AOES Seminars AY 2016 – 2017

Earth Systems Science MS Thesis Defenses

31 Jul: Sean E. Karoly
Milankovitch cyclicity and global time constraint of Cretaceous Black Shales and Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 at the Demerara Rise, Western Equatorial Atlantic Ocean
Exploratory Hall 1005, 11:00am

Testing for Milankovitch cycles in stratigraphy enables observations of astronomical forcing impacts on climate change, sedimentary cyclicity, carbon sequestration, and climatic effects on organisms and also provides a means for geologic time determination. Here this testing is applied to the organic black marine shales at the Demerara Rise (western equatorial Atlantic Ocean) deposited during Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2) delineating the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary in the early Late Cretaceous period. High-resolution grayscale data from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 207 drill cores at the Demerara Rise depict millimeter to meter scale sedimentological variations before, during, and after OAE2. Superimposed meter-scale cyclicity in the grayscale stratigraphic series provides evidence for Milankovitch forcing, and leads to new key refinements in the time-series analysis and global correlation of OAE2.

2 Aug: David Benson
An Investigation of a Subseasonal Forecast Model’s Ability to Represent Land-Atmosphere Interactions
281 Research Hall (COLA Conference Room), 11:00am

We investigate a reanalysis of atmospheric and land-surface states to understand the water cycle, energy cycle and land-atmosphere interactions, and to validate subseasonal to seasonal (S2S) forecast data. The ability of the S2S models to properly reflect land-atmosphere interactions is crucial for forecasting extreme events. The reanalysis reinforces previous knowledge on the role of soil moisture and the boundary layer in land-atmosphere interaction over the continental US. The forecast model was inconclusive, with values of surface fluxes over the western and north-central US showing possible issues in the way these variables were determined. Further studies need to be carried out on the forecast model to determine better ways to derive these relationships, or improve on the data products from the model.

Climate Dynamics Spring 2017

All seminars at 1:30pm on Wednesday unless otherwise noted.
Check back for updates – titles and more speakers to be posted.

Previous Spring 2017 Seminars

31 Jan 31 :Lei Wang (University of Chicago)
Periodic behavior in the Southern Hemisphere storm track on hemispheric and regional scales
Tuesday [Note day] Research Hall 163

Intra-seasonal variability poses a forecast gap between medium-range and seasonal timescales. High-impact extreme events such as heat waves, cold spells, and heavy precipitation episodes often occur on this timescale. Remote sensing suggests that both rain rate and surface winds are characterized by a robust intra-seasonal periodicity between 40 S and 55 S in austral summer. Adopting a recently developed framework of finite-amplitude wave activity (FAWA), we found a marked periodicity in the vertically integrated FAWA around 20-30 days in the reanalysis products as well as in a hierarchy of climate models, consistent with the recently discovered Baroclinic Annular Mode by Thompson and collaborators. Furthermore, we will also discuss the robust periodic behavior of finite-amplitude wave activity on regional scales, which correlates well with regional rain rates based on reanalysis products and remote sensing.

08 Feb: Current Climate Conversation
discussion led by Nick Lybarger and Teresa Cicerone
Climate Dynamics Lab, Research Hall

15 Feb:Clara Draper (NASA)
Exploratory Hall 3301

This presentation reviews recent progress in land data assimilation, focusing on reanalysis at the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO). First, in the recently released Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications 2 (MERRA-2), AGCM-generated precipitation is corrected through direct insertion of observations at the land surface. This improves land surface hydrology, surface turbulent heat fluxes, and 2 m air temperature. Second, GMAO is moving towards an integrated Earth system analysis, including weakly-coupled land and atmospheric data assimilation. The first priorities are to assimilate remotely sensed snow cover and near-surface soil moisture, and in situ snow depth observations. Finally, the presentation reviews work towards integrating the GMAO land data assimilation system into the GEOS-5 hybrid Var system.

22 Feb:Amal El-Akkraoui (NASA)
Understanding the role of ensembles in hybrid data assimilation: Initial errors and model uncertainties.
Exploratory 3301

Weather forecasting relies on good representations of initial conditions to provide estimates of the evolution of the state of the atmosphere and related components. The past 40 years have seen significant improvements in forecast accuracy due to the ever-evolving techniques of data assimilation providing the tools to estimate initial conditions, error representations and uncertainties. This talk will present an overview of fundamentals of atmospheric data assimilation and explain differences between variational techniques (widely used in operational centers) and ensemble techniques (academia). Operational centers have adapted newly formulated hybrid data assimilation techniques, whereby ensembles are used within a variational framework. Results will be shown for rapidly developing tropical cyclones and examples will be taken from the quasi-operational hybrid-ensemble system of NASA’s Global Modeling and Assimilation Office.

