| Dr. Rahul Dey | Ice cores from Antarctic ice rises: archives of coastal climate variability | 12:00 November 21st, 2025 | Link | Passcode ATLAS2025 |
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Abstract
The Antarctic coast is characterised by distinct topographic features called Ice Rises, which have their specific local flow, climate regime, and surface mass-balance variability. They also have a significant buttressing effect on ice flow and thereby contribute to overall ice-sheet stability. Their well-preserved internal stratigraphy makes them excellent sites for ice-core drilling, providing continuous records of past climate. Owing to their proximity to the ocean, ice rises are particularly sensitive to the coastal atmospheric and oceanic variability, offering valuable insights into the highly dynamic maritime climate of coastal Antarctica. In this talk, I will outline the glaciological significance of ice rises, present ice-core records from these sites, and discuss the climate signals they preserve, including changes in snow accumulation, surface melting and sea ice variabilities. I will also highlight some of the major challenges of working with ice cores from such coastal sites.
| Dr. Jim Morrow | Building the American Salzburg: Transitions in Mountain Communities | 12:00 November 7th, 2025 | Link | Passcode s+X1q!LZ |
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Abstract
This talk traces how two Colorado towns—Crested Butte and Aspen—developed from similar mining origins but diverged in form. Both were settled in the late nineteenth century and developed by immigrants from the Habsburg Empire who left distinct cultural and architectural vernaculars. Reading these as a social stratigraphy reveals how fellow feeling can shape the built form of extractive mountain communities. Crested Butte grew from the coal seams that powered the West’s steel and rail industries. South Slav miners built the town around social halls and communal ovens. Their architecture was plain but purposeful, with an emphasis on warmth, flexibility, and shared life. Later, when the mines closed in 1952, these spaces were stripped or repurposed for a recreational economy that demanded a different form. Aspen followed a different vein. After the silver bust of 1893 left it a ghost town, Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke along with the Austrian planner Herbert Bayer reimagined it as “the American Salzburg.” Under Bayer’s Bauhaus-trained influence, Aspen’s architecture became a sequence of cultural deposits—Alpine façades, modernist forms, and rustic veneers informed by high-culture trends and finance. Together, these towns show how architecture responds to social imaginaries as much as it does economic necessity. The two communities' built forms show that warmth and human connection can be as formative as material wealth. These layers also show how extraction and everyday life together shaped the character of each town. As mountain towns across the West face development pressures, understanding architectural layers becomes urgent—not just for preservation, but for recognizing what social values get built in and what is erased in each transition.
| Dr. Marcos Lemes | A brief overview of mercury speciation: From aquatic system to atmospheric and its impact | 12:00 October 31st, 2025 | Link | Passcode 5.rSh14% |
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Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a contaminant of global concern. It is transported in the atmosphere primarily as gaseous elemental mercury, but its reactivity and deposition to the surface environment, through which it enters the aquatic food chain. Concentrations of mercury have risen substantially in the past decades in apical predators (e.g., polar bears, beluga whales) in the Arctic region. The concentrations of total methylmercury (MeHg), the most bioavailable form of Hg for biomagnification and neurotoxicity; in beluga typically range from 0.35 to 3.16 µg g -1 (wet wt.) in muscle and 0.11 to 6.13 µg g -1 (wet wt.) in liver, frequently well exceeding the Canadian guideline of 0.5 µg g -1 (wet wt.) for MeHg in fish for human consumption. This raise concerns over the health of marine mammals as well as the health of Northerners who consume these animals as part of their traditional diet. With the development of a new high performance liquid chromatography – inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) technique for MeHg speciation, can detect the distribution of various MeHg species, as well as selenium (Se), in different tissues (e.g., muscle, liver, kidneys and brain) of mammal (ex.: beluga).
| Professor Dorthe Dahl-Jensen | Three generations of borehole logging | 12:00 October 23rd, 2025 |
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Abstract
This Thursday, ATLAS and the Northern Students' Association are pleased to host Professor Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, a celebrated paleoclimatologist, Canada Excellence Research Chair, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada for an exciting talk. Professor Dahl-Jensen will be presenting on her exciting work surrounding borehole logging. We hope that many of you can join us. Details, Date and Time: Thursday, October 23rd , Location: Cameron LIbrary Digital Scholarship Centre, Room 2-20A, Coffee and snacks will be provided.
| Dr. Cynthia McClain | Biodiversity and Groundwater Research in Alberta: Ecosystem Mapping, Geochemistry, and Open Data | 12:00 October 17th, 2025 | Link | Passcode =5!bf33M |
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Abstract
The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) tracks changes in wildlife and habitats across Alberta, to inform responsible resource management and land stewardship. Landscape-level information on landcover and human footprint are key components of the ABMI program, while relevance and accessibility are two of our core operating principles. Public, openly-accessible geospatial data therefore form an important part of the products delivered by the ABMI. This presentation provides an overview of monitoring and research at the intersection of biodiversity, groundwater, and geochemistry in Alberta–grounded in applied science that informs environmental management and aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Within the Geospatial Centre at the ABMI, we conduct environmental monitoring with satellite-based Earth observation. Human footprint monitoring digitizes land use patterns from 1.5 m resolution SPOT satellite data, revealing that approximately 30% of Alberta is occupied by human footprint–dominated by agriculture (~20%)–with the largest percent change since 2000 occurring in the forestry sector (+2.7%). The Caribou Habitat Tracking program assesses the status of vegetation on human footprint, including new AI- and lidar-based mapping of narrow seismic linear corridors across all of Alberta’s caribou ranges. These data will support planning restoration to manage this sensitive habitat. Provincial-scale wetland inventories and seasonal and annual hydropatterns in lentic open surface water enhance wetland monitoring and reporting in Alberta. We also developed a new web-app, available at algalbloomtracker.ca, which uses Sentinel- 2 satellite data to monitor the intensity, extent, and severity of harmful algal blooms in 7 lakes in Alberta. Historical LANDSAT data, extending back to the 1980s, reveal that some of these lakes experience blooms twice per year and that bloom frequency has increased in recent decades. Looking below the surface, recent meta-analyses from a unified database of Alberta groundwater quality reveal that nitrate exceeds water quality guidelines in 19% of shallow groundwater samples (<10 m depth) from surficial sediment aquifers, with decadal scale trends of increasing nitrate in some areas. Concentrations of arsenic, manganese, and iron in Alberta groundwater exceed guidelines/aesthetic objectives in 22-48% of samples from surficial sediment aquifers, highlighting potential risks to untreated groundwater users. Alberta’s groundwater also hosts unprecedented biodiversity, with cell counts increasing with depth, and associated with older, methane-rich water. Collectively, this work on groundwater quality, human- and ecosystem-health advances the capacity for Alberta to assess and report on groundwater and biodiversity at subnational and national levels.
