From SCIENCE CAFÉ BG
“The Attractiveness of Magnetism for Studying the Environment” will be the focus of the next BGSU Science Café, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
The talk by Chris Lepre, an assistant professor in the BGSU Department of Geology, will be presented in a hybrid format. The café will be live at the Center for Regional Development, 400 E Poe Road, Bowling Green.
Click to register to attend in-person or virtually.
Iron (Fe) is one of Earth’s most abundant elements and is found almost everywhere on the continents and in many ocean environments. As an ore, it is valued for economic and industrial applications. In mineral form, the magnetic iron oxides can be used to measure time throughout the geological history of this planet and others.
In this session, Lepre will first discuss what gives this element such unique magnetic properties, and then discuss the array of colors associated with the different iron oxide minerals. Iron oxides will be shown to have important links with climate cycles as well as providing the pigments used by early cave painters in Europe. Lepre will also discuss how the magnetic properties of iron oxide minerals may help understand wetlands in northeast Ohio and the potential to remove nutrients from waterways that contribute to the harmful algae blooms of Lake Erie.
Chris Lepre is an assistant professor of geology at Bowling Green State University in the School of Earth, Environment and Society. He grew up on the Jurassic lava flows of New Jersey, receiving a Ph.D. from Rutgers University for studying the geology of the East African rift valley. This research is well recognized by the international community for answering the question, when did humans start making stone tools?
Nowadays, Chris can be found hiking through the Painted Desert landscapes in the American Southwest looking for clues about how the iron minerals are responsible for adding color to the spectacular vistas. His research is highly cited and funded by the US National Science Foundation, and has been features in prestigious journals, such as Nature and The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
This is one in a series of events to highlight the work being done by BGSU researchers that impacts the quality of life in the region, state, and world.
