Geological Society of Washington

Minutes from the 1479th Meeting

Wednesday, January 8th, 2014

John Wesley Powell Auditorium

Cosmos Club, Washington, DC

 

Speakers

 

How to make andesites on an asteroid

Kathyrn Gardner-Vandy, Smithsonian Institution

 

Paleofluid evolution in the Middle Devonian shales during formation of the central Appalachian fold-and-thrust belt

Mark Evans, Central Connecticut State University

 

The changing picture of glaciers in the American West

Andrew Fountain, Portland State University

 

President Mock called the 48 attendees of the 1479th meeting of the Geological Society to order at 8:01 pm in the midst of the frigid Polar Vortex. The minutes from the 1478th meeting were read and approved without corrections.

 

One guest was introduced:

Bob Hurst (spelling?) of the USGS

 

Informal communications:

Dan Doctor, USGS, presented an informal communication titled, “An igneous enigma on Guam, Micronesia.”  Walking along the beach in Guam (not suffering from a Polar Vortex), Doctor noticed a reddish-colored dike with a greenish zone.  He speculated it was rhyolite, but puzzled since it was located on an island arc.  He consulted with a previous GSW speaker, Fred Davis, who informed him that, unlike intraplate oceanic islands, island arc lithologies near plate boundaries may range from basalt to rhyolite and the enigma was solved.  Questions were asked by Rosalind Helz and Victor Zabielski.

 

Formal presentations:

 

The first talk, by Kathyrn Gardner-Vandy, a postdoc at the Smithsonian, was entitled “How to make andesites on an asteroid.”  Previously, it was thought that a large-sized body was required to produce evolved mineralogies in asteroids.  Garner-Vandy modeled brachinite then experimented by producing a partial melt.  Her experiment produced a composition nearly identical to the GRA chondrite whose origin was in question.  Questions were asked by Dick Fisk, Carl-Henry Geschwind, Richard Walker, Brent Grocholski, and Dan Doctor.

 

The second talk, by Mark Evans at Central Connecticut State University, was entitled, “Paleofluid evolution in the Middle Devonian shales during formation of the central Appalachian fold-and-thrust belt.”  Calcite and quartz vein fillings were studied to understand the extent and history of sediment burial.  Some regions were buried more deeply than others.  Warm fluids were interpreted to have migrated from the Valley and Ridge province in southern Pennsylvania to the Plateau province to the west.  No late stage quartz was found in vein fillings to the north-northeast.  Questions were asked by Carl-Henry Geschwind, Brent Grocholski and Victor Zabielski.

 

The third talk, by Andrew Fountain at Portland State University, was entitled “The changing picture of glaciers in the American West.”  Glaciers are important to study for climatic interpretations and due to natural hazards such as debris flows.  Historic changes in glaciers have been measured based on photographs, maps, and imagery since 1870 when the first glacier was identified in the continental US.  The amount of retreat is regional based on factors such as latitude and elevation and most related to temperature, not precipitation levels.  Fountain noted that 1/3 of glacier he did his dissertation on is gone, thus removing any evidence of error in his work.  Questions were asked by Sandy Neuzil, Victor Zabielski, Dan Doctor, and Carl-Henry Geschwind.

 

President Mock announced the speakers for the January 29th, 2014 meeting.  The 1479th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington was adjourned at 9:28 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Barbara am Ende

 

 

 

 

Geological Society of Washington

Minutes from the 1480th Meeting

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

John Wesley Powell Auditorium

Cosmos Club, Washington, DC

 

Speakers

 

Growth of Earth’s First Crust

Richard W. Carlson, Carnegie Institution

 

Results from the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Mission to Mars

John A. Grant, III, National Air and Space Museum

 

Kentucky Lonestones “Ice” the Case for Ancient Alpine Glaciation in the Appalachians 358 Million Years Ago 

Frank R. Ettensohn, University of Kentucky

 

President Mock called the 71 attendees of the 1480th meeting of the Geological Society to order at 8:00 pm, coincidentally in the midst of the second 2014 Polar Vortex, the first occurring during the previous GSW meeting. The minutes from the 1479th meeting were read and approved without corrections.

 

Ten guests were introduced:

Molly Ray and Scott Miller of AGI

Emily Worsham, Katherine Bermingham, Julia Gorman, Will Junkin of UMD

Claire Hepper of ARI

Max Betham of GTA

Joseph Marr of Data Fusion Corp.

Mickey Deike, unaffiliated

 

Two new members were announced:

Alana Bove of GMU

Paul Shakotka of the University of Saskatchewan (whom President Mock pointedly did not blame for the Polar Vortex)

 

Announcements:
Dan Doctor announced the opportunity to attend field trips associated with the April Southeastern Section GSA meeting in Blacksburg, VA.  There are 6 pre-meeting and 6 post-meeting field trips, including his own.

 

Muffarah Marr solicited for Science Fair Judges.  She gave an impassioned plea that science fair entries can help students on their college applications and that the students are impressed to meet real scientists.

 

Abby Seadler of AGI announced their Geoscience-Energy Briefing Consortium briefings that are a series of presentations to Congressional Staff highlighting the vital geoscience information needed for effective policy making on topical energy issues.  GSW members and the public are invited to attend.

 

Formal presentations:

 

The first talk, by Richard W. Carlson, Carnegie Institution for Science, was entitled “Growth of Earth’s First Crust.”  The Earth is very different than other planets because it has two types of crust. Zircons from a Hadean-aged suite of rocks in Canada were dated with Sm and Nd isotopes.  The Nuvvuagittuq crust may be a remnant of 4.4 Ga crust, possibly generated by mechanisms similar to modern convergent margins.  The abundance of 4.4 Ga ages on the Earth and Moon suggest this is the start of crust forming after the Moon-forming impact.  Questions were asked by Carl-Henry Geschwind, Brooks Hanson, Dan Doctor, and Bob Burruss.

