3 minute read
Geography & Geology
Claire Schallhorn Nataša Kovačević, faculty mentor
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This paper will explore the poverty narrative in Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger. The novel follows Balram as he navigates life in India at the bottom of the caste system.While Adiga attempts to use the novel to address the injustices of the caste system, this is complicated in his depictions of poverty. The choice to make Balram an unreliable narrator and the role of violence amongst lower caste members undermine the experiences of the poor. Such portrayals serve to reinforce pre-existing stereotypes against marginalized groups.
Oral / Q&A Session B
Source Tracking of Inorganic Chemical Contaminants in Millers Creek, Ann Arbor
Morgan Bergren, Karlee Foster Christopher Gellasch, faculty mentor
A previous study investigated spatial and temporal trends in chloride contamination at Millers Creek, which revealed a potential source other than road salt. The current study is continuing to analyze water quality bi-weekly from multiple sites in the creekshed. The addition of groundwater sampling is facilitated by installing shallow 1-inch diameter piezometers adjacent to the creek. The groundwater data may help determine the source of contamination and if Millers Creek is impacting groundwater quality.
Oral / Q&A Session A
Reproducibility of 10Be in a Burned Catchment Before and After the 2018 Woolsey Fire
Collin Bogoski Eric W. Portenga, faculty mentor
Geomorphologists frequently infer erosion rates of river catchments from measurements of 10-beryllium (10Be) in river sand, but landslides triggered following wildfires may dilute 10Be. Here, I compare 10Be measured after the 2018 Woolsey Fire, Santa Monica Mountains, CA, to 10Be measured before the fire in 2016 from a burned catchment. Additionally, I will compare 10Be data from different grain-size fractions, which may allow me to further filter out the effects of landslides. Findings from my work will help geomorphologists working in a fire-prone area understand, plan for, and reduce the influence of wildfires on newly-collected 10Be samples.
Oral / Live Session D / 4:00 p.m.
Assessments of Streamflow and Flooding Along the Pere Marquette River, MI
Kenneth Ferrell, Jr. Eric W. Portenga, faculty mentor
Understanding how stream flow in rivers across Michigan responds to climate change is important because they are used for hydroelectricity, recreation, fisheries, and many people live along them. Michigan’s annual rainfall has increased by 3 inches since 1940 and is expected to increase by 0.036 inches/ year through the 21st century due to climate change. This study tests the hypothesis that increased rainfall will lead to more-frequent flooding along Michigan’s rivers. Specifically, I will analyze river discharge data and flowduration curves from a stream gaging station on the Pere Marquette River, the largest undammed river in Michigan.
Oral / Live Session D / 3:00 p.m.
Using an N-Type Schmidt Hammer to Determine the Initial Orientation of a Displaced Glacial Erratic
Joel Harris Eric W. Portenga, faculty mentor
Ages of glacial landforms allow geologists to reconstruct past glacial histories. Ages of ice-deposited boulders (erratics) is often accomplished using cosmogenic radionuclide dating (CRND) on rock removed from the tops of erratics. CRND requires erratics that are in their ice-deposited location and orientation in the landscape, but erratics in urban and agricultural settings, like those around Washtenaw county often violate this requirement. Ages of moved erratics might be determined if their initial orientations can be identified. Here I use a Schmidt Hammer to measure the degree of weathering across all surfaces of a moved erratic in an attempt to identify its original top side.
Oral / Q&A Session C
The Impact of the Covid 19 Pandemic on Eviction Processes in Michigan
Kai Le Michael Koscielniak, faculty mentor
Lost employment puts cost-burdened renters, especially people of color, at risk of eviction because housing security often depends on stable employment and wages. The Covid 19 pandemic has intensified this inequality. In April 2020, 52% of low-income adults reported they or someone in their household experienced Covid 19-related pay cuts. This compares with 42% of middleincome and 32% of upper-income adults. In addition to this, 40% of renter households in Michigan could not pay rent and were at risk of eviction in July 2020. This study explores eviction processes in Michigan and, also halting evictions and expanding rental assistance to keep renters sheltered during the Covid 19 pandemic.
