The field work for this project was undertaken during the summer of 2018 by Rooney, Steiner, and Kappelman (UT Austin).

Among our key goals was a flow-by-flow sampling of the main basaltic units on the Eastern side of Lake Turkana. These flows extend from the Eocene through to the Miocene. In this photo once can see the stacked flows of basalt as distinct lines. In the field, we would log the section in terms of thickness of unit, lithology/mineralogy, and then take a sample of each of the lavas for further geochemical analysis. 

Dr. Nicholas Mariita - Dedan Kimathi University worked with us to ensure smooth operations and continues collaborations with us as we begin to interpret the data collected. We are also collaborating with San Diego State University and Towson University for further data collection to supplement our own facilities. 

The award has permitted geological research in the Turkana Depression region, which is located in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia. The East African Rift System is the most significant feature in this region and represents the archetypical example of a region where a continent has begun to break apart. The Turkana Depression has within it layers of rock that preserve lavas in a well-constrained temporal sequence. By sampling each layer and analyzing its geochemical characteristics, we have provided new insights into how the lavas were generated, and how the lavas ponded within the crust before they erupted. The project leveraged existing data to produce a synthesis of known work in East Africa and discovered that material derived from one of the two largest structures within the planet is contributing to volcanism in East Africa. With new and data have further shown that magmatic activity in East Africa has distinctive pulses characterized by an abrupt commencement of basalt eruptions followed by an extended period of more silicic volcanism. Our new field work has provided new locations and samples that are a temporal record of the evolution of some of these basaltic pulses in the Turkana Depression – this work remains under active study as a series of student-led projects. 

This work has broader implications beyond the discipline - studies of these types of rocks provide insights into the modern equivalents of economically important critical mineral systems surrounding Lake Superior. One of the most important outcomes of this proposal has been in training and development. The project allowed a Ph.D. student and 12 undergraduate students to directly participate in research. The students learned how to construct a research project, design a project, collect geochemical data, analyze data, and communicate their findings in poster or oral presentation form. In addition, the samples analyzed by the projected supported ~15-20 students who worked in the lab – these students gained valuable experience in performing intricate tasks that require precision and accuracy. Experimental techniques that were in part the result of work from this project allowed us to deliver remote content to our students in classes and those performing undergraduate research linked to the project during the pandemic. We created a created a new tool during the Summer and Fall of 2020 in order to deliver high quality, but compressed scans of microscope slides to students that could be viewed on a desktop or cell phone. Recognizing the importance of this piece of technology to others during the pandemic, we published the plans and complete instructions to allow anyone to fabricate the device (PiAutoStage).

The communication of the research findings of this project continue and to date include: 9 presentations were made by undergraduate students at the University-wide MSU Research and Arts Fair over the history of the project with another two scheduled for this year; 21 presentations were made by graduate, undergraduate students, and faculty associated with the project at regional or national/international scientific meetings. To date, 7 peer-reviewed publications that have in part been supported by the award have been published. Two additional manuscripts are currently in peer review that are the direct products of research from this project and many more are in the process of being constructed on the basis of projects completed by graduate and undergraduate students. Finally, a website devoted to PiAutoStage was designed and published.  (April 2022)