Cin-Ty Lee
@cintylee.bsky.social
geologist, critical minerals, geopolitics | Rice University | Princeton Field Guides to Flycatchers of North America | OM Systems | https://press.princeton.edu/our-authors/lee-cin-ty
A view of the mid-Tertiary andesitic porphyry of Cristo Rey in El Paso, straddling the Mexican-US border. The laccolith intruded into Cretaceous sediments, pushing them apart. @riceeeps.bsky.social @riceuniversity.bsky.social geology field trip to west texas
November 11, 2025 at 4:21 AM
A view of the mid-Tertiary andesitic porphyry of Cristo Rey in El Paso, straddling the Mexican-US border. The laccolith intruded into Cretaceous sediments, pushing them apart. @riceeeps.bsky.social @riceuniversity.bsky.social geology field trip to west texas
In search of pegmatites in the Precambrian Arabian shield. These dikes show the more fine-grained nature of the dike margins and the coarse-grained nature of the dike core due to differential cooling rates. Saudi Arabia.
November 7, 2025 at 1:37 PM
In search of pegmatites in the Precambrian Arabian shield. These dikes show the more fine-grained nature of the dike margins and the coarse-grained nature of the dike core due to differential cooling rates. Saudi Arabia.
Here in Houston @riceuniversity our soccer fields attract migrating meadowlarks in late October and early November. One might assume they are the expected Easterns but most have turned out to be Westerns. They r difficult to identify: subtle differences in face, tail and tertial patterns and vocals
November 6, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Here in Houston @riceuniversity our soccer fields attract migrating meadowlarks in late October and early November. One might assume they are the expected Easterns but most have turned out to be Westerns. They r difficult to identify: subtle differences in face, tail and tertial patterns and vocals
And it continues. a winter wren in our urban little patch. One cannot restore urban spaces to their original state, but one can build a diversity of microhabitats that provide cover for migrating birds.
November 4, 2025 at 3:48 PM
And it continues. a winter wren in our urban little patch. One cannot restore urban spaces to their original state, but one can build a diversity of microhabitats that provide cover for migrating birds.
Our little bird habitat @riceuniversity is still on fire. And migration is still on. Yesterday, an Ash-throated Flycatcher showed up. First record for my local patch, making this the 276th species documented for an urban hotspot.
November 4, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Our little bird habitat @riceuniversity is still on fire. And migration is still on. Yesterday, an Ash-throated Flycatcher showed up. First record for my local patch, making this the 276th species documented for an urban hotspot.
Birds, birds, birds. Showing Christian Cooper the birds of Houston Audubon’s Bolivar flats bird sanctuary on the upper Texas coast and learning from him how to tell stories.
October 24, 2025 at 4:11 AM
Birds, birds, birds. Showing Christian Cooper the birds of Houston Audubon’s Bolivar flats bird sanctuary on the upper Texas coast and learning from him how to tell stories.
Cedar waxwings are not here yet. But I’m waiting for them. When they come, I know it’s winter. Pen and ink.
October 23, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Cedar waxwings are not here yet. But I’m waiting for them. When they come, I know it’s winter. Pen and ink.
800 Wood Storks flew over @riceuniversity.bsky.social at noon today. on their way back south to Mexico for the winter. A magical sight that happens every year, but largely unnoticed because they fly high.
October 22, 2025 at 7:00 PM
800 Wood Storks flew over @riceuniversity.bsky.social at noon today. on their way back south to Mexico for the winter. A magical sight that happens every year, but largely unnoticed because they fly high.
I have emptied out my lab. 25 years. We will soon tear it all down and rebuild for new faculty. The lab looks much bigger without the mass spectrometer. Some of the most critical parts are in my office now. A new chapter awaits.
October 22, 2025 at 11:56 AM
I have emptied out my lab. 25 years. We will soon tear it all down and rebuild for new faculty. The lab looks much bigger without the mass spectrometer. Some of the most critical parts are in my office now. A new chapter awaits.
A little rain in Texas would be nice. It’s been quite dry.
October 22, 2025 at 3:29 AM
A little rain in Texas would be nice. It’s been quite dry.
The sidewalk in front of my house, I’ve lined with rocks from all over the world, from two billion years ago to the present, from all types of geologic environments. I wonder how many people pass by and never know they are walking back in time. LOL
October 21, 2025 at 6:53 PM
The sidewalk in front of my house, I’ve lined with rocks from all over the world, from two billion years ago to the present, from all types of geologic environments. I wonder how many people pass by and never know they are walking back in time. LOL
When a rare bird shows up, especially one as cool as a calliope, birders flock. @riceuniversity.bsky.social
October 21, 2025 at 3:25 PM
When a rare bird shows up, especially one as cool as a calliope, birders flock. @riceuniversity.bsky.social
Still don’t know what is going on. This morning I stumbled across a rare Calliope Hummingbird in my hummingbird garden @riceuniversity.bsky.social. Last week, an Allen’s hummingbird.
