Iron Ring Ceremony 2024

Congratulations to all Queen's Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering students who received their Iron Rings! Students are pictured on the front steps of Bruce Wing following the awarding ceremony.

According to ironring.ca: "[The Iron Ring] was instituted with the simple end of directing newly qualified Canadian engineers toward a consciousness of their profession and its social significance, and indicating to more experienced engineers their responsibilities in welcoming and supporting the newer engineers when they are ready to enter the profession."

MEERL Information Webinar

Date

Tuesday March 26, 2024
8:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Location

Location

MEERL webinar

🎓 Want to delve deeper into our online professional master's program? Join our upcoming webinar and connect with Andrew Russell, MEERL's Academic Director and Professor. Get insights into Andrew's career journey, his course "Engaging Effectively," and why he's passionate about teaching at MEERL.

📅 Webinar Date: March 26, 2024 at 8:00 PM EST

📌 Register Here: http://bit.ly/3v9PMpu

Uncover the future of #naturalresources, #sustainabledevelopment, #education, #miningandmetals, and #energytransition with MEERL!

Visiting Speaker - Dr. Tao Wen

Date

Friday March 22, 2024
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Location

Miller Hall, Room 210

The Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering Visiting Speaker Series Presents:

Dr. Tao Wen, Syracuse University

Dr. Tao Wen

Talk Title: Multidisciplinary Insights into Human, Carbon, and Climate Dynamics Across Natural and Altered Systems

Date: Friday, March 22

Time: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Location: Miller Hall, Room 210

Coffee and treats will be served.

 

Abstract: 

Machine learning and geospatial analysis are increasingly being used to understand the complex interactions between the fossil fuel industry, land-water systems, and global carbon cycles. In this presentation, I will explore the application of these methods to a range of challenges, including the assessment of the environmental impacts of the fossil fuel industry, the quantification of carbon fluxes in land-water systems, and the fitting of soil or rock weathering reaction fronts. I will present case studies that demonstrate the potential of these tools for improving our understanding of carbon cycling and informing climate policy. By leveraging large datasets and advanced algorithms, we can gain insights into the spatial and temporal patterns of carbon emissions, and identify strategies for mitigating their impacts on the environment. Ultimately, these tools can help us build more sustainable energy systems and manage our planet's natural resources more effectively.

Bio: 

Dr. Tao Wen serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Syracuse University. He embarked on his academic journey in Environmental Sciences, earning his Bachelor's degree from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2011. His quest for knowledge led him to the University of Michigan, where he obtained his Ph.D. in Geology in 2017. Following his doctorate, Dr. Wen honed his research skills as a postdoctoral fellow at Pennsylvania State University from 2017 to 2020. At the heart of Dr. Wen's research lies a deep fascination with the intricate relationships between humanity and the water and carbon cycles. He leads a dynamic research team that employs an integrative approach, combining field investigations, laboratory experiments, and data analytics to explore the complexities of water and carbon cycles within human-impacted and natural environments. Since joining the Syracsue University in 2020, he has designed, built, and directed the Syracuse University Hydrogeochemistry And eNvironmental Data Sciences (HANDS) Research Laboratory.

Visiting Speaker - Dr. Martyn Unsworth

Date

Tuesday March 19, 2024
10:30 am - 11:30 am

Location

Bruce Wing, Room 352

The Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering Visiting Speaker Series Presents:

Dr. Martyn Unsworth, University of Alberta
2023-2024 CSEG Distinguished Lecturer

Martyn Unsworth

Talk Title: Magnetotellurics : Using natural radio waves to look inside the Earth

Date: Tuesday, March 19

Time: 10:30 am - 11:30 am

Location: Bruce Wing, Room 352

Coffee and treats will be served.

Abstract:

Geophysical exploration provides important information for resource exploration, studies of geohazards, and investigations into how the Earth works. Seismic exploration is the most widely used geophysical technique and is an invaluable tool for oil and gas exploration. However, no single geophysical technique can answer all questions about Earth structure. An alternative method uses low-frequency electromagnetic (EM) signals to image the electrical resistivity of the Earth. This rock property is sensitive to the presence of fluids and a number of economically important minerals. For more than a century, EM techniques have been applied in areas including hydrogeology, mineral exploration, and geothermal energy development. EM methods focused on near-surface exploration utilize signals generated with a transmitter. For deeper exploration it is most efficient to use magnetotellurics (MT) – an EM method that uses natural EM signals to image subsurface structure. In this lecture, I will describe the physics of the MT method and outline its range of applications. This lecture will emphasize (1) how MT is now capable of working in 3-D to develop realistic models of subsurface resistivity (2) how MT is most effective when used in combination with other geophysical methods, and (3) introduce applications of societal relevance including include mineral exploration, volcanology, geothermal exploration, and tectonic studies.

Bio:

Professor Martyn Unsworth is a faculty member in the Department of Physics / Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta. His research focuses on the development of electromagnetic methods in geophysics. Applications in applied geophysics includes studies in mineral exploration, geothermal energy development and imaging permafrost. He has also used magnetotellurics extensively in investigations of plate tectonics, earthquake hazards and volcanoes. He received a BA in Natural Sciences (1986) and a PhD in Marine Geophysics (1991), both from the University of Cambridge. His postdoctoral research at UBC was focussed on the development of inversion methods for controlled source electromagnetic data. After working as a Research Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, he joined the geophysics group at the University of Alberta in 2000.

Visiting Speaker - Dr. Nicolas Cowan

Date

Friday February 16, 2024
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Location

Stirling A

The Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering Visiting Speaker Series Presents:

Dr. Nicolas Cowan, McGill University

An artist’s impression of a lava planet

Talk Title: Lava Planets

Date: Friday, February 16

Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Location: Stirling A

Coffee and treats will be served.

Abstract:

Three decades of searching  have revealed that planets are abundant in the Galaxy, but most are unlike those found in the Solar System. Lava planets are among the strangest exoplanets discovered so far. Their bulk density suggests an iron core surrounded by a rocky mantle, like Earth. But they orbit so close to their star that they are tidally locked into  synchronous rotation: their permanent dayside is hot enough to melt —and vaporize— rock, while their nightside is expected to be cold and airless. Until lava planets were discovered, nobody had imagined the wild geophysics of such an asymmetric world: supersonic silicate winds, and a permanent, hemispheric magma ocean. I will review current scenarios for the formation, interior structure, and atmosphere of lava planets, and how we are pushing back the boundaries of our ignorance with numerical simulations and astronomical observations.

PDAC Alumni Reception 2024

Date

Tuesday March 5, 2024
4:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Location

Join us at PDAC to connect with your fellow alumni, as well as faculty, staff and students from the department!

Date: Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Time: 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: MTCC, North Building, Constitution Hall Room 105