An expert will explore the science behind the hot springs of Hot Springs National Park in the next EARTHtalk! lecture on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Dr. Lindsey Waddell, geoscience and chemistry instructor for the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, will discuss “The Geology of Hot Springs National Park: Ensuring the Future of our Thermal Waters” beginning at 6 p.m. Oct. 18, at the George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology Auditorium on the UA Little Rock campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Waddell earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from Smith College and a Ph.D. in oceanography, marine geology, and geochemistry from the University of Michigan.

At the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, Waddell created a “Research in the Park” service-learning course in which students carry out scientific research projects at Hot Springs National Park.

Past projects have included digitizing insect collections from the park’s archive, invasive plant and animal monitoring, and studying the bacteria of the thermal springs water. In 2017, the National Park Service awarded the course the George and Helen Hartzog Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service by a Youth Group award.

For more information, contact Dr. Michael DeAngelis at 501.569.3542 or mtdeangelis@ualr.edu or visit the UA Little Rock Department of Earth Sciences EARTHtalk! website.