Geology in the Natural State

Little Rock, Arkansas, to Welcome 2018 Meeting of The Geological Society of America's South-Central Section

Boulder, Colo., USA: On 11–13 March, geoscientists from the south-central U.S. and beyond will convene in Little Rock, Arkansas, to discuss new science, expand on existing science, and explore the unique geologic features of the region. Robbie Gries, GSA President-Elect, will deliver the keynote presentation, "Pioneering Women in Petroleum Geology—Celebrating 100 Years!"

The meeting coincides with a nice time of year, providing for excellent field trip opportunities to nearby interesting and world-famous geologic features, including the Crater of Diamonds, Magnet Cove, a Lake Ouachita Geofloat, and Hot Springs National Park and Quartz Collecting.

Keynote Presentation:
Robbie Rice Gries, Priority Oil & Gas, LLC, Geological Society of America President-Elect: "Pioneering Women in Petroleum Geology—Celebrating 100 Years!"
Sunday, 11 March, 6–7 p.m., in Salon C of the Little Rock Marriott.

Selected Highlights of the Scientific Program
The scientific program is composed of oral and poster presentations organized into 15 themed and discipline sessions covering an array of research in the geosciences.

T3. Paleontology of the South-Central Region
https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2018SC/meetingapp.cgi/Session/43949
Monday, 12 March, 8 a.m.–noon
• 2-6 Fossil vertebrate diversity in Arkansas. Alternatively titled 500 million years of Arkansas history. A review of the fossil vertebrates that have been found in the state with the goal of expanding awareness about the large diversity of fossils and the work that still needs to be done. (Joseph Daniel, paleoaerie@gmail.com)
• 2-7 Paleobiogeographical implications of a new ornithomimosaur dinosaur from the early Cretaceous Trinity Group of Arkansas. New information on Arkansaurus, the Arkansas state dinosaur. (Rebecca Hunt-Foster, rhuntfoster@blm.gov)
• 2-8 The first multi-taxa vertebrate assemblage from the Mesozoic of Arkansas, USA. The first report of multiple new dinosaurs found in the state. (Celina Suarez, casuarez@uark.edu)
• 2-9 First occurrence of an Arkansas ankylosaur. Description of the first known ankylosaur dinosaur from Arkansas. (Kirsty Morgan, km037@uark.edu)

T10. Holistic Approaches to Coping with Induced Seismicity in the Mid-Continent
https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2018SC/meetingapp.cgi/Session/43956
Tuesday, 13 March, 1:30–5:50 p.m.
• Developing criteria to characterize and classify discrete clusters of earthquakes from 2012–2016 in north-central Arkansas as natural or induced (Scott M. Ausbrooks, scott.ausbrooks@arkansas.gov)
• Correlation and the lack thereof: Injection, earthquake, and magnitude distributions in Oklahoma (Tim Sickbert, tim.sickbert@okstate.edu)
• The evolving spatio-temporal association between earthquakes and wastewater injection wells in Oklahoma (Jake Walter, jwalter@ou.edu)

T18. Earth and Space Science K–Higher Education
https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2018SC/meetingapp.cgi/Session/43965
Tuesday, 13 March, 8 a.m.–noon
• Dr. Philip L. Kehler: A champion for geoscience education in Arkansas (Margaret E. McMillan, memcmillan@ualr.edu)
• Demography and the geoscience professions: Diffusion is not progress (Stephen K. Boss, sboss@uark.edu)
• ABET Accreditation of Natural Science Programs (Jeffrey B. Connelly, jbconnelly@ualr.edu)

T6. Karst Development and Karst Hydrogeology in the Mid-Continent Region of the United States
https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2018SC/meetingapp.cgi/Session/43952
Tuesday, 13 March, 8 a.m.-noon
• Margaret White Springs recharge study, Buffalo National River, North-Central Arkansas, USA (Ashlon Leonard, ael005@uark.edu)
• Karst hydrogeologic development in the Boone Formation (Lower Carboniferous) of the southern Ozarks (Van Brahana, brahana@uark.edu)

We have 97 students presenting at this meeting, including a session specifically for student researchers: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2018SC/meetingapp.cgi/Session/43967.

Exhibitors include Matilda and Karl Pfeiffer Museum, Midwestern State University, Stephen F. Austin State University, National Association of State Boards of Geology, National Association of Geoscience Teachers, SC GSA 2019 Meeting, GSA Foundation, GSA Bookstore, Central US Earthquake Consortium, Eureka Water Probes, NEI GPS, Shimadzu Institute for Research Technologies, North Central Instruments, Inc., Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., and Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.

View the complete session schedule by day or search the program by keywords at https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2018SC/meetingapp.cgi/TechnicalPrograms/0
Meeting website: http://www.geosociety.org/sc-mtg

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MEDIA REGISTRATION
Eligibility for media registration is as follows:
• Working press representing bona fide, recognized news media with a press card, letter, or business card from the publication.
• Freelance science writers, presenting a current membership card from NASW, ISWA, regional affiliates of NASW, ISWA, CSWA, ACS, ABSW, EUSJA, or evidence of work pertaining to science published in 2017 or 2018.
• PIOs of scientific societies, educational institutions, and government agencies.

Present media credentials to Lindsey Henslee onsite at the GSA registration desk to obtain a badge for media access. Complimentary meeting registration covers attendance at all technical sessions and access to the exhibit hall. Journalists and PIOs must pay regular fees for paid luncheons and any short courses or field trips in which they participate. Representatives of the business side of news media, publishing houses, and for-profit corporations must register at the main registration desk and pay the appropriate fees.

http://www.geosociety.org

The Geological Society of America, founded in 1888, is a scientific society with more than 25,000 members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100 countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the geosciences in the service of humankind. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, GSA encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth science education.

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