01 Mar: Xubin Zeng (U. Arizona)
Atmosphere-(land, ocean) surface interactions: Modeling and dataset development
Wed; Note special seminar time: 11-12am
Exploratory Hall 3301

I will give an overview of some of our work on atmosphere-land-ocean interface processes and their effect on weather and climate prediction. We have developed 4-km-resolution snow datasets over continental U.S, which reveal large errors in other data sets. We found that snow initialization has major impacts on subseasonal to seasonal forecasting. Our new hourly 2m air temperature datasets lead to a revised interpretation of winter diurnal temperature range over high latitudes and raises questions about the common practice of temperature bias correction. Third, we have developed a prognostic ocean surface skin temperature parameterization that has been implemented in many regional/global models. We have also demonstrated its impact on weather and climate modeling. Finally, we have developed an observational data-driven model for decadal and long-term global warming projections. It shows good skill in decadal hindcasts with the recent warming slowdown well captured.

01 Mar:Dan Holdaway (NASA)
Development and applications of the NASA GEOS-5 adjoint modelling system
Wed, 1:30-2:30pm
Research Hall 163

In this work we detail the development and applications of the adjoint of NASA’s GEOS-5 global weather forecast model. The adjoint is a powerful version of the model that allows one to propagate sensitivity backwards in time. We begin the talk with a discussion of the development of the adjoint and some of the challenges involved. For some observed feature of a forecast, for example the strength or steering of a hurricane, the adjoint can be used to estimate how small changes to the initial conditions will impact the feature. As such we can examine potential deficiencies in the observing system or just predict when the weather is inherently difficult to forecast. In this talk we will give a few research examples of how we use the adjoint to examine predictability. The adjoint is also a key component of an operational system that NASA uses to monitor the vast observing network, we will discuss the details of this system and demonstrate the results.

22 Mar:Clara Orbe (JHU and NASA)
Transport from the Northern Hemisphere Midlatitude Surface: Constraints from Models and Observations
Exploratory Hall 3301

The transit-time distribution (TTD) provides a natural way to quantify tropospheric transport from Northern Hemisphere (NH) midlatitude emissions of greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances. Here, we show that TTD, as simulated by the NASA Global Modeling Initiative Chemistry Transport Model, is characterized by mean transit times that are significantly larger than their corresponding modal transit times. Idealized loss and mean age tracers are then used to constrain different TTD timescales both from observations (e.g. sulfur hexafluoride and chlorofluorocarbons) and models in the Chemistry Climate Modeling Initiative. A comparison of simulations using the Goddard Earth Observing System Chemistry Climate Model and the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model reveals large (30%) differences in interhemispheric transport that are related to large differences in convection over the oceans. Our results indicate that more attention needs to focus on convective parameterizations in models and the methods by which they are applied in simulations using analyzed winds.
29 Mar:Kris Wargan (NASA)
Monitoring stratospheric ozone with NASA’s GEOS data assimilation system
Exploratory Hall 3301

The decline of stratospheric ozone layer due to anthropogenic emissions of chlorofluorocarbons in the 20th century, its projected recovery and its complex interactions with chemistry and dynamics in a changing climate merit detailed analysis, necessitating accurate knowledge of global ozone distributions and their evolution. In this talk we will present a brief review of the basics of stratospheric ozone chemistry and dynamics and a short introduction to data assimilation methodology followed by several results from recent assimilation and model experiments performed at NASA’s Global Modeling and Assimilation Office. We will focus on two examples: the global multidecadal representation of global ozone in the MERRA-2 reanalysis and a study of ozone depletion during the dynamically unusual 2015/2016 Arctic winter.

Apr 4: Jack Scheff (Columbia U.)
What we mean when we talk about wetting and drying under climate change: modern and glacial perspectives
Tue, noon-1pm
Exploratory Hall 3301

The expected response of Earth’s water cycle to CO2-driven warming has been described as anything from amplification of extremes (“dry-get-drier wet-get-wetter”), to systematic poleward shifts of features, to widespread drought. I will argue that the water-linked responses we ultimately care about are regional photosynthesis on land and regional P-E on land, that these responses are ill-described by the above frameworks, and that evidence from the last ice age supports comprehensive land-model projections of these quantities over common heuristic hydroclimate metrics. I will also argue that the direct responses of vegetation to CO2 and warming represent basic uncertainties in these projections.

