2018 GSA Northeastern Section

53rd Annual Meeting

18–20 March 2018 • Burlington, Vermont, USA
DoubleTree by Hilton (formerly Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center)

INFORMATION FOR PRESENTERS

Oral Sessions

Most oral sessions have 20 minutes per presentation (17 minutes, presentation; 3 minutes, questions and discussion). Presentations must be prepared using PowerPoint or PDF formats, using a 16:9 screen ratio. One laptop with Windows7 (no Macs available) with Power Point 2010, one LCD projector, and one screen is provided for all oral sessions. In addition, each room is equipped with a lectern microphone, wireless microphone, wireless computer mouse and PowerPoint advancer, and a speaker timer. Speakers may not use their own laptops for presentation.

The Speaker Ready Room (Valcour Room)

All oral session presenters must visit the Speaker Ready Room before their scheduled presentation to ensure their PowerPoint or PDF file is properly configured and operating and load it on one of the laptops. Failure to do so may result in presentations being omitted from sessions. Speaker Ready Room hours are as follows:c

Sat. 17 March: 4–8:30 p.m.
Sun. 18 March: 7 a.m.–6 p.m.
Mon. 19 March: 7 a.m.–6 p.m.
Tue. 20 March: 7–10 a.m.

Each speaker must bring his or her PowerPoint or PDF presentation on a USB compatible flash drive (a.k.a. thumb drive or memory stick) or a CD-ROM disk to the Speaker Ready Room for checking and uploading to their session’s folder no later than the deadlines below:

For presentation on:
Sun. 18 March, AM: 8:30 p.m., Sat. 17 March
Sun. 18 March, PM: 10 a.m., Sun. 18 March
Mon. 19 March, AM: 5 p.m., Sun. 18 March
Mon. 19 March, PM: 10 a.m., Mon. 19 March
Tue. 20 March, AM: 5 p.m., Mon. 19 March

Session Chair Orientations

Each Session Chair is requested to attend the 15-minute “Session Chairs Orientation” held in the Carleton Boardroom the morning of the day on which your session is to take place. This meeting will include a review of session time management, AV procedures, and other information affecting the conduct of the day’s sessions.
Session chairs are asked to strictly adhere to the technical program schedule and to limit speakers to their allotted time. If a speaker does not appear for an assigned time slot, session chairs should call for a break or discussion period and begin the following presentation at its scheduled time.

A student volunteer is assigned to each oral session. Session chairs are asked to meet with the assigned student volunteer before the start of the session. The volunteers are there to help the sessions run smoothly and to contact the AV Coordinator in the event of technical problems.

Poster Sessions

All Poster Sessions are in the Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall, on the hotel’s lower level. Please check the program for specific times and topics. Poster presenters have one 4' by 8' horizontal (landscape) poster display surface. Numbers on these display surfaces correspond to the poster booth numbers listed in the Program. The poster boards accept push pins, and some pins are furnished for each poster.

THEME SESSIONS

T1. Practical Applications of Engineering Geology.
Krystle Pelham, New Hampshire Dept. of Transportation, krystle.pelhamdot.nh.gov.

This session contains a range of topics on the applied or practical aspects of the geological sciences. It will provide case histories on how geology is being used to investigate and provide practical solutions to geological issues.

T2. Applications of Geoscience to Government and Community Issues.
Marjorie Gale, State Geologist, Vermont Geological Survey, marjorie.galevermont.gov; Gale Blackmer, State Geologist, Pennsylvania Geological Survey, gblackmerpa.gov; Frederick Chormann, State Geologist, New Hampshire Geological Survey, frederick.chormanndes.nh.gov.

Water supply, water contamination, physical hazards, energy, earth materials for infrastructure, induced seismicity, air particulates, and mineral resources and extraction are areas of interest at all levels of government. This session will highlight essential work and contributions by geoscientists across the full spectrum of these public issues.

T3. Stories of Resilience: River Restoration and Recovery in the Northeast.
Kristen Underwood, University of Vermont, southmountaingmavt.net; John Field, Field Geology Services, jfieldfield-geology.com.

