ESVI: Earth Science on Volcanic Islands

Arjun Aryal

Research Interests

My research interests include using near-surface geophysical methods to understand how humans interact with natural Earth systems. I employ near-surface geophysical methods, including remote sensing and ground-based techniques like laser scanning, GPS, radar interferometry, ground-penetrating radar (GPR), and electrical resistivity. By analyzing the collected data, I aim to characterize processes such as landslide deformation, volcanic inflation and deflation, and subsidence or uplift due to groundwater extraction caused by sea level change. These studies contribute to a better understanding of natural hazards and offer innovative approaches to managing natural resources.

Potential Projects

• Investigating Shallow Landslides with Electrical Resistivity: Utilizing electrical resistivity measurements to map and assess the extent of shallow landslides.
• Identifying Buried Archaeological Sites with GPR: Employing GPR to detect and map subsurface archaeological features.
• Detecting Groundwater Contamination with Electrical Resistivity: Using electrical resistivity to identify anthropogenic and saltwater intrusion in groundwater.

Alison Nugent

Research Interests

I am an atmospheric scientist, focusing my research on the following: (1) how topography impacts the development of clouds and precipitation, (2) how aerosols, both large and small, impact the development of clouds and precipitation, and (3) the ingredients needed for extreme precipitation. My primary interests are linked by a common theme of convection, precipitation, and interactions with land. My research falls under the category of mountain meteorology, mesoscale meteorolgy, cloud physics, and cloud microphysics. It has strong implications for short term weather forecasting, long-term climate modeling, but more generally, my research helps us to understand the atmosphere of the world that we live in.

Potential Projects

• Validation of weather observations from 3D-printed weather stations installed at K-12 schools on Oahu. This can also involve the building and 3D-printing of weather stations if interested.
• Case studies of local weather patterns or events from the new Hawaii State Mesonet.

James Potemra

Research Interests

Our group uses direct measurements of ocean properties, such as temperature, sea level, waves, etc. to better understand ocean dynamics. This research has two broad foci: one involves the role of the ocean in the Earth's climate, the other is directed at providing data and products to the public.

Through collaborations with the Oceanography Department, Ocean Resources Engineering and the Center for Microbial Oceanography, a series of measurements are routinely collected at Station ALOHA, a region roughly 100 miles north of Oahu. Here we maintain a sea-floor observatory called ACO. This provides real-time information about the deep ocean, including video, sounds, and various physical properties. We also conduct monthly cruises to Station ALOHA as part of the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) program. During these 5-day expeditions, a wide range of measurements are made, and various samples are taken and then processed back on campus. Finally, the third component at Station ALOHA is a “ocean reference site”, a surface mooring (buoy), that measures atmospheric conditions (wind speed, rainfall, etc.) and subsurface ocean quantities. All of these measurements provide us with relatively long-term time-series that can provide insights to how the ocean environment is changing, and the analyses may help better understand climate change.

A second area where ocean observations are collected and used is within a program called the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS). This effort is aimed at providing real-time and forecast information to a wide range of ocean users, including coastal managers, planners, tourists, surfers, and so on. PacIOOS maintains observations in all the American Affiliated Pacific islands including Hawai‘i. We have a wide array of coastal measurements and numerical models, and then try to provide these data via web-based services.

Potential Projects

• Investigate time-series of measured temperature and salinity at Station ALOHA to try and detect long-term changes in ocean conditions. Using the co-located mooring, try and attribute these changes to local air-sea forcing.
• Process deep-sea measurements of passive acoustics (underwater sounds) to help identify various signals of interest (e.g., marine mammal sounds)
• Help develop end-user products based on observations/data from the coastal region. These could include map-based presentations of inundation events, forecast of high surf or other extreme events, automatic alerts when near-shore water quality become degraded, etc. For this project, we encourage applications from students with experience in Liunx-based scripting, Python, javascript, GIS-based tools, and webpage design.

Chris Shuler

Research Interests

My research is dedicated to connecting cutting-edge science with Pacific Island communities in Hawai‘i, American Samoa, and beyond to address pressing environmental challenges. I use tools such as geospatial analysis, hydrological modeling, machine learning, and operational decision-making systems to improve water resource management and advance climate and streamflow monitoring. I lead a hydrological research program in both Hawai‘i and American Samoa, working on issues such as groundwater sustainability, flood prediction, water quality, and climate adaptation. Mentoring students and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration are central to my efforts to bridge the gap between scientific innovation and community-driven solutions to improve water resource management and enhance climate resilience.

