July 2006 ISSUE
Acetic Acid, Anyone?
BY MARC BOULET
University of Calgary Student Columnist (Geosciences)
“What is research, but a blind date with knowledge?”
— Will Henry
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WHAT’S COOKING |
For most of us, crushing and dissolving rocks in buckets of acetic acid would certainly not qualify as a typical summer job. But for Jenna Seitz and Ian Porter, processing five-kilogram samples in search of 50 grams’ worth of phosphate is all part of a day’s work.
They are looking for conodonts — tiny, teeth-like structures dating from the Paleozoic, the size of a grain of sand. Conodonts also happen to be invaluable biostratigraphic markers.
The search and study of these micropaleontological marvels is being done under the guidance of Dr. Charles Henderson, P.Geol., a University of Calgary professor and director of the Applied Stratigraphy Research Group. He says that there is great value in employing undergraduate students in research.
“They can engage in experiential learning, which is very difficult to provide in a classroom setting,” he says. “Students receive a great deal of theory in a lecture hall, but true learning can only occur with application and experience.”
With the assistance of the program of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Dr. Henderson has fashioned a structured research environment that’s specifically tailored to students’ abilities. Jenna and Ian provide logistical support for the graduate students in the research group, such as processing samples from rock to microscope.
In addition, they are also engaged in individual projects that advance Dr.
Henderson’s
overall research program, complete with an end-of-summer presentation to the
Applied Stratigraphy Research Group.
Ian is entering his final year in geology and has an eye on pursuing a master’s
degree sometime in the future. Despite having previous oil and gas industry experience,
Ian decided that working this summer on his own research project would be an
ideal opportunity to get a feel for post-graduate studies.
His work involves outlining the stratigraphy of the Pennsylvanian sequences
of the Belloy Formation, and identifying the complete biostratigraphy and depositional
environment of the Kitsuan Member.
Biostratigraphy is especially important, says Ian. “A well log can give
you an idea about lithology, but biostratigraphy can help to more accurately
relate a depositional setting to it.”
For Jenna, who has just completed her first year of university studies, the chance to learn and gain a better understanding of geology in general was very important. She discovered the position with Dr. Henderson through the Rundle Group, the U of C geology undergraduate student society.
She is contributing to the understanding of the Bakken Formation in southeastern Alberta and Saskatchewan, using lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy. As a result, Jenna expects to be intellectually well prepared for her second-year courses.
In fact, both Jenna and Ian have indicated how much they have learned in only one month of research. This is due in no small part to the support and direction of Dr. Henderson and the grad students of the research group, who provide a wealth of readily available knowledge and experience. This is extremely important in an environment that relies on the students’ self-motivation and willingness to learn while pursuing their projects.
It is also music to the ears of Dr. Henderson, as a first-hand witness to the experiential learning process. Clearly, the time and commitment put in by Jenna and Ian into those crushed and dissolved rock samples yield not only tiny paleontological jewels — but also the first seeds of knowledge that will grow in the years to come.