At the core of every continent lies a cold, ancient heart. Assoc Prof at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, amateur illustrator, Long Islander now in SoCal
San Diego, CA
Joined September 2020
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AI can do incredible things in science, but I remind myself that I became a geologist because first and foremost, I love to actually look at rocks. And in just spending the time to look, and to wonder, I’ve come up with new questions, because a big part of it all is just letting the beauty of nature capture your imagination and letting that process rip. Perhaps one day we could unleash an AI on every known rock in every geological collection, and I’m sure it will find interesting - maybe even groundbreaking, things - but that would defeat the purpose of why we, as humans, have the innate urge to pick up a beautiful rock or object in the first place.
I have 3 hours on a train uninterrupted. Most “free” time I’ve had in one stretch in a very long while.
Emily J Chin retweeted
everyone is trying to hire an AI specialist. That is a myopic mindset borne out of incompetence or ignorance and the fear of missing out. Everyone is using AI now, so there is nothing special about it. Now more than ever is the time to prioritize human creativity. Whatever one's domain, be it an academic institution, business, art, music, etc., prioritizing AI ensures irrelevance. Prioritize human creativity.
Lasagna is a powerhouse dinner! And now our 5yo helps make it (assembling). I pulled a couple portions out of the freezer and reheated on the stove. The 1 yo loves it.
lol.. 2nd kid kept me up constantly at 3-4am in utero. She still wakes up throughout the night at 12 mo. 1st kid slept thru the night by ~8 mo like a log. 🤷🏻♀️
Most heartwarming thing you’ll read today. The 4th picture is 🥹
Meet Annautaq, an orphaned Pacific walrus calf whose unexpected discovery during USGS research in Alaska saved his life.
Last month, USGS biologist Tony Fischbach and Violet Anniskett, an Illisavik College intern, were surveying a beach after a storm moved a walrus herd from the area. While sampling carcasses for a study on harmful algal toxin levels in Pacific walruses, Violet discovered a live, orphaned calf hiding between two adult carcasses.
With approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the local Iñupiaq community, the pair cared for the calf for nearly four days. They dispersed the gulls scavenging him, walked a half mile to the nearest shelter (an abandoned building open to the elements), and protected him from polar bears until the storm passed and a local rescue team could boat him across the lagoon. From there, Alaska Sea Life Center (ASLC) vet techs crated him onto a small plane to rehabilitation. Violet joined the journey to ease his transition.
Violet grew up near walrus herds and first joined USGS surveys on a high school class field trip. This September, she joined the USGS team to gain professional experience working with the wildlife central to Iñupiaq culture. Her community agreed to have the orphan saved with the condition that they name him to preserve their connection to him. Violet chose Annautaq, an Iñupiaq word meaning axe, in honor of her father’s Iñupiaq name.
USGS scientists monitor Pacific walrus populations in support of Marine Mammal Protection Act reporting and management requirements. This work depends on partnerships with Alaska Native communities, whose generational knowledge shapes how we understand and protect these animals.
After rehabilitation at the ASFC, Annautaq has moved to his long-term home, where he will serve as a species ambassador, helping people learn about walruses and their connection to Alaska's people and changing marine environments.
All work was conducted under USFWS permit MA3376D.
📷1: Violet and Annautaq.
📷2: Annautaq gazes out the shelter window.
📷3: Tony and Annautaq.
📷4: Violet resting with Annautaq.
Credit: Tony Fischbach, USGS
ALT Young woman smiling next to a close-up of a large walrus with textured skin indoors.
ALT A large walrus sitting indoors, gazing out of a window with natural light illuminating its wrinkled skin.
ALT Person gently holding a young walrus near a window overlooking a grassy coastal landscape under a cloudy sky.
ALT A person in a hooked puffy jacket laying face down on a thin mat on the floor next to a walrus calf.
Hubs is out on a work trip, this is the cost to refill the work truck with diesel. Apparently it maxed out the company card. Insanity.
Introduced 5 yo to LOTR movies last night, and during the first scene with Saruman, she asked “is he a gnome??” I mean, being of the Maiar, he is gnome-adjacent. Can’t wait when she starts reading the books one day. So much lore to discuss.
5 yo found dad’s California Reptiles & Amphibians field guide. Going agog over tadpole mouthparts. We got a future herper!
Personal lore: while I was pregnant w 2nd baby, I single-handedly consumed 2 of these (a magnum of maple syrup), in addition to a few smaller bottles from the supermarket. It was over several months but still, the most maple syrup I’ve had in a continuous stretch.
The secret to meatballs staying coherent without egg is Dijon mustard. We have a kid with egg allergy in the house but she loves Swedish meatballs. Of course I have to make them from scratch, but it’s not too hard because you can make 72 in one sitting. Then freeze and cook as needed.
I finally finished The Brothers Karamazov. And whoa, will be thinking about it for a long time. The Idiot next?
A timeline of Early Earth I created in 2024 for a class I was teaching. It's a bit North America (Laurentia)-centric (e.g., Yavapai, Mazatzal terranes, coalescence of Hearne, Slave, Superior blocks). But, generalizable to the whole Earth at the time.
This map, the North America Tapestry of Time & Terrain, hangs outside my office. It is beautiful and informative. You could stand in front of it and listen to a geologist tell stories about North America's geology, just from this map alone, for hours.
But do u know what the greatest feeling is? When you've developed a dish over years of cooking it and then you feed it to your kid, and they love it so much, that feeling is priceless. So ladies - don't let dad steal all the thunder.
