Geology professor hopes to take her work to new heights with NSF grant

The rise and fall of a volcano is a slow process, spanning millennia and reshaping the landscape in its wake.

Here in Washington, the Cascade mountains provide examples of volcanoes in all stages of life, from the relatively young and active Mount Rainier to the long-extinct Goat Rocks, a volcanic system that no longer poses any risk of an eruption.

These extinct volcanoes form the basis for CWU Assistant Professor of Geology Dr. Hannah Shamloo’s research project, “A Volcanic Birth Story: The Initiation of a Young Cascade Arc Volcano as Told by Crystal Cargo,” which was recently awarded a four-year, $495,196 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Shamloo explained that the Goat Rocks provide a unique insight into the life cycle of the mountains that divide Washington state in half.

“This is really unique because, while we could study St. Helens or Rainier, those are still relatively young, active volcanoes,” she said. “The Goat Rocks have been through an entire life cycle and might help us understand how these volcanoes come into existence, and how they die.”

Shamloo’s research will center on the ways in which the chemical composition of the crust surrounding magma chambers stored beneath the surface shape the volcano that forms above them. Since learning in early August that she had been awarded the NSF grant, she has led a team of student researchers on a field work expedition to the Goat Rocks Wilderness on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest to collect samples ranging from lava rock to ash fall, and begin the long, scientific search for answers.

“I try to give students a window into what geological research looks like,” said Shamloo, who was joined by two graduate-level research assistants and two undergraduate geology students on her initial outing. “Finding samples, collecting coordinates, and chasing the answer to a scientific question is all a process, and having experience with that process before grad school is going to really help them.”

The majority of the NSF grant funding will go toward keeping both graduate and undergraduate students involved in the project, giving them valuable research experience and helping them accomplish their professional goals.

“One of my professional goals is to train the next generation of students, especially students who are women, or from marginalized groups,” Shamloo said. “This is a fun, exciting way to achieve that.”

According to Shamloo, aspiring geologists seek out CWU for graduate and undergraduate research opportunities like these. It also helps that the Ellensburg campus is located right in the heart of some of the world’s most unique geological landscapes.

“Central is a great place to do this work because we’re nestled in one of the most volcanically interesting places on Earth,” she said. “We have both highly-active volcanoes and completely extinct ones right in our backyard, just waiting to be studied. I’m glad I can help make students part of that work.”