Geological Sciences - Home of Geological Sciences C.S.U.F.

2017 ALUMNI OF THE YEAR - JAMES HARRELL, PhD.

Professor James Harrell is a member of the first class to graduate from the C.S.U.F. Department of Geological Sciences in 1971. He was one of four in that first graduating class. Dr. Harrell graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Earth Science (the only degree awarded at that time) with a minor in archeology. He also completed two years of study abroad at the University of Uppsala in Sweden as part of his B.A. degree. Dr. Harrell went on to earn a M.S. in geology at the University of Oklahoma (1976) and a Ph.D. in geology at the University of Cincinnati in 1983. Professor Harrell has been a faculty member at the University of Toledo since 1979 and in 2009, after 30 years of teaching at Toledo, retired as a Professor Emeritus.

C.S.U.F. Students Take Virtual Field Trips on Their Mobile Phones

Field trips can be an attractive learning tool for a lot of students. Unfortunately as class sizes grow, not to mention the rising cost of transportation, the idea of going on a field trip has put the experience out of reach for many schools. Luckily, Natalie Bursztyn, C.S.U.F. assistant professor in geological sciences, set out to find an alternative.As part of Bursztyn’s doctoral thesis at Utah State University, she developed an app, released in 2013, that attempts to replicate the field trip experience. The app, Grand Canyon Expedition, takes undergraduates on three virtual tours of a scaled-down Grand Canyon to teach them geoscience concepts using G.P.S. technology. Continue reading in the Orange County Register.

Bracing for 'The Big One'

Hollywood depicted “The Big One” devastating the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles — California’s most populated regions — in a multimillion-dollar feature film. Such a mighty earthquake along the San Andreas Fault could strike in our lifetime, says earthquake scientist Sinan Akçiz.The estimated 15- to 20-million-year-old San Andreas Fault, especially the southern section near Orange and Los Angeles counties, is capable of producing an earthquake that can cause strong seismic shaking. “It’s not a matter of if, but when,” Akçiz points out.While California prepares for the next big seismic force, Cal State Fullerton experts are shaking things up in earthquake research. Over the last decade, Akçiz has been searching for clues of the next temblor, digging into the past to find evidence of large earthquakes along the Southern California section of the San Andreas Fault. Collaborative research with his students, as well as geologists from U.C. Irvine and Arizona State University, could better explain the geological complexity of the 800-mile fault system, which crisscrosses through the San Francisco area in the north to the Southland and across the Mexican border.

Students Study at Sea to Search for Human Impacts to Environment

Despite some rough weather at sea and a pod of humpback whales feeding almost directly on top of their research location off Monterey Bay, Cal State Fullerton students and their geology professor collected tubes of sediment this summer to investigate changes in sediment delivery from land to the ocean over the past 150 years.The faculty-student researchers are investigating whether the combination of human activities on land and climate changes are resulting in changes in sediment deposits in the ocean."This research will provide a greater understanding of how the Earth is changing as the result of direct human activities, such as agriculture, development and dam construction, as well as climate change from indirect human activities," said Joe Carlin, assistant professor of geological sciences.

Like Texas, Floods Are a Serious Threat to Southern CaliforniaCSUF Experts, Students Study Flood History, Risks

The catastrophic flood devastation in Texas left in the wake of Hurricane Harvey is a reminder it could happen in Southern California — especially in low-lying areas near the region's water sources. "Floods are a serious threat to our region,” said Cal State Fullerton's Matthew E. Kirby, professor of geological sciences. “Land-falling hurricanes are highly unlikely in Southern California, but they are not out of the realm of possibility."C.S.U.F. geologist Joe Carlin, a native of Dallas, Texas, agreed: "Perhaps the most important lesson we can learn is rather than being worried about it, we need to recognize this risk and be prepared."Flooding occurs when the amount of water exceeds the capacity of the drainage system, such as a basin, channel or river, the geological scientists explained.The region's greatest threat are large atmospheric rivers — a weather phenomenon that contains huge amounts of water vapor and usually brings heavy precipitation to the West Coast — associated with Pacific Ocean-sourced winter cyclones, Kirby added.

EARTHQUAKE EXPERT PREPARES NEXT GENERATION OF EARTH SCIENTISTS

Earthquake expert Sinan Akçiz, foreground, assistant professor of geological sciences, conducts research at one of the trenches across the San Andreas Fault, near the southern end of the Carrizo Plain.Sinan Akçiz, assistant professor of geological sciences, is a structural geologist and paleoseismologist who studies the times and magnitudes of past earthquakes along fault systems that affect people. He also is passionate about training the next generation of field-oriented earth scientists."I am committed to preparing my students to be hard-working, critical thinkers and lifelong learners, regardless of their career aspirations," said Akçiz, who joined Cal State Fullerton this academic year.