 

The second talk, by John A. Grant, III, National Air and Space Museum, was entitled, “Results from the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Mission to Mars.”  The purpose of the mission is to assess habitability, that is, the biological potential.  The landing site for the robust assemblage of payloads was a crater with strata and an alluvial fan.  The Curiosity drilled a hole and analyzed the first radiometric dates from Mars.

 

Questions were asked by Brooks Hanson, Pat Dobson, Nancy Price, and Carl-Henry Geschwind.

 

The third talk, by Frank R. Ettensohn, University of Kentucky, was entitled “Kentucky Lonestones “Ice” the Case for Ancient Alpine Glaciation in the Appalachians 358 Million Years Ago.”  Enigmatic exotic boulders without clear evidence of origin have been observed in Kentucky, associated with black, organic rich shales, but speculated to be of Quaterary age.  This study demonstrates that all known lonestones are found near the top of the Cleveland Shale and are penecontemporaneous with tillites and diamictics in Pennsylvania and Maryland.  The new interpretation is that the lonestones were ice rafted to their locations at the time of the surround shale deposition during the Devonian. Glacial conditions would be conducive to the formation of organic-rich shales.  Questions were asked by Chris Swezey, John Repetski, Dan Doctor, Nick Geboy, Dick Smith, Sandy Neuzil, and Pat Dobson.

 

President Mock announced the speakers for the February 19th, 2014 meeting.  The 1480th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington was adjourned at 9:42 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Barbara am Ende

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geological Society of Washington

Minutes from the 1481st Meeting

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

John Wesley Powell Auditorium

Cosmos Club, Washington, DC

 

Speakers

 

Carbon Content from Submarine Volcanic Glasses:  What Can We Learn about Carbon from Degassing Flux from Mid-Oceanic Ridges?

Marion LeVoyer, Smithsonian Institution and the Deep Carbon Observatory

 

Insights into the Early Solar System: Ba Isotope Compositions of Meteorites and Their Components

Katherine Bermingham, University of Maryland

 

Arctic: Circulation is Complicated

Laura Gemery, USGS

 

President Mock called the 59 attendees of the 1481st meeting of the Geological Society of Washington to order at 8:01 pm, during an interglacial epoch of the 2014 Polar Vortices.  The minutes from the 1480th meeting were read with one correction; the preposition in the name of the Carnegie Institution for Science.

 

Eight guests were introduced:

Ron Counts of the USGS

Kat Compton of AGU

Maureen Moses and Scott Miller of AGI

Emily Worsham and Will Junkin of UMD

Ryan L. and Lauren

 

One new members was announced:

Katelyn Murtha of AGI

 

Announcements:

 

Nick Geboy introduced Paul Shakotka of the University of Saskatchewan who is presently located in the DC area and is looking for a job, if any GSW member can assist in the hunt.

 

Muffarah Marr provided an update on Science Fair Judges.  In addition to requesting additional judges, she noted that AGI is donating Earth Science toolkits.  It would be appreciated if any additional books, maps or prizes could also be donated.

 

Formal presentations:

 

The first talk, by Marion LeVoyer, Smithsonian Institution and the Deep Carbon Observatory, was entitled, “Carbon Content from Submarine Volcanic Glasses:  What Can We Learn about Carbon from Degassing Flux from Mid-Oceanic Ridges?” The understanding of inputs and outputs of carbon from the mantle are so poorly known that the balance could be positive or negative.  Techniques used for the study included SIMS analysis of chilled margins of pillow basalts and CO2/Nb ratios.  So far, it appears that MORBs constitute a small fraction of the CO2 released by volcanoes, worldwide.  Questions were asked by Tom Cronin, George Helz, Carl-Henry Geschwind, Ved Lekic, Victor Zabielski, Dan Doctor, and Bill McDonough.

 

The second talk, by Katherine Bermingham, University of Maryland, was entitled, “Insights into the Early Solar System: Ba Isotope Compositions of Meteorites and Their Components.” Calcium aluminum inclusions show a higher concentration of 135Ba and 137Ba isotopes than whole rock chondrites.  The variations were interpreted to indicate a complicated early history to the solar system.  Nearby supernovae may have contributed to, in a poorly mixed fashion, the composition of the circumstellar disk, otherwise composed of stardust.  Questions were asked by Carl-Henry Geschwind, Bill McDonough, and Nick Geboy.

 

The third talk, by Laura Gemery, USGS, was entitled, “Arctic:  Circulation is Complicated.”  Ostracodes are sensitive indicators of temperature and their environment.  A threshold was reached for cryophilic species like Normanicythere leioderma in the late 2000s.  Summer cold temperatures are critical for survival and reproduction.  Modern perennial sea ice developed in the last 4-5,000 years.  Sea ice decline began in the late 19th century and has accelerated in recent decades.  Atlantic water (flowing under sea ice and across the Arctic at 100-500 meters depth) has warmed 1-2*C in last few decades and also affects sea ice conditions from below. Models underestimate rates of Arctic sea ice decline.  Questions were asked by Lauren Geno, Carl-Henry Geschwind, and Victor Zabielski.

 

President Mock announced the speakers for the March 12th, 2014 meeting.  The 1481st meeting of the Geological Society of Washington was adjourned at 9:38 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Barbara am Ende

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geological Society of Washington

Minutes from the 1482nd Meeting

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

John Wesley Powell Auditorium

Cosmos Club, Washington, DC

 

Speakers

 

Digging Snowmastodon: Discovering an Ice Age World in the Colorado Rockies

Kirk Johnson, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

 

Insights into Petroleum Geology and North American Landscape Evolution from U.S. Gulf Coast Detrital Zircon Ages

Bill Craddock, USGS

 

Dune Worlds: How windblown sand shapes planetary landscapes.

