ESVI: Earth Science on Volcanic Islands

2026 Mentors

Shiv Sharma

Research Interests

My research interests are in the applications of micro- and remote Raman spectroscopy, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy for Earth and planetary exploration. Currently I am involved with NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover Mission for understanding surface geology and identify the compositions and structures of the rocks and surface minerals in the Jezero Crater on Mars using SuperCam instrument. Details about SuperCam instrument are available here.

We are also interested in analyzing the compositions and molecular structures of synthetic and natural materials including silicate glasses, minerals and biogenic minerals, and ices relevant to planetary exploration of the Moon, Mars, and Europa. My Laboratory also have developed instrumentation for standoff Raman, fluorescence and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, and more recently underwater standoff Raman system. Details are available here.

Potential Projects

  • Micro-Raman study of the structure of volcanic glasses and synthetic silicate glasses and melts for understanding volcanic processes
  • Micro-Raman characterization of volcanic aerosols
  • Micro-Raman and standoff Raman investigation of coral samples dredged from various depth in the ocean to learn about effect of climate changes on coral reefs

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

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.

Helen Janiszewski

Research Interests

My research involves understanding the crustal and mantle structure beneath tectonically active regions such as subduction zones and volcanoes. Using seismic measurements, we can characterize the geophysical structure of these regions, and relate these to deformation processes, such as inflation/deflation due to magma, or seismogenic coupling. These types of studies are useful for working towards better understanding of natural hazards. I typically work with students that have a strong interest in physics, math, and computer programming, and students can expect to learn about seismic data availability and processing, seismic imaging techniques, processing, and modeling techniques. For the 2026 Summer REU, we will focus on using seismic data from ocean bottom seismometers that were deployed offshore the coast of the Alaska subduction zone.

Potential Projects

  • Exploration of noise mitigation strategies to improve data quality on ocean bottom seismometers.
  • Constraining shallow sedimentary structure beneath offshore stations on the accretionary prism and shelf offshore Alaska. 
  • Assisting in seismic data processing techniques to constrain plate interface depth and structure at the Alaska subduction zone.

Shellie Habel

Research Interests

The Coastal Research Collaborative (CRC) is an interdisciplinary research program that brings together experts in physical and social sciences, community design, economics, and policy. CRC investigates challenges related to environmental change, including coastal erosion and land loss, groundwater inundation, storm drain failure, flooding dynamics, extreme weather, and other compound hazards. My research within CRC focuses on monitoring current impacts of groundwater inundation and related compound flooding processes and using hydrologic modeling and geospatial analyses to assess vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure. 

Potential Projects

Basement flooding in low-lying coastal areas provides an early indicator of groundwater inundation driven by sea-level rise. We invite an REU student to investigate present-day and future groundwater inundation of basements in Waikīkī. The project will involve identifying buildings with below-grade spaces using real property records, applying CRC’s shallow and emergent groundwater layers to evaluate risk, and characterizing both current and projected impacts. The student will also engage with property managers and help design surveys to better understand flooding experiences and mitigation strategies. 

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.
  • Evaluate the accuracy of animal-borne sensors using operational models.
  • 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.

Xiaolong (Leo) Geng

Research Interests

My research focuses on developing a comprehensive and quantitative understanding of coastal groundwater dynamics governing various biogeo-chemical processes in nearshore aquifers. My current research investigates the fate and transport of various contaminants in coastal beach systems.
Beaches are central to Hawaiʻi’s culture, economy, and ecosystems, but they are increasingly threatened by fecal contamination. Elevated levels of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) have been documented across Oʻahu’s beaches, raising concerns for both public health and the resilience of marine environments. We integrate field monitoring, hydrogeologic observations, and numerical modeling to investigate the dynamics of FIB in coastal aquifers. This project advances understanding of microbial contamination in coastal settings and provides a scientific foundation for beach management, water quality protection, and ecosystem conservation in Hawaiʻi. Equally important, it aims to inspire the next generation of scientists and strengthen community stewardship of coastal waters, keeping Hawaiʻi’s beaches safe, sustainable, and culturally vibrant.

Potential Projects

  • Deploying experimental transects on the impacted beaches to measure groundwater flow and quality
  • Developing groundwater model to simulate the fate and transport of FIB in beach systems

Alison Nugent

Research Interests

The presence of Hawaii in the middle of the ocean is a fascinating example of the impact of orographic precipitation. The islands receive significantly more rainfall than the surrounding ocean, partly as a result of the lifting of the trade winds by the topography and the heating of land by the sun. As an atmospheric scientist, I’m interested in understanding the fundamental dynamics and microphysics that result in island rainfall here in Hawaiʻi as well as other places. Some of my interests are: (1) how topographical lifting dynamically results in rainfall, (2) how sea salt and other aerosols are involved microphysically in orographic convection and precipitation, and (3) the ingredients needed for extreme orographic 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 meteorology, cloud physics, and cloud microphysics. It has strong implications for short term weather forecasting and long-term climate modeling, but more generally, my research helps us to understand the atmosphere of the world in which we live.

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 depending on interest.
  • Case studies of local weather patterns like diurnal cycles, and rainfall events, from the new Hawaii State Mesonet, a new network of weather stations across the islands.

Sloan Coats

Research Interests

The term Common Era refers to the last ~2000 years, but it also has a scientific connotation, as this is the era common to paleoclimate reconstructions, observational data, and simulations from state-of-the-art climate models. I leverage these disparate sources of climate information to better understand variability on decadal and longer timescales—things like “megadroughts” over southwestern North America and trends in tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures. My work typically involves the development and implementation of novel statistical methods, including machine learning, as well as the use of climate modelling—particularly with the National Center for Atmospheric Research models.

Potential Projects

  • Using machine learning to better understand the characteristics of heat waves and droughts in both space and time.
  • Analyzing historical trends in the tropical Pacific Ocean, a critical region for Hawaiian (and global) climate with an uncertain response to human-driven climate change.

Chris Shuler and Julia Cantelon

Research Interests

Our research is dedicated to connecting cutting-edge science with Pacific Island communities in Hawai‘i, American Samoa, and beyond to address pressing challenges related to groundwater sustainability, flood prediction, water quality, and climate adaptation. The group’s hydrological research program combines field-based monitoring of climatic and hydrologic conditions with geospatial analysis, quantitative modeling, and machine learning techniques to better understand environmental processes that govern water availability, streamflow dynamics, and watershed-scale responses to climate variability. We apply our understanding of natural and human-driven stressors’ influence on hydrologic processes in island environments to create decision-support tools that support improved water resource management. Interdisciplinary collaboration plays a central role in our approach, helping to connect scientific advancements with community-driven strategies that improve water resource management and climate resilience. We seek motivated students with interests in earth science and hydrology to join our group and gain experience in data collection, processing, and interpretation using state-of-the-art technologies.

Potential Projects

  • Interactive 3D-Printed Geologic Display Table for GIS Visualization
    • This project will develop a 3D-printed, GIS-integrated geologic display table that combines a physical topographic model with a top-mounted projector to visualize subsurface geologic units of American Samoa in real time. Building from an existing cleaned and finalized geologic model, the REU student will 3D-print modular geologic layers that physically slot together, assemble the display table hardware, and integrate spatial datasets for projected visualization. To incorporate a research component, the student may evaluate the educational effectiveness of 3D physical-digital models by surveying peers on whether this interactive format improves understanding of geology compared to traditional 2D maps. The final product will be a functional, presentation-ready interactive model suitable for outreach, teaching, and future proposal development.