Research
Effusive silicic volcanism
Relaxation Geospeedometry
I use the relaxation kinetics of volcanic glasses to determine the natural cooling rates of volcanic systems. The Tool-Narayanaswamy (TN) geospeedometer requires repeat measurements of the same glass to constrain 5 sample specific model parameters. I developed a Monte Carlo inspired solution that reduces the time necessary to constrain natural cooling to ~1 day, or a factor of ~5 times faster.
Experimental isobaric heat capacity (Cp) curve from a sample from Obsidian Dome, Inyo Craters, CA.
Repeat Cp measurements of a volcanic glass, first with natural cooling, and then with experimentally controlled thermal histories (Left).
Effect of cooling rates on the shape of the Cp curve through the glass transition (Right).
Discrete Fourier-transforms (DFTs) of topographic ridges on the surfaces of lava flows
Topographic ridges or "ogives" on the surfaces of silicic lava flows have often been interpreted as upright buckle style folds, that form as the upper layer of the lava experiences compression. However, by comparing the power spectrum densities (PSDs) of the ridges from silicic lavas are more similar to PSDs from Basin and Range than pāhoehoe suggesting that the ridges on silicic lavas are in fact formed by extension, not compression.
Thermal transport properties of Earth materials
Temperature-dependent Thermal Diffusivity measurements
Measured the densities (⍴), isobaric-heat capacity (Cp), and thermal diffusivities (D) of a suite of mudstones collected from drill cores in the Illinois Basin to model the transient evolution of the basin geotherm. Image is of model rock types and the right shows the temperature evolution of the Illinois Basin over 270 Ma, with observed paleo-temperature estimates from vitrinite reflectance, and modern temperature measurements.
Food and Polymer Science
Honey
Applied Adam-Gibbs (1965) relaxation theory to model the temperature dependence of the viscosity of honey using Configurational Entropy modeling.
3D printable cookie doughs
Measured the dominant reactions of 3D printable cookie doughs to explain changes in rheology.
Thermotropic polymers
Measured the effects of temperature on 4D printable polymers.