Senior Sean Bryan Presents Geology Research

Sean Bryan, a Carleton senior geology major from Cincinnati, Ohio, presented research at the 38th annual meeting of the North-Central Section of the Geological Society of America in St. Louis, Ill., in April. Approximately 400 geoscientists attended the event hosted by the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences of St. Louis University.

Bryan presented a poster session titled “Basin Morphology, Sedimentology, and History of a Small Proglacial Lake, Matanuska Glacier, Alaska.” The study examines the morphology, sedimentology and geologic evolution of a small lake, located less than a kilometer from the Matanuska Glacier in Alaska that is now almost completely drained. Using data collected during the summer of 2003, Bryan determined that, at its peak, the lake was approximately 120 meters long by 85 meters wide and had a maximum depth of eight meters. Analysis of aerial photography indicates that the lake was drained of most of its water sometime after 1949. Bryan’s study contributes to a general wealth of knowledge of the processes that take place around glacier margins, and will assist the interpretations of glacial sedimentary deposits.

“Conducting original research at the undergraduate level is invaluable experience and enforces the knowledge received in the classroom,” says Bryan. Building upon this experience, Bryan plans to work in geology related employment in Colorado for two years before continuing his education in graduate school. “This experience has better prepared me for both future employment and graduate school,” says Bryan.

Ranked among the nation’s top liberal arts institutions, Carleton is a private, co-educational college of 1,900 students located 40 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul. High academic standards, an excellent teaching faculty and a diverse student body contribute to Carleton’s outstanding reputation.