State Geologists

Statemap awards 1993-2012

2012-03-03T18:36:00.005-08:00

Since it's inception in 1993, the Statemap component of the USGS National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Act has provided State Geological Surveys with over $95 million to complete geologic mapping of the nation. The states have more than matched that with their own funds.

The graph at right summarizes funding by state for the past four years.

"Switch" selected Best of the Fest at Colorado Environmental Film Festival

2012-02-26T11:39:00.004-08:00

The new energy documentary, Switch, featuring Texas State Geologist Scott Tinker was selected "Best of the Fest" at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival last night. [Right, filming geothermal energy in Iceland]

The film description in the CEEF program explains:

What will it really take, to switch from oil and coal, to their alternatives? Dr. Scott Tinker, Director of the Bureau of Economic Geology, professor of geosciences, and renowned energy lecturer, embarks on a round the world journey to answer this and related questions: If coal is dirty, why do we keep using it? Can we really clean it up? Will oil get more expensive? Will it run out? How quickly will we adopt alternatives, and which ones? How risky is hydraulic fracturing? How dangerous is nuclear? What are the biggest challenges, and most promising solutions, to our energy transition? What role does each of us play? Dr. Tinker goes inside the world's premiere energy sites for all resources, from coal to solar, and talks to leaders in government, industry and academia, exploring the world of energy like no documentary has ever done before. Test audiences have called this 'the most important energy film since An Inconvenient Truth.'

Transition of Nevada State Geologist

2012-02-24T12:02:00.004-08:00

Nevada State Geologist Jon Price announced that Dr. James E. Faulds [right, credit NBMG] will be replacing him as State Geologist and Director of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) when Jon retires at the end of June. Between now and then, Jim and Jon will be sharing duties of the position, as they transition to his leadership.

Jim, who has been with NBMG since 1997, is an expert in structural geology, tectonics, and geothermal systems. He has published widely on extensional and strike-slip tectonics, nonmarine salt deposits, and structural controls on geothermal systems, including relations between current geothermal activity and young epithermal mineral deposits. He has mapped dozens of quadrangles in Nevada, including some in the Searchlight mining district in southern Nevada, the Carlin trend, the Walker Lane, and several known geothermal resource areas. His geothermal research has been instrumental in developing more sophisticated exploration strategies for geothermal systems. He has also taught courses in structural geology, tectonics, geothermal exploration, and field geology, including serving as Director of UNR’s geology field camp for 5 years. He has served as advisor for 14 graduate students while at UNR. He is also the current President of the Nevada Petroleum Society.

Jim earned his B.S. (with highest honors) at the University of Montana, his M.S. at the University of Arizona, and his Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico. He held postdoctoral research positions at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and at the University of Southern California and was on the faculty at the University of Iowa before joining NBMG.

Please welcome Jim in his new roles as the NBMG Director and the State Geologist of Nevada.

Nevada's Jon Price to receive WSSPC Lifetime Achievement Award

2012-02-21T18:50:00.000-08:00

Jon Price, State Geologist of Nevada, and Director of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology is the recipient of the Western States Seismic Policy Council Lifetime Achievement Award in Earthquake Risk Reduction.[Photo credit NBMG]

WSSPC created the Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize outstanding leaders in earthquake risk reduction. The qualifications for the award state: The recipient will have demonstrated throughout his or her career an extraordinary commitment, level of service, and contribution to the application of earthquake risk reduction to public policy. The Award is given only when a nominee’s outstanding qualifications merit granting an award.

The award will be presented at the Awards luncheon at the 2012 National Earthquake Conference/ EERI Annual Meeting on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.

USGS Director to keynote Indiana Geological Survey's 175th anniversary events

2012-01-29T09:55:00.000-08:00

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Marcia McNutt, director of the U.S. Geological Survey, will present two lectures Feb. 6 at Indiana University Bloomington: one on fossil fuel resources, the other on earthquakes and community resiliency. The lectures are free and open to the public.

The first woman to serve as director of the U.S. Geological Survey, McNutt leads the nation's largest water, Earth, biological science and civilian mapping agency, whose mission is to provide the scientific data that enable decision-makers to create sound policies for a changing world.

"Dr. McNutt's visit to IU offers an extraordinary opportunity for our faculty and students," said Michael Hamburger, professor of geophysics in the IU Department of Geological Sciences. "She is not only a highly respected research scholar, but as the director of the U.S. Geological Survey, she is one of the government's leading experts on energy policy, environmental issues and natural hazard mitigation."

McNutt's talks at IU Bloomington, both on Feb. 6, are:

The Tudor Commemorative Lecture on "U.S. Energy Outlook: Whatever Happened to 'Peak Oil,'" at 4 p.m. in the IU Fine Arts Auditorium.

A lunch-time brown-bag lecture, "Earthquakes Near and Far: A Study in Community Resiliency," at noon in the Patton Room (S201) in the Geological Survey wing of the Geology Building.

McNutt, in her Tudor Lecture, will review the U.S. outlook for fossil fuel resources and the challenges presented by developing these resources. Not long ago, the public heard much concern that the nation and the globe had reached or was about to reach the point of peak oil production and would be on a downward trajectory due to declining resources. Despite growing demand for energy, however, fossil fuel resources have never been higher. But given difficulties in developing the resources, the USGS also supports wind and solar energy development to help reduce U.S. dependence on fossil fuel.

The annual Tudor Commemorative Lecture was established by a 2000 gift in honor of Daniel S. Tudor, an IU alumnus and former president of Chevron Geosciences.

McNutt's lunch-time lecture will investigate earthquake losses as a function of community resilience and preparation. Earthquakes of the past few years -- including the devastating Haiti earthquake, the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and the surprising Mineral, Va., earthquake -- provide a spectrum of events for addressing the topic. Surprisingly, earthquake magnitude is less important in determining the loss of life and property than other factors, such as building codes and public education.

McNutt was chosen to lead the USGS in 2010, becoming the 15th director in its 130-year history. She previously served as president and CEO of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and as professor of geophysics at MIT.

She has participated in 15 major oceanographic expeditions and published 90 peer-reviewed scientific articles. Her research has ranged from studies of ocean island volcanism in French Polynesia to continental break-up in the Western United States to uplift of the Tibetan Plateau.

McNutt received a bachelor's degree in physics from Colorado College and a doctorate in earth sciences from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She has served as president of the American Geophysical Union and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Her visit to IU is sponsored by the Department of Geological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences.

[taken from the IU news release. Photo courtesy of Indiana University]

Nevada Mineral Exploration Coalition looks for solutions to NBMG funding cuts

2012-01-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

YOU ARE INVITED TO AN OPEN DISCUSSION

The Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology has provided many essential services and products to the state and its citizens for more than 100 years. It is an essential organization to the geological community and the general public

In June of 2012 these services and products will be severely curtailed unless a solution to the problem is found.

In order to promote ongoing discussions addressing this problem, The Nevada Mineral Exploration Coalition will host an Open Forum Panel discussion intended to identify and evaluate possible solutions and we welcome your input. Co-hosts of the event include all of the stakeholder organizations who benefit from the work of the NBM&G as listed below.

Venue: Elks Club, 597 Kumle Lane, Reno, Nevada

Date: Friday, January 20, 2012

Time: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Agenda: 1:00-2:30 PM – Statement of the problem and solution ideas: Lew Gustafson, Jon Price and others

2:30-2:45 PM – Refreshment break – sponsored by hosting organizations

2:45-4:30 PM – Identify the final one or two proposals and an action plan

4:30-whenever – Break out sessions as determined

Registration: free

Co Hosts: Geological Society of Nevada

Nevada Petroleum Society

Nevada Mining Association

Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME)

Nevada Division of Minerals

Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists

You may also like to attend the Geological Society of Nevada membership meeting at 6:00 PM at the same venue (www.gsnv.org for information).

Steve Conrad, former North Carolina State Geologist

2011-12-22T15:56:00.000-08:00

It is our sad duty to report that former North Carolina Director of Land Resources, Steve Conrad, passed away on Wednesday, December 21, 2011. Steve was admitted to the hospital earlier in the week with chest pains and died unexpectedly of an apparent stroke.

He played a critical role in the Department’s and Division’s transition from an entirely natural resources agency into the regulatory environment. Steve was always considered an “honest broker” because he was highly respected and trusted among all sectors. Steve services and awards are too lengthily to list here, but they include such diverse activities as national president of the Association of American State Geologists, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, President of the Board of Directors of the NC State Employees Credit Union [Right, SECU Chairman Jim Barber (left) presents a Resolution of Service to long term SECU volunteer Steve Conrad, 11-1-11. Credit, SECU] and one of the founding fathers of the Interstate Mining Compact Commission and the NC Board for the Licensing of Geologists. He was also longest serving North Carolina State Geologist (1964-1990).

His funeral is at Mitchell Funeral Home at Memorial Park, 7209 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh at 11:-00 on Saturday, December 24. His family will receive friends from 1):00-11:00 at the funeral home.

[prepared from materials provided by James Simons, State Geologist & Director, NCGS]

Wyoming State Geologist named

2011-12-17T19:03:00.001-08:00

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Matt Mead named Tom Drean as the Wyoming State Geologist. Drean previously worked for ConocoPhillips as the company’s president for Iraq.

“We are excited to have Tom take on this important role for Wyoming,” Governor Mead said. “His background working across the globe is impressive, as is his knowledge of geology and mineral resources.”

As State Geologist Drean will serve on the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and the Wyoming Board of Professional Geologists. The State Geologist leads the Wyoming State Geological Survey. The mission of the WSGS is to promote the beneficial and environmentally sound use of Wyoming’s vast geologic, mineral and energy resources while helping protect the public from geologic hazards.

“I am honored to take on this role and to work with Governor Mead,” Drean said. “Wyoming is such an appealing place for a geologist. The resources here are world class on every front and I want to be a good steward of all of these resources.”

Drean worked for ConocoPhillips for over 26 years. He has held positions in the Middle East, Africa, Australia, South America, Europe and the United States. He has a Masters of Science from Penn State University where his area of study was geochemistry and a Bachelor of Science from Western Michigan University where his area of study was geology. His first day on the job is today [Dec. 15] and he replaces Wallace Ulrich.

“I want to thank Wallace Ulrich for his work as State Geologist and for his deep passion for Wyoming and its geology,” Governor Mead said.

[news release from the office of Wyoming Governor Matt Mead]

"Dirty Jobs" digs Utah dinosaurs

2011-12-15T20:23:00.001-08:00

Discovery Channel's Mike Rowe went to the field with Utah Geological Survey paleontologists to film an episode of "Dirty Jobs" for later broadcast. There are four 'sneak peek' video clips from the day digging for dinosaurs, posted online.

That's Utah's State Paleontologist Jim Kirkland in the blue jacket in the clip above.

Kentucky Geological Survey celebrates completion of statewide 1:100,000 geologic maps

2011-12-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

The Kentucky Geological Survey at the University of Kentucky celebrated a major achievement today in the mapping of Kentucky's geology. KGS has published all 25 maps in the 30 by 60 minute geologic map series (1:100,000 scale), making them available to the public. This achievement is unparalleled by any other state, making Kentucky a leader in geologic mapping and map technology.

These detailed maps show surface and subsurface rock types, formations, and structures such as faults. Geologic formations and faults control the occurrence of minerals and fuels, groundwater, and geologic hazards.

"They are an important contribution to society because the information they provide assists in the production of resources, protection of groundwater and the environment, stability of foundations and infrastructure, and avoidance of hazards," says KGS Director and State Geologist Jim Cobb. "Because the maps are available on the Web, they are always accessible to the public at no cost. Hardcopy versions of the maps can be ordered from the Survey's Publication Sales Office."

At a news conference on campus this morning, a super-sized geologic map of Kentucky, 10 feet high by 23 feet wide, was unveiled in the foyer of the Mining and Mineral Resources Building on campus. A symposium on geologic mapping, "Celebrating Geologic Mapping for Science and Society," was held later that day at the Boone Center and featured experts from the University of Kentucky, KGS and other state surveys, the United States Geological Survey, and academic institutions.

Remarks by Dr. Jim Cobb, Director of the Kentucky Geological Survey at UK and State Geologist of Kentucky , on November 30, 2011, to celebrate completion of the geologic map of Kentucky at the scale of 1:100,000:

I could not be more pleased about the celebration we are having today.
I want to thank everyone for being here.

It has long been recognized that knowledge of the earth leads directly to economic development, improvements in public health and safety, lower costs for society, and wise use of our resources.

We have completed all 25 maps covering Kentucky in the 30 by 60-minute series. A 30 by 60-minute map is 35 by 56 miles or about 1900 square miles in area.

These geologic maps contain information vital for society. They are like blueprints of the earth. I believe we are the first state to accomplishment this goal.

The banner hanging on our wall that we unveil today for the public is a composite of all the 25 individual maps.
This banner is a symbol of what has been created. It is data-intensive to the extreme and just getting it plotted onto vinyl material took a huge effort.

There are a few amazing facts from this map that only a computer could calculate. There are three billion, billion with a B, feet of lines represented on this map. These lines were acquired by geologists, walking across all parts of Kentucky to collect this data in the field. Three billion feet is equal to 579,000 miles or 23 trips around the earth, that’s a lot of mapping and a lot walking.

A great amount of science about Kentucky has been learned from geologic mapping and many students and faculty have benefited from being part of this effort.

