GSW: 1973 MEETING MINUTES

Geological Society of Washington

January 10, 1973

The 967th meeting of the Society was called to order by President Kinney in the John Wesley Powell Auditorium at precisely 8:00 p.m. Dave Wones introduced Dr. H. C. W. Skinner of Yale University and Dan Stanley introduced Paul Hearn of the Smithsonian Institution. The minutes of the proceeding meeting were read and approved. President Kinney solemnly announced the loss of Walt Ketterer’s hat and Ketterer promptly stood in a moment of wistful remembrance.

After encouraging others to follow suit in the coming year, President Kinney gave an informal communication showing 8 x 10 color transparencies of systems and metamorphic zones used in compiling the new Geologic Map of the United States. The map won't be published until 1975, but slides may be made now from the transparencies by contacting Amos White of the Geological Survey.

Jack Epstein opened the regular meeting by unabashedly inviting the Society to: Take a Look at My Cleavage-Rated X or (Everything you always wanted to know about cleavage but were afraid to ask). Jack showed that cleavage in the Delaware Water Gap area resulted from mechanical rotation, intrusion and flow, crushing, and recrystallization. He concluded that dewatering may have initiated the process but the actual formation of cleavage here was a low grade metamorphic event. An obviously planted question from the chair gave Epstein enough time to conclude that late slip cleavage in this area formed by similar processes.

Francis R. Boyd, Jr. of the Geophysical Lab developed The Pyroxene Geotherm from his study of lherzolite inclusions in several kimberlite pipes in Lesotho. Boyd related the composition of pyroxenes from sheared and unsheared lherzolite inclusions to the experimentally determined pyroxene solvus and the solubility of garnet in diopside. The pyroxene geotherm was approximately coincident with the Green and Ringwood Oceanic geotherm to depths of 150 kilometers. At greater depths the pyroxene geotherm was inflected to higher temperatures; a phenomenon that Boyd related to Cretaceous movement of the African plate. The paper was discussed by Leo, George Helz, Stewart (twice), Ross, Barton, E-an Zen, Wones and Wright.

In the final paper, George Fisher of The Johns Hopkins University discussed rocks of The Northwestern Piedmont as seen from a Carroll County cornfield. Fisher concluded that the Silver Run Limestone and Ijamsville Phyllite were northwestern facies of the Wakefleld Marble - Sams Creek Formation - and Wissachickon Formation deposited in Cambrian and Ordovician time. Discussion was by Stewart (twice, again), E-an Zen, Anita Epstein, Bell, and Hadley.

The meeting adjourned at 9:47. Attendance 138.

David S. Harwood

Secretary

Geological Society of Washington

January 24, 1973

The 968th meeting of the society was called to order by President Kinney at 8:02 p.m. Minutes of the 967th meeting were read, simultaneously corrected, and approved. The following new members were announced: Dr. Ann Wylie, Susan Burbrink, Robert Grundborg, Rodney McClain, Joel Merchant, Larry Middleton and Bill Williams, all of the University of Maryland; and Robert Lantz and Richard Krushensky of the U. S. Geological Survey.

President Kinney was thwarted in his second attempt for the Great Dane award when his alleged informal communication, extolling the advantages of membership in the society, was declared a crass commercial message by Ellis Yochelson.

Ken England of the U.S.G.S. opened the evenings’ program with a description of the Geology and availability of low-sulfur coal in the Appalachian Basin. Ken concluded that low-sulfur coal was associated with a nonmarine regressive sequence in the lower part of the Pocahontas Formation and high-sulfur coal was associated with a marine transgressive sequence in the upper part of the formation. Discussion was by Henbest, Hubbard, E-an Zen, Cassadevalles, Huddle, and Lindholm.

With the confidence of a ringmaster and the pitch of a used car salesman Jack Bird reviewed Plate Tectonics In the Northern Appalachians. Opening with a plea for judicious use of the models, tempered by cold, hard facts, Jack left many of us subduced and abandoned when he concluded that "Plate Tectonic models offer a way to push forward - a way to think of bigger things - right or not." Lively discussions followed as Segovia, Leo, Fiske, Barton, Guild, and an unidentified friend of the Baltimore Gabbro played the well-known game of "corner the Bird." All were unsuccessful. Bird even questioned himself twice and Wally Cady once in absentia before President Kinney gavelled for adjournment at 9:49 Attendance

143.

