Information for Presenters
Oral Sessions
Oral sessions are located on three floors of the hotel—Mezzanine, Conference Level, and the 17th Floor. The first two are adjacent and easily accessed by stairs, whereas the 17th Floor requires elevator use. Talks are in the Lawrence Welk room on the Mezzanine level. Just above it on the Conference Level, talks are in the Frick and Conference A rooms. On the 17th Floor, talks are located in the Allegheny and the Monongahela rooms.
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.
The Speaker Ready Room (Phipps Room, Conference Level)
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:
Saturday, 18 March, 4:30 – 8 p.m.
Sunday, 19 March, 7 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Monday, 20 March, 7 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, 21 March, 7:30 a.m. – noon.
Each speaker must bring their PowerPoint or PDF on a USB compatible flash drive (a.k.a. thumb drive or memory stick) to the Speaker Ready Room for checking and uploading to their session’s folder. The deadlines below are suggested to make sure that your presentation gets to the laptop in the meeting room for your session on time.
| For presentations on |
Upload no later than |
| Sunday, 19 March AM |
7 p.m., Saturday, 18 March |
| Sunday, 19 March PM |
10 a.m. Sunday, 19 March |
| Monday, 20 March AM |
5:30 p.m., Sunday, 19 March |
Monday, 20 March PM
|
10 a.m., Monday, 20 March |
| Tuesday, 19 March AM |
5:30 p.m., Monday, 20 March |
| Tuesday, 19 March PM |
10 a.m., Tuesday, 21 March |
Session Chair and Oral Session Student Volunteer Orientations
Each session chair and student volunteer staffing an oral session is requested to attend a 15 minute “Oral Session Orientation” at 7:30 a.m. in room Conference C on the morning of their technical session. 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 and to limit speakers to their allotted time (20 minutes total including questions). 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. Session chairs should meet with the assigned student volunteer in the meeting room prior to the start of the session. Volunteers are there to help the sessions run smoothly and to contact designated audiovisual and information technology personnel in the event of technical problems.
Poster Sessions
All poster sessions are in the Grand Ballroom and Urban Room. Please check the program for specific times and topics. Poster presenters have one 4’x8’ horizontal (landscape) poster display surface. Numbers on these display surfaces correspond to poster booth numbers listed in the Program. Poster presenters should bring pushpins with which to mount their posters. (Some pushpins will also be available in the poster area). Boards are not designed to accept Velcro mounts. Morning posters can be mounted starting at 7:45 a.m. and removed by 12:30 p.m., while afternoon posters can be displayed at 1 p.m. and removed at 5:30 p.m. Authors are to be present between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. for morning sessions and between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. for afternoon sessions.
TECHNICAL SESSIONS
Theme Sessions
Direct your theme session proposals to technical chairs Richard Becker (NC) or Wendell Barner (NE).
1. New Strategies and Best Practices for Teaching Climate and Energy.
Cosponsored by GSA Geoscience Education Division
Karen Cercone, Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania, kcercone@iup.edu.
Description: What works best when teaching about climate and energy in formal and informal K–12 educational settings? This session will use both traditional printed posters and teacher-assembled bulletin boards to share exciting new ideas and proven best practices for climate and energy lessons. (Mentors or “poster partners” are available for in-service teachers who are submitting an abstract for the first time.)
2. Teaching Climate and Energy to a K–12 Audience.
Cosponsored by GSA Geoscience Education Division
Laura Guertin, Pennsylvania State Univ., uxg3@psu.edu; Polly Rott Sturgeon.
Description: Climate and energy are complex topics. There are many ways to approach K–12 teaching of climate and energy depending on availability of maps/images, data, and instructional method. This session will highlight a variety of pedagogical approaches to teaching climate and energy for formal/informal K–12 audiences, including connections to societal issues.
3. Back to the Basics: Focusing on Fieldwork in Today’s Geological Studies.
Cosponsored by GSA Geoscience Education Division
Wes Buchanan, Colorado School of Mines, jbuchana@mines.edu; Sean Regan.
Description: Fieldwork has previously been the backbone of many geologic studies, but today’s geologist has a multitude of analytical tools allowing them to collect data quickly and independently of field characterization. This session welcomes presentations that highlight fieldwork as a tool to inform analytical techniques that should enhance and not replace field studies and vice versa. We also welcome presentations that highlight discrepancies between field and analytical data, and how to recognize and resolve such inconsistencies.
