GEO-SCIENCES

High School

The Correlation Between Epidemics and Sunspot Peaks
Gabriele Barrocas, American Heritage School Boca/Delray

The purpose of my review is to focus on studies to determine if epidemic initiation is influenced by the periodic solar cycle. Because both epidemics and the solar cycle can disrupt our existence, this research will provide scientists with information to narrow down the consequences of both events.

Unearthing Deep Earthquakes: A Novel Visualization Method to Detect Mantle Earthquakes Using the Sn/Lg Theory
Brian Chen, The Harker School

Deep earthquakes are events that occur in the continental upper mantle, and they account for 15 percent of all earthquakes. However, our current understanding of the origins of deep earthquakes and mantle rheology is limited, preventing scientists from accurately predicting and modeling a deep earthquake beforehand. In this project, we developed a novel computational workflow to support prior identifications of deep earthquakes by visualizing Sn and Lg seismic waves. Since Sn waves travel exclusively in the upper mantle while Lg waves travel only at shallow depths, we theorized that the ratio of Sn over Lg wave amplitude (Sn/Lg) is an accurate indication of whether an earthquake originated above or below the Mohorovičić discontinuity (Moho), the boundary between the Earth’s crust and upper mantle. To support our theory, we created two visualizations: record sections and ray-path maps. We designed these figures to contrast the difference in Sn and Lg waves emitted by deep and shallow earthquakes. Our study is the first to analyze Sn and Lg waves to confirm the existence of deep earthquakes below the Moho, an important advancement towards understanding how the Earth’s mantle reacts under stress and improving deep earthquake prediction and detection. Furthermore, the novel workflow we developed is applicable for classifying the depths of a wide range of earthquakes, regardless of their geographical location. Ultimately, our research enables us to determine regions most prone to mantle earthquakes, so that we can best prepare and mitigate the damage caused by potential deep earthquakes.

GLAS: A Global Landslide Analytics System
Shrey Joshi and Ishaan Javali, Plano East Senior High School

In this project, we propose GLAS: a high-performance landslide forecasting & susceptibility mapping system. GLAS combines elevation, climate, forest loss, lithology, road presence, & climate data in insightful ways using machine learning to forecast landslide risk and perform landslide terrain susceptibility mapping.

Graduate

Assessing the space and time trends in Miocene co-CRBG rhyolites and rhyolites of the High Lava Plains trend in eastern Oregon
Vanessa Swenton, Portland State University

Currently, models for the NW-younging High Lava Plains trend in eastern Oregon, USA, debate whether rhyolite volcanism is, like co-Columbia River Basalt Group rhyolites, correlated to the Yellowstone mantle plume or if it is a product of some other magmatic and tectonic processes. My study fills critical gaps in the comprehensive geochronologic dataset in the region where the two volcanic provinces overlap in order to develop a model for High Lava Plains volcanism.

GEO-SCIENCES

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