TAMIU Researcher Makes Top Ten List
A song is popular when it makes the top ten of the radio play list and a film is a hit when it's in the top ten of box office receipts. For a science researcher, having one's article be one of the top ten most downloaded articles from Elsevier Science, one of the premier science publishers, means that one's research is well-received and important to the scientific community.
Dr. Juan H. Hinojosa, Texas A&M International University professor and dean of the College of Science and Technology, and his co-author, Dr. Kevin L. Mickus, professor at Southwest Missouri State University, found themselves in this unique position.
They knew that their article, "The complete gravity gradient tensor derived from the vertical component of gravity: a Fourier transform technique," which appeared in the March 2001 issue of Journal of Applied Geophysics, offered a unique and cost-effective method for identifying and mapping large structures beneath the surface of this or other planets. When they learned that the article was in the top ten of most downloaded articles from the Elsevier Science Journal for all of 2001, despite the fact that the article appeared in the March issue, they also knew that researchers worldwide found it helpful.
Dr. Hinojosa said the research in their paper was important for a number of reasons.
"First, it advances scientific knowledge in the area of geophysics and provides a cost-effective subsurface mapping capability, which was previously unavailable. In addition, the technique can be applied to gravity data from any of the planets, including terrestrial planets like Earth and Mars, which have solid surfaces, and the moons of the Jovian planets, such as Jupiter and Saturn, which are gas giants," explained Hinojosa.
He also said that the method described in their paper had other unique features.
"Because the method can be applied at a variety of length scales, from tens of meters to thousands of kilometers, there are also practical applications of the technique, such as groundwater and oil and gas exploration," said Hinojosa.
For more information about the College of Science and Technology, please contact 326.2440, visit offices in the Dr. F.M. Canseco Hall, room 301 or e-mail jhhinojosa@tamiu.edu. University hours for the Spring 2003 semester are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
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