Potential Projects

• Feasibility Study of Utilizing ʻAunuʻu Caldera Water as a Sustainable Village Supply (American Samoa): This project investigates the potential of ʻAunuʻu Caldera as a sustainable water source for the village of ʻAunuʻu by assessing lake hydrology, water quality, and geological factors to evaluate its suitability as a long-term alternative to the current desalination system.
  Skills preferred: Basic fieldwork skills, comfort traveling and working outdoors, data management, Excel, Python, R, ArcGIS
• Hawai‘i Mesonet: Weather Station Installation and Flood Risk Analysis in Hawai‘i: This project involves helping an established NSF funded project team to install advanced weather monitoring stations in the field to collect data on rainfall, soil moisture, and others. The successful candidate will then utilize advanced machine learning techniques to analyze statewide data to identify patterns in climate variables and nearby streamflow to assess streamflow drivers and flooding risk.
  Skills preferred: Python, machine learning, basic fieldwork skills, comfort working outdoors, ability with heavy lifting/labor

Giuseppe Torri

Research Interests

My overarching goal is to deepen our understanding of Earth's atmosphere in its entirety, from the surface all the way to the edge of space. I am particularly interested in the interactions between different atmospheric layers and how phenomena in one layer can influence others. Currently, I'm expanding my research interests towards the upper atmosphere—the mesosphere and ionosphere—where I investigate events such as meteoric impacts, atmospheric convection, and space weather phenomena like geomagnetic storms. By utilizing both observational data and numerical models, I aim to unravel the complex processes that drive atmospheric dynamics at high altitudes. This work not only enhances our fundamental knowledge of atmospheric science but also has practical implications for technologies that rely on satellite communications and navigation systems.

Potential Projects

• Analyzing the Impact of Meteors on the Upper Atmosphere: Students will study how meteors entering Earth's atmosphere affect the mesosphere and ionosphere. This project involves analyzing observational data to understand the chemical and physical changes induced by meteoric activity. Students will gain experience in data analysis and learn about the processes that influence atmospheric composition and dynamics.
• Studying the Impact of Geomagnetic Storms on the Surface: This project examines how geomagnetic storms, caused by solar activity, influence Earth's surface and human technology. Students will explore how these storms can disrupt communication systems, power grids, and navigation. The project will involve analyzing geomagnetic data and understanding the importance of space weather forecasting.
• Investigating Extreme Events in the Ionosphere: Students will investigate extreme events that occur in the ionosphere, such as ionospheric storms and sudden ionospheric disturbances. By analyzing satellite and ground-based observations, students will learn how these events affect radio signal propagation and GPS accuracy. This project provides insights into the variability of the ionosphere and its practical implications.

Chris Wall

Research Interests

Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems on earth. Reef corals – the ecological engineers of tropical reefs – exist in a mutualistic symbiosis with microalgae (Symbiodiniaceae), which provide photosynthetically-derived nutrition for their coral animal hosts. However, corals exploit alternative sources of nutrition, as well, including feeding on zooplankton (i.e., heterotrophy). Corals may rely more on heterotrophy during periods of stress and in environments where symbiont photosynthesis is limited or if the hosts are particularly adapted for prey capture. I am interested in the physiological and ecological determinates of nutritional plasticity and applying new methods in stable isotope analysis to track food sources from producers to consumers in coral reef food webs.

Potential Projects

My research focuses on trophic ecology, nutritional plasticity, and stable isotope ecology of reef corals. I use cutting edge methods (such as compound specific isotope analysis of individual amino acids) to determine sources of nutrition and their contribution to marine and aquatic animals. I am interested in working with students with a desire to learn about coral reef ecology, animal physiology, and stable isotope biogeochemistry. Projects may focus on field collections or manipulative experiments, and students will gain experience in stable isotope analysis, data analysis, and coding in R.

Xiaolong (Leo) Geng and Hong Zhang

Research Interests

Our research focuses on developing a comprehensive and quantitative understanding of coastal groundwater dynamics and their role in governing various biogeochemical processes in nearshore aquifers. We investigate how natural and human-induced stressors influence nearshore groundwater flow and solute transport processes. The work involves simulating surface water-groundwater interactions through the state-of-the-art groundwater modeling techniques, as well as field monitoring and laboratory analysis, to assess groundwater quality. An ESVI REU student involved in these efforts will have the opportunity to learn groundwater modeling and gain hands-on experiences in the collection and analysis of water and sediment samples in both field and laboratory settings.

Potential Projects

• Impact of Evaporation and Waves on Groundwater Dynamics in Tidally Influenced Beaches: This project involves analyzing groundwater data collected from fields and developing models to simulate groundwater flow and salinity dynamics at the land-ocean-atmosphere interface.
• Advancing Water Reuse for Agricultural Irrigation and Wildfire Mitigation for Water-Stressed Leeward Coastal Rural Communities in Hawaii: Through fieldwork on Hawaiian beaches, we will collect water and sediment samples and assess their quality in the laboratory, contributing to sustainable water reuse solutions for agriculture and wildfire mitigation.

