Strata magazine is a twice-yearly Earth science research publication produced by the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. Launched in 2021, the magazine seeks to inspire and inform readers about the college's top-notch research and the importance of the Earth sciences in understanding planetary change.
From the editor
Ship-shape
I love boats of all kinds, from kayaks to ferries to research vessels. I’ve been lucky enough to tour the R/V Taani, under construction in Louisiana and soon to be delivered to Oregon State to serve as the newest ship in the U.S. academic fleet. I am currently working on a story about the Western Flyer, the fishing vessel that Ed “Doc” Ricketts and John Steinbeck chartered for a biological sampling trip to the Sea of Cortez, now reborn as a vessel for research and education.
Here, in this issue of Strata, I have the privilege of paying homage to the work done aboard an incredible platform for ocean science, the now-retired ocean drilling ship JOIDES Resolution. Can you imagine a ship with a hole in its hull, through which scientists deployed giant drills to remove cylinders of the Earth, rife with clues about our planet’s history? I am in awe!
Please enjoy our exploration of CEOAS’s participation in scientific ocean drilling programs, and our role in the future of that critical approach to planetary studies. In these pages you’ll also find stories about Andrew Barnard’s work ground-truthing a NASA satellite for measuring ocean color and Rick Colwell’s contributions to a massive study of sub-surface microbial life on Earth. You can also learn about how seismic arrays work, and about how graduate student Haley Carlton came to love new parts of multiple food webs aboard a research cruise in a Greenland fjord.
Enjoy, and thanks for reading!
Nancy Steinberg
Editor