05 Apr:Nikki Prive (Morgan State University and NASA)
Introduction to Observing System Simulation Experiments
Exploratory Hall 3301

Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) are modeling studies used to estimate the potential impact of proposed new instruments and data on numerical weather prediction. OSSEs can also be used to help design new observing platforms and to investigate the behavior of data assimilation systems. A basic overview of how to design and perform an OSSE will be given, as well as best practices and pitfalls. Some examples using the OSSE framework developed at the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office will be shown.

12 Apr:Eunjee Lee (NASA)
Response of the global terrestrial carbon cycle to spatiotemporal variability of the atmospheric CO2 concentration
Exploratory Hall 3301

The interaction between the land ecosystem and the atmospheric surface boundary layer is key to determining the terrestrial carbon exchange. I will present recent work at NASA GMAO on the sensitivity of the global carbon fluxes to the multifarious spatiotemporal variability of CO2, using the Catchment-CN land surface model. The tropics contribute approximately 64 percent to the deviation of mean global carbon fluxes and is sensitive to diurnal, inter-annual, and spatial variability of the atmospheric CO2. The carbon flux deviation related to seasonal variability is mainly attributed to the Northern hemisphere high latitude regions. This result suggests that accurate representation of diurnal CO2 forcing is critical for better estimates of surface carbon fluxes. I will also present preliminary results from the current development of the CO2 flux modeling in the NASAGMAO’s GEOS-5 model, which addresses carbon cycle feedback in the coupled land-atmosphere system.

19 Apr:Nathan Arnold (NASA)
Non-rotating convective aggregation and the Madden-Julian Oscillation
Exploratory Hall 3301 [note room change]

The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is the dominant mode of tropical intraseasonal variability, but its dynamics remain poorly understood. It has been suggested that the MJO is related to the convective “self-aggregation” seen in non-rotating cloud resolving simulations. I will present support for that hypothesis based on simulations using the super-parameterized SP-CAM run with globally uniform SST. In non-rotating simulations, convection spontaneously organizes into large (~4000 km) clusters surrounded by dry regions, while with Earth-like rotation the model produces a robust MJO. The non-rotating clusters and the MJO have similar budgets of moist static energy. Mechanism denial experiments confirm that interactive longwave heating is important to both phenomena. Processes controlling the spatial scale of aggregated convection will also be explored.

26 Apr:Earth Day!!!
Research Hall 163

03 May:Min-Jeong Kim (Morgan State University and NASA)
Satellite Cloud and Precipitation Data Assimilation to Improve Global NWP Analyses and Forecasts using NASA GEOS-5
Research Hall 163

Given an estimate of the initial state (i.e. analysis) of the atmosphere, and appropriate boundary conditions, the Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) model forecasts the atmospheric evolution. Data assimilation is the process of combining observations and short-range forecasts to determine a best possible initial condition for NWP. Satellite instruments provide majority of data utilized in the GEOS-5 Atmospheric Data Assimilation System (ADAS). However, a large fraction of satellite observations is currently discarded due to cloud contamination. To be able to utilize cloud- and precipitation-affected satellite microwave data, a significant extension has been made recently in the GEOS-5 ADAS.The presentation first reviews radiative transfer concept linked to satellite data assimilation, cloud and precipitation observations, and GEOS-5 ADA. The 2nd part of the presentation introduces and evaluates a framework to assimilate cloud and precipitation affected microwave brightness temperature data in GEOS-5 ADAS. The later part of this presentation discusses future plans including (1) enhancement of observation operator by considering GEOS-5 model generated cloud fraction and particle size distribution, (2) dynamical all-sky data thinning, (3) correlated observation errors, and (4) impacts of stochastic physics on ensemble background errors for all-sky data assimilation.

