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An international research mission, co-led by UTIG researchers, has discoveredC H I C X U L U B C R AT E R , M E X I C Ohow the Chicxulub Crater impact caused billions of tons of rock to move likeliquid. The study, which is part of the International Ocean Discovery Program,UTIG scientists have a long history of partnerships with industry and governmentthrough geophysical investigations around the globe. Research conducted by UTIGoffers insights into how impacts resurface planets, how vaporized oceanscientists aids industry scientists in identification and development of energy resourcessediments were a key cause of global mass extinction 66 million years ago,in the deep water Gulf and other resource-rich deep basins around the globe.PA R T N E R S H I P STEX AS A ND THE GULF OF MEXICOBuilding Bridges: Academia, Industry, and GovernmentM A K I N G A N I M PA C T AT C H I C X U L U B C R AT E Rand how life recovered following impact.MEETING FUTURE ENERGY NEEDSUTIG leads two landmark projects geared toward meeting future national energyGULF OF MEXICOneeds. The GOM 2 project links scientists and engineers on a frontier problemwith economic impact for Texas: the study of methane hydrates, the cleanest ofhydrocarbon fuels and a potential source for natural gas. The project is the first inthe United States to acquire and directly study methane hydrates in reservoirs fromthe deep water oceans.UT GeoFluids is a research consortium managed by UTIG and supported by elevenenergy companies. The group designs and develops safe and effective drillingprograms to access energy reserves. The project’s next ten year phase, which beginsin 2020, will focus on technologies to improve seismic imaging and well design.T H E C H I C X U L U B I M PA C T C R AT E R L I E S8B E N E AT H T H E Y U C ATA N P E N I N S U L A .U TIG US ES NOV EL TECHNOLOGY TO E X TR ACT P RES SURIZED ROCK CORES FROM A MILEUTIG RESE ARCH UNCOVERED HOW L ARGEB E N E AT H T H E O C E A N . I N S I G H T S G A I N E D B Y S T U D Y I N G T H E I R E N E R G Y C O N C E N T R AT I O N ,I M PA C T S A F F E C T A P L A N E T ’ S S U R FA C E .M E C H A N I C A L P R O P E R T I E S A N D F L U I D F L O W M AY S O O N A L L O W F O R P R O D U C T I O N I N A NC R E D I T: N A S A / D O N DAV I SE C O N O M I C A L LY V I A B L E A N D E N V I R O N M E N TA L LY S A F E M A N N E R . C R E D I T : A N T O N C A P U T O9

B U I L D I N G A N AT I O N A L O F F S H O R E S A N D I N V E N T O R YEXPLORING THE GULF OF MEXICO THROUGH TIMEUTIG is working with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to develop anUTIG maintains several long-standing academia-industry partnerships focusedinventory of offshore sand resources in the Gulf of Mexico. Understanding theon understanding the geologic history of the Gulf of Mexico. For more than threelocation, character and quantity of sand resources around our coastline is playingdecades, the PLATES Project has been dedicated to creating accurate, high-reso-an increasingly significant role in protecting our coastal communities from erosion,lution models of tectonic plate movement. These models and associated databasessea level rise and the impact of major storms.are especially useful to groups engaged in hydrocarbon or mineral exploration onPA R T N E R S H I P SPA R T N E R S H I P SGULF OF MEXICOboth regional and global scales.The Gulf Basin Depositional Synthesis Project is an ongoing industry-supportedprogram that seeks to understand the depositional history and framework of theGulf of Mexico. Deliverables include a GIS database, an extensive supporting bibliography and detailed maps and cross sections that provide a comprehensive pictureof Gulf-wide sedimentary history.10STUDENTS REEL IN A SEISMIC STREAMER DURINGI N C O L L A B O R AT I O N W I T H T H E B U R E A U O F E C O N O M I C G E O L O G Y, T H E D E P A R T M E N T O F G E O L O G I C A L S C I E N C E S ,A C L A S S R E S E A R C H P R O J E C T T H AT S T U D I E D S A N DA N D T H E C O C K R E L L S C H O O L O F E N G I N E E R I N G , U T I G I S PA R T N E R I N G W I T H T H E M E X I C A N I N S T I T U T E O F P E T R O L E U MRESOURCES IN THE GULF OF MEXICO IN SUPPORTT O B R I N G U T I G ’ S R E S E A R C H S T R E N G T H T O E X P L O R AT I O N I N T H E S O U T H E R N G U L F O F M E X I C O . T H E P R O J E C TO F T H E I N V E N TO R Y P R O J EC T. C R E D I T: J O H N G O F FA IMS TO BOOST H Y DROCA RBON P RODUCTION A ND FIND NE W RES ERV ES . CREDIT: MIKE M A REEN /A DOB E STOCK11