4. Karst Studies from the Appalachians to the Mid-Continent.
Cosponsored by GSA Karst Division
Douglas Gouzie, douglasgouzie@missouristate.edu.
Description: This session encourages papers presenting recent studies in karst areas—from fractured and folded rocks in the Appalachians to the relatively flat-lying carbonates of the mid-continent. Along with more traditional investigations, such as mapping and dye-tracing, we especially seek new and emerging approaches, including LiDAR, temperature and micro-tracers, statistical analyses, or other novel approaches to problems and resource management in karst areas.
5. Engineering and Environmental Geology of Karst Terranes.
Cosponsored by the GSA Geophysics Divison; GSA Karst Division; GSA Environmental & Engineering Geology Division
Wendell Barner, Barner Consulting, LLC, wendell.barner@gmail.com; Bill Kochanov.
Description: This session seeks papers on the engineering and environmental aspects of karst as it relates to land-use development in the north-central and northeastern regions of the United States. As land use encroaches upon karst terranes, the need is great for (1) accurate location of carbonate and evaporate features through geophysical and aerial imagery; (2) site characterization, remediation, and alternate land use designation; (3) emergency management protocol; and (4) engineering to help protect groundwater supplies, aquatic and cave-dwelling fauna, and other receptors from negative impacts resulting from development.
6. FOSSIL Collaborations: Enhancing Paleontology through Professional and Amateur Partnerships.
Eleanor Gardner, egardner@flmnh.ufl.edu; Bruce MacFadden; Cathy Young; Jayson Kowlinsky; Daniel Krisher.
Description: Partnerships between professional and amateur paleontologists have always been important for growth within the field of paleontology. Despite a push for increased recognition and acknowledgement of amateurs, their efforts are still often overlooked or forgotten. Since 2014, the FOSSIL Project has facilitated enhanced communication, networking, and collaboration among amateur and professional paleontologists. This session will provide a forum for the paleontological community to showcase and discuss partnerships that produce high-quality research, educational initiatives, and/or outreach endeavors.
7. Fluvial Geomorphology of Post-Glacial Rivers.
Cosponsored by GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division
Amanda Schmidt, Oberlin College, aschmidt@oberlin.edu; Anne Jefferson; Karen Gran.
Description: The long-term effects of the last glaciation are evident in rivers of the northeast and north-central United States. This session will explore ongoing fluvial responses to glaciation and deglaciation. We welcome submissions focusing on field data, modeling results, and physical experiments on any kind of fluvial response to Pleistocene glaciation.
8. The Geomorphology and Hydrogeology of the Appalachian Plateau.
Cosponsored by GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division; GSA Hydrogeology Division
Daniel Bain, Univ. of Pittsburgh, dbain@pitt.edu; Katie Farnsworth.
Description: The sedimentary bedrock underlying the Appalachian Plateau is a challenge to topographic hydrologic models. Further, the tendency for springs and drainages to follow fracturing, and influence basin geomorphology, adds complexity. These challenges limit our assessment of potential contamination of water systems by both legacy and contemporary sources.
9. Remote Sensing Applications in Geology.
Cosponsored by the GSA Geophysics Division; GSA Geoinformatics Division
Richard Becker, Univ. of Toledo, richard.becker@utoledo.edu.
Description: New innovations and sensors have broadened the capabilities of remote sensing. Ranging from UAV to satellite based, a wide range of geologic, geomorphic and hydrologic applications can be addressed. This session welcomes applications of the sensors to geologic questions.
10. A View of Some Significant Geologists or Discoveries in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries.
Jeri Jones, Jones Geological Services, jonesgeo@comcast.net; Jon Inners.
Description: Papers will be accepted that discuss either a specific geologist’s research, important discovery, or concept during the turn of the century. Without modern technology and the understanding of plate tectonics, just how significant were these historic works?
11. Improving Undergraduate STEM Education and Advancing Diversity in the Geosciences—How Are We Doing?
Cosponsored by GSA Geoscience Education Division; GSA Geophysics Division; International Association for Geoscience Diversity
Jonathan Lewis, Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania, jclewis@iup.edu;Sharon Cooper; Karen Thomson.
