Volcanology student earns top honors

Submitted by Amy Hartley
Phone: (907) 474-5823
02/24/04

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) Outstanding Student Paper Award was granted to Brandon Browne, a graduate student of volcanology at the Geophysical Institute on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.

Browne earned top honors for his paper that explores the ascent of magma to the Earth’s surface. At the Geophysical Institute he studies the breakdown of the magmatic mineral, amphibole. He works alongside his advisor, Professor John Eichelberger, and Assistant Professor Jessica Larsen, along with Associate Professor James Gardner of the University of Texas. Larsen said Browne’s research has provided a method volcanologists can use to determine how fast magmas containing amphibole rise to the surface before an eruption. This information is critical to understanding the driving forces responsible for explosive volcanic eruptions.

Browne has been with the Geophysical Institute since 1999 and currently is working on his Ph.D. Faculty say the AGU Outstanding Student Paper Award demonstrates the high caliber of Browne’s work in the field of volcanology.

"Brandon has distinguished himself as an excellent student researcher at the recent meeting of the American Geophysical Union," said Roger Smith, director of the Geophysical Institute. "He joins several other students from the Geophysical Institute who have achieved the same honor in recent years."

Browne presented his paper at the 2003 AGU Fall Meeting and was notified of his win this month. Out of 281 eligible entries at the meeting, Browne and five others were the only students granted awards. The American Geophysical Union hosts this competition at national meetings to recognize student excellence in geoscience research. Earning an award is very competitive. Typically, only 2 percent of the student papers win an award.

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CONTACT:Amy Hartley, Geophysical Institute Information Officer, (907) 474-5823.