This summer I spent about three months participating in summer research with the Keck Geology Advanced Project for 2021 and Dr. Hinkle in the Washington and Lee Geology Department. Essentially working a nine to five, hands-on job was a big change from studying abstract topics in the classroom setting. Thanks to the Keck program, I received practical experience of working in the field and the lab. Field work consisted of visiting various locations over the summer to collect water and soil samples. We visited lakes, streams, dams and springs across the Shenandoah Valley to create a thorough hydrological and geochemical profile of the area. These samples were then brought back to the lab where they were tested via ion chromatography to identify their chemical makeup. Lab work introduced me to many new experiences. Working with dangerous chemicals and acids took some getting used to. On the other hand, learning to use new equipment and instruments was exciting as it felt like I was learning crucial skills I would need in my professional career. Data analysis made up a huge portion of the lab work, as many of the samples turned out raw data which was up to my interpretation. Learning when to maintain the scientific integrity of a sample set was another huge learning experience for me personally. A massive amount of thought, planning, and caution goes into managing a dataset so that it is both reliable and tells a story about the geochemistry of the area. The Advanced Project for 2021 focused on water quality in the Shenandoah Valley, with a particular emphasis on concentrations of manganese in water. Over the course of the project, I learned about how manganese precipitates and the different forms it can take in soil and water (in very very very great detail). Aqueous manganese can have a plethora of nasty effects on human health, so learning where manganese is located, and how much of it there is in said location, was a big focus for the project. The broader impact of this project is that our findings can hopefully be combined with other datasets to help determine the quality and the geochemical make-up of drinking water throughout Virginia and West Virginia.
Field work consisted of visiting various locations over the summer to collect water and soil samples. We visited lakes, streams, dams and springs across the Shenandoah valley to create a thorough hydrological and geochemical profile of the area. These samples were then brought back to the lab where they were tested via ion chromatography to identify their chemical makeup. Lab work introduced me to many new experiences. Working with dangerous chemicals and acids took some getting used to. On the other hand, learning to use new equipment and instruments was exciting as it felt like I was learning crucial skills I would need in my professional career. Data analysis made up a huge portion of the lab work, as many of the samples turned out raw data which was up to my interpretation. Learning when to maintain the scientific integrity of a sample set was another huge learning experience for me personally. A massive amount of thought, planning, and caution goes into managing a dataset so that it is both reliable and tells a story about the geochemistry of the area.
The Advanced Project for 2021 focused on water quality in the Shenandoah Valley, with a particular emphasis on concentrations of manganese in water. Over the course of the project, I learned about how manganese precipitates and the different forms it can take in soil and water (in very very very great detail). Aqueous manganese can have a plethora of nasty effects on human health, so learning where manganese is located, and how much of it there is in said location, was a big focus for the project. The broader impact of this project is that our findings can hopefully be combined with other datasets to help determine the quality and the geochemical make-up of drinking water throughout Virginia and West Virginia.
Lake Merriweather, one of the dams / reservoirs where we collected water and lake sediment samples.