ABRUPT SINKING OF SEAL BEACH WETLANDS: PAST QUAKES AT FAULT

A Cal State Fullerton faculty-student study shows evidence of abrupt sinking of the wetlands near Seal Beach caused by ancient earthquakes that shook the area at least three times in the past 2,000 years — and it could happen again, the researchers say.The paleoseismology study reveals that the wetlands at the National Wildlife Refuge Seal Beach, a nearly 500-acre area located within the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach and next to the communities of Seal Beach and Huntington Harbor, are susceptible to rapid lowering in elevation during large — over 7.0 magnitude — earthquakes.

THE DIRT NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE VOL. 1

C.S.U.F. Geological Sciences department spotlights undergraduate and new faculty in latest issue. Also, see highlights and what our Alumni are doing.

Research poster from Natalie Bursztyn lab showing augmented reality sandbox.

AUGMENTED REALITY SANDBOX FROM BURSZTYN LAB WITH GEOLOGY STUDENT DANIELLE JACKSON

Research poster from Natalie Bursztyn lab with Danielle Jackson showing augmented reality sandbox. Presented at N.S.M.I.C.C. symposium poster session in March, 2017.

Geology student at 2017 N.S.M.I.C.C. symposium

GEOLOGY STUDENTS at 2017 N.S.M.I.C.C. SYMPOSIUM.

ORANGE COUNTY FOSSIL STUDY REVEALS HIDDEN HISTORY OF CROCODILES IN CALIFORNIA

In Orange County's ancient past, crocodiles lived here and existed longer in this area than anywhere else in California, a new Cal State Fullerton fossil study reveals.

WEATHERING THE DRY SPELL

Inside his lab, geological sciences professor Matthew E. Kirby studies sediment cores from Abbott Lake. In his latest study, which focused on the past 1,400 years of wetness and dryness in central coastal areas of California, paleoclimatologist Matthew E. Kirby and his students found evidence that changes in the Pacific Ocean play a key role in both wetter and drier weather patterns.

METHANE-EATING MICROORGANISMS: A SOLUTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE?

Sean Loyd, assistant professor of geological sciences, works in his campus lab, where he studies how rocks can preserve evidence of ancient microbial communities.

STUDY OF EXTINCT SEABIRDS REFLECTS CLIMATE CHANGE IN ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

Until a few million years ago, penguin-like seabirds once dominated California's coasts. But due to climate changes in the state between 5-17 million years ago, this flightless seabird or "mancalline" became extinct, and other seabirds changed drastically, a student-led Cal State Fullerton study has found. Geology graduate Peter Kloess studied over 500 seabird fossils from across the state, including 242 fossil seabirds from Orange County, mostly specimens housed at the John D. Cooper Archaeological and Paleontological Center.

2016 FIELD CAMP STUDENTS TRAVEL TO MONTANA

Last summer, 25 geology students learned firsthand about their discipline by conducting fieldwork in a remote, geologically-rich area of Dillon, Montana, where every kind of rock — ranging in age from 2.5 billion to hundreds of years — exist.

GEOLOGIST AND SCIENCE EDUCATOR NATALIE BURSZTYN JOINS FACULTY

Natalie Bursztyn, assistant professor of geological sciences, traveled from Utah State University — where she earned her doctorate in geology — to join Cal State Fullerton’s faculty in the fall. She has taught courses on such topics as the physical features of the Earth and how the planet has changed over time.

Events coming up!

SEMINAR: September 20, 2017
"Ductile precursors to pseudotachylyte development: a mechanism for earthquake generation at the brittle- ductile transition? "
Dr. Elena Miranda, C.S.U. Northridge

SEMINAR: September 27, 2017
"Active faulting in the Inner California Borderlands: Implications for seismic hazard in Southern California"
Dr. Jayne Bormann, C.S.U. Long Beach

ALUMNI DINNER: 2017 Alumni Dinner - October 6, 2017, 6PM. Location in downtown Fullerton. Florentine's Grill at Harbor and Commonwealth. R.S.V.P. to Leslie Hargrove, lhargrove@fullerton.edu and email pictures to geology@fullerton.edu

See calendar for more events.

Welcome FROM THE DEPARTMENT CHAIR

Welcome to the Department of Geological Sciences at C.S.U.F!! I invite you to explore these pages to learn about our department, including our student-centered courses and the incredible research our students and faculty are doing locally, regionally, and around the world. Check out the “Where in the World” poster that shows where you might find C.S.U.F. geologists.

What programs do we offer? Well, we offer two undergraduate degrees – B.S. in Geology and B.A. in Earth Science, an M.S. in Geology, and a minor in Geology. Nearly all of our courses include high-impact field and/or lab learning environments with ample opportunity for original student research. Both our B.S. and M.S. in Geology require an intensive thesis. Our B.A. in Earth Science is designed to offer maximum flexibility to enable students to choose a set of courses that align with their academic and career goals. As our well-established alumni could attest, C.S.U.F. geology graduates continue to be highly sought-after by both employers and grad schools.

That’s some of the Dirt! Diane Clemens-Knott, Chair

2016 field trip

California State University, Fullerton