| Dr. Chris Scheinder | The Geology and Paleontology of Hawrelak Park | 12:00 October 10th, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode =Qd0#igX |
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Abstract
Hawrelak Park renovation in 2023 included the replacement of an extensive network of underground infrastructure. Aeon paleontologists were on site to examine the geology of the Park and to recover fossils exposed during excavation for curation into the Royal Tyrrell and Royal Alberta museums.Infrastructure excavation and replacement involved a series of trenches (up to 5 m deep) and several bore pits (up to 9 m deep) that created a series of crisscrossing transects through the Quaternary and Cretaceous strata under the Park’s surface. Shallow, historical ground disturbance includes a gravel pit and a trash pit. Beneath the historical deposits, the present-day river terrace is comprised of North Saskatchewan River gravel and overbank sediments. This terrace was carved into pre-glacial deposits of the Pleistocene Stony Valley. A clay deposit within the gravel and sand was carbon dated and exceeded the 44,300 age limit of the analysis. Below the Quaternary sediments, the top of the Upper Cretaceous Horseshoe Canyon Formation (HCFm) deepens toward the northwest, eroded first by the pre-glacial Stony Valley river and again during post-glacial excavation by the North Saskatchewan River.Cretaceous HCFm plant fossils include cattail, cypress, angiosperm, and conifer, as well as a diverse assemblage of at least 36 pollen species. Quaternary gravel yielded abundant Cretaceous dinosaur bones (n = 35) and petrified wood (several hundred fragments), likely sourced from the HCFm. Ceratopsid (horned dinosaur), hadrosaurid (duck-billed dinosaur, cf. Edmontosaurus sp.), and ornithischian remains were identified. Quaternary bones (n = 337) were abundant in the gravel and overbank deposits, and are almost exclusively mammalian (97.0%). These bones include bison (62.6%), extinct horse (5.0%), vole (0.9%), white-tailed deer (0.6%), rabbit (0.6%), elk (0.3%), and cattle (0.3%), as well as unidentified mammal (18.4%), ungulate (3.9%), bird (1.8%), bovid (1.5%), vertebrate (1.2%), deer (0.9%), rodent (0.9%), and artiodactyl (0.6%). Quaternary gravel bones (n = 2) yielded ages of approximately 13,000 years before present, while overbank bones (n = 3) ranged from approximately 6,000 to 3,000 years before present. Pre-glacial (Empress Group) invertebrates (mollusks, insects, and a ?bryozoan) and plants (wood, and at least 16 pollen species) were also found.The fossil resources beneath Hawrelak Park are a window into the natural habitat of pre-colonial Edmonton. While the scientific value and “wow” factor of the fossils cannot be denied, they also have the potential to stir public empathy toward conservation of central Alberta’s natural habitat.
| Marlin Schmidt MLA | Making a Difference: How Geoscientists Can Build a Better Alberta | 12:00 October 3rd, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode 4EvT&5m% |
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Abstract
What good is your research if no one acts on it? As geoscientists, we uncover truths about climate change, energy, water, and resources—but putting that knowledge to work to build a better Alberta takes more than just data. It takes organizing. In this talk, MLA for Edmonton-Gold Bar and EAS PhD student Marlin Schmidt shares tools you can use to help your work shape real-world decisions. Drawing on his decade of experience in provincial politics, Marlin will show you how to use the tools of organizing to amplify your voice and turn your work into lasting change.
| Alex Gardner | Earth Observation: The Nexus of Cool Tech, Big Data, and AI for Groundbreaking Discovery | 12:00 October 1st, 2025 | Link | Passcode 446809 |
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Abstract
Life as we know it is concentrated on a single planet undergoing rapid transformation. Navigating this transformation depends on our ability to be informed, prepared, and adaptable. An explosion of satellite technology over the past two decades has created an exabyte archive of Earth Observation data, containing critical information on how the complex Earth System is responding to rapid changes in climate. However, realizing the full value of this data presents a significant technical challenge. I will provide a highly opinionated analysis of the current technology landscape, focusing on novel satellites, the role of computing (I/O and AI/ML) in accelerating knowledge extraction, and recent discoveries derived from EO data.
