Outreach

As part of the Broader Impacts activities of NSF grants, we have created two sample-based teaching modules and distributed rocks and thin sections to instructors at other universities and colleges. These modules have had the following petrologic focus:

(1) ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism. We provided rocks and thin sections of eclogites containing coesite and pseudomorphs after coesite, along with complementary rocks of different protolith type and degree of retrogression. The module also consists of suggested questions and supplementary images and is also available as an online-only version. The module was developed by Hannah Blatchford (primary author) and Donna Whitney, with assessment provided by SERC.

(2) subduction metamorphism -- specifically, 'cold' subduction as represented by the presence of lawsonite. We provided rocks and thin sections of lawsonite-bearing blueschists and eclogites, including 3 metabasaltic rocks and 1 metachert. The module consists of a set of "core" questions that are intended to be suitable in Petrology and Earth Materials courses, with a question bank of additional and more advanced questions. These are supplemented by data and images, including editable presentations on subduction metamorphism, the mineral lawsonite, and the field site where the samples were collected. The module was developed by Donna Whitney, Sara Hanel, Erkan Toraman, and Katherine Fornash, with assessment provided by SERC. Creation of an online-only version is in progress, with assistance from John Brady. 

To date, we have published two papers in the kid-focused journal, Frontiers for Young Minds. The reviewers of our papers ranged in age from 9-13.

Whitney, D.L., Vanardois, J., *Taylor, J.M., and Teyssier, C. (2023) The rise and fall of continents. Frontiers for Young Minds, 11:1114471. doi: 10.3389/frym.2023.1114471

*Newville, C., Whitney, D. L., *Kang, P., *Raia, N. H., & Fornash, K. F. (2021). How the Earth Recycles.  Frontiers for Young Minds, 9. doi: 10.3389/frym.2021.599596.

As rock experts, members of the group are often asked to identify specimens that people are curious about. Some of these ID requests come through the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, which has a webpage with information for anyone wanting to get an virtual rock ID. Most of the specimens are not meteorites, diamonds, or other valuable geo-materials, but most of them are interesting anyway!