We invite presentations on the recovery and resilience of Northeast rivers to natural and human perturbations, including deglaciation, deforestation, impoundments, channelization, and extreme rainfall events. Submissions can include field monitoring studies, fluvial geomorphic assessment, flood hazard assessment, aquatic habitat evaluation, and river and floodplain conservation or restoration.

T4. Engineering and Environmental Applications in a Post-Glacial Northeast.
Kristen Underwood, University of Vermont, southmountaingmavt.net; John Field, Field Geology Services

This session will examine unique challenges of landscapes and river systems influenced by Pleistocene glaciation and controls on the movement of water, sediment, and contaminants. We welcome presentations on the integration of engineering and environmental techniques with fundamentals of geology, particularly as relates to the investigation of surface water or groundwater quantity and quality, contaminant fate and transport, and legacy sediments.

T5. Critical Zone Processes, Function, and Resiliency: Challenges and Opportunities.
Julia Perdrial, University of Vermont, jperdriauvm.edu; Tim White, Penn State University, tsw113psu.edu.

The Critical Zone (CZ) spans from the top of the vegetative canopy to the actively cycled groundwater and provides life sustaining services. However, the Anthropocene poses challenges to the sustainability of the CZ and we invite contributions that investigate the CZ, focus on CZ functions and/or resilience and stresses related to the Anthropocene.

T6. Emerging Contaminants in Fractured Bedrock Aquifers in the Northeast.
Jon Kim, Vermont Geological Survey, jon.kimvermont.gov; Peter Ryan, Middlebury College, pryanmiddlebury.edu; Ed Romanowicz, SUNY Plattsburgh, romanoeaplattsburgh.edu; Tim Schroeder, Bennington College, tschroederbennington.edu.

Perfluorinated compounds (PFAS, e.g. PFOA) have recently been discovered in fractured bedrock aquifers in the northeastern United States. Since these chemicals are deposited directly onto land or distributed through the air before being eluviated downward, highly variable distributions occur in groundwater. We welcome submissions on multidisciplinary aquifer characterization studies.

T7. Biogeochemical Cycling in Natural and Human-Altered Landscapes.
Jamie Shanley, USGS, Montpelier, Vermont, jshanleyusgs.gov; Doug Burns, USGS, Troy, New York, daburnsusgs.gov.

The discipline of biogeochemistry grew in part from the need to assess the impact of human activity on soil and water quality. In this session, we seek contributions on biogeochemical cycling in natural settings such as research catchments, or in modified landscapes such as agricultural or urban areas.

T8. Private Wells—Current Challenges and Opportunities.
Sille Larsen, Vermont Department of Health, sille.larsenvermont.gov; Liz Royer, Vermont Rural Water Association, lroyervtruralwater.org; Paul Susca, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, paul.suscades.nh.gov; Patti Casey, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, patti.caseyvermont.gov; Joe Ayotte, U.S. Geological Survey, jayotteusgs.gov.

This session will integrate research, policy, outreach, and regulatory efforts within the field of drinking water, specifically private well protection. The goal is to educate audience members on groundwater quality and quantity, private well testing and data management, anthropogenic and naturally occurring contaminants, and other aspects of public health protection.

T9. Geological Characterization of Mudstones: Applications to Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production.
David R. Blood (Randy), EQT Production, rbloodeqt.com; Ashley S.B., Douds, EQT Production, adoudseqt.com.

This session aims to discuss aspects of mudstone deposition and diagenesis, and the tools and techniques used to evaluate these processes. Further, we encourage the discussion of how understanding these processes translates to an increased comprehension of hydrocarbon accumulation and migration and production.

T10: Lake Champlain Research and Management.
Patricia Manley, Middlebury College, manleymiddlebury.edu; Andrea Lini, University of Vermont, andrea.liniuvm.edu.

Lake Champlain is a valuable water resource that has been showing a steady increase of environmental stress as a result of recreation, riverine and atmospheric pollutant load and changing climate. This session will showcase new observations, analysis and modeling efforts that are directly linked to the health of Lake Champlain.

T11. Current Research in Coastal and Marine Processes.
Mark Borrelli, University of Massachusetts–Boston, mark.borrelliumb.edu; Bryan A. Oakley, Eastern Connecticut State University, oakleybeasternct.edu.

Given the projected impacts of climate change, studying coastal areas remains critical to our understanding of these systems. This session welcomes all aspects of research related to coastal and marine processes from field, laboratory, or modeling studies as well as the acquisition and processing of spatial data.

