My Research
I enjoy thinking deeply about deepwater environments as a member of Dr. Straub’s research group. My main research takes an experimental approach for solving quantitative sedimentological questions in a laboratory setting. More specifically, how turbidity current flows and their resulting deposits are governed by initial topographic geometries (length : width ratio) resulting from variations of mobile salt substrates commonly found along continental margins. My experiments take place in our Sediment Dynamics Laboratory’s Deepwater Basin. This 4x6(m) pool allows me to introduce sediment-laden flows with various input parameters. Furthermore, Tulane provides a suite of scientific instruments that allow me to gather detailed information about all aspects of the turbid flow velocity, deposit facies heterogeneity, and topographic changes. This work directly benefits paleo-environmental studies as well as hydrocarbon exploration in industry.
Other projects include the statistical analysis of mini-basin organization in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and the usage of geophysical gravity methods to refine contact interpretations between sedimentary strata and salt structures.
My Life at Tulane
I appreciate living in a vibrant city while obtaining my PhD. New Orleans makes it easy to de-stress when experiments do not go as planned! I attend festivals, concerts, and local watering holes when time permits. I wear sandals more than I should due to the hot weather in New Orleans, which is almost as bad as my home in South Carolina. Lastly, even as a graduate student, I eat better food here in New Orleans than most people in the United States. Life is not bad at Tulane.
