Professor
selected for elite position
By
Jillian Johnson
On-line Forty-Niner
Not
many people are nominated to be a distinguished
lecturer for the American Association of
Petroleum Geology. In fact, the association
only selects six to eight people a year
to lecture and travel to different universities
to teach students about their recent discoveries
and research.
"The
fact that they picked me as a lecturer is
a big honor and a big opportunity,"
said Richard Behl, geology professor at
Cal State Long Beach after being acknowledged
as a distinguished lecturer by the association.
Behl
traveled to 10 universities on the East
Coast over a two-week period last month
talking about his new findings.
"It's a good way to meet people and
help them out, but it is a lot of hard work,"
Behl said.
Even
though Behl offered two topics to lecture,
the one most requested was his research
on "Methane Hydrates and Climate Change:
The Clathrate Gun Hypothesis." This
research may provide climate changes that
have existed in the last several hundred
thousand years.
"Evidence of methane ice has been found
within continental margins holding enormous
amounts of gas and carbon," Behl said.
The
gas that has been found is 60 times more
powerful in short time frames then any other
gas. If this hypothesis is true and the
greenhouse gas is apparent, than it could
lead to future climate changes.
"It's
a hot subject and people are testing the
hypothesis all the time," Behl said.
When
asked how Behl could be so interested in
geology, he explained that this was not
his first major in mind. But he would realize
later how much he loved the way the ocean
and atmosphere worked. Traveling around
the world and researching weren't all to
bad either.
"I
love to explore and see different places,
see different things on the sea floor, whether
it's a passion or a vacation," Behl
said.
Behl
has been to many different places around
the world and even though it was hard to
pick a favorite, he did seem very excited
to talk about a trip he went on last summer
aboard a French boat off the coast of Canada.
"We
traveled along many different neat inlets,
it was a wonderful expedition," Behl
said.
He
did say that he enjoyed this trip more than
any other boat trip he has been on. But
this was because the French boat had great
food and a great wine selection.
"American
boats serve cafeteria food and there is
no alcohol allowed on board," Behl
said.
Behl
not only spends his time lecturing for the
Association of Petroleum and traveling around
the world, but also teaches many geology
classes here on campus.
"I
love to teach. The teachers here focus on
teaching and that's why I came here,"
Behl said. "The fact that they picked
me as a lecturer is a big honor and a big
opportunity."
–Richard Behl,
geology professor
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