T12. Paleolimnological Records of Landscape Change.
Laurie D. Grigg, Norwich University, lgriggnorwich.edu; Timothy L. Cook, Worcester State University, tcook3worcester.edu.

Lakes are impacted by landscape changes on multiple time scales from brief events such as floods to long-term changes in forest composition. This session will focus on how lake sediment can be used to reconstruct past changes in land cover driven by climate change, natural disturbances, or by anthropogenic land use.

T13. Deglaciation and Late-Glacial Climate Research, Northeastern U.S. and Eastern Canada.
Woodrow B. Thompson, Maine Geological Survey (Retired), iceagemainemyfairpoint.net; P. Thompson Davis, Bentley University, pdavisbentley.edu; Brian K. Fowler, New Hampshire Geologic Resources Advisory Committee, b2fmrmetrocast.net.

This session explores recent advances and current studies regarding the mode and timing of deglaciation and related climate change during late- and post-glacial time in northeastern North America. The session invites contributions from such fields as stratigraphy, paleo-climatology, Quaternary geochronology, limnology, phenology, and other related subject

T14. Glacial Lakes: New Understandings of Their Extent, History, and Internal Dynamics.
John Rayburn, SUNY New Paltz, rayburnjnewpaltz.edu; Stephen Wright, University of Vermont, swrightuvm.edu.

Glacial lakes are a dynamic and high-resolution aspect the Northeast’s deglaciation history. Ranging enormously in extent and existing from years to millennia, they hold detailed records of ice sheet retreat and occasionally ice sheet advance. This session welcomes contributions that improve our understanding of these lakes.

T15. Fire Geomorphology.
Jennifer Callanan, William Paterson University, callananjwpunj.edu.

Fire plays a significant role in shaping and transforming the Earth system. Its influence is evident throughout the globe, in recent and past times, and at regional to micro-scales. This session seeks to explore the role of fire as it relates to any aspect of geomorphology.

T16. Pleistocene to Anthropocene Surficial Processes in the Northeastern U.S.
Will Ouimet, University of Connecticut, willouimetgmail.com; Noah Snyder, Boston College, noah.snyderbc.edu.

The processes acting on the northeastern North American landscape have changed from Pleistocene glaciation to Holocene transgression to the Anthropocene. Historical changes include forest clearing and regrowth, dam construction and removal, urbanization, and habitat restoration. Contributions that use geochronologic and geospatial techniques to provide new geomorphic insights are encouraged.

T17. The Class that Time Forgot: Best Practices in Teaching Earth History.
Joseph F. Reese, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, jreeseedinboro.edu; Eric C. Straffin, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, estraffinedinboro.edu.

Aspects of Earth history are taught across the geoscience curriculum, with many programs requiring a lower-level undergraduate historical geology course. We invite those who have developed successful strategies, innovative techniques, and effective tools in teaching aspects of Earth history, at all educational levels, to share examples of their best practices.

T18. Geolore: Local Geology Field Trips Merge Geology and History to Motivate Students, Teachers, and Community Members to Explore Natural Areas.
Tarin Weiss, Westfield State University, tweisswestfield.ma.edu; Lori Weeden, University of Massachusetts–Lowell, lori_weedenuml.edu; Melissa Lombard, Fitchburg State University, melissalombardalum.rpi.edu.

New science standards (Next Generation Science Standards [NGSS]) promote active engagement in authentic environments. Field trips focused on natural features and their histories motivate K–16 and community learners to venture out and meaningfully explore familiar places. This session provides a venue for discussion and presentation of geolore-themed trips that encourage relevant geoscience and history learning of local areas.

T19. From Plane Tables to Drones: A Topography of Geologic Mapping in a Digital Landscape.
John Van Hoesen, Green Mountain College, vanhoesenjgreenmtn.edu; Rick Chormann, New Hampshire Geological Survey, frederick.chormanndes.nh.gov.

This session will explore a variety of tools and approaches to geologic mapping that integrate a digital component while also highlighting traditional mapping skills and interpretations as applied to geohazards, fluvial geomorphology, hydrology, geoarchaeology, and others. Digital components might include LIDAR, UAVs, structure-from-motion, high-resolution imagery, innovative analyses, and/or data mining.

