Reading Rocks with Light
Thursday, June 4 | 12:00 PM
Fire and water collide in this Lunchtime Expedition into one of geology’s most elusive mysteries. When lava meets even small amounts of water, it can leave behind subtle clues—nearly invisible, yet critical for understanding volcanic landscapes on Earth and beyond.
Journey to “The Breaks” near Mud Lake, Idaho, where ancient lava once flowed into a shallow lake, preserving rare evidence of these hidden interactions. Through cutting-edge spectroscopy, scientists decode mineral “fingerprints” that reveal how these environments formed.
This research doesn’t just reshape what we know about Earth, it provides a powerful lens for detecting past water on Mars, bringing us closer to understanding where life might once have existed.
About the Speaker:
Tess Oldroyd-Johnson is a PhD researcher at Idaho State University specializing in volcanic processes and planetary science. Her work focuses on volcanic deposits at The Breaks near Mud Lake, Idaho, where she uses spectroscopy and other analytical tools to investigate lava-water interactions and their implications for Mars.
Tess holds a dual degree in Geology and Earth and Space Science Education from Southern Utah University and an MS from East Carolina University, where she studied the magma plumbing system of Utah’s Henry Mountains. Her research bridges fieldwork and laboratory analysis to better understand how magmatic systems evolve on Earth and beyond.
