UWI & US Research Scientists undertaking 2-weeks of Geo Chronology & Petrologic studies in Dominica ….

​A Research Scientist from the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC), in collaboration with scientists from Union College, Oberlin College and the Smithsonian Institute, USA, are currently undertaking a two-week field class in Dominica.
 
The interdisciplinary project aims to understand how different processes have shaped the Dominican landscape and history in the past, and how they may manifest in the future.
 
It is hoped that the island’s complicated explosive history will be better understood, through geochronology and petrologic studies.
 
The field class will build upon the work done by the UWI-SRC, by characterizing meteoric and hydrothermal waters, as well as volcanic gasses from fumaroles, to contribute to baseline monitoring of volcanic activity, for use in detecting volcanic unrest.  Attempts will be made to also study how the landscape has affected the settlement of people and the history of landslides.
 
The field class will be led by Dr Holli Frey (Union College), Dr Erouscilla Joseph (UWI-SRC), Dr Amanda Schmidt (Oberlin College) and Dr Laura Waters (Smithsonian Institute). The field class was advertised to students of the various American institutions, and sixteen students will accompany the scientists. The second part of the field class will take place at Union College, in the USA