For this episode we talk with Dr. Marie Jackson a Research Professor in the Geology & Geophysics department here at the University of Utah. Dr. Jackson’s work is centered in mineralogy, pyroclastic volcanism, and material science, but she applies her work to the realms of engineering, archeology, and more. She’s done a lot of pioneering work on understanding ancient Roman concrete, their composition, structure and how they age over time. Working to make a modern proxy of the concrete has been a more recent project of hers. By working on how to make more sustainable, resilient concrete her work will help to lessen carbon emissions and combat the environmental impacts that come with a changing climate.
https://wilkescenter.utah.edu/podcast/19-the-significance-of-ancient-roman-concrete-for-a-decarbonizing-world/
(Featured image: ROMACONS drilling at a marine structure in Portus Cosanus, Tuscany, 2003. Drilling is by permission of the Soprintendenza Archeologia per la Toscana.)