GEOFORCEUTIG’s programs with Texas K–12 students and teachers ensure that pioneering geo-UTIG houses the Jackson School of Geosciences GeoFORCE program, an experi-physics work will continue for generations. UTIG’s work with undergraduate students,graduate students and postdoctoral fellows helps prepare tomorrow’s workforce.ential outreach program that prepares Texas high school students to become part ofthe geosciences workforce. This nationally recognized program that engages moreEDUCATIONEDUCATIONEngaging the Next Generation of Geoscientiststhan 640 high school students each summer, 85 percent of whom are minorities.U T I G S C I E N T I S T S R E G U L A R LY PA R T I C I PAT E I N G E O F O R C E S U M M E R F I E L D E X C U R S I O N S .RES E A RCHERS S H A RE THEIR KNOW LEDGE OF E A RTH SYS TEMS W ITH YOUNG S TUDENTSMARINE GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS FIELD COURSEAT S I T E S T H R O U G H O U T T H E C O U N T R Y. C R E D I T : G E O F O R C EUTIG offers a three-week, hands-on field course for graduate and upper-level undergradu-ate students with instruction in the collection, processing, interpretation and presentation ofmarine geological and geophysical data. Alumni note the course’s applicability to energy, environmental, and geotechnical industries as well as coastal restoration and management fields.U T A U S T I N S C I E N C E O LY M P I A DEach year UTIG students and scientists organize and create assessments for the UT Austin Science Olympiad Invitational and Regionaltournaments. The tournaments are among the largest and bestknown science competitions for middle and high school students inTexas, with nearly 2,000 students competing in rigorous, standardsbased challenges in all STEM (science, technology, engineering,mathematics) disciplines.12S T UDEN TS RE A DY A P IS TO N CO RER FO RM I D D L E S C H O O L S T U D E N T S TA K E PA R T I N A C R I M E B U S T E R S F O R E N S I COFFSHORE SEDIMENT SAMPLING NEARC H E M I S T R Y C O M P E T I T I O N D U R I N G A S C I E N C E O LY M P I A D I N V I TAT I O N A LG A LV E S T O N . C R E D I T : R O D R I G O F E R N A N D E ZT O U R N A M E N T H E L D AT U T , A U S T I N . C R E D I T : S A M I K S H A R AY13

U N D E R S TA N D I N G T H E T O H O K U - O K I E A R T H Q U A K E, J A PA NUTIG scientists bring their expertise around the world to better understand how earth-UTIG is leading an international research collaboration network whose aim is toquakes work and identify potential hazards. They undertake several major seagoingcampaigns each year during which a variety of geophysical techniques are used to examine processes associated with earthquake generation.J A PA Nunderstand the processes driving earthquakes at subduction zones around theworld. UTIG studies of the earthquake that struck Japan in 2011 are contributingto this highly collaborative research community that hopes to improve forecastingmodels of when and where such earthquakes might strike.EXPERTISE WOR LDWIDEEXPERTISE WOR LDWIDEWhat Makes Earth Shake?EXPERTISE WORLDWIDET H E M A R C H , 2 011UTIG scientists routinely lead interdisciplinary groundbreaking research missions fromEARTHQUAKE ANDresearch vessels, including the scientific drilling ship, JOIDES Resolution (JR) . Several UTIGTSUNAMI OFF THEscientists hold leadership roles in the International Ocean Discovery Program, an internationalC O A S T O F J A PA Ncollaboration that uses ocean-going platforms, including the JR , in the study of past EarthKILLED MORE TH ANand climate history through the retrieval of ocean floor rocks and sediments.15 , 0 0 0 P EO P L E . U T I GIS LE ADING EFFORTS TOP ROV I D E I NS I GH TS A B OU TPOWERFUL QUAKES .C R E D I T : R O B K AY E N ,PA C I F I C C O A S TA L A N DMARINE SCIENCE CENTER.C H A R A C T E R I Z I N G D A N G E R O U S P L AT E M A R G I N SUTIG scientists are working in an international collaboration on a multi-year, multi-NEW ZEAL ANDplatform study of the New Zealand tectonic plate boundary — a major boundarythat generates destructive volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis. The team willevaluate the geometry, movement and deep structure of the region. The studywill help characterize convergent plate boundaries and the risks they pose tocitizens around the world.OCEAN BOT TOMSEISMOMETERSAWA I T D E P LOY M E N TON THE DECK OF ARESEARCH VESSELNEAR NORTHEASTNEW ZEALAND. THEUTIG SCIENTISTS OF TEN WORK ABOARD14INSTRUMENTS AIDTHE JOIDES RESOLUTION WHICH ISUTIG SCIENTISTSPA R T O F T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L O C E A NI N U N D E R S TA N D I N GDISCOVERY PROGR AM AND IS FUNDEDE A R T H ’ S C R U S TA LB Y T H E N AT I O N A L S C I E N C E F O U N D AT I O N .S T RU CT U R E . CR ED I T:C R E D I T: B I L L C R AW F O R D , I O D PH A R M VA N A V E N D O N K15