| Dr. Martyn Unsworth | The Rise and Fall of the Peruvian Andes: A geophysical perspective | 12:00 September 26th, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode @+%bL7Y$ |
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Abstract
Subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath South America has formed the Andes – one of the worlds great mountain ranges. The pattern of subduction in the Andes varies from north to south, with alternating zones of normal subduction with a volcanic arc, and flat slabs without active volcanoes. In the Central Andes subduction has produced the Altiplano where the crust exceeds 80 km in thickness. Subduction in the Andes also results in major earthquake and volcano hazards, and controls the distribution of mineral deposits. Since 2016 the University of Alberta has collaborated with INGEMMET in Peru to use magnetotelluric exploration to image the structure of the crust and upper mantle in southern Peru. In this presentation I will describe the geological setting of Peru and explain how these data were collected on transects P1 and P2 and used to produce a 3-D resistivity model. Applications will be discussed and include : (1) Distribution of partial melt in the crust and implications for geodynamics (2) Investigation of earthquake hazards in the city of Cusco (3) Mapping the magma body beneath Volcan Misti in the city of Arequipa (4) Develop links between crustal structure and the distribution of Peruvian mineral deposits
| Dr. Subrate Chattopadhyay | How the Planning System Works in India and the Role of the Centre of Excellence in Urban Planning and Design at IIT Kharagpur | 12:00 September 19th, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode $t^I81y2 |
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Abstract
The talk brings an outline of the planning process in India beginning from the precolonial period and extending to the post-liberalisation era. It gives a timeline of the Town Planning Acts and the different levels of Urban Planning and the agencies responsible for them, outlining the technical, procedural and systemic processes. It will then sketch out the current flagship projects of the central government. The talk then shifts focus on the Centre of Excellence in Urban Planning and Design at IIT Kharagpur and talks about our engagement through it under research, outreach, consultancy verticals.
| Dr. Stephen Foley | Primary mantle-derived alkaline melts and their hydrous source rocks | 12:00 September 12th, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode U0wo!L== |
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Abstract
Melting of mixed mantle sources containing peridotite and pyroxenite has received considerable attention in recent years but does not explain melts enriched in H2O and/or CO2. This seminar reviews the scope of primary volatile-rich melts and experimental studies of melting of source rocks, focussing on hydrous ultramafic rocks other than peridotite.
| Dr. Nick Harris | Geothermal resources in sedimentary basins: Risks, rewards and where do we go from here? | 12:00 April 4th, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode *5@7q+TT |
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Abstract
The development of low enthalpy geothermal resources in sedimentary basins has captured attention because of their proximity to population centers and because many such resources occur in basins already explored for oil and gas. In Canada, the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) has found economic investment in geothermal resources from small start-up companies, generally with significant government funding. Yet no projects have yet been successful, and the oil and gas companies that know the basin best have remained on the sidelines. In this talk, I explore the potential for geothermal development in the WCSB, the economic and technical obstacles that have slowed development of this resource, and the science and engineering that will be required if geothermal developments are likely to be successful. Critical steps will include the development of a systematic approach to estimating net present value for projects and the identification of common risks and de-risking strategies; these would enable investors to make systematic decisions with regard to financial opportunities. Approaches taken in the oil and gas industry that are based on petroleum system analysis may be adaptable to the appraisal of geothermal resources in Canada and elsewhere.
| Dr. Grant Ferguson | Deep Groundwater and Deep Time | 12:00 March 28th, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode *5@7q+TT |
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Abstract
The volume of continental groundwater is enormous, rivalling the amount found in ice sheets. Fluxes from groundwater to surface water are responsible for generating a substantial portion of streamflow globally but these fluxes are dominated by relatively shallow groundwaters (<500 m deep) and have short residence times. Deeper groundwaters are responsible for generating only a small amount of streamflow and a disproportionate amount of depletion of storage relative to streamflow capture tends to occur when they are pumped. The relative isolation of deeper groundwater systems has made these environments a target for carbon sequestration, disposal of produced waters from the oil and gas industry and nuclear waste isolation. However, despite the small fluxes of water between deep groundwater and the rest of the hydrologic cycle, geochemical fluxes can be substantial due to the elevated concentrations of many elements in deep groundwater. Deep groundwaters also contain microbial ecosystems that make up a considerable amount of the Earth’s biomass. Studying these systems is challenging not only due to the fewer windows into deeper subsurface but also because of the different processes and time scales that should be considered. While topography-driven flow still dominates many deep groundwater systems, variations in fluid density and various geological processes can drive fluid flow. Boundary conditions need to consider shifts in climate and geologic forcings over long time periods and, in some cases, changes in the flow system geometry, notably due to burial and denudation. Improving our understanding of this frontier of hydrology will require new approaches, new tools and collaboration with other disciplines in the geosciences and beyond.
| Meg Harlan | New findings from the Mount Brown South ice core | 12:00 March 21st, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode |
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Abstract
The Mount Brown South ice core array (69.111 S, 86.312 E) is a new, high resolution ice core record drilled near the boundary of Princess Elizabeth and Kaiser Wilhelm II Land in coastal East Antarctica. With relatively high annual accumulation (20-30 cm ice equivalent) throughout the nearly 300 meter main core, Mount Brown South is a high resolution archive of ice core data spanning 1137 years (873 - 2009 CE), from an area previously underrepresented by high resolution ice core data. Throughout the nearly 10 years since the Mount Brown South (MBS) ice core project’s conception, including a rigorous site-selection study and subsequent drilling and analytical work, the Mount Brown South ice cores have proven to contain valuable information about the climatology of East Antarctica and the Southern Indian Ocean region more broadly. Atmospheric transport modeling throughout the satellite together with trace chemistry and water isotope analysis provide insight into teleconnections with lower latitude climate modes. In this talk I will present an introduction to the Mount Brown South ice core(s), the analytical work that has been done so far, and what it can tell us about climate processes and the interpretation of ice core records from this region.
