Gail Christeson UTIG Researcher Gail is a seismologist with special expertise in marine geophysics, mid-ocean ridge structure, oceanic crustal structure, and ocean-bottom seismology. Her work frequently involves using UTIG’s OBS instruments in a variety of settings, most recently offshore the Yucatan Peninsula, at the Lesser Antilles subduction zone, and within Bransfield Strait.   Paul Mann UTIG Researcher Paul has focused his latest research on geophysical studies of strike-slip and convergent margins, the integration of offshore MCS and sidescan data with onshore field observations, and the application of GPS and satellite remote-sensing data to tectonic problems. He has worked in a number of geologically diverse environments, including the collisional settings of island arcs with continents, seamounts, and oceanic plateaus in Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico trench, Kamchatka, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Solomon Islands. Alejandro Escalona UTIG Post-Doc Alejandro's research is focus in the investigation of the Tertiary evolution of the Venezuelan margin basins (offshore and onshore), by integrating 2D-3D seismic data, well data and previous published studies in the region. He is funded by the Petroleum Research Fund of the Chemical Society and by the Jackson School of Geosciences. Steffen Saustrup UTIG Researcher Steffen specializes in the acquisition and processing of seismic data, especially marine multi-channel reflection data. On the ship he'll be focused on monitoring the quality of the data and on using them to produce interpretable images of the geology as quickly as possible. He is a veteran of nearly 20 UTIG land and marine field programs in areas as diverse as the Pacific, both coasts of the U.S., Central and South America, and the Antarctic. Sean Sullivan UTIG Grad Student Sean Sullivan is a second year master’s student at the University of Texas at Austin and under the NSF GK-12 Fellowship. His research interests included geochemistry, sedimentology, and morphology of mud volcanoes in the SE Caribbean and what the occurrence of mud volcanoes can tell us about the tectonic history of the area. Sean will take on two roles while at sea. As a GK-12 Fellow, he will work with Meredith Keelen, a middle school teacher in Van Vleck ISD, to create K-12 exercises related to acquisition, processing, and interpretation of seismic data. As a Master’s student under the mentoring of Dr. Paul Mann, he will use this opportunity to explore the tectonic and sedimentologic history of the area. Trevor Aitken UTIG Grad Student Trevor is working on the Venezuela-Trinidad project, processing and interpreting MSC data from the Venezuelan-Trinidad margin.  His career goal is to work in the petroleum industry performing geophysical exploration and basin analysis.  Trevor is supervised by Paul Mann and Gail Christeson. Meredith Keelan Teacher in the Field  Meredith joined the BOLIVAR Project for the April 2004 cruise aboard the Maurice Ewing. Meredith is participating as the Teacher in the Field with the UTIG expedition and will be working with Gail Christeson. Meredith teaches 6-9 grade science at Van Vleck ISD, in Van Vleck Texas. She has previous research experience in field research participating in Acid Rain research with Earth Watch Forests of Bohemia project in 1999.  Meredith’s responsibilities while aboard the Johnson will include deploying the OBS monitors, formulating data and monitoring the systems and data is recorded. With this experience she will develop lessons that will teach students how this data is collected, interpreted and used to tell researchers what is happening as these plates collide.

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