David Clague
Senior Scientist
MBARI
Dave's research interests are nearly all related to the formation and degradation of oceanic volcanoes, particularly Hawaiian volcanoes, mid-ocean ridges, and isolated seamounts. Topics of interest include: compositions of mantle sources for basaltic magmas and conditions of melting; volatile and rare-gas components in basaltic magmas and their degassing history; chronostratigraphic studies of eruption sequence and evolution of lava chemistry during volcano growth; subsidence of ocean volcanoes and its related crustal flexure, plate deformation, and magmatic activity; geologic setting of hydrothermal activity; origin of isolated seamounts; and monitoring of magmatic, tectonic, and hydrothermal activity at submarine and subaerial volcanoes.
Jenny Paduan
Senior Research Technician
MBARI
Jenny works with Dave Clague in the Submarine Volcanism project, processing the high-resolution MBARI Mapping AUV data and interpreting the maps using ROV observations and samples from our research sites. On this cruise, she will stand watches in the ROV control room, help with rock and sediment sample workup and curation once the vehicle is on deck, and coordinate these cruise logs. She is now quite solidly a marine geologist, but her degrees are in biochemistry (Smith College) and biological oceanography (Oregon State University). She is thankful for the opportunities that have led her to study volcanoes, and loves being involved with the research and going to sea. She looks forward to discovering more about how the Earth works.
Linda Kuhnz
Senior Research Technician
MBARI
Linda specializes in the ecology of small animals that live in marine sediments (macrofauna), and larger invertebrates and fishes that live on the seafloor or just above it (megafauna). She conducts habitat characterization studies in benthic (seafloor) ecosystems using underwater video and by collecting deep-sea animals. She hopes to find some new and interesting animals in the unique habitats we are visiting on this cruise.
Julie Martin
Senior Research Technician
MBARI
Julie works with the submarine volcanism group, where she currently produces high resolution maps of the seafloor that are used to identify geologic features along submarine ridges and seamounts. Her research interests also include modeling of volcanic ash from sub-aerial, large-scale explosive eruptions.
Ryan Portner
Postdoctoral Fellow
MBARI
Ryan's work with the submarine volcanism project primarily focuses on the formation and distribution of volcaniclastic deposits on active and extinct seamounts and mid-ocean ridges. By categorizing the diversity in these deposits with respect to volcanic landforms he hopes to better understand the underlying controls on explosive vs. non-explosive deep marine eruptions. His background research on deep-marine gravity flow deposits preserved in sedimentary-volcanic successions exposed on land lends a comparable platform to study similar deposits of the modern oceans.
Brian Dreyer
Institute of Marine Sciences
UC Santa Cruz
Brian is an isotope geologist in the Institute of Marine Sciences at UC Santa Cruz where he studies the recent magmagenesis and petrology of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. His interest in the petrology of mid-ocean ridges began during his postdoctoral fellowship with MBARI's Submarine Volcanism Group; there, he utilized uranium-series disequilibria within individual lavas of Axial Seamount to clarify eruption and petrogenetic timescales. At mid-ocean ridge systems globally, Brian is interested in a) how variability in lava morphology, geochemistry, and petrology reflect deeper mantle-melting and magmatic processes and their complex interplay with tectonism and b) improving the chronological framework of the ridge magmatic plumbing systems. Brian received his B.S. in Geology from Cal State East Bay in 2000 and PhD in Earth and Planetary Science from Washington University in St. Louis in 2007. When not on the Western Flyer this summer, Brian defends the left side of the infield for the Surfing Squirrels, MBARI's coed softball team.
Andrew Burleigh
Oregon State University
Andrew received his bachelors in geology at Oregon State University in 2011 and is currently a graduate student at Oregon State University. His research focuses on the geochemistry of plagioclase ultraphyric basalt from mid ocean ridges to investigate how and why they form. Particularly, he is interested in using major and trace element variations in mineral phases to better understand magma chamber processes that modify melts in residence and transit prior to eruption.
John Jamieson
University of Ottawa
John's research interests focus on sulfide deposits that form on the seafloor as a result of venting of hydrothermal fluids. In particular, he uses radioactive isotopes to determine the ages of sulfide deposits in order to better understand the history of a vent field, as well as the rates at which sulfide accumulates along ocean ridges. John also studies the mineralogy and trace element geochemistry of seafloor sulfides, in order to better understand the tectonic controls on massive sulfide formation. The broad aim of this research is to constrain the impact of hydrothermal activity on the metal and sulfur budgets of the ocean and evaluate the geo-economic viability of seafloor massive sulfides as a source of copper, zinc, gold and silver.
Amy Lange
Oregon State University
Amy received her bachelors in geology from Hanover College in 2008 and is currently a Ph.D. student at Oregon State University. Recently she has been working on the geochemistry of plagioclase ultra-phyric basalts from mid-ocean ridges globally to understand why they erupt and what information they can tell us about crustal magma chamber processes. Her research uses trace element and isotopic microanalyses of mineral phases to unravel the pre-eruptive history of magmas. This is Amy's first cruise and she is excited to actively participate in ocean research!
Sean Scott
New Mexico State University
Sean received his B.S. degree in geology from Central Washington University in 2009 and is currently pursuing his M.S. degree at New Mexico State University. Sean is presently working on uranium series geochemistry of Endeavour basalts to evaluate spreading dynamics and chemical variation through time. Never did he think that he would have the opportunity to go on a research cruise with MBARI to his thesis area, and he is absolutely ecstatic about this trip!
Kevin Werts
University of Florida
Kevin graduated from Texas Tech University with a bachelor's degree in geology. He is currently working towards his M.S. degree with Dr. Michael Perfit at the University of Florida. Kevin's research focuses on the phase chemistry of evolved mid ocean ridge lavas from the Cleft segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. He is using phase chemistry to better understand the processes of differentiation that produced such evolved lavas at this mid ocean ridge.