Had a wonderful time at GSA!!!
Tuesday was a busy, busy day. After viewing multiple posters and attending a few talks, I visited with some grad school representatives and learned a little about their programs available. Myself and a few other students went to a nearby cafe for lunch, wanting to try some local cuisine before it was too late (there may have been a ltitle shopping involved :) ). Afterwards, I met with my GSA assigned mentor to give him updates and ask any questions that I had. I finished walking through posters and grad school tables, then attended a GSA On To the Future reception. I met with past OTF alumn and learned of even more oportunities that, now being an alumn myself, entitles me to. All I can say is, GSA really tries to take care of you and provided you with all of the tools that you need to be successful. After the reception I met with the entire UALR group and a past graduate to enjoy a nice dinner in the harbor. FYI... The shrimp and crab dip in the area is awesome!!! After dinner I returned to the hotel room to pack stuff up and get ready for the journey home.
Wednesday morning at 0400 hours, I woke up and loaded the car. I waited until a nearby Starbucks opened (0500) before leaving, a captains must have. Finally, the trip home was in full swing... until about 1 mile outside of Baltimore where I encountered a 2 hour traffic jam due to 5 consecutive wrecks #NEEDANOTHERSTARBUCKS ! Once moving, the drive out was great and provided an equal beauty to the drive in. The majority of the drive was spent singing to each other. I must say, I nailed every song... HaHa I arrived home around 2200 hours, and must say was glad to see that Little ole Rock! Don't get me wrong, going places is great, but it's always nice to be back in your element once you get there.
My overall experience was great! I was very fortunate to be included in several GSA On To the Future events, meet and share info with my assigned mentor that will likely become a future contact of mine, mingle and meet people with similar interest from all over the world, see in person some of the latest technology available to the field, current research, and meet with grad school reps in person to discuss areas of focus within their department. I am looking forward to every GSA meeting in the future so that I may continue to build the current relationships that I've made, and create new ones.
Thank you UALR and The Department of Earth Sciences for making the journey to the 2015 GSA Anual Conference in Baltimor, MD possible.
-Kevin Gardner
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
On The Way Home
This conference has been an absolute blast. I have met several people, and have networked and exchanged contact information. I really look forward to where life is going to take me as a geoscientist. I have looked at many schools, and I was really impressed with University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M, and Louisiana State University.
Me and Ashley rode the light rail from the convention center to BWI Airport and we were scared we accidentally got on the wrong train. Luckily we found a nice Baltimorean to ensure us that we really were headed to the airport.
I hope everyone has a safe trip home,
Ryan Hefley
Me and Ashley rode the light rail from the convention center to BWI Airport and we were scared we accidentally got on the wrong train. Luckily we found a nice Baltimorean to ensure us that we really were headed to the airport.
I hope everyone has a safe trip home,
Ryan Hefley
Last day!
Hello!
Today was our last day at the conference. I started the day with talks on migration from gas to oil and another one on testing in downgradient uranium mobility at an in situ recovering mining site-that talk taught me about push pull tests which is really interesting. Later I went to the arsenic talks one on predicting arsenic occurrences in Virginia groundwater and the other was on potential impacts of sea level rise on contaminant mobility and groundwater pollution. I ended the day by hearing Dr. McMillan's talk about senior seminar which was cool because I'm currently in that class. Moose and I took a train to the airport and now we are waiting to depart to Charlotte, NC! Great conference overall I got to learn a lot and meet a bunch of interesting people.
Today was our last day at the conference. I started the day with talks on migration from gas to oil and another one on testing in downgradient uranium mobility at an in situ recovering mining site-that talk taught me about push pull tests which is really interesting. Later I went to the arsenic talks one on predicting arsenic occurrences in Virginia groundwater and the other was on potential impacts of sea level rise on contaminant mobility and groundwater pollution. I ended the day by hearing Dr. McMillan's talk about senior seminar which was cool because I'm currently in that class. Moose and I took a train to the airport and now we are waiting to depart to Charlotte, NC! Great conference overall I got to learn a lot and meet a bunch of interesting people.
