Recently in Research: Caleb Eldridge

Caleb Eldridge

Caleb Eldridge, now a graduate student in Geosciences, worked as an undergraduate researcher to identify active tectonics in the New Madrid Seismic Zone.Caleb concentrated his research on a portion of Dyer County, Tennessee, where he combined aeromagnetic data, LiDAR data, and geologic information to search for evidence of faults and deformation.

The data Eldridge collected revealed earthquake-induced soil liquefaction features, such as sand blows and sand fissures, that aligned with potential faults in the area.  The analysis of the magnetic data showed features that are believed to be related to large igneous plutons; researchers have postulated that the plutons may be responsible for some of the observed seismicity.  The LiDAR showed linear ridges that are sub-parallel to the sand blow features and this could suggest deformation from buried faults.

Eldridge recommends undergraduate research for all students and says the most rewarding thing about participating in research was learning how the research process works and being able to see his work slowly come to fruition.

“Definitely do not let the opportunity pass by. Even if research is not particularly what type of career you desire, doing research at the undergraduate level increases your learning on a topic that may be interesting to you and can help in planning for your future,” Eldridge said.

Dr. Lorraine Wolf served as Eldridge’s mentor during his Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Last Modified: Jul 24, 2023 @ 12:38 pm