Team Mentors: Bruce Houghton and Natalia Gauer-Pasqualon

Research Interests

Our research group focuses on the study of erupting volcanoes, and the dynamics and processes of explosive eruptions. We study volcanoes in Hawaii and Iceland by conducting fieldwork integrating video analysis with study of volcanic products. We work on very fine time (sub-second) and length (< meters) particularly for 21st-century, basaltic fissure-fed eruptions. We work in full partnership with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, University of Iceland and INGV (Italy). The results of our research quantify the behavior of magma above and beneath the Earth's surface, contributing to the evaluation of volcanic risk, and defining hazards for communities living near volcanoes.

Potential Projects

• Developing and applying code for automated video analysis of 21st-century eruptions of Kilauea, Hawai‘i and Rekyjanes, Iceland
  • Required skills: Experience with writing and using MATLAB code. Coursework in computer science, software engineering, and/or information technology
  • Preferred skills: Coursework in physical volcanology (ex., ERTH300) or equivalent class focused on physical volcanology
  
  
  
  
  
  

Team Mentors: Helen Janiszewski and Sin-Mei Wu

Research Interests

The tectonic stress environment, combined with its crustal response, plays a pivotal role in shaping the shallow formation and evolution of Earth's volcanism. Our research focuses on understanding these tectonic-crustal processes in volcanic settings such as Hawaiian volcanoes through seismic exploration. Students involved in this research will acquire scientific expertise necessary to understand the crustal formation of volcanic systems, the primary stress environment driving volcanic activities, and the resulting geological phenomena. The projects are particularly well-suited for students with experience in, or desire to learn, computer programming while exploring the processes governing volcanic inner workings.

Potential Projects

• Scattered wave imaging of Hawaiian volcanoes
• Seismic source investigation of Hawaiian volcanoes

Team Mentors: Haunani Kane and Kainalu Steward

Research Interests

Our research combines coastal geomorphology, paleo environmental reconstructions, spatial analysis, and the perspectives of native islanders to investigate how islands, reefs, and island people are impacted by changes in climate.

Potential Projects

• Characterizing historical shoreline change at low lying islands across Papahānaumokuākea. Preferred skills - experience using ArcGIS.
• The rebirth of an atoll island- How do islands and beaches change following a catastrophic hurricane? This project will look at the change in the islandʻs sediment composition and will involve doing work on a microscope. Preferred skills - Willingness to learn!

Team Mentors: Brian Popp and Rita Garcia Seoane

Research Interests

Our research focuses on elucidating the trophic dynamics of pelagic organisms and the flow kinetics in the marine food web using advanced stable isotope techniques. This knowledge is critical to better understand processes controlling the structure, function, and trophic connectivity of marine food webs. Our current investigations rely on compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of individual amino acids (on δ13C and δ15N) to trace nutritional sources supporting pelagic consumers across nearshore and offshore ecosystems.

Potential Projects

Marine food webs exhibit substantial spatial heterogeneity in basal energy sources and community composition. Nearshore waters, characterized by elevated primary production, likely provide critical nutritional subsidies to the nutrient-limited offshore pelagic food webs. We invite students with an interest in isotope biogeochemistry and food web ecology to collaborate on a project aimed at quantifying trophic linkages between nearshore reef and offshore pelagic food webs in Hawai’i. The project will employ state-of-the-art stable isotope methodologies and may involve sample collection and processing, isotope analyses, development of trophic indicators, isotope modeling, and computational work using R.

Team Mentors: Peter Kannberg, Erin Wallin, and Amir Haroon,

Research Interests

The primary research focus lies in improving hydro-geophysical models through the application of electrical and electromagnetic geophysical methods. These methods use the electrical resistivity of the subsurface as a proxy to address groundwater-related research questions. By applying geophysical tools to image subsurface properties and processes at various spatial scales we seek to improve our understanding of 1) freshwater-saltwater interactions within the deep coastal transition zone between terrestrial and marine realms, and 2) anthropogenically induced contamination and subsurface structures that control groundwater flow. The field of research is diverse, ranging from novel system development to data acquisition in the field and includes data processing, geophysical modeling, inversion, and interpretation in the lab.

We seek motivated students with a strong interest in physics, mathematics, and earth science, who have already acquired their first experiences in scripting and programming languages. A general affinity to working outdoors in potentially remote environments is desired, as students will participate in data acquisition on land and possibly also at sea. Students can expect to learn about state-of-the-art technologies, and the processing and interpretation of geophysical data related to groundwater research, in a fun and relaxed research environment.

Potential Projects

• Onshore / offshore field experiments on Big Island: Offshore extensions of terrestrial groundwater aquifers have been discovered at multiple sites along the coast of Hawaiʻi Island. Additional geophysical experiments to better understand the connectivity of the terrestrial and marine realms are planned for June 2025. The REU project will leverage this unique opportunity, where the student will actively gain insights into hydro-geophysical research.
• Determine reliability of long term magnetotelluric data: Magnetotelluric data is typically collected over time scales of days to weeks. With multi-year magnetotelluric observatories on the Island of Hawaiʻi, we hope to determine how reliable magnetotelluric data is when collected over much shorter time scales. This information will improve our ability to accurately plan future magnetotelluric surveys.