Southern Illinois University Carbondale is celebrating Earth Science Week Oct. 12-16 with a series of free, public brown-bag lunch talks from noon to 1 p.m. in Parkinson Building Room 101F. (Photo by Todd Duermyer).
October 09, 2026
SIU’s 2026 Earth Science Week events focus on critical minerals, public invited
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale researchers are observing Earth Science Week by exploring some of today’s most important environmental and Earth science challenges — from plastic pollution and soil health to critical minerals, earthquakes and water quality.
This year, Earth Science Week is Oct. 11-17 and the theme is “Critical Minerals for a Thriving Society.” It highlights how critical minerals support essential needs and how the development of new technologies can affect which minerals are considered critical.
SIU activities feature free, public brown-bag lunch talks from noon to 1 p.m. in Parkinson Building Room 101F.
Monday, Oct. 12: “Environmental Challenges of Plastic Pollution” by Lahiru Jayakody, associate professor of microbiology. “Worldwide we produce more than 450 million metric tons of mostly landfilled or mismanaged plastic annually,” he said. “Synthetic microplastics accumulate in ecosystems and pose risks to our health and environment. Our research team of graduate and undergraduate students leveraged microbial systems to enable a circular economy for untapped carbon in waste plastics. We work to enable green chemistry through microbial systems to realize this circular economy.”
Tuesday, Oct. 13: “Minerals in Agriculture” by Erik Brevik, professor of agronomy and geology. “Minerals are widely used in modern agriculture, from directly supplying nutrient resources as fertilizer to serving as the base material for fertilizers and as an aid to control soil pH,” he said. “Learn how minerals help put food on the table and ensure food security for large portions of the world’s population, and some of the challenges we face moving forward with modern agriculture techniques.”
Wednesday, Oct. 14: “Interdisciplinary Methods to Find/Harvest Critical Resource” is a joint talk by Scott Hamilton-Brehm, associate professor of microbiology, and Daniel Hummer, associate professor of geology. They will discuss efforts to find the critical rare earth metals that modern technologies depend on and the surprising role microbes might play in harvesting them.
Thursday, Oct. 15: “Earthquakes: Public Curiosity and Scientific Investigation” by James Conder, director of SIU’s School of Earth Systems and Sustainability. Earthquakes are among the most powerful natural phenomena shaping our planet. Conder will share some of their causes and patterns. He has participated in seismic projects in North America, South America, Antarctica, and the South Pacific primarily focusing on mid-ocean ridge, subduction zone and intraplate processes.
Friday, Oct. 16: “Locating/Mining Critical Minerals and Reclaiming Affected Land” by Liliana Lefticariu, professor of geology. This workshop will explore realistic outcomes for emerging extraction technologies and address key questions like “how can we identify and harvest these essential resources efficiently?” and “how can we successfully restore land impacted by past mining activity?”
Those with questions can reach out to Larry Dunlap-Berg at larry.dunlapberg@siu.edu.