The International Institute for Environmental Studies (IIES) hosted an international graduate student forum at the end of October, spending a week in Vietnam with enriching experiences, and concluding with a conference held in Hong Kong. Victoria Hatten, a thesis student in the PowerGeolab, along with Ian Power, were excited to take the trip to Vietnam and experience a mix of Vietnamese culture, nature and academic connections. Some key features of the trip included hiking to the top of Fansipan Mountain, walking through local villages, a boat ride through Dinh Le Temple and Mua Cave, and a stunning Ha Long Bay cruise. This trip was a great experience to connect with graduate students and professors from universities in other parts of the world including Canada, Scotland, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, Victoria presented her current research on carbonation potential of non-mafic mine waste at HKUST.
TSE Awards Event!
Congratulations to the PowerGeolab members on their awards, an impressive haul!
Currie Honours Prizes - Available to students enrolled in GEOG 4010Y or 4020D (Honours Thesis). Selection is based on both academic achievement and proposed thesis research.
Awardees: Jamie, Larissa and Victoria
TSE Internship - For TSE Majors entering their 4th year of study, to work on a full-time research project for a period of up to 14 weeks during the summer, generally as part of their Honours Thesis project.
Awardee: Jamie
NSERC URSA - For undergraduate students that show outstanding research potential.
Awardee: Jasmine
J.P. Bickell Foundation Mining Scholarship - Awarded to students studying mining, including the geological and geophysical fields including environmental geosciences, geological sciences, earth sciences programs and mining engineering.
Awardee: Jamie, Larissa, Victoria, Ben, Rob, and Lance
Robert Paehlke Scholarship - Named in honour of Professor Emeritus Robert C. Paehlke who was the founding chair of the Environmental and Resource Studies/Science program in 1972. Awarded to a full-time undergraduate student in third or fourth year in the TSE based upon academic achievement. Preference will be given to students excelling in environmental journalism or environmental communication.
Awardee: Lance
New publication: Weathering and cementation of historic kimberlite residues
New publication: Weathering and cementation of historic kimberlite residues from South Africa: Implications for residue stabilization and CO2 sequestration. Graduate student Justin Lockhart investigated historic mine wastes at the Cullinan and Voorspoed diamond mines in South Africa to better understand how these mine wastes weather, cement, and potentially mineralize CO2. This research has implications for the long-term disposal of alkaline mine wastes, their stabilization, and ability to sequester CO2 over decades post-mining. Congratulations Justin on an outstanding publication!
Elucidating MgO looping reaction mechanics in laboratory batch experiments
MgO looping aims to capture CO2 from the atmosphere via repeated carbon mineralization and calcination cycles. PowerGeolab undergraduate researcher Jamie Burnett is conducting research using periclase (MgO) and brucite [Mg(OH)2] powders to evaluate the rates and extents of hydration and carbonation reactions. In addition to quantifying rates, further analyses, including scanning electron microscopy, are being performed to understand carbonate and hydrated mineral phase morphology and thermogravimetric analysis to evaluate the calcination temperatures of the carbonate products. This research aims to elucidate the geochemical reactions involved in the MgO looping process with the underlying goal of improving CO2 removal technologies to mitigate CO2 emissions to combat the effects of climate change.
Batch carbonation tests in an environmental chamber.
Dypingite formed from brucite carbonation.
Congratulations Zivi!!!
Zivi successfully defended her Master’s thesis and was nominated for a Gold Medal, outstanding! Her thesis examined the potential use of kimberlite residues for CO2 removal at mines through enhanced rock weathering and developed methodologies for CO2 removal quantification. Her research has implications for handling environmentally benign mine wastes and their use for CO2 removal. Important findings also include identifying carbon sources and recommendations for enhanced rock weathering applications. Congratulations, Zivi, for outstanding research and contributions to the field!
Goldschmidt 2024 in Chicago!
Excited to have attended Goldschmidt 2024 in Chicago! Zivi Schaffer and Lance Dostie represented the PowerGeolab well! Zivi gave an outstanding talk on enhanced weathering, emphasizing the potential use of mine wastes and distinguishing carbonate and silicate weathering. Lance discussed the carbonation rates of CaO and Ca(OH)2 at and below atmospheric CO2 concentrations and the importance of CO2 supply! Former labmate Carlos Paulo came out of retirement to present on the roles mining companies can play in enhanced and mineralization, great discussion in academic-industry collaborations. Minger gave a really interesting presentation about her PhD research on determining relative humidity using the oxygen isotopes of phytoliths, very cool!
Canadian Society of Soil Science (CSSS) Vancouver
This June, Heather presented her research on wollastonite weathering being conducted at the Trent Experimental Farm during the Canadian Society of Soil Science conference in Vancouver, BC. Thanks to everyone who organized this fantastic event! UBC is an absolutely beautiful campus with wonderful views. At the conference, Heather had the chance to inform about inorganic carbon sequestration and to learn a lot about microbial soil communities and organic carbon from this wonderful soil community!
Enhanced weathering pilots at Haliburton Forest
SMALL PLOT TRIALS IN HALIBURTON FOREST TO QUANTIFY CO2 REMOVAL RATES
To better assess CO2 removal rates using different doses of wollastonite in Haliburton Forest soil, a team led by Ian Power and Shaun Watmough, and postdoctoral fellow Minger Guo set up 16 small plot trials in Haliburton Forest, Ontario. The plots are equipped with tension and zero-tenson lysimeters, moisture probes, and weather station to closely monitor changes in soil water chemistry.
This experiment aims to provide a more accurate quantification of CO2 through the enhanced weathering of wollastonite in the acidic forest soils, with other variables controlled. Additionally, this study will evaluate the pH regulation and calcium supplementation by wollastonite as part of testing the overall impact on the forest health in acidic and calcium-deficient North American forest soils.
Thanks to everyone’s hardwork!
PowerGeolab Award Winners!
Members of the PowerGeolab have been very successful over the past several months, receiving numerous awards and scholarships! CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Justin Lockhart with his President’s Medal for an outstanding Master’s thesis in Environmental & Life Sciences!
Justin Lockhart - Trent University President’s Medal
Heather Klyn-Hesselink - Queen Elizabeth II Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology
Jamie Burnett - TSE Research Internship Award
Jasmine Harris - NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award
Larissa Wallisch - J.P. Bickell Scholarship in Mining
Victoria Hatten - J.P. Bickell Scholarship in Mining
New Publication: Dostie et al. in Journal of Cleaner Production
Congratulations to Lance Dostie who published his first paper in the Journal of Cleaner Production. This study examined carbon dioxide removal through calcium oxide looping and the role of humidity. Here, we show how water vapor alone can drive CO2 capture from the air to rapidly trap CO2 into a benign Ca-carbonate mineral, meaning that water intensive processes (e.g., spraying) are unnecessary. Our experiments systematically demonstrate the important effects of relative humidity by examining a wide range of humidities and combinations during the reaction with varying amounts of humidity to determine relationships and optimal rates and conversion to form Ca-carbonate. We show how humidity-driven reactions can be controlled to design future deployments that generate the high efficiency needed for meaningful CO2 removal to help mitigate climate change.