David S. Harwood

Secretary

Geological Society of Washington

February 14, 1973

The 969th meeting of the Society vas called to order by President Kinney at 8:04 p.m. Ed Roedder introduced Steve Roberts of Harvard University, Erv Brown introduced Jack Hague of the Bureau of Mines, and Joe Chernosky introduced Peter Lyttle of Harvard University. Minutes of the 968th meeting were read and approved and the following new members were announced: Thomas Brock, Bureau of Land Management; Charles Druitt, formerly of Gulf Oil Corporation; Dr. Marian Schnepfe, U.S.G.S.; and Jerome Karaganis of the U.S.G.S. and American University. Alvin Leonard of the U.S.G.S. was reinstated to active membership. President Kinney announced the death of Donald Culow and requested a moment of silent remembrance.

The business of the evening thus concluded there followed an unprecedented 40 minutes of informal program. E-an Zen assured the group there would be an annual meeting of the Northeast Section of GSA on March 22, 23, 24 in Allentown Pennsylvania. The meeting will include a workshop in Environmental Geology and a field trip to Friedensville mine of N.J. Zinc Co. David Mao, of the Geophysical Lab, gave an informal communication on the orange lunar soil found by Apollo 17. Discussion was by Eric Force and Ed Roedder. Tom Simkin of the Smithsonian Institution presented a light and sound show of the Vestmann Island volcanic eruption of January 23rd which was discussed by Segovia, Hearn, George Helz, Toulmin, and Tracey. Next, Meyer Ruben gave us informal glimpses of his summer activities at the Flint Run PaleoIndian digs near Front Royal, Virginia. Meyer reported that all of his dates were too young and that he was having problems with the Carbon-14 work as well.

Jarvis B. Hadley of the U.S.G.S. opened the regular program by relating Earthquakes and Tectonics in the Eastern United States. Seismic activity was shown to be concentrated in two northeast-trending belts; one in the Mid-Continent region, the second along the Appalachians. Jerry tentatively related the Mid-Continent activity to young, north northeast-trending faults and suggested the Appalachian activity might be related to Appalachian rifting. Discussion was by Guild, Segovia, and Henbest.

Bill Melson of the Smithsonian Institution deserted igneous petrology briefly for a show and tell session relating the chemical composition of artifacts from Tell Gemmeh, Israel to the chemistry of ancient soil horizons. Discussion was by Sohn, Roedder, Segovia, George Helz, Jones and Toulmin.

Dave Stones of the U.S.G.S. resorted to only a few of "those God-damn little triangles" in his presentation of Some Recent Observations on the Petrology of the Pikes Peak Bathollth, Colorado. The paper was discussed by Chayes and Melson.

The meeting adjourned at 10:03. Attendance 148.

David S. Harwood

Secretary

Geological Society of Washington

February 28, 1973

President Kinney called the 970th meeting of the Society to order at 8:07 p.m. in the John Wesley Powell Auditorium. Greg Sohn introduced Murray Copeland of the Canadian Geological Survey and a member unknown to me introduced Stan Norris of the U.S.G.S. Minutes of the 969th meeting, were read and approved.

To celebrate the Society’s’ 80th Birthday President Kinney chronicled our symbiotic relationship with the Cosmos Club. From the first meeting in 1893 in the cellar of the Lafayette Square house we moved to the club's renovated carriage shed and since 1952 have met in this room. Powell, Turner, and Emmons were the speakers at the first meeting in 1893; no projector problems were recorded in the minutes.

Ed Roedder gave an informal communication on the orange lunar soil found by Apollo 17. Roedder reported the soil is composed of low alumina, high titanium impact glass about 3.7 billion years old and is, thus, neither young nor volcanic. Next, Gordon Eaton set the recent Managua earthquake disaster in regional perspective. The city is built on unconsolidated alluvium and pyroclastic material filling a northwest-trending graben dotted with threatening volcanoes and caught between the jaws of the Carribean and Cocos plates - if that combination wasn't enough to get Howard Hughes to move out, left-lateral movement on northeast-trending faults running directly through the heart of the city apparently was.