T20. SEPM Symposium: The Devonian Terrestrial Realm: Current Perspectives and New Research.
Charles Ver Straeten, New York State Museum, charles.verstraetennysed.gov; William Stein, Binghamton University, steinbinghamton.edu; Rose-Anna Behr, Pennsylvania Topographic and Geologic Survey, rosbehrpa.gov.

This multidisciplinary session will explore all angles of the terrestrial Devonian system in our region. We invite talks from sedimentation to stratigraphy, paleobotany to paleontology, paleosols to paleotopography, provenance, and everything in between.

T21. Stratigraphic Studies along the Western Margin of the Appalachian Orogens.
Paul Washington, Marietta College, pw005marietta.edu; James Ebert, SUNY Oneonta, james.ebertoneonta.edu.

The Appalachian region was the focus of the original stratigraphic studies in North America. As our understanding of tectonic and depositional systems have evolved, it is necessary to revisit these strata to understand them in a modern context. This session is designed for studies that reexamine this classic stratigraphy.

T22. The Adirondack Mountains and the Grenville Orogenic Cycle: New Results and Syntheses Regarding the Timing and Nature of Deformation, Metamorphism, Intrusion, and Formation of Ore Deposits: A Session Honoring the Work of Bruce Selleck.
Tim Grover, Castleton State, tim.grovercastleton.edu; Greg Walsh, USGS, gwalshusgs.gov; Mike Williams, University of Massachusetts, mlwumass.edu; Sean Regan, USGS, sreganusgs.gov; Marian Lupulescu, New York State Museum, marian.lupulescunysed.gov; and Peter Valley, SUNY Potsdam, pvvalleygmail.com.

New geochronology, geochemistry, geophysics, mapping, petrology, and structural geology provide insight on the tectonic evolution, and the formation of ore deposits, in the Adirondack Mountains and the Grenville Province. This session will focus on a broad range of results to improve our understanding of crustal processes from high grade terranes.

T23. Application of Strain, Fabric, and Textural Analyses to Ductile Fabrics in Investigations of Orogenic Processes (Posters).
Jeffrey R. Webber, Stockton University, jeffrey.webberstockton.edu; Keith A. Klepeis, University of Vermont, keith.klepeisuvm.edu; Michael L. Williams, University of Massachusetts–Amherst, mlwgeo.umass.edu.

We invite contributions concerned with the application of analytical strain techniques, electron backscatter diffraction analysis, wavelength-dispersive spectroscopic imaging, and other approaches to the investigation of ductile rock and mineral fabrics. This session aims to integrate a diverse and multifaceted approach to the investigation and quantification of deformation.

T24. Orogenic Sutures—Recognition, Characterization, and Tectonic Implications.
Alain Tremblay, University of Quebec at Montreal, tremblay.auqam.ca; Laura Webb, University of Vermont, lewebbuvm.edu.

Orogenic sutures mark the consumption of oceanic lithosphere by subduction and are underlined by major fault zones separating terranes that have different plate tectonic, petrologic, and paleogeographic histories. We invite studies using geochemical, geophysical, structural, petrologic, and/or geochronologic tools to define and characterize orogenic sutures in collisional orogens.

T25. Post-Rift Tectonism and Landscape Evolution in Eastern North America.
Will Amidon, Middlebury College, wamidonmiddlebury.edu; Dave West, Middlebury College, dwestmiddlebury.edu; Ryan McKeon, Dartmouth College, ryan.e.mckeondartmouth.edu.

This session will focus on processes that have shaped the landscape of eastern North American since the opening of the Atlantic Ocean basin in the Jurassic. We encourage both site-based and process-oriented studies, and contributions involving field observation, structural geology, geochronology, geophysics, modeling, and more.

T26. Evolution of the Taconic Foreland: Insights into Active Margins and Global Climate Change.
Charles E. Mitchell, SUNY Buffalo, cembuffalo.edu; Robert D. Jacobi, SUNY Buffalo, 1rdjacobigmail.com; Francis A. Macdonald, Harvard University, fmacdonfas.harvard.edu; and Jeff Pietras, SUNY Binghamton, jpietrasbinghamton.edu.