The colored areas on the map represent 334 mapped stratigraphic units. The stratigraphic units range in age from middle Ordovician to Holocene spanning 460 million years of Earth history.

There are 427,000 lines that trace around each stratigraphic unit.

There are 21,200 mapped fault segments and 99,000 miles of coal outcrops.

If I refer to this accomplishment in the singular, as in this map, it is because all 25 individual maps once in the computer become a single map even though we have published all of them separately. In the computer environment and on the Internet it is one seamless geologic map.

This map has utility for economic development, mineral and energy production, and environmental protection for Kentucky.
It is used by geologists, engineers, citizens, landowners, developers, and planners to locate resources, protect ground water and the environment, avoid natural hazards, and design infrastructure such as roads, bridges, industrial parks, and buildings.
Of equal importance to the field geology that was done, is the computer and programming work that converted the lines on the map to digital data that can be served over the Internet.

The real value of this accomplishment is not in this banner or in the printed paper maps; it is in the digital data derived from the maps that we serve over the Internet 24/7. The computers we use to serve this data consume 7 terabytes of storage.
We record an average of 500 daily users and so far 326,000 downloads of map information. If we count each download as an individual publication as we would have in the past with traditional paper publications, this is a best seller.

We have developed an AP so that anyone anywhere in Kentucky with a smart phone can readily see the geology at their location identifying geologic formations, sinkholes, faults, landslides, mineral deposits and other features.
Land-use planning maps that were created from this map are used in county planning offices and are in 1300 class rooms in 500 schools. This map has benefits for every county in Kentucky.

There has been a team of dedicated field geologists, cartographers, digitizers, programmers and IT personnel; men and women whose efforts have culminated in the accomplishment we celebrate today. We owe a great deal to all who took part. Today’s celebration is a thank you to all of them for what has been accomplished. This is a testament to what can be achieved through federal-state-university research partnerships.

There are many people important to this celebration that deserve recognition. I cannot possible name them all but the late Wallace Hagan, the 10th State Geologist of Kentucky, started the modern geologic mapping program in 1960 and partnered with then Director Thomas Nolan of the U.S. Geological Survey to achieve the original mapping that was the foundation for our current work. Doc Hagan had a great vision for what geologic mapping could accomplish that was shared by the USGS.
Also, Don Haney the 11th State Geologist of Kentucky, my predecessor, continued the partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey and began the digitizing and computerization of the original maps. Don is here today.

I also want to acknowledge the great efforts of the nearly 200 field mappers, 188 of them from the U. S. Geological Survey who conducted the original mapping program. We have a number of original field mappers, cartographers, paleontologists, and scientists with us today. Thank you all for the contributions you made!

I want to acknowledge the 60 digital mappers, and programmers at KGS who digitized the data and converted the maps for computer use, especially Warren Anderson and Tom Sparks who oversaw these efforts.

We also want to acknowledge the Commonwealth of Kentucky who supported the mapping. State government is today one of the largest users of this information for many of the land and resource management programs in the state.

The accomplishment we celebrate today would not have been possible without the support and participation of the U. S. Geological Survey. We thank them for their support. Also the Association of American State Geologists and the 49 other state geological surveys are a big support for the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program in Congress.

KGS is a research institute of the University of Kentucky and being a part of this university and this campus with all of its capabilities and facilities has made our job much easier. We are proud to be a part of UK and could not have accomplished this achievement without the support of UK.

The National Geologic Mapping Act was passed and signed into law in 1992. It created the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program at the U.S. Geological Survey and the StateMap component of that program that has supported a large part of our recent mapping efforts. The U. S. Geological Survey was also our partner in the original mapping that laid the foundation for this new accomplishment.

Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Len Peters.

I have a few final announcements
I want to again thank our speakers for being here to celebrate this achievement.
I want to thank Dr. Jim Tracy, UK Vice President for Research, our boss, who has been tremendously helpful to the Kentucky Geological Survey.
I am pleased to introduce the members of the State Geologic Mapping Advisory Committee who are also members of the KGS Advisory Board.
• Karen Thompson
• Roger Rectenwald
• John Tate
• Mark Mangun
• Doug Reynolds
• Greg Yankee
• Ron Gilkerson
• Marco Rajkovich

It is also my pleasure to introduce fellow state geologists who are here today.
• Don McKay, State Geologist of Illinois
• Bill Shilts, former state geologist of Illinois and current Executive Director of the Illinois Prairie Research Institute
• John Steinmetz, State Geologist of Indiana
• Harvey Thorleifson, State Geologist of Minnesota
• Larry Wickstrom, State Geologist of Ohio
• Don Haney, State Geologist Emeritus of Kentucky, I would like to point out that Dr. Haney was one of the principal workers who got the National Geologic Mapping Act passed by Congress.

I want to acknowledge our guests from the U.S. Geological Survey:
Of course Suzette Kimball Deputy Director who was previously introduced.
• Kevin Gallagher, Associate Director for Core Science Systems.
• Randy Orndorff, Center Director for Geology and Paleoclimate and the previous coordinator of the StateMap program.
• Doug Howard, Associate Program Coordinator for the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program and the current coordinator of the StateMap program. We work with Doug a lot.

I would like to acknowledge the Head of the KGS Geologic Mapping Section Dr. William Andrews.

I want to give very special credit to Terry Hounshell, the KGS cartographer, who created this banner; he created the ½- scale map and all the 30 by 60 minute geologic maps. He is a skilled cartographer and artist as is evident from his maps.
I am proud of this accomplishment and all the efforts and contributions by so many. But to put this into perspective it is a milestone because data are still being collected and will be added to this map. The beauty of the computer age is that new data can be added easily. Needs and questions will undoubtedly change in the future so the data that goes into a map such as this will also change. The work continues.

Additional remarks were offered by President of the University of Kentucky, President Eli Capilouto, Deputy Director Suzette Kimball of the U. S. Geological Survey, and Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Len Peters.

USGS Director Marcia McNutt's Statement on the Importance of State Geological Surveys

2011-11-23T08:16:00.001-08:00

The following written statement by USGS Director Marcia McNutt was released on November 22, 2011:

For more than 130 years, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been working in partnership
with State Geological Surveys to provide science information that is vitally important to the U.S.
economy, the safety and health of American citizens, and the sustainability and security of their
natural resources. The USGS fully recognizes and supports the need for State geological surveys
to help meet the growing challenges society faces in its interface with the natural world on a
planet undergoing modification from both natural and man-made causes.

The USGS cannot fully implement our mission without the State geological surveys. Over our
long and productive history of partnership, we have established successful ways of working
together to mutually support our citizenry and reinforce the best features of both Federal- and
State-based government, without overlap or duplication. For example, the USGS, with input
from States, provides national standards, benchmarks, and datums, such that individual State
products can be linked at the State boundaries. However, without the contributions of the States,
national maps, data bases, models, and resource assessments would be sparsely populated. This
symbiotic relationship allows the State surveys the latitude to determine which data sets are most important to their constituencies, while knowing that those data sets can be linked within a
regional context, and that the scientific standards are authoritative.

Partnerships such as this are even more important as resources at the Federal and State level
continue to decline. State geological surveys maintain a network of applied geoscience activities
throughout the country independent of the distribution of the Federal workforce. By continuing
to leverage our resources, information and knowledge, we will help the Nation and States
address future economic, sociological, environmental and resource challenges now and for
generations to come.

[signed]
Marcia McNutt
Director

Geologic sources of natural acid rock drainage in Colorado

2011-11-21T17:42:00.000-08:00

Is high, pristine mountain water always clean and pure? Can streams unaffected by human activities and livestock influences be unfit for human consumption, or fish? A new study by the Colorado Geological Survey (CGS) has some surprising answers. The study examines specific areas in Colorado that have naturally poor, surface-water quality due to the area’s geology.
The report, titled “Natural Acid Rock Drainage Associated with Hydrothermally Altered Terrane in Colorado,” identifies a number of streams in eleven different headwater areas of Colorado where surface water is acidic and has high concentrations of metals upstream of any significant human impacts. [Right, this stream, in the East Mancos River headwaters in the La Plata Mountains of southwest Colorado, is naturally acidic with high concentrations of metals simply because of the surrounding geology. Credit, Colorado Geological Survey]

Rocks in these areas were altered by intensely hot water circulating in the earth’s crust, often associated with volcanic activity during Colorado’s geologic past. The “hydrothermal alteration” of the rocks changed their composition by dissolving some minerals and depositing others. In the affected areas, the hydrothermal-alteration process deposited metal-sulfide minerals, commonly pyrite (fool’s gold), in the rocks.

When these rocks are exposed at the surface, they interact with oxygen and the iron sulfide "rusts" to form iron oxide minerals, creating striking yellow, orange, and red colors – similar to the oxidation of metal in an old rusty car. “Acid rock drainage” occurs when the sulfur that is displaced by the oxygen combines with water to form weak sulfuric acid. The acidic water then dissolves minerals from the bedrock, often adding significant amounts of dissolved metals to these headwater streams. Natural acid rock drainage has been active in Colorado for thousands, possibly millions of years.

The CGS collected 101 water samples from headwater areas and identified specific streams in the following areas as being affected by natural acid rock drainage: Silverton area, Lake City area, Platoro-Summitville area, Kite Lake area and East Trout Creek in the San Juan Mountains, the La Plata Mountains, Rico Mountains, headwaters of Lake Creek south of Independence Pass, the Ruby Range near Crested Butte, Red Amphitheatre near Alma, headwaters of the Snake River in eastern Summit County, and the Rabbit Ears Range.

Colorado headwater areas where geology generates natural acid rock drainage, causing poor water quality. For better viewings options for this map, visit http://geosurvey.state.co.us/water/Acid%20Water%20Natural/Pages/ImageGallery.aspx

Through detailed geologic mapping, the study characterized the type and intensity of hydrothermal alteration and correlated the geology with surface-water chemistry. Many of the areas exhibiting intense hydrothermal alteration also contain historic mine sites. Frequently, acid rock drainage from natural sources and mine sites combine to cause severe downstream water quality problems. In these situations it is important to distinguish the natural, or background, water quality so that realistic clean-up goals for water quality can be set.
Funding for this study came from the Colorado Geological Survey portion of the Department of Natural Resources Severance Tax Operational Account. Colorado severance taxes are derived from the production of gas, oil, coal, and metallic minerals.

To order the Natural Acid Rock Drainage: Associated with Hydrothermally Altered Terrane in Colorado please call 303-866-2611 Option 0, or visit our online book store at http://geosurveystore.state.co.us and search for NARD. Price is $30.00 plus shipping.

[This post is taken from the announcement by the CGS]

Search reopened for director of New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources

2011-11-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

The search is being re-opened for the position of Director of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. Closing date for applications is March 1, 2012, according to Greer Price, Interim Director.

Vacancy Announcement
Director / State Geologist

Search for:

The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources is seeking a new director and state geologist. The director must develop and articulate a forward-thinking vision of bureau programs in applied research and service and embrace a collegial leadership style. The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources is a research and service division of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech). Situated in Socorro, New Mexico, on the campus of New Mexico Tech, the bureau has served as the state geological survey for 85 years. With close to 60 employees, the organization has a long-standing reputation for excellence in research, service, and outreach. Our mission includes basic research on the geologic framework of the state, with an emphasis on applied geosciences and the state’s geologic resources. We are also tasked with the gathering, preservation, and dissemination of geologic information to the professional geoscience community, state and federal agencies, and the general public. As a division of the university, the bureau works in collaboration with the academic and other divisions of the university. The position reports directly to the president of the university.

Anticipated appointment date: By Fall 2012.

Salary: Negotiable.
RESPONSIBILITIES

Sustain and enhance the environment for creative research and service at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology in order to meet the mission of the bureau and the needs of the state of New Mexico, New Mexico Tech, and the geoscience community in New Mexico. Provide administrative and scientific leadership in natural resource (energy, water, and minerals) and environmental issues; geosciences data collection and analysis; basic and applied research in the geosciences; and public access to, dissemination of, and archival collection of research results and natural resource data using current and innovative technologies.
Oversee the administrative, personnel, and financial affairs of the bureau. This includes direct supervision of a significant portion of the professional staff, and being proactive in seeking additional non-bureau or external funding to support both new and ongoing programs of the bureau.
Establish policies that maintain a balance between the broad goals of research and service, while working with state government and university leadership to address the diverse funding needs of the bureau. This includes interacting with staff in the development and review of programs and personnel to insure that the bureau fulfills its broad goals. Both planning and implementation must be responsive to the needs of the state of New Mexico and sensitive to the state’s public policy issues.
Foster collaborations and positive working relationships with academic departments and divisions of the university, the state legislature, local government, state and federal agencies, the private sector, and the public. Provide leadership and advice for other government bodies regarding resource and environmental policy, and the economic development and management of natural resources.
Promote and maintain a positive public image for the bureau in both state and national discussions regarding natural resource and earth science issues.
Maintain an awareness of new and important developments in geosciences research and relevant technologies to anticipate the directions of geosciences research and applications, integrating this knowledge with an understanding of the specific needs of the state and incorporating it into long-term planning.
As State Geologist, the director or an allowed designee serves on various state advisory boards.
Maintain avenues for outreach through programs that are targeted at a non-technical audience, including the general public and K-12 educators.
Communicate regularly with bureau staff about budgetary, scientific, and professional issues, including their impact on strategic planning, and maintain an open communication with bureau managers.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Doctorate and at least ten years of professional experience in the geosciences.
A minimum of five years of administrative experience, which must include budgeting, supervision, personnel evaluation, and program development.
National recognition in a field of geosciences research, as demonstrated by a record of refereed publications, professional service, and scientific leadership.
Ability to work within a university setting with a wide constituency, including division staff, academic faculty, administration, the public, government officials, and the private sector.
A successful record of obtaining external financial support for research programs through a competitive and merit-based process.
Demonstrated excellence in oral and written communication to both scientific and public audiences.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

A notable diversity of both background and experience.
Service on state, national, and/or international committees and professional associations.
Knowledge of geology of New Mexico and/or the American Southwest, including an understanding of regional natural resource issues and how they relate to economic development.
Experience interacting with state and federal agencies and funding institutions.
Ability and experience dealing effectively with public policy issues in a way that demonstrates a balanced approach toward industry and environmental concerns.
Experience with outreach programs that are specifically targeted at communicating technical geosciences data to the public at large.

