QRC members lead and participate in a wide range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary research projects from the study of past earth climates and glaciations to shifts in the geographic distributions and evolution of vegetation and faunal communities, to the evolution and dispersals of the genus Homo and the increasing scales of human modification of earth environments through the Holocene. QRC provides a venue for meeting and collaborating with scholars across Quaternary disciplines. We are also fortunate to be able to provide seed funding and small grants for member research projects. We are especially happy to support grad student and junior scholar research activities, much of which leads to larger, external funding from agencies like the National Science Foundation.
Supplemental support for field research and training: Physical and chemical signature of paleoseismicity in hot spring deposits on active faults of the Central Nevada Seismic Belt
Abstract: In this proposal we request supplemental travel funds to support three graduate students to participate in fieldwork for an externally-funded research project. Our goals for the field campaign are to map, describe, and sample Quaternary hot spring deposits (travertine) at several sites on active faults in central Nevada. Goals for the larger project include documenting physical, chemical, and isotopic variations in the travertine that correspond to known earthquakes and climate changes, with the ultimate goal of identifying novel paleoseismic indicators in the hot spring deposits.
Field help is essential for safety and necessary for the successful collection of samples. Pandemic restrictions have foiled our plans to recruit and train an undergraduate field assistant(s) this spring, but the research timeline requires that we conduct the fieldwork in June. From these pandemic lemons, we propose lemonade: a field-research opportunity to build community among a new postdoctoral scholar and QRC-oriented graduate students. Our goal is to provide a field-training opportunity to graduate students whose fieldwork has been curtailed due to pandemic restrictions and keep our project on track. Graduate students will lead or assist with UAV photography for photogrammetry and travertine sampling, including rock-core drilling, logging, and sample curation. Requested funds will cover vehicle rental, fuel, food, and a few days of lodging for participants. This project supports interaction among new members of the QRC community early-career Quaternary scholars.