endeavors. The research goal of this REU is to advance the knowledge of the formation, evolution, and sustainability of ocean islands. Specifically, we will examine the growth and subsequent deformation of volcanic islands using state-of-the-art tools and methodology from petrology, geochemistry, volcanology, structural geology, seismology, and geophysics. We will also study the hydrologic pathways for subaerial and submarine groundwater flow using geochemical tracers, as well as the biogeochemistry of marine organisms thriving in the proximity of volcanic islands.