10 May, Abhishekh Srivastava (GMU)
Thesis Defense: Decadal predictability in climate models with and without interactive ocean dynamics
10:30-12:00, Exploratory Hall 3301
Dissertation Committee: DelSole (chair), Shukla, Schneider

Climate variations on decadal time scales, such as droughts and changes in extreme weather events, have a great impact on society and therefore reliable predictions of these variations would be valuable. Unfortunately, the mechanisms of this variability have remained unclear partly due to observational limitations and partly due to limitations of current climate models. The purpose of this dissertation research is to improve understanding of decadal variability and predictability through analysis of simulations and simple stochastic models. As a first step, the most predictable components of 2m-air temperature are identified through an objective procedure called Average Predictability Time (APT) analysis. This analysis reveals that the most predictable components of internal variability in coupled atmosphere-ocean models are remarkably similar to the most predictable components of climate models without interactive ocean dynamics (i.e., models whose ocean is represented by a 50m-deep slab ocean mixed layer with no interactive currents). This result suggests that interactive ocean circulation is not essential for the existence of multi-year predictability previously identified in coupled models and observations. A new stochastic model is proposed that captures the essential physics of decadal variability in the latter models. This model is based on the linearized primitive equations for the atmosphere, a slab mixed-layer model for the ocean, a gray radiation scheme for radiative effects, and a diffusive scheme for vertical turbulent eddy fluxes. It is shown that this model generates new low-frequency peaks in the power spectrum that cannot be explained by either the atmospheric model alone or by the slab ocean mixed layer alone.

10 May:Tim DelSole (GMU)
Understanding North Atlantic Variability
Exploratory Hall 3301

Temperature variations in the North Atlantic can persist for years and have been linked to changes in Atlantic hurricane activity and Sahel drought. However, the precise mechanism for persistent Atlantic temperatures is very much debated today. For instance, some argue that the persistence arises from interactions with ocean circulation, especially with the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Others argue that the same kind of variability can occur even without interactive ocean circulations. Still others argue that the variability is forced by human activities. In this talk, I review this debate and attempt to reconcile these different theories.

Special AOES Seminar
16 May: Ajit Seth (former Cabinet Secretary of India)
Evolution of a Strategy to Respond to Natural Disasters in India
Tue, 1:30 (refreshments: 1:00), Research Hall 163

As Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service of India, Mr. Ajit Seth was responsible for overseeing the Federal and State responses in various disaster situations, such as earthquakes, floods, and cyclones. The lecture will draw upon the experiences in coordinating the response to natural disaster events in India, including severe cyclonic storms (Phailin and Hud Hud), earthquakes (Sikkim, Uttarkashi, and in the neighboring country, Nepal), cloudburst (Uttarakhand), unprecedented flash flood (Kedarnath), floods (Srinagar and Bihar), and forest fires. The lecture will summarize the lessons to be learned by all vulnerable countries in general, and developing countries in particular about the work required to be done in disaster and post-disaster management. The lecture will underscore the importance of planning, capacity building, preparedness, finance arrangements, technology and the need for mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction in the development strategy of developing countries.

R. Dwi Susanto (U. Maryland)
Overview of Indonesian Throughflow and its Role on Global Ocean Circulation and Climate
May 31: 1:30-2:30PM
Research Hall 163

Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) is the leakage of Pacific water into the Indian Ocean through the complex topography of Indonesian Seas. ITF is an important pathway for the transfer of climate signals around the world’s oceans. An overview and detailed transport estimates of the ITF in the Makassar Strait will be presented. The ITF branch through the South China Sea-Karimata Strait has received little observational attention. Velocity, volume and heat-fresh water fluxes will be presented from SITE, the first field measurements of total transport there. More cost-effective techniques are needed for proxy-ITF monitoring. Therefore other approaches such as numerical model, remotely sensed and paleoclimate data will be discussed.

13 Jul: Holly Graff (Old Dominion U.)
Complexities upon complexities: Climate change and tick-borne diseases
Thu, 11am, Research Hall 163

Abstract: Southeastern Virginia is a mixing bowl for ticks and tick-borne pathogens with recent changes sweeping in from both the north and the south. We have been monitoring the ticks and pathogens with active surveillance since 2009 in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. We are using the data from our surveillance to parameterize mathematical models to better understand the changing conditions in the region and the relationship between these changes and climate change.

19 Jul: Current Climate Conversation
discussion led by Brian Doty
Wed, 1pm, Research Hall 121 (Climate Lab)

Climate Dynamics Fall 2016

All seminars at 1:30pm on Wednesday unless otherwise noted.
Check back for updates – titles and more speakers to be posted.

