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Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate Research
I mentor undergraduate research projects at Truckee Meadows Community College, using a variety of funding sources. Projects are applied research on a broad array of geoscience topics using a variety of tools. Students lead the process—including selecting a research topic, developing a hypothesis to test, carrying out the study, and presenting it in a professional format. I find this to be an incredibly-effective way to recruiting and retaining geoscience majors, and having fun learning about new topics!
Below is a list of undergraduate research projects I have mentored since I arrived at TMCC:
Investigation of Bedrock Lithology and Fracture Patterns in the Junction House Range, Reno, NV
Investigation of Bedrock Lithology and Fracture Patterns in the Junction House Range, Reno, NV
Authors: Allison F. Laskoski and Aaron J. Ziolkowski
Abstract: A study was conducted on the Junction House Range north of Reno—an area of rapid suburban expansion to accommodate the rising population of the Reno-metro area. The bedrock of the region is made of Mesozoic porphyritic granitic rock that is highly-fractured and cut by epidote veins. Orientations of fractures and epidote veins were taken from multiple rock outcrops in the study area and samples of bedrock were collected for thin section analysis. Preliminary results suggest two generations of fractures. The first set strikes approximately to the east, and has substantial epidote deposits and propylitic alteration of surrounding rock. The second is oriented roughly parallel to the Peavine Fault System and has little evidence of hydrothermal activity. We interpret the second set to be of recent tectonic origin while the first is interpreted to be either from post-emplacement cooling of the granitic magma during the Mesozoic or from hydrothermal activity and deformation by nearby volcanic activity during the Tertiary. Both sets of fractures appear to have heavily-influenced the geomorphology of the Junction House Range—a consideration for geotechnical engineers building in the region.
Below are the authors presenting at the 2023 Cordilleran Section Meeting of the Geological Society of America
Investigating Enigmatic Vertical Vegetation Bands in the Virginia Range, NV
Investigating Enigmatic Vertical Vegetation Bands in the Virginia Range, NV
Authors: Ana I. Amaya
Abstract: The study was within the Virginia range of the Great Basin where vegetation often grows in vertical bands on andesitic talus slopes. These bands are surrounded by denser plant communities creating dark stripes on mountainsides visible from kilometers away. This study used Google Earth and ArcGIS to investigate topographic features that may encourage them to form. Results suggest they are more likely to form on south or west-facing slopes with high slope angles (but well below the angle of repose) that are low in elevation compared to the regional topography. This is perhaps because the northern slopes collect more snow and hold precipitation for longer. This may change the total amount of water and light available, causing reduced levels of weathering, lower sediment production, and thus soil production rates that are slower than the rates of uplift.
Investigation of the Stratigraphy and Structure of the Miocene Hunter Creek Sandstone in West Reno, NV
Investigation of the Stratigraphy and Structure of the Miocene Hunter Creek Sandstone in West Reno, NV
Authors: Aaron J. Ziolkowski and Jack N. Norton
Abstract: A study was done on the Hunter Creek Canyon to investigate contradictions on the published geologic map of the region and to more accurately log the stratigraphy of this particular part of the middle Miocene to the late Pliocene Hunter Creek Sandstone Formation. The stratigraphic survey created a decimeter-scale stratigraphic column of the region that can be used in future physical correlation efforts. Detailed field survey revealed the contradictions on the geologic map to likely be mapping errors.
Photo below is of Jack presenting at the 2024 Geological Society of Nevada's annual student poster session.
TMCC Community Garden Soil Survey in Support of Prosperous Crops
TMCC Community Garden Soil Survey in Support of Prosperous Crops
Authors: Riley A. Sherman, Melinda Gadda, Jennifer Perico, and Jesse Vázquez
Abstract: Working alongside the TMCC Gardening Club, the Reimagining Sustainability Club analyzed the soil of the Dandini campus vegetable garden to determine its potential effects on plant growth. Three soil test pits were dug and the layers were analyzed for color, texture, and organic content. Our results revealed that the soil surrounding the garden is sandy clay with very little organic matter–a combination that is very poor for crop growth. We suggest that soil layering and crop rotation be implemented in order to enhance the soil to make the TMCC vegetable garden more productive.
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