Matching Items (252)

Investigating the Interior of Io: Constraining Scenarios of Its Internal Structure

Description
Jupiter’s moon Io is tidally locked with Jupiter and falls in a 4:2:1 orbital resonance with Europa and Ganymede, driving extreme tidal heating that makes it the most volcanically active body in the solar system. Io possesses a metallic core, as does its Galilean sibling Ganymede, yet, unlike Ganymede, Io lacks…

Jupiter’s moon Io is tidally locked with Jupiter and falls in a 4:2:1 orbital resonance with Europa and Ganymede, driving extreme tidal heating that makes it the most volcanically active body in the solar system. Io possesses a metallic core, as does its Galilean sibling Ganymede, yet, unlike Ganymede, Io lacks a magnetic field. Here, I investigated the potential size, composition, and cooling rate of Io’s core to help determine why Io lacks a strong dynamo. First, I used mineral physics equations to determine that the radius of the core should be between ~650 km to 950 km for a composition ranging from pure Fe to a eutectic Fe-FeS alloy. Cosmochemical constraints from meteoritic analogues yield complementary constraints on the abundance of sulfur in the metallic core (~2.67–28.6 wt%). The mantle could be either fully or partially molten. I found that the scenario of a global magma ocean creates temperatures at the base of the mantle that are possibly too hot for core convection, but that a magma sponge regime could create core-mantle boundary temperatures cooler than the melting point of pure Fe, which could promote core convection. Therefore, I conclude that Io lacks a strong dynamo likely because it has a magma ocean with temperatures too high for convection. However, the possibility that Io’s mantle is a magma sponge suggests the importance for future missions to investigate the state of Io’s magnetic field.
ContributorsLunetto, Sarah (Author) / O'Rourke, Joseph (Thesis director) / Walker, Sara (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor)
Created2024-05

Using Principles of Interpretation to Improve Undergraduate Geoscience Education

Description
Interpretation, a form of informal education often used in National Parks, has long been used outside the classroom to effectively engage broad audiences in learning about the geosciences and to encourage them to connect with the local environment. An educational approach that draws on similar foundations to interpretation is place-based…

Interpretation, a form of informal education often used in National Parks, has long been used outside the classroom to effectively engage broad audiences in learning about the geosciences and to encourage them to connect with the local environment. An educational approach that draws on similar foundations to interpretation is place-based education (PBE), which focuses on connecting learning and fostering students' relationships with local cultures and places. Despite the similarities between the two pedagogies and a scarcity of geoscience-specific examples for active learning strategies, there has been little collaboration between interpretation and formal geoscience education. This paper investigates three case studies on PBE to explore where interpretive principles are already used and where they could be further applied to improve learning outcomes and increase student interest in the geosciences. Methodologies similar to the principles of interpretation can already be seen within these case studies to improve student outcomes, justifying further research on the use of interpretation within formal education. Increased communication and collaboration between informal and formal education resources could provide geoscience-specific approaches to effective teaching techniques and lead to further improvements in geoscience education.
ContributorsPerry, Skylar (Author) / Semken, Steven (Thesis director) / Ostman, Rae (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor)
Created2024-05