All technical sessions are scheduled for oral and poster presentations beginning at 8 a.m., Thursday, 30 March, and concluding 5 p.m., Friday, 31 March.
Information for Session Chairs
Session chairs are invited to attend the complimentary Session Chairs Orientation and Breakfast from 7–7:50 a.m. in the Potomac F, Thursday, 30 March and Friday, 31 March. Please only attend the morning of your assigned session day. Session chairs are requested to adhere strictly to the schedule and to limit speakers to the published allotted times.
Information for Presenters
Oral sessions have 20 minutes per presentation (17 minutes presentation; 3 minutes questions and discussions). Presentations must be prepared using PowerPoint or PDF format. One laptop computer with Windows 7 (no Macs available) with PowerPoint 2010, one LCD projector and one screen is provided for all oral sessions. In addition, each room is equipped with a lectern, PowerPoint advancer, laser pointer, and a speaker timer. Speakers may not use their own laptops for presentation.
Morning session posters must be removed by noon and afternoon session posters by 5 p.m. Poster presenters will have one 4' by 8' horizontal (landscape) display board. Electrical hookups will not be available for poster boards.
Speaker Ready Room
The Speaker Ready Room is located in the Omni Richmond Hotel Canal 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 to load it onto the meeting server. Failure to do so may result in presentations being omitted from session sequences. The Speaker Ready Room is open for program checking and speaker assistance as follows:
Speaker Ready Room Schedule
Wednesday, 29 March noon–7 p.m.
Thursday, 30 March 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Friday, 31 March 7 a.m.–2 p.m.
Cameras, Sound Equipment and Smoking Policy
GSA meeting policy prohibits the use of cameras or sound recording equipment in technical sessions. The Richmond Omni Convention Center is a smoke-free facility.
Symposia
S1. From Mountains to Coast: Biogeochemical Processes Affecting the Water Quality of the Bay in Our Backyard.
Karen C. Rice, USGS, kcrice@usgs.gov; Janet S. Herman, Univ. of Virginia, jherman@virginia.edu.
We seek papers dealing with biogeochemical processes within the Chesapeake Bay watershed that influence the quality of the nation’s largest estuary. We welcome presentations that link various components of the watershed via the biogeochemical evolution of water, including uplands and soils, hillslopes and riparian areas, and wetlands and the shoreline.
S2. Tectonics of Blue Ridge and Piedmont Terranes: Insight from Integrated Studies (Posters).
Arthur J. Merschat, USGS, amerschat@usgs.gov; Elizabeth McClellan, Radford Univ., emccellan@radford.edu; Mitchell Scharman, Marshall Univ., scharman@marshall.edu.
This session seeks papers that examine Blue Ridge and Piedmont tectonics through a variety of techniques, from traditional field studies (structural, petrologic and stratigraphic) to the application of modern geochronologic, thermochronologic, isotopic, chemostratigraphic and geophysical studies.
S3. Geologic Maps and Map Derivatives: The Legacy of Mike Higgins (Posters).
Darcy McPhee, USGS, dmcphee@usgs.gov; Mark Carter, USGS, mcarter@usgs.gov.
We continue the legacy of Mike Higgins by hosting the Geologic Maps and Map Derivatives Poster Session, a staple at SE GSA for many years. We encourage submission of new geologic maps, including derivative maps and map products, from government, academia and industry.
S4. Geology and the Civil War.
Robert C. Whisonant, Radford Univ., rwhisona@radford.edu; Stephen W. Henderson, Oxford College of Emory Univ., shender@emory.edu.
This session will explore the connections between geology and the American Civil War. Among the possible topics for examination are: mineral resources, impact of geology and geomorphology on campaigns and battles, remote sensing/GIS analysis of battle areas, and activities of geologists during the war.
Theme Sessions
Falls of the James River. © Richmond Region Tourism.
T1. New Insights in Linking Mid-Atlantic Terranes to the Northern and Southern Appalachians.
Christopher M. Bailey, College of William and Mary, cmbail@wm.edu; Steven J. Whitmeyer, James Madison Univ., whitmesj@jmu.edu.
Recent research into the provenance of allocthonous terranes in the Mid-Atlantic and other regions of the Appalachians is providing improved constraints on terrane transport and emplacement. In this session we will highlight the tectonic history of the eastern US and the provenance and kinematic history of Mid-Atlantic terranes.
T2. Cenozoic Paleontology of the Mid-Atlantic.
Emily S. Stafford, Western Carolina Univ., esstafford@email.wcu.edu.
We encourage oral and poster presentations on paleontology in the Paleogene, Neogene, and Quaternary, from North Carolina to New York. The Cenozoic is a time of fluctuating climate, sea level, and environments. Topics include (but are not limited to): invertebrates, vertebrates, plants, microfossils, ichnofossils; systematics/evolution, paleoecology, paleoclimate/paleoenvironment, biostratigraphy; etc.
