Kraken VMS

ESS Department - April 10th, 2025
The relative stability of Earth’s climate over geologic timescale is greatly due to the silicate weathering feedback, whereby the weathering of primary silicates via reaction with CO2 generates alkalinity, which is eventually consumed during the formation of marine carbonates. While this has been a key concept in our understanding of global climate regulation, some aspects of this feedback remain unclear. For example, is marine silicate weathering as important as the weathering of continental silicates? and what is the role of reverse weathering in setting Earth’s CO2-thermostat? In this seminar, I will share results from past and ongoing projects focused on the chemistry of marine sediments and altered oceanic crust, and discuss what these archives can tell us about some of the less understood players in the silicate weathering feedback.

ESS Department - April 3rd, 2025

Beginning with Galileo Galilei in 1610, the Jovian system of worlds has inspired us and provided a rich environment for paradigm change and discovery. Nearly 415 years from Galileo's discovery of the Jovian moons, we are poised to explore mysteries of Europa. NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft launched in October 2024, with the goal of exploring Jupiter's moon Europa to understand its habitability. This robotic explorer will enter Jupiter orbit in April 2030, and, beginning March 2031, it will collect science data while flying past Europa 49 times. The mission will investigate Europa's habitability by studying its interior, composition, and geology, and will search for and characterize any current geologic activity including possible plumes. In this lecture, I'll discuss the mission's science objectives and how they will be addressed using an advanced suite of complementary remote sensing and in-situ instruments onboard Europa Clipper....

ESS Department - February 26th, 2025
ESS Special Research Talk: Dr. Junjie Dong (Caltech)