BAPG September Meeting - Through the (volcanic) looking glass: tales of lava, water, ice, and the search for life on Mars via studies of volcanic glass

The Buffalo Association of Professional Geologists presents, 

A Song of Ice and Fire (and some Rock): Field and Experimental Explorations of Glaciovolcanism

Dr. Catheryn Ryan, PhD. Post-doctoral research scientist from University at Buffalo

Abstract -

Glaciovolcanism, or the products and processes resulting from interactions between volcanic material (magma and lava) and ice, is found in multiple places on Earth and may have occurred on Mars. This talk will explore glaciovolcanism from two angles. First, I will discuss how the structures formed by subglacially-erupted volcanoes can be used to infer the thickness of the overlying ice sheet and how it may have changed over time, even long after the glacier has retreated. This property of volcanism as a paleoenvironment indicator is important for both climate reconstruction on Earth, and has been used by researchers to suggest potential glacial extents on Mars. A case study from the Western Volcanic Zone of Iceland shows how two adjacent, unassuming volcanic mounds tell a dynamic story of changing ice levels between eruptive periods.

Second, the meltwater produced during lava-ice interactions has the potential to pose a significant natural hazard, in the form of massive outburst floods or lahars (volcanic mudflows). While lava interactions with pure ice have been observed and modeled experimentally, the effect of sediments in ice (as in permafrost or ground ice) on heat transfer and meltwater production are poorly understood. We investigated the effects of sediment-ice-lava interactions through laboratory experiments using basaltic melts poured over or under pure ice blocks or sediment:ice mixtures. We observed that: 1) markers of efficient heat transfer (lava cooling rate, meltwater mass and discharge, heat flux) were higher in ice-over-lava configurations than in lava-over-ice configurations; and 2) these markers were significantly lower with increasing relative sediment volume, regardless of lava position. This reduction in heat transfer efficiency and meltwater production rate when sediments are introduced suggests that sediment-bearing ice masses may present a reduced catastrophic flooding hazard than sediment-free ice.

Bio -

Dr. Catheryn Ryan is a postdoctoral scholar in the Earth Sciences department at University at Buffalo. Catheryn’s research interests include volcano-ice and volcano-water interactions on Earth and Mars, and how the environments created from these interactions can inform paleoclimate reconstruction, volcanic hazard studies, and astrobiological exploration. Catheryn obtained their Ph.D. in Geology and Planetary Science from the University of Western Ontario in 2024. When they’re not in the lab pouring lava over ice, you can find Catheryn singing with the Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus, rock climbing, running, and sewing their own clothes.

Schedule -

• 5:30 - 6:15 PM - Registration
• 6:15 - 6:30 PM - Opening Remarks and Speaker Introduction
• 6:30 - 7:30 PM - Dinner and Presentation

Cost -

Members, $35

Non-Members, $ 40

Students; Free for the first 10 to register under the sponsored student slots, $15 thereafter.