Undergraduate research opportunity/Sea-going research
project/Crustal seismology
Stanford University Department of Geophysics
The Crustal Research Group in the Department of Geophysics at Stanford University is seeking two undergraduates to participate in a marine cruise and to conduct research as part of a NSF-funded seismic investigation of the Mariana island arc under the direction of Simon Klemperer. Our experiment is intended to elucidate the structure and composition of an intra-oceanic island-arc, as a likely example of the building blocks of the continents. The students will be involved in all steps from data acquisition at sea to data interpretation and if possible an eventual scientific publication. The student will help acquire the data during a cruise in March-April 2002. Please see details of the experiment and its scientific motivation.
*Summary:
Please apply to be one of two Stanford undergraduates who will come
to sea with me on the university research ship R/V
Ewing, sailing to and from Guam in the western Pacific, 3/31/01 to
4/24/01, for training in marine geophysics, specifically controlled-source
seismology. All expenses will be paid, to and from Stanford.
*What is our scientific objective?
Our aim is to understand the geological structure of the crust formed
by magmatism at the volcanic island chain (island arc) of the Marianas,
part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire". We want to understand the processes
in which melt is extracted from the earth's mantle above a subduction zone
and then migrates upwards, forming new crust. We want to understand the
types of rocks formed by these processes, including those rocks far beneath
the surface, which can only be recognized by remote sensing (seismic methods).
We want to test whether the new crust created in island arcs is similar
to typical continental crust, and hence to understand whether island arcs
are the place where the continents are ultimately made.
*What will we do?
The US National Science Foundation has funded my project: "MULTI-SCALE
SEISMIC IMAGING OF THE MARIANA SUBDUCTION FACTORY" involving Stanford,
three other US universities, and several Japanese institutions. I will
lead a research cruise to the Mariana island arc in March/April 2002. My
team will carry out controlled-source seismic experiments from the ship
(sound sources (seismic waves) produced by releasing compresed air in a
controlled way (from "air-guns")
produce signals that can travel 50 km depth within the earth, and can be
recorded both close to and > 200 km distant from the ship). We will record
both "multi-channel seismic reflection imaging" in which the sound waves
are recorded by a 6-km-long streamer towed behind the ship, and the recorded
signals can be processed to create a structural image of the earth. We
will also record the seismic waves with "ocean-bottom
seismometers", individual recorders which are dropped to the sea-floor
in specific places before we begin to trigger our sound sources, which
record the sound waves autonomously for a couple of weeks, and then are
retrieved from the ocean-floor. These data will be used to measure the
velocity with which sound waves travel through the earth, which is an important
diagnostic of the rock types present.
*the form and nature of each prospective student's
involvement in the research project:
Both students will participate in all aspects of ocean-bottom seismometer
(OBS) and multi-channel seismic (MCS) acquisition, including equipment
preparation in the ship-board labs., handling equipment on deck, and preliminary
data reduction on board ship. During the cruise, 3/31/01 to 4/24/01, we
work 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week (the rest of the time is your own).
Prior to the cruise, both students will be expected to enroll in a
seminar class to be led by me in Winter Quarter 01/02, "The Mariana arc
Subduction Factory" (1 or 2 units) (meeting time to be decided for our
mutual convenience). Following the cruise, the students will be encouraged
to continue work under my direction on aspects of the data processing and
interpretation, particularly the ultra-deep seismic reflection data that
will be acquired as a by-product of our wide-angle experiment. At least
one, possibly both, students will be offered paid full-time employment
for a three-month summer session, culminating (I hope) in your preparation
of a scientific abstract for submission to the annual meeting of the American
Geophysical Union (AGU), to be held in San Francisco in December 2002.
The student(s) would be funded to participate in this meeting to present
their work.
Academic credit is available for participation on the cruise and continuing
participation in the research.
*possible research projects:
Perhaps the most accessible part of my research is the processing of
the MCS reflection data to form a seismic section, from which we can then
interpret the structure of the crust below the volcanic arc. Prior experience
is not required, but interested students will have to be willing to learn
the methodologies involved. Follow this link for additional
information about my scientific objectives during the project. Equally
acceptable is any other independent research project (compatible with the
planned cruise activities) designed by an interested student.
*the process and criteria for selection of the student(s):
The opportunity is hereby advertised to all enrolled Stanford undergraduates.
Priority will be given to those students who are Juniors or Seniors in
academic 01/02, with majors (or academic preparation) in the School of
Earth Sciences or Physics. Additional preference will be given to those
who expect to be available to continue work on data from the cruise (e.g.
as a senior research project) during the summer 2002, and/or fall quarter
2002/03, culminating in participation in the AGU meeting in December 2002.
Applications are particularly solicited from women or minority groups.
*method of application:
Interested students should email me (sklemp@stanford.edu) a package
consisting of: a statement of interest and preparation, Stanford transcript,
and a resume; a statement that your health permits your participation in
a month-long marine cruise and that your program of study at Stanford enables
you to be absent from Stanford for the first part of Spring Quarter (through
April 26th). At least one brief letter of reference is also required, and
should if possible be emailed directly to me by your referee.
I am available to answer questions from now until December 21st, but
not immediately prior to Winter Quarter.