Description: Attention and funding have been dedicated in recent years to improving undergraduate STEM education; e.g., improving STEM success, STEM retention, and STEM awareness; and diversifying the STEM community. The new IUSE:GEOPATHS and INCLUDES solicitations from the NSF attest to the commitment. This session aims provide a platform for faculty and students alike to share experiences, best practices and challenges in projects already funded or projects that are still in development.
12. Undergraduate Research Session (Posters).
Cosponsored by Council on Undergraduate Research Geosciences Division.
Robert Shuster, Univ. of Nebraska–Omaha, rshuster@unomaha.edu.
Description: This poster session highlights research conducted by undergraduate students. All abstracts must be written by the student or students and may have non-student co-authors (although students must present the poster). Topics may include undergraduate research in any discipline of geology or related fields (such as water resources, hydrology, environmental science, or physical geography).
13. Changing Agricultural Landscapes and Impacts on Groundwater Quality and Quantity.
Cosponsored by GSA Geology and Society Division; GSA Hydrogeology Division
Jana Levison, Univ. of Guelph, jlevison@g360group.org;Marie Larocque.
Description: Groundwater is the principle water sources for farms, rural residents, and many urban populations surrounding by agriculture. It is imperative that it is used in quantities adequate for sustainability of the shared resource, and that its quality is protected in the context of a changing climate and changing land.
14. There’s an App for That: Using Technology Developments, Innovations, Resources, and Applications to Enhance Undergraduate Geoscience Education.
Cosponsored by National Association of Geoscience Teachers; GSA Geoscience Education Divison; GSA Geophysics Division.
C. Renee Sparks, Calvin College, crs38@calvin.edu; Joseph Reese; Steven Linberg.
Description: This session is cosponsored by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers and explores the roles technology developments, innovations, resources, and applications play in teaching geosciences. We solicit submissions from those using technologies to enhance, compliment, and/or expand undergraduate geoscience education. If you are using or considering technology in the classroom or field, share your experiences.
15. Conodonts Solving Stratigraphic Problems.
Cosponsored by Great Lakes Section of SEPM.
Christopher Waid, Univ. of Iowa, christopher-waid@uiowa.edu; D. Jeffrey Over; John Repetski.
Description: This session will focus on the utility of conodont microfossils for biostratigraphy, their integration with other chronostratigraphic methods (e.g. chemostratigraphy), and any other geologic question they can address. Paleobiological and taxonomical issues that can improve conodonts’ utility are also welcomed. The annual Pander Society meeting for North America will also take place at the session.
16. Research Associated with The Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL).
Cosponsored by the GSA Geophysics Division
Tim Carr, West Virginia Univ., tim.carr@mail.wvu.edu; Dan Billman.
Description: The Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) consists of a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional team undertaking integrated geoscience, engineering, and social science research in cooperation with the operator, Northeast Natural Energy, numerous industrial partners, and the National Energy Technology Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. MSEEL integrates drilling and fracture stimulation operations, geophysical observations, fiber-optic monitoring of high-resolution temporal and spatial flow of injected and produced fluids during completion and production, mechanical properties logs, microseismic and core data to better characterize subsurface rock properties, stimulated reservoir volumes, faults and fracture systems.
17. Fundamental Measurements of Shale Properties and Identifying Data Gaps.
Angela Goodman,Angela.Goodman@netl.doe.gov.
Description: The beauty—and enigma—of resource production from unconventional shale lies in the multiple scales of importance; from multi-state extents, to meter-scale fractures, and finally the nano-porous matrix. This session focuses on research examining the fine-scale nature of shale, and how this is changing what we know about energy production.
18. Wellbore Integrity: Subsurface Issues and Solutions.
Barbara Kutchko, Barbara.kutchko@netl.doe.gov.
Description: Shallow stray gas in the Marcellus formation is a safety concern. A recent PNAS study found that the primary concern is from “defective casing and cementing in gas wells”. A full understanding of the subsurface is necessary to properly design and construct a barrier system for the subsurface environment.
19. Geology of Marcellus-Utica Shale and How it Relates to Oil and Gas Production.
Wendell Barner, Barner Consulting, LLC, wendell.barner@gmail.com
Description: This session encourages papers and/or posters discussing the geology of the Marcellus-Utica Shale Play and how it relates to oil and gas production.
