We are pleased to announce that Minda Montaegudo is the winner of our first TG giveaway. Minda is now the proud owner of an Estwing rock hammer and a Gfeller hammer sheath. We express thanks to Estwing and Gfeller Casemakers for graciously providing these prizes. Also thanks to all the participants who took the survey. Watch this space for information of how we are using the information you provided to improve science outreach with TravelingGeologist.
Minda showing off her new geological tools.
Minda is a paleoceanography Ph.D. student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, advised by Professor Jean Lynch-Stieglitz. They use trace element chemistry and micropaleontology in planktonic foraminifera (zooplankton that construct calcite tests) to reconstruct ocean temperature from marine sediments on timescales from thousands to tens of millions of years.
Minda in her element: outside!
She recently finished my masters thesis at UC Santa Barbara, which focused on foraminiferal Mg/Ca, a proxy for past sea surface temperature (SST). Now, she’s working on records from the Central Tropical Pacific to reconstruct conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum (19-23 kyr BP). Understanding how ocean temperature has varied in the past is vital information for projecting how the climate system will respond to anthropogenic forcing in the future.
Minda teaching the next generation of scientists.
Minda says,
I found geology through an introductory course as an undergraduate at the University of Southern California. I was, and still am, fascinated by the idea that Earth history is recorded in the geologic record and can be interpreted by applying field and laboratory techniques. I love the challenges of research and opportunities for fieldwork, and these experiences have given me a great community of friends and mentors. I appreciate having a job where I’m never bored and can do work I feel is both interesting and important!
You can read more about Minda’s research here.
Stay tuned for our next giveaway. Short hint: start gathering your best fieldwork photos!
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