GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON

Ted A. Maxwell, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum -- Plio-Pleistocene lakes of North Africa – The Egypt connection.

David B. Spears, Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy -- Geology and public policy – Offshore drilling, uranium mining, and the Marcellus Shale in Virginia.

David J. Harbor, Washington and Lee University -- Do river profiles reveal the recent history of the central Appalachians?

Refreshments start at 7:30 p.m. The formal program starts at 8:00 p.m.

Meetings are held at the John Wesley Powell Auditorium
2170 Florida Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.
(see below for directions)

Meeting flyer to be posted

Information about the Society

The Geological Society of Washington (GSW) was founded in 1893 to promote the increase and dissemination of geological knowledge. GSW provides a forum for geological interchange through a program of regularly scheduled formal talks, informal communications, opportunities to meet colleagues, field trips, and public service. Members represent a wide cross-section of the local geologic community including geoscientists from federal (U.S.Geological Survey, NASA, NSF, military, DOE, EPA) and state government, Congress, Carnegie Institution of Washington, local universities, museums, consulting firms, earth science educators, and others interested in the geological sciences. Guests are welcome.

List of Officers and Committee Chairs for 2012
Constitution and Bylaws
Directions to Meeting Location (PDF; also available in Word format)

Membership Dues for 2012: $40/year ($15 for students)

Membership Application Form (Word document to print and mail)

Membership Renewal Form (Word document to print and mail)

For further information and inquiries about address changes or your membership status, please call, send mail, or e-mail to:

J. A. Speer
Geological Society of Washington
3635 Concorde Pkwy Suite 500
Chantilly, VA 20151-1125
(703) 652-9950
j_a_speer@minsocam.org

Speaker Suggestions and Queries: 2012 Program Committee contact: Sandy Neuzil, Chair

GSW Historical Documents

Search the GSW archives, including meeting minutes (Google search):

Search the GSW databases:

Browse the GSW minutes:

An archive of Secretary's minutes back to the late 1940s is available here.

Anniversary speeches:

Speech by T. W. Stanton on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of GSW in 1943.

Speech by Hugh D. Miser on the occasion of the 800th meeting of GSW in 1959.

GSW founders:

A list of the Founders of GSW is available here. GSW Archivist Jeff Grossman has initiated a Wikipedia entry for GSW, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geological_Society_of_Washington.

The Centennial History of the Geological Society of Washington tells about the history of Earth Sciences in Washington, D.C. as well as the development new ideas in earth science and the evolution of the U.S. Geological Survey. The 165-page paperback volume contains stories about the intellectual and social life of scientists in Washington, and about the good-natured banter that has always characterized GSW meetings. As one reviewer put it, " Bonhomie has been a feature of the Society". A former Chief geologist of the USGS said, "The best $10 I ever spent!". The price is still $10, and the book can be purchased from:

Geological Society of Washington
3635 Concorde Pkwy Suite 500
Chantilly, VA 20151-1125
OR
Order by phone: (703) 652-9950

Payment must be prepaid by check (in US dollars drawn on US bank) or money order payable to the Geological Society of Washington (TIN 52-6049239). GSW cannot be responsible for cash sent through the mail. Cost includes postage by surface or book rate. Publications may not be returned for refund or credit. Damaged books will be replaced.

Announcements

GSW Spring Field Trip: Springs of Washington DC – A Tale of Urbanization will take place on Sunday May 6, 2012, led by John M. (Jack) Sharp, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin. Details available on PDF flyer. Limited to 25 people—please RSVP to Bill Burton (bburton@usgs.gov) by May 4.

Call for Nominations of GSW Officers for 2013. The Nominating Committee of the GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON is calling for nominations of candidates for the GSW Council to consider in establishing the slate of officers for 2013. Volunteers are invited. The list goes forward to Council by October 2012. The list will include candidates for the following offices:

1st Vice President (President-elect),
2nd Vice President,
Secretary (2-year term; council secretary currently completing year 1);
Treasurer (incumbent willing to continue serving), and
three Council Members (2-year term).

Suggestions are welcome (gsw2013nom@gmail.com).

Science Fair Judging Opportunities This Spring! Science fair season begins in March, and the Geological Society of Washington is looking for volunteers to serve as judges for the Earth and Environmental Sciences projects at science fairs around the region. No experience is needed! Just come with your enthusiasm for getting students interested in the geosciences. If you are interested in serving as a judge, please contact Charna Meth. The science fair dates are below and on the PDF flyer.

