News and Announcements

Interested in learning about a wide range of earth sciences relevant topics and socializing with colleagues in our department community? Join us each Friday at 11:30 am for the ERTH Department TGIF Seminar!

Earth professor Aaron Pietruszka and colleagues recently published research of Kīlauea and Maunaloa magma sources in the Journal of Petrology: "Awakening of Maunaloa Linked to Melt Shared from Kīlauea’s Mantle Source". Using a nearly 200-year record of lava chemistry from Kīlauea and Maunaloa, this research revealed that Hawai‘i’s two most active volcanoes share a source of magma within the Hawaiian plume.

Our Fall 2024 Newsletter, Nuhou Kānaka Puka, has arrived! Congrats to all on another inspirational year!

Former Ph.D. student Lauren Ward (Yong)ʻs research of Kīlaueaʻs historical deformation is making headlines as an EOS Editorʻs Highlight, "120 Years of Geodetic Data on Kīlaueaʻs Decollemont". Yong, along with UH coauthors James Foster, Bridget Smith-Konter, and Neil Frazer, recently published a research article in the Journal of Geophysical Research that explores the deformation and stress changes of Kīlauea’s décollement from 1898 to 2018 by collating an unprecedented 120 years of geodetic data.

Jasper Konter, former professor of Earth Sciences, is recognized globally for his research in using isotope geochemistry and mantle seismology to confirm the deep origin of mantle plumes, to show that materials that were once subducted in the ancient geologic past are returned again to the surface by rising mantle plumes, and for establishing the role of long-lived, plume-fed hotspots in generating volcano chains across the Pacific over the past 100 million years. Konter Ridge was first surveyed in 1987, a second time in 2009, and most recently in January 2024 aboard the UH vessel R/V Kilo Moana, where David Sandwell (UCSD), Jake Perez (UCSD), and Captain David Martin (UH) proposed this name to honor their friend and colleague.

Students of ERTH 402, Geology of the Hawaiian Islands, recently traveled to Molokaiʻi! Field trip leaders Emeritus Prof. John Sinton and Prof. Julia Hammer introduced students to the lavas of Pu‘u Pāpa‘i, Kaʻeo theoleiitic olivine basalts, and products of several different Waiʻeli eruptions, just to name a few. Thank you for an amazing field trip Dr. Sinton!

Inventor of SeeRescueStreamer, Alumni Rob Yonover developed a military-approved/adopted emergency signaling technology that locates people when they are lost at sea or on land. It is used all over the world and has saved several lives both in the military and public sectors and is now on board all SpaceX flights to protect the astronauts! Amazing work Rob!

Congratulations to Earth Emeritus Prof Greg Moore as the recipient of the Akiho Miyashiro Award from the Geological Society of Japan, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to our understanding of the geological structures and tectonics of the accretionary prism in the Nankai Trough region.

Sonia Rowley, assistant researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences, was featured in an article on SHE Changes Climate. Dr. Rowley is one of the few researchers in the world who have ventured to depths of 181 meters (600 feet) to study these corals firsthand. Her work provides invaluable insights into these deep-sea creatures and highlights the broader impacts of environmental changes on marine life, emphasizing the need for dedicated conservation efforts backed by science.

Congratulations to our 2024 ESVI REU students on an inspiring 9 weeks of summer research, team building, and exploring the islands of O‘ahu and Hawai‘i. Ten undergraduate students from across the state of Hawaii and the mainland U.S., mentored by SOEST faculty and researchers, participated in cutting-edge geoscience research projects and presented their results at the 2024 UHM SURE Symposium.

Congrats to our 2024 EPʻIK Summer high school student & teacher cohort! Ten students and one teacher from across the islands of O‘ahu and Hawai‘i came together for a one-week Earth Science summer camp. We learned about Hawaiian volcanoes, the Hawaiian water cycle, geology of Hawaiian beaches, ocean exploration, and the solar system. Field trips to explore the water cycle at Sumida Farms, the NOAA Inouye Research Center, Waikiki beaches, Windward O‘ahu geology, and a tour of the UH/SOEST campus and laboratories, were a highlight of the summer program.

Scientists and kiaʻi loko (fishpond practitioners) have a new tool to aid their efforts to restore and ensure the resilience of Native Hawaiian fishponds. Researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi and fishpond stewards in Hilo, are using uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, to support integrated coastal zone management, including at cultural heritage sites.