| Dr. Enrico Pochini | The story of the ice giant with melting feet: simulating ice-ocean interactions in the Ross Sea (Antarctica) in the past and present | 12:00 March 14th, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode 90QqJBN% |
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Abstract
The Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) has undergone dramatic changes over geological time, and is projected to become a main threat in a future with a warmer climate. Where the ice sheet floats, called ice shelves, the ocean is a primary driver of its dynamics, and understanding both the ice sheet dynamics and its driver, the ocean, is key to making accurate future projections. Specific processes, however, which may trigger runaway instabilities of the AIS, are still poorly understood. The most impactful of these processes, called Marine Ice Sheet Instability (MISI), could trigger multiple meters of sea level rise in the coming centuries, and understanding is key to making accurate projections for the future evolution of the AIS. On the ocean side, scarcely available observations make it necessary to rely on modelling to capture the interactions between the ocean and the ice shelves. Similar to projecting in future, projecting in the past is key to linking the past ocean and ice sheet evolution. In the Ross Sea, which was once fully covered by the ice sheet, and which now hosts one of the largest ice shelves, the ice sheet has left numerous marks in the geological record, which has allowed of the timing and locations of the ice sheet during its retreat over last declaciation (last 21 kyrs). In particular MISI is thought to have occurred. In this work I will present some results from present-day and paleoceanographic simulations of the Ross Sea ocean and ice-ocean interactions. Results show how different water masses impact the ice shelf melting, their space and time variability at present, and how the water masses and circulation evolved during the last deglaciation in the Ross Sea.
| Dr. Ali Polat | The Mechanism of Archean Continental Growth: Evidence from Field Relationships, and Volcanic Rock and TTG Geochemistry | 12:00 March 7th, 2025 | Link | Passcode |
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Abstract
Archean terrains consist predominantly (>90%) of contemporaneous tonalite-trondhjemite- granodiorite suites (TTGs) and greenstone belts, representing relict fragments of early continental crust. One of the most contentious areas of Earth Science today is the tectonic mechanism by which Archean continental crust was generated. Although studies on Archean terrains over the past four decades have enhanced our understanding of how these terrains formed, the nature of large-scale tectonic processes that produced Archean continental crust still remains highly controversial. This controversy and ongoing substantial debate have centered around opposing uniformitarian and non-uniformitarian tectonic models. The uniformitarian models propose that modern-style plate tectonic processes (e.g., subduction, accretion, collision) operated in the Archean, whereas the non-uniformitarian models postulate that vertical tectonics or other unknown processes (e.g., sagduction, catalytic delamination, heat pipe, mantle upwelling, stagnant lid) operated in the Archean. The question is which of these models is supported by the Archean rock record? A review of the main lithological, structural, and geochemical data from 4.0 to 2.5 Ga Archean terrains reveals that they were generated at convergent plate boundaries by accretion of oceanic arcs, continental arcs, oceanic crust, and trench turbidites. Extensive geochemical data (>8,200 samples) from Eoarchean to Neoarchean volcanic rocks plot mostly in the oceanic arc, continental arc, and back-arc fields in tectonic setting discrimination diagrams, which suggest that subduction-related geodynamic processes operated throughout the Archean. Similarly, a comparison of large trace element data (>3500 samples) from Eoarchean to Neoarchean TTGs with those from Phanerozoic arc TTGs (4100 samples) suggests that most Archean TTGs also formed in arc environments. The positive Pb and negative Nb anomalies of most Archean volcanic rocks and TTGs are fully consistent with subduction-related settings. The temporal variations in the incompatible trace element ratios of Archean volcanic rocks and TTGs, coupled with their lithological associations, demonstrate that intra-oceanic arc magmatism was prominent in the Eoarchean. The trace element systematics of Paleoarchean volcanic rocks and TTGs signify the beginning of Andean-style continental arc magmatism between 3.5 and 3.2 Ga. From ~ 3.2 Ga there was a gradual transition in intra-oceanic arc magmatism to more abundant Andean-type continental margin magmatism in the form of voluminous TTGs and sanukitoids. From 3.2 to 2.5 Ga juvenile oceanic crust and arcs continued to form, accompanied by more active continental margin magmatism until 2.7-2.5 Ga, by which time there were sufficient crustal rocks to amalgamate into incipient large continents, the fragmentation of which started the first complete classical Wilson Cycle Plate Tectonics of breaking apart and re-assembling large continental masses. Field evidence for uniformitarian tectonic processes in the Archean rock record is exuberant, whereas field evidence to support the non-uniformitarian models is lacking.
| Dr. Michelle DeWolfe | Exploring the mineral potential, and the volcanic and tectonic evolution of the Paleoproterozoic, Karrat Group, Central West Greenland | 12:00 February 28th, 2025 | Link | Passcode |
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Abstract
Mafic volcanic rocks of the Paleoproterozoic Kangilleq Formation of the Karrat Group of West Greenland represent a submarine mafic volcanic sequence, erupted and deposited on the Rae craton of Greenland. The formation ranges from <100 m-thick to ~500 m-thick, and consists of mafic volcaniclastic rocks, pillow lavas and massive basalt lavas that have undergone greenschist facies metamorphism, yet preserve primary volcanic textures such as pillows, drainage cavities, lobes, flow banding, autoclastic breccias, hyaloclastite, scoria and layering. Rocks of the Kangilleq Formation overlie the Archean Qeqertarssuaq Complex, are interleaved with and overlain by the ca. 1950 Ma Nûkavsak Formation and are subdivided into the Kangiusiap and Umiammakku members. The Kangiusiap member is dominated by mafic, scoria-rich breccias, and is bound at the bottom and top by the Nûkavsak Formation. This member has subalkaline, transitional to tholeiitic, mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) to back arc basin basalt (BABB) signatures with a Nd-isotope value similar to the depleted mantle at 1.88 Ga. Kangiusiap member also hosts volcanogenic massive sulfide mineralization in the area of central Kangiusap Kuua. A zone of semiconformable quartz alteration and disconformable chlorite alteration within hydrothermal breccias and mafic tuff breccias near the top of the volcanic sequence is interpreted to reflect a synvolcanic hydrothermal system. Conformable, massive to semimassive, and discordant, stringer-style sulfide mineralization is hosted within the quartz- and chlorite-altered volcanic rocks. The massive to semi-massive sulfide mineralization is ~10 m thick and crops out along strike for ~2,000 m. The stringer zone is ≤10 m thick with individual sulfide stringers ranging in width from 5 to 90 cm. All sulfide zones are dominated by coarse pyrrhotite and pyrite, with trace amounts of sphalerite and chalcopyrite. The Umiammakku member is dominated by pillow lavas, with subordinate amounts of massive lavas and volcaniclastic rocks, overlies the Qeqertarssuaq Complex and is overlain by, and interleaved with, the Nûkavsak Formation. It is alkaline with characteristics similar to modern ocean island basalts and Nd- isotopic values slightly lower than the depleted mantle at 1.88 Ga. The rocks of the Kangilleq Formation represent non-arc suites or suites that have only minor subduction zone or crustal input, and display geochemical signatures similar to basalts found in modern intracontinental back arc settings. Lithofacies, bedforms, internal stratigraphy, and the identification of synvolcanic faults, suggest it is the product of volcanic eruptions during incipient rifting within a back arc setting, and seafloor mass wasting events at fault scarps related to rifting. Based on the geological characteristics and its petrogenetic and tectonic history, the Kangilleq Formation is interpreted to be correlative with the Bravo Lake Formation of the Piling Group of northeastern Canada and records incipient rifting of the southern margin of the Rae craton in the Paleoproterozoic.
