Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR)

Mercuryquakes: Brianne McDonough and Dr. Robert Cicerone on Radial Extensional Fractures and Crater Formations on Mercury.

Brianne McDonough is a senior Earth Science major from Bridgewater, Ma where she graduated from Bridgewater Raynham Regional High School. Her ATP research focuses on the newly discovered crater formations on Mercury. Her project, entitled "A Two-Dimensional, Linear-Elastic Model to Explain Radial Extensional Fractures, Pantheon Fossae, Caloris Basin, Mercury" looks specifically at developing a two-dimensional model based on the fracturing pattern within a crater on the surface of Mercury. Brianne explains, "This crater is unique because of the strange radial fracturing pattern. The model I create will be used to help explain the underlying geology that caused the fracturing."

Her mentor, Dr. Robert Cicerone, Associate Professor of Earth Science at BSC for nine years discusses the significance of her research: "Although the absolute magnitudes of the stresses cannot be determined uniquely, [Brianne's research] will provide for some understanding of the relative magnitudes and directions of the major stress fields from the distribution of the fractures." Dr. Cicerone's own research interests are in Geophysics and Planetary Physics. He has recently completed a project with a colleague at Boston College on earthquake precursors. Currently, he is working with another colleague at MIT regarding the scattering and attenuation of seismic waves in New England.

Brianne credits her summer research experience with confirming her plans to pursue graduate studies, "The project I am working on will help me to move forward academically. I hope that participating in undergraduate research and working one-on-one with a faculty member will prepare me for when I apply to graduate school."

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Click here to read the 2009 FALL Issue of Smart News, news from The OUR, ATP and Honors Program. If you are interested in contributing, please contact Stacy Nistendirk in The OUR at snistendirk@bridgew.edu

Click here to learn more about the 4th Annual Mid Year Symposium for First and Second Year students to be held on 10 December 2009.

Click here to view a photo gallery of NCUR 2009 held at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse.

The Undergraduate Review is accepting submissions for its 6th volume. Deadline for consideration is Friday, December 18, 2009. Click here to read a complete list of submissions guidelines. Click here to read Volume V of The Undergraduate Review

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Last Modified: November 5, 2009

/CONTACT INFO

Office of Undergraduate Research
Bridgewater State College
Maxwell Library, Room 200
Bridgewater, MA 02325
(508) 531-2303
undergraduate
research@bridgew.edu

Click here to read the FALL 2009 issue of SmartNews

Click here to view the list of ATP Summer 2009 Grant Awardees

/NEWS

Jordan 2009 Blog
Read about the three weeks student researchers, Kaitlyn Baptista, Ashley DeMello, Bonnie Fletcher, & Heidi Woofenden, spent at Tefila Technical University in Yarmouk, Jordan along with their mentor, Dr Teresa King, Associate Professor of Psychology.