McNair Scholar 2017 - Mallory Mintz
Mallory Mintz is a senior at Carleton College, studying geology. The projects that Mallory finds most exciting to participate in are those that bring her closest to fulfilling the goal of protecting the natural world that she so enjoys interacting with. Her chosen field—anthropogenic climate change as appreciated in the context of recent (quaternary) climate history—will be best accessed through pursuing further degrees and research experiences upon graduation from Carleton College.
Quote from Mallory Mintz
"The projects that I find most exciting to participate in are those that bring me closest to fulfilling the goal of protecting the natural world that I so enjoy interacting with. My chosen field—anthropogenic climate change as appreciated in the context of recent climate history—will be best accessed through pursuing further degrees and research experiences upon graduation from Carleton."
Research project
Tracing Sediment Source Response to Water Infrastructure Development and Management in Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Montanat
Abstract: Medicine Lake, within the Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge complex in Eastern Montana, is a crucial stopover point for migratory birds traveling between wintering and breeding sites at opposite ends of the Central North American Flyway. Following two episodes of Medicine Lake drying completely in 1900 and 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps installed water control structures within the lake, including a large diversion channel from nearby Big Muddy Creek, in order to mitigate habitat loss during future periods of drought. Water level management practices since this time introduced an unknown amount of sediment into the lake basin, with unknown impacts to the lake ecosystem and associated wildlife. To constrain sediment fluxes within Medicine Lake, we analyzed magnetic and physical properties of four sediment cores that each capture 19th century to present sedimentation within the lake. We compare characteristic magnetic properties of sediments from sites proximal to historic water control infrastructure to more distal sites in order to evaluate the effects of such structures on historic sediment flux.
Faculty mentor
Daniel Maxbauer is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Geology Department at Carleton College. He teaches classes in Climate Change Geology and Paleobiology. Daniel has a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of Minnesota, a M.A. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Wesleyan University, and a B.A. in Natural Sciences from Saint John's University.