The 2500 km long Himalaya is a classic example of a seismically active plate boundary system. It has offered inspiration to the world’s geologists to understand the earthquake mechanisms, and assess the obvious seismic threat to the millions of people living in north India. The critical problem faced by the earth scientist today is the absence of data to develop the predictive models for the time and magnitude of the future earthquakes. However, paleoseismic investigations allow the determination of the two most important parameters used for fault behavior characterization and calculation of the future earthquake magnitudes: slip rate and recurrence intervals (Wallace, 1981). The proposed short-term course is aimed at developing students’ quantitative skill, and intensive mapping skills through collecting the data necessary for the Seismic Hazard Assessment of the Central Himalaya. This short-term course is first of its kind in terms of the field location, methodology and learning outcomes. The course integrates advanced training with geophysical instruments, such as RTK-GPS and GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar), working with high-resolution (1-2 m) satellite imagery, and data acquisition in the field through trenching, measuring deformation, and calculating magnitude. The final project would include a presentation. The course also includes understanding the impacts of earthquakes on the local communities and a visit to Taj Mahal.”

Visiting Assistant Professor Shreya Arora, PhD

sarora@bate.edu

Additional information and application material available here

This course will provide you field-based learning experiences in a variety of Southeast Alaska ecosystems. The Tongass National Forest is home to an extraordinary landscape diversity that offers an excellent natural laboratory on Earth to observe the interactions among geology, climate change and soil development. This course includes visiting glaciated, riverine, lacustrine and coastal systems where you will observe how climate change and past and modern glaciers shape the earth surface. This knowledge on glaciated landscapes is highly transferable to the Maine Quaternary landscape. It will be like a travel through time, where you will be able to associate present processes in Alaska with those that occurred in Maine during the Wisconsin glaciation. We will visit glaciers to see till formation underneath the ice mass, moraines deposition, and how soils develop over time on deglaciated surfaces. Furthermore, this course includes a community-engaged component, where you will develop a project in group in collaboration with the Juneau community partners, school teachers and K12 students. There will be guest lectures with local experts in geology, soils and ecosystems of the region, and student-led field excursions for 4 days in the field. Group of 3 students will be responsible for presenting and leading a day-long fieldtrip. This course includes accommodations in the University of Alaska Southeast guest housing (shared rooms, 2 people/room), digging soil profiles, outdoor activities in the rainforest (rain or shine) and hiking easy to moderate trails.

Visiting Assistant Professor Raquel de Castro Portes, PhD

rportes@bates.edu

Additional information and application material available here