The regular program was opened by Francis A. Kohout of the U.S.G.S. who showed movies filmed in blue holes and around a submarine spring on the Florida-Bahama Platform. Kohout integrated photographs of the sharp, fresh water-salt water interface into a clear and comprehensive picture of the ground water profile in southern Florida. The paper was discussed by Tracey and an unknown friend of the Miami Chamber of Commerce.

Robert Smith of the Penn. Geol. Survey - next examined the Geochemistry of Triassic diabases in southeastern Pennsylvania. Taking the chilled margins of the sheets as an average magma composition, Smith related chemical deficiencies in the sills to the chemistry of bronzite-bytownite cumulate layers and to the Cornwall-type ore deposits scattered along the sills. He concluded the ore forming solutions were derived from within the sills. Discussion was by Stewart, Wones, Peck, and Ulmer.

The final paper of the evening was given by two of our rudist experts. After insulting geochemistry in general and Peck and Fiske in particular, Norm Sohl of the U.S.G.S. showed us what rudists are and how they look in the field - Erle Kauffman of the Smithsonian concluded the paper by telling us much more than we cared to know about various rudist groupings and speculated on why the rudist individuals of the animal kingdom failed to form tightly bound barriers - the answer seemed obvious - they're repulsive. An unanswerable question was asked by Yochelson.

The Meeting adjourned at 10:05. Attendance 116.

Davis S. Harwood

Secretary

Geological Society of Washington

March 14, 1973

The 971st meeting of the Society was called to order at 8:05 p.m. by President Kinney. The only visitor of the evening was Mr. Glen K. Merrill of Cumberland, Maryland introduced by John Huddle - Minutes of the 970th meeting were read, corrected by at least half of the assembled membership, and finally approved. The following new members were announced: Dr. Melvin H. Podwysoki of NASA; Dr. Julian J. Hemley of the U.S.G.S.; Ms. Genevieve Atwood of the National Academy of Sciences; and Mr. Carl G. Bock of Bechtell Associates. Dr. James R. Balsley, Jr. of the U.S.G.S. was reinstated to active membership. President Kinney announced the death of Hoye Eargle. Juergen Reinhardt briefly outlined the forthcoming field trip to the Frederick Valley on April 7.

T. Neil Irvine of the Geophysical Lab opened the evening's program with incredible slides of cross-bedding, graded bedding, cognate inclusions and megacollapse breccias in the Duke Island Ultramafic Complex, Alaska. This concentrically zoned, composite body apparently formed a 3 pronged magma chamber beneath a volcano in which at least 3 generations of cumulate layering and 2 generations of block caving were preserved. Tom Simpkins’ cries of "encore" gave Irvine an extra 7 minutes to tentatively relate the Duke Island ultramafic complex to the Cretaceous mafic volcanics to the north and east.

Next, Juergen Reinhardt of Johns Hopkins University discussed the sequence of Sedimentary Structures, found on The Alluvial Fan-Tidal Flat Complex along the northwestern gulf of California. Layers of mud containing nested discoid prism cracks, overlain by sand and silt and topped by algal mats in various states disrepair are characteristic of this prograde tidal flat sequence. Discussion was by Rankin, Jones, Wright, Peggy Appleman (a first for the year), Blair Jones again, E-an Zen, Altschuler and Huddle.

In the final paper of the evening Roy Bailey of the U.S.G.S. chronicled the Post-Subsidence Volcanism and Structure of the Long Valley Caldera, California. This hot spot in the earth's crust between the Sierras and the White Mountains apparently collapsed some 5 to 7,000 feet to form a caldera about 680,000 years ago. Collapse was followed by about 2,000 feet of resurgence of the caldera floor some 680,000 years ago which in turn was followed by extrusion of the Mammoth Basalt-rhyodacite, the bubbling up of the Mono-Inyo rhyolite domes and, most recently about 600 years ago, phreatic eruptions in the valley floor. Discussion was by Sato, Stewart, Leo, Sato and Stewart.

The meeting adjourned at 9:55. Attendance 120

David S. Harwood

Secretary

Geological Society of Washington
March 28, 1973

President Kinney called the 972nd meeting of the Society to order at 8:03 p.m. and asked if visitors were present. Chris Kimmerle of MUS Corporation in Rockville introduced himself. The minutes of the 971st meeting were read, left unchallenged and approved. The death of Walter Lang was announced. E-an Zen made a plea for concerned members to protest the demise of the GSA Bibliography of Geology by writing either John Maxwell or Ed Eccle, or both. Dan Appleman made his annual appeal for volunteers to judge science fairs in the District and Prince Georges County and offered an added challenge by requesting participants in a seminar on Contemporary Problems in America.

