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field geology

plate tectonics

science communication

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Hi :) I am an interdisciplinary field geologist interested in 1) the behavior of the outermost shell of Earth and 2) how to communicate Earth Sciences to a broad audience.  My PhD has focused on the structural and thermal evolution of Cordilleran fold-thrust belts.


I am a structural geologist and thermochronologist, intergrating geologic mapping, field observation, low-T thermochron, geochronology, and various modeling techniques.  Our team considers datasets spanning micro- to macroscopic scales within a regional context to test and develop tectonic and geodynamic models. I am involved in field-based projects in Argentina, Chile, the western interior USA, and south-central Tibet.

I'm passionate about science communication, dedicating time to online outreach efforts focusing on modern geoscience + planetary science research and tips for success at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This website contains links to various outreach projects. Thanks for droppin by.

LIFE & SPACE
PHILOSOPHICAL AND SCIENTIFIC FRAGMENTS

My book is available now (preview video below)
Link Here

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v Recent outreach here v

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How to Create A Hillshade in GIS | ArcGIS PRO Tutorial
17:02

How to Create A Hillshade in GIS | ArcGIS PRO Tutorial

Many Earth scientists use geographic information science/systems (GIS) in their work. This video has two goals: 1) emphasize that the creation and admiration of MAPS is a huge part of being a geologist. Many of us are fortunate to have the opportunity to create maps of our own – I hope you see some of my passion for this aspect of our science, and 2) give a simple tutorial for how to gather and manipulate digital elevation model (DEM) data to create a crisp hillshade in Esri’s ArcGIS Pro. I hope you find this video interesting. LINKS: https://dwtkns.com/srtm30m/ https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/3741/topography-of-the-world https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/arcwatch/create-amazing-hillshade-effects-quickly-and-easily-in-arcgis-pro/ If you would like to support my science communication efforts, I have a Patreon where I share my favorite films, music, books, podcasts, and more: https://www.patreon.com/cadenhowlett. There is an accumulating number of Patron-only YouTube videos on the platform. Any contribution on Patreon goes directly back into this platform. My first book was published on January 26, 2024, it is available at the following link: https://a.co/d/gBteB2Z TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Hi & Introduction 2:20 Downloading DEM tiles 4:53 Importing DEM into ArcPRO 6:30 Mosaic tiles to new raster 8:15 Enhancing a hillshade 13:05 Creating map layout 15:10 Final comments Follow Caden: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cadenhowlett/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cadenjhowlett Twitter: https://twitter.com/cadenhowlett www.cadenhowlett.com #earth #geology #science #phd #gis #cartography #maps
Helpful Gear for Camping, Backpacking, and Field Sciences
20:55

Helpful Gear for Camping, Backpacking, and Field Sciences

In this video, I give an informal overview of most the gear I bring on expeditions to the high Andes for geologic field work. This will be helpful if you are an undergraduate approaching field camp, or even simply your first field experience. Of course, you DO NOT need all the things I show in this video. I highlight the unfortunate fact that getting durable and protective gear can be very expensive (in some cases preventing people from being able to pursue their passion). But hopefully it is also made clear that you don’t need the NICEST stuff out there. I get by with lots of old and second-hand materials in some of the most rugged environments on Earth. Please let me know if you have any questions – and thank you for accepting my casual delivery. A lot on my mind prior to an expedition! Let me know if you have questions about gear, including if you face barriers to access adequate field gear. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Hi & Introduction 1:48 Gear Overview 18:38 Closing Statements Thumbnail photograph by Chance B. Ronemus (March 2024) If you would like to support my science communication efforts, I have a Patreon where I share my favorite films, music, books, podcasts, and more. There is an accumulating number of Patron-only YouTube videos on the platform. Any contribution on Patreon goes directly back into this platform. https://www.patreon.com/cadenhowlett Follow Caden: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cadenhowlett/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cadenjhowlett Twitter: https://twitter.com/cadenhowlett www.cadenhowlett.com #earth #geology #science #phd #argentina #andes #hiking
Geological Field Work in the High Andes | DAY IN THE LIFE
20:02

Geological Field Work in the High Andes | DAY IN THE LIFE

University of Arizona Geoscience PhD students Caden Howlett and Chance Ronemus recently completed a ten-week field season in the south-central Andes of South America (31-36S). This video records an average day in the life of a geologist. We sample rock for thermochronology, give some tips on conducting field work abroad, and reveal our normal base camp operations. Please reach out with any geology-related questions and I hope you enjoy the video. Our work is part of an interdisciplinary effort to understand the geologic evolution of the Andean mountain belt (TANGO; the “Trans ANdean Great Orogeny”). Funding for this research is provided by the Frontier Research in Earth Sciences (FRES) program and the National Science Foundation (NSF). For more information on the broader work being conducted, see the following link: https://news.arizona.edu/story/uarizona-geologists-x-ray-andes -- If you would like to support my science communication efforts, I have a Patreon where I share my favorite films, music, books, podcasts, and more: https://www.patreon.com/cadenhowlett. There is an accumulating number of Patron-only YouTube videos on the platform. Any contribution on Patreon goes directly back into this platform. Follow Caden: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cadenhowlett/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cadenjhowlett Twitter: https://twitter.com/cadenhowlett Follow Chance: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingbychance/ Music: LSDREAM – WILD ORCHIDS Trueno – DANCE CRIP The Cave Singers – Strip Mine
(Plate) Tectonics on Terrestrial Planets, Moons, and Exoplanets | Future of Geology
32:27

(Plate) Tectonics on Terrestrial Planets, Moons, and Exoplanets | Future of Geology

What happens to “plate tectonics” as we know it on an enormous exoplanet? Is it possible for half a planet to have active tectonics? Why is the moon covered in craters and Earth subduction zones and mountain belts? In this video, I discuss a recent short perspectives paper from Stern et al. (2023). They broadly discuss the definition of tectonics and how it may vary across terrestrial bodies. I share some of the aspects that I found most interesting and how it relates to what I think about as a PhD student in geology. It is essential that we continue to investigate plate tectonics on Earth in order to understand how planets evolve and the feedbacks/links between mountain building, landscape evolution, climate, and the origin and evolution of life. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Hi & Introduction 4:00 Defining Tectonics 13:00 Urey Ratio and Planetary Evolution 25:05 Hypothetical Exoplanets 30:00 Concluding Remarks _LINKS:_ *Link to Stern et al. (2023) paper discussed in this video* https://doi.org/10.1029/2023CN000214 *Cool video on Miller-Urey Experiment* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNijmxsKGbc If you would like to support my science communication efforts, I have a Patreon where I share my favorite films, music, books, podcasts, and more (https://www.patreon.com/cadenhowlett). There are an accumulating number of Patron-only YouTube videos on the platform. Any contribution on Patreon goes directly back into this platform. Follow Caden: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cadenhowlett/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cadenjhowlett Twitter: https://twitter.com/cadenhowlett www.cadenhowlett.com #earth #geology #science #phd #tectonics #planets #nasa
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