Congrats to ERTH graduate Mackaby Pennington on being named UH Student Athlete of the Year. We are proud of you Mackaby!

Earth undergrad Casey Wandasanʻs academic and research journey was recently highlighted in UH News. Casey recently participated in a marine geophysics research cruise to study the Molokaʻi Fracture Zone, and also works with Dr. Helen Janiszewski studying seismic characteristics of Alaskan volcanoes. Casey will be graduating in May 2024 and attending the University of California, Davis for graduate school. Congratulations Casey, well done!

Liam Felix, Earth undergraduate student (graduating this spring!) and employee of the UHM Office of Systems Integration, won UHM Student Employee of the Year award, beating out 24 other undergraduate and graduate nominees! Congratulations Liam! We are so proud of you!

Earth alumni and friends! Please join us for Alumni and Friends Days 2024 , a two-day event to reconnect with old friends, build new connections, and engage with new faculty and our inspiring students as they share their latest research and make plans for future endeavors. Earth Sciences Ohana - we can't wait to see you! !

Congratulations to Earth PhD student Ian Wynn as a 2024 recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship! This prestigious five-year fellowship provides three years of financial support, including an annual stipend of $37,000. Congrats Ian!

Congrats to our HIGP colleagues on a successful launch of the Hyperspectral Thermal Imager (HyTI) satellite on March 21, aboard the SpaceX commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS)!

UHM Earth Sciences ranks in the top 4% (No. 15 out of 396) of research institutions in the U.S., according to the latest National Science Foundation (NSF) Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Data, which measures research and development federal expenditures across a variety of disciplines.

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Hawaiʻi's Big Island on February 9th, centered on Mauna Loa's southern flank, 1.3 miles southwest of Pahala. EARTH Professor Dr. Helen Janiszewski , a seismologist that studies earthquake swarms on the Big Island, was interviewed by Hawaiʻi's Star Advertiser.

Calling all high school students and teachers! Interested in a paid summer experience that explores the Earth and Planetary Sciences? Apply to our 2024 EPʻIK Summer program, offered July 22-26, 2024. Application deadline is May 1, 2024. Applications are also being accepted for our 2024 EPʻIK Scholar-ship program, apply today!.

Its here ! Congrats to all on an inspirational 2022 and 2023.

Haunani Kane, Earth Sciences Assistant Professor, and Chip Fletcher, Professor and SOEST Interim Dean, were recognized in the “Distinguished Leader” category for demonstrating exemplary leadership in reducing climate-related threats and promoting adaptation of the nation’s natural resources.

Congrats to ERTH B.S. major Allison Yamakawa for receiving a 2023 NOAA Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship, which provides for 2 years of full-time study and a paid internship at a NOAA facility. Allison has workied with NOAA to create material showcasing the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

View Dr. Burkhard's presentation "Earthquake cycle stress accumulation disparities of the San Andreas Fault System in the Cajon Pass region, Southern California" at doi:10.22541/essoar.167642237.71480070/v1.

ERTH103 - Geology of the Hawaiian Islands had a great field trip a couple weekends ago. Mahalos to the curious, inquisitive, and motivated 103 students, Natalia and Kelly for helping out, and to our UHF donors for supporting this opportunity.

As the EARTH community tries to come to terms with the loss Professor Jasper Konter, we invite you to visit his In Memoriam webpage containing photos and memories of this fine friend, mentor, and colleague. If you would like to share a message or memory, please write Garrett Apuzen-Ito at earth@hawaii.edu.

In January 2022, the largest volcanic eruption of this century, which was submarine, led to a dramatic phytoplankton bloom north of the Tongan island of Tongatapu. Three scientists from UHM (CMORE's Benedetto Barone and Dave Karl, and Earth Sciences Prof. Ken Rubin), with a colleague from Oregon State University, recently revealed that the bloom of microscopic marine life covered an area nearly 40 times the size of the island of Oʻahu within 48 hours after the eruption.

Paul Wessel named American Geophysical Union's (AGU) 2022 Greg Leptoukh Lecture recipient, awarded by the Earth and Space Science Informatics section. They chose Paul because of his pioneering effort in developing widely used open-source software for the Earth science community, such as the globally recognized Generic Mapping Tools (GMT).

Rose Gallo, "The 2018 Eruption of Kilauea" and Liliane Burkhard, "Tectonics of Icey Worlds"