An update from the Brownlee research group
The 
Brownlee research group focuses on characterizing material properties with an overarching goal of improving our understanding of deformation processes in the continental crust.
We do this by characterizing the elastic properties of deep crustal rocks that have been brought up to Earth’s surface through natural tectonic exhumation processes. Rock elasticity is directly tied to rock composition and deformation history and rock elasticity determines how seismic waves propagate through the material.
So by understanding the links between rock elasticity, composition and deformation history and seismic wave propagation, we can improve our ability to use seismic methods to understand composition and deformation in the deepest parts of the crust that we cannot directly sample. Understanding how the deep crust deforms is critical for understanding how stress is transferred from the base of the crust up to the surface where these stresses can contribute to seismic hazards.
This year we began work on another project working with colleagues in civil and environmental engineering. The project, titled REUSE (Rare Earths from US Extractions), is focused on identifying and characterizing domestic sources of Rare Earth elements (REE), which are essential for nearly all advanced technology applications, particularly those associated with environmentally friendly alternative energy.
The Brownlee group has been working to characterize non-traditional sources of REE including waste materials such as coal fly ash. Two graduate students, David Gilkey and Rahima Tufail, have been working on this project and Rahima will be presenting some of her results at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco in December.
The last academic year marked the return of class field trips. Dr. Brownlee led or co-led trips to Bancroft, Ontario with the Mineralogy class, Chester, Vermont with Team Research and the St. Francois mountains in Missouri with both the petrology and structural geology courses.
Dr. Brownlee is enjoying a long-awaited sabbatical this fall semester where she will spend time at the University of Washington in Seattle working with collaborators to develop new project ideas.