HIGICC 2010 Luncheon Speaker Series

When
13 Aug 2010
12:00 PM - 12:59 PM
Location
Group 70 International, 925 Bethel Street, 5th Floor
Spaces left
35

Registration

2010 HIGICC Members
Free
Non-members – $3.00

Please register in advance.

Registration is closed

[Brown bag event]

Abstract: "Explosive lava-water interactions on Earth and Mars." Volcanic rootless constructs (VRCs) are products of explosive lava–water interactions. VRCs are significant because they imply the presence of active lava flows and an underlying aqueous phase (e.g., groundwater or ice) at the time of their formation. This information is valuable for locating fossil hydrothermal systems and exploring the relationships between climate, water stability and abundance, weathering environments, and the development of habitable niches in extraterrestrial environments.

The architecture, structure, and emplacement chronology of VRCs in the 1783–1784 Laki lava flow in Iceland were investigated using tephrostratigraphy, Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) measurements, remote sensing, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The geospatial distribution of rootless eruption sites were also analyzed using statistical methods to quantify their patterns of spatial organization and infer the geologic processes of their formation.

Employing terrestrially validated morphological and geospatial criteria, analogs to Icelandic VRCs were identified in the Tartarus Colles region of Mars. The VRC groups and associated geologic units were mapped using remote sensing and GIS. Impact cratering statistics were used to constrain the age of the VRC groups and thermodynamic models of lava–permafrost interactions were used to estimate paleo-ground ice table depth, calculate mobilized (i.e., melted and/or vaporized) water volumes, and infer obliquity-driven climate conditions.

Speaker: Dr. Christopher Hamilton, Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii. Chris is the 2010 recipient of the Mark Lierman Scholarship Award and a recent graduate of UH Manoa with a PhD in Geology and Geophysics. He has years of experience applying GIS and Image Analysis technologies to the study of geology and planetary sciences.

Date: Friday, August 13, 2010
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Group 70 International, 925 Bethel Street, 5th Floor Conference Room (makai side of King Street across from Macy's downtown). Seating is limited, so please register early.

Parking: No validated parking. Public parking is available in the Macy's parking garage or the China Town Municipal Parking Structure across from Macy's on Bethel Street.

Menu: This is a Brown Bag event. There is a food court 500 feet towards Diamond Head on King Street.

Cost: HIGICC Members Free, Non-members $3.