UNB Earth Sciences and Geological Engineering

We are excited to celebrate Liam Girard, Curatorial Assistant at the Quartermain Earth Science Centre, who is participating in the PaleoNoma Workshop on Paleobotany!

The workshop provides specialized training in fossil plant taxonomy, nomenclature, and international data standards, knowledge Liam will bring directly back to the QESC as they work to review, identify, and catalogue our historic and unique paleobotany collection.

Liam is learning from an incredible international team of experts: Dr. Julia Gravendyck (University of Bonn), Dr. Steffen Wolters (Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research), Dr. Petr Kuneš (Charles University), and Dr. Lyudmila Shumilovskikh (University of Göttingen).

The workshop also includes training with the Neotoma paleoecology database, opening exciting possibilities for making our collections more accessible for museum exhibits, teaching, student research, and researchers around the world.

Even better, Liam plans to document what they learn so that future QESC curators can continue building on this work.

Congratulations, Liam! We can’t wait to see what you bring back to the QESC!

Check out what is happening at the Quartermain Earth Science Centre TOMORROW! (Saturday, August 22nd).

Drop in anytime between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm to explore EARTHQUAKES, VOLCANOES and LANDSLIDES!

Have a rockin' time :)

🎉 Dr. Dave Keighley presented his ongoing research with colleagues from Dalhousie University on the potential for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the Bay of Fundy region. This work investigates how geological formations beneath Atlantic Canada could play an important role in reducing carbon emissions and supporting a more sustainable energy future.

🔍Congratulations to Dr. Keighley and his collaborators for sharing their important research on this international stage!

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Babak Ghane on the successful defense of his PhD in Earth Sciences at the University of New Brunswick! 🎉

On July 31, Babak successfully defended his dissertation, "Mineral Prospectivity Mapping in Southwestern New Brunswick: Integration of Geochemical, Geophysical, and Geological Datasets in Predictive Modelling."

Babak's research combined geological, geochemical, and geophysical data with advanced predictive modelling techniques to identify areas with high mineral potential in southwestern New Brunswick. His work contributes to the development of innovative exploration tools that can help guide the discovery of future mineral resources.

Congratulations to Babak, his supervisor, Dr. David Lentz, and the entire research team on this outstanding achievement! We wish him continued success in the next chapter of his career. ⛏️🌎🎓

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Farzaneh Mami Khalifani on the successful defense of her PhD in Mineral Exploration at the University of New Brunswick! 🎉

On December 9, 2025, Farzaneh successfully defended her dissertation, "Predictive Modelling of Gold Mineral Systems in Northern New Brunswick: Insights from the Analysis of Multiple Geoscience Data."

Her research focused on mineral prospectivity mapping for gold exploration in northern New Brunswick, combining machine learning techniques with diverse geoscience datasets, including geology, geochemistry, geophysics, and remote sensing. By integrating these data sources, Farzaneh developed predictive models capable of identifying areas with high potential for gold mineralization, helping to improve the efficiency and precision of mineral exploration.

Throughout her PhD, Farzaneh published three peer-reviewed journal articles and shared her research at numerous national and international conferences through oral presentations and posters.

Her publications include:

🪙 Machine Learning-Based Mineral Prospectivity Mapping of Epithermal Gold Mineralization in Northern New Brunswick

Published in Earth Science Informatics, this study compared Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Extreme Gradient Boosting algorithms to map gold prospectivity in the Tobique–Chaleur Zone. By integrating geological, geochemical, and geophysical datasets, the research demonstrated the power of machine learning to identify promising exploration targets and quantify uncertainty in mineral exploration models.

🗺️ Applying Mineral System Criteria to Develop Predictive Models for Epithermal Gold Mineralization in Northern New Brunswick

Published in Minerals, this work combined knowledge-driven and data-driven approaches, including fuzzy logic and logistic regression, to identify favourable regions for gold mineralization. The study showed how mineral systems modelling can reduce the time and cost associated with mineral exploration, particularly in heavily forested regions with limited bedrock exposure.

💻 Gold Prospectivity Mapping and Exploration Targeting in Northern New Brunswick: Combined Application of Random Forest and Fuzzy Inference Systems

This research explored the integration of machine learning and expert knowledge to generate prospectivity maps for northern New Brunswick, demonstrating how advanced computational techniques can support the discovery of new mineral resources.

Farzaneh's work represents an important contribution to the fields of economic geology, geospatial analysis, and mineral exploration, while highlighting the innovative research being conducted within UNB's Department of Earth Sciences.

We wish you continued success in the next chapter of your career! 🎓⛏️🌎

Find out more on our Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t35EFRHmdtE

TOMORROW!!!
Check out what is happening at the Quartermain Earth Science Centre!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2026
12:00 PM TO 4:00 PM

Join us for a day of space-themed activities as we explore our Solar System, discover the minerals needed for future space exploration, and learn what it might take to build a lunar base on the Moon!

🪐 Explore the planets

🌙 Design a Moon base

💎 Discover the minerals that make space exploration possible

🚀 Experience hands-on activities for aspiring scientists and explorers of all ages

Admission is completely free, and parking is free on Saturdays!