geopath+nc+state

Today I paid a visit to the NC state Geoscience research open house. I explored the variety of geoscience research conducted there by Geoscientists in the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences. They make their labs and work spaces accessible to students in middle and high school. One part of it is “Gravity never sleeps” introduced by U.S. Geologist Dr. Karl Wegmann. It was surprising to know that landslides cause $1-2 billion in damages and dozens of fatalities each year in the U.S, one big disaster was in 2014 Oso Landslide disaster in Washington that resulted in 43 fatalities and destroyed 49 homes. He demonstrated how to interpret landscapes and geologic deposits by using a combination of high-resolution (LIDAR) topographic maps. We also estimate the likelihood of another Oso-like disaster and steps that scientists, public officials, and citizens can take to minimize future risk. The second part was to study landscape patterns and how they change due to natural forces and human activities. They process data collected by satellites, airplanes, drones or even smartphones and create digital representations of the landscapes and environment around us. We are honored to see the Tangible Landscape – an interface that allows users to interact with geospatial simulations using 3D sand models of studied landscapes. Lastly, leading by. Dr. Jay Levine we explored the rich diversity of life in freshwater streams. We performed experiments to determine the time it takes for freshwater clams to clear algae and leaf debris from water and will characterize, count and sketch the microscopic life they can see through the lens of a microscope. All in all, this was a wonderful experience, I got to know a lot more about Geoscience!