To Apply:

Applicants should submit a resume with supporting materials (including three letters of recommendation and a signed cover application) to: Human Resources, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801 (no e-mail applications).

For full consideration, application materials must be received by March 1, 2012.

For more information about the application process, please contact:
JoAnn Salome in Human Resources at 575-835-5955 (JSalome@admin.nmt.edu).

For more information about the position itself, please contact:
L. Greer Price, Search Committee Chair, at 575-835-5752 (gprice@gis.nmt.edu).

Paul Sims (1918-2011) former Director of the Minnesota Geological Survey

2011-11-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

We have learned that Paul K. Sims, USGS Scientist, and from 1961 to 1973, the Director of the Minnesota Geological Survey, passed away October 29 due to a stroke. Minnesota State Geologist Harvey Thorleifson notes that Paul is remembered there with great respect, for among other things, has immense contributions he made to the progress of this Minnesota Geological Survey and to the understanding of Minnesota geology. [right, photo credit Colorado Scientific Society]

The following is from the Colorado Scientific Society, where Paul served as President in 1957:

Illinois Geological Survey, 1943-1944. University of Minnesota, Professor and Director of Minnesota Geological Survey, 1961-1973. U.S. Geological Survey, 1946-1961, 1973- . Worked particularly on the Precambrian of the Colorado Front Range, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, and on ore deposits, as iron in New Jersey, lead-zinc in the Metalline district of Washington, and gold in the Archean of South Pass area of Wyoming

Educated at University of Illinois and Princeton University

Meritorious Service Award, U.S. Department of Interior, 1985. Goldich Medal of Institute of Lake Superior Geology

Member, Society of Economic Geologists (President 1976). Fellow, Geological Society of America

David Wunsch appointed Delaware State Geologist

2011-10-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

Dr. David Wunsch has been appointed State Geologist and Director of the Delaware Geological Survey, effective November 1.

David is currently Director of Science & Technology at the National Ground Water Association and previously served as State Geologist of New Hampshire. He also worked at the Kentucky Geological Survey and was a Congressional Fellow.

Michigan Geological Survey finds new home at Western Michigan University

2011-10-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

State legislation signed Oct. 11 by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder transfers the Michigan Geological Survey from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to Western Michigan University. It will become part of the University's Department of Geosciences, which already is home to the Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education. [right, Michian Basin. Credit, WMU]

The transfer has been under discussion since 2009. The transfer of data and collections already is taking place and will likely be completed within a year. The transfer legislation calls for the regulatory role of the survey to remain with the DEQ, while the state gains essential geological information and the expertise needed to:

develop oil and gas supplies
protect groundwater resources
identify geological hazards
provide educational opportunities for students and the general public

Dr. Alan Kehew, a professor of geosciences and an expert on glacial geology of Michigan, has been appointed as the director of the Survey.

[taken in part from the WMU news release]

New Michigan Geological Survey law passed

2011-10-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Michigan Legislature has passed a bill transferring a variety of duties from the Office of Geological Survey in the Dept. of Environment Quality, to a new Michigan Geological Survey based at Western Michigan University. The OGS would be constituted as the Office of Oil, Gas, and Mining.

This is widely viewed as a positive step for the geologic profession in Michigan. The OGS is heavily dominated by their regulatory duties and has limited ability to carry out traditional geological survey activities.

The Governor of Michigan is expected to sign the bill this week.

USGS Director lays out critical need for State Geological Surveys

2011-10-11T06:10:00.000-07:00

Marcia McNutt, Director of the USGS, told the AASG mid-year meeting attendees that the USGS needs to weigh in on the unprecedented challenges facing state geological surveys. She specifically called out the threats to shut down the Louisiana Geological Survey, saying if there was any state that has the needs for dynamic geological survey, it's Louisiana. AASG is meeting at the GSA annual meeting in Minneapolis.

Marcia said she and her senior management team is working on a strong public statement about the role and and importance of State Geological Surveys.

State Geologists honored at GSA

2011-10-10T05:25:00.000-07:00

Three State Geologists were inducted as Fellows of the Geological Society of America last night at the annual meeting in Minneapolis - Vicki McConnell of Oregon, John Steinmetz of Indiana [left], and Harvey Thorleifson of Minnesota [right], who is also General Chair of the meeting.

Charles Gardner, 1937-2011, former State Geologist of North Carolina

2011-09-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

We are sorry to report that Charles Gardner, State Geologist of North Carolina from 1990-2002, died on September 22, after a very short illness with metastic melanoma.

Charles was also Head of the Division of Land Resources for the state. His obituary reports that upon his retirement in 2002 Charles was awarded the “Order Of the Long-Leaf Pine”, by the Governor.

Charles also served as President of the American Association of State Geologists and of the American Association of State Dam Safety Officials.

Charles wanted said of him: “He stood in awe of the beauty of nature”

Earth abides - we need Geological Surveys

2011-09-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

Geological Surveys across the nation are in fiscal distress or peril. An op-ed in the Cleveland Plain Dealer makes the case for restoring state funding to the Ohio Geological Survey, by describing the economic benefits the Survey provides back to society.

An economic analysis conducted on the Survey on 2010 data shows that "the products, services and data provided by the Survey contribute an estimated $575 million to the Ohio economy -- in the recession and before the shale frenzy had gripped the state."

The case made for Ohio, is readily applicable to every other geological survey in the nation.

In response to the Ohio op-ed, well known blogger/writer Andrew Alden (About.com) observed that "Businesses and their jobs come and go, but Earth abides, and we need agencies with the state's minerals, lands and waters on their agenda."

Vermont Geological Survey building out of commission for months from flooding

2011-09-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Vermont Geological Survey is housed in the Waterbury State Office Complex that was washed out last week by Hurricane Irene flooding.

Vermont State Geologist Larry Becker shared this update with us this morning:

Thanks for thinking of us at the Vermont Geological Survey.

For now we will be working from our homes at least with e-mail and then when our work computers are loaded with software to reach shared drives and software. When the shared drive access works we will have connections to our geologic information. We are out of our building for several months and probably more with occasional access through security to retrieve stuff. 2000 people in the Waterbury State Office Complex are in the same boat.

Email just became available this morning so thanks to everyone making contact. It a testament to the care and support that is the hallmark of our organization [AASG].

Everyone is safe and I was able to drive out to this morning to the main road and found a way to work yesterday.

We have a house sized building that is for the survey but inundated in the basement and also about a foot of water on the first floor. Upstairs is fine so we have moved computers and papers that can be salvaged up there. Some furniture can be saved but everything else will be trashed and moved out to dry out the building.

One good thing is that we are near the end of a geothermal related scanning project so all the key geo reports maps etc are out of the office and now in digital. Our situation shows the importance of going digital!

The state complex in Waterbury is closed for two weeks to a month with no power. The 500 people in the agency we are in will be working from home or temp offices so some of the ancillary services that support us such as access to GIS software will have to wait until servers can be reached from new locations.

A big issue for us is that we lost our plotter in the basement. Insurance will cover it but in the short term I have asked for extensions on grant deliverable dates until we work out access to a plotter over a network.

Thank you for offers of support. I think we are ok for now but I will keep you informed. Our administration is doing the best to get us up and running and I am fully at the table with other divisions during the response.

[the video below is from Vermont tv station WCAX]

Geologic mapping milestone celebration in Kentucky

2011-09-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

Celebration of the completion of the 30 by 60 minute geologic map series for Kentucky, is scheduled for December 1, 2011.

The Kentucky Geological Survey at the University of Kentucky is celebrating a major achievement in the mapping of Kentucky’s geology. KGS has published all 26 maps in the 30 by 60 minute geologic map series and made them available to the public. This achievement is unparalleled by any other state, making Kentucky a leader in geologic mapping and map technology.

These detailed maps show surface and subsurface rock types, formations, and structures such as faults. Geologic formations and faults control the occurrence of minerals and fuels, groundwater, and geologic hazards. These maps are a tremendous contribution to society. The information provided by them assists enormously in the production of resources, protection of groundwater and the environment, stability of foundations and infrastructure, and avoidance of hazards. Because the maps are available on the Web, they are accessible to the public at no cost, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Hardcopy versions of the maps can be printed on demand.

These maps are a product of the Kentucky Geological Survey and the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. The contribution of this USGS program to the completion of these maps is significant. Also significant was another geologic mapping partnership between the Kentucky Geological Survey–U.S. Geological Survey from 1960 to 1980 that produced the original geologic maps that laid the framework for this series. The new map series is a testament to the work that can be accomplished through federal-state-university partnerships.

The celebration is being held on December 1, 2011. A super-size geologic map of Kentucky, 10 feet high by 23 feet wide, will be unveiled at a special ceremony and news conference at 11:00 a.m. in the foyer of the Mining and Mineral Resources Building at the University of Kentucky. A symposium on geologic mapping, Celebrating Geologic Mapping for Science and Society, will be held at the University of Kentucky Hillary J. Boone Center from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Participants will include experts from the University of Kentucky, the Kentucky Geological Survey, the U.S. Geological Survey, state geological surveys, industry, and academic institutions. For more information, please go to www.uky.edu/kgs, or contact Mike Lynch at mike.lynch@uky.edu or (859) 323-0561.

Preliminary damage report of Trinidad, Colorado M5.3 earthquake

2011-08-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

The Colorado Geological Survey posted a preliminary damage report on last week's M5.3 earthquake near the town of Trinidad:

At 11:46 PM MDT on August 22, 2011, a Mw 5.3 earthquake was recorded by U.S. Geological Survey seismometers and located the epicenter approximately 9 miles (+/- 7.8 miles) WSW of Trinidad, Colorado. Early reports by local news media indicated that significant damage to buildings had occurred in the towns of Segundo and Valdez, 15 miles west of Trinidad on Colorado State Highway 12. Prior to the Mw 5.3 event, three smaller events were also recorded in the same vicinity, the largest being an Mw 4.6 event at 5:30 PM MDT.

On the morning of August 23rd, the Colorado Geological Survey dispatched geologists to the area to document the damage related to the largest earthquake in Colorado within the last 44 years. Locations with observed structural damage included (from most severe to least): Segundo, Valdez, Cokedale, and Trinidad.

[right, the front of this brick building in Segundo Colorado collapsed, sending debris onto State Highway 12. Note the crushed mailbox. Figure 8 in the report.]

Vermont Geological Survey flood damage from Hurricane Irene

2011-08-30T08:02:00.001-07:00

Vermont has been particularly hard-hit with unprecedented flooding caused by the torrential rains associated with Hurricane Irene. The village of Waterbury, home of the Vermont Geological Survey, has been flooded out by the Winooski River. We hear from our colleagues in New England that the VGS staff and their families are all well and most have had power restored to their homes. However, the building that houses the VGS has suffered flood damage, although the full extent of that damage is not known at this time. Staff have been unable to survey the situation due to roads being washed out. [right, Vermont rivers and lakes. Credit, Geology.com]

Prehistoric Life of North Dakota Coloring & Activity Book

2011-08-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

A prehistoric life of North Dakota coloring and activity book has recently been published and is now available as Educational Series 32. The cover art and illustrations in the book where done by Becky Gould, Survey paleontologist, and John Hoganson, State Paleontologist, provided the text. The book is arranged in chronological order beginning with marine Paleozoic fossils found in oil well cores and ending with illustrations of animals that lived in North Dakota during the last Ice Age.

The book follows the story line of the Corridor of Time fossil exhibit in the North Dakota Heritage Center and will be consistent with the fossil exhibits planned for the new Geologic Time Exhibit Gallery being constructed as part of the Heritage Center expansion.

Price is $2 from the North Dakota Geological Survey

Reprieve for Louisiana Geological Survey

2011-08-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

Louisiana State Geologist Chacko John passed along the good news that at least for the time being, the Survey will not take the major budget cuts that threatened them. Less drastic cuts may be forthcoming mid-fiscal year, but worries that the Survey would be completely phased out are somewhat lessened.

Rick Chormann named State Geologist of New Hampshire

2011-08-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

We're a little late in announcing that Frederick "Rick" Chormann was appointed State Geologist and Director of the New Hampshire Geological Survey. Rick had been Acting State Geologist following the resignation of David Wunsch, who went to the National Ground Water Association.