T3. Geoscience Careers for New Geoscience Graduates.
Ronald J. Wallace, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, ronald.wallace@dnr.state.ga.us; Michael D. Lawless, Draper Aden Associates, mlawless@daa.com.
Many students do not know the diversity of potential employment opportunities available. There is a need to address natural resources availability, water quality and quantity issues, natural hazards, environmental investigations, and sustainability issues where geoscientists will be employed. This session will have a variety of speakers working in different areas.
T4. Digital Imaging Techniques for Enhancing Student Learning and Research.
Parvinder Sethi, Radford Univ., psethi@radford.edu; Chester (Skip) Watts, Radford Univ., cwatts@radford.edu.
A kaleidoscope of emerging imaging techniques will be presented including capture and processing tools using modern 2-D and 3-D visualization. We encourage educators and researchers to share their work in fields including but not limited to Gigapan, Google Earth, Virtual Field Trips, UAV/drones, interactive 3-D modeling, Macro-imaging and Structure from Motion.
T5. Beaches, Barriers, and Marshes of the Southeast Coast: Dynamic Systems in a Changing Climate.
Christopher Hein, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, hein@vims.edu; Michael Fenster, Randolph-Macon College, mfenster@rmc.edu.
This session explores human and environmental forcings on coastal systems spanning millennial to seasonal timescales. Emphasis on climatic and storm forcings and predictions based on those forcings is desired.
T6. Karst Geology and Hazards in the Southeastern U.S.
Randall Orndorff, USGS, rorndorf@usgs.gov.
The geologic framework in karst regions plays a primary role in the development of karst. In the humid southeastern U.S., karst is well developed in terrains underlain by limestone, dolostone, and in some cases, gypsum. Stratigraphy and structural geology are important geologic controls in developing caves, springs, and sinkholes, as well as understanding hazards associated with karst.
T7. Transforming Geoscience Teaching and Learning at 2Y and 4Y Colleges.
Callan Bentley, Northern Virginia Community College, cbentley@nvcc.edu; Jason P. Jones, North Carolina State Univ., jpjones7@ncsu.edu; Rachel Atkins, North Carolina State Univ., ratkins@ncsu.edu; Pete Berquist, Thomas Nelson Community College, berquistp@tncc.edu; LeeAnna Chapman, North Carolina State Univ., ltyoung@ncsu.edu; Charles Doug Czajka, North Carolina State Univ., cdczajka@ncsu.edu; Jennifer Dixon, North Carolina State Univ., jldicks2@ncsu.edu.
This session will highlight work to improve student geoscience learning and increasing the effectiveness of geoscience teaching at Two-Year (junior, city, community, and technical) and Four-Year colleges. Presenters are encouraged to discuss their on educational approaches, techniques, success stories, and “lessons learned” from teaching geoscience at these levels.
T8. Economic Geology and the Atlantic Continental Shelf: Marine Aggregate, Heavy Minerals, Energy Resources, and Carbon Storage.
William Lassetter, Virginia Division of Geology and Mineral Resources, william.lassetter@dmme.virginia.gov; Rick Berquist, Virginia Division of Geology and Mineral Resources, rick.berquist@dmme.virginia.gov.
This session seeks research papers focused on the geology and economic opportunities on the Atlantic continental shelf. Topics may cover offshore geologic mapping, sand resource assessments for coastal restoration, heavy minerals resources, oil and gas plays, potential carbon storage reservoirs and enhanced oil/gas recovery, etc.
T9. Seismic Zones, Paleoseismology, and Neotectonics in the Southeastern United States.
J. Wright Horton, Jr., USGS, whorton@usgs.gov; Ronald Counts, USGS, rcounts@usgs.gov.
Technological advances and events such as the 2011 Virginia earthquake are energizing earthquake research in the Southeastern United States. We welcome contributions from any geoscience discipline on earthquakes, paleoseismology, potential for fault reactivation, or earthquake causal mechanisms in areas such as the Central Virginia, Eastern Tennessee, and Charleston seismic zones.
T10. Deciphering Metamorphic Histories in Multiply-Deformed Terranes in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge.
William C. Burton, USGS, bburton@usgs.gov; Willis E. Hames, Auburn Univ., hameswe@auburn.edu.
Steady progress in geologic mapping, isotopic age-dating, and petrologic analysis permit a clearer delineation of the multiple orogenic events experienced by many parts of the southern Appalachians. This session encourages papers by those attempting to unravel the complex orogenic histories of the southern Appalachians via thermochronologic, thermobarometic, and other techniques.
T11. Hydrology and Hydrogeology in the Southeast: Processes, Problems, and Geologic Controls.
