INQUA 2627 sy: Quaternary Sediments as Archives of Extreme Events (QUASEE)

Abstract 

Quaternary Sediments as Archives of Extreme Events (QUASEE) is an international summer school aimed at strengthening regional capacities in the study of Quaternary sediments as natural archives of extreme environmental events. The project addresses the need for specialized training in sedimentological and stratigraphic approaches to identify and interpret the signatures of earthquakes, floods, landslides, and other high-energy processes preserved in recent geological records, particularly in tropical and Amazonian settings.

The summer school will be hosted at the Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, located in the sub-Andean foothills of the Ecuadorian Amazon, during the third quarter of the year. This region provides direct access to extensive Quaternary fluvial and floodplain deposits, offering an exceptional natural laboratory where theoretical concepts can be directly linked to field observation, coring, and laboratory analysis.

QUASEE is designed as a five-day intensive program that brings together students and early-career researchers from across Latin America, combining lectures, case studies, fieldwork, and laboratory sessions focused on sediment description, core analysis, granulometry, magnetic susceptibility, XRF measurements, and the interpretation of sedimentary records of multiple extreme events. Beyond technical training, QUASEE promotes regional collaboration and knowledge exchange, fostering the integration of young researchers into broader scientific networks in Quaternary geosciences and strengthening collaborative links among Latin American institutions working on Quaternary research and hazard-related studies.

Project Leaders:

Dr. Corina Campos, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Ecuador