A&M International Dean Delivers Paper at National Conference

Dr. Juan Homero Hinojosa, along with co-author Dr. Kevin L. Mickus, presented their paper "The Gravity/Gradient Ratio: A First-Order Depth-to-Source Estimate" at The 2001 Spring Meeting, sponsored by the American Geophysical Union, the Geochemical Society, the Mineralogical Society of America, and the American Astronomical Society/Solar Physics Division recently.

Dr. Hinojosa is the dean of Texas A&M International University's College of Science and Technology. Dr. Mickus is a professor in the Department of Geosciences at Southwest Missouri State University.

The paper provided a new parameter, the gravity/gradient ratio, by which to study gravity anomalies or deviations.

This new parameter provides a very good estimate of the depth to the source of the anomaly, Hinojosa said. Using a new technique recently published by Mickus and Hinojosa in the Journal of Applied Geophysics, the gravity gradient tensor, or how fast the gravity field changes as one moves from one location to another, was computed. The result was used to examine two areas in southwestern Oklahoma, the Wichita Uplift and the Anadarko Basin, both places with known gravity deviations.

The 2001 Spring Meeting provided an opportunity for researchers, educators and students to discuss and review issues affecting the Earth, the planets, and their environment in space. Held in Boston at the John B. Hynes Convention Center from May 29 - June 2, the conference attracted nearly 3,000 participants, almost 600 of which were students.

Attendees could participate in a wide variety of activities, from lectures to forums to dinner and a movie at the SolarMax 2000 in the Boston Museum of Science. Lecture topics included "The New Science of the Sun" and "Hydrologic Variability and Its Societal Importance." There was a roundtable discussion about "The Effects of Solar Variability on Geospace, the Earth, and Humanity," and a forum concerning "Solid-Earth Science at NASA: The Next 25 Years."

For more information, please contact Hinojosa by phone at 326.2440, visit offices in Dr. F.M. Canseco Hall, room 301 or go online: http://www.tamiu.edu.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu