Congratulations to Dr. Peter Kang on receiving the 3M

Non-Tenured Faculty Award

Congratulations Peter Kang on receiving the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award (NTFA) for his project titled: “Understanding and predicting biofilm dynamics on rough surfaces: the interplay among fluid flow, roughness, and biofilm”. The 3M Non-tenured Faculty Award was created over twenty-five years ago by 3M’s Technical Community in partnership with 3Mgives’s Giving Program to invest in individuals who will lead university teaching and research programs in the future.

Learn more about the Peter’s research at: https://pkkang.com

New Undergraduate Degree Option in Environmental Geoscience

The Department of Earth Sciences is pleased to announce that we will be offering a new degree option for our undergraduate students in Environmental Geosciences. Students may choose to pursue a Bachelors of Science (B.S.) or a Bachelors of Arts (B.A.) in Environmental Geosciences. We hope that this new degree option will open various opportunities for our students in a growing career field, preparing them to work in various areas including environmental consulting firms, as well as, federal, state, and nonprofit agencies.

For more information, please contact Dr. Joshua Feinberg at: feinberg@umn.edu.

Also, check out this great spotlight by CSE: Environmental Geosciences.

This Week's Department Seminar

Department Seminars are held in Tate Hall room B20 unless noted otherwise on Thursday at 4 pm.

Thursday, April 25th, 4 pm, Tate Hall room B20

Dr. Steve Loheide, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Groundwater Mediation of Ecohydrologic Processes in Agriculturally-dominated Ecosystems​

Abstract: Two case studies will be used to demonstrate the influence that agriculture exerts on groundwater systems and conversely, the effect that shallow groundwater can have on agroecosystems. First, we will demonstrate that conversion of natural lands to rainfed agriculture alters plant water use, changing the timing and magnitude of groundwater recharge. Shallow root systems and shorter growing seasons for crops leads to increased groundwater recharge.  We observe and model this effect in the Argentinian Chaco, where rising groundwater levels threaten the sustainability of agriculture in the region.  However, lateral groundwater transfers to remnant patches of native dry forest temper this response and suggest feasible management strategies for the region. Second, we demonstrate the effect of shallow groundwater on yield in corn fields in Wisconsin, US.  Very shallow groundwater decreases yield due to oxygen stress within the root zone, whereas deep groundwater has no effect on crop yield.  At intermediate depths, crop yield is maximized by a groundwater subsidy provided when groundwater is within or near the root zone.  The two-way interactions between agroecosystems and groundwater regimes suggests the need for evaluating the two jointly to enhance productivity and sustainability of agricultural regions world-wide.

 Bio: Steven Loheide is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Geological Engineering, and Freshwater and Marine Sciences at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Loheide’s research focuses on the interactions between ecological and hydrological processes in natural and built systems with special attention to the role of groundwater. His approaches use a combination of field data, remote sensing, and numerical modeling to understand the feedbacks between vegetation patterning, vegetative water use, soil moisture availability, groundwater regimes, and stream-aquifer interactions. This work is focused on improving the scientific basis for stream, floodplain, meadow, and wetland restoration efforts; quantifying the provisioning of hydrologic ecosystem services under current and future scenarios; and evaluating interactions among groundwater and urban, agricultural, and natural environments.

QMA 2019, Quantitative Microanalysis 2019

The Department of Earth Sciences and the Microanalysis Society are pleased to announce the topical conference QMA 2019, Quantitative Microanalysis 2019. QMA 2019 will be held June 24-27, 2019. Topics covered include, but are not limited to, quantitative analysis by SEM/EDS and EPMA, compositional mapping, sample preparation, microanalysis education, and reference materials.

Visit the QMA 2019 website for more information!

Interested in Working with the Department of Earth Sciences?

If you are interested in applying for any positions available here in the Department of Earth Sciences, check out the current positions available for more information.