Faculty Spotlight

Assistant Professor Evan Solomon

 

 

 

About myself

I am an assistant professor in the Marine Geology & Geophysics group at the School of Oceanography specializing in marine geochemistry and hydrogeology.  My research combines the development of novel seafloor instrumentation, fieldwork, laboratory analyses, and numerical modeling to document and understand the dynamic hydrogeology and chemical evolution of subduction zones, ridge flanks, and passive margins.  In particular, my research focuses on the interrelationship of fluid flow and deformation and chemical fluxes along continental margins, gas hydrates and environmental change, cold seeps and hydrocarbon fluxes to the ocean and atmosphere, long-term hydrogeochemical monitoring, and sediment pore fluid biogeochemistry and diagenesis.

 

Why I became an Oceanographer

My interest in the earth sciences developed at an early age fostered by hours of skiing, hiking, and backpacking in the Lake Tahoe area.  I was particularly interested in the Basin and Range and earthquakes as my childhood home was only five miles away from the active Genoa fault.  Thus, by the time I started my undergraduate program at the University of Nevada, Reno, I had already decided on geology as my major.  While at UNR, I became interested in aqueous geochemistry, groundwater hydrology, and limnology.  Given my background in geochemistry and hydrogeology and considering that ~70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water and that 97% of that water is in the oceans, it was a very easy decision to pursue a Ph.D. at an oceanographic institution and to become an oceanographer.  The reason I chose the specific field of marine geology is that the oceanic crust constitutes the most extensive geologic formation on Earth, and that hydrologic activity within it is pervasive extending from mid-ocean ridges to subduction zones and beyond impacting diagenetic, seismic, and magmatic processes along plate boundary faults, creating ore and gas hydrate deposits at and below the seafloor, and establishing and maintaining deep microbial ecosystems.  The global oceanic crustal reservoir has a mass of water comparable to that locked in the ice caps and glaciers, and sub seafloor fluid circulation results in global mass fluxes comparable to rivers.  The flux of seawater through the oceanic crust is sufficiently large that the global ocean is recycled through the seafloor every 100-500 thousand years impacting global chemical and heat budgets.  Studying this immense and dynamic environment enables me to link hydrogeologic, chemical, tectonic, thermal, and biologic processes to better understand our planet.

 

What I like best about Oceanography

One of the aspects of oceanography that I like best is the interdisciplinary nature of the field, which leads to exciting and intellectually stimulating interactions with scientists from a wide range of disciplines.  I have been lucky to work with a talented group of colleagues with expertise in geophysics, engineering, sedimentology, and microbiology.  Another rewarding aspect is the fieldwork and being out at sea on a research expedition.  Nothing I have experienced compares to moments like passing over the Middle America Trench during an Alvin dive or seeing the lush chemosynthetic communities and methane bubble plumes at seafloor seeps from a submersible for the first time.  There is always the joy of discovery when out in the field, and I have not been on a cruise yet where we did not find something new and exciting.  Fieldwork can also be very challenging; operations often do not go as expected and on-the-fly solutions are needed.  This adversity gives oceanographers the opportunity to be creative and develop novel solutions to difficult problems.

 

Why I decided to teach

Teaching at an academic institution provides a unique opportunity to expand the horizons of young scientists, and I hold a strong commitment to teaching and advising students.  I knew that I wanted to teach the first time I sat in on a college-level earth science class.  My earth sciences professors did not just feed us facts but rather actively engaged us in using concepts to solve real world problems.  It was refreshing to see how they really enjoyed seeing us learn and progress as scientists.  It was these great college professors that sparked my interest in geology, geochemistry, and oceanography, and I strive to be an excellent educator that both informs and motivates the next generation of earth scientists.

 

Why I choose the University of Washington School of Oceanography

The UW School of Oceanography is internationally known for its excellence in research and teaching in the marine sciences.  I was especially attracted to the school’s commitment to graduate and undergraduate education, the availability of both the R/Vs Thompson and Barnes, the on-campus facilities such as the machine shop and Marine Chemistry Laboratory, and the Regional Scale Nodes for collection of long-term continuous geochemical and hydrological data sets.  It is also a bonus to have world leaders in the ocean sciences as colleagues, and to live in such a vibrant and environmentally progressive city.