Ralph Lorenz, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab

 

President Mock called the 63 attendees of the 1482nd meeting of the Geological Society of Washington to order at 8:00 pm, during gale-force gusts that heralded the start of another glacial epoch of 2014.  The minutes from the 1481st meeting were read and approved with the correction of a misreported element.

 

Five guests were introduced:

Meg Gilley, AGU

Michael Kezirian, NASA

Mary Anne Holmes, NSF, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

David Kulbeth, Energy Information Administration

Carla Rosenfeld, Smithsonian

 

Four new members were announced:

Marc Buursink, USGS

Joseph Marr, Data Fusion Corp

Scott Miller, AGI

Stephanie Tubman, AGI

 

There were two announcements:

The GSW Articles of Incorporation that were voted on at the Annual Meeting on December 18, 2013 have been approved by the DC government. We are now a legal non-profit organization operating under the Nonprofit Corporation Act of 2010 of the District of Columbia.

 

The Cosmos Club has asked GSW not to prop open the locked door of the Powell Room with a brick, meteorite, or other object, citing security concerns.  Attendees should knock on the side door or ring the bell for entry at the door that opens to the adjacent hallway.

 

Formal presentations:

 

The first talk, by Kirk Johnson, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, was entitled, “Digging Snowmastodon: Discovering an Ice Age World in the Colorado Rockies.   The Village of Snowmass was bulldozing a small lake to use as a water supply when the equipment unearthed a mammoth skeleton.  Much interest was stimulated among scientists, governmental agencies, and the public.  A large-scale excavation by 50-90 people per day for 69 days resulted in the collection of 35 mastodons, 12 mammoths, 30,000 small bones (mostly salamanders), and many others.  A lower bed of disarticulated bones was deposited as landslide debris, whereas a higher bed of whole skeletons was later deposited under marshy conditions.  Questions were asked by Brent Grocholski, Carl-Henry Geschwind, Mark McBride, Carter Hearn, and Pat Carter.

 

The second talk, by Bill Craddock, USGS, Reston, was entitled, “Insights into Petroleum Geology and North American Landscape Evolution from U.S. Gulf Coast Detrital Zircon Ages.” North America was broadly delineated into 5 sources of zircons that are of various ages.  The near absence of “western” zircons east of the paleo-Mississippi suggest that it has been a continent-scale trunk channel throughout the Cenozoic that captures all drainages emanating from the Rocky Mountain region. Middle Eocene zircon age distributions in Louisiana imply that the northern Appalachians were integrated into the Mississippi River at this time, and possibly throughout the CenozoicQuestions were asked by George Helz, Carl-Henry Geschwind, Tim Mock, and Virgil Frizzell.

 

The third talk, by Ralph Lorenz, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, was entitled, “Dune Worlds: How windblown sand shapes planetary landscapes.”  Dunes have been studied on Earth and compared to planetary bodies, including Mars and Tatooine.  Lorenz made the prediction Titan would have no dunes, yet was discovered to be 15% covered by organic-composition dunes, analogous to Namibian coast dunes, under conditions of 4X the gravity and 7X less atmospheric pressure than Earth.  Additional laboratory experiments and computer models have created simulations that favorably describe extraterrestrial dunes.  One question was asked by Brent Grocholski.

 

President Mock announced the speakers for the April 2nd, 2014 meeting.  The 1482st meeting of the Geological Society of Washington was adjourned at 9:29 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Barbara am Ende

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geological Society of Washington

Minutes from the 1483rd Meeting

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

John Wesley Powell Auditorium

Cosmos Club, Washington, DC

 

Speakers

 

Composition, Structure and Derivation of the Earth's Mantle

Rick Arevalo, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

 

Tidal Signature in the >3.7 Ga Isua Supracrustal Belt, Greenland

Linda Hinnov, Johns Hopkins University

 

Trace Elements in Carbonates as Proxy for Atmospheric and Oceanic Evolution?

Xiaoming Liu, Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science

 

President Mock called the 73 attendees of the 1483rd meeting of the Geological Society of Washington to order at 8:00 pm, on a gorgeous spring day.  The minutes from the 1482nd meeting were read and approved with no corrections.

 

Four guests were introduced:

Will Junkin, UMD

Miriam Sharp, UMD

Yadviga Zhelenzinkskaya, UMD

Su Li, UMD

 

Three new members were announced:

Katherine Bermingham, Univ of MD

Wenying Wu, JHU

Brendan McCormick, Smithsonian

 

There were three announcements:

 

The death of two GSW members were announced:

 

Blair Jones specialized in mineral-water interaction at the USGS.  He served on the GSW Council (1967-68), was Program Chair (1977), and gave three GSW talks.

 

E-an Zen was the President of GSW (1974), the President of GSA (1991-92), a Fellow of AAAS, a National Academy of Science member, gave 7 GSW talks, and was GSW Grand Inquisitor 31 times. Dan Doctor gave a brief overview of the 16 hours of oral history he recorded with E-an. 

 

The GSW Council approved a regular fall 2014 meeting in honor of E-an Zen.

 

Bill Burton reported that two field trips are being considered: one to Great Falls in May or June in honor of E-an Zen and possibly a Fall trip to West Virginia.  Burton will lead a field trip to the central Virginia earthquake epicenter on April 24-25.  It is not an official GSW trip, but GSW members are welcome to attend.

 

Formal presentations:

 

The first talk, by Rick Arevalo, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, was entitled, “Composition, Structure and Derivation of the Earth's Mantle.