20. Environmental and Engineering Problems and Solutions Associated with the Marcellus-Utica Shale Play.
Cosponsored by the Environmental & Engineering Geology Division
Wendell Barner, Barner Consulting, LLC, wendell.barner@gmail.com.
Description: This session looks for papers and/or posters concerning the environmental and engineering aspects associated with the shale development and solutions to the problems.
21. Passive Seismic Monitoring of Brittle and Non-Brittle Deformation during the Stimulation of Unconventional Shale Reservoirs.
Cosponsored by the Environmental & Engineering Geology Division; GSA Geophysics Division
Richard Hammack, richard.hammack@netl.doe.gov; Abhash Kumar; Erich Zorn.
Description: We envision presentations in these categories for the subject proposed: processing and detection of injection induced seismicity; mapping of hydraulically stimulated reservoir volume; effect of geomechanical rock properties on microseismmic behavior; and role of brittle and non-brittle failures during hydraulic fracturing.
22. Understanding and Assessing Potential Hazard/Risk from Induced Seismicity in the North-Central and Northeastern United States.
Cosponsored by the Environmental & Engineering Geology Division; GSA Geology and Society Division; GSA Geophysics Division
Michael Rosenmeier, RIZZO Associates, Michael.rosenmeier@rizzoassoc.com; Doug Raszewski.
Description: This session will consider induced seismicity from fluid disposal, hydraulic fracturing, or gas storage in Marcellus and Utica Shale gas play areas and in sedimentary basins in the north-central United States, and potential concerns for seismic hazards as related to public safety and critical infrastructure.
23. Panel Session: Telling Histories of Shale.
Cosponsored by the Environmental & Engineering Geology Division; GSA Geology and Society Division; GSA Geophysics Division
Conevery Bolton Valencius, Boston College, valenciu;@bc.edu; Brian Frehner.
Description: Two-part discussion: Historians of hydraulic fracturing will share current work. Frehner investigates seismic sensing and shale exploration, while Valencius researches induced earthquakes and shale plays. They will then ask what practitioners and scientists would like to hear from historians and how we might tell histories of shale that bridge disciplines.
24. Urban Biogeochemistry and Geochemistry.
Cosponsored by the Environmental & Engineering Geology Division; GSA Geology and Society Division
Emily M. Elliott, eelliott@pitt.edu; Daniel J. Bain.
Description: Urbanization fundamentally alters biogeochemical systems. Fluxes of nutrients increase dramatically and hydrological flowpaths are radically altered. Emerging tools, such as isotope tracers, provide increasingly integrated (atmosphere-hydrosphere-lithosphere) conceptual models of this unique geochemistry. These advances are fundamental to the successful application of “green infrastructure” to challenges that face urban systems.
25. Biogeochemistry & Geobiology of Anoxic/Euxinic Systems.
Molly O’Beirne, Univ. of Pittsburg, mdobeirne@pitt.edu; Joseph Werne; William Gilhooly.
Description: The biogeochemistry and microbial ecology of anoxic and euxinic system is important to study for improving understanding of anaerobic metabolism and for characterizing early Earth redox process. This session welcomes submissions related to the biogeochemistry and geobiology of anoxic/euxinic systems on all time scales, from the bench top to the Proterozoic.
26. Biogeochemical Cycling and Biomineralization: Observations at the Microscale.
Dawn Cardace, Univ. of Rhode Island, cardace@uri.edu; Zsuzsanna Balogh-Brunstad; Amanda Albright Olsen.
Description: Biogeochemical cycling and biologically mediated mineralization processes have altered Earth profoundly over deep time. Biologically driven alteration in all lithologies and at all scales can be observed in mineralization tied to (a) rocks and weathered materials influenced by water-rock reaction in natural settings (aquifer transformations, critical zone reactions, spring deposits, fracture fill mineralization, varnishes) and (b) anthropogenically impacted areas (mine wastes, drainage channels, carbon storage experiments, etc.). This session invites discussion of studies involving field observations, modeling, and bench-top experiments that explore the biogeochemical evolution of solids and solutions.