Source of Virginia's M5.9 quake

2011-08-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

The Virginia Division of Geology and Mineral Resources issued this statement on the magnitude 5.9 earthquake that occurred today, shaking large areas of the Eastern U.S.:

Virginia experienced a widely-felt earthquake at 1:51 p.m. eastern daylight time on Tuesday, August 23, 2011. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter of the quake was located near Mineral, in Louisa County. With a preliminary magnitude of 5.9, this is the
largest Virginia earthquake in historic times. A few small aftershocks have been reported.

The epicenter falls within the Central Virginia Seismic Zone, a cluster of dozens of earthquakes that have occurred within the past 120 years, centered about halfway between Richmond and Charlottesville. Several known faults are present in the area: the Chopawamsic Fault, the Lakeside Fault, and the Spotsylvania Fault. These are old faults, related to plate tectonic events that closed and then reopened the Atlantic Ocean about 150 million years ago. Even though these faults are quite old and considered to be inactive, occasional earthquakes continue to occur.

Foreign invesment in U.S. natural resources

2011-08-03T17:21:00.000-07:00

Colorado State Geologist Vince Matthews is quoted extensively in a feature article in High Country News about foreign investment in western U.S. extractive resources (the article requires paid subscription):

Lately, Matthews has been traveling around the state telling chambers of commerce, groups of geologists, community leaders and just about anyone else who will listen that he's worried.

Sitting in his downtown Denver office, wearing a suit and tie that would look at home on a Houston oil executive, Matthews says that China and India, with their huge populations and economies growing at rates not seen since the Industrial Revolution, are ravenous for natural resources. Handing me graphs and charts to prove it, he says that their hunger is already washing across the West, driving up the pressure to develop natural resources. He talks about a Chinese businesswoman he knows in Denver, who frequently asks him how her relatives and clients can get hold of a Colorado mine or mineral deposit. And he reminisces about a visit to the Los Angeles port at Long Beach, where he saw ship after ship loaded down with scrap metal, headed for China.

Even when these countries aren't directly investing in or buying U.S. resources, their appetite for them around the globe is raising prices and spurring new development here in the West, Matthews says.

[Right, map of foreign investments in extractive resources. Map by the Rural West Initiative, Bill Lane Center for the American West, Stanford University. Credits: Rio Akasaka and Geoff McGhee]

What? No Geological Survey in Louisiana?

2011-08-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

The planned shutdown of the Louisiana Geological Survey over the next three years and conversion of the operation into an contract mill, is drawing incredulity and derision from the petroleum industry. An article in the August issue of AAPG Explorer notes that if Louisiana follows through on its plans, the state will be the only one in the continental U.S. without a state geological survey.

The article notes that the Survey has been a driving force for the independent oil and gas industry, which they call the 'backbone' of Louisiana's success in oil and gas exploration.

Colorado State Geologist warns of natural resource depletion

2011-07-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

Colorado State Geologist Vince Matthews[right, credit CGS] warns that “We’re depleting natural resources all over the world," and are increasingly at risk of shortages of energy and minerals. Vince spoke at the recent 3-D Seismic Symposium in Denver and his talk is reported in the June issue of AAPG Explorer magazine (p12).

He's quoted as saying "a total of 50 percent of all copper mined and 50 percent of all oil consumed has taken place since 1985." In addition, international companies, many nationally owned, are buying up U.S. reserves of energy and minerals which may mean that we wake up one day and discover we don't own them any more.

Colorado looks to Raton Basin for geothermal electricity

2011-07-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

Paul Morgan, with the Colorado Geological Survey says that if sedimentary basin geothermal energy can be developed in the Raton basin, it can be done in many other basins and "a lot of the uncertainty of geothermal can be removed."

Paul is interviewed in the June issue of the AAPG Explorer magazine on geothermal energy. [right, Colorado heat flow map. Credit, CGS]

Opening for Wyoming State Geologist

2011-07-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Applications for the Wyoming State Geologist are being invited:

The State of Wyoming is seeking applicants for the cabinet level position of State Geologist/Director of the Wyoming State Geological Survey, located in Laramie, Wyoming. The State Geologist is the chief administrator of the Wyoming Geological Survey, as well as a member of various boards, commissions and groups in Wyoming. Résumés accepted through September 15th, 2011.

For further details and a full job description, contact Colin McKee, Wyoming Governor’s office:

Phone: 307-777-7434 or

Email: colin.mckee@wyo.gov

An EEO/ADA employer

3D geologic mapping by geological surveys

2011-07-21T08:06:00.001-07:00

The Illinois State Geological Survey and British Geological jointly published a compilation of articles on 3D geologic mapping and modeling being done in geological surveys worldwide. [right, Lake County, Illinois, showing data, cross sections, surficial and 3D geology]

Ref: Synopsis of Current Three-dimensional Geological Mapping and Modeling in Geological Survey Organizations, ISGS Circular 578, 2011, 92p.

NY Survey deals with largest landslide in state history

2011-07-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

A landslide taking place since May, 2011 is now considered to be the largest recorded landslide in New York State [right, progression of landslide, May 10-31, 2011]. Over 82 acres of earth are moving, albeit slowly, but steadily. Unlike the movie version of landslides in which rocks and boulders and fast-moving earth quickly destroy everything in its path, most true landslides are slow-moving. Early measurements taken the U.S. Geological Survey indicate the hillside moving downward at the rate of about 1 millimeter an hour along a mile-long fault. This is considerable when you take into account that the foundation of several homes located along the site are being moved as well.

However, in recent weeks, some parts of the slide have actually accelerated. Over a three-day period in June, a shift of 150 feet downhill was recorded. Dry weather should help slow the slide as water is removed from the soil, but rain and snow from upcoming seasons can continue to destabilized the area.

In the News:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/nyregion/creeping-landslide-puts-ny-house-on-precipice.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/01/us-landslide-newyork-idUSTRE7605F320110701
http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/17722/keene-valley-landslide-now-largest-in-new-york-state-history

[reprinted from the NY State Geological Survey website]

Arkansas earthquake story on NPR

2011-07-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

Arkansas Geological Survey's Scott Ausbrooks is one of the experts interviewed in a 13-minute special segment on National Public Radio yesterday. The segment is titled, "Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's Earthquake Ballad." The producers" shared the community's voices with musician Will Oldham, aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy, who contributed an original song, "Mother Nature Kneels," based on their stories." You can listen to the audio or read the transcript online.

[right, recent earthquakes in Arkansas. Credit, Arkansas Geological Survey]

North Carolina solution to landslides - kill the landslide mapping program

2011-07-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

North Carolina and Tennessee have spent $20 million in the last 6 months to repair damage to major roads from landslides, rockfalls, and mudslides. So what is North Carolina's response? The Legislature voted to eliminate the landslide mapping program at the North Carolina Geological Survey, nominally as a budget saving effort.

However, news reports describe opposition to the landslide mapping program home builders, real estate interests, and local and state officials, who fear that disclosure of landslide risk will discourage buyers, especially those from out of state. [right, demolished remains of a residence at the location of a fatal debris flow on Dec. 11, 2003 near Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Much of the demolition took place during the effort to rescue the victim buried in the back of the house. The embankment failure that originated in the scarp in the background mobilized into a debris flow. Credit, NCGS]

Interim Director of New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources

2011-07-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

L. Greer Price will be the interim director of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources until a replacement is hired for retiring State Geologist Peter Scholle. Peter will stay on as an Emeritus member of the Bureau and New Mexico Tech, and will continue to be active in AASG. [that's Greer on the left]

Profile of retiring Delaware State Geologist John Talley

2011-07-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

Delaware State Geologist John Talley [right. Credit, UDel] has just retired and the University of Delaware published a nice review of his career and accomplishments.

“John’s leadership and his incredible record of making connections with state and local governments, nonprofits, and other groups have made a lasting impact on DGS and its mission,” said Nancy Targett, dean of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, the administrative home of DGS.

DGS Senior Scientist Peter McLaughlin will serve as interim director until a replacement is hired.

New AASG officers elected at annual meeting

2011-06-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

The following were elected as officers of AASG at the annual meeting in Dubuque, Iowa on June 15, 2011. [right, incoming AASG President Vicki McConnell acknowledges the contributions of outgoing president Jim Cobb, at the AASG Annual Meeting]

AASG Executive Committee

President Vicki McConnell (OR)
President-elect Harvey Thorleifson (MN)
Past President Jim Cobb (KY)
Vice President Bob Swenson (AK)
Secretary Joe Gillman (MO)
Treasurer Jon Arthur (FL)
Honorary Members Rep. Don Hoskins (Honorary, PA)

Other Elected Positions
Statistician Rick Allis (UT)
Historian Michael Bograd (MS)
Editor Mike Hohn (WV)
Associates Representative Jerry Weisenfluh (KY)

Interim Director and State Geologist appointed in Delaware

2011-06-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

Peter P. McLaughlin, Ph.D, PG, has been appointed to serve as Interim Director and State Geologist of the Delaware Geological Survey effective July 1, 2011. Pete has been a Senior Scientist at the DGS since 1999. He was previously employed as a Senior Exploration Geologist with Exxon Exploration Company.

Orndorff, Siok, honored by AASG

2011-06-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

Randy Orndorff and Bill Siok were honored at the AASG Annual Meeting in Dubuque Iowa for their contributions that support state geological surveys and AASG.

Randy [top right, photo by Bob Marvinney] served as head of the USGS STATEMAP program in the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program for most of the past decade and was applauded for his leadership, collaboration, and vision in managing this flagship cooperative project.

Bill [bottom right, photo by Bob Marvinney] is Executive Director of the American Institute of Professional Geologists and was lauded for the AIPG authored white paper on the role and value of state geological surveys. The white paper is being used by many state surveys to help explain their contributions to stakeholders and decision-makers.

Wrap-up of the 103rd AASG Annual Meeting

2011-06-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

We just finished our 103^rd AASG Annual Meeting hosted by Bob Libra and the Iowa Geological Survey. Incoming AASG President Vicki McConnell (OR) [right, with USGS Associate Director Kevin Gallagher, on the Mississippi River] offered a brief assessment of the meeting:

AASG President Jim Cobb (KY) had set the theme for the meeting “Importance and Future Roles of State Geological Surveys”. We explored how a variety of surveys are structured and what has and has not worked for successful placement within universities, natural resource or other commissions, and state agencies. We also reviewed how we are communicating our information and our we might improve our impact to our stakeholders and our “bosses” be they Governors, advisory boards, Commissioners, or Chancellors.

We were updated on ongoing and emerging issues that affect some or all SGS: conventional and unconventional energy exploration and extraction, geothermal resources and data, geological hazards, strategic minerals, and topographic mapping to name a few. We heard briefings from several representatives of mission areas in the USGS as they develop their 10 year strategic plans and we will have opportunities to comment on their drafts.

Here are a few actions and additional information that came from the meeting:

· Bill Kelly (retired, NY) has volunteered to begin compiling a Surveys’ labs and services database. This information will be posted on the AASG website for Surveys to consider when contracting for services. An ongoing example is that Kentucky GS contracts with the Illinois GS for use of their drilling rig.

· The Associates have offered to compile a database of funded and active projects across State Geological Surveys. This could be a primer to review when surveys are exploring broadening their funding base.

· The AASG Environment Committee, Energy Committee, Minerals Committee, Hazards Committee, and Water Committee will review the relevant subject areas in the USGS draft Strategic Plans and submit recommendations to the AASG Executive Committee to compile for submission to the USGS.

· The Ohio Geologic Survey recently commissioned an economic analysis of their activities and products. State Geologist Mac Swinford has agreed to share the final document with AASG for general reference and possibly as a template for other states to consider.

Federal funds backfill State Geological Survey budgets

2011-06-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

The projected revenues for state geological surveys in 2011 are

e collectively expected to set a record of $245 million, driven in part by federal stimulus funds and some very large federal projects in carbon sequestration at a few surveys.

Utah State Geologist Rick Allis presented a statistical summary at the AASG annual meeting in Dubuque yesterday.

Total staffing at state surveys is about 2,060, a loss of about 1,000 since 1980.

State Geologists annual meeting underway in Dubuque

2011-06-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

The 103rd AASG annual meeting got underway officially this morning on the banks of the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa.

State geologists and staff are here from 38 states, along with a large number of representatives from federal agencies, professional societies, and other organizations.

The highlight of the opening session is a forum on defending state geological surveys in a time of budget crises and trying to learn from each other.

There are serious challenges facing many state geological surveys. Among the most dramatic changes coming is the Colorado survey being closed down in a year but they are looking at moving into a university. The Louisiana survey is proposed to phase out in 3 years. The Nevada survey is being rolled into the University of Nevada Department of Geosciences.

State surveys overall are continuing a decades long shift from state funding to self funding with grants, contracts, and entrepreneurial funding sources. Total funding of state surveys nationwide will amount to about $250 million this year, but only about 40% come from state funds.

