Welcome to the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Windsor. This site will help you understand who we are and what we do. Navigate the site with the links on the left to your specific area of interest. Please feel free to contact us for further information.


Upcoming events, such as seminars, can be found in our Calendar of Events on the main menu.

Earth & Environmental Sciences Resource Center
Room 106, Memorial Hall

Hours of Operation – Winter 2010

Monday 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Specifically for Environmental Science Students
Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Friday 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

There will be additional hours scheduled around exam times.
The Resource Centre is available to all students looking for help in classes such as:

61-110
61-140
61-213
Also available to 2^nd year students requiring assistance
Computers are available for homework, lab assignments

Seminars

Thursday, February 4 at 4:00 p.m.
Seminar Speaker:
Dr. Richard Smith, Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists
A Tutorial on Airborne Electromagnetic Methods and Some Examples from Mineral Exploration, Hydrocarbon Exploration and Water Exploration
Room 201, Memorial Hall



News

Earth and Environmental Sciences would like to welcome several new people to the department.

Maryam Shahabifar (right) is from Iran, and is beginning a PhD with Iain Samson and Joel Gagnon.

Dr. Baocheng Pang (below left) is a visiting Scholar from Guilin University of Technology, China, and will be doing research with Iain Samson and Jianwen Yang.

Dr. Ming Kang (below right) is a visiting Scholar from Chang'an University in China, and will be doing research with Jianwen Yang.


UWindsor pledges collaboration with twin-city universities

Dr. Frank Simpson was instrumental in developing an exchange agreement between the University of Windsor and two universities in Windsor's twin city of Lublin, Poland. This agreement will facilitate collaborative research and exchanges of students, faculty, and staff.

Formal signings of memoranda of understanding in August brought to a conclusion a six-month period of consultation and negotiation between UWindsor and Maria Curie-Skłodowska University and the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin.

Besides exchange of students and researchers, the agreements set the stage for the exchange of publications, research materials and other information, says Earth and Environmental Sciences professor Frank Simpson, the coordinator of International and Development Research, Education and Training, who spearheaded the discussions and wrote the initial draft of the documents.

He notes the final agreements include reference to collaborative research; cooperation in the preparation of seminars, conferences and workshops; and specialized training projects and the delivery of credit and non-credit courses.

Both universities offer selections of courses in English. Poland’s membership in the European Union makes researchers from both institutions and their foreign collaborators eligible for financial support, through funding instruments, such as the Research Framework Program of the European Commission. An example is the Seventh Framework Program, which runs from 2007 to 2013. Information is available at http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html. More information on these agreements is available here. 


Frank Simpson presented an invited paper, entitled “Minimizing the Societal Impact of Global Climate Change: Lessons from Multi-disciplinary, Environmental Research in Diverse Climatic Settings”, at the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors, “Achieving Excellence through Change”, 2009 Ontario Branch Educational Conference, London, Ontario (October 4-7, 2009).  (Posted Nov. 5/09)

Ali Polat has just published an invited review paper in a Geological Society of London Special Paper on accretionary orogens:  Polat, A., Kerrich, R., and Windley, B.F., 2009. Archean crustal growth processes in the southern Superior Province and southern West Greenland: geodynamic and magmatic constraints. In: Cawood, P. and Kröner, A. (Eds.), Accretionary Orogens in Space and Time, Geological Society of London, Special Publication 318, 155-191. (Posted Nov. 5/09)

Earth and Environmental Sciences UWin Week Fieldtrip a great success!
Thursday, October 15, 2009

A busload of intrepid University of Windsor students braved blustery, cold and rainy weather to participate in a UWin Week field trip organized by the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences (EES). The field trip, titled Essex County: From the Bottom Up, introduced a cross-section of first and second year students to a number of earth and environmental attractions that are available to them in their own backyard. Activities ranged from interpreting ancient climate by observing 380-million year old corals in bedrock exposed in a limestone quarry near McGregor, understanding glacial movement and processes by hiking over glacial sediments and landforms near Albuna, appreciating the historical and economic importance of the local oil industry by touring a Talisman Energy oil field battery near Leamington, and understanding climate change patterns by banding migrating hawks at Holiday Beach. Despite the weather, the students had a great time and developed a greater understanding of the diversity of the environment, and potential environmental careers, even within Essex County. An Environmental Studies student commented that the trip was “truly wonderful and a once-in-a-lifetime experience” and that the University needs to do more of these types of activities. In light of the very positive student response, EES plans to make the UWin Week field trip an annual event and is considering other opportunities to provide students with similar experiential learning opportunities. Go here for more photos from the fieldtrip.

Examining limestone deposits in Amherst Quarries' McGregor operation and discussing paleoclimate and the geological history of southern Ontario.