 

To determine the composition of the lower mantle and its contribution to the bulk Earth composition, thorium was measured in Ocean Island Basalts (OIBs).  The original composition of the source, assuming 5-10% partial melting, was ~160 ng/g thorium.  Building and using mass balance curves, the OIB source region is calculated to be ~20%.  Five times more radiogenic heat is produced by the OIB source region than the upper mantle Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) source region.  Questions were asked by Ved Lecik, Kevin Marvell, and Rosalind Helz.

 

The second talk, by Linda Hinnov, Johns Hopkins University, was entitled, “Tidal Signature in the >3.7 Ga Isua Supracrustal Belt, Greenland.” The rocks are a silica-rich Banded Iron Formation (BIF).  The dark and light laminae were studied photographically and matched to tidal patterns.  A 14.3 hour day was interpreted for the Isua BIF.  Questions were asked by Kevin Marvell, George Helz, Victor Zabielski, Carl-Henry Geschwind, and John Repetski.

 

The third talk, by Xiaoming Liu, Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, was entitled, “Trace Elements in Carbonates as Proxy for Atmospheric and Oceanic Evolution?”  There have been two dramatic changes in the Earth’s atmospheric concentration; the Great Oxidation Event (2.3-2.4 Ga) and the Neoproterozoic Oxidation Event (630 Ma).  This study is filling the gap in published measurements of oxygen levels for the Mesoproterozoic when fewer carbonates were deposited.  The ratios of Cu/Co and Cu/Ni were used as proxies for the redox state of the carbonate environment.  The resulting oxygen level measurements are noisy, but do show an increase.  Questions were asked by George Helz, Bill Burton, Carl-Henry Geschwind, and Ming Tang (spelling?).

 

President Mock announced the speakers for the April 23rd, 2014 meeting.  The 1483rd meeting of the Geological Society of Washington was adjourned at 9:52 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Barbara am Ende

 

 

 

Geological Society of Washington

Minutes from the 1484th Meeting

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

John Wesley Powell Auditorium

Cosmos Club, Washington, DC

 

Speakers

 

The Miocene Transition from Large-Magnitude Extension to Dextral Faulting in West-Central Arizona

John Singleton, George Mason University

 

Mars Exploration Rovers: 10 Years of Discovery

Jeffrey R. Johnson, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab

 

Early Earth's Magma Ocean: A Geochemical Window Into a Primitive Mantle Differentiation

Hanika Rizo, Carnegie Institution for Science

 

President Mock called the 57 attendees of the 1484th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington to order at 8:02 pm.  The minutes from the 1483rd meeting were read and approved with no corrections.

 

Eight guests were introduced:

Will Junkin, UMD

Tom Crappen, Alaska Governor’s office

Steve Mackevell, Lunar and Planetary Institute

Eileen Stansberry, Johnson Space Center

Kristen Ferry, NRL

Luis Oldinola, NVCC

Patricia Rivera, NVCC

Selena Kern, NVCC

 

There was one announcement:

 

Bill Burton announced the spring field trip and picnic at Great Falls in memory of E-an Zen.  Phil Justus will lead the trip on June 14th, 2014.

 

Science Fair Winners:

 

President Mock introduced the Science Fair winners from the 8 regional Science Fairs. He and Muffarah Marr, coordinator of GSW judges, distributed Earth Science packages to the 10 students who attended the meeting.  Prior to the start of the meeting, the Science Fair winners had their posters on display for review by GSW attendees.  Congratulations to the budding scientists. 

 

Formal presentations:

 

The first talk, by John Singleton, George Mason University, was entitled, “The Miocene Transition from Large-Magnitude Extension to Dextral Faulting in West-Central Arizona.”  Metamorphic core complexes, such as those in west-central Arizona, formed by large-magnitude extension associated with detachment faulting.  As the Farallon Plate subducted under the North American Plate, transform faults allowed part of the Pacific Plate, generally moving west, also to be subducted.  This resulted in extension of the core complex to transition to post-detachment dextral faulting ~12-11 Ma.  Questions were asked by Pat Dobson, Carl-Henry Geschwind, and Dan Doctor.

 

The second talk, by Jeffrey R. Johnson, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, was entitled, “Mars Exploration Rovers: 10 Years of Discovery.”  The Spirit rover spent over 6 years studying Mars while the Opportunity rover continues on today, partially functional, having traversed nearly 40 km across the Martian surface.  Geologic highlights include the discovery of minerals including hematite, jarosite, gypsum and others hydrous minerals.  The likely aqueous environments of formation were ranged from groundwater to hydrothermal conditions.  Questions were asked by Carl-Henry Geschwind, Rich Gaschnig and Richard Walker.

 

The third talk, by Hanika Rizo, Carnegie Institution for Science, was entitled, “Early Earth's Magma Ocean: A Geochemical Window Into a Primitive Mantle Differentiation.”  SW Greenland is one of the few places on the Earth’s surface with rocks of the Hadean Eon (>4.0 Ga).  Samarium and neodymium fractionate during crystallization with Nd concentrating in the liquid phase. Combined long-lived and extinct Sm-Nd isotope systematics suggest differentiation of SW Greenland mantle source at ~4.47 Ga.  Persistence of early formed heterogeneities until the Neoarchean (2.7 Ga) implies mixing timescales for the early mantle of > 1 billion years.  No questions were asked.