State Geological Survey Facebook pages

2011-06-04T16:44:00.000-07:00

State Geological Survey Facebook pages

Alaska

http://www.facebook.com/search.php?q=bureau%20of%20mines&type=all&init=srp#!/pages/State-of-Alaska-Geological-Geophysical-Surveys-Div/164996903526408

Arizona

http://www.facebook.com/search.php?q=bureau%20of%20mines&type=all&init=srp#!/AZ.Geological.Survey

Arkansas

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Arkansas-Geological-Survey/101741636586168

Illinois

http://www.facebook.com/search.php?q=bureau%20of%20mines&type=all&init=srp#!/pages/Illinois-State-Geological-Survey/116717815026470

Kansas

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Kansas-Geological-Survey/105682332805094

Kentucky

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Kentucky-Geological-Survey/196234637071901

Massachusetts

http://www.facebook.com/login/setashome.php?ref=home#!/MassGeoSurvey

Montana

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Montana-Bureau-of-Mines-and-Geology/111076888912317

Nevada

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nevada-Bureau-of-Mines-and-Geology/106397989390636

New Mexico

http://www.facebook.com/search.php?q=bureau%20of%20mines&type=all&init=srp#!/pages/New-Mexico-Bureau-of-Mines-Mineral-Museum/144006618955589

Ohio

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/OhioGeologicalSurvey

Utah

http://www.facebook.com/login/setashome.php?ref=home#!/pages/Utah-Geological-Survey/251490738585

West Virginia

http://www.facebook.com/search.php?q=%20geological%20survey&type=all&init=srp#!/pages/West-Virginia-Geological-and-Economic-Survey/158454344211301

Wisconsin

http://www.facebook.com/search.php?q=%20geological%20survey&type=all&init=srp#!/pages/Wisconsin-Geological-Natural-History-Survey/164453456906850

Wyoming

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Wyoming-Geological-Survey/219044741439371

WV's interactive Marcellus Shale Mapping System

2011-06-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

The West Virginia Geological & Economic Survey has created an interactive mapping application,
"Marcellus Shale Mapping System," that displays locations of completed and permitted wells. The web site also provides general information about the Marcellus Shale, including depth and thickness.

Surviving in Louisiana - budget cuts threaten Geological Survey

2011-06-04T09:34:00.001-07:00

The Louisiana Geological Survey is set to be cut at least 34% in the new fiscal year and the budget fully phased out in 3 years.

Alan Petzet, the Exploration Editor for the Oil & Gas Journal, wrote an op-ed for the online version of the magazine last week describing the contributions of the Louisiana Geological Survey and the budget threats it is facing.

LGS was transferred from the state's Dept. of Natural Resources in 1997 to Louisiana State University, where it focuses on oil and gas, coastal processes, geologic mapping, water, including modeling freshwater aquifers, mineral resources, and natural hazards, such as responding to Hurricane Katrina.

The LGS Resource Center contains over 60,000 well logs and 30,000 feet of drill cores.

Critical Minerals Policy Act calls for State Geological Survey resource assessments

2011-05-30T08:31:00.001-07:00

The bipartisan Critical Minerals Policy Act (S-1113) was introduced in the Senate last week. The legislation proposes mineral-specific actions for Cobalt, Helium, Lead, Lithium, Low-Btu gas, Phosphate, Potash, Rare earth elements, and Thorium. [right, the dynamics of two decades of computer chip technology development and its mineral and element impacts. In the 1980s, computer chips were made with a palette of twelve minerals or their elemental components. A decade later, 16 elements were employed. Today, as many as 60 different minerals (or their constituent elements) may be used in fabricating the high-speed, high-capacity integrated circuits that are crucial to this technology. Credit, "Minerals, Critical Minerals, and the U.S. Economy," National Academies Press, 2008, used with permission from Intel Corporation.]

Among the provisions is the requirement that:

Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, in consultation with applicable State (including geological surveys), local, academic, industry, and other entities, the Secretary [of Interior] shall complete a comprehensive national assessment of each critical mineral that—

(1) identifies and quantifies known critical mineral resources, using all available public and private information and datasets, including exploration histories;
(2) estimates the cost of production of the critical mineral resources identified and quantified under this section, using all available public and private information and datasets, including exploration histories;
(3) provides a quantitative and qualitative assessment of undiscovered critical mineral resources throughout the United States, including probability estimates of tonnage and grade, using all available public and private information and datasets, including exploration histories; and
(4) pays particular attention to the identification and quantification of critical mineral resources on Federal land that is open to location and entry for exploration, development, and other uses.

http://www.republicofmining.com/2011/05/26/critical-minerals-policy-act-of-2011-background-and-section-by-section/

http://www.mineweb.co.za/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page72068?oid=128038&sn=Detail&pid=102055

Utah Survey's publications page on Facebook

2011-05-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

Kudos to the Utah Geological Survey for their new Facebook publications page.

Massive support for Nevada Bureau of Mines & Geology budget battle

2011-05-27T14:18:00.001-07:00

In response to a proposed 47% cut to its $2.1 million budget, the Nevada Bureau of Mines & Geology is making its case to university and state decision-makers, its stakeholders, and the Nevada citizenry. The NBMG web page offers a factsheet and a massive report on the impacts of the cut on the Bureau and the state of Nevada. The report extensively describes the breadth of NBMG work but has an astonishing 200+ pages of letters and messages from industry, professional organizations, government agencies, and academics from around the world, expressing their concerns of the potential harm the cuts will cause.

Susceptibility to deep-seated landslides in California

2011-05-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/information/publications/release_statements/Documents/MS_58.pdf

The California Geological Survey released Map Sheet 58, "Susceptibility to deep-seated landslides in California."

This map shows the relative likelihood of deep landsliding based on regional estimates of rock strength and steepness of slopes. On the most basic level, weak rocks and steep slopes are more likely to generate landslides. The map uses detailed information on the location of past landslides, the location and relative strength of rock units, and steepness of slope to estimate susceptibility to deep-seated landsliding. The result shows the distribution of one very important component of landslide hazard. It is intended to provide infrastructure owners, emergency planners and the public with a general overview of where landslides are more likely. The map does not include information on landslide triggering events, such as rainstorms or earthquake shaking, nor does it address susceptibility to shallow landslides such as debris flows. This map is not appropriate for evaluation of landslide potential at any specific site.

Taken from the CGS news release.

Happy birthday, AASG!

2011-05-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

Today, May 12, is AASG Founders Day. AASG is 103 years old. The founding meeting was held May 12, 1908, in Washington, D.C. in the conference room of George Otis Smith, fourth director of the USGS. The USGS was the host and arranged the meeting space and train transportation expenses to and from the meeting for the State Geologists who attended. The first elected officers were: Chairman: Henry B. Kummel (New Jersey), Secretary: H. Foster Bain (Illinois), and Executive Committeeman: Joseph H. Pratt (North Carolina). The minutes from the founding meeting have been preserved in the AASG online archive at www.stategeologists.org.

The following list gives the names of the members present at the inaugural meeting, May 12, 1908, in Washington, D.C.:

Eugene A. Smith, Alabama

Albert H. Purdue, Arkansas

Elias H. Sellards, Florida

Samuel W. McCallie, Georgia

H. Foster Bain, Illinois

Samuel Calvin, Iowa

Erasmus Haworth, Kansas

Gilbert D. Harris, Louisiana

William B. Clark, Maryland

Alfred C. Lane, Michigan

Albert F. Crider, Mississippi

Henry A. Buehler, Missouri

Erwin H. Barbour, Nebraska

Henry B. Kummel, New Jersey

John H. Clarke, New York

Joseph H. Pratt, North Carolina

Arthur G. Leonard, North Dakota

John A. Bownocker, Ohio

Richard H. Hice, Pennsylvania

Earle Sloan, South Carolina

George H. Perkins, Vermont

Israel C. White*, West Virginia

William O. Hotchkiss, Wisconsin

The first order of business after organizational matters were dealt with was a resolution to support the USGS for topographic mapping. This launched a 75 year odyssey and partnership between the USGS and state geological surveys and AASG to map the U.S. at a useful scale. This was one of the great accomplishments of the 20th Century. The 1:24,000 topographic maps became the base for modern geologic mapping which took off in a big way as topographic coverage spread around the country. And now 103 years after topographic mapping was launched and 19 years after National Geologic Mapping Act was passed, a new odyssey and partnership for geologic mapping is being done in 46 states and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of geologic maps have been completed.

[contributed by AASG President Jim Cobb of Kentucky]

Maine earthquakes - press release

2011-05-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

Press release from the Maine Geological Survey:

Bucksport-Searsport Region Feels Small Earthquake Swarm

AUGUSTA, Maine -- A series of small earthquakes has been affecting the Bucksport-Searsport area in the past few days, beginning with events on April 30, according to Maine Geological Survey officials.

As many as 30 very small events -- called a swarm -- have occurred, all measuring less than 2 on the Richter magnitude scale, said Dr. Robert Marvinney, Maine state geologist and director of the Maine Geological Survey, under the Maine Department of Conservation [right, recent quakes in New England. Credit, Weston Observatory, Boston College].

"This swarm may continue for several days, but there is no need for alarm," Marvinney said. "This type of swarm has occurred before in Maine. While local residents may feel these earthquakes, because they occur only a few miles below the surface, they are well below the magnitude 5 threshold at which damage might occur."

The occurrence of this swarm cannot be taken as an indicator that a larger, potentially damaging earthquake will occur, he said.

"Earthquakes are not something that Mainers think about a lot," Rob McAleer, Maine Emergency Management Agency director, said. "This earthquake swarm reminds us that we need to understand Maine earthquakes as part of preparing for all the hazards we face here."

The Maine Geological Survey, Maine Emergency Management Agency and the New England Seismic Network will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary, the officials said.

The Richter scale is a logarithmic scale measuring the amount of energy released by an earthquake. An earthquake that measures 5.0 on the Richter scale, for example, is 10 times stronger than one that measures 4.0.

Seismologists at the New England Seismic Network, run by the Weston Observatory at Boston College, have located eight of the larger events. The locations determined for these earthquakes are approximate only, Marvinney said.

A number have taken place in an area between Bucksport, Belfast and Searsport.

Typically, Maine experiences several earthquake events of magnitude 2 or less each year, Marvinney said.

"These occur in response to the movement of large, rock plates that make up the earth’s crust, even though Maine is not near a plate boundary, where most of the large events occur, such as California and Japan," Marvinney said. "The crust in Maine is still adjusting to the loss of thick ice at the end of the last ice age, and this may be a cause for some earthquakes."

Marvinney noted that similar swarms have occurred in the past:

2006 in the Bar Harbor area -- About three dozen earthquakes occurred, including one magnitude 4.2 event and two magnitude 3 events. These were much larger events than in the current swarm, and they caused minor rock-fall damage.
1967 in the Augusta area – At least 12 located events occurred, but probably many smaller events were not detected. The largest event in that sequence was 3.9.

Additional information on these earthquakes can be found at the New England Real-Time Earthquake Monitor (from Weston Observatory of Boston College).

Anyone feeling earthquakes can report the occurrence to the Maine Geological Survey at mgs@maine.gov

McAleer said that MEMA recommends residents take the following preparedness steps for earthquakes:

Check for hazards in the home;
Identify safe places indoors and outdoors;
Educate yourself and family members;
Have disaster supplies on hand;
Develop an emergency communication plan.

More information on earthquake preparedness is available at Maine Prepares

The direct link to the earthquake information article, "Earthquakes: What You Should Know"

A large-format "Earthquake Awareness" brochure also is available from MEMA by calling 1-800-452-8735 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-452-8735 end_of_the_skype_highlighting to request a copy.

Link to more information about the Maine Emergency Management Agency.

Last updated on May 3, 2011

Illinois' Dick Berg to receive GSA Distinguished Service Award

2011-05-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

Richard "Dick" Berg, Acting Chief Scientist of the Illinois State Geological Survey is begin given the Geological Society of America's Distinguished Service Award at the annual meeting in Minneapolis this October.

State Geologists elected Fellows of GSA

2011-05-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

State Geologists Vicki McConnell (Oregon), Harvey Thorleifson (Minnesota), and John Steinmetz (Indiana), along with former State Geologist David Wunsch (New Hampshire) have been elected Fellows of the Geological Society of America.

Here's Harvey with U.S. Senator Al Franken and a shot of David when he was a Congressional Fellow.

[updated 5-11-11, 13:45]

Maine micro-earthquake swarm due to glacial rebound

2011-05-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

Dozens of micro-earthquakes (magnitudes less than 2.0) are due to glacial rebound, according to Maine State Geologist Robert Marvinney, in a story on Wired.com today. [right, seismogram of Maine quakes from April 29 through May 5, 2011. Credit, Maine Geological Survey]

Maine State Geologist on "How the States Got Their Shapes"

2011-05-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

Bob Marvinney, State Geologist of Maine, was featured on the premier episode ("The River Runs Through It") of the television documentary series, "How the States Got Their Shapes," broadcast on the History Channel on May 3.

Sen. Wyden speaks on importance of geologic mapping for geothermal energy

2011-05-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) spoke about the importance of geologic mapping today as keynote speaker at the Geothermal Energy Association's Geothermal Energy Technology and International Development Forum in Washington, DC. The senator talked about his commitment to geothermal energy and laid out 4 priorities:

1. remove hurdles to development, especially on federal lands
2. foster collaboration between DOE and Interior, for more geologic mapping and exploration. He urged more of the kind of work for geothermal that the USGS used to do for other natural resources
3. offer the same tax credits for geothermal as we do for solar
4. noting that the states have done the heavy lifting in establishing Renewable Portfolio Standards, the U.S. should pursue national standards

He spoke eloquently and knowledgeably about the importance of geologic mapping. He is second in seniority on the Senate Energy Committee, chairs the Sub-Comm on Trade, and is second in seniority on Senate Energy.
We had a table exhibit for the AASG State Geotherrmal Data project at the Forum and got tremendous response to the live demo we ran with data services coming from many of your surveys.

Below, video of Sen. Wyden in 2009 hearing on renewable energy development on federal lands.

