MILWAUKEE — Paleomagnetism researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee pulled more than a dozen volcanic rocks from the Pacific Ocean floor to learn more about what they tell us about the planet.
Geoscience professor Julie Bowles and three of her graduate students went on a six-week expedition last fall aboard a research vessel owned by the U.S. Navy.
They’re studying the Pacific Rise, an underwater mountain range formed by repeated volcanic eruptions over millions of years.
“We were able to collect a lot of data that showed us kind of what the sea floor looked like, and so we learned something about the relative age of the eruptions that were there,” said Bowles.
She said this work is important because there are still many unknowns when it comes to volcanic eruptions on land and under water.
To measure inside the volcanic rock sample, Bowles uses a Superconducting Rock Magnetometer.
“It tells us what the strength of the magnetic field and the direction of the magnetic field was when those lab’s rocks erupted and cooled,” said Bowles.
Mike Anderson was one of the grad students on the expedition. Anderson said each rock tells a story.
“It’s really important to understand the history of the earth and how different parts of it are influenced by the spreading rate, like how new crust is formed,” said Anderson.
For Vera Soltes, the research trip underneath the Pacific Ocean opened up a whole new world.
“You get to see all of these things that naturally no one would ever see,” said Soltes.
Terra Johnson said the experience has made her more excited and determined about wanting to advance the field of geology.
“It gives me a better understanding of how and why we do those specific things and why it’s important to get these rocked the way we did,” she said.
Bowles said knowing what happened beneath the surface centuries ago helps us better understand our planet today.
“If we can learn more about the timing of eruptions and how eruptions are clustered together in the sea floor, eventually that might help us make better decisions about volcanic hazards on land,” said Bowles.