Measuring water chemistry and observing shoreline processes at Holiday Beach Conservation Area.


Kyle Prestanski will be giving a talk at the Canadian Association of Geographers Ontario Division/Eastern Lakes Division of the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting (CAGONT 2009) and the University of Toronto at Mississauga next week (October 16-17th 2009). The title of his presentation is "Rock Downwearing Rates and Processes: the Upper and Lower Intertidal Zones of Mega- to Microtidal Environments in Eastern Canada", and is coauthored by Alan Trenhaile and Neil Porter. (Posted Oct. 16/09)




The fourth edition of Alan Trenhaile's textbook "Geomorphology: a Canadian Perspective" has recently been published by Oxford University Press. The text was first published in 1998 and is a standard undergraduate text in most Canadian Universities. (Posted Oct. 16/09)





Dr. Ali Polat has been invited to give a keynote address at the upcoming Geological Society of America (GSA) Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon. The title of Dr. Polat's talk will be: A billion-year (3800-2800 Ma) history of intra-oceanic volcanism, Eo- to Neoarchean greenstone belts, SW Greenland. (Posted Oct. 15/09)

UWin Week

UWin Week is almost here!!! Visit the University's UWin Week webpage for information about what is going on during that week, and what kind of services are available for students then. Don't waste an opportunity to get caught up on work, get ahead on your classes, and get help planning your education.

Events planned from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences include:

Academic Counselling for First Year
By appointment.

General Counselling For Upper Years
Tuesday, October 13, Wednesday, October 14 & Friday, October 16
11:00 am - 12:00 noon
Environmental Geoscience - Dr. Joel Gagnon (Room 209, MH)
Environmental Science - Dr. Aaron Fisk (Room 211B, MH)
Physical Geography - Dr. Alan Trenhaile (Room 205, MH)

EES Resource Centre
Tuesday, October 13 through Friday, October 16
11:00 am - 12:00 noon & 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Room 106, MH

Field Trip - Years 2, 3 and 4
by Arrangement with the Department
Location: Northern Ontario

Field Trip - Year 1
Thursday, October 15
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Location:  Essex County Area

B.Sc. Thesis Presentation (for Year 3 students; others are welcome)
Wednesday, October 14
10:00 am - 11:00 pm
Location:  Room 201 MH

Be a Profession Geoscientist!!

Welcome Back Fall 2009!!

We will be holding an orientation session for students in the Earth and Environmental Science programs (Environmental Science, Environmental Geoscience, Geology, Physical Geography). This session is primarily designed for 1st year students but it may be worth your while attending and having any questions that you may have answered. It will also give you an opportunity to meet your fellow students and the faculty and staff who will be helping you to achieve your educational goals.

The orientation session will be held on Tuesday, September 8th, at 11 a.m., in room 311, Memorial Hall. The orientation session will be followed by a reception at noon in Room 211A, Memorial Hall for all new and returning students, where you will have a chance to interact with other members of the Department. Please RSVP to Sharon at shorne@uwindsor.ca by September 4, 2009.


2009 GA/TA Award honours Earth and Environmental Science graduate student

Neil Porter won the GA/TA award for Educational Leadership, which honours GAs and TAs who have played active roles in shaping or transforming the teaching and learning environment at the University of Windsor. The committee was impressed with Neil's work ethic, hands-on approach, helpful attitude, organization and, most importantly, the leadership he demonstrated in designing and running the departmental field camp, says Michael K. Potter, Chair of the Selection Committee.   Neil struck the committee as an admirable balance of leader and team player. For the Centre for Teaching and Learning announcement, go here.




The World celebrates Earth Day!

On April 22, people around the world celebrate Earth Day. For information on the event, and for information about what may be going on around your community, visit the Earth Day Canada website. On Sunday, April 26, the Windsor-Essex Earth Day eco fair will be held at Mic Mac Park (on Matchette Rd.) from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. This free event features 45-50 environmental organizations providing information about their mandates and products, and includes entertainment for children, food, and astronomy. Simultaneously, across the road from the Earth Day celebrations at Mic Mac Park, the Essex Region Conservation Authority will be hosting tree planting activities at Malden Park (also 10:00 - 3:00).


Earth and Environmental Science senior student wins awards

Caroline Dennis, graduating Earth and Environmental Science senior student won the second place award for "Best Presentation in the discipline of Ecology or Evolution" at Ontario Biology Day 2009 which took place on March 21-22, 2009 at the University of Windsor. The conference was a great opportunity for approximately 150 students from many Universities across Ontario to present their research. It also gave students the opportunity to interact with other students and make connections with prospective supervisors for graduate work. Caroline's research deals with diet discrimination factors and metabolic turnover rates of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes using laboratory reared guppies as the model organism. Caroline will be pursuing her Master's, for which she has won an NSERC award, here at the University of Windsor where she will apply stable isotope studies to wild populations of guppies in Trinidad.