New Bedrock Geologic Map of Minnesota published

2011-04-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

The Minnesota Geological Survey has released a new bedrock geologic map of the state.

State Geologist Harvey Thorleifson notes that "While this map has renewed our thinking comprehensively, our focus very much remains on county-scale, 1:100,000 3D mapping, which results in the geologic maps that are used in groundwater protection and other management applications – this is by far our principal role. Our County Geologic Atlas program is very active, and growing."

Ref: Jirsa, Mark A.; Boerboom, Terrence J.; Chandler, Val W.; Mossler, John H.; Runkel, Anthony C.; and Setterholm, Dale R., 2011, S-21 Bedrock Geologic Map of Minnesota. This map and associated digital map files supersede those provided as part of OFR-10_02.

Alabama Survey down, but not out, due to tornadoes

2011-04-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

We heard from Alabama State Geologist Nick Tew this morning that all members of the Alabama Geological Survey are safe and the Survey expects to be up and running in a couple of days. The GSA should get back email and other utilities soon, although the University of Alabama may close for the rest of this semester. Some parts of Tuscaloosa are completely destroyed with early reports of as many as 100 dead.

Update (4-29-11, 12n, EDT): Nick Tew reports power and internet has been restored to the Survey. He also passed along this update:

We have some of our folks who have severely damaged homes, but all are ok, physically. There are parts of Tuscaloosa that have been utterly devastated and whole neighborhoods have been wiped off the map. A major commercial area was destroyed, but downtown and the University are ok. We won’t know the total death toll for some time to come, but it’s bad. Many, many are homeless and have nothing left.

"Geology of Illinois" published

2011-04-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

The Illinois State Geological Survey, Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability, University of Illinois, announces the release of its benchmark publication, Geology of Illinois. This 530-page volume, conceived in preparation of the Survey’s centennial celebration in 2005, was written by 40 recognized experts in Illinois geology. The book summarizes more than a century of earth science investigations in Illinois.

The publication will help both geologists and non-geologists better understand how the state’s mostly unseen geology affects, and is affected by, life on the surface.

More than 200 color photographs, maps, and drawings illustrate the text. Topics include

the history of geological investigations in Illinois
the impact of the state’s tectonic and structural history;
the properties and classification of its rocks and sediments;
the rich heritage of its land, water, and mineral resources;
the threats from its geological hazards; and
the application of geological information to societal issues.

The retail price is $35.00, but the introductory price is $30.00 plus shipping and handling. Preview chapters at http://www.isgs.illinois.edu/maps-data-pub/publications/goi/contents.shtml

Copies may be ordered online (https://shop.inrs.illinois.edu/shop-isgs.html) or by calling the Information and Sales Office at 1-217-244-2414.

Geology of Illinois, D. R. Kolata and C. K. Nimz, editors, 2010. 530 + xiv pp.

ISBN: 978-0-615-41739-4

Consolidation of the Arizona Dept. of Mines & Mineral Resources with the Arizona Geological Survey

2011-04-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

On 6 April 2011, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed SB1615, State Agencies Consolidation, consolidating the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources (ADMMR) with the Arizona Geological Survey, effective July 1, 2011. This action transfers the duties and responsibilities of the ADMMR, including the director membership on the Centennial and Mining and Mineral Museum Advisory Council, to the Arizona Geological Survey.

Since 22 January 2011, the AZGS has maintained ADMMR’s physical assets including its offices, records, and printed and electronic archives. At that time, ADMMR staff were hired as AZGS employees. The ADMMR offices are now functioning as the Phoenix Branch office of the AZGS.

AZGS will continue to:
• Maintain a repository of mineral and mining information, including databases, books, periodicals, individual mine files, mine map repository files, mining district data and an archive of mine data
• Provide quality mining data, evaluation, and assistance relating to mineral development to the legislature, federal, state and local governmental agencies, industry, and the public

In addition, the Fiscal Year 2012 state budget provides one-time funding to start digitizing ADMMR’s extensive historical mining and mineral resource files to put them online for viewing and downloading.

AASG 2011 Distinguished Service Awards to Bluemle and Kasabach

2011-04-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

It was announced today that the 2011 winners of the AASG Distinguished Service Award will be John Bluemle and Haig Kasabach.

John Bluemle was State Geologist of North Dakota from 1990 until 2004. As examples of his distinguished service, he was AASG Editor for 8 years from 1996 until 2004, he assisted the Editor as an Associate, he was a co-author of the 2001 Frye Award-winning publication, and he led the AASG Awards Committee until 2008.

Haig Kasabach [lower right, with wife Carol] was State Geologist of New Jersey from 1992 until 1999. As examples of his distinguished service, he was AASG Statistician for 6 years from 1990 until 1996, and he played an active role in organizing the very successful 2010 Annual Meeting.

Gigapan view of Virginia Survey's 'rock garden'

2011-04-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Geology and Mineral Resources maintains a "rock garden" outside it's offices in Charlottesville, where they collected "charismatic megasamples from across the state’s five physiographic provinces as a showcase for the diversity of Virginia’s geology," according to Callen Bentley, who's posted a nice gigapan image tour of the garden on his Mountain Beltway blog. [right, screen shot of Callen's gigapan image]

Foundation supports Washington's Geology Library

2011-04-17T09:07:00.001-07:00

The Friends of the Washington Geology Library is a recently formed non-profit group dedicated to funding continued operation of the State Geology Library at the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources.

According to a post on Northwest Geology Fieldtrips, the library has zero budget this year.

According to the division, the Washington Geology Library is the largest collection of material on Washington Geology in the world. The collection includes:

More than 30,000 titles on Washington geology
More than 3,000 Washington topographic and geologic maps
7,000 reprints of journal articles
Over 50,000 volumes about general geology, mining, and the geology of other states
A comprehensive set of dissertations and theses related to Washington geology
The entire set of publications of the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources
An extensive collection of U.S. Geological Survey publications
Historical topographic maps at 1:24,000, 1:62,500, and 1:125,000 scale
The Washington coal mine map collection
The National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program Library
Environmental Impact Statements and watershed analyses

AASG Pick & Gavel Award Dinner photos

2011-04-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

The annual Pick & Gavel Awards Dinner was held at the Cosmos Club in Washington DC on March 14 with a large crowd in attendance for what has become the premier event by the geoscience community for recognition of those who have made significant contributions to advancing the role of geoscience in public policy. Congressman Hal Rogers of the Fifth Kentucky District was the AASG's 2011 "Pick and Gavel" honoree [right, with AASG Jim Cobb].

Controversy over NY State Geologist's comments on hydraulic fracturing

2011-04-02T09:35:00.000-07:00

New York State Geologist Langhorne B. "Taury" Smith Jr. [photo credit, NY State Museum] said in an interview with the Albany Times Union a few weeks ago that concerns over hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus Shale for natural gas production were exaggerated. Those comments were repeated in an editorial in the New York Post.

As a result, according to a follow up story in the Times Union,

He is being castigated by representatives of environmental groups and is under close scrutiny by his employer, the State Education Department. He has become a target of attacks from activists opposed to the state pushing ahead with plans to allow natural gas to be extracted from deep shale recesses using a process called hydraulic fracturing.

The Education Department will not allow Smith to talk to reporters now. Besides muzzling him, the department, which oversees his New York State Museum geology unit, won't permit him to take calls. Instead, the department provided a reporter a copy of its internal protocol for handling media inquiries which says failure to check with the office of communications first would result in "appropriate administrative action."

Digital Mapping Techniques Workshop 2011

2011-04-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

The Digital Mapping Techniques Workshop 2011, co-hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey, The College of William and Mary Geology Department, and the Virginia Division of Geology and Mineral Resources, will be held May 22-25 in Williamsburg, Virginia. Online registration will be available soon, but hotel information is available now.

(1) Registration -- the cost ($150) covers the Sunday evening icebreaker, breakfast and coffee breaks on Mon, Tues., and Wed., and the Monday evening social. Please register at http://guest.cvent.com/d/6dq6vf/1Q

(2) Hotels -- The Williamsburg Hospitality House is our conference hotel. It's located just across the street from the meeting venues. Hotel rooms are available at the conference rate of $91. Parking is free. The agreement is being signed this week; within a few days you'll be able to reserve a room by calling 1-800-932-9192 and requesting the group by name "DIgital Mapping" or "DMT". If you wish to extend your stay in the area, this rate will be available from two nights before the meeting through two additional nights after the meeting. The conference rate is available until May 1.

The Williamsburg Hospitality House
415 Richmond Road
Williamsburg, VA 23185
(757) 229-4020
http://www.williamsburghosphouse.com/
-------------------
OTHER HOTELS IN THE AREA:
Other hotels are not located within easy walking distance of the meeting venues. Because tourism is a major industry in Williamsburg, there are many choices in these general areas:

- to the north and west of the College, along Richmond Road and Bypass Road
- to the southeast of the College and Colonial Williamsburg, along Pocahontas Trail (Route 60) toward Busch Gardens
- the various hotels operated by Colonial Williamsburg (http://www.history.org/visit/hotels/index.cfm). These range from deluxe (Williamsburg Inn and Lodge) to more affordable but still very nice (Woodlands hotel and suites)

AASG annual meeting registration open

2011-04-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

Importance and Future Roles of State Geological Surveys

Building our economy, protecting our health, safety, and heritage

AASG, Friends, and Partners,

Information and Registration for the 2011 AASG annual meeting is now available at:

http://www.iowageology.org/AASG2011/

The meeting will be held June 13th-15th at the Grand Harbor Hotel and Conference Center in Dubuque Iowa, and is happily hosted by the Iowa Geological and Water Survey. We will focus on the 21st century role of state geological surveys, the critical information and services we provide, and the importance of delivering the message in these difficult economic times. Breakout sessions will highlight the common issues and challenges state surveys face across the land.

One day pre-and post-meeting field trips will be offered on the 12th and 16th. We think you will find your surroundings and experience to be valuable, enlightening and entertaining, with field trips ranging along the beautiful Upper Mississippi River Valley, and evening events highlighting the river and its natural history. These will include a dinner cruise on the paddle wheeler Spirit of Dubuque and a reception at the National Mississippi River Museum. We hope you can join us!

A block of rooms ($70/night plus tax) is reserved at the Grand River Center; ask for AASG when making your reservation. As we couldn’t arrange as many rooms as we had hoped for the night before the pre-meeting trip, overflow lodging has been arranged at a nearby hotel for Saturday the 11th (link on webpage). Links to lodging, field trips, points of interest in Dubuque, the meeting schedule overview, and suggestions for travel are available on the website.

The registration fee covers essentially all meals and events other than pre-and-post meeting field trips and guest trips.

House Committee asks, "Where is the geology in the USGS?"

2011-03-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

“How can the Geological Survey in its budget continue to support cuts in the energy and minerals programs while at the same time increasing significantly the budgets for ecosystem restoration and climate change?” That was the opening question of USGS Director Marcia McNutt by Doug Lamborn (R-CO), chairman of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources,at a hearing on the USGS budget on March 9 as described in a report issued by the American Institute of Physics today.

AIP said "Ranking Member Rush Holt (D-NJ) expressed concern about potential cuts to the national streamgage network and National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program and the proposed elimination of the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program, citing the import of these programs to state geologists and local communities who rely on the data provided."

Both of these programs are cooperative efforts with AASG and are priority issues for State Geological Surveys.

"The Interior Appropriations Subcommittee hearing...had a very different tenor. Both Chairman Mike Simpson (R-ID) and Ranking Member Jim Moran (D-VA) expressed great appreciation for the important work carried out by USGS."

The AIP report adds a lot more detail on the hearings.

Delaware's "First State Geology" newsletter now digital only

2011-03-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

First State Geology (FSG) offers news on Delaware geology and water resources, on recent Delaware Geological Survey publications, and on DGS staff activities as an online newsletter publication. Interested parties may be placed on the First State Geology mailing list by completing the online signup form, sending an email request to delgeosurvey@udel.edu, or simply giving us a phone call.

Each issue of FSG is made available as a PDF on this DGS website, going back to our inaugural issue during the Summer of 1983.

Starting with the online-only publication of First State Geology in 2011, new issues will no longer be named using the volume and number format; rather, issues will be named using season and year.

Utah's 'GeoSites' apps available for the Android

2011-03-21T16:37:00.001-07:00

The Utah Geological Survey's "GeoSites" app for the Android phone offers interactive maps, facts, and histories of more than 30 famous geologic sites around the state. An article in the BYU Universe magazine says app locations range "from the Spiral Jetty at Rozel Point in the Great Salt Lake to the Fisher Towers in Moab down to Arches near Zion National Park." [right, Lower Cathedral Valley GeoSight. Credit, UGS]

Utah Geological Survey seeking proposals for geologic research

2011-03-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

The Utah Geological Survey is issuing a solicitation for geologic research proposals in the area of "Characterization of Utah's Hydrocarbon Reservoirs, Metals, and Industrial Minerals." They expect to award up to 8 grants, at a maximum of $25,000 per grant, for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012. Proposals are due May 27.

