Hello! My name is Jennifer Gutierrez and although this is week three of my internship with the University of Utah, it is my first week working remotely. This week I was introduced to my new projects.
Monday was a day off for the staff at the U for a federal holiday, so I took the day to run errands and get organized for the week.
The exact location of the steam zone!
Tuesday I had a short zoom call with Professor McPherson where I was introduced to my new projects. I am researching gas chromatography capable of detecting and measuring parts per million of helium. This research is important because there is a current nationwide helium shortage. With this research, I am learning the sampling protocols for gas chromatography. Professor McPherson also explained the second project. I will work with a grad student named Aileen Zebrowski to test a hypothesis made on a steam cap zone in the Roosevelt Hotsprings. The Roosevelt Hotsprings is an area full of geothermal vents and steam. The current state of the landscape has evolved due to dropping groundwater levels caused by the nearby Blundell Power Plant. This hypothesis will be part of Aileen’s thesis, and I am thrilled to be able to assist in the research portion of the project.
Wednesday I worked on my helium investigation. Similar to the research I did on methane while I was at the U I began by familiarizing myself with the topic. I researched the shortage, the causes, and the effects. It was interesting to see all of the different environments in which helium is used. Helium is especially utilized in the medical field to cool superconducting magnets in MRI scanners.
Simplified diagram of the gas chromatograph
Thursday I worked on the Roosevelt Hotsprings investigation. I began reading a fascinating research article by a man named Stuart Simmons. This research article is very recent, published on November 4th, 2021 it contains important information and 95 references! These references have been very useful as they’ve allowed me to find a wide course of information in one place.
Friday I had a zoom call with Professor McPherson and I met Aileen! We talked more about the steam zone which is referred to as the “kill zone” as well. Aileen talked about the research article by Stuart Simmons, and I was happy to have already begun reading it. Since there are so many references I have also been tasked with going through all the references and finding which ones are useful and searchable to make a digital library. This will allow us to find the most useful information. I will also work on finding aerial images to analyze the area over time; these images may or may not exist, but I am excited to possibly find them which will be useful information!
Saturday I went to a big family party and enjoyed some amazing tacos, ice cream, and lots of dancing and music!
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