Earth Hour... Save Energy, Save the Environment

Begun back in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, March 28th from 8:30 to 9:30 PM in your local time zone is designated "Earth Hour". Millions of households will switch off their lights for one full hour, and give Mother Earth a rest. The first event in 2007 showed a 10.2 decrease in Australian energy consumption. Add your voice to the many who care about the future of our planet and switch off. A
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Environmental Science Career Night

On Thursday March 26, 2009, the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences held an Environmental Science Career Night at McPherson Lounge, Alumni Hall. The event was a wonderful success. For photos and a report on the event, visit our Environmental Science Career Night webpage. Keep an eye here next term for our next Career Night.


Laser blasting technique making an impact in materials analysis

A group of UWindsor EES researchers is making a big impression in the field of solid materials analysis.~

Joel Gagnon, a professor in the Earth and Environmental Sciences, recently learned that a paper he co-authored with GLIER director (and EES faculty) Brian Fryer, Earth and Environmental Sciences professor Iain Samson and Anthony Williams-Jones of McGill University made the top 10 list of most accessed papers on the Web site that published it.

The paper, “Quantitative analysis of silicate certified reference materials by LA-ICPMS with and without an internal standard,” was published in the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. The paper was viewed 216 times in November, Dr. Gagnon said, which means it could influence a considerable number of scientists elsewhere.

Gagnon’s work involves using high-power, short-pulse width lasers to blast micro samples of solid complex materials into a vapourized state, then analyzing them to determine their composition. Gagnon and his colleagues developed a formula for converting the ionized vapours back into element concentrations to improve confidence in the accuracy of their data. Other scientists will be able to use this technique to identify unknown materials. (Read the full story here).

Award to recognize professor's service to Poland

A UWindsor earth and environmental sciences professor says an award he will receive from the Polish government this spring is "kind of a lifetime achievement award" going back to his doctoral studies in that country.

Frank Simpson was informed this week that the Republic of Poland will confer its Gold Cross of Merit on him at a presentation ceremony at its consulate in Toronto this May. The award recognizes his service to Poland and years of work with the Polish-Canadian commuinity.

Dr. Simpson earned his PhD at the Jagiellonian University of Krakow. He says he owes a great deal to his colleagues in the "Krakow School" of the late Marian Ksiazkiewicz, to his wife of more than 40 years, and to collaborators at the University of Windsor and in the local Polish community.

"This is their award as much as it is mine," Simpson says.

Dinosaur Baby Boom Hit Cretaceous Korea

In an article featured on the Discovery Channel's news website, an article co-authored by Ihsan Al-Aasm from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences describes clusters of dinosaur nests found in the Seonso Formation of South Korea. The nests were found in densely populated nurseries. Al-Aasm and his colleagues analysed eggshell samples collected from the nests, determining the environmental conditions when the eggs were laid, including the local climate of the time and the chemistry of the water the dinosaurs were drinking. (read the full story here)

Earth and Environmental Science's Head Secretary wins top service award

All that was missing from the Academy Awards-themed Faculty of Science Celebration of Success is Joan Rivers, say organizers. On November 28th, 2008, faculty and staff walked down the red carpet, were greeted by Dean of Science Marlys Koschinsky, and received a small bottle of champagne to toast their success for 2007-08. One of the top Oscars handed out was the prestigious Staff Meritorious Award to Earth and Environmental Science's Sharon Horne in recognition for her many years of distinguished service to the Faculty of Science.

When the award was announced, the surprised honoree (who was at the time attempting to beat the traffic and get back to work with a quiet departure from the venue) was heard to exclaim "What??!!", but when asked for comment was otherwise uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

Researchers establish partnership to tackle water pollution

A trio of researchers, including Chris Weisener from Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Great Lakes Institute of Environmental Research, have launched an international partnership to help solve a problem in China’s Yangtze River basin—too many nutrients from changing waterflow and farming practises caused by the Three Gorges Dam have resulted in widespread eutrophication in the watershed.

UWindsor's Doug Haffner and Chris Weisener, along with Lei Zhang, a professor from China's Southwest University, gathered more than 100 experts from universities, industry and government for a workshop in China on the issue this fall.

Sponsored by Canada’s International Science and Technology Partnership and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, the workshop launched a scientific partnership to compare concepts and standards methods and identify the potential impact of eutrophication in the ecosystem. The group plans to hold a second workshop in Windsor this spring.

Weisener and Zhang, co-chairs of the China-Canada Steering Committee, hope to bring aboard private sector partners from both countries looking to expand into green technology. And Weisener says the partnership should lead to solutions that can help solve the issue of eutrophication globally.
Read the Daily News article here.