UTIG scientists investigate Earth’s climate change on timescales from seasons to millennia. With a focus on key regions such as monsoon belts and the polar oceans, andphenomenon such as El Niño, researchers can attribute change to natural or man-madeCLIM AT ECLIM AT EUnderstanding Climate: Past, Present, FutureL A N D S L I D E -T R I G G E R E D T S U N A M I S A R E B E C O M I N G L A R G E RA N D M O R E F R EQ U E N T, I N C R E A S I N G H A Z A R D I N P L AC E S L I K EA L A S K A A N D C A N A DA . U T I G S C I E N T I S T S S T U DY I N G T H E TA A NFJ O R D T S U N A M I A R E H E L P I N G P R E D I C T T H E R I S K O F F U T U R EE V EN TS . CREDI T: B RE T WO OD HIGM A Nfactors as well as predict their future evolution.PREDICTING EL NIÑO AND LA NIÑAClimate scientists at UTIG have significantlyimproved our ability to predict drought over NorthAmerica caused by La Niña — a cooling pattern inthe tropical Pacific. By studying La Niña’s historicalrecords and combining them with computer models, UTIG scientist discovered subtle differencesin ocean signals that helped them successfullyL A N I Ñ A M AY C A U S E D R O U G H T S I N T H ES O U T H E R N U N I T E D S TAT E S , I N C L U D I N G PA R T Spredict the duration of the La Niña event duringOF TEX AS. UTIG RESEARCH IS HELPING PREDICTthe winters of 2017 and 2018 .T H E S T R E N G T H A N D D U R AT I O N O F S U C HC L I M AT E E V E N T S . C R E D I T : B O B N I C H O L S , U S D AB E N C H M A R K I N G C L I M AT E C H A N G E P R E D I C T I O N SUTIG climate scientists refine their theories of future climate change by contrasting them withrecords of past climate changes stored in geological archives. Their research is transformingour ability to anticipate extreme climatic events that have not yet been observed, but couldbecome the norm in the future.L A N D S L I D E -T R I G G E R E D T S U N A M I SUTIG scientists found that a 2015 landslide-triggered tsunami in Taan Fjord, south-TA A N FJ O R D , A L A S K Aeast Alaska, was three times taller than the earthquake-triggered tsunamis thatrazed parts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand in 2004 and nearly fourtimes taller than the 2011 Japanese tsunami that damaged the Fukushima nuclearplant in Japan. The study’s findings will help predict the risk of landslide-triggered16U T I G S C I E N T I S T S S T U DY F O S S I L C O R A L S S U C H A S T H E S E I N VA N U AT U I N T H E S O U T H W E S Ttsunamis around the world, particularly in higher latitude regions where a warmingP A C I F I C T O U N C O V E R N E W F E AT U R E S O F O U R C H A N G I N G C L I M AT E . C R E D I T : J U D P A R T I N .climate melts glaciers that stabilize mountain slopes.17

UTIG is part of an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional team of geophysicists, geologists,glaciologists and oceanographers who are working to understand how marine-terminatingCLIM AT ECLIM AT EU N D E R S TA N D I N G I C E - O C E A NINTER ACTIONS IN WEST GREENL ANDUTIG SCIENTISTS ARE USING AN AIRBORNEI C E - P E N E T R AT I N G R A D A R A R R AY T O C R E AT EA D E TA I L E D M A P O F E A S T A N TA R C T I C AWEST GREENLANDI C E S H E E T S A N D W H AT L I E S B E N E AT H T H E M .CREDI T: LUCAS B EEMglaciers in Greenland respond to climate. Detailed maps of submarine glacier facesand associated fjords, oceanographic measurements, satellite-based observations, andmodels help build a comprehensive understanding of the potential impact on sea leveland changes to large-scale ocean circulation as the climate warms.A N TA R C T I C A : T R A C K I N G A N E W G L O B A L T H R E ATA U T I G S C I E N T I S T I N S TA L L SA PRESSURE SENSOR DURINGA S T U D Y T O U N D E R S TA N D T H EPAT H O F S U R FACE WAT ER TO T H EBOT TOM OF THE GL ACIER WHEREEast Antarctica which hold enough ice to raise global sea levels at least 3.5 metersJ A N G B O G O S TAT I O N ,A N TA R C T I C A(about 10–13 feet). To better understand how these ice sheets are evolving, scien-I T C AUS E S S L I D I N G O N A VA R I E T Ytists are using airborne ice-penetrating radar arrays and ice core drilling to aid inO F T I M E S C A L E S , P A R T I C U L A R LYevaluating both the topography and interior of the ice covering these lowlands. ThisI N T H E M A R I N E -T E R M I N AT I N G18UTIG is part of an international collaboration to study ice-buried lowland basins inGL ACIERS OF WEST GREENL AND.novel approach will help computer modelers improve their simulations of the pastCREDI T: JAS ON GULLE Yand future Antarctic ice sheet and its potential impact on global sea level.19

