Special Events
Keynote Addresses
- Geological Society of America Southeastern Section Keynote Address
Cosponsored by AEG Carolinas Section; Geological Society of America, Southeastern Section
Sun., 1 April, 5:30–6:30 p.m. All meeting attendees are invited. Refreshments will be served.
Richard M. Wooten, Senior Geologist—Geohazards and Engineering Geology, North Carolina Geological Survey.
“Landslide Hazard Mapping 2005-2011: Findings and Lessons Learned.”Abstract [open/close]In the Hurricane Recovery Act of 2005 the North Carolina General Assembly authorized the North Carolina Geological Survey to produce landslide hazard maps for 19 western North Carolina counties in response to the landslides and destruction triggered by rainfall from remnants of Hurricanes Frances and Ivan in September 2004. At the time when the General Assembly eliminated the funding and positions for the landslide mapping program in 2010, the team had completed mapping in Macon, Watauga, Buncombe and Henderson Counties, and had begun mapping in Jackson County. The four completed counties comprise an area with about 40% of the population of the 19 counties originally designated for mapping. The landslide hazard maps, designed for use in a geographic information system (GIS), show areas of past, current and potential future landslide activity, and geologic units or structures that pose slope stability hazards. In a separate study, landslide hazard mapping was done as part of a geologic inventory and mapping of the Blue Ridge Parkway corridor in North Carolina.
Some initial findings and observations have emerged from these studies. Mapping identified 3,294 slope movements and 3,153 slope movement deposits (e.g., debris fans). Debris/earth slides, flows and blowouts make up 92% of the total number of identified slope movements, and have resulted in the most fatalities, injuries and property damage. Rock and weathered-rock slope failures that include major rockslide events along I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge constitute the next major category at 7%. Rainfall rate and duration are critical factors in debris flow initiation. At least seven major storm events that triggered numerous landslides across WNC have occurred since 1916. Two of these regional storm events occurred in 1916, two in 1940, one in 1977, and two in 2004. Losses from 57 landslides occurring since 1990 include six fatalities, five serious injuries, 40 destroyed or condemned structures, damage to 24 structures and 56 other private properties, and damage to 32 private and NCDOT roads. With the exception of the 2004 Peeks Creek debris flow in Macon County that caused five fatalities and 16 destroyed homes, the other 56 landslides occurred where slope modifications by human activity were likely contributing factors. - Eastern Section of the Society for Sedimentary Geology (ES-SEPM) Reception and Keynote Address
Sun., 1 April, 6:30–8 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Refreshments will be served.
David A. Budd, Global SEPM President-Elect and Professor of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder:
“Are self-organizing processes an overlooked component of sedimentary diagenesis?”Abstract [open/close]The processes that alter sediments, turn them into rock, and continue to modify the rock throughout its burial history are well known, as are typical associations between processes, products, and diagenetic settings. We do not fully understand all the controls on processes and products, but given a thin section and some key geochemical data, we can decipher a lot about a rock’s diagenetic history.
What has been elusive is an understanding of the spatial distribution of alteration products. Recent work suggests that self-organizing phenomena may be one cause of spatial patterning at a variety of scales. Self-organization creates patterns from interactions between the components of a dynamic system. The patterns are produced without external influences or a pre-existing template. Self-organization is increasingly recognized in the deposition of sediments and sedimentary bodies. With respect to diagenesis, disequilibrium and nonlinear feedbacks are the only requirements. Changes in physiochemical regime create disequilibrium between rocks and fluids. Nonlinear feedbacks arise between fluid flow, reactive surface area, changing petrophysics, and the system’s evolving chemistry. The appropriate question may not be, are there self-organizing phenomena in diagenesis, but how do we recognize them and determine their origin?
The simplest way to identify self-organizing phenomena is to detect patterns in diagenetic products. This is easiest in at hand sample or thin section scales. At larger scales, patterns can only be detected with regular, closely spaced samples over tens to hundreds of meters, but such a sampling strategy is extremely rare. We will only know which self-organizing phenomena exist if we first adjust our sampling strategies and systematically look for them in the attributes of sedimentary rocks.