In an informal communication Len Harris of the U.S.G.S, showed the disastrous effects of a natural bathtub with a stopped-up drain. The bathtub, a 2 mile long, 50 foot deep sink hole on Ten Mile Creek near Knoxville, Tennessee, drains with difficulty through a series of small subterranean outlets more or less clogged with natural debris and junk. The analogy with indoor plumbing breaks down at bit, here, because county planners buried a sewer line in the bottom of the natural bathtub and placed a million dollar pumping station 17 feet below its rim. Recognizing that flooding might be a problem the planners ringed the pump house with a dike and thus created a sump within the sink. On March 12, 1973 flood waters topped the dike, inundated the pump house, disrupted the sewer line, and left a ring around the inside of the tub that made Mr. Clean gag in disgust. Discussion was by Rankin and Milton.

In the opening talk of the evening Skip Pessl of the USGS digressed somewhat from his prepared talk to continue a discussion justifying Earth Resource Information for Land Use Planning, begun at dinner with one of those faceless geochemists. Although pressed for time, Skip demonstrated that geologic and hydrologic studies are nearly as useful in solving some of our major problems as are refined unit cell parameters of the feldspars.

Next, Martin Seitz of the Geophysical Lab showed how microconcentrations of fissionable elements in natural and synthetic materials could be mapped by fission track patterns. The paper was discussed by Al Taylor.

In the final paper of the evening Gene Robertson of the USGS documented variations in the eruptive cycle of Old Faithful geyser with infra-red records and tied a major discontinuity in the cycle to the Hebgen Lake earthquake. With a movie, Gene showed variations in temperature with depth and time indicating that Old Faithful works up to boil much like a Model A Ford. For Old Faithful the boiling temperature is reached at a depth of about 30 feet.

The meeting adjourned at 9:50. Attendance

David S. Harwood

Secretary

Geological Society of Washington

April 11, 1973

President Kinney called the 973rd meeting of the Society to order at 8:00 p.m. and extended the customary welcome to visitors. E-an Zen introduced Allen Thompson; Irwin Breger introduced Wayne Coppel, Rair Pereira, and Greg Ubom; and Phil Guild introduced Cortland Lee. Minutes of the 972nd meeting were read, corrected by two of Henry Ford's colleagues, and finally approved. The names of three new members and one reinstated member were announced. President Kinney read Al Tanner's list of winners in the District Science Fair.

E-an Zen gave an informal communication on an unusual occurrence of glass in an andalusite hornfels from Montana, Zen asked the perplexing question of how a quartz monzonite intrusive could melt part of the country rock and then allow the melt fraction to chill to a glass. The answer to this ancient oriental puzzle apparently involves initial intrusion, hydrothermal alteration of andalusite to kaolinite, late stage intrusion, and the formation of fibrolite and glass.

In the opening paper of the evening, Origin of late Precambrian Rifts, William J. Hinze of Purdue University discussed the gravity high that bisects the Michigan Basin and related its characteristics to those of the East African Rift System. Hinze concluded the Michigan Basin gravity high was an extension of the late Precambrian Keweenawan Rift Belt. The paper was discussed by Vogt, White, Rankin, Vogt, Taylor, Robertson, and Vogt.

Next, Richard R. Vogt, of the Naval Oceanographic Office discussed the Effect of Mantle Plumes on the Oceanic Crust. Taking Iceland as an example of a plume, Vogt proposed that time-transgressive topographic features on the flanks of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge argued for wave-like propagation of basaltic material southward along the ridge crest. He suggested that systematic geochemical and petrologic variations may exist in the ridge basalts propagated outward from a plume. Discussion was by Helz, White, and Helz.

Meyer Rubin of the USGS concluded the evening's program with a discussion of Carbon 14 activity as an indicator or the source of dissolved organic carbon in rivers. Meyer, reporting on his joint work with Elliott Spiker, described a newly refined method for fingerprinting organic pollutants and classifying rivers as "Normal", "Fossil Carbon", or "Hot Carbon" depending on the concentration of C-l4 relative to current atmospheric concentrations. Fossil fuel wastes discharged by petrochemical plants contain no radioactive Carbon-14, whereas organic wastes from sewage and soil run-off contain concentrations close to present atmospheric amounts. This paper was discussed by 13 members of the Society whose names will not be read but may be obtained from the NTIS data bank on demand.