-Ashley Horton
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Today was another good day here in Baltimore, I camped out in the karst sessions this afternoon. I got to hear one of our own alumni Josh Blackstock talk. It was really good! I then went around again to the exhibit hall and played with microscopes and got view minerals in thin sections. I even tried getting an interference figure with some! I got to talk to a lot of students today about how they like their schools that they are going to, and also inquired what made them want to specialize in a particular area of Geology.
Overall, it was a good day!
Ryan Hefley
Overall, it was a good day!
Ryan Hefley
On To the Future, Sinkholes of the Ozarks, John Mylroie
Hey there,
Started this morning out at a breakfast get together for On To the Future scholarship recipients. We sat and listened to a speaker share on her experience at the Bighorn Basin Field Camp. Afterwards, I spent some time alone thinking about all I have learned while being here. It's been nice taking a little time here and there to reflect. Next, I mozied on over to a karst technical session that was focused on interdisciplinary methods of analysis. Josh Blackstock from the University of Arkansas gave a fantastic presentation on the use of an open source program called PAST in the analysis of sinkholes of the Ozarks. Later in the day, after a foot long Subway sandwich and a quick nap, I met up with some friends and walked over to Edgar Allen Poe's cemetery. I finished my day at the conference in the karst poster sessions. This is where I had the opportunity to meet John Mylroie, a favorite geologist of mine. We talked for at least thirty minutes about Bahamian cave formations. I was so stoked. Getting to meet and talk about research with him has been a highlight of the trip. I also was introduced to a man by Dr. McMillan who has been using drones to create high resolution aerial imagery. Tomorrow morning I am meeting with a woman to talk about a graduate program I am interested in. Thanks for the read!
Matt Carey
P.S.
This is a photo of me yesterday in front of my research poster. Had the opportunity to talk with a lot of people about my work, their own work, and anything else that came up.
Started this morning out at a breakfast get together for On To the Future scholarship recipients. We sat and listened to a speaker share on her experience at the Bighorn Basin Field Camp. Afterwards, I spent some time alone thinking about all I have learned while being here. It's been nice taking a little time here and there to reflect. Next, I mozied on over to a karst technical session that was focused on interdisciplinary methods of analysis. Josh Blackstock from the University of Arkansas gave a fantastic presentation on the use of an open source program called PAST in the analysis of sinkholes of the Ozarks. Later in the day, after a foot long Subway sandwich and a quick nap, I met up with some friends and walked over to Edgar Allen Poe's cemetery. I finished my day at the conference in the karst poster sessions. This is where I had the opportunity to meet John Mylroie, a favorite geologist of mine. We talked for at least thirty minutes about Bahamian cave formations. I was so stoked. Getting to meet and talk about research with him has been a highlight of the trip. I also was introduced to a man by Dr. McMillan who has been using drones to create high resolution aerial imagery. Tomorrow morning I am meeting with a woman to talk about a graduate program I am interested in. Thanks for the read!
Matt Carey
P.S.
This is a photo of me yesterday in front of my research poster. Had the opportunity to talk with a lot of people about my work, their own work, and anything else that came up.
Breaking the Fourth Wall of Blogging
Status update:
We bloggin'
In other news, my lunch break today was a nice run around the inner harbor area. Apparently they shoot the cannons on this thing sometimes.
And if the whole harbor thing weren't enough, there are more testaments to maritime endeavors.
And, all of it in one picture.
Alright reader, if you've read this far I guess we can get to the science now...
A lot of GSA has been very specific research. Of course it has been great stuff, but a bit pedantic. Today I tasted the other end of that flavor stick.
I'll leave you with the abstract of a panel discussion I went to today. I hope you'll agree it is practical stuff.
-Brendon
"Using similar data, different states have formulated very different approaches to addressing oil and gas recovery from shale plays using hydrofracking. During this session geologists and policy makers representing several states will outline their state's policies and discuss how they were developed. The presentations will be followed by a panel discussion about approaches to formulating policy for controversial issues along with time for questions and discussion with the audience."
