What exactly do you do?
I am currently a graduate student in marine geology at the University of Washington. I study a recently discovered area of hydrothermal vents (undersea hot springs) known as the “Lost City Hydrothermal Field.” Lost City was discovered by accident in 2000 and is unlike anything we have ever seen. This unusual site sits on top of an underwater mountain that rises ~14,000’ above the seafloor near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and African plates spread apart to form new ocean crust. Unlike “black smoker” hydrothermal vents that are made of metals and emit fluids that are acidic and hot (~700 °F), the Lost City field features limestone towers that vent calcium-rich, high-pH (10-11), ~200 °F fluids.
The spectacular Lost City spires grow up to 180’ tall, making them the tallest vent structures known. These spires are typically very porous and host a diverse microbial community of both bacteria and Archaea that may represent very primitive life forms. We know that Lost City has been active for at least 30,000 years (but it was only discovered 5 years ago!). To study Lost City, we use large research vessels equipped with underwater robots or manned-submersibles to collect samples of the biology, geology, and chemistry of this unusual area. Because Lost City is such a recent discovery, we are only in the very early stages of understanding how it works and what implications it may have on ocean chemistry and the evolution of life.
My research focuses on the geology and chemistry of the large carbonate chimneys at Lost City. I am currently using radiochronology techniques to gather more information about the ages of different structures in the field to better understand their formation and evolution over time. I analyze pieces of the carbonate chimneys in a chemistry lab to determine these ages. We hope to relate these ages to the microbiology to better understand how life develops in this extreme environment. In addition to the geochemistry, I am working on developing a geologic map of the field. This will help us to understand how the formation of the chimneys is related to the local geology and tectonics.
To create this map, I watch dive video taken during submarine and robot dives and then incorporate my notes and drawings into a computer model known as a “Geographic Information System.” Mapping seafloor geology can be a lot harder than mapping geological features on land! For more information and pictures of Lost City, see
http://www.lostcity.washington.edu or http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/05lostcity
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
The best part about my job is the fieldwork. I have always loved to travel and be outside. During college, I discovered that a career in Earth Sciences would allow me to combine my passion for science with my desire to travel to unusual, remote locations - it’s the best of both worlds! My fieldwork has taken me to the frigid shores of Antarctica, hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, the California surf and Sierras, and the mountains of Cyprus.
What do you enjoy the least about your job?
Not all of my research involves exotic travel and fieldwork. Those are usually the highlights of my work while most of my time is spent working in labs. I have always enjoyed working in chemistry labs, but sometimes it can be very wearing when instruments break down, or samples become contaminated, or when analyses take so much longer than you’d planned. This can be frustrating but is soon forgotten when the scientific “story” starts to form out of the data and analyses that took so much time to complete start to pay off.
What key events in your childhood most influenced your current career?
Two childhood events influenced me the most in my current career. When I was a kid, my parents generously signed me up for multiple classes at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. I practically grew up there, exploring critters in a nearby lake, modeling dinosaurs, and learning about different cultures all over the world. I was so enchanted by these experiences that I volunteered at the Museum throughout high school. This allowed me to interact with talented and knowledgeable museum staff and volunteers and share our work with the public. The second event that greatly influenced me was the opportunity to go to sea on my first research cruise when I was 16. Through the JASON Project, I was able to join Dr. Robert Ballard and his crew on board a research vessel in the Sea of Cortez in Baja California Sur. For one week, I worked with some of the experts in the field to learn about the biology, geology, and chemistry of hydrothermal vents. And I’m still studying hydrothermal vents today!
Do you have any fun/funny stories about lab experiences or adventures in the field?
Lots of them!! One of my favorites occurred several years ago. I used to work as a technician on a research vessel in Antarctica. Because the weather is better during austral summer (the northern hemisphere’s winter time), I spent several holidays at sea. One year for Christmas, we enjoyed a large turkey meal in the galley and then went outside. We had lodged the bow of the ship in thick “fast ice," which was stable enough for us to safely walk on so that we could safely get off the ship. The ship’s crew played Christmas carols on the PA system, a few people started a snowball fight, and others enjoyed taking photos of the ship from the ice. With all this activity, it didn’t take long for the penguins to come over to see what was going on. They are very curious creatures, particularly when they see groups of humans (some of them have probably never seen a human before). We started to play a game of ultimate Frisbee on the snow – and the penguins were watching! We could see their heads moving back and forth as they followed the Frisbee in the air - I never knew penguins were sports fans! It was quite an unusual way to spend a holiday and was a nice break from a normally hectic science schedule at sea.
Do you play any sports or have any favorite hobbies/special interests?
I enjoy most outdoor sports. Most of all I love to ski – I enjoy backcountry skiing in the Washington Cascades and skiing powder in the Rockies. I also play ultimate Frisbee and enjoy hiking, rock climbing, swimming, and SCUBA diving.
I love dogs but travel too much to own one. One of my favorite hobbies is volunteering at the Seattle Animal Shelter as a dog walker- every week, I work with different dogs who are always delighted to have a new friend to take them for a walk!
Do you have any advice for an aspiring high school student who might want to pursue your career?
Know that if you want to pursue a career in oceanography, you don’t have to have grown up on the beach in California or Florida! I grew up landlocked in Colorado and even in high school found ways to get to the shore. When I was 16, I had my eyes set on going to the bottom of the ocean in a submarine- I had to wait ten years for that opportunity, but I finally had the chance to do it because I pursued my dream.
If you are interested in learning more about a field or course of study, don’t be afraid to contact teachers, adults, or grad students and professors who may be able to help you. Sometimes they might not get back to you right away, but I always found that if I showed confidence, persistence, and a willingness to learn, doors would open for me.
What contribution would you most like to make to science in the next 5 years?
I plan to finish my Ph.D. in the next two years and hope that my research with help us better understand the Lost City Hydrothermal Vent field and perhaps provide clues to how we can search for more Lost City systems and perhaps better understand the evolution of life on Earth and other planets.
I also want to take a more active role in communicating science to the public through popular media. There are few spokespersons for natural sciences who are both successful scientists and articulate communicators. I hope to help promote national awareness of ocean sciences and research and encourage young people to pursue careers in natural sciences and environmental conservation.
What is the approximate salary range for your profession?
$22,000/yr as a graduate student (which ultimately increases to ~$60,000/yr if I pursue a university professorship)
