{"id":26740,"date":"2018-10-23T09:13:32","date_gmt":"2018-10-23T13:13:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/college.unc.edu\/?p=26740"},"modified":"2024-07-02T16:56:59","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T16:56:59","slug":"elena-watts-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=26740","title":{"rendered":"Riverine Re[Sr]ch: An Undergraduate\u2019s Journey in Geology"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a first-year student, Elena Watts took a research-based field trip that would change her life and lead her to four years of undergraduate research at UNC. The results of her original work served as the basis for a grant that now funds other students in the geology department.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Watts
Elena Watts and two other Carolina students hike in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during their “Field Geology of Eastern California\u201d field trip.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each October, eastern California shifts gears. Leaves change color, waterfalls diminish to trickles, and the wildlife inhabiting this stunning landscape prepare for winter. UNC geologist Drew Coleman<\/a> stands near a cliff face in Yosemite National Park, excitedly describing the surrounding topography to a small group of Carolina students. It turns out that the mountains, valleys, and glacier-carved rock features of this region are changing, too, but much, much slower.<\/p>\n

Elena Watts listens to Coleman\u2019s talk in awe, taking in the beauty of the Sierra Nevada.<\/p>\n

At the time, Watts was a first-year interested in neuroscience, but after spending her 2015 fall break with Coleman\u2019s\u00a0\u201cField Geology of Eastern California\u201d\u00a0class, she decided to become a geologist.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d\u00a0like to think\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0a little bit of geologist in everybody, and you can\u2019t go to a national park without engaging in geology,\u201d Coleman says.\u00a0\u201cEverybody\u2019s got this curiosity, and I think what the California trip does is turns it to eleven.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cField\u00a0Geology of Eastern California\u201d\u00a0<\/em>is a\u00a0first-year\u00a0seminar course taught by Coleman and Allen Glazner, another geology professor at UNC. It engages students in original research projects of their\u00a0own\u00a0design, which was the\u00a0aspect\u00a0of the trip that hooked Watts \u2014\u00a0she loved the challenge and process of doing\u00a0research and gathering data in the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I came to Carolina, I was a biology and psychology double-major,\u201d she says. \u201cI took the geology first-year seminar on a whim. I just thought it would be fun to go to California, but I really enjoyed it, and realized that there was all this fascinating stuff happening in the geology department.\u201d<\/p>\n

When she returned to campus, Watts switched her major to geological sciences and began working in Coleman\u2019s lab the following spring. She has spent\u00a0the\u00a0past three years at Carolina studying strontium in the Neuse and Cape Fear rivers. This fall, she is a teaching assistant for that same California field course that inspired her to pursue geology three years ago.<\/p>\n

All rivers lead to the ocean\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Throughout Earth\u2019s history, major geologic events have transformed the chemistry of the\u00a0ocean \u2014\u00a0a phenomenon that geologists study to understand the evolution of the planet\u2019s geological landscape.\u00a0 They do this by measuring the elements present within seawater, specifically forms of the same element that have different masses, which are called isotopes of the element. The ratios of some isotopes depend on the age and nature of rock, so by measuring them, geologists can construct ideas of how the continents evolved and predict what they might look like in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor instance, right now, many researchers believe that the isotopic ratio of the oceans is generally rising due to erosion of the Himalayan Mountains,\u201d Watts explains. \u201cThe reasoning behind this interpretation comes from understanding what the sources of elements are to the ocean. That\u2019s where riverine inputs come in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riverine input comprises of concentrations of elements in the ocean that depend on contributions from rivers. Those concentrations are largely dependent on the rock through which the river flows. One element called strontium \u2014 Sr on the periodic table of elements \u2014 is easy to measure, and its isotopic ratios vary greatly in different regions of North Carolina.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsotopic ratios are something like a fingerprint for the rocks and soil with which water interacts,\u201d Coleman says. \u201cStrontium ratios vary dramatically with the geology in this part of the world, so it was an easy test to try and see if the strontium tracked the geology as the Cape Fear and Neuse rivers crossed geologic boundaries.\u201d By collecting rocks and river water from different areas of North Carolina and examining their strontium isotopic ratios, Watts could determine if the bedrock and river water ratios matched.<\/p>\n

In the geology community, it\u2019s generally accepted that a river\u2019s water reflects the geology of its river basin \u2014 that is, the isotopic ratios of elements in the water are\u00a0similar to\u00a0those of the dominant bedrock. While Watts found that this was true for the Coastal Plains region of North Carolina, it turns out that the isotopic ratio of the water in the western region of the state was being influenced by much less abundant rock.<\/p>\n

Watts thinks\u00a0that groundwater might be traveling over and dissolving minerals from mafic dikes \u2014 ancient veins of magma that cut through the bedrock \u2014 before becoming river water. \u201cI hypothesize that the dikes are creating a path through the rock that the water can flow along more easily,\u201d\u00a0she says.<\/p>\n