The meeting adjourned at 9:58. Attendance 53.

David S. Harwood

Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON

April 25, 1973

The 974th meeting of the Society was run by the second string, as President Kinney had been "struck speechless" during the afternoon and Secretary Harwood was sunning down south. E-an Zen opened the meeting at 8:05 in the Powell Auditorium and in response to his call for visitors, Gil Corwin introduced Bob Dill of NOAA. After minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved, Phil Guild presented a memorial to Bill Johnston whom he characterized as "the right man, at the right place, at the right time."

In the first formal paper, Marland Billings reviewed the geology of New England and discussed the Source of Sediments in the Appalachian Geosyncline in Northern New England. Exposures of the Precambrian and each of the lower Paleozoic systems were reviewed for paleogeographic information. Potential source areas for 50,000' of sediment were systematically rejected: the Canadian Shield, the Adirondacks, intrabasin Precambrian islands, and a volcanic island arc all fell by the wayside, leaving friendly old Appalachia, that venerable landmass off to the southeast to do most of the job. Being such a sincere landmass it just couldn't let us down. The pseudopresident and pseudosecretary had the rare privilege of enjoying the last 15 minutes of the talk from the stage. Discussion by Pavlides, Neuman, Zen and White.

Sandra Clark (the Maid of the Chugach) followed, outlining the Sedimentary and Tectonic History of the Western Chugach Mountains, South-Central Alaska. The upper Mesozoic volcanic and flysch deposits of the Chugach constitute the youngest in a series of terrains that have been accreted to the continental block since late Paleozoic time. Questions by Guild and Zen.

The final paper, by Lawrence Rowan of the U.S.G.S., definitely took the big stick approach to Analysis of ERTS Images of Nevada and Southern California. The object of this fore-sighted approach was evaluation of structure and mapping of both rock and soil types. Lineaments were determined and were checked against the location of metallic ore deposits, volcanic centers and circular features. The area around Goldfield Nevada was examined in detail on images produced by digital rationing of contrasting spectral bands, with the differentiation of andesite and dacite seen as possible. Questions by Segovia, Guild, Clark, Zen and Stone.

With announcements of Meyerhoff's talk the following morning and our last spring meeting May 9th, the meeting was adjourned at 9:58. Attendance 101.

Peter B. Stifel

Council Secretary

Geological Society of Washington

May 9, 1973

The 975th meeting of the Society was called to order "by Second Vice President Neuman at 8:02 p.m. Monty Klepper introduced G. D. Robinson; Wendell Woodring introduced Ernst Cloos; Walt Ketterer introduced George Bret; and John Huddle introduced Jim Schopf. Minutes of the meeting were read, discussed at unnecessary length by G. D. Robinson, and finally approved.

Monty Klepper brought a deeply reflective stillness to the assembled members with his memorial to Bill Pecora whom he saw as a "man of many facets - all brilliant cut."

In the first formal paper of the evening, Dave Elliott of Johns Hopkins University, discussed The Motion of Thrust Sheets using algebraic expressions devised for glacier movement by Orawan and Nye. Dave concluded that the shear stress necessary for thrust movement was on the order of a few tens of bars. The paper vas discussed by Gene Robertson, Stewart and E-an Zen.

In the second paper, Sam Altschuler spoke for the team of Altschuler, Hazel, Wilson and Christina Zen on the Environmental Geology of Dade County, Florida. Sam confessed that RALI had allowed him to finally fulfill his life-long dream — making a geologic map. He stated that he felt like Jim Owens and Izzy Zietz rolled into one - and for twenty minutes the resemblance was uncanny.

Questions by Anita Epstein, Fleisher, Tracey, and Stewart.

In the final paper of the evening Ed Roedder discussed Silicate Liquid Immiscibility with examples from lunar and terrestrial rocks. Discussion by George Helz and Pek Toulmin.

The meeting adjourned for the summer recess at 9:50 p.m. Attendance 105.