 

President Mock announced the speakers for the May 14th, 2014 meeting.  The 1484th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington was adjourned at 9:39 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Barbara am Ende

 

 

 

 

Geological Society of Washington

Minutes from the 1485th Meeting

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

John Wesley Powell Auditorium

Cosmos Club, Washington, DC

 

Speakers

 

Using Glacial Tillites to Track the Composition of the Upper Continental Crust Through Time

Roberta L. Rudnick, University of Maryland

 

Assessing Vulnerability of Public Supply Wells in Fractured Siliclastic Aquifer Systems Using a Combination of Geochemical, Microbiological, and Geomechanical Approaches

Christopher A. Gellasch, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

 

Crater Morphometry on the Moon, Mercury and in the Laboratory

Olivier S. Barnouin, Johns Hopkins University

 

President Mock called the 57 attendees of the 1485th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington to order at 8:01 pm.  The minutes from the 1484th meeting were read and approved with no corrections.

 

Three guests were introduced:

Claire Bouligand, Université Grenoble

Kang Chen, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan

Su Li, China Petroleum University, visiting UMD

 

There were two announcements:

 

Bill Burton announced the spring field trip and picnic at Great Falls in memory of E-an Zen.  Phil Justus will lead the trip on June 14th, 2014.

 

President Mock announced that Dan Doctor of the USGS, Reston, will be the next field trip coordinator after Bill Burton’s long tenure in that position.

 

Formal presentations:

 

The first talk, by Roberta L. Rudnick, University of Maryland, was entitled, “Using Glacial Tillites to Track the Composition of the Upper Continental Crust Through Time.”  Tillites from Precambrian rocks were analyzed for trace elements and compared to other analyses in shales and loesses to determine bulk upper continental crust compositions (UCC). The new measurements tracked well with the previous ones.  During the Archean and Paleoproterozoic, the UCC was enriched in transition metals.  Subsequently, Mo, U, Cr and V were lost from UCC due to oxidative weathering as the atmosphere became more oxygen-rich.  Questions were asked by Bill Burton, Marion Le Voyer, and Steve Huebner.

 

The second talk, by Christopher A. Gellasch, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, was entitled, “Assessing Vulnerability of Public Supply Wells in Fractured Siliclastic Aquifer Systems Using a Combination of Geochemical, Microbiological, and Geomechanical Approaches.”  A multifaceted approach was taken to understand pollution threats to a public water well in Madison, Wisconsin.  Fractures in the upper aquifer appear to significantly control groundwater flow and are characterized by small Reverse Water Level fluctuations.  Viruses are found in the upper aquifer, possibly from leaky sewer pipes and move through the fractures.  Questions were asked by Dan Doctor, Bob Burruss, and Bill Burton.

 

The third talk, by Olivier S. Barnouin, Johns Hopkins University, was entitled, “Crater Morphometry on the Moon, Mercury and in the Laboratory.”  Cratering is the most common geological process on planets and the craters have a relationship to surface age. Simple craters are bowl-shaped whereas Complex craters have central peaks, terraced walls and are shallow. The Moon and Mercury have larger crater diameters due to their dry, strong, volcanic substrate, relative to the Earth and Mars.  Higher impact velocity contributes to shallowing of craters and can counter the effects of the substrate.  Questions were asked by Mike Purucker, Dan Doctor and Bill Burton.

 

President Mock announced the speakers for the September 10th, 2014 meeting.  The 1485th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington was adjourned at 9:37 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Barbara am Ende

 

 

 

 

Geological Society of Washington

Minutes from the 1486th Meeting

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

John Wesley Powell Auditorium

Cosmos Club, Washington, DC

 

Speakers

 

Detecting Geoneutrinos and the Earth's Heat Budget

William F. McDonough, University of Maryland

 

Ten Years of Satellite Observations Reveal Highly Variable Degassing at Anatahan Volcano, Marianas Islands

Brendan McCormick, Smithsonian Institution

 

Leaving the Holocene: What Surprises May be Waiting in the Post-Holocene

Hans-Peter Plag, Old Dominion University

 

President Mock called the 71 attendees of the 1486th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington to order at 8:01 pm.  The minutes from the 1485th meeting were read and approved with no corrections.

 

Two new members were introduced:

 

Diane Roman of the Carnegie Institution for Science

Andy Campbell of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

 

Seventeen guests were introduced:

 

Amy Williams, NASA-Goddard

Stephen Elardo, Carnegie Institution for Science, Geophysical Lab

Scott Burdick, UMD

Chao Gao, UMD

James Dottin, UMD

Scott Wipperfurth, UMD

Kristi Engel, UMD

Willie Nicklas, UMD

Allison Greaney, UMD

Joseph Schools, UMD

Johnathan Wynn, University of South Florida/NSF

Nick McCormick,

Hongluo Zhang, UMN

 

There were four announcements:

Nora Noffke is looking for a volunteer to be the GSW Program Chair for 2015.

Nick Geboy announced that Dewberry’s is looking for candidate with GIS skills to fill positions with Hurricane Sandy money.

Dan Doctor announced the Fall Field trip in West Virginia on November 8th.

Kaitlyn Murtha with AGI announced that the second week of October (the 12th – 18th) is Earth Science Week.  There are opportunities for volunteers in schools and toolkits are available.

 

Formal presentations:

 

The first talk, by William F. McDonough, University of Maryland, was entitled, “Detecting Geoneutrinos and the Earth's Heat Budget.” 

 

Geoneutrinos are formed by beta decay of U, Th, and K in the Earth and can be used to differentiate between radiogenetic heat and primordial accretion heat.  The ocean-going Hanohano detector is proposed that can sit on the surface or deploy to the seafloor to produce a tomographic view of the ocean basin region.  Geologists are encouraged to support this $250M detector that will improve the measurement of heat flow the mantle/crust boundary.

 

Questions were asked by Jamie Allan and George Helz.

 

The second talk, by Brendan McCormick, Smithsonian Institution, was entitled, “Ten Years of Satellite Observations Reveal Highly Variable Degassing at Anatahan Volcano, Marianas Islands.”

