URI
oceanographer to discuss underwater volcanoes in lecture at Bay Campus, Nov. 19
NARRAGANSETT, R.I. –Steven Carey, a marine geologist and
professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, will present a
lecture about underwater volcanoes on Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. in the Coastal
Institute Auditorium at the URI Bay Campus.
Entitled “Submarine Volcanoes: Crucibles of New Seafloor Deposits,” his lecture is free and open to the public.
According to Carey, three quarters of the Earth’s volcanic activity occurs deep beneath the sea, where it builds the foundation of the ocean floor and creates new volcanic islands. Heat from this volcanism produces hydrothermal systems where exotic biological communities occur and where the concentration of precious metals form economically important mineral deposits.
“Recent
explorations of submarine volcanoes in the Mediterranean Sea have provided
important information about the formation of valuable new mineral deposits on
the seafloor,” said Carey. “Utilization of these resources requires a careful
balance between protecting unique ecosystems and extracting material for
commercial development.”Entitled “Submarine Volcanoes: Crucibles of New Seafloor Deposits,” his lecture is free and open to the public.
According to Carey, three quarters of the Earth’s volcanic activity occurs deep beneath the sea, where it builds the foundation of the ocean floor and creates new volcanic islands. Heat from this volcanism produces hydrothermal systems where exotic biological communities occur and where the concentration of precious metals form economically important mineral deposits.
Carey’s research focuses on the study of explosive volcanism at convergent plate boundaries. He conducts simulations of explosive eruption processes, studies the petrology and physical properties of magmas involved in explosive volcanism, and examines the origin and characteristics of marine volcaniclastic sediments.
His recent research projects include studies of the
Santorini/Kolumbo volcano in Greece, submarine volcanoes in the Strait of
Sicily, and the Kick'em Jenny volcano in the West Indies, which he visited in
September.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Massachusetts and a doctorate in geological oceanography at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography.
Carey’s lecture is sponsored by the Friends of Oceanography and the Graduate School of Oceanography. A reception will follow the lecture.
For more information, contact Deb Coty in the GSO dean’s office at dcoty@uri.edu or 401-874-6841.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Massachusetts and a doctorate in geological oceanography at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography.
Carey’s lecture is sponsored by the Friends of Oceanography and the Graduate School of Oceanography. A reception will follow the lecture.
For more information, contact Deb Coty in the GSO dean’s office at dcoty@uri.edu or 401-874-6841.