David S. Harwood

Secretary

Geological Society of Washington
October 10, 1973

President Kinney called the 976th meeting to order at 8:02 p.m. Bill Gwilllam of the Federal Power Commission introduced himself; Dan Stanley introduced Floyd McCoy: Doug Rankin introduced Dick White. The minutes of the 975th meeting were read and approved and the names of 4 newly elected members were announced.

In the first informal communication Wayne Newell and John Hack performed nearly flawless surgery on an August 17th article in Science by Berkland and Raymond that reported glacial striations on Grandfather Mountain, N.C. Newell left little doubt in anyone's mind that the 3/4 inch diameter, parallel oriented, beautifully rounded, locally rusty grooves were cut on prominent points of the outcrops by cables used in past logging operations. Next, Chuck Whithington outlined the numerous programs in the area designed to encourage minority participation in the earth sciences and requested volunteers to further the efforts. Finally, Tina Zen reported on small scale but extensive alluviation through a semi-permeable cinder block wall of a new town house in Fairfax County. Although remedial action had been promised, Tina reported a yawning "Gulf" between work and deed - with the builders apparently satisfied to Rest-on their record -- among other things.

Kenneth Towe of the Smithsonian Institution opened the formal program by asking - Did Trilobites have Calcified Eyes? Although this might sound like ho-hum stuff, Ken showed that the eye of the trilobite was composed of oriented calcite crystals capable of bringing even the Justice Department into focus - perhaps a short note in the Federal Register is called for. Discussion by Toulmin, Rankin, E-an Zen, Hack, and Simkin.

George Ericksen presented a paper on the Quaternary Uplift and Desert Modification of the Peruvian Coastal Platform. George showed excellent examples of desert landforms produced by wind erosion, gravity gulleying, and diurnal temperature changes and compared the appearance of the land forms in low and high altitude aerial photographs and satellite imagery. Discussion by Denny and Whitlow.

Maurice Grobier concluded the program with an interpretation of Aeolian Geology of Mars - with Evidence from Peru. Discussion by Nelson, Robertson, Whithington, Toulmin, Denny, Thayer, and Warren.

The meeting adjourned at 9:46 p.m. Attendance 65.

David S. Harwood

Secretary

Geological Society of Washington

October 24, 1973

President Kinney called the 977th meeting of the Society to order at 8:05 p.m. with the traditional call for visitors: Harry Ladd introduced K.O. Emery and Clark Blake introduced Dick Doell. Minutes of the 976th meeting were read and approved.

Pete Stifel announced the formation of a new independent Geology Department at the University of Maryland - and pleaded eloquently for books, fossils, rocks, etc. - even though no space exists for same. In a show of strength, Pete asked all Maryland Geology Department affiliates to stand and fully a third of the audience did so. Pat Taylor announced a November 1st meeting of the Potomac Geophysical Society featuring Dr. Bott and a Seismologist's visit to the People's Republic of China. President Kinney concluded the announcements with a stirring and brief explanation of the AAPG Insurance Program.

In the opening paper, G.Arthur Cooper of the Smithsonian Institution dispelled the idea that Brachiopods of the Recent are on the decline. Dr. Cooper showed views of the right side, left side, inside, outside and the other side or recent brachiopods from around the world and concluded that the interior parts of this novel animal, like the strapless bra, are progressing toward no struts, no straps and no loops. Discussion by Rankin.

Issac J. Winogard of the Water Resources Division of the USGS next discussed Thick Unsaturated Zones of the Southwest and appraised their use as repositories for solidified high-level radioactive wastes - In short, Dr. Winogard concluded that these noxious wastes will outlive us all and we need basic research on erosion rates and the effects radioactive heat generation to find a secure place for these substances to reside in perpetuity that is most probably eastern Nevada --- Discussion by an unknown friend of Nevada, Robertson, and Dempsey.

In the final paper, Clark Blake of the USGS discussed Field Relations of Soviet Ophiolites. As might be expected, Blake found only tectonic contacts and vintage wine bordering the ophiolite bodies large and small from the Urals to the Tien Shan Belt - Discussion by Koontz, Hadley and Robertson.

The meeting adjourned at 9:48. Attendance - a disappointing 58.

David S. Harwood

Secretary

Geological Society of Washington
November l4, 1973

The 978th meeting of the Society was called to order in the John Wesley Powell auditorium at 8:00 p.m. by First Vice President E-an Zen. George Helz introduced Jack Tossel, Brian Mason introduced David Bridgewater, and Tom Simkin introduced Tony Onyeagocha and Andrea Eddy. Minutes of the 977th meeting were read and approved and the names of 7 new members were announced.