A list of previous and current projects is posted on the UGS web site. [right, coalbed methane well, Castlegate field, Utah. Credit, UGS]

This is cross-posted with Arizona Geology blog

NY State Geologist calls frac'ing fears exaggerated

2011-03-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

New York State Geologist Langhorne "Taury" Smith told the Albany Times Union that fears of hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale for natural gas are exaggerated. Taury went on to call for strong state regulation of drilling and a possible severance tax on production. [right, Marcellus Shale producing areas, 2009. Credit NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation]

Open Letter to Supporters of Nevada Bureau of Mines & Geology

2011-03-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

March 13, 2011

13 March 2011

OPEN LETTER TO NBMG SUPPORTERS

We request that you express your support for the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG) by writing to members of the Nevada Senate and Assembly, Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education, and Governor Brian Sandoval.

In an effort to meet proposed budget targets, the University of Nevada, Reno announced on March 7^th that it plans to cut NBMG’s State funding from $2.1 million per year to $1.0 million, if the funds are available from the State. We believe this is a tragic mistake, because it will mean that Nevada will lose money, miss economic opportunities, and not protect and serve our citizens and visitors as well as we should. NBMG stimulates economic diversification and development in the State, saves lives, and protects property from natural disasters.

NBMG is the statewide research and public service unit that serves as the State geological survey. NBMG's mission, to provide the State's needs for geological and energy- and mineral-resource information and research, is defined in its enabling legislation. Established by the Nevada Legislature as a department within the public service division of the Nevada System of Higher Education, NBMG is one of the Statewide Programs at UNR. Although NBMG contributes to the educational mission of UNR through support of numerous graduate and undergraduate students on externally funded research and occasional teaching, NBMG’s main contributions are accomplished through research and dissemination of results. We are supplementing our State funding with approximately $4 million per year in external grants. Nevada stands to annually lose $2 million or more in additional federal grant funding, if NBMG’s State funding is cut by $1.1 million.

NBMG scientists conduct research and publish reports that foster economic development, promote public safety, and improve quality of life in urban and rural areas of Nevada. Some areas of economic development and risk reduction from natural hazards are listed below. The NBMG website, http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/, has links to NBMG publications and services. The latest NBMG biennial report, http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/dox/of1014.pdf, provides details on what we have accomplished recently, and Appendix B of the report lists the statutory mandates for NBMG.

We ask that you contact Legislators, Regents, and the Governor to express, from your perspective on the benefits of NBMG to the State, your support for NBMG. One option that should be considered is dedicating some of the Net Proceeds of Minerals tax to support NBMG. With the revenue from this tax likely to rise with increasing mineral and energy production, the State could benefit tremendously from dedicating a portion of this revenue to support NBMG.

We would appreciate receiving a copy of your letter or e-mail of support by March 23, because it may help us in our internal response to UNR’s proposed cut.

Sincerely,

Jon Price

State Geologist and Director, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology

E-mail: jprice@unr.edu Telephone: 775-784-6691 extension 5

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Economic Development

Geologic maps and related reports on applied research are excellent incentives for economic development. As an example, geologic mapping and related interpretation of regional geological structures played a critical role in the discovery of the Carlin gold deposit in 1961 (NBMG Special Publication 13, Carlin Trend Exploration History: Discovery of the Carlin Deposit, http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/sales/pbsdtls.php?sku=SP13). In the last 35 years, mining companies in Nevada have produced over $230 billion in gold and silver (at today’s prices) and have directly and indirectly provided high-paying jobs for tens of thousands of Nevadans. As documented in NBMG’s annual special publication, The Nevada Mineral Industry (http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/dox/mi/09.pdf), we are in the midst of the biggest gold-mining boom in Nevada’s, America’s, or the world’s history. There are still many deposits to be found in Nevada, particularly buried under volcanic rocks and alluvium. Estimates of the value of undiscovered deposits range up to $1.2 trillion. The geologic maps and reports that are produced annually by NBMG are critical to the continued discovery of additional mineral and energy resources.

Geothermal energy development in Nevada is booming, thanks in part to research and maps produced by NBMG scientists. Our work on how faults control the location of geothermal systems, shallow temperature surveys, and water chemistry from springs stimulated companies to acquire leases, discover previously unknown geothermal resources, and build several new power plants. NBMG Map 161, Nevada Geothermal Resources (2010), http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/sales/pbsdtls.php?sku=M161, demonstrates the fact that Nevada has considerable potential for geothermal development. Production capacity is currently approximately 425 megawatts, but NBMG and other geothermal experts estimate that by 2025 Nevada could add as much as 3,000 megawatts of geothermal power-generating capacity. If this potential were realized, and if energy prices continue to rise, geothermal power could become a billion-dollar per year business in Nevada and account for 35% or more of the State’s electricity needs.

The Value of Geologic Maps

Cost-benefit studies show that modern geologic maps save developers and engineers about $50,000 for every project occurring within a standard mapping area of 56 square miles. Typically, many projects utilize a single map, multiplying these cost savings many times over. The maps, and data collected to make them, are of great value because society can use them in perpetuity. A rigorous analysis calculated the value of the geologic maps to be 25 to 39 times the cost of the mapping (http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/maps-data-pub/publications/ky-flyer/ky-flyer.shtml). We estimate that about 80% of Nevada lacks adequate, modern geologic maps.

Geologic mapping at the scale and overall coverage done by NBMG is clearly a role for government, because the public benefits in many ways. The private sector limits their work to small areas of immediate interest to their businesses but relies on the knowledge of geologists at government geological surveys, like NBMG, to build the geological history and three-dimensional framework of an area and to publish the results for everyone to use.

Saving Lives and Protecting Property from Natural Disasters

The magnitude 6.0 earthquake near Wells in northeastern Nevada in February, 2008, and the swarm of earthquakes that included a magnitude 4.7 at Mogul (western part of Reno) in April of 2008 highlighted our need to be prepared for earthquakes. NBMG joined the Nevada Division of Emergency Management’s team that responded to the Wells earthquake and prepared a comprehensive report on the earthquake, http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/Pubs/sp/sp36/index.html. We were also successful in putting NBMG Special Publication 27, Living with Earthquakes in Nevada, http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/dox/sp27.pdf, in the hands of residents in the Mogul area before the largest of the earthquakes. Because residents followed the publication’s instructions for securing items to avoid damage during an earthquake, perhaps millions of dollars in potential damage was avoided. With the assistance of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), we were also able to distribute this publication as a Sunday supplement in the Reno Gazette-Journal. The public’s heightened awareness about earthquakes will help to save lives.

We have used FEMA’s loss-estimation model, HAZUS, a computer simulation of earthquakes of a given size, http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/dox/of098/Scenarios/OpenFileReport09-8.pdf, to evaluate earthquake risks for each county and 38 communities throughout Nevada. This work indicates that a major earthquake either in the Las Vegas or Reno-Carson City areas, like ones that have occurred in the geological past and will occur in the future, could cause hundreds of fatalities and billions of dollars in economic loss, if we are not prepared. One of the major lessons learned in the NBMG report on the Wells earthquake is that an earthquake can occur anywhere in Nevada. The probability of a damaging earthquake hitting Las Vegas is approximately the same as for Wells, and the probability for the Reno-Carson City urban corridor is six times higher than for Wells. NBMG’s continued work on locating active faults, mapping areas of potential liquefaction and landslides, measuring stresses with geodetic instruments, informing decision makers about options to reduce risks from vulnerable buildings, and informing the public about earthquake hazards is essential to saving the lives of our citizens and visitors.

Floods along major streams and flash floods along normally dry washes are all too common phenomena in Nevada. NBMG research is helping to understand the frequency and severity of past floods in southern, northwestern, and north-central Nevada. NBMG Report 53, Geologic Assessment of Piedmont and Playa Flood Hazards in the Ivanpah Valley Area, Clark County, Nevada, http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/Pubs/r/r53/index.html, has assisted the Clark County Regional Flood Control District in its disaster-prevention efforts.

CONTACT INFORMATION

The Nevada Legislature’s website, http://www.leg.state.nv.us/, has a link to “Who’s My Legislator?” at http://mapserve.leg.state.nv.us/website/lcb/viewer.htm, where you can enter a street address and zip code. Lists of members of the Nevada Assembly, http://www.leg.state.nv.us/Assembly/Current/Assembly/alist.cfm, and Senate,

http://www.leg.state.nv.us/Senate/Current/Senators/slist.cfm, are also available on the web.

The website of the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education, http://system.nevada.edu/Board-of-R/Bios/index.htm, lists names, mailing addresses, and e-mail addresses for each Regent.

The Governor can be reached at the following address and telephone number:

The Honorable Governor Brian Sandoval 775-684-5670

Capitol Building

Carson City, NV 89701

[For more info on the proposed cuts at UNR, go to http://nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2011/03/07/unr-plans-to-cut-french-major-school-of-social-work-and-more/]

Kansas Geological Survey receives additional $5 million to study CO2 storage

2011-02-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

The Kansas Geological Survey based at the University of Kansas has received a second $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for an ongoing study on the feasibility of storing carbon dioxide underground in Kansas and using CO2 to recover more oil from nearly depleted fields.

DOE also awarded the Survey nearly $5 million for this collaborative effort between government and industry in 2009.

Survey researchers Lynn Watney and Saibal Bhattacharya are lead investigators for both projects, which will span more than three years and include scientists from the Survey, the KU and Kansas State University Departments of Geology, and a number of private companies.

Four additional petroleum companies and three industrial partners who could potentially supply CO2 have joined the new study, which now encompasses all or part of 31 counties from a line east of Wellington and El Dorado to the Colorado border and from the Oklahoma border to a line just north of Larned.

Participation by local industry, which provides access to oil and gas leases and technical knowhow, is essential, Bhattacharya said.

"Having the local oil and gas industry as stakeholders will encourage them to participate in infrastructure development related to sequestration and enhanced oil recovery by CO2 injection," he said.

Part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the DOE awards are being used to determine if largely depleted Kansas oil and gas fields in south-central and southwestern Kansas and the Arbuckle saline aquifer that underlies much of the state can be used to safely store CO2 emitted by stationary sources such as electric, cement, ethanol, and fertilizer plants. The researchers also will build models to predict how that CO2 could be used to produce trapped oil in nearly spent fields that is unreachable by traditional methods.

"The new DOE funding provides the resources to expand our evaluation of the benefits of using CO2 to boost oil recovery," Watney said. "We're now able to extend our analysis beyond the geologic formations such as the Mississippian reservoirs in the Wellington field and south-central Kansas to include the Chester-Morrow reservoir in southwestern Kansas."

The investigators are currently drilling a 5,200-foot deep borehole in the Wellington oil and gas field in Sumner County south of Wichita. A second well in the field, which has produced 20 million barrels of oil since 1927, will be completed in late February.

Samples and data collected from the two holes will provide insight into the subsurface rock units and their capacity to securely contain CO2. The project is aimed at characterizing the subsurface and modeling the movement of underground fluids, and will not include any injection of CO2.

Geophysical methods such as seismic reflection, a technique commonly used in oil exploration to create images of underground rocks from the surface, have been used to provide more data on the Wellington field and underlying Arbuckle saline aquifer. The Arbuckle, about 4,000 feet beneath the surface in south-central Kansas, is part of the expansive Ozark Plateau Aquifer System. The highly saline water in the Arbuckle aquifer is not usable and is isolated from shallower freshwater aquifers by impermeable rock units.

Another seismic survey, covering approximately 10 square miles, will be shot in southwestern Kansas in late summer. Data from the surveys will be examined in conjunction with more than 200 additional square miles of seismic data donated by the oil and gas industry.

"Issues such as injection capacity, safety, and risks related to CO2 injection will be studied by subjecting geologic models of the subsurface to computer simulations to assess capacities and risk," Watney said. "The models are created by integrating data collected from three wells drilled as part of this project and numerous existing wells, along with new and existing data from remote sensing, seismic, and gravity-magnetic studies."

Besides investigating the safety of storing industry-emitted CO2, the researchers will build models to predict how that CO2 could be used to produce additional oil.

"This study will help quantify the tonnage of CO2 that can be sequestered in the process of enhanced oil recovery in depleted fields," said Bhattacharya.

Results from these studies, such as successful characterization of subsurface rocks and modeling activities, could help justify a new industry to capture, transport, and store CO2. That could, in turn, enhance state and local economies and reduce the discharge of CO2 into the atmosphere, he said.

"Individually, none of these depleted fields have enough oil-recovery potential to make a CO2 pipeline viable," said Bhattacharya. "But together, they might justify the investments necessary to make sequestration and enhanced oil recovery from CO2 injection a reality."

The Survey also is conducting a separate DOE-funded study on the Arbuckle's capacity to store CO2 in Ellis County, where researchers are drilling a lateral borehole with Wichita-based industry partners Murfin Drilling Company and Vess Oil Corporation. Total DOE funding of the Survey's CO2 sequestration research is $11.5 million.

Arkansas quakes may be related to injection wells

2011-02-17T20:29:00.001-08:00

The Arkansas Geological Survey continues to monitor small to moderate earthquake swarms in the area of Guy, where more than 400 natural gas wells have been drilled into the Fayetteville Shale. AGS geologist Scott Ausbrooks told reporters that waste injection wells may be the cause

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110218/tr_ac/7883826_arkansas_earthquake_swarm_could_be_related_to_natural_gas_injection_wells

Hazards Mapping Geologist position in Utah

2011-02-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

The Utah Geological Survey has released a position announcement for a Hazards Mapping Geologist open to applicants at https://statejobs.utah.gov/JobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=22973. The position will close 3/6/2011. The position will focus on Quaternary mapping to support our Geologic Hazard Mapping Initiative, but will also support other types of geologic-hazard mapping projects and other GHP tasks. The selected person will be part of the UGS Geologic Hazards Program, but will work closely with the Mapping Program.
[right, Thistle landslide, most expensive landslide in U.S. history]

Rep. Hal Rogers (KY) to receive 2011 Pick and Gavel Award from AASG

2011-01-26T15:36:00.001-08:00

AASG President Jim Cobb announced today that Congressman Hal Rogers of the Fifth Kentucky District is the AASG's 2011 "Pick and Gavel" honoree.

