Course: The Geology of the Ocean Floor (OSH-OCEANFL)

Beneath the waves lies a world as dynamic and dramatic as any mountain range or desert, but one that remains largely invisible to us. Join Dr. David Kitchen for a fascinating exploration of Earth's ocean floor: a realm of vast canyons, towering ridges, deep trenches, and hidden volcanic chains that tell the story of our planet's restless interior. In this lecture, we'll dive deep into the powerful forces that shape the seafloor: from plate tectonics and submarine volcanism to continental shelves and abyssal plains. Discover how ocean ridges spread, how trenches swallow oceanic crust, how hotspots build islands and atolls, and how massive undersea plateaus form. Along the way, we'll also explore the role of ocean circulation, sedimentation, polar ice, and even geopolitics in the evolving story of the seafloor.

With examples drawn from every major ocean basin, including the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Southern Oceans, this talk reveals the hidden architecture that drives not only the shape of the ocean floor, but also the climate, ecosystems, and even the future of our planet. Come see the world beneath the waves, and discover why the ocean floor matters to us all.

Session: OSH126.OCEANFL (20 seats (11%) remaining)

Schedule:

Monday, 11/10

Times:

01:00pm - 02:30pm

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Instructors

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David Kitchen

Biography: David Kitchen earned a B.Sc and PhD in Geology from Queens University Belfast. After working for two years as a petroleum geologist in the North Sea, he started teaching Earth Sciences as lecturer at the Ulster Polytechnic and then as tenured faculty at the University of UlsterFollowing ten years of active teaching, research and research supervision, Dr. Kitchen's was appointed to the position of European Officer for the University with a major focus on international research and development. During this time he worked closely with the European Commission in Brussels, with particular focus on research policy and the EU Framework research programs. During this time he was directly involved with project development and grant applications for a number of higher education and educational and research initiatives in both East and West Europe.Dr. Kitchen was then appointed to direct all international research and student programs at the university, and led the development of faculty research collaboration with Universities across the European Union, USA, Canada and Mexico, and also served for a short time as interim director of development. While focused on research administration during this period of his career, Dr Kitchen continued to supervise research and taught geology to as adjunct professor with the UK's Open University, working in both Ireland and England.In 2001 Dr. Kitchen moved to the United States to work at the University of Richmond. As Associate Dean in the School of Professional & Continuing Studies, he works with the Dean to support professional education and lifelong learning, heading teams that direct summer term academic programs at the university and the development of a wide range of professional and personal development courses that reach out to the local community.As an Associate Professor, Dr. Kitchen teaches 2-3 courses a year on earth and environmental sciences, and has taught a course on global warming each summer for the past 5 years. He has served as representative on the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors, as Environmental Fellow for the Associated Colleges of the South, and as coordinator of university environmental programs. Dr Kitchen was recently awarded a NASA education award to help develop a new course in global climate change. He continues to serve as an active member and the environmental studies course team and serves on the University of Richmond sustainability working group.He has written a textbook on Global Warming for a Liberal Arts audience, published internationally by Prentice in 2013.

Facility Detail

Jepson Alumni Center

JAC, Robins Pavilion 151

442 Westhampton Way

Richmond, VA 23173