Pete Ryan Receives NSF Support for Volcanic Deposits Research

MIDDLEBURY – Pete Ryan, professor of geology, has received funding from the National Science Foundation’s Research Opportunity Award program that will support his collaboration with colleagues at University of Tennessee-Knoxville, University of Costa Rica, and University of Illinois on a project titled, “Identification and Correlation of Volcaniclastic Deposits by Integration of Plagioclase Luminescence Dating with Mineralogical, Trace Element and VSWIR Correlation.”

The timing of prehistoric volcanic ashfall and mudflow events is unknown, so this project aims to determine timing and extent of these events. At least one Middlebury undergraduate will be involved in this research.

The grant will pay expenses for field work in Costa Rica and for laboratory analyses.