Current Abstract
April 8th, 2025 Meeting Abstract
“Student Night“
Presented by:
Sergio Diaz (Fresno State University) and Maggie Izumi and Tyler Garza (Cal State Bakersfield)
Speaker: Sergio Diaz (Fresno State University)
Title: Exploring C:N Ratio Variations as Indicators for Environmental Changes during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum in Lodo Gulch, CA.
Abstract:
Biography:
Sergio is a geologist from Colombia, currently completing a Master of Science degree in Geology at California State University, Fresno. His research focuses on using C:N ratio variations to investigate environmental changes during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) in Lodo Gulch, California. His work aims to enhance understanding of organic matter dynamics and climate feedback mechanisms during this critical period in Earth’s history. In addition to his academic research, he is an exploration geologist for an oil and gas company in Colombia.
Speakers: Maggie Izumi and Tyler Garza (Cal State Bakersfield)
Title: Geochemical and Geophysical Characterization of the Monterey Formation for Hydrogen Storage
Abstract:
Geological storage of hydrogen (H₂) in depleted oil and gas reservoirs is a promising approach for mitigating climate change and enhancing energy sustainability. However, a major uncertainty in storing these materials is characterizing the porosity and permeability of reservoir and caprock formations and their evolution after injection. This project involving students from the joint California State University Bakersfield-Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory CAL-EPIC program, focuses on these issues in California’s southern San Joaquin Basin, where many depleted reservoirs have been identified as suitable for H₂ storage due to their established capacity and favorable geologic conditions. Maggie Izumi’s component of the project is to utilize electrical geophysical methods—specifically the spectral induced polarization (SIP) technique—to characterize and monitor the relevant hydraulic properties in sandstones and shales from core samples. Laboratory-scale measurements are fit with a non-linear complex conductivity model to estimate formation factors; allowing us to represent how easily electricity (or fluids) can move through a material, validating this approach to accurately account for surface conductivity and to better constrain petrophysical models. In parallel, Tyler Garza’s component of the project investigates the potential for H₂ to trigger redox reactions with iron- and sulfur-bearing minerals (e.g., pyrite). This reaction can form hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and induce mineral dissolution, possibly compromising the integrity of the caprock. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) analyses of sandstones and shales in the Monterey Formation from cut from 1 inch core plugs. The imaging revealed locations of possible interactions that may create new pathways or fractures that facilitate gas leakage as reactions occur because of the sulfur bearing minerals. Collectively, our findings provide critical parameters for improving field-scale electromagnetic monitoring and advancing our understanding of the geochemical and petrophysical processes that influence safety and effectiveness of H₂ storage in the southern San Joaquin Basin and other similar geologic settings.
Biography:
Maggie Izumi is a senior undergraduate geology student in the Geological Sciences Department at CSU Bakersfield. She aspires to specialize in geophysics, with particular interest in electromagnetic and seismotectonic geophysics. Maggie’s work has been presented at Geological Society of America as well as at American Geophysical Union, and she has received recognition as a GSA On the Future awardee as well as a CSUB NSME Career Pathways Research awardee. She is currently working on Department of Energy funded research under Dr. Liaosha Song and Dr. Matthew Herman at CSU Bakersfield and plans to continue this research through her graduate studies.
Tyler Garza is a senior geology student at California State University Bakersfield. He currently works in geochemistry with a focus in Scanning Electron Microscopy and Electron Dispersive X-Ray. His work has been presented at the Geological Society of America, as well as the American Geophysical Union. In the past, Tyler has worked in Oceanography and paleontology on the R/V Roger Revelle as well as inside the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
Currently, he is working under Dr. Liaosha Song under his Department of Energy funded research and plans to continue working with this research through graduate school.