\"Watts
Elena Watts purifies strontium in water samples. Strontium is a naturally occurring element, abundant in the bedrock geology of North America.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Headwaters to hotspots\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Watts is hoping to publish her results in\u00a0The Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface<\/em>, where the scientific paper she wrote is in review.\u00a0Her work has\u00a0already served as the basis for a grant proposal that\u00a0funded both\u00a0graduate and undergraduate research in Coleman\u2019s lab. As for herself, Watts is busy writing a senior honors thesis and applying for graduate school \u2014 all while completing her senior year at Carolina.<\/p>\n

Watts has presented her work at the\u00a0Geological Sciences Student Research Symposium and\u00a0UNC\u2019s Increasing Diversity and Enhancing Academia<\/a> (IDEA) program conference.\u00a0This November, she will present at the Geologic Society of America Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana,\u00a0to share her work with the geology community, network,\u00a0and learn about different graduate programs.<\/p>\n

Looking forward, she\u2019s discovering new areas of geology that pique her interest. For her senior honors thesis, Watts is examining isotopes in ancient magma from Greenland, as part of a larger\u00a0project\u00a0headed by\u00a0Alan Boudreau at Duke University. With this project, and perhaps for graduate school, she is shifting her focus from rivers to magmatic rocks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fascinated by hotspot volcanism,\u201d Watts admits.\u00a0\u201cGeologists are still trying to understand how or if it\u2019s related to plate tectonics, and I am really interested in that question.\u201d\u00a0Volcanic hotspots are thought to occur when tectonic plates travel over magma plumes in Earth\u2019s mantle, creating a chain of volcanos over time.\u00a0The Hawaiian Islands\u00a0are\u00a0perhaps the most\u00a0famous\u00a0example of this.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I\u2019ll even branch into geochronology, which is all about dating rocks,\u201d she continues, adding that in such a diverse field, the possibilities are endless.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause it\u2019s there\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Conducting research in UNC\u2019s geology department has transformed Watts\u2019s undergraduate career.\u00a0\u201cDoing something from start to finish \u2014 from developing a hypothesis to trying to get it published \u2014 is a really good experience,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s given me the confidence that research is something that I\u2019m both capable of and enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those planning on attending\u00a0graduate\u00a0school, getting involved with undergraduate research is incredibly valuable.\u00a0Most graduate degree programs in the natural sciences are centered around conducting original research. But even for those who aren\u2019t planning on continuing to grad school, the skills learned while participating in research are important.\u00a0\u201cThose skills are going to be valuable in any\u00a0profession\u00a0that you go into after\u00a0Carolina,\u201d Coleman points out.\u00a0\u201cSo\u00a0why not immerse yourself in it while you\u2019ve got people invested in teaching you?\u201d<\/p>\n

And in the geology department, both Coleman and Watts agree that the people are invested. For students, research opportunities are there for the taking.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the faculty in this\u00a0department\u00a0are really\u00a0motivated,\u201d Watts says. \u201cEveryone is interested in engaging with undergraduates and helping them conduct original research.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coleman agrees: \u201cIf\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0an undergraduate in this major, you\u2019re missing a great opportunity if you don\u2019t engage in research \u2014\u00a0because\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0there!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Elena Watts is\u00a0a\u00a0senior majoring in geological sciences\u00a0within the\u00a0UNC\u00a0College of Arts\u00a0&\u00a0Sciences, and a student assistant in UNC\u2019s Geochronology and Isotope Geochemistry Lab<\/a>. She received funding for her research through the Increasing Diversity and Enhancing\u00a0Academia\u00a0(IDEA)<\/a> program and the Walter Wheeler Fund.<\/em><\/p>\n

Drew Coleman is professor and chair of the Department of\u00a0Geological Sciences<\/a> within the\u00a0UNC\u00a0College of Arts\u00a0&\u00a0Sciences.<\/em><\/p>\n

Story by Liah McPherson<\/a>, Endeavors<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a first-year student, Elena Watts took a research-based field trip that would change her life and lead her to four years of undergraduate research at UNC. The results of her original work served as the basis for a grant that now funds other students in the geology department.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":26742,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,33,17,21,34],"tags":[24,25,26,1063,1064,36,38,39,786,40],"class_list":["post-26740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-media-news","category-natural-sciences-mathematics","category-news","category-news-archive","tag-carolina","tag-college-of-arts-sciences","tag-college-of-arts-and-sciences","tag-geological-sciences","tag-geology","tag-unc","tag-unc-college-of-arts-and-sciences","tag-unc-chapel-hill","tag-undergraduate-research","tag-university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26740"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48926,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26740\/revisions\/48926"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}