J.P. Gannon, Western Carolina Univ., jpgannon@wcu.edu; David L. Nelms, USGS, dlnelms@usgs.gov; David Kinner, Western Carolina Univ., dkinner@wcu.edu; Mark Lord, Western Carolina Univ., mlord@wcu.edu; Jerry Miller, Western Carolina Univ., jmiller@wcu.edu; E. Randolph McFarland, USGS, ermcfarl@usgs.gov.
This session seeks to bring together research conducted in hydrology and hydrogeology within the varied landscapes of the southeast. We seek presentations investigating the processes and geologic controls affecting water in the region as well as applied studies addressing water quality/quantity problems and solutions.
T12. Methods for Assessing Knowledge and Understanding among K–16 Students and the General Public.
Frank L. Forcino, Western Carolina Univ., flforcino@email.wcu.edu; Rachel Salter, North Dakota State Univ., rachel.salter@ndsu.edu.
We seek presentations about assessment techniques employed as an instructor to diagnose student learning or to determine public understanding of a geoscience concept. These techniques may have shown increased student learning or participation, provided meaningful feedback to instructor/students, or described areas requiring further research.
T13. Topics in Paleozoic Paleontology and Stratigraphy.
Stephen A. Leslie, James Madison Univ., lesliesa@jmu.edu; Bradley Deline, Univ. of West Georgia, bdeline@westga.edu; John Haynes, James Madison Univ., haynesjx@jmu.edu.
Highlighting the diversity of Paleozoic paleontologic and stratigraphic research, this session is organized to bring together researchers that are focusing on the Paleozoic. Those working on all aspects of Paleozoic paleontology, paleoecology, paleoclimatology, stratigraphy, and sedimentary systems are encouraged to join in this session.
T14. Brittle Deformation in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain Provinces: Understanding the Tectonics along the Eastern North American Margin.
Mervin J. Bartholomew, Univ. of Memphis, jbrthlm1@memphis.edu; Christopher M. Bailey, College of William and Mary, cmbail@wm.edu.
Post-Alleghanian tectonics along the eastern margin during Mesozoic and/or Cenozoic tectonic events related to: the sequence/timing of new fracture-set formation or reactivation; determination of T-P-t conditions during different tectonic events; and significant changes in stress-field orientation during the Mesozoic, Tertiary, and/or Quaternary.
T15. Plutonism and Volcanism in the Southern Appalachians.
Brent E. Owens, College of William and Mary, beowen@wm.edu; Elizabeth Johnson, James Madison Univ., johns2ea@jmu.edu.
The southern Appalachians preserve a record of igneous activity from the Mesoproterozoic to the Cenozoic, in settings both native and exotic to Laurentia. This session seeks contributions on all aspects of this plutonism and volcanism, including new mapping, structural geology and tectonics, mineralogy, petrology, economic geology, isotope geology, and geochronology
T16. Stormwater Control Measures: Runoff Quantity and Pollution Science and Management in the Southeastern U.S.
Vijay M. Vulava, Univ. of Charleston, vulavav@cofc.edu; Barbara Beckingham, Univ. of Charleston, beckinghamba@cofc.edu; Timothy Callahan, Univ. of Charleston, callahant@cofc.edu.
This session will explore broad water quality issues related to storm water runoff and evaluation of storm water control measures (e.g., ponds and detention basins) as best management practices in the southeast U.S. Field, laboratory, modeling studies, as well local and regional case studies are all welcome.
T17. Geologic Studies of the U.S. Atlantic Coastal Plain Province.
Christopher Swezey, USGS, cswezey@usgs.gov; Rick Berquist, Virginia Division of Geology and Mineral Resources, rick.berquist@dmme.virginia.gov.
This theme session focuses on the geology of the U.S. Atlantic Coastal Plain province. Particular emphasis is given to the topics of stratigraphy, sedimentology, and structural geology.
T18. 2YC Student Research and Teaching Methods (Posters).
Pete Berquist, Thomas Nelson Community College, berquistp@tncc.edu; Callan Bentley, Northern Virginia Community College, cbentley@nvcc.edu.
Two-year (junior, city, community, and technical) colleges provide high-quality introduction to geology, and produce well-rounded associate-level students who may wish to continue their education in the geosciences at four-year colleges and universities. This poster session welcomes abstracts that highlight research advances and science contributions by two-year college students and their instructors
T19. Undergraduate Research (Posters).
Lee Phillips, Univ. of North Carolina at Greensboro, plphilli@uncg.edu; Elizabeth Johnson, James Madison Univ., johns2ea@jmu.edu.
This poster session is designed to showcase undergraduate research efforts. The session is open to students working in all areas of the geosciences. All submissions should include a faculty mentor as co-author.
T20. Paleozoic Clastics and Carbonates of the Southeast (Posters).
Jeannette M. Wolak, Tennessee Technological Univ., jwolak@tntech.edu.
This session will bring together workers studying clastic and carbonate depositional systems that developed during the Paleozoic.