Maria Brumm

I am a recent graduate (May 2008) with an M.S. in Earth and Planetary Science. I did my thesis work with Michael Manga and Chi-Yuen Wang. I'm looking for work in the Seattle area. Have a look at my resume!

Research Projects

I'm interested in the connections between ground water and other geologic processes.

• What do earthquakes do to ground water? Earthquakes can lead to liquefaction (and associated damage to structures and loss of life), the appearance of new springs, changes in flow at existing springs and streams, or the eruption of mud volcanoes. I have primarily been working to understand why some earthquakes trigger mud volcano eruptions and others don't, but all of these effects result from shaking saturated sediment.
• How does ground water affect heat flow? I'm using spring temperatures and stable isotope data to get an estimate of heat flow in the Sierra Nevada. Before doing that, though, I need to know how much heat in any given fractured bedrock aquifer will be transferred by ground water, and how much will be transferred conductively through the rock matrix. By relying on borehole temperature measurements, are we missing out on an important part of the heat budget? I've also been able to use my temperature data to draw some conclusions about the source of spring water in the basin, and its mixing with surface water over the course of the snow melt season.

Teaching

Fall 2006, 2007: EPS 20: Earthquakes in Your Backyard. In addition to the usual TA duties, I've put one homework exercise online and I'm currently working on another. This provides students with more immediate feedback and frees up grading time for other things. I'd love to hear from anyone who wants to chat about how to make web-based instruction more effective.

Publications

• Maria Brumm, Chi-Yuen Wang, and Michael Manga. Spring Temperatures in the Sagehen Basin, Sierra Nevada, California: Implications for heat flow and ground water circulation. In review.
• Maria Brumm, Michael Manga, and Maxwell L. Rudolph, 2008. Earthquake Triggering of Mud Volcanoes: A Review. In review.
• Richard J. Davies, Maria Brumm, Michael Manga, Rudi Rubiandini, and Richard Swarbrick, 2008. The East Java Mud Volcano (2006 to Present): An Earthquake or Drilling Trigger? In press - link