| Dr. Vincent McFarlane | River freeze-up - it's supercool! (Or is it...?) | 12:00 February 14th, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode 7aFLP5r$ |
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Abstract
River ice processes are a major concern for infrastructure on Northern rivers. The accumulation of frazil ice on freshwater intakes when the river supercools can drastically reduce water availability during the freeze-up period, causing shortages of water for communities or for industrial processes; the formation of anchor ice dams downstream of hydroelectric stations can reduce power generation capacity; and the formation of freeze-up ice jams can result in significant flooding. The most effective strategy to avoid or mitigate these issues is to predict when supercooling and ice formation will occur on a river, carefully monitor ice conditions, and take preventative actions. However, to accurately predict a supercooling event requires a large amount of data relating to the river energy budget, which is not often available, and real-time monitoring and forecasting of ice conditions along a river reach that is hundreds of kilometres long is very challenging. In this talk, I will discuss the ways in which we are currently studying the river freeze-up process in order to develop more effective methods for mitigating the impact of river ice formation events, and to answer the question... Will it supercool?
| Dr. Brad Hayes | Energy Security: Humanity's Top Priority | 12:00 February 7th, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode 2egba#b= |
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Abstract
Security of energy supply is the linchpin of modern life. We depend on abundant and affordable energy, available at all times, to build our houses, grow our food, move around, stay warm (or cool) – in short, to live our lives. Billions of global citizens lacking energy security strive to achieve it every day. But many people in high-income nations like Canada have had energy security their entire lives, and sometimes take it for granted. They focus on other priorities without realizing they are endangering their energy security. Let’s talk about achieving and maintaining energy security as the top priority for all of humanity, because without it we cannot achieve any other goals. This presentation is based on the University of Alberta’s Massive Open Online Course(MOOC): “21 st Century Energy Transition: How do We Make it Work? https://www.coursera.org/learn/21st-century-energy-transition
| Dr. Murray Gingrask | Dr. Charles Stelck: Pioneering Geologist and His Legacy in Stratigraphy, Paleontology, and Hydrocarbon Exploration in the Northwest Territories | 12:00 January 31st, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode @Z8Pqggq |
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Abstract
Dr. Charles Richard Stelck (1917–2016) was a pioneering geologist whose contributions to stratigraphy, paleontology, and hydrocarbon exploration had a profound impact on the oil and gas industry in Canada. While much of his career was spent as an educator at the University of Alberta, where he inspired generations of geologists, his work in the Northwest Territories, particularly during the Canol Project, stands as a cornerstone of his legacy. Stelck’s fieldwork in the Norman Wells and Upper Peel River areas led to the confirmation of the reefal origin of the Norman Wells oil field (Kee Scarp), which became instrumental in shaping Imperial Oil’s exploration strategy. His stratigraphic and paleogeographic studies of the Devonian intervals in the NWT set the foundation for future oil discoveries in Alberta. This presentation explores Stelck’s significance in the geological annals of the Northwest Territories and discusses recent research on the Canol and Imperial Formations that have been built on the pioneering work of Stelck and his contemporaries. His deep understanding of biostratigraphy, especially through his work with Devonian and Cretaceous faunas, demonstrated the importance of integrating fossil and sedimentology data with hydrocarbon exploration. Stelck’s meticulous research in the NWT not only advanced scientific knowledge but also had significant commercial implications, particularly in identifying hydrocarbon-bearing structures in western Canada.
| Dr. Nicholas Uttingk | Potential impact of pipeline leaks on groundwater quality | 12:00 January 24th, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode B.5QL#i3 |
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Abstract
Across North America there is a vast network of pipelines transporting a variety of hydrocarbon products such as conventional crude oil, diluted bitumen, natural gas and refined petroleum products. In the future these pipelines may be transporting a range of new biofuel products such as renewable diesel and renewable jet fuel. A leak from a pipeline may occur above or below the water table and may occur in different sediment types. This presentation will focus on presenting results from research conducted into the impact of spills of various hydrocarbon products. First a case study into the impact of diluted bitumen compared with conventional crude considering both spills above and below the water table. Secondly, a case study into the potential impacts of spills of modern biofuels (e.g. renewable diesel).
