Geology students conduct research as part of carbon sequestration work

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Students might not always expect their professors to admit to them, “I don’t know, nobody does.” But for Dr. Stephen Kaczmarek, associate professor of Geological and Environmental Sciences, the uncertainty inherent in discovery drives the innovation, experiential learning, and authentic research found in his classroom.  

In his fall Sedimentation and Stratigraphy course, fourteen students are completing novel research on rock cores from Michigan as part of a much larger, ongoing study on carbon sequestration.  

Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing, concentrating and pumping carbon dioxide deep into the earth. Emerging technology focused on carbon sequestration may provide an important way to mitigate the effects of climate change caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.  

“These carbon capture projects are aimed at trying to figure out, ‘Is this a good bet? Should we pump lots of carbon dioxide into the subsurface of Michigan? Will it stay there? What are the risks?’ These are the big societal issues,” Kaczmarek says.   

His students are helping to answer these questions by studying deep drill cores extracted from the subsurface of northern Michigan. Previous analyses of these cores were found incomplete. Students in Kaczmarek’s course are working to fill this knowledge gap through research they carry out during their lab sessions.  

“For me, the difference between authentic research and a typical lab activity is that nobody knows the answer at the start of authentic research,” Kaczmarek says. 

Using a new state-of-the-art X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer, an analytical instrument funded by the Department of Education's STEM Workforce Collaboratory project, his student researchers are analyzing and describing the elemental composition of rock cores that are part of the St. Peter sandstone and overlying confining units.  

Determining the elemental composition of underground rock is crucial to carbon sequestration projects, as various materials react differently to being injected with fluids, Kaczmarek says.  

He also notes that in addition to conducting real research, he hopes to provide students with the experiential learning that they cannot get just by reading or doing work online.  

“I’m excited the [Department of Geological & Environmental Sciences] is moving towards more hands-on learning,” Moira Burns, graduate student class assistant said. “It makes people excited about learning.”  

This is not the first time Kaczmarek has run a course like this. Last spring, he taught Advanced Earth Materials, which provided students with experience in analytical data collection using advanced instruments, including an x-ray diffractometer and a scanning electron microscope. Kaczmarek notes that the students thoroughly enjoyed the class, and many were able to present their findings at a scientific conference. 

Kaczmarek plans to continue delivering research-driven courses, where he and his students can learn side-by-side. 

“Why not, right? When we do authentic work together, everyone learns and everyone wins,” he said.  

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