Institutional Seminar Series
Tuesday, October 19
via Zoom (Link to be sent morning of)
1:00 p.m. Talks begin w/ Q&A
-------------------------
Geno Pawlak - Flow and transport on tropical coasts
The dynamics of flows in tropical coastal environments are distinct from temperate coasts in a number of ways. Tropical coasts are often characterized by steep, complex bathymetry and high roughness. In addition surface buoyancy fluxes can be significant due to high radiative inputs and precipitation. These differences result in changes in transport regimes for momentum, heat and mass that affect flow and thermal environments with important implications for coastal ecosystems. I will review a few examples of my lab’s field projects that examine flow physics for tropical coastlines including studies of drag over coral reefs and thermally driven flows.
Rob Mellors - lluminating earth structure with dark fibers (and other use of distributed photonic sensors)
Distributed acoustic sensing, which uses an optical fiber as the sensor, is becoming a powerful tool for acquiring high-resolution seismic data at low cost and in environments that were previously difficult or impossible. The talk will cover the fundamental principles of distributed acoustic sensing and demonstrate how unused telecom lines in the Imperial Valley are repurposed to act as an enormous array of seismometers to explore for geothermal resources. Other opportunities include long term seafloor seismic observatories. Challenges remain with these sensors, including the exact response and the enormous data volumes that are produced. A testbed currently under construction at the Pinyon Flat Observatory that will address these challenges is described. Finally, I conclude with an overview of other types of fiber optic distributed sensors, such as distributed chemical sensing and distributed magnetic sensing and how new technologies such as quantum sensing may enhance sensitivity.