| Dr. Greg Baniak | Applying Stratigraphy and Depositional Mapping to Improve Hydrocarbon Recovery in Unconventional Shale and Oil Sands Reservoirs | 12:00 January 17th, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode i@A*ac48 |
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Abstract
Within western Canada, substantial quantities of hydrocarbons occur within the Lower Triassic Montney Formation and Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation. For each of these two unconventional reservoirs, accumulations of hydrocarbons are typically ubiquitous through the entire interval, quasi-continuous across large areas of land, and often contain no clearly defined boundaries. Additionally, due to the massive appearing nature of the rock facies at the core and outcrop level, many erroneous interpretations exist suggesting that the reservoir is homogenous and therefore predictable. As will be presented in this talk, in order to properly predict recovery factors and ultimately better optimize economic forecasting, a more robust understanding of the reservoir stratigraphy and corresponding depositional environment is required. Stratigraphic mapping in the Montney Formation is instrumental in being able to sub-divide the reservoir beyond the traditional three primary stratigraphic sequences (Lower Montney, Middle Montney, and Upper Montney). Within each of the sequences, numerous parasequence sets can be deciphered in core and well-logs. Characterization of these higher-resolution parasequence sets has proven critical in being able to properly re-geosteer previously drilled horizontal wells so that production results and petropyhyscial variations can be accurately compared across large geographic areas. Within the McMurray Formation, stratigraphic mapping is critical in being able to illustrate time-equivalent sand packages across the lower, middle, and upper McMurray members. Understanding these sand packages, and their spatial distribution, is essential in understanding reservoir heterogeneities which may act as either baffles or barriers to steam chamber development.
| Dr. Patrick Sack | Mid to Late Cretaceous tectonomagnetic framework of Yukon | 12:00 January 10th, 2025 | Access Recording | Passcode u!Np*L28 |
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Abstract
An orogen-parallel belt of Late Cretaceous (ca. 82 Ma to 69 Ma) volcanic and shallow level plutonic rocks within the Intermontane terranes runs from northwestern British Columbia, through Yukon and into eastern Alaska. These magmatic rocks are associated with porphyry Cu-Au-Mo, epithermal Au-Ag-Zn-Pb and Cu-Au skarn deposits. I use high-resolution geochronology (U-Pb CA-TIMS on zircon, Re-Os TIMS on molybdenite, K-Ar on illite) and whole-rock isotopic data to develop a revised stratigraphic, plutonic, metallogenic and geodynamic framework for these rocks in Yukon. We suggest Late Cretaceous magmatism and related porphyry mineralization migrated from the vicinity of the Yukon-British Columbia border northwestward to the Yukon-Alaska border. The Late Cretaceous magmatic rocks have compositional similarities to mid-Cretaceous subduction-related plutonic suites, but become increasingly juvenile and alkalic as they young and migrate northwestward over a span of about 13 m.y. Most studies suggest that Late Cretaceous orogen-parallel fault systems are a first order-control on magmatism; however, we note that the best-preserved Late Cretaceous volcanic rocks are commonly associated with northeast oriented, orogen-normal faults and fault zones with a mid-Cretaceous history. This suggests the mid-Cretaceous framework directly influenced Late Cretaceous porphyry system emplacement and preservation.
| Dr. Nina Zeyen | Mineralogical and geochemical study of modern lacustrine microbialites: towards a better understanding of the geological record | 12:00 November 29th, 2024 | Access Recording | Passcode E?49vTPa |
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Abstract
Microbialites are organo-sedimentary rocks formed by microorganisms. These rocks are abundant in the geological record and are considered one of the oldest traces of life. Nevertheless, debates about their biogenicity, and their associated paleo-environments are ongoing. In this presentation, I will explore how the mineralogy of microbialites could be used as indicator of both their biogenicity and paleo-environments by studying modern microbialites, i.e. currently growing, in different lakes. I will provide insights about the physico-chemical conditions that drive microbialite formation and question if we can use their bulk chemistry to infer their respective paleoenvironments. Finally, the messages conveyed by the study of microbialites versus sediments about their paleo-environments will be discussed.
| Dr. Baolin Wang | Advancing Mineral Carbonation Through Methodological and Mineralogical Insights | 12:00 November 22nd, 2024 | Access Recording |
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Abstract
In this talk, I will present findings from four interconnected studies exploring the potential for mineral carbonation using various analytical methods and materials. The first study focuses on the application of the Partial Or No Known Crystal Structure (PONKCS) method to quantify mineral phases, such as lizardite and smectite in processed kimberlite, using X-ray diffraction (XRD). This method provides accurate quantitative phase analysis, essential for predicting the reactivity of minerals to CO2 and assessing their carbonation potential. Building on this foundation, the second study examines how varying acid concentrations influence mineral carbonation potential and accelerated weathering in processed kimberlite from the Venetia diamond mine. By treating processed kimberlite with different concentrations of hydrochloric acid, we evaluated the release of Mg and Ca and its impact on CO2 sequestration and transition metal recovery, highlighting the role of acid strength in optimizing carbonation processes. The third study investigates the impact of specific mineralogical compositions on the carbonation potential of ultramafic rocks and mineral wastes, including processed kimberlite and serpentinized dunite. Through acid leaching experiments, we assessed the influence of mineralogical variations on weathering rates and leachate chemistry, revealing significant differences in carbonation outcomes based on mineral content. The fourth study applies these findings in a year-long field-scale experiment, combining acid leaching or a cation exchange method with microbially-mediated carbonation in kimberlite residues from the Venetia mine. Our analyses revealed that calcite dissolution provided Ca for recarbonation during acid leaching, while Mg was extracted from phyllosilicate minerals, facilitating the formation of high-magnesium calcite. These results suggest that acid leaching coupled with microbial activity may be best employed in calcite-poor residues, while milder cation exchange methods may be optimal for calcite-rich materials. Together, these studies underscore the importance of tailored analytical methods and detailed mineralogical understanding in enhancing mineral carbonation strategies for effective CO2 sequestration in mining operations.
