For many of us, going to the beach in summer means lying around, relaxing and forgetting about work.
For Lethbridge College’s Dr. Sandy Vanderburgh, summers on the beach afford him the opportunity for intellectual stimulation and the ability to contribute to the knowledge of coastal processes.
The Lethbridge College dean has studied beaches, coastlines and river deltas for more than 20 years. His research has taken him from Lake Athabasca, Great Slave Lake and the McKenzie River delta to the beautiful coastline of the Pacific Northwest, in the area of the Columbia River, where he has been researching for the last 10 years.
Vanderburgh, dean for the Centre for Applied Arts and Sciences, took a break from both his administrative duties and his research last April to speak to the community about coastal geology and climate change. At a talk at the Galt Museum, Vanderburgh discussed how coastal geology and the west coast of North America can inform us about the climate change story.
“Working with the community is an important part of the work we do at Lethbridge College,” says Peter Leclaire, Lethbridge College interim President and CEO. “Whether it’s bringing the real world problems from industry and business into the classroom for students to solve, or taking the research done in the college out into the community, good working relationships are essential to all that we do.”
For Vanderburgh, the community where he works happens to be breathtaking beaches where he can use a host of “fun” research toys. But even more importantly, he says, his findings have local, regional and global implications.
“Our findings tell us more about where the coastline will be in the future, with implications for housing, tourism and infrastructure construction,” says Vanderburgh. “For coastal communities, sea level rise and coastal erosion may have enormous economic costs. Some communities may not be able to exist at their current locations, and people will have to relocate elsewhere.”
Vanderburgh says the tools of his trade are a pleasure to use. They range from a “vibra core” (a drill that uses 3-inch irrigation pipe to drill with), a drill rig, a quad, a trailer and a zodiac (which does the job of getting the team where they need to be to drill their cores). Vanderburgh’s tools help him get a sense of the layers below the land surface.
If needed, he can also call on even more impressive tools. For deeper waters, the team will hop aboard an oyster dredger and drill off the side of the boat. Another great research tool is ground-penetrating radar (GPR), which sends a radio signal into the earth that is reflected back from the layers below the surface. The resulting image of what lies beneath is displayed on a computer screen.
One of the best aspects of research, says Vanderburgh, is that while studying one problem, a researcher often comes across something that leads the research in a different direction.
For example, while researching the dynamic coastlines of the United States Pacific Northwest, Vanderburgh and his team came across signs that seem to prove that climate change is happening. They found evidence of sea level rise that started at the end of the last glaciation approximately 10,000 years ago, and continued into the start of the 21st century. This evidence also could possibly indicate a record of the increasing intensity of El Nino climate events.
To the average person, this may not seem that important, but to people who live in the region it can mean the devastating loss of coastal homes, roads and railways, erosion of cranberry bogs and shellfish farms, and significant changes in the shape of the coastline.
Vanderburgh collaborates with researchers around North America, including Dr. Curt Peterson at Portland State University, and Dr. Mike Roberts, Professor Emeritus, at Simon Fraser University. In addition, he has the pleasure of working with students who share his passion. Vanderburgh and his colleagues are grateful for research funds contributed by Lethbridge College’s Office of Applied Research.
“Involving students in projects is one of the most rewarding aspects of my research,” Vanderburgh adds. “And, as a dean involved in applied research, it helps to lead the way for faculty at Lethbridge College to also become involved in research.”
Research projects like Vanderburgh’s and those of other college researchers benefit students in the classroom as well as the greater community.
“At Lethbridge College, we connect our faculty and students with business, industry and even other educational institutions to solve important problems,” Leclaire adds. “This kind of applied research makes our community a better place to live.”
Edith Olson is chair of Agriculture and Natural Sciences and an instructor in Environmental Sciences at Lethbridge College.
For Lethbridge College’s Dr. Sandy Vanderburgh, summers on the beach afford him the opportunity for intellectual stimulation and the ability to contribute to the knowledge of coastal processes.
The Lethbridge College dean has studied beaches, coastlines and river deltas for more than 20 years. His research has taken him from Lake Athabasca, Great Slave Lake and the McKenzie River delta to the beautiful coastline of the Pacific Northwest, in the area of the Columbia River, where he has been researching for the last 10 years.
Vanderburgh, dean for the Centre for Applied Arts and Sciences, took a break from both his administrative duties and his research last April to speak to the community about coastal geology and climate change. At a talk at the Galt Museum, Vanderburgh discussed how coastal geology and the west coast of North America can inform us about the climate change story.
“Working with the community is an important part of the work we do at Lethbridge College,” says Peter Leclaire, Lethbridge College interim President and CEO. “Whether it’s bringing the real world problems from industry and business into the classroom for students to solve, or taking the research done in the college out into the community, good working relationships are essential to all that we do.”
For Vanderburgh, the community where he works happens to be breathtaking beaches where he can use a host of “fun” research toys. But even more importantly, he says, his findings have local, regional and global implications.
“Our findings tell us more about where the coastline will be in the future, with implications for housing, tourism and infrastructure construction,” says Vanderburgh. “For coastal communities, sea level rise and coastal erosion may have enormous economic costs. Some communities may not be able to exist at their current locations, and people will have to relocate elsewhere.”
Vanderburgh says the tools of his trade are a pleasure to use. They range from a “vibra core” (a drill that uses 3-inch irrigation pipe to drill with), a drill rig, a quad, a trailer and a zodiac (which does the job of getting the team where they need to be to drill their cores). Vanderburgh’s tools help him get a sense of the layers below the land surface.
If needed, he can also call on even more impressive tools. For deeper waters, the team will hop aboard an oyster dredger and drill off the side of the boat. Another great research tool is ground-penetrating radar (GPR), which sends a radio signal into the earth that is reflected back from the layers below the surface. The resulting image of what lies beneath is displayed on a computer screen.
One of the best aspects of research, says Vanderburgh, is that while studying one problem, a researcher often comes across something that leads the research in a different direction.
For example, while researching the dynamic coastlines of the United States Pacific Northwest, Vanderburgh and his team came across signs that seem to prove that climate change is happening. They found evidence of sea level rise that started at the end of the last glaciation approximately 10,000 years ago, and continued into the start of the 21st century. This evidence also could possibly indicate a record of the increasing intensity of El Nino climate events.
To the average person, this may not seem that important, but to people who live in the region it can mean the devastating loss of coastal homes, roads and railways, erosion of cranberry bogs and shellfish farms, and significant changes in the shape of the coastline.
Vanderburgh collaborates with researchers around North America, including Dr. Curt Peterson at Portland State University, and Dr. Mike Roberts, Professor Emeritus, at Simon Fraser University. In addition, he has the pleasure of working with students who share his passion. Vanderburgh and his colleagues are grateful for research funds contributed by Lethbridge College’s Office of Applied Research.
“Involving students in projects is one of the most rewarding aspects of my research,” Vanderburgh adds. “And, as a dean involved in applied research, it helps to lead the way for faculty at Lethbridge College to also become involved in research.”
Research projects like Vanderburgh’s and those of other college researchers benefit students in the classroom as well as the greater community.
“At Lethbridge College, we connect our faculty and students with business, industry and even other educational institutions to solve important problems,” Leclaire adds. “This kind of applied research makes our community a better place to live.”
Edith Olson is chair of Agriculture and Natural Sciences and an instructor in Environmental Sciences at Lethbridge College.
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