 

Direct sampling of gases to calculate the emissions of volcanoes is localized and more often undertaken during quiescence due to safety and logics.  The volcano Anatahan was studied for SO2 emissions using satellite observations. Ninety one percent of SO2 emissions occurred during eruptions and only nine percent during quiescence that shows the importance of satellite technology for measuring volcanic gas budgets.

 

Questions were asked by Carl-Henry Geschwind, Victor Zabielski, Pat Carr, Jack Sharp, and Yulia Goreva.

 

The third talk, by Hans-Peter Plag, Old Dominion University, was entitled, “Leaving the Holocene: What Surprises May be Waiting in the Post-Holocene?”

 

A review of the scientific literature of environmental change indicates that we have left the Holocene and at transitioning to a future state that we don’t have the knowledge to model.  During the Holocene, global temperature (including the Little Ice Age) varied by +/- 0.4°C per century, yet in the past hundred years the temperature was the coldest it’s been and dropping to now the highest it’s been and increasing.  Climate change is a symptom, and not the cause, as evidenced by a dramatic reduction in biodiversity and increase in ocean acidification.

 

Questions were asked by Barbara am Ende, Carl-Henry Geschwind, Jamie Allan, Scott Wipperfurth, and Liz Cottrell.

 

President Mock announced the speakers for the October 1st, 2014 meeting.  The 1486th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington was adjourned at 10:01 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Barbara am Ende

 

 

 

 

Geological Society of Washington

Minutes from the 1487th Meeting

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

John Wesley Powell Auditorium

Cosmos Club, Washington, DC

 

Speakers

 

Delamination and Recycling of Archean Crust Caused by Gravitational Instabilities

Michael Brown, University of Maryland

 

The Oxidation State of the Mantle

Elizabeth Cottrell, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

 

Reconstructing Savanna Mosaic Habitats of Early Hominids in Eastern Africa

Jonathan Wynn, National Science Foundation

 

President Mock called the 64 attendees of the 1487th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington to order at 8:02 pm.  The minutes from the 1486th meeting were read and approved with two corrections.

 

Nine guests were introduced:

 

Mark Kurz, NSF/WHOI

Michael Hordea, Old Dominion University

Michaella Bu, Old Dominion University

Nish Malone, Texas A&M

Connie Class, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Klasp Dohn

Nick Schmerr, University of Maryland

Zach Geballe, Geophysical Laboratory

Ni Di,

 

There were two announcements:

 

Nora Noffke is looking for a volunteer to be the GSW Program Chair for 2015.

Dan Doctor announced the Fall Field trip in West Virginia on November 8th.

 

There was one informal communication:

 

Elizabeth Cottrell discussed the recent, phreatic eruption of Ontakesan in Japan.  A pyroclastic flow ran 3 km down the south flank killing 48 of the 300 people on the mountain during the eruption.  Eyewitness cell phone video dramatically captured the moment.

 

Formal presentations:

 

The first talk, by Michael Brown, University of Maryland, was entitled, “Delamination and Recycling of Archean Crust Caused by Gravitational Instabilities.” 

 

Archaen crust differs from later crust compositions. Phase equilibria and geodynamic modeling were used to understand mineral assemblages and gravity stability and subduction history of the crust. Fractionation of primary melts or melting of high-MgO primary crust to produce protoliths with <18 wt% MgO is required to produce the tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite source.

 

Questions were asked by Carl-Henry Geschwind, Roberta Rudnick, Dennis Geist, George Helz, and Nick Schmerr.

 

The second talk, by Elizabeth Cottrell, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, was entitled, “The Oxidation State of the Mantle.”

 

In the mantle, the depth to incipient melting is correlated to oxygen fugacity.  The Fe3+/ΣFe is a proxy for redox conditions and varies with the mantle source.  The relationship between redox and depth of melting is predicted to be seismically detectable.  Preliminary observations show that shear wavespeed variation is strongly anti-correlated in the 250-400 km depth range.

 

Questions were asked by Jamie Allen, Carl-Henry Geschwind, Roberta Rudnick, and Mark Kerns.

 

The third talk, by Jonathan Wynn, National Science Foundation, was entitled, “Reconstructing Savanna Mosaic Habitats of Early Hominids in Eastern Africa”

 

The d13C in pedogenic carbonates correspond to forest C3 plants and open land C4 plants.  In early hominid times, there is a trend in the emergence of grasslands.  The development of wooded grasslands supported hominids and is related to how we differ from chimpanzees.

 

Questions were asked by Nick Schmerr, Victor Zabielski, Bob Burruss, Nick Geboy, Dan Doctor, and Liz Cottrell.

 

President Mock announced the speakers for the October 29st, 2014 meeting.  The 1487th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington was adjourned at 10:01 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Barbara am Ende

 

 

 

 

 

Geological Society of Washington

Minutes from the 1488th Meeting

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

John Wesley Powell Auditorium

Cosmos Club, Washington, DC

 

E-an Zen Memorial Meeting

 

Speakers

 

Introduction to E-an Zen’s Career

Daniel Doctor, U.S. Geological Survey

 

The Zen of Granites

Jane Hammarstrom, U.S. Geological Survey

 

Hiking and Thinking:  Zen Studies in Geomorphology

Karen Prestegaard, University of Maryland

 

De Stratorvm Ordine, Terrae Geologica Forma... in Parte Avstralis Regionis Taconicae:

The Taconics Zen to Now

Nicholas Ratcliffe, U.S. Geological Survey

 

President Mock called the 84 attendees of the 1488th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington to order at 8:00 pm.  The meeting was dedicated to the life and accomplishments of E-an Zen, long-time member and past president of GSW. The minutes from the 1487th meeting were read and approved with one correction.