| Dr. Ajay Ganesh | Computationally-Light Machine Learning-based Solutions to Complex Spatio-Temporal Systems Engineering Problems | 12:00 November 8th, 2024 | Access Recording | Passcode wX2g&v96 |
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Abstract
Robust and accurate full-physics numerical modeling tools are essential to model, study, analyze, and optimize the intricate behavior of complex spatio-temporal dynamical systems. Large-scale subsurface processes like SAGD or CCS being a typical example; their full physics-based simulators come with an expensive computational (hence time consuming) burden. This diminishes the extent to which the full-physics models could be used in key engineering applications such as gradient computation (optimization), uncertainty quantification (risk modeling, sensitivity analysis), forward prediction (forecasting), fault detection, and other time-sensitive applications involving huge computational loads. This presentation discusses a variety of computationally light Machine Learning models that can effectively and efficiently be used for such applications.
| Dr. Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa | Spectroscopic advances in liana detection in tropical forests and future perspectives | 12:00 November 1st, 2024 | Access Recording | Passcode #KD8ES+@ |
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Abstract
Lianas, woody vines that climb and intertwine with trees, play a crucial role in tropical forest ecosystems. They compete with trees for light, water, and nutrients. This competition often results in increased tree mortality and altered forest dynamics, affecting forest structure, carbon storage, and biodiversity. Given their significant impact, understanding lianas is essential to understand how tropical forests respond to climate change. Tropical forests exhibit varied responses to climate change, including increased tree mortality, faster turnover rates, and a rise in liana abundance. Lianas are among the ten most significant indicators of climate change in these environments. Consequently, detecting and monitoring lianas through remote sensing is one of the most complex challenges in tropical forest research. Over the past twenty-five years, field spectrometry research has developed techniques to identify lianas, albeit with limited success. Early studies examining liana spectral properties across dry and rainforest environments (400–1100 nm) revealed that lianas in dry forests are more distinguishable from their host trees than those in rainforests because of their distinct spectral, biophysical, and biochemical traits. This led to the discovery of a spectral/biophysical vegetation syndrome, which states that liana leaves can be separated from their host trees in dry forests but not rainforests. More recent research in the longwave infrared range (8000–14000 nm) utilizing machine learning approaches suggests that lianas can be differentiated independently of rainfall gradients. In this presentation, I summarize 25 years of research on liana spectroscopy and discuss the future potential of airborne and spaceborne hyperspectral sensors for liana identification.
| Dr. Shira Joudan | Trifluoroacetic acid in the environment: complexities of the smallest ‘forever chemical’ | 12:00 October 25th, 2024 | Access Recording | Passcode 8S2j*Ay@ |
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Abstract
There are growing concerns about the increasing concentrations of the trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in the environment. TFA is the smallest in the class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are sometimes called ‘forever chemicals’ due to their extreme persistence. Some TFA is emitted directly into the environment, but most is formed from reactions of precursors including refrigerants and anaesthetics, and can be formed from fluoropolymers and other PFAS. An understudied source is pesticides and pharmaceuticals containing aromatic groups with CF3 substitutions (aryl-CF3). The amount of TFA in the environment is greater than what is expected based on known sources, and therefore, our research aims to understand the sources of TFA to the environment. In this talk, I will present results from two projects that study TFA in the atmosphere and in sunlit waters. Real-time (1 Hz) gas-phase measurements of TFA were made in Toronto in the winter and summer of 2022 using a chemical ionization mass spectrometer, reporting higher concentrations in the summer compared to winter. Correlations with solar irradiance and known photochemically produced pollutants suggest that the majority of the TFA measured in Toronto originates from volatile fluorinated chemicals that undergo photochemical reactions to form TFA, and that it is not emitted directly into the atmosphere. In sunlit waters, pesticides and pharmaceuticals containing aryl-CF3 have the potential to form TFA. We found that certain structures can yield up to 9% TFA, and that this value varies based on the pH of the solution. We also use a 13C-labelled isotopologue and high-resolution mass spectrometry to track how aryl-CF3 forms TFA by identifying key intermediates in the reaction.
| Dr. Karlis Muehlenbachs | Oxygen Isotope Composition of the Seas Through the Ages | 12:00 October 18th, 2024 | Access Recording | Passcode 9?!6jE0Y |
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Abstract
Discussions about seawater changed with acceptance of plate tectonics. Former paradigm that seawater composition reflected accumulation of salt followed by reverse weathering had to be modified to include seawater interactions with the seafloor, subduction and its participation in the growth of continents. I demonstrated (1971) that such processes set and buffer δ18O of seawater to its current value. Low temperature weathering on land and shallow parts of the ocean crust that enrich the products in 18O but strip it from the hydrosphere are balanced by addition of 18O by high temperature alteration at mid-ocean ridges where 18O is removed from the altered crust but added to seawater. “Black Smokers” show high temperature alteration of the ocean crust is prevalent at about 350 C. At that temperature the δ18O partitioning of the ensemble of alteration minerals in the altered basalt and water is approximately 6‰, setting a “buffer” on the δ18O of seawater itself to 0+/- 2 ‰ for all times plate tectonics operated. This appears incompatible with secular trend of decreasing δ18O in sediments with age. However, no secular δ18O trend is seen in ophiolites nor VMS ore deposits. If at least part of the sediment and fossil δ18O records are real, then the debate remains if the δ18O of seawater was not “buffered” or environmental temperatures were unexpectedly higher in the past? Recent, very detailed, as well as averaged, examination of δ18O carbonates and phosphates in the sedimentary record both show for the whole of Phanerozoic and late Proterozoic a constant δ18O of seawater near 0 ‰. Clumped isotope studies on carbonates and “triple oxygen” all indicate a δ18O Phanerozoic ocean near 0 ‰. The debate on the δ18O of Phanerozoic seawater is over, we have to accept and explain surprises in the climate record. The δ18O of the Archean ocean is not as certain. Recent studies give contradictory deductions of either a higher or lower δ18O than in the Phanerozoic. Resolution is needed to better understand the Earth’s earliest environment and life, the onset of modern plate tectonics, growth and emergence of continents and perhaps the Hadean ocean.