GLIER and EES researcher Chris Weisener, left, travels along the Pengxi River with Li Xingqiong, dean of the Yunyang County Environmental Bureau in Chongqing, China; Zhang Chongxin, vice-mayor of Yunyang County; Ted Briggs, a Great Lakes advisor from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment; and William Taylor, professor of biology at the University of Waterloo.

Windsor's Polish community honors UWindsor professor with award

On Friday, November 14, 2008, Frank Simpson, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences was among the recipients of the Centennial Gold Medal of the Polish Community in Windsor. Mr. Jerzy Barycki (left), President of the Polish Canadian Business and Professional Association of Windsor and Chair of the community Organizing Committee for Polish Week in Windsor 2008, presented the medal to Dr. Simpson at an awards ceremony that took place at the Fourteenth Annual Dinner of the Polish-Canadian Business and Professional Society, in the Caboto Hall, G. Caboto Club, as one of the events of Polish Week in Windsor 2008.

Dr. Simpson's professional and personal involvement with Poland and the Polish community has spanned over 40 years, beginning with his work at Jagiellonian University, Krakow in the 1960’s where he met his wife Barbara, and continuing with his years of association with Windsor’s Polish week and his English translation of Ms. Agata Rajski’s book "One Century of the Polish Community in Windsor 1908-2008".

In accepting the medal, Dr. Simpson said “I see the medal as an enduring expression of appreciation by the Polish community for its highly successful partnership with the University of Windsor”, and that, by this award, “the Committee also gives important encouragement to younger colleagues at the University, who otherwise might have felt that the service component of a professor’s activities tends to go unnoticed.”


UWindsor researcher gets down and dirty for Discovery

Aaron Fisk, an associate professor in GLIER, and his team will be the subject of an upcoming episode of Dirty Jobs - one of Discovery Channel’s top-rated programs.~

Dr. Fisk studies the feeding habits of Greenland sharks in the high Arctic to help measure the effect of climate change on the region’s ecosystem. His appearance on Dirty Jobs is prompted by the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, when many of the network’s most popular programs take a shark-related theme. Approximately one million Canadian viewers are expected to tune in to Shark Week programming.

Dirty Jobs is a show featuring occupations with particularly unpleasant aspects. The program’s popular host Mike Rowe usually takes a comical hands-on approach - rolling up his sleeves and jumping into the mess, while a camera crew records his adventures.

In mid-April, Rowe and a camera crew spent several days with Dr. Fisk and his team in the sub-zero temperatures near Cumberland Sound, Nunavut, as the UWindsor group tagged and released the sharks, which can grow up to seven metres long and live an estimated 200 years.

“I was impressed by how knowledgeable he was about science,” Fisk said. “He’s a really bright guy and he really knows his sharks. And he’s even funnier in real life than he is on the show.”

Fisk is scheduled to appear on Dirty Jobs on July 30 at 8 p.m. The 60-minute show will be re-broadcast at midnight EST and on July 31 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. It will air in the U.S. on July 29 at 10 p.m. Discovery reaches 97 million households in the U.S. and has 240 million international subscribers.

• The December 2006 edition of the our Earth and Environmental Sciences Newsletter is available here as a color PDF, The previous edition is available on our News and Events page.

Previous Seminars:

Thursday, January 21 at 4:00 p.m.
Seminar Speaker:
Professor Grant Garven, Geology Department, University of Tufts
"The Geohydrology of Faults in Southern California"
Room 201, Memorial Hall


Thursday, January 14 at 4:00 p.m.
Seminar Speaker:
Dr. Dan Marshall, Howard Street Robinson Lecturer
"Gem Occurrences and Exploration Models within the Canadian Cordillera"
Room 201, Memorial Hall


Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 1:30 p.m.
Student Seminar Speaker:
Daniel D'Alimonte, University of Windsor
"Machine Reasoning and the Semantic Web: Putting the World into a Computer Accessible Context"
Room 201, Memorial Hall

Friday, December 4, 2009 at 1:00 p.m.
Student Seminar Speaker:
Omid Haeri-Ardakani, University of Windsor
"Basinal brines, diagenetic or evaporated paleoseawater?"
Room 201, Memorial Hall

Thursday, November 26, 2009 at 4:00 p.m.
Seminar Speaker:
Dr. Gerhard Pratt, University of Western Ontario
"What else can the seismic waveform tell us?"
Room 201, Memorial Hall


Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 6:45 p.m.
The Munk Debate on Climate Change
A Live Streamed Debate from Toronto Featuring
LORD NIGEL LAWSON AND BJORN LOMBERG
V.
ELIZABETH MAY AND GEORGE MONBIOT
Faculty of Law, Room G102
Register On-Line at www.munkdebates.com


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