Recognizing patterns, however, will not explain how self-organizing diagenetic systems function. Due to the complexity of the systems and the range of possible outcomes, understanding self-organizational mechanisms requires numerical simulations. Recognizing a pattern in massive dolostones and understanding its origin through reaction-transport and fabric-evolution modeling of dolomitization illustrates one example of self-organization in diagenesis.
Other Events
- SME Carolinas Section Reception
Fri., 30 March, 6–8 p.m. All are welcome. - SENAGT Business Meeting
Sun., 1 April, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., Pack’s Tavern, 20 South Spruce St. Randy Bechtel, North Carolina Geological Survey, []. - EarthScope Information Session
Cosponsored by GSA Structural Geology and Tectonics Division; GSA Geophysics Division
Sun., 1 April, Noon-1:30 p.m.
Steve Whitmeyer, James Madison University, whitmesj
jmu.edu.
The EarthScope Transportable Array arrives in the east coast in 2013, and station siting will begin in the summer of 2012. All meeting attendees are welcome to attend this session to learn more about EarthScope and to discuss and develop research plans related to EarthScope objectives. Light lunch provided.
GSA Town Hall Meeting
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Online Town Hall.
Mon., 2 April, 7-8 a.m., Windsor Ballroom
All meeting attendees are invited to this event to discuss the Society's future. Moderated by a member of the GSA Executive Board. Learn more about GSA and the proposed strategic plan (presentation slides from GSA President John Geissman). Coffee and pastries will be available.- Student Breakfast: NCBLG Professional Licensing Information Session
Mon. April 2, 7-8:30am, Alexander Room.
Interested in pursuing a career in geology? The NC Board for the Licensing of Geologists will host an informal Licensing Information breakfast on Monday morning, from 7:00-8:30 am for student and academic attendees. Come enjoy a nourishing breakfast and learn about licensing requirements and recommended strategies/timing for applying. North Carolina utilizes the test developed by the Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG), as do Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and many other states; thus this discussion will be helpful for students from many locations. Board members will provide information about professional licensure in NC. Breakfast is free, but preregistration is required. - ASBOG Licensure Town Meeting and Luncheon
Mon., 2 April, noon–1:30 p.m.
Geoscience professors from any regional college or university are invited to attend.
Lunch is free, but pre-registration is required.
The National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) is hosting a brief presentation on the importance of professional licensing to the public, the requirements for licensure and how licensing can benefit professors and students. Past NC Board For Licensing of Geologists and current ASBOG President, Craig Kennedy, will discuss the possible use of the ASBOG exam in exit exams strategies and assessment. - NC State University Minerals Research Laboratory (MRL) Open House
Cosponsored by SME Carolinas Section.
Mon., 2 April, 1–4:30 p.m.
The MRL is a global leader in the field of mineral processing. Regular shuttles to the MRL will be provided from the Asheville Renaissance Hotel, or enjoy a leisurely 1-mile walk through downtown. FREE. [ more info ].
GUEST ACTIVITIES
- Asheville Pub Crawl
Take a self-guided walking tour of some of Asheville’s 11 breweries, tasting rooms and taprooms, and see why Asheville was voted “Beer City USA” for the last three years. Maps and descriptions will be available at registration. - Colburn Earth Science Museum Tour
Sat., 31 March, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sun.–Mon., 1–2 April, 1–5 p.m. Located just blocks from the Renaissance Hotel, exhibits include the Hall of Minerals and the history of mining in Western North Carolina. Show your SE-GSA badge for FREE admission (donations appreciated). - Biltmore Estate Tour
Daily, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Tour America’s largest privately owned home and most-visited winery. Discount tickets (US$27 each) are available to SE-GSA attendees and their guests. Vouchers available at registration or in advance by contacting the events chair Jeff Wilcox. - Asheville Historic Trolley Tour
Daily, 10:35 a.m.–3:35 p.m. Enjoy a 90-minute “hop on and off” trolley tour of historic Asheville. Tours leave the Renaissance Asheville Hotel every hour at 35 mi. past the hour. Show your SE-GSA badge at the front desk for a discounted ticket (US$14).