Dr. DeDeckker's Visit to ISU

The Murray Canyons Group offshore Kangaroo Island:

The AUSCAN cruise and Australia's Grand Canyons

Professor Patrick De Deckker, Chair of the Department of Earth and Marine Sciences and Director of The Marine Quaternary Research Program at the Australian National University, gave a seminar on February 13, 2004 entitled " The Murray Canyons Group Offshore Kangaroo Island: The AUSCAN Cruise Exploring Australia's Grand Canyons". Some of these canyons are deeper than the Grand Canyon, and were mapped in detail and sampled systematically for the first time on an international 2003 research cruise. Dr. De Deckker was co-Chief Scientist for this expedition, and presented a general overview and some of his findings in a general seminar open to the public. The seminar was co-sponsored by the Department of Geography, Geology and Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, and Sigma Xi - Wabash Valley Chapter.
 
In addition to presenting a seminar, Dr. De Deckker discussed current and future collaborative efforts with GGA's Paleontology/Paleoceanography Group. Dr. Tony Rathburn (Assistant Professor of Geology), Michelle Abriani (Undergraduate Senior Geology Major) and Brian Wrightsman (Undergraduate Junior Geology and Science Education double major) have been collaborating with Dr. De Deckker and an international group of scientists working on samples collected during the AUSCAN cruise.   Michelle Abriani and Brian Wrightsman, are currently working on microfauna collected by Dr. Rathburn in the spring of 2003 on the AUSCAN Cruise.  Students discussed their results with Dr. De Deckker, and Professor. De Deckker provided many valuable insights about the study area, and initial AUSCAN results from researchers around the globe (including France, Germany, and Australia). AUSCAN research results have been presented at several conferences around the globe, including presentations by Michelle and Brian at Geological Society of America Conferences.  Current plans include a collaborative research papers, and  another  Australian cruise returning to the study area to learn more about the geological and climate history of the region. 
Photos were taken by Tony Brentlinger.

Dr. DeDeckker's website

Opening slide of Dr. DeDeckker's Presentation

            

          Dr. DeDeckker greeting the audience            A few of the audience members

                 

           Emphasizing an important point                 Discussion of the study area

             

        Taking questions from the audience                Viewing the tanks in the paleo lab

             

        Looking at ostracodes with Michelle                 Discussing ostracode data from the
                                                                                           AUSCAN cruise

       

             The paleo lab group poses with
                         Dr. DeDeckker