Nichols explores why Namibia has no desert this year

Kyle Nichols, associate professor and chair, Department of Geosciences, thought he was going to have a relaxing summer. That was before the rain began to fall in the African country of Namibia, where Nichols and colleague Paul Bierman of the University of Vermont have undertaken a years-long study of the soil. The pair received a National Science Foundation RAPID grant for a brief trip to Namibia, where they saw first-hand the effects of unprecedented rain. Nichols and Bierman hope their fieldwork will lead to new discoveries about the impact of the flood on sediment-associated isotopes. Click here to read about their research featured on the NSF website and to view a photo album of the August visit to Namibia. 

Now back on campus, Nichols and his students will begin to analyze the soil samples using a new Canaberra BE 3830 Broad Energy Germanium Detector, funded with a grant from the U.S. Department of the Army. The new lab tool will aid in the analysis of land erosion and deposition. Click here to read more.