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Tess Oldroyd-Johnson

@rocktalkswithtess

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A page where we talk about rocks ☺️
Geology & Volcanology PhD candidate ⚒️🌋
Documenting my outdoor adventures in geology 🏔️🥾

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About a month ago, I had the opportunity to attend a workshop about Distributed Volcanic Fields and the Eastern Snake River Plain! We had scientists and researchers from many organizations including USGS, Idaho Geologic Survey, Idaho National Lab, Cascades Volcano Observatory, California Volcano Observatory, Hawaii Volcano Observatory, Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, Idaho State University, University of Idaho, University of South Florida, and more!!
We spent a few days discussing and exploring the ESRP volcanic field, recent findings from research, the hazards of this system, and what research still needs to be done!
It was such an incredible opportunity to be around so many great scientists and learn from them. Grateful that this is my back yard and I get to study one of the most interesting volcanic fields on the planet!! taken in Snake River Plain by @rocktalkswithtess

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12 days ago

GEOGIRLS 2026!
I got to spend the best week at Mount St. Helens with GeoGirls- a group of incredible middle and high school girls who come to @mshinstitute for the week to learn about geology and volcanology and science! The whole team at MSHI did an amazing job with the camp, the science volunteers/(wo)mentors led such fun projects, the artists are so talented, and the GeoGirls were so full of excitement and curiosity! It was so empowering and inspiring to be around so many incredible and supportive women! Yay for new friends!!
I’m so grateful I got to be involved in this program. It was seriously all of my favorite things wrapped up in one wonderful camp!

Thanks @jcmwright (the artist in residence this week!) for some of these photos!! by @rocktalkswithtess

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2 months ago

Another conference in the books!
I attended the Earth Educators Rendezvous conference in Columbia, South Carolina!
I attended several workshops including “Preparing for an Academic Career” which was so helpful!
I also presented a poster about a little side quest I’m doing to help prepare undergraduate researchers in my geo department prepare for their first national academic conference.
Meeting people and making connections is my favorite part of these conferences! I met so many great educators and researchers!
As part of the conference, I participated in the field trip to Congaree National Park to learn about the geomorphology of the floodplain. It was SO hot and sweaty but the park was beautiful and so green!
#EarthER26 @nagtgeo taken in University of South Carolina by @rocktalkswithtess

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3 months ago

This weekend I gave my first invited research talk at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming! I had such a fun time sharing my research using spectroscopy to study lava-water interactions in Idaho as an analog for Mars.
The Draper Natural History Museum and the Center of the West is such a cool spot and definitely worth a stop if you’re passing through Cody!

After my talk we spent a few days exploring Yellowstone. The geology is so fun and the ecosystem and wildlife in Yellowstone are truly unmatched! 🌋🦬🐻🦌🐟🦅🦆

Thank you @centerofthewest for having me!! by @rocktalkswithtess

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4 months ago

I recently went on a field trip where we learned all about the volcanic history of Idaho! 🌋

Here’s a few of the geologic points of interest we stopped at:
Idaho Batholith, hot springs, Yellowstone tuffs, basin and range extension, Challis Volcanics, Greys Landing ignimbrites, Spencer Opal Mines, and lots of places on the eastern Snake River Plain (Craters of the Moon NPP, Hells Half Acre, the buttes, The Breaks)!

It was such a fun trip! We learned lots (including how much wind certain tents can take before collapsing) and had a great time.

The trip was led by two instructors, a volcanologist (my advisor!) and an art professor. We learned some basics of drawing and watercolor in the weeks leading up to the trip and we got to practice our skills on the trip and even had a fun little gallery show with our art! I made this little series of my boots on the different kinds of rocks we saw on the trip (see the last 3 pics)! I’m no artist, but it was fun to look at the rocks in a new way! by @rocktalkswithtess

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5 months ago

Tis the season… FIELD SEASON! ⚒️

I TA for the Petrology class this year and we took the students to see some incredible igneous and metamorphic rocks in southern Idaho! 🪨

We saw some great igneous and metamorphic textures and practiced identifying cross cutting relationships with igneous and metamorphic bodies. It was a great first field trip of the year!

We got back to campus just in time to watch the Artemis II splashdown! It was so fun to share that moment with fellow science nerds and witness history being made! 🌖🚀 taken in Idaho by @rocktalkswithtess

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6 months ago

Obligatory “look at my cool poster” post 😁🌋

#LPSC2026 🌋🔭🌖🌎🪐☄️🛰️🚀👩🏼‍🚀 by @rocktalkswithtess

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7 months ago

That’s a wrap on #LPSC2026 !! 🌖🌋🔭

What a fun week at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston!

I presented my research about using spectroscopy to study lava-water interactions and define end-members for Mars analog studies.

At the conference I was able to meet amazing people, make great and helpful connections, and have a great time! It was fun so hear about upcoming NASA missions and current research.
Academic conferences are such a great way to connect with scientists studying similar topics and learn new things. by @rocktalkswithtess

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7 months ago

Get in, loser. We’re going to the MOON! 🌖

Hanging out at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference this week has been a blast! I’ve met so many amazing and smart people doing such cool research! The talks and posters are great and insightful. It’s been fun to hear about upcoming NASA missions and all the planetary research that’s going on!

One of my favorite things about conferences are the connections you make. Everyone is so friendly and I’ve met great new friends doing amazing things!
It’s also been fun to hang with my research advisor and the coolest undergrad in our lab ( @emilyj028 )!

Stay tuned for more pics coming soon-ish 🙃

#LPSC2026 taken in Planet Earth by @rocktalkswithtess

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7 months ago

🌋Hot Girl Halloween - Geologist Edition ⚒️

I’ve wanted to make a geology-related Halloween costume for a while, and this was the year!
I’m studying volcanology so making this costume was a fun idea!
All handmade and thrifted materials (except the sparkles at the top)! 😎 by @rocktalkswithtess

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a year ago

Happy Halloween from the Mineralogy Class! 💎🪨

I TA for the mineralogy class this semester and the students dressed up as “the Notable 9” (+Garnet) common rock forming minerals! I dressed up as our instructor :)
We had plagioclase feldspar, olivine, garnet, biotite, calcite, potassium feldspar, muscovite, pyroxene, quartz, and amphibole! We sort of aligned ourselves like Bowens Reaction Series for the photo 😎
It was super fun to surprise our instructor and enter our department Halloween costume contest! by @rocktalkswithtess

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a year ago

GSA 2025 was a success!
I had the opportunity to go to San Antonio, Texas to present my research and attend the Geologic Society of America conference!
I had a poster presentation and talked about my work using spectroscopy to study lava-water interactions and define end members to use for Martian analogs.
GSA is full of going to research talks, posters, networking, connecting, communicating, and exploring.
I’m really grateful for the opportunity to come to these conferences and celebrate science! It’s so important! taken in San Antonio, Texas by @rocktalkswithtess

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a year ago