Northern Virginia Science and Engineering Fair
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA

Loudoun County Public Schools Regional Science and Engineering Fair
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Woodgrove High School in Purceville, VA

Montgomery County Science Fair
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Reckord Armory Building at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus

Fairfax County Regional Science & Engineering Fair
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, VA

Prince William - Manassas Regional Science Fair
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Kelly Leadership Center in Manassas, VA

Prince George's Area Science Fair
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Prince George's Community College in Largo, MD

District of Columbia Mathematics, Science and Technology Fair
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Wilson High School in Washington, DC

“Teaching Climate Change: Insight from Large Lakes,” a professional geoscience development opportunity co-organized by the U.S. National Committee for Quaternary Research, On the Cutting Edge, and the American Quaternary Association (AMQUA). This workshop will take place on June 18-19, 2012 in Duluth, MN, just before the AMQUA meeting. The workshop website is http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/climatechange12/index.html

The next Eastern Section AAPG Meeting 2012 will be held in Cleveland, Ohio on Sept 22-26, 2012. Abstracts are due April 6, 2012. More at
http://www.esaapg2012.org/

First Williamsburg Geotechnical Conference to be held April 30-May 2. Registration for the First Williamsburg Geotechnical Conference is now open for attendees, sponsorships, and exhibit booths. Rooms are limited at The Williamsburg Lodge so register soon at: http://www.virginiageoinstitute.org/index.html

National Academy of Sciences holds The Science of Science Communication Colloquium on May 21-22. More at http://www.nasonline.org/programs/sackler-colloquia/upcoming-colloquia/science-communication.html.

Travel Grants for 2012 Brisbane International Geological Congress. Applications are now being accepted for travel grants that the U.S. National Committee for Geological Sciences is co-sponsoring with the Geological Society of America, the Geological Society of America Foundation, Shell, and the American Geosciences Institute. The deadline for applications is February 17, 2012. A flyer and application can be accessed through the USNC website (http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/biso/GS/index.htm) or through the GSA website (http://rock.geosociety.org/igc/).

American Association of Petroleum Geologists Eastern Section Meeting, September 25-27, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency, Crystal City was hosted by GSW. Activities included: Technical Sessions, Energy Policy Forum, Environmental Geology Sessions, Student Job Quest, Field Trips, and Exhibitor’s Hall. A flyer, call for papers, and additional information is posted at http://www.gswweb.org/aapg.

Past Presidents Dinner Before the 2009 Annual Meeting

Presidents past (and one future) gathered for dinner before the annual meeting to fete the evening's speaker, current GSW President Bill Burton, hours before he joined their ranks. From left: incoming president Jay Kaufman, John Slack, Dave Stewart, Peter Lyttle, Jane Hammarstrom, Rich Walker, Roz Helz, George Helz, about-to-be-past president Burton, Dave Applegate, Doug Rankin, Nick Woodward, Doug Rumble, Dick Fiske, and Brooks Hanson. Photo by Mary Horan. Click on image for larger version.

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Virginia Museum of Natural History field trips: For more information, visit this link.

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At the September 24, 2009, meeting, Callan Bentley gave a talk on "The rise of the geoblogosphere". Here are links to Callan's recommended geoblogs.

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For information on past GSW field trips, see this page.

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Volunteers are needed to lead occasional geology walks for the public out of the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center of the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Walks are usually held on Saturday mornings of your choice. If interested, please contact Margo Kingston, USGS Retired, at home (301) 657-8818 or USGS (703) 648-6369. The home email address is preferred.

Jobs

U.S. Geological Survey Mendenhall Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program. The Mendenhall Program provides opportunities to conduct research in association with selected members of the USGS professional staff. Opportunities for research are available in a wide range of topics. The postdoctoral fellowships are 2-year appointments. Research opportunities are typically announced in July. Application closing date is in the November-December window. Offers are typically made during February. Appointments will start the following October or later, depending on availability of funds. The program contact is: Dr. Rama K. Kotra, rkotra@usgs.gov, 703-648-6271. A description of the program, current or recent research projects or opportunities, and the application process are available at http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc. The USGS is an equal opportunity employer.

GSW maintains a roster of potential employers in the fields of geology, geophysics, and associated disciplines in the Washington, D.C. area. To add to this list or announce specific job/post-doc opportunities in our area , contact: David Applegate.

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) and EARTH magazine list available jobs that may be of interest to the earth science community. The American Geological Institute's Geoscience Careers Site has links to job postings and other career-related information.

Other Geoscience Talks in the Area

Callan Bentley maintains a DC Geology Events blog with links to a long list of Places Where Geology Happens in D.C.

The USGS Public Lecture Series holds a regular seminar series at USGS headquarters in Reston that is open to the public.

The Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists (AEG) Baltimore-Washington-Harrisburg Section holds monthly meetings with dinner and a speaker.

The Potomac Geophysical Society meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month from September through May for dinner and a presentation.

The Paleontological Society of Washington usually meets on the third Wednesday of each month, from September though May, for dinner and a talk in the Cooper Room of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

The Carnegie Institution of Washington holds public Capital Science Lectures, and both the Geophysical Laboratory and Department of Terrestrial Magnetism hold regular seminars.

Seminar series are held at the University of Maryland Department of Geology (including the Geochemistry seminar series) and the George Washington University Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Both the Department of Mineral Sciences and Department of Paleobiology at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History hold series of monthly seminars on a variety of earth science subjects.

GSW is a founding society (1898) of the Washington Academy of Sciences, which maintains a calendar of meetings of its 60 member organizations.

In addition, several other area universities and organizations hold geoscience talks. ** If calendars for any of these are available on the web, please let us know and we can add them to this list. **

The Geological Society of Washington thanks the American Geological Institute for providing web hosting.

Please send any comments or questions about this web site to David Applegate.

Updated April 17, 2012.

Upcoming meetings:

Wednesday, May 9, 2012 1462nd Meeting