27. Precambrian Assembly of a Continent from the Northeast to the Mid-Continent to the Southwest: Modern Approaches to Study Ancient Crust.
Cosponsored by the GSA Geophysics Division
Benjamin Hallett, Univ. of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, hallettb@uwosh.edu; Christopher Daniel.
Description: Observations from Precambrian rocks across North America emphasize the roles of tectonism and magmatism in the evolution of continental crust. We invite studies that utilize geochemical, geophysical, structural, petrologic, and geochronologic tools to examine Precambrian crustal evolution and craton assembly. Student presentations are welcomed.
28. Recent Advances in Volcano Observation and Monitoring.
Cosponsored by the GSA Geophysics Division
Loÿc Vanderkluysen, Drexel Univ., oyc@drexel.edu.
Description: Mitigating volcanic hazards relies on a rapidly expanding array of monitoring techniques, including improvements in satellite imagery, spectroscopy, geochemistry, image analysis, 3D photogrammetry, and the rise of low-cost small, unmanned aerial vehicles. This session welcomes contributions related to all aspects of volcano observation, monitoring, modeling, and hazard mitigation.
29. Paleolimnological Studies of Climate Variability and Environmental Response.
Cosponsored by the Limnogeology Divisio
Arielle Woods, Univ. of Pittsburgh, ariellewoods@pitt.edu; Mark Abbott.
Description: Lake sediments provide detailed and continuous records of regional climate variability and associated environmental response, and are available for many parts of the globe. This session welcomes all studies involved in the development and application of lacustrine geochemical and sedimentological proxies to investigate Holocene and late Pleistocene paleoclimatology.
30. Application of Organic Geochemical Proxies to (Paleo)Environmental Studies.
Cosponsored by the Limnogeology Divisio
Dervla Kumar, Univ. of Pittsburgh, dmk81@pitt.edu; Joseph Werne.
Description: Organic geochemistry is being increasingly applied to understand how regional and broader environmental changes are recorded in the distribution of isotopic signatures of organic molecules in both modern and ancient environments. This session welcomes all studies involved in the development and application of organic geochemistry proxies at all time scales.
31. Progress Toward Understanding Present and Past River Responses to Climate in Eastern and Midwestern North America.
Cosponsored by the GSA Sedimentary Geology Division.
J. Steven Kite, West Virginia Univ., jkite@wvu.edu; Todd Grote; Bill Monaghan.
Description: Rivers respond to climate in various ways and over many timescales. Instrumental records provide insight into historical, sub-annual-to-multi-decadal timescales while sedimentary archives provide deeper-time paleoperspectives. This session invites presentations that document present and past river responses to climate, over any time scale, focused on Eastern and Midwestern North America.
32. Redeveloping in the Urban Landscape—Expected and Unexpected Challenges.
Frank Benecquista, KU Resources, Inc., fbenacquista@kuresources.com.
Description: Due to the rapidly changing urban landscape, the task of developing within a major city always presents challenges, whether administrative or technical in nature. Unexpected geologic challenges manifest in the form of buried landscapes, some pre-dating the original city development. Challenges can result from “recent” activity modifying the original landscape. In this session we propose to solicit papers that deal with examining the impact that geology had on the urban landscapes.
33. Shoreline Behavior, Paralic Architecture, and Lake-Level Change in the Great Lakes.
Cosponsored by GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division; GSA Sedimentary Geology Division; GSA Limnogeology Division
John W. Johnston, Univ. of Waterloo, jwjohnston@uwaterloo.ca; Todd Thompson; Erin Argyilan.
Description: Modern and ancient coastal deposits and landforms rim the Great Lakes. Recent additions to the coastal geomorphologist’s and sedimentologist’s toolkit of vibracores and geoprobes, LiDAR, 14C and OSL dating, and ground-penetrating radar allow for a greater understanding of the stratigraphy and architecture of nearshore and onshore systems that lead to better interpretations of processes, shoreline behavior, and lake-level change. This session invites papers on all aspects of modern and ancient Great Lakes coastlines.
34. Quaternary Paleolimnology of the Laurentian Great Lakes Region.
Cosponsored by GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division; GSA Limnogeology Division
Joe Ortiz, Kent State Univ., jortiz@kent.edu; Beverly Saylor.
