Volcanic Ventures: Exploring Volcanic Landscapes of Czechia

During the 2019 International Research Experience for Students (IRES) funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), four graduate students (two media arts, two geology), an undergraduate geology student, and a geology professor ventured to the Czech Republic and Poland. The group of six spent most of the five-week trip investigating Vinařická hora, a quarried out volcanic complex, near the town of Vinařice. 

The trip also entailed a revisit to NMHU graduate student Sindy Lauricella’s master’s project study area at Krasny Vrch near Karlovy Vary. Revisiting her field site allowed for more targeted sampling and magnetic mapping of the volcano. Additionally, the final leg of the journey entailed collecting samples from multiple outcrops of an ignimbrite sheet along the Czech/Polish border. This would be the focus of Luke Romero’s undergraduate senior project. 

Participants were also immersed in the culture and history, going to multiple historic sites, museums, and geoheritage sites in both counties. All of this was documented by the NMHU Media Art’s graduate students Terence Garcia and Jake Erickson.

 
Some of the museums the students visited include The Museum of Communism, The Na-Film Museum, The Museum of  Senses and the Museum of technology. These museums provided deep insight into the countries history, its appreciation of geology and its thriving film community.  You can find links to our biographies, photos and videos below!