Past

Research

Hydrogeology and

Surface Water

Contamination

Mapping, Armenia

This past summer, I spent time volunteering at the American University of Armenia at the Acopian Center for the Environment and Center for Responsible Mining working with the director, Alen Amirkhanian. My internship goals were to create a map of the geohydrology of Armenia based on Soviet data and to create a map of river pollution with state data to find the source and pathways of contaminants. Modern geohydrologic measurements in Armenia are extremely limited. However, the importance of creating these maps and analyzing contaminant sources from available land use and remote sensing data was clear due to the diminishing clean, freshwater resources. Experiencing firsthand the importance of hydrologic data provides intense motivation to become an expert in this field to continue to help communities abroad and at home solve water-resource related problems. 

Reconstructing

the Anthopocene

and Holocene

Stratigraphic

History of

Fourmile Canyon,

CO

The summer leading to my senior year, I participated in Dr. David Dethier (Williams College) and Dr. Will Ouimet’s (University of Connecticut) Keck undergraduate research internship studying Fourmile Canyon in the Front Range outside Boulder, Colorado. During the month of fieldwork spent at the University of Colorado’s Mountain Research Station at Niwot Ridge, I designed a research project and created a plan to collect the data I needed while helping other students with their projects. My purpose was to reconstruct the Holocene and Anthropocene history of the canyon fill as well as the frequency of wildfires and floods using the exposed stratigraphy in Fourmile Canyon. I used LiDAR images to find cut banks from the 100- year flood that occurred in 2013 that exposed the stratigraphy. I took samples of charcoal and significant sediment deposits from multiple outcrops to reconstruct the fire history using C-14 dating and to do grain size analyses of the sediment to compare stratigraphic history in outcrops. I analyzed my results independently and with collaborations with Dr. Dethier, Dr. Ouimet, and Dr. Alan Werner (Mount Holyoke College). My conclusions showed the canyon fill is young indicating either the old sediment does not exist and was eroded away or it was not found however, due to exposed bedrock in the creek it was more likely eroded. Due to intermingling of slope deposits and fluvial deposits at one locality, changes in fluvial energy are recorded in stratigraphic history as is the fire occurrence record and evidence of severity. Relating to the Anthropocene, I concluded that Anthropogenic related erosion is accelerating natural slope processes. My project was a part of a greater research effort to understand human impacts and hillslope sediment mobilization in Fourmile Canyon. I completed this project as my undergraduate honors thesis titled, “Reconstructing the Holocene and Anthropocene stratigraphic history in Fourmile Canyon, Colorado”. I presented my research at Mount Holyoke College’s Senior Symposium as well as at the annual Keck symposium in the form of a presentation and poster. This research opportunity instilled independent planning, research and critical thinking skills in the field and at my home institution. This project confirmed my interests in geological research, made me a comprehensive geologist, and validated my desire to pursue graduate studies. By working with advisors who are supportive but not excessively involved and creating my own deadlines for lab work and thesis completion, I have become a responsible, self- motivated geologist.

Click on the

image to learn

more about

Armenia’s

hydrogeology!

I digitized this map from the original paper copy. It is the only map of hydrogeology in this country that has been digitized!

Undergraduate

Thesis

Reconstructing the Anthropocene and Holocene Stratigraphic History of Fourmile Canyon, CO