The interaction of eustasy, global climate, and active margin tectonics is recorded in the sedimentary succession of the Late Ordovician Taconic foreland basin and adjacent craton. This symposium integrates sequence stratigraphic, structural, geochronologic, biogeographic, and geochemical studies of these interactions and their influence on Earth history.

T27. New Perspectives on the Evolution of Brittle and Ductile Fault Zones: A Session Honoring the Work of Robert D. Jacobi.
Keith Klepeis, University of Vermont, keith.klepeisuvm.edu; Jon Kim, Vermont Geological Survey, jon.kimvermont.gov, Jean Crespi, University of Connecticut, jean.crespiuconn.edu.

Studies of faults, fractures, and shear zones are essential to our ability to reconstruct the tectonic histories of regions. We seek contributions that highlight recent advances in geochronologic techniques, geophysical and geochemical tools, computational models, and improvements in our ability to make detailed field observations regarding fault zones.

T28. Petrologic, Structural, and Tectonic Interpretations in Northern New England: A Session Honoring the Work of Jo Laird and Peter J. Thompson.
Ian W. Honsberger, Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, ian.honsbergercanada.ca; Wallace A. Bothner, University of New Hampshire, wally.bothnerunh.edu, Peter Robinson, Geological Survey of Norway, peter.robinsonngu.no.

This theme session serves to honor the long-term contributions of Jo Laird and Peter J. Thompson to understanding the geology of northern New England. A broad range of northern Appalachian studies involving applications of metamorphic petrology, structural geology, igneous petrology, stratigraphy, geochronology, and tectonics are welcome.

T29. Petrologic Insights on Modern and Ancient Plate Margins I: The Volcanic and Plutonic Record.
Sara Mana, Salem State University, smanasalemstate.edu; Emily Peterman, Bowdoin College, epetermabowdoin.edu; Alicia M. Cruz-Uribe, University of Maine; alicia.cruzuribegmail.com.

Evidence of Earth’s tectonic history is commonly preserved in the rocks produced at plate boundaries. This session seeks contributions on all aspects of plutonism and volcanism related to modern and ancient convergent boundaries and rifting environments, including insights from tectonics, mineralogy, petrology, isotope geochemistry, and geochronology.

T30. Petrologic Insights on Modern and Ancient Plate Margins II: The Metamorphic Record.
Emily Peterman, Bowdoin College, epetermabowdoin.edu; Howell Bosbyshell, West Chester University; hbosbyshellwcupa.edu, Victor Guevara, Skidmore College, vguevaraskidmore.edu.

Metamorphic rocks provide opportunities to study the mechanisms, timing, and rates of tectonic processes. This session seeks contributions on all aspects of metamorphism related to modern and ancient convergent boundaries and rifting environments, including insights from field and laboratory analysis of natural samples, experimental work, and numerical and geochemical modeling.

T31. Igneous Processes in the Shallow Crust: A Session Honoring the Work of David Scott Westerman.
Christopher Koteas, Norwich University, gkoteasnorwich.edu.

The work conducted across New England and other parts of the globe by Dr. David Westerman has been instrumental in improving our understanding of chemical and mechanical processes in shallow crustal magma chambers. This session will focus on shallow crustal magma emplacement mechanisms and the consequences for continental crustal evolution.

T32. Combining geology and geophysics in the Appalachians.
Maureen D. Long, Yale Univ., maureen.longyale.edu; Yvette D. Kuiper, Colorado School of Mines, ykuipermines.edu.

We invite any contributions, including recent EarthScope results, that facilitate discussion of tectonics of the Appalachians between geologists and geophysicists. The goal is to learn from each other and improve interpretations together. Contributions may focus on any geological and/or geophysical data that are of interest to both groups.

T33. Lake Research and Monitoring Networks in the Northeast.
Kiyoko Yokota, SUNY Oneonta, kiyoko.yokotaneonta.edu; David C. Richardson, SUNY New Paltz, richardsondnewpaltz.edu; Lisa Borre, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, borrelcaryinstitute.org.

The Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) has an active regional network in the Northeast that aims to increase interactions among scientists in this lake-rich region and to engage undergraduates in team science. This session is organized to share results from region-wide and lake-based research collaborations and monitoring projects.