PBS Film Features UNC Charlotte Earth Sciences Research

Martha Cary Eppes (Missy), a faculty member in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at UNC Charlotte, is one of the scientists interviewed in the film Italy’s Mystery Mountains, which is currently showing on PBS and accessible on YouTube.

Eppes was a collaborator for research presented in the film. She and her co-authors published their portion of that work in 2008 in the soil science specialty journal Geoderma. Eppes’ student, Ryan Bierma, who completed his master’s degree in earth sciences in 2009, is also seen in the film. Also involved is David Vinson, assistant professor at UNC Charlotte. The film includes their research that considers the age of river terraces.

“Soils work much like people work in terms of, the older they get, they have certain characteristics that enable you to understand how old they are,” Eppes says in the film.

The research considered landscape evolution. “…surface soils and their young buried counterparts can provide meaningful information about the timing and processes of landscape response to external forcing such as climate or anthropogenic change,” the authors wrote. Other authors on the paper were Vinson and Frank Pazzaglia.

PBS International says this about the film: “Italy’s Mystery Mountains explores the fascinating geologic story of Italy, the land known for its fabulous art, fantastic food, opera, the dolce vita, and so much more. What’s less known about Italy is the diversity and turbulence of the geology behind all of this abundance: the continuously erupting volcanoes, the violent earthquakes, the clash of mighty tectonic plates, and the rising of the mountains from which Michelangelo sourced his famous marbles.

“Italy’s Mystery Mountains ties the country’s rich artistic culture to its turbulent geologic story, following two international teams of geologists determined to resolve a hotly debated issue: are the Apennines still alive and growing in the north? With the answer to this question the fascinating story of the Italian peninsula will fall into place and geologists may better understand where future earthquakes might strike this highly unstable land.”

Eppes is an associate professor in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences. Her research interests include soil science and geomorphology with applications to landscape evolution, active tectonics and paleoclimate problems.  In addition to her research in central Italty, she also conducts research in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California, the piedmont of South and North Carolina, and the alpine environments of the San Juans. She earned her Ph.D. in earth and planetary sciences from the University of New Mexico and her master’s degree in geology from New Mexico Tech.

Vinson is an assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences. His research interests include hydrogeolog, aqueous geochemistry, environmental isotopes, biogenic and unconventional gas, and roundwater quality & sustainability on the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Vinson earned his Ph.D. in earth and ocean sciences from Duke University and his master’s degree in earth and planetary sciences from University of New Mexico.

Words: Lynn Roberson, CLAS Communications Director
Image: Courtesy of Missy Eppes