 

Twelve guests were introduced:

 

Allen Munro, NoVa CC

Jonathan Truong, NoVa CC

Sean Barnettt, NoVa CC

Marissa Dudek, NoVa CC

James O’Brien, NoVa CC

Bridget Gomez, NoVa CC

Josh Benton, NoVa CC

Michael Gargs, NoVa CC

Rose Smith, UMD

Carolyn Plank, UMD

Steve Ludington, USGS, Menlo Park

Cecily Wolfe, USGS, Reston

 

There were five announcements:

George Helz announced that Jay Kaufman was receiving the University of Maryland Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award for 2014-2015 and that everyone was invited to the event on October 30th.

Chris Swezey showed slides from his visit to the tallest sand dune in Europe while on a trip to Bordeaux, France.

Callan Bentley announced the Fall Field trip along the Corridor H roadcuts in West Virginia on November 8th.

Nick Geboy reminded everyone that Alex Spear sent an email to renew your membership which can be done on-line.

President Tim Mock announced that the GSW Council had approved changes to the Bylaws to be voted on by the membership at the December 10 annual meeting. The current Bylaws and the proposed changes are posted on the GSW website for review by the members.

Doug Rankin, a Trustee of the Geological Society of America Foundation, reported that the Zen Fund was established by the Foundation. The fund has been generously supported to date with 44 donors having contributed $52,000. The income generated from the fund will be used to further communication of geoscience knowledge for the benefit of the public, which was a major goal of E-an Zen’s life during the latter part of his career. Contributions to Zen Fund are welcome.

 

Formal presentations:

 

The first talk, by Daniel Doctor, US Geological Survey, Reston, was entitled, “Introduction to E-an Zen’s Career.” 

 

Dan was a neighbor of E-an Zen and made a series of recorded interviews about E-an’s life.  E-an was born in Beijing in 1928, and was self-taught for most of his youth.  He moved to United States and after one year in high school, received a scholarship to Cornell.  He earned a Ph.D. in geology at Harvard University, then was recruited to the USGS for a 30 year career.  He closed out his career as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland.

 

The second talk, by Jane Hammarstrom, US Geological Survey, Reston, was entitled, “The Zen of Granites.”

 

Jane described  E-an's work on igneous rocks in Montana, Idaho. and SE Alaska and his ability to race ahead of any younger colleagues  to get to the outcrop.   She discussed their work on magmatic epidote and hornblende geobarometry as indicators of high pressure pluton emplacement and E-an's  contributions to thermal modeling. He truly discovered, “Igneous is Bliss.”

 

The third talk, by Karen Prestegaard, University of Maryland, was entitled, “Hiking and Thinking:  Zen Studies in Geomorphology.”

 

E-an Zen resurrected his earlier interest in geomorphology when he came to the University of Maryland.  In particular, he was interested in the Great Falls of the Potomac River and began collaborating with Prestegaard.  The Potomac is unique amongst passive margin, mid-Atlantic rivers because the narrow coastal plan coupled with Pleistocene dropping sea level resulted in rapid incision, half as fast as in the Himalayas.  The incised upper reaches may exacerbate flooding in Washington, DC because the water cannot dissipate higher up.

 

The fourth talk, by Nicholas Ratcliffe, US Geological Survey, Reston, was entitled, “De Stratorvm Ordine, Terrae Geologica Forma....... in Parte Avstralis Regionis Taconicae. ‘The Taconics Zen to Now’.”

 

E-an Zen’s earliest work on the Taconics laid the groundwork for much of current research in the region.  His paper on nappes in 1961 is a model for all new students because it considered all explanations for a phenomenon, reviewed the pros and cons for each, and added E-an’s own evidence. The experience in the Taconics led to E-an becoming the chief compiler of the State Geologic Map of Massachusetts.

 

President Mock announced the slate of candidates for GSW Officers and Council in 2015.

 

President Mock then announced the speakers for the October 29st, 2014 meeting.  The 1487th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington was adjourned at 10:01 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Barbara am Ende

 

 

 

 

Geological Society of Washington

Minutes from the 1489th Meeting

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

John Wesley Powell Auditorium

Cosmos Club, Washington, DC

 

Speakers

 

Is Mars a Habitable Planet?

Pamela Conrad, NASA Goddard

 

The Lovina meteorite? Metals from the sky and Earth

Richard Ash, University of Maryland

 

The Sources and Cycling of Organic Matter in a Changing Arctic Ocean:  An Ocean Basin of Dirt?

H. Rodger Harvey, Old Dominion University

 

President Mock called the 66 attendees of the 1489th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington to order at 7:59 pm. The minutes from the 1488th meeting were read and approved with no corrections.

 

Seven guests were introduced:

 

Michael Gargs, NoVa CC

Melodie French, UMD

John Platt, DTM, Carnegie

Doug Howard, Georgetown University and USGS

Willie Nicklas, UMD

Joseph Schools, UMD

David Shields, USGS

 

There were two announcements:

John Repetski announced the 12th International Symposium on the Ordovician System, June 3-18, 2015 at James Madison University.

President Mock announced that the candidate nominated for Meetings Secretary for 2015 withdrew and the next new candidate will be announced with the rest of the nominees at the next meeting.

 

Formal presentations:

 

The first talk, by Pamela Conrad, NASA, Goddard, was entitled, “Is Mars a Habitable Planet?” 

 

Conrad reviewed the conditions on Mars to determine if life could be sustained, though not to originate it.  The most tolerant forms of life on Earth were compared to the measured conditions on Mars.  Cold, radiation, mudstone substrate, redox conditions and timing of the atmospheric escape all suggest Mars has been severely harsh to support any life as we know it (or expect it to be on Mars).

 

Questions were asked by Brent Grocholski, Richard Ash, and Jack Sharp.