Description: This session invites oral and poster presentations discussing the paleolimnology of North America during the Quaternary. Despite decades of work, considerable uncertainty remains in reconstruction of regional changes in lake level, paleotemperature, and paleoproductivity in the Laurentian Great Lakes Region, which can provide constraints on regional changes in evaporation/precipitation and other responses of the upper Midwest to deglaciation and shift into the Holocene. Comparison of data from large and small lakes in the region using a variety of methods will help to synthesize new advances in the field. Paleolimnological constraints on timescales ranging from multi-decadal to precessional changes, provide the baseline against which to compare the considerable anthropogenic changes occurring today within the Great Lakes Region.
35. Quaternarists’ Perspectives on the Anthropocene.
Cosponsored by GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division
Francine McCarthy, Brock Univ., fmccarthy@brocku.ca.
Description: The concept of the Anthropocene as an interval marked by “significant global impact of human activities on our planet” continues to gain popularity. Quaternarists should provide input to the ICS Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy regarding possible formal definition of a third epoch of the Quaternary Period.
36. Applications of OSL and TCN to Chronologic Problems along the Margins of the LIS.
Cosponsored by GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division.
Kenneth Lepper, North Dakota State Univ., ken.lepper@ndsu.edu.
Description: Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) dating are allowing investigations of the dynamics of the margins and retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet (LIS) during time intervals that had formerly been inaccessible. This session invites presentations highlighting the application of these methods to develop chronologies from landforms and sediments associated with the LIS margins.
37. The Future of Glacial Chronostratigraphy in the U.S.: Pre–Late Wisconsinan Glaciation East of the Mississippi River.
Cosponsored by GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division
Charles Rovey, Missouri State Univ., charlesrovey@missouristate.edu.
Description: Historical summaries and new research on all aspects of pre-Wisconsinan (MIS 2) glaciation east of the Mississippi River. Topics may include (1) evidence for and age constraints of older glaciations, (2) extent of older glacial deposits, and (3) needed research.
38. Quaternary Interglacials in North America.
Cosponsored by GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division
Martin Head, Brock Univ., mjhead@brocku.ca.
Description: During the Quaternary, full interglacial phases were relatively short in duration. They are poorly represented in North America, especially in the higher latitudes where glacial processes have prevailed. Nonetheless, interglacials are crucial for understanding the evolution of our present biota and in making base-level assumptions about future climate.
39. Regional Geophysical Studies in the Central and Eastern U.S.
Cosponsored by the Environmental & Engineering Geology Division; GSA Geophysics Division
Kevin Mickus, Missouri State Univ., kevinmickus@missouristate.edu; Sourav Nandi.
Description: Geophysical methods are used in a variety of geological investigations, ranging from archaeology, environmental, petroleum, mining, and tectonics. This session will present examples of integrated investigations of all of these fields, including recent results from the Earthscope project.
40. Applied Geology, Environmental, Engineering, Hydrogeology, and Applied Geophysics.
Cosponsored by the Environmental & Engineering Geology and GSA Geophysics and GSA Hydrogeology Divisions
Terry West, Purdue Univ., trwest@purdue.edu.
Description: This session contains a range of subjects on the applied or practical aspects of the geological sciences. It provides a platform for research reports, case histories and general discussion of topics pertaining to environmental and construction-related aspects of geology.
41. Geoarchaeology.
Cosponsored by GSA Archaeological Geology Division
Harry Jol, Univ. of Wisconsin, jolhm@uwec.edu; Philip Reeder.
Description: This session will highlight geoarchaeological research that range from local sites to international settings.
42. Surficial Geologic Mapping.
Cosponsored by Great Lakes Geologic Mapping Coalition; Great Lakes Section SEPM; GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division
Kevin Kincare, USGS, Kkincare@usgs.gov; Gary Fleeger.
Description: The stratigraphy of the glacial and surficial deposits of the Great Lakes region has both economic and scientific importance. While the region benefits greatly from extracting the sand and gravel and groundwater resources contained within glacial deposits, our knowledge of them is not commensurate to our economic reliance. We invite field mappers working in glacial and post-glacial deposits to present their results as well as to discuss the use of their maps to interpret depositional environments and stratigraphic relationships. This session also invites papers on derivative map products, such as hydrostratigraphy of glacial deposits, glacial-aquifer sensitivity to surface activities, and reserve estimates of construction aggregates.