7 Sep: Steve Penny (NOAA, U. Maryland)
Developments in Ocean and Coupled Data Assimilation at NCEP
2:30 [note new time], Research Hall 163

An advanced hybrid ocean data assimilation system has been implemented at NCEP, which combines an Ensemble Kalman Filter with a 3D-Variational method to generate bias-corrected estimates of the ocean state. This system is currently transitioning into operations for ocean monitoring. This system will serve as the ocean DA component for NCEP’s next-generation Climate Forecast System (CFSv3). In addition, we have developed new strongly coupled DA techniques that allow observations from each coupled Earth system domain to have an immediate impact on the analyses of the other domains. This approach has been shown to reduce biases and improve the accuracy of both ocean and atmospheric state estimates.

21 Sep: Laurie Trenary (AOES)
A methodology for determining the lagged ensemble
Exploratory Hall 3301 (note updated location)

We develop a generalized methodology to identify the optimal model configuration for subseasonal forecasts of the Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2). We find the ensemble size and initialization frequency that minimizes the mean square error (MSE) of the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) forecasts. At leads greater than a week, our procedure finds that the most skillful forecasts of the MJO require only 5 lagged ensemble members. MJO forecast skill was not improved for larger ensembles, nor with more frequent initializations. While applied here to CFSv2, the technique is general and can be applied to any forecast system.

28 Sep: Current Climate Conversation
Discussion on events in global weather and climate
Research Hall

05 Oct: Mary Glackin (The Weather Company)
Big Data, IOT, and Cognitive Computing: Weather at the Nexus
HUB 3-4-5

12 Oct: Darryn Waugh (John Hopkins)
The impact of the ozone hole on tropospheric and ocean climate
Exploratory Hall 3301

Dramatic decreases in Antarctic ozone (the so called ozone hole) have occurred since the late 1970s. While the initial focus on the ozone hole has been on the increased UV radiation reaching the surface, more recently it has been clear that the ozone hole may have an impact on other aspects of the atmosphere-ocean climate system. I will discuss recent observed changes in southern hemisphere tropospheric and ocean circulations, and the connection to the ozone hole. I will also examine simulated future changes, when ozone is expected to recover.

19 Oct: Rodrigo Bombardi (AOES)
The Rainy Season and the Monsoon: sub-seasonal prediction and model development
Exploratory Hall 3301
Note date was incorrectly listed as 18 Oct

Monsoon systems are highly unpredictable and the representation of monsoon systems in climate models remains a challenge. We perform an observational study of the characteristics of the rainy season over monsoonal regions. Our findings show that the rainy season provides a good representation of monsoons over their core regions. Then, sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) retrospective forecasts from three global coupled climate models are used to evaluate the predictability of the onset and demise dates of the rainy season. Our results show that forecasts can be skillful enough to identify onset and demise dates at approximately 30 days lead-time.

Finally, we study the representation of the Indian monsoon in the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2). A new trigger criterion is implemented into the parameterization of convection. The new trigger improves the seasonal forecast of the Indian summer monsoon rainfall, including the representation of the rainy season onset dates and the representation of hurricane intensity. Moreover, the simulation of hurricanes provides insights on the mechanism whereby the new trigger impacts the representation of convection.

26 Oct: Leila Farhadi (George Washington U.)
Mapping land water and energy balance relations through conditional sampling of remote sensing estimates of atmospheric forcing and surface states
Exploratory Hall 3301

In this study, we develop and apply a mapping estimation capability for key unknown parameters that link the surface water and energy balance equations. Parameters of the system are estimated through a process that links atmospheric forcing (precipitation and incident radiation), surface states, and unknown parameters. Accuracy of this method is first examined through its application over three different field sites. Next, this calibration-free method is applied to the mesoscale region of Gourma in West Africa using multiplatform remote sensing data. The retrievals are verified against tower-flux field site data and physiographic characteristics of the region. The focus is to use remote sensing data to find the functional form of the evaporative fraction dependence on soil moisture, a key closure function for surface and subsurface heat and moisture dynamics.