 

The second talk, by Richard Ash, University of Maryland, was entitled, “The Lovina meteorite?

Metals from the sky and Earth.”

 

An odd lump of metal was found on the Lovina Beach, Bali in 1981, then identified as a nickel-rich ataxite in 1988.  For this study, cosmogenic chromium isotopes, trace elements, siderophile element abundances and osmium isotopes were analyzed.  The results were different than other meteorites and suggest the sample was crystallized slowly from a mantle source in a reducing environment.

 

Questions were asked by Jamie Allan, Brent Grocholski, Bob Burruss, Dick Smith, Bill Burton, and Victor Zabielski.

 

 

The third talk, by H. Rodger Harvey, Old Dominion University, was entitled, “The Sources and Cycling of Organic Matter in a Changing Arctic Ocean:  An Ocean Basin of Dirt?”

 

The oceanic organic carbon cycle has input via production by organisms, delivery from terrestrial sources, and remineralization, whereas carbon is sequestered through burial in deep basin sediments.  Sea ice is a major driver for carbon.  Unlike other ocean basins, Arctic sediments contain a high percentage of terrestrial carbon that will increase in deep basin sediments with ice loss. 

 

Questions were asked by Victor Zabielski, Dan Doctor, Pat Carr, Bob Burruss, and Dick Smith.

 

President Mock then announced the December 10th, 2014 meeting which will be the President’s address followed by the Annual Meeting.  The 1489th meeting of the Geological Society of Washington was adjourned at 9:38 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Barbara am Ende

 

 

Geological Society of Washington

Minutes from the 1490th Meeting

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

John Wesley Powell Auditorium

Cosmos Club, Washington, DC

 

Presidential Address

 

The Trans-Hudson Orogeny: the Hunt for the SASK Craton

Timothy Mock, Carnegie Institution

 

 

Geological Society of Washington

Minutes of the 122nd Annual Meeting,

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

John Wesley Powell Auditorium, Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C.

 

 

GSW President Timothy Mock called the 49 attendees to order at 8:57 pm.

 

GSW Council Secretary (and former GSW Meeting Secretary) Meg Coleman read the minutes from the 121st Annual Meeting (which occurred on December 18, 2013). These minutes were approved with three corrections.

 

GSW Meetings Secretary Barbara am Ende gave a presentation that reviewed the Society meetings and field trips during 2014.  She presented statistics on the presentation topics, average meeting length, attendance, new members, guests, number of questions, number of announcements and number of informal communications.  The top dozen questioners were recognized and the Grand Inquisitor was awarded to Carl-Henry Geschwind.

 

GSW Council Activity was presented by Council Secretary Meg Coleman.  The council had a busy year. Much discussion concerned attracting and retaining new members.  Also consideration of updating the website.  Discussion was initiated regarding an official document retention policy (to be continued). The council reviewed, revised and approved the bylaws revision put forth by an ad hoc committee. The Council decided to keep dues at the current levels. The Society will hold 12 meetings in 2015.

 

Treasurer Odette James gave the Treasurer Report.  The Society is in a strong financial position.  Our improved situation relative to six years ago is due to a dues increase in 2012, ongoing contributions by our members, and from the proceeds of sponsoring a regional AAPG meeting in 2011.  We have the highest net worth, ever.  A request was made for contribution for beverages as we pay the Cosmos Club $7.80/beer and $4.20/soft drink.

 

The Auditing Report was presented by Rozalind Helz. No discrepancies were found with account balances, transactions and other activity by the Treasurer.

 

No Financial report was given because the material was covered by the Treasurer Report.

 

The Membership Committee report was given by Nick Geboy.  All membership categories are declining.  There were 18 new members in 2014. The renewal rate was 87% bringing the total number to just under 300 members.  Recommendations are to change the Bylaws to allow online applications and the creation of a Facebook page for the Society.

 

The Public Service Committee report was presented by Muffarah Marr who reveled over the excellent volunteerism by the GSW judges at the 8 Science Fairs.

 

The Awards Committee winners were presented by Brent Grocholski.  The Great Dane Award was given to Elizabeth Cottrell for the best informal communication. She presented at the to 1486th meeting on the recent phreatic eruption of the Mount Ontake, Japan, including eye witness cell phone video.  The Runner Up for the Bradley Prize was Richard Ash who presented on the “Lovina Meteorite” during the 1489th meeting.  The winner was Brendan McCormick who presented Ten Years of Satellite Observations Reveal Highly Variable Degassing at Anatahan Volcano, Marianas Islands” during the 1486th meeting.  The Sleeping Bear Award lead had to back out, so no award was given and Pete Toulmin will take charge of the bear for another year.

 

Last year, revisions to the Bylaws were driven by the DC Incorporations rules.  This year, changes were made to clean up the Bylaws without changing the requirements of the District.  The membership voted 35 in favor and 0 opposed to approve the revisions.

 

Lisa Walsh nominated Stephanie Devlin-Gill to be the 2015 Meetings Secretary.  Then, GSW President Timothy Mock announced the following new officer slate for 2015:  President: Nora Noffke; 1st Vice President and President Elect: Jamie Allan; 2nd Vice President: Edith Allison; Treasurer: Odette James; Meeting Secretary: Stephanie Devlin-Gill; Council Secretary: Barbara am Ende; Councilors: Maeve Boland, Rick Arevalo, Diana Roman, Mike Mobilia, Vedran Lekic, and Carl-Henry Geschwind. The nominees were unanimously accepted by membership voting. 

 

Outgoing President Mock passed on the gavel and Roberts Rules of Order to incoming President Nora Noffke.

 

The 122nd Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of Washington was adjourned at 9:56 pm by President Nora Noffke. 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Barbara Anne am Ende