Goals for Summer 2020

My main goal for the summer is to gain experience working with people in my field and therefore getting to know how geophysical work is done in the real world. My main concern is being able to find a stable job in my field like a field geologist or geophysicist in the future. By the end of the summer I want to be able to have a stronger resume and new connections that I can have as professional references to allow me to land a job and later an acceptance into a graduate program. I want to learn how to properly collect and analyze data. In my case, paleoseismology includes utilizing different sets of data from various sources. For example I want to learn how to use GIS software to get the data I need and after use other software like Matlab to further analyze it. I also want to learn more about acoustics and how they are used to map topography because the USGS uses them substantially.

In terms of work ethic, I like to get things done. I am prepared to work on any project I am given and learn on the go. I feel like this will help me learn faster and allow me to retain more information. I would like to further develop my communication skills to fit a professional environment. For example feeling more comfortable speaking about the research being done on Zoom or being able to articulate ideas better. This ultimately helps me further my goals because I will be able to improve my professional skills and therefore increase my confidence and opportunities to land a job after the internship has come to an end.

How Covid-19 changed my summer plans

I still remember the very first time I ever heard of covid-19. I was waiting outside of my class as I scrolled through my twitter feed and saw a post that read something along the lines of “Mysterious new respiratory virus found in China”. I remember sending a screenshot of the article in a group chat that I have with some hometown friends. We began joking about how the end is near. Lo and behold, a few weeks later there were dozens of reported cases around the globe and reports of entire countries possibly shutting down to try and contain the virus.

One of the main ways covid-19 has affected me has been both financially and mentally. At the start of the year my summer plans were drastically different than they are now, in the midst of a pandemic. I had hoped to be employed by the start of summer and enjoy time with friends and family. Since the virus began to take over the world, there has been uncertainty in the job market and now I can’t hang out with the people I love because of safety precautions.

Adapting to the current pandemic has not been easy, however I am glad that no one I know has been infected with the virus. I was fortunate enough to get an internship with the USGS this summer and am grateful for the opportunity. Having meetings online and not being able to go out into the field has been disappointing, but I am hopeful that things will get better. What started as a joke in my group chat ended up ruining a lot of the plans I had. Overall, adaptability during situations like these is key and is something I am getting better at every day. From being more comfortable with online meetings to getting used to social distancing. My closest friends, family, and now my current internship are helping me keep sane.

GeoScience Career Panel Reflection

It was refreshing to hear all the stories the panel members had because it reminded me that more often than not, everyone’s path to the “perfect” job is simply different. In my case, I feel like Pat from Weber Hayes had a story that resonated with me the most. It was surprising how he also attended UCSC and got his B.A in Geology. It was also surprising to me that the firm he works for is right in my hometown of Watsonville.

I have always had an interest in learning more about environmental consulting because I find it very interesting how sites can be examined and used for many purposes. Going into this internship, my second choice was actually to work for Weber Hayes because I felt like having a B.S in Earth Science would provide a solid foundation for venturing into the consulting field. There are many things that I feel I can do with my degree and consulting is definitely something I would consider going into the future.

Listening to Pat tell his story did make me think about what the future may hold in terms of possibly going to graduate school or simply working my way up to where I want to go. On one hand, I would like to pursue a career that requires an advanced degree, like being a professional geophysicist. I would also like to simply be a geologist and seeing how acquiring a professional license works, I feel like that may also be a strong possibility in the future. Overall, Pat’s story and how he is now working for a consulting firm inspired me and definitely made me realize that a general geology or earth science degree can take you many places.

Final Reflection

At the beginning of this internship, I was in search of gaining research experience and working with people in the geophysics field. I really wanted to set myself up to have a more competitive graduate school application and further explore my options in working within the earth sciences. One of my main goals was learning new ways to collect and analyze data using various programs. I wanted to polish my data analysis skills and apply them to my project to solidify them.

Since the internship was completely virtual, I could not physically collect core log data. This was very unfortunate, however my supervisors did a superb job in improvising and gathering data taken the year before. I wanted to analyze the core data in person because I felt that it would be a useful experience. Usually entry level environmental geologist positions require sediment collection and analysis as a core job responsibility (pun intended). The data provided by my supervisors was all digital, however I feel like I still engaged in sufficient data analysis that allowed me to polish my Matlab skills. We were given various text files that contained core property information like density and thickness. Using the skills I acquired from taking several Matlab courses was a tremendous plus, as managing large data sets was something I was used to. This was important for me because improving my technical skills was a main goal of mine this summer and I feel like I definitely did.

Working with the USGS was definitely a great opportunity for me to work on my professional goals. In terms of gaining research experience, I feel like I definitely learned a lot and was exposed to various topics of interest. My project focused around Paleoseismology and how it can be understood using core log data. The cores were taken in two main areas, Lake Ozette in Washington and the Hosgri Fault located in offshore Central California. Each core varied in depth and had different sediment patterns.

Paleoseismology is important because it allows for modern seismology to be further understood and investigated. When trying to understand earthquakes we often need to have an estimation of a recurrence interval, especially if those earthquakes will create a significant hazard for a population. Using paleoseismology techniques we can find estimates for recurrence intervals and much more by spatially and temporally correlating event sequences with available historical documentation. One way to do this is by looking for markers in the sedimentary record that point to possible seismic events in the past. Possible markers include turbidite and shell layers in the sediment because often these markers can only be deposited by a strong movement of sediment, hence pointing to a possible seismic event. This is confirmed by correlating such sequences to know event periods, which is exactly what we focused on this summer.

We started with Lake Ozette first by using CHIRP Sonar (Compressed High-Intensity Radiated Pulse) and LIDAR data (Light Detection and Ranging) collected by the USGS. This data was compiled using raster techniques by our supervisors and handed to us to compile using ArcGIS. We made a local map of the lake that included topographic features like depth change and slope calculations to see where each core was collected.

Afterwards we started sorting and feeding the core log data into Matlab using a script given to us by our supervisors. This script was modified and re-written by me to understand the logic and make debugging easier. Data plots were created and exported to compile with core CT scans and photographs taken by the USGS. Each core had a compiled figure that was made using Adobe Illustrator. Afterwards, we did the same thing with the Hosgri Fault.

After having a compiled figure for each core at both locations, we started to spatially correlate the core sediment layers using IHS Kingdom. Each core shows a different layer pattern, however there are cores that were near each other and therefore will share similar turbidite or shell layers. The kingdom project was started by our supervisors so that it would have a foundation for us to experiment and spatially correlate with. After correlating cores, we started to import png screenshots of each correlation onto the corresponding compiled Illustrator files. The main goal is to have all of the data compiled onto one sheet to analyze together. The final sheet will have a map, core data plots, core photographs and spatial correlation. This is ongoing and will likely be finished by the end of September 2020.

Our supervisors are presenting at the AGU Fall Meeting like we are and have listed my co-intern and I as co-authors on their abstract. This summer may have not been ideal because of the pandemic restrictions and wildfires, however I feel like working with the USGS helped me further my career goals so much that I am now more excited than ever to apply to graduate programs. As an undergraduate, I unfortunately never participated in research opportunities so when I was accepted into the GEOPATHS internship program as a recent graduate I was excited and thankful to have one last shot to do research before applying to graduate school. I would definitely recommend the program to any undergraduates with or without research experience as it helps mold you into a more professional and competitive candidate for jobs or graduate programs. Below I will attach a finished core sheet we compiled.