Fieldwork gives Augustana students a ‘foot in the door’

This project is more than a line on a résumé. It’s a chance for students to actually do the work they may pursue after graduation, while still in college.

During the academic year, 14 Augustana students led by geology professor Dr. Jeffrey Strasser will help create a map of a landscape no one can see. Through a collaboration with the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), students are conducting professional research as they use seismometers, collect and interpret field data, and help map the buried Princeton Bedrock Valley.

“It helps put into perspective what my future could look like, and the possibilities I could achieve,” said Lucia Leamon ’28, an environmental geology major. “I’ve had a passion for geology for a while, but to be able to contribute to this project makes my future feel tangible. It feels like I'm getting a foot in the door.”

The Princeton Bedrock Valley is an ancient buried river channel in Illinois that once served as the path of the Mississippi River before huge ice sheets filled it with thick layers of sediment. Today, that buried landscape contains aquifers that provide groundwater for cities and farms statewide. 

Knowing what lies beneath the surface is more than an academic exercise. The better scientists understand the size, shape and depth of these underground water sources, the better they can understand, predict and protect one of the state’s most important freshwater resources.

Along the way, students will be collecting data, and much more. They will operate precision instruments in the field, turn hundreds of measurements into 3D maps, use GIS technology to visualize what lies underground, and compare their findings with existing geological data. 

And because they are studying something that is not yet fully mapped, their work could add new pieces to the picture of what lies beneath Illinois. Their research will build on early investigations of the buried valleys by Augustana alumni and professors C. Leland Horberg '32 and Richard C. Anderson '52, whose work relied on sparse and widely spaced well data in the region.

“I’m considering graduate school beyond Augustana so the opportunity to immerse myself in this project and learn firsthand is invaluable,” said Aji Muyodi ’28, an engineering major. “I may not be a geology major, but scientific language tends to be universal, and you’d be surprised at how much physics finds its way to GIS.”

She added, “Seeing textbook physics principles applied to real-world issues shifts your perspective and makes sense of all the effort you're putting into your degree. Real-world impact really is the point of any degree so it’s nice to know that we’re already on our way.”

ISGS geophysicist Riley Balikian trained the Augustana faculty and students in the theory and applications of small seismometers. These instruments collect ambient seismic waves that move through the ground at different frequencies and in different planes. Comparison of signals between the horizontal and vertical planes yields the depth to bedrock beneath the point of deployment in only about 20 minutes. 

This technique is much simpler and less expensive than standard seismic reflection or refraction techniques used for decades by geophysicists, according to Dr. Strasser.

Leamon appreciates being taught how to use a seismometer as an undergraduate and contributing to important ISGS research. She plans to study volcanoes for her master’s and believes knowing how to use a seismometer before grad school gives her an advantage.

Yet, for Leamon, this experience goes beyond graduate school prep. It's a chance to truly step into the work she hopes to pursue, using professional tools to answer real questions alongside scientists in the field. 

And that “foot in the door” she mentioned? She’s already through it.