This is the 8th lecture of Winter School 2024!

This lecture will take place on campus in room 6-120 from 7pm to 9pm.

Winter School is open to anyone who wants to get outside during the winter!

Guest Lecturer Today - Matt Maclay

Old Man the Mountain - Erosion of Cannon Cliff, Franconia Notch

In Franconia Notch, NH, Cannon Cliff looms over a massive heap of rock debris, ranging from pebbles to boulders, creating the largest talus slope in the Eastern US. This slope has been formed by the efficient weathering of bedrock and frequent rockfalls, including the 2003 collapse of The Old Man of the Mountain. Investigating the factors that contribute to the rapid erosion of Cannon Cliff is crucial, as it has implications that extend beyond Franconia Notch. Bedrock weathering plays a significant role in landscape evolution, affects the carbon cycle, degrades infrastructure, and poses a risk of erosional hazards. In this presentation, Matthew will discuss his research on the environmental conditions of Cannon Cliff and the critical factors that contribute to rockfall.

Matthew Maclay works at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, studying erosion and retreat of Southern California's coastal cliffs. In graduate school in the Earth Sciences department at Dartmouth College, he studied mechanisms of bedrock weathering, erosion, and rockfall. Originally from the drift-less area of southwest Wisconsin, Matthew completed his undergraduate degree in Physics and Astronomy at Carleton College in Minnesota. Before joining Dartmouth, he spent three years in Baltimore, working on the scientific operations of the Hubble Space Telescope and contributing to cutting-edge optics and astronomy research. Matthew’s passion for exploring and understanding the natural world extends to his free time activities, which include hiking, biking, and skiing. In his talk, he will delve into the natural processes driving rockfall and erosion at Cannon Cliff.

Winter School

Winter School is MITOC’s annual winter outdoors extravaganza, and our largest event of the year. Every weekend during IAP you will have the opportunity to get outdoors, learn new skills, meet other MITOC folks, and explore the wilderness in New England.

TIM Ticket If you are joining us after 7pm, you can access the building with a TIM ticket.