2 Nov: Anand Gnanadesikan (Johns Hopkins U)
Dispersion, diffusion and confusion: Why ocean eddy mixing is so uncertain and why it matters
Exploratory Hall 3301

7 Nov: Ligia Bernardet (NOAA ESRL, Colorado U)
Global Model Test Bed: fostering community involvement in NOAA’s Next-Generation Global Prediction System
Mon., 1:30-2:30, Research Hall 163

16 Nov: Peter LaPuma (George Washington U.)
Renewable Energy: Where Do We Go From Here
Exploratory Hall 3301

There is little doubt that humans need energy to live a better life and historically that has meant increasing our consumption of fossil fuels. But there is a global transformation underway that is inspired in part by climate change and by market forces like lower cost renewable energy and the increasing difficulty in mining conventional sources of fossil fuel. We will discuss energy trends in the United States from petroleum to solar as well as market and political forces that influence the energy world.

30 Nov: Shian-Jiann Lin (NOAA GFDL)
The FV3 dynamical core and the Next Generation Global Prediction System
HUB 3 [NOTE CORRECTION FROM EARLIER INCORRECT DATE]

The fundamental design of the Finite-Volume dynamical core on the cubed-sphere (FV3) will be presented, with focus on FV3’s key scientific and computational attributes. FV3 is well suited as the core for a unified modeling system for both weather and climate, with regional (via 2-way nesting) and global domains. We will show that the FV3-based Next Generation Prediction System (NGGPS) prototype model is already competitive with the world’s best prediction model (the IFS). As we gradually step into the non-hydrostatic gray zone (3-10 km), there exists a golden opportunity for the nation’s prediction system to truly become “second to none” for predictions from hours to seasons. To achieve that goal in 3 years, a fast-pace development cycle involving an expert (tiger) team of Data Assimilation, physical parameterization, and the core developers would be needed.

Dec 20: Bidyut Goswami (U. Victoria)
Tue, 1:30-2:30, Research Hall 163

The cumulus parameterization deadlock started to break down with the advent of the super-parameterization and global cloud resolving modeling. Climate model improvements in tropical synoptic and intra-seasonal variability are conditioned by the improvement in parameterization. To better represent organized convection in the Climate Forecast System version-2 (CFSv2), a climate run with a stochastic multi-cloud model (SMCM) parameterization is analyzed here. The CFS-SMCM simulation shows significant improvement in synoptic and intra-seasonal variability. The CFS-SMCM provides a better account of convectively coupled equatorial waves and the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO). The CFS-SMCM improves propagation of intra-seasonal signals including the MJO propagation beyond the maritime continent barrier, which is the Achilles Heel for coarse resolution GCMs. It gives a better distribution of rain event frequency, including heavy precipitation, than many coarse resolution GCMs.

To generate guidance to its forecasters, the National Weather Service runs a numerical prediction suite involving a number of models. NOAA is developing the Next-Generation Global Prediction System (NGGPS), which will have multiple forecast components (atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, etc.) that can be assembled in various forecast applications through the use of a mediator (coupler). A Global Model Test Bed (GMTB) was formed to foster community involvement in the prediction system. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of software infrastructure elements that GMTB is addressing to support distributed development. We will present a set of hierarchical testing tools ranging from a single-column model to fully three-dimensional global workflows. An example will be given of the assessment of an alternate cumulus parameterization scheme for use in the Global Forecast System. Finally, information will be provided about how Principal Investigators and graduate students can be funded for getting involved with GMTB.

Spring 2017 Geology Seminar Series

Feb 2: Linda Hinnov (GMU)
Astrogeodynamics in stratigraphy

Feb 16: Allison MacFarlane (George Washington U.)
Nuclear fuel cycle

Mar 2: Bradley Peters (Carnegie Institution)
Mantle petrology and hotspots

Mar 23: Jessica Moerman (Smithsonian)
Climate and human evolution

Apr 6: Andy Fraass (Smithsonian)
Micropaleontology

Apr 20: Heather Graham (NASA)
Space geology and astrobiology

May 4: GMU Students: Kate Tuskes, Sean Karoly, others

Fall 2016 Geology Seminar Series

The Geology Seminars are as follows, Thursdays, 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm, 3301 Exploratory Hall:

Sep. 8 – Alan Pitts – Deep-water depositional systems

Sep. 22 – Mark Anders – Tectonics

Oct. 6 – Kevin Lewis – Mars surface systems

Oct. 20 – M’bark Baddouh – Eocene paleohydrology

Nov. 3 – Heather Graham – Meteorite (bio)geochemistry

Nov. 17 – Chao Ma – Oceanic Anoxic Events

Dec. 1 – Allison McFarlane – Nuclear fuel cycle