Journal of Undergraduate Research

Sara Ludlow, Dr. Gregory T. Carling, Department of Geological Sciences Pollution of Lake Titicaca has become a major threat to the health and lifestyle of the Uru people who use the lake water for their daily needs. Cities along the coast dump untreated sewage directly into the lake introducing dangerous microbial levels of Escherichia coli. Runoff […]

William Oldroyd and Dr. Jani Radebaugh, Geology Department Meteorites are essential tools for understanding early Solar System dynamics, composition and formation. Models used to study the early Solar System rely on meteoritic composition and relative abundance of samples collected. Meteorites with high specific gravities, such as iron and stony-iron meteorites, appear to be underrepresented in […]

Michael Lowry and Dr. Eric Christiansen, Geology Department Introduction Mars, especially the region known as the Tharsis Bulge, is replete with volcanoes and other evidences of volcanism. The morphology of these volcanoes and the relative ages of lava flows and other features grant important insight into the history of the planet, the tectonic setting of […]

Natalie Barkdull and Dr. Gregory Carling, Geology Department Introduction Artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM) accounts for almost half of anthropogenic mercury (Hg) emissions worldwide and causes widespread water pollution. Gold extraction by Hg amalgamation releases Hg-laden sediment and water into local watersheds where anaerobic organisms can convert inorganic Hg into organic methylmercury (MeHg), […]

By Scott Zylstra and Jake Voorhees; Dr. Ron Harris, Mentor, Department of Geological Sciences Introduction Utah’s rocks, though incredibly complete in later eons, hold very little information about what was occurring in that area before 700 million years ago. In Southern Utah, only two relatively small exposures of these ancient Precambrian exist, in the west […]

Michael Jensen and Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Christiansen PhD, Department of Geological Sciences INTRODUCTION The Wah Wah Springs Tuff and the Wah Wah Springs Intrusive Granodiorite are both part of the Indian Peak caldera complex in southwest Utah, an area of intense volcanic activity 30 million years ago. This time period is known for explosive […]

Tucker Chapman and Faculty Mentor: Greg Carling, Department of Geology Introduction Snake Creek is a tributary to the Provo River, which is an important water source for over two million people along the Wasatch Front. Arsenic concentrations in Snake Creek exceed the EPA limit of 10 μg/L and mixing water in the Provo River exceed […]