43. Women in Geology: Encouraging the Future.
Beth Johnson, Univ. of Wisconsin-Fox Valley, beth.a.johnson@uwc.edu.
Description: Although women are taking on increasing roles in the geosciences, they still face unique challenges that make it difficult to remain in the field. This session explores the challenges women face in geology and efforts in retention and recruiting new students into the field.
44. Unraveling the Effects of Post-Depositional Events on Appalachian Basin Source Rocks.
Brian W. Stewart, Univ. of Pittsburgh, bstewart@pitt.edu; Rosemary C. Capo, Univ. of Pittsburgh, J. Alexandra Hakala, DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory
Description: We seek contributions focused on Appalachian Basin rocks that bear on the preservation and alteration of organic matter, migration of oil and gas, and the geochemical evolution of Paleozoic formation fluids. Approaches could include mineralogy/petrography, fluid inclusions, trace element geochemistry, radiogenic and stable isotopes, and fluid-rock interaction experiments.
45. Sources, Transport and Fate of Trace Elements and Organics in the Environment.
Tara Kneeshaw, Grand Valley State Univ., kneeshta@gvsu.edu; Colleen Mclean, Youngstown State Univ..
Description: Understanding the environmental processes related to trace elements and organics are of interest to many fields within the environmental sciences because of their implications to human and ecosystem health. Anthropogenic alteration of the environment has had clear impact on the cycles of these chemicals both in historical terms (e.g., mining activities) and in creation of new ones (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls). This poses many challenges related to waste and environmental legacy. At the same time their relative concentrations in the environment (abiotic and biotic compartments) and changes in concentrations over time and space can give significant insight into understanding processes.
This session encourages presentations that allow us to better understand: 1) The processes involved in the cycling (both in time and space) of chemicals (trace and major elements, anions, nutrients, and toxic and non-organic compounds) in the environment through both measurement and modeling approaches;
2) The impacts of these elements and compounds to human and ecosystem health; 3) Methodology and tools used to assess these processes.
46. Ground Penetrating Radar Applications in the Earth Sciences and Archaeology.
Harry M. Jol, Univ. of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, jolhm@uwec.edu.
Description: This session will highlight ground penetrating radar research in geologic, geomorphic, sedimentary and geoarchaeological environments.
47. Omnipresent Ichnology: Traces of Life From Mountain Slopes to the Deep Sea.
Cosponsored by Eastern Section of SEPM.
Ilya Buynevich Temple Univ., coast@temple.edu; Daniel Hembree, Ohio Univ., hembree@ohio.edu.
Description: Modern and ancient traces of life provide invaluable ecological and environmental information not available through analyses of body fossils or sediments alone. We invite research focusing on latest ichnological discoveries in marine and terrestrial settings, at scales ranging from microbial traces to products of zoogeomorphic agents. We especially welcome applications of novel techniques in ichnological observations and experiments.
48. NETectonics: New Advances in Structural Geology and Tectonics in the Appalachians.
Cosponsored by GSA Structural Geology and Tectonics Division.
Yvette Kuiper, Colorado School of Mines ykuiper@mines.edu; Mike Williams, Univ. of Massachusetts–Amherst mlw@geo.umass.edu; Wes Buchanan, Colorado School of Mines jbuchana@mymail.mines.edu.
Description: We welcome contributions in the general fields of structural geology and tectonics in the Appalachians, including regional and process-orientated studies, and investigations at all scales from microscopic studies to tectonic models.
49. NETectonics: New advances in petrology, geochemistry and geochronology in the Appalachians. Cosponsored by GSA Structural Geology and Tectonics Division; GSA Mineralogy, Geochemistry, Petrology, and Volcanology Division.
Chris Hepburn, Boston College john.hepburn@bc.edu; Craig Dietsch, Univ. of Cincinnati craig.dietsch@uc.edu; Sandra Barr, Acadia Univ. sandra.barr@acadiau.ca; Yvette Kuiper, Colorado School of Mines ykuiper@mines.edu.
Description: We seek contributions in the general fields of petrology, geochemistry and geochronology in the Appalachians, including regional and process-orientated studies, from the isotope/element to tectonic scale.