Fred Wilson led off the informal communications with a description of the boiling springs and geysers that developed in Long Valley, California, after the earthquake of August 25th, 1973. David Bridgewater next described a sequence of carbonates, volcanics, banded ironstones and conglomeratic graywackes intruded by 3-705 billion year old granite at Insula, West Greenland; discussions followed from Thayer and Cox. Tom Simkin continued to build his case for "Vulcan's Revenge" with the first documented report of an open ocean pumice raft floating some 200 km west of the Tonga Trench. This sequel to his earlier communication on the volcanic eruption at Vestmann Island clearly established Tom as the leading authority on supracrustal flatulance at both the leading and trailing margins of oceanic plates.

Robert Mattick, speaking carefully for the U.S.G.S. team of Mattick, Minard, and Foote, gave a preliminary report of Geophysical Studies on the Outer Continental Shelf of the northeastern United States. Mattick examined seismic profiles off Cape Hatteras, the Baltimore Canyon, and George's Bank and concluded that seismic basement was buried beneath 18,000 to 30,000 feet of Mesozoic and younger cover. Although Mattick's formal presentation was an excellent performance, the real highlight of the show was the fancy footwork that he used to evade the snares and traps laid out by Andy Walsh of the Justice Department. John Huddle finally asked an answerable question and Mattick was off the hook and off the stage.

Eric Force of the U.S.G.S. next discussed Metamorphic Source Terrains of Titanium Placer Deposits. Eric found that in low grade rocks (ie, everything less than sillimanite grade) TiO₂ is commonly tied up in silicate phases which breakdown in sillimanite and higher grades to Titanium-rich oxide phases, hopefully rutile. Eric concluded that the most fruitful ground for Titanium placer deposits was off deeply weathered granulite terrains. Discussion by Leo, George Helz, Cox, and an unidentified friend of the Aridondacks.

Bill Cannon of the U.S.G.S. concluded the evening’s program by comparing the occurrence of specularite - and magnetite varieties of Hard Ore of the Marquette Range, Michigan. Bill supported the theory that the specularite ore originated from weathering of an iron-rich carbonate horizon but concluded that the magnetite ore formed during low grade metamorphism and regional deformation. Discussion by Warren, Thayer, and Walsh. Meeting adjourned at 10:10; attendence 105.

David S. Harwood

Secretary

Geological Society of Washington

December 12, 1973

President Kinney called the 979th meeting of the Society to order in the John Wesley Powell auditorium at 8:02 P.M. Minutes of the 978th meeting were read and approved and the names of 1 new member and 3 reinstated members were announced. A belated call for visitors found none willing to be identified.

Without fanfare or introduction President Kinney plunged into his Presidential Address entitled Development of North Park, a Rocky Mountain Tertiary Basin. After setting the basin in its regional, high-mountain-meadow context, President Kinney traced its development through time and space using variations in lithology, stratigraphy, pollen zones, and major structures. Downwarping of the Precambrian and overlying Mesozoic rocks along fracture zones on the east side of the "Rocky Mountain High" began in Paleocene time. By lower Eocene time the basin had been split into two major areas of sedimentation by the northwest-trending Spring Creek Fault. Volcanic activity and quartz latite plugs in the Rabbit Ears marked the final phases of North Park's development in late Oligocene time.

At 8:55 the meeting adjourned for beer and the 8lst Annual meeting which followed. Attendance 148.

David S. Harwood

Secretary

Geological Society of Washington

81st Annual Meeting

December 13, 1973

The 81st Annual Meeting of the Society was called to order by President Kinney in the John Wesley Powell auditorium at 9:15 pm. Minutes of the 80th Annual Meeting and the Annual Report of the Secretaries were read. Peggy Appleman, who admitted to having other figures on her mind for much of the year, presented the Annual Report of the Treasurer as follows:

To a cash balance of $223.49 the Society added $3,799.60 for an operating income of $4,023.09 in 1973. Disbursements amounted to $3,999.16 giving a Net Cash Balance on December 12, 1973, of $23.93. Contingency fund balance as of December 12, 1972 was $3,676.21; interest accrued during 1973 was $190.87; withdrawals equaled $500.00, leaving a balance of $3,367.08 on December 12, 1973. Peggy retired from active service as Treasurer with words of praise and a gift from President Kinney.

