Multimedia Gallery
REU Glacial Studies (Image 3)
REU Glacial Studies (Image 3)
Students study an outcropping as part of a research study of comparative analysis of glacial sediments in Minnesota and Brazil.
The research work was led by James Cotter, a professor of geology at the University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM), and was conducted as part of a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program project where eight women were involved in field and laboratory research. The project was a collaborative effort between UMM and Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP).
The research in Brazil involved detailed mapping of glacial units in the Witmarsum area, Parana state. Results of the mapping--conducted by REU participants--indicate that glacial deposits are more abundant; that several different glacial facies are present; and that more exposure of unique features like striated pavements are present. In western Minnesota, research focused on the deglacial history of the Des Moines lobe. Studies of Glacial Lake Benson, a lake that formed prior to Lake Agassiz, indicate that it was indeed a pro-glacial lake but it may have been both more extensive to the northwest, and longer in extent then envisioned. Studies of new outcrops on or near the big Stone Moraine suggest that Lake Agassiz may have formed soon after the draining of Glacial Lake Benson.
Academic activities included introductory lectures, seminars, fieldwork, lab work and computer applications. At the end of the project, all REU participants submitted abstracts to the North Central Section Meeting of the Geological Society of America and presented posters there. Further information about the REU Program is available Here. (Date of Image: July 2005) [Image 3 of 3 related images. Back to Image 1.]
Credit: James Cotter, UM Morris
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