October 19, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Still don’t know what is going on. This morning I stumbled across a rare Calliope Hummingbird in my hummingbird garden @riceuniversity.bsky.social. Last week, an Allen’s hummingbird.
Allen’s Hummingbird @riceuniversity.bsky.social, our 274th species for this urban hotspot. Long overdue.
October 17, 2025 at 3:40 AM
Allen’s Hummingbird @riceuniversity.bsky.social, our 274th species for this urban hotspot. Long overdue.
Shatter cones in a recently discovered Precambrian impact site near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Shatter cones are the result of shock waves generated by the energy of a point source impact. These shockwaves radiate outwards from the point of impact, fracturing rock along the way.
October 16, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Shatter cones in a recently discovered Precambrian impact site near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Shatter cones are the result of shock waves generated by the energy of a point source impact. These shockwaves radiate outwards from the point of impact, fracturing rock along the way.
CEOs are saying AI is going to replace many jobs. that may be true. But the most AI replaceable job is that of the average CEO and MBA fortune.com/2025/10/10/k...
October 12, 2025 at 11:33 AM
CEOs are saying AI is going to replace many jobs. that may be true. But the most AI replaceable job is that of the average CEO and MBA fortune.com/2025/10/10/k...
All hands on the great unconformity in the Sandias, New Mexico. Pennsylvianian limestones on 1.4 billion years A type granites. @riceuniversity.bsky.social geology trip.
October 12, 2025 at 3:47 AM
All hands on the great unconformity in the Sandias, New Mexico. Pennsylvianian limestones on 1.4 billion years A type granites. @riceuniversity.bsky.social geology trip.
Not sure what's going on. This past week I discovered Red-footed Booby, Tropical Parula, and Western Wood-Pewee... and then today, an Allen's Hummingbird from California popped up on my morning walk to school. Houston, Texas. @riceuniversity.bsky.social
October 10, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Not sure what's going on. This past week I discovered Red-footed Booby, Tropical Parula, and Western Wood-Pewee... and then today, an Allen's Hummingbird from California popped up on my morning walk to school. Houston, Texas. @riceuniversity.bsky.social
Here we go. We finally figured out where this bird disappears to. Red-footed Booby. One of very very few inland records of this seafaring bird. Houston, TX. Much better photos than yesterday's grainy shot of a flying bird from half a mile away.
October 7, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Here we go. We finally figured out where this bird disappears to. Red-footed Booby. One of very very few inland records of this seafaring bird. Houston, TX. Much better photos than yesterday's grainy shot of a flying bird from half a mile away.
In just a few days near Houston, Texas I found a red-footed booby, tropical Parula and a western wood-pewee, a truly bizarre and unlikely combination of birds.
October 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
In just a few days near Houston, Texas I found a red-footed booby, tropical Parula and a western wood-pewee, a truly bizarre and unlikely combination of birds.
We found this amazing katydid in Honduras. Haemodiasma tessellata. Camouflage at its finest.
September 28, 2025 at 2:01 AM
We found this amazing katydid in Honduras. Haemodiasma tessellata. Camouflage at its finest.
How about a coral snake up close? Foothill forests of the Caribbean slope in Honduras.
September 26, 2025 at 4:21 PM
How about a coral snake up close? Foothill forests of the Caribbean slope in Honduras.
One of the most important and magical shorebird stopover sites in the country is the Bolivar Flats Bird Sanctuary in Texas. It is currently under threat from development and we are in a race to save it. houstonaudubon.org/conservation...
September 26, 2025 at 2:01 AM
One of the most important and magical shorebird stopover sites in the country is the Bolivar Flats Bird Sanctuary in Texas. It is currently under threat from development and we are in a race to save it. houstonaudubon.org/conservation...
A storm blew over last evening in Houston, TX. This AM, at Rice University, I was surprised to see a Vermilion Flycatcher (rare for an urban environment). While looking at the flycatcher, I saw a dragonfly I had never seen before - Twelve-spotted Skimmer! The 2nd record for our county.
September 25, 2025 at 11:54 PM
A storm blew over last evening in Houston, TX. This AM, at Rice University, I was surprised to see a Vermilion Flycatcher (rare for an urban environment). While looking at the flycatcher, I saw a dragonfly I had never seen before - Twelve-spotted Skimmer! The 2nd record for our county.
Our paper by student Jia-le Mou, former student Jackson Borchardt and myself, Calibrating olivine Forsterite content as a measure of melting degree, is out. A simple and general calibration of how forsterite content varies with melting degree
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
September 25, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Our paper by student Jia-le Mou, former student Jackson Borchardt and myself, Calibrating olivine Forsterite content as a measure of melting degree, is out. A simple and general calibration of how forsterite content varies with melting degree
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...