The Pick and Gavel Award honors those who have made significant contributions to advancing the role of geoscience in public policy and those who have supported AASG’s goals in national policy.

Rep. Rogers is in his 16^th term and was recently appointed Chair of the House Appropriations Committee. He was formerly chair and ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee. His district is the Appalachian Basin part of Kentucky incorporating the East Kentucky Coal Field and the Big Sandy Gas Field, and is a large coal, natural gas, and oil producer. It is also a large part of Appalachia. Recently there has been a large increase in horizontal drilling for gas. Pike County which is in his district is one of the nation’s largest coal producing counties. He has been instrumental in cleaning up the environment of his district with grass roots movements like Kentucky PRIDE. He has also pushed for nontraditional development through the Southeast Kentucky Economic Development organization (SKED).

The 5th district includes great mineral industries, an abundance of Pennsylvanian bedrock, a multitude of natural arches, Pine Mountain, Cumberland Gap, Daniel Boone National Forest, great natural and environmental resources, and wild and scenic rivers.

Colorado Geological Survey seeks rare earths

2011-01-16T11:56:00.000-08:00

The Colorado Geological Survey is playing a prominent role in that state's "new gold rush" for rare-earth metals. An extensive article in today's Denver Post examines the growing demands for rare earth minerals, China's dominance of the market, and exploration activities across the Western U.S. with an emphasis on Colorado. [right, CGS geologist Jim Burnell with x-ray fluorescence analyzer. Credit, Cyrus McCrimmon, Denver Post]

Kansas Geological Survey experimenting with new technique for sequestering CO2

2011-01-08T10:29:00.001-08:00

The Kansas Geological Survey, based at the University of Kansas, will use a $1.5 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy to test a technique that could cast light on the potential for sequestering carbon dioxide in the deep subsurface of south-central and southwestern Kansas.

The researchers will use a new tool, called volumetric curvature, to analyze data from seismic reflection, a technique commonly used in oil exploration to create images of underground rocks without the necessity of drilling.

If successful, the seismic data analysis tool would provide a cost-effective way to assess geologic CO₂ storage capacity and lead to a better understanding of the underground movement of CO₂ in the Arbuckle and other deep saline aquifers.

California's Earthquake Fault Zone Maps Online

2011-01-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

The index map at right identifies all Official Maps of Earthquake Fault Zones delineated by the California Geological Survey through December 2010 under the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act . Individual Earthquake Fault Zone Maps can be viewed on screen. Digital image files (pdf) and Geographic Information System files (GIS) of individual maps can be downloaded by selecting a specific quadrangle map.

Oregon's “LiDAR Landscapes” Posters and 2011 Calendar

2011-01-05T16:07:00.000-08:00

The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) has released “LiDAR Landscapes”, a 2011 Calendar and series of wall posters of LiDAR images of the Oregon coast, which are attracting a lot of favorable attention.

To view and order posters, visit www.oregongeology.org/pubs/ll/p-posters.htm

To view and order the 2011 calendar, visit
www.oregongeology.org/pubs/ll/p-calendar2011.htm

Washington's geologic information portal

2010-12-31T14:04:00.001-08:00

The Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources hosts the Washington State Geologic Information Portal where you can access interactive earth science mapping, data, and related information. [right, the prototype site for geothermal data]

More types of geologic information will be added to the information portal in the future, so please visit regularly to see what's new. You may also subscribe to our mailing list to receive announcements of new additions to the portal, as well as notification of our publications releases.

Using the interactive maps, you can create, save, and print custom maps, find out more information about map features, and download map data for use in a geographic information system (GIS). In addition to a variety of geoscience layers that can be turned on and off, each interactive map has many base layers to choose from, so you can customize your map in any number of ways. Please note that because of the volume of data available through these interactive maps, data loading and identification operations may not be instantaneous.

The site use ArcGIS Server v9.3.1 with a flex application. State Geologist Dave Norman reports they will be moving to v10 sometime next year which will likely give them more speed and a few more tools. He says the software has finally reached a stage where it is useful and fast enough for someone to consider using an interactive geology site.

The Geology mapping theme is the most advanced of the group but the others are adding data and functions continually.

Was new Utah dinosaur a brainiac?

2010-12-31T10:19:00.001-08:00

Utah's State Paleontologist Jim Kirkland is co-author of a recent paper in the online journal PLos ONE describing the eighth new dinosaur species discovered in the state this year. Geminiraptor suarezarum's skull is six times larger than other dinosaurs, suggesting it might have evolved into a highly intelligent creature if it had not gone extinct. The dino also had other unique features, including an inflatable upper jaw bone and feathers on its arms and legs according to a post on the Utah Geological Survey blog. [right, Maxilla of Geminiraptor suarezarum. Credit, PLos ONE]

Ref: Senter P, Kirkland JI, Bird J, Bartlett JA (2010) A New Troodontid Theropod Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Utah. PLoS ONE 5(12): e14329. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0014329

ND State Geologist leads effort on cancer risk from erionite dust

2010-12-31T09:47:00.001-08:00

An investigation launched by North Dakota State Geologist Ed Murphy has found "levels of exposure to erionite [a zeolite mineral with characteristics similar to asbestos] in North Dakota are the same as in some of the Turkish villages ravaged by mesothelioma" according to a report in Nature.

"The North Dakota study eventually grew into a global collaboration including cancer biologists, geologists, epidemiologists, environmental scientists and physicians." Results were presented earlier this month at the Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology. [right, photomicrograph of an erionite fibre in road gravel from North Dakota. Credit, K. Eylands/UND EERC in Nature News]

"North Dakota doesn't seem to have a higher incidence of the disease than is normal nationwide," but it may take 30 years or more for effects to appear, so studies are underway on construction and quarry workers who may have had extended exposure to erionite dust used in road construction.

Geological Surveys are tweeting

2010-12-27T08:03:00.001-08:00

A number of geological surveys in the U.S. and Canada are tweeting about geology and geoscience activities

Check out the tweets from:

Kansas @ksgeology

Utah @utahgeological

Arizona @AZGeology

Alberta @geology4u

Ontario @OGSgeology

USGS http://twitter.com/usgs

Arkansas Survey responds to earthquake swarm

2010-12-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

The Arkansas Geological Survey is trying to determine the source of nearly 500 earthquakes that have shaken the small town of Guy since September.

CNN reports that the State issued a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the area while the Survey and others investigates a possibility the quakes are generated by deep underground disposal of oil and gas production waste water

Citation for Vicki Cowart's Ian Campbell Medal

2010-12-07T16:02:00.000-08:00

In November, former Colorado State Geologist Vicki Cowart received the Ian Campbell Medal the Geological Society of America annual meeting in Denver. The full citation and response are posted here: http://www.geosociety.org/awards/10speeches/IanCampbell.htm.

[photo by Vince Matthews, CGS]

"Importance and Future Roles of State Geological Surveys" - White paper from AIPG

2010-12-04T10:54:00.000-08:00

"Our nation’s state geological surveys serve a fundamental role in resolving many of the important issues facing our world today and in the future," according to a study carried out by the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) and issued as a white paper entitled, "Importance and Future Roles of State Geological Surveys."

The report states,

State geological surveys are vitally important to the economy of each state and to the nation. The information they collect and disseminate is used by other state agencies, by consultants, industry, developers, and the public as critical input in local and regional economic development plans, resulting in an economic advantage to the state. The information is essential for the responsible and sustainable development of a state’s mineral, energy, and water resources, safe development and modernization of infrastructure, protecting the public from losses due to geologic and natural hazards or anthropogenic hazards, and the wise use of the state’s natural resources for tourism and recreation. All of these are significant to the economy of the state and to the nation by providing jobs and various revenues, preventing or minimizing loss due to hazards and natural disasters, and by increasing our understanding of the earth’s resources and the need for sustainable use.

Buzz Ostrom, former State Geologist of Wisconsin

2010-11-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

Meredith "Buzz" Ostrom, former Director of the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey ((1972 - 1990), passed away yesterday, Thursday, November 11. Funeral and other arrangements have yet to be finalized. Buzz's wife Ann resides at Oakwood Village West, Apt. D-81, 6225 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53711. [photo credit, Univ. Wisc. Extension]

The following is excerpted from History of the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey: Part 2
Originally published in "The State Geological Surveys: A History", © 1988 Association of American State Geologists

Buzz was appointed director and state geologist to succeed Hanson in July of 1972. Ostrom received his Bachelor’s degree from Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois in 1952 and his Master’s (1954) and Doctor’s (1959) degrees from the University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois.
Ostrom worked for the Illinois State Geological Survey beginning in 1953 as a project assistant in Subsurface Geology and in the Coal Section. In 1955 he was appointed as an assistant geologist in the Industrial Minerals Section, where he worked on a variety of subjects including black shales, sandstones, carbonate rocks, and clays. He joined the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey in November 1959 as assistant state geologist with principal responsibility for geology and groundwater. In 1968 he was promoted to associate state geologist and to associate professor in the newly created UW–Extension Department of Geology and Geography.
Under Ostrom’s tenure beginning in 1972 the WGNHS base budget grew from $365,325 to more than $1,000,000. The staff has included as many as 10 geologists, 3 part time soil scientists, 4 hydrogeologists, 1.5 climatologists, 0.5 biologists, 3 technicians, 2 computer specialists, 1 editor, 4 cartographers, 1 administrative assistant, and 5 secretaries, plus more than 20 students. The period was marked by publication of a new 1:1,000,000 scale bedrock geologic map, the first 1:500,000 Pleistocene geologic map, and more than 200 maps and reports. Ostrom retired in 1990, and Assistant Director Ronald G. Hennings served as Acting Director and State Geologist until mid-1991.

Alabama's Nick Tew elected AGI Secretary

2010-11-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

The American Geological Instituted installed its new officers last week in Denver at the Geological Society of America annual meeting.

Nick Tew, AGI’s incoming Secretary, is currently the Alabama State Geologist and Oil and Gas Supervisor, roles he has served since 2002. Dr. Tew is also involved in the Association of American State Geologists, serving as President (2008-2009); the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, where he is the incoming 1st Vice Chairman; the Geological Society of America; and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, where he is an Associate Editor. Tew has recently been appointed to the National Petroleum Council.

AGI is a nonprofit federation of 47 geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment.

Peter Scholle to retire as State Geologist of New Mexico

2010-11-06T12:33:00.001-07:00

Peter Scholle announced that he is retiring as State Geologist and Director of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources in June 2011, after serving in that position for 12 years. Peter also served as President of AASG among many other roles in the organization.

The official vacancy announcement for the position of director/state geologist has been posted on the New Mexico Tech web site (at www.nmt.edu/hr-jobs-at-nmt), currently just below the job opening for a Test Range Gunner I at the university's explosives research center. The announcement is also posted on the Bureau of Geology web site (www.geoinfo.nmt.edu/DirectorSearch). If you know of people who would be interested in the Director Position (or Test Range Gunner), please pass along those web links.

Wunsch, Parrish, Kelly elected to Honorary status

2010-11-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

AASG this morning elected three former state geologists to Honorary status in the Association: David Wunsch (NH), Jay Parrish (PA), and Bill Kelly (NY).

Honorary status is given for exemplary contributions to AASG by a State Geologist over a tenure typically of 7 years or longer.

Nevada's Jon Price receives GSA Public Service Award

2010-10-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

Nevada State Geologist Jon Price received the 2010 Geological Society of America Public Service Award last night in Denver at the Presidential Awards Ceremony of the GSA Annual Meeting.

The citation by Steve Testa noted that throughout his career, Jon "has fervently pursued his goal to address societal and public policy issues related to mineral resources, geologic hazards, and professionalism."

Vicki Cowart receives Ian Campbell Medal at GSA

2010-10-31T06:50:00.000-07:00

Former Colorado State Geologist Vicki Cowart received the 2010 AGI Medal in Memory of Ian Campbell last night in Denver at the Presidential Awards Ceremony of the Geological Society of America.

Vicki is presently CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.

In her acceptance remarks, she commented how surprised she was to receive the award after being out of the geology field for a number of years and joked that it felt like she was being honored posthumously.

Geothermal energy in New Mexico

2010-10-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Fall 2010 issue of Lite Geology published by the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources is dedicated to the topic of geothermal energy. Articles provide an overview of the different types of geothermal resources and reports on geothermal applications across the state.

Delaware State Geologist John Talley retiring

2010-10-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

Delaware State Geologist John Talley announced today that he will be retiring from the Delaware Geological Survey and University of Delaware on June 30, 2011, after more than 38 years of service.

The University of Delaware and the DGS have embarked on an open search recruiting program for a new Director and State Geologist. The goal is to have a new Director on board on or before July 1, 2011. John says the goal is to maintain continuity of leadership and have a seamless transition to a new Director. The University of Delaware has posted the position on its Human Resources web site http://www.udel.edu/udjobs.

The DGS has posted the Director Position announcement on its web site at http://www.dgs.udel.edu/director-search.