| Dr. Heather Graham | Life Detection and the Limits of Analog | 12:00 October 11th, 2024 | Access Recording | Passcode yhE6+0=7 |
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Abstract
A key goal in astrobiology is to search for life and signs of life (biosignatures) beyond our own planet, yet we are confronted with this challenge - how do we search for signs of life that may use an unknowable, unfamiliar biochemistry? Current strategies for biosignature detection rely mainly on identification of well-established and widely accepted features associated with contemporary life, such as particular classes of molecules and isotopic signatures, enantiomeric excesses, and patterns within the molecular weights of fatty acids or other lipids. While this may be a practical strategy it does represent a pronounced blind spot that may limit our ability to recognize biochemistry sufficiently different than our own, a potentially unfortunate assumption. Further, as we begin to explore farther out in the Solar System, where a common heritage with Earth is less likely, it becomes even more necessary to design generalized life detection approaches. It also becomes much more important to incorporate knowledge of the abiotic chemical, physical and geologic processes that provide environmental context for our observations. For example, the diverse organic chemistry of extraterrestrial materials could be interpreted as false positives for biomolecules on other planets. In this talk we will explore the fundamental features and mechanistic models of biological systems that focus on the unique way in which life rearranges matter and utilizes energetic inputs. Where definitions of life are lacking, descriptions of life that can be used to broaden our search patterns.
| Dr. Christopher Spencer | Biogeodynamics: the next step in crystal evolution | 12:00 October 4th, 2024 | Access Recording | Passcode 505163 |
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Abstract
There is a growing consensus that the evolution of tectonomagmatic processes played a central role in the evolution of life and the atmosphere. These processes supply bioessential nutrients to the hydrosphere and atmosphere which in turn facilitate radiation and proliferation of Earth’s biota. The emerging field of biogeodynamics examines the interactions between Earth's interior, surface, atmosphere, ocean, climate, and life. In this seminar, I will explore the variety of ways we can trace the influence of the lithosphere on the biosphere and atmosphere, but also how the latter actors influence the former. There is a strong correlation between the rise of continental freeboard and the flux of phosphorus to the oceans. This is directly followed by the oxygenation of the atmosphere which is traced by sulfur isotopes in sedimentary rocks which are in turn recycled in sediment-derived melts. Furthermore, evidence is mounting that the evolution of the biosphere on land is directly changing sedimentation patterns which also influence the composition of magmatic rocks. The next steps in testing these hypothesis will require synthesizing wide arrays of data that span numerous disparate disciplines and methodologies. This will include continued exploration in novel isotopic proxies that hold significant promise in testing biogeodynamic hypotheses.
| Dr. Kyle Whitfield | Community Deployment Planning Initiative Adresses Needs of Rural Men | 12:00 September 27th, 2024 | Access Recording | Passcode dtF5Dg8 |
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Abstract
Rural regions across North America continue to suffer from a lack of community-level mental health supports. This exploratory study explores whether Men’s Sheds, bottom-up, community-driven groups designed to support retired and older men’s mental health by mimicking the social and collaborative aspects of “work-life” by creating opportunities to engage in project-based woodworking, metalworking or mechanics, are generating positive mental health outcomes for their members in rural communities in Alberta, Canada. Relying on a set of semi-structured interviews with participants across two rural Alberta Men’s Sheds, in addition to a sociodemographic and self-rating questionnaire, we demonstrate that the participants in these Sheds enjoy clear and significant mental health benefits by generating opportunities for camaraderie, a sense of purpose and a sense of inclusion. Although not an appropriate substitute for more formal mental health supports in certain situations, we conclude that planning for the formation of new Men’s Sheds throughout rural areas represents a worthwhile investment in the mental health of a group of vulnerable citizens.
| Dr. Maya Rousteai | Advancing Soil and Rock Core Analysis: High-Resolution X-ray CT Scanning for Climate-Resilient Geotechnical Data | 12:00 September 20th, 2024 | Access Recording | Passcode 199d#*5C |
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Abstract
High-resolution X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) is a reliable, non-destructive technique for characterizing soil and rock cores. This presentation summarizes several years of research conducted at the Permafrost Archive Laboratory (PACs) at the University of Alberta, where frozen and unfrozen samples were scanned to reveal key physical properties such as density, volumetric/excess ice content, porosity distribution, thaw settlement, permeability, and thermal conductivity. The development of standardized and interoperable methods for soil characterization will enable more robust geotechnical datasets and support efforts to understand soil changes under expected climate conditions.
| Dr. Chris Herd | The Source Craters of the Martian Meteorites | 12:00 September 13th, 2024 | Access Recording | Passcode bDm9+i%q |
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Abstract
There are currently approximately 200 distinct rocks from Mars in the form of martian meteorites. These samples are delivered to Earth through impact ejection from the martian surface. Where these rocks come from has been a question ever since they were recognized as being from Mars. In our recently-published study (Herd et al. 2024, Sci. Adv. 10, eadn2378) we combine the results of diverse sets of observations and modeling to constrain the source craters for five groups of the martian meteorites. We conclude that martian meteorites were derived from lava flows within the top 26 m of the surface, and we link the five groups - ejected at the same time from the same crater - to five specific source craters and geologic units.The study has implications for testing remote sensing-based volcanic models, for calibrating the chronology of Mars, and for linking other groups of meteorites - and meteorites yet to be discovered - to specific locations on Mars. In this way, we provide important context for the only samples of Mars available until robotically-collected samples are returned from the Red Planet.