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Voyage to Discovery

By Sarah Dugas

University of Houston faculty and students go great lengths for new discoveries – often to far reaches of the planet – giving students unique experiences at the forefront of science. Late last year, UH Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Marine Geophysics professor William Sager and nine students (seven from UH) voyaged to Tamu Massif, the largest known single volcano on Earth, to gain new insights on the formation of this enormous volcanic mountain. On board the research vessel Falkor, Sager and his students collected millions of magnetic data and depth soundings to supplement sparse existing data. They expect that these new data will help figure out how the monster volcano was erupted.  Working with outreach specialist from Texas State Aquarium and Schmidt Ocean Institute, Sager and the students used ship-to-shore presentations to communicate with students in their classrooms and several museums, including Houston Museum of Natural Science, and Aquarium of the Pacific.  The cruise and research analyses are supported by the Schmidt Ocean Institute, National Science Foundation and National Geographic Society.


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