The Auditing Committee, represented by Harvey Belkin, noted some smudges but no significant hums, gaps, erasures, or errors in the financial record.

Mac Ross, Finance Committee Chairman, expressed concern about the $500.00 "inroad" into the contingency fund. He asked the membership to consider the possibility of raising the dues or of creating a "distinguished member" membership for the most accomplished beer drinkers, who if elected to this position of esteem, would have the honor of paying $10 a year in dues. This suggestion met with anguished cries and boo's from the floor.

To sanctify the preceding proceedings, Tom Dutro moved to approve the reports of the Secretaries, the Treasurer, the Auditing Committee and the Finance Committee; seconded by Frank Whitmore and carried.

President Kinney gave the report of the Public Service Committee for the absent Dan Appleman.

The Awards Committee, composed of Prinz, Hearn, Huddle, Robertson, Goldsmith and Ketterer (no wonder Walt attended so many meetings last year) noted that it was a good year for informal communications. The Committee considered the relative merits of 12 scientific communications; 7 long, drawn out announcements, and 4 extended discourses on trivia by the chair. Chairman Prinz cited Tina Zen's bubbling account of recent sedimentation too close to home, Fred Wilson's bubbling description of hot springs in Long Valley, California, Ed Roedder's bubbling account of the orange lunar soil, Len Harris' bubbling description of a plugged sink near Knoxville, Tennessee, and Tom Simkins bubbling description of the Vestman Island volcanic eruption. All in all it was a big year for the Great Tufted Bubbler and all the Lesser Bubblers. But, in the end the Committee opted to honor an unusual combination of medicine and geology.

They presented the Great Dane Award to Wayne Newell and John Hack for the meticulous and masterful surgery they performed not only on Berkland and Raymond but on those annoying and painful glacial striations on Grandfather Mountain.

Competition was equally fierce for the best paper awards. Fortunately, Fiske, the Society's silver throated cup catcher, had just started field work in a new area and had nothing to report. This opened the field for Dave Wones and Fred Barker, Roy Bailey, Meyer Rubin and Elliott Spiker, and Bill Cannon - all of whom received honorable mention for their presentations during the year. Second prize went to Edwin Roedder, the Survey's answer to Wilbur Mills, for his paper on Silicate liquid immiscibility: examples from lunar and terrestrial rocks.

Prinz introduced the winning paper as one that had vast appeal to both sides of the aisle - obviously a paper with only half that amount of appeal would have satisfied both the paleontologists and the geochemists - but, that notwithstanding he presented the best paper award to Kenneth Towe of the Smithsonian Institution for asking and so ably answering the question: Did Trilobites have calcified eyes?

To cries of Bear, Bear, we want the Bear — Erv Brown exposed himself as the secret square, lumbered to the stage, introduced his committee, and performed the Yearly ritual of reading the bequeathal. Bear Brown emphasized the committee's early intent to reward genuine good humor rather than gimmickry such as electronically amplified burps - which he characterized as "the first gas crisis". Jack Epstein was considered momentarily but dismissed because the title of his talk Take a look at my cleavage was a repulsively obvious attempt for the trophy and the $20 bills used for scale in his slides were in extremely poor taste as they represented more field money than anyone except Pete Rose had seen all year. Dave Wones was an early contender with his apology to the paleontologists for using a few "God-damned little triangles" to illustrate his talk but the Committee ultimately rejected this blasphemous, marginally humorous comment as too contrived.

There was, of course, Walt Ketterer's pathetically heroic attempt to parley bitter disappointment over his lost hat into a humorous run for the cup — but that fell far short of the mark — Tina Zen's puns about a "yawning Gulf that chose to Reston its laurels" were ranked lower than electronically amplified burps. In desperation (imagine it if you can), and panic over the thought of having to keep the cup himself, Brown Bear searched the Secretary's minutes yet one more time - I ask you now - what sort of warped mind finds humor in the fact that the minutes of every meeting were corrected at least once - and many, several times, or the fact that nearly every sacred cow who opened his mouth was harpooned at the following meeting with almost complete impunity. It boggles the mind.

Respectfully submitted,

David S. Harwood

Meeting Secretary