UTIG scientists are building the scientific and technical foundations to lead the nextgeneration of geophysical planetary missions, instruments, and discoveries. UTIGresearchers study planetary systems via the tools of terrestrial analog field programs,geophysical modeling, and mission science. UTIG specializes in research related toMars, icy satellites, and giant planets.SEARCHING OUR SOL AR SYSTEM TOF I N D P O T E N T I A L H A B I TAT S F O R L I F EScientists from UTIG are working with NASA on the Europa Clipper mission to explorewhether Jupiter’s icy moon Europa could harbor conditions suitable for life. The Radarfor Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON) instrument on Europa Clipper will revolutionize our understanding of Europa’s ice shell byproviding the first direct measurements of its subsurface structure using techniquesdeveloped at UTIG to study ice sheets on Earth. REASON continues Texas’s longhistory of leading space exploration efforts.B U L L S E Y E O N WAT E R I C EUTIG researchers prospect for glacial ice hidden beneath rock and soil on Mars. Future humanS E T T O L A U N C H I N T H E E A R LY 2 0 2 0 S A N D A R R I V Eexplorers will need access to near-surface water supplies. Warm, wet oases like those onAT J U P I T E R I N T H E L AT E 2 0 2 0 S , E U R O PA C L I P P E RMars are not just a potential resource for future explorers, but may be the kinds of habitableP R O M I S E S E XC I T I N G R E S U LT S I N T H E U P C O M I N Gzones that have supported past Martian life.DECADE, SUCH AS CONFIRMING THE DISCOVERYO F A S U B S U R FAC E L I Q U I D O C E A N A N D P R OV I D I N GD ATA T O U N D E R S TA N D T H E M O O N ’ S P O T E N T I A LH A B I TA B I L I T Y F O R L I F E C R E D I T : N A S A / J P L- C A LT E C HC O N C E N T R I C R I N G S M A R K T H E S I T E W H E R E V O L C A N I C H E AT M AY H A V E M E LT E D O RE VA P O R AT E D G L A C I E R I C E N E A R T H E M A R S S U R F A C E , S I M I L A R T O T H E W AY V O L C A N O E SM E LT O U T G I A N T P I T S C A L L E D “ C A U L D R O N S ” I N I C E L A N D . T H I S C A U L D R O N I S A B O U T2 . 5 K M (1 . 6 M I ) W I D E . C R E D I T : J O S E P H L E V Y/ N A S A / U N I V E R S I T Y O F A R I Z O N A20PL A N ETA RYPL A N ETA RYExploring Other Worlds

10100 Burnet Road (R2200) Austin, Texas 78758-4445Phone: 512-471-0464 Fax: [email protected] www.ig.utexas.eduM O S A I C O F T H E VA L L E S M A R I N E R I S( C O V E R ) B L U E M A R B L E M O S A I C C R E AT E DHEMISPHERE OF MARS PROJECTED INTOF R O M P H O T O G R A P H S TA K E N B Y S AT E L L I T E SPOINT PERSPECTIVE, A VIEW SIMIL ARA N D S T I T C H E D T O G E T H E R T O C R E AT E T H I ST O T H AT W H I C H O N E W O U L D S E E F R O MTRUE-COLOR IMAGE OF THE ENTIRE E ARTH.A S PA C E C R A F T. C R E D I T : N A S A /J P L- C A LT E C HC R E D I T : N A S A G O D D A R D S PA C E F L I G H T C E N T E R

Oct 25, 2021 · climate. credit: chris lowery porosity estimation from 3d seismic and well log data aids in locating and predicting the nature of underground resources. the example shown here is from the marco polo field, gulf of mexico. credit: g. russel young and mrinal sen white well locations a