We bloggin'
In other news, my lunch break today was a nice run around the inner harbor area. Apparently they shoot the cannons on this thing sometimes.
And if the whole harbor thing weren't enough, there are more testaments to maritime endeavors.
Alright reader, if you've read this far I guess we can get to the science now...
A lot of GSA has been very specific research. Of course it has been great stuff, but a bit pedantic. Today I tasted the other end of that flavor stick.
I'll leave you with the abstract of a panel discussion I went to today. I hope you'll agree it is practical stuff.
-Brendon
"Using similar data, different states have formulated very different approaches to addressing oil and gas recovery from shale plays using hydrofracking. During this session geologists and policy makers representing several states will outline their state's policies and discuss how they were developed. The presentations will be followed by a panel discussion about approaches to formulating policy for controversial issues along with time for questions and discussion with the audience."
Eventful days at GSA 2015
Sarah here again! This morning I went to several talks on intracontinental rifting. One talk used Rayleigh wave tomagraphy to get a picture of the lithosphere beneath the Reelfoot Rift. They discovered high crustal velocities along the rift, which correlate with a gravity anomaly, and are most likely due to mafic intrusions during rifting. Lower velocities were found in the mantle, which could be linked to the refertilization (rehydration and increase in Fe content) of the mantle beneath the rift.
After the talks I went and spoke with Dr. de Silva, and will be communicating with him via email when we get back to Little Rock.
I spent the afternoon relaxing, then headed to the MGPV Division reception, where I talked with several people about graduate school and one girl about Iceland (she was there during the Holuhraun eruption), before heading over to Tir na nÓg to have dinner with everyone.
Now it's time to pack and get ready for the last few hours in Baltimore! I'll be getting up early to check out the volcanology posters before we head out.
After the talks I went and spoke with Dr. de Silva, and will be communicating with him via email when we get back to Little Rock.
I spent the afternoon relaxing, then headed to the MGPV Division reception, where I talked with several people about graduate school and one girl about Iceland (she was there during the Holuhraun eruption), before heading over to Tir na nÓg to have dinner with everyone.
Now it's time to pack and get ready for the last few hours in Baltimore! I'll be getting up early to check out the volcanology posters before we head out.
Hey all,
Today has been quite an adventure. I spent most of the morning attending talks discussing permits for Paleontological research.
After the first session ended, I hit up Shake Shack for the first time to grab a burger and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather Baltimore has been experiencing. I spent a bit of time hanging out by the harbor for a while before the second sessions of the day started.
I went on to sit through a couple of karst discussions before deciding to experience a bit more of Baltimore. I went to several historical sites including the grave and house of Edgar Allan Poe.
Dinner at the Irish tavern was the perfect ending for the day.
-Matt A.
Today has been quite an adventure. I spent most of the morning attending talks discussing permits for Paleontological research.
After the first session ended, I hit up Shake Shack for the first time to grab a burger and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather Baltimore has been experiencing. I spent a bit of time hanging out by the harbor for a while before the second sessions of the day started.
I went on to sit through a couple of karst discussions before deciding to experience a bit more of Baltimore. I went to several historical sites including the grave and house of Edgar Allan Poe.
Dinner at the Irish tavern was the perfect ending for the day.
-Matt A.
GSA
Hello,
Today was eventful. I went to some karst talks and saw Josh Blackstock give his talk which was wonderful. I also walked around with Will to talk to graduate schools; we talked to Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Kansas State, Mizzou, HOFSCA? or something like that, and some other places I don't remember. I got a chance to talk to Dr. Datta and Dr. Darrah, I've been emailing them both and they gave me advice on getting into their graduate schools and possible research projects. I also stopped by Josh's poster and he was bossing it. Last we all went to dinner and it was so fun!
Ashley Horton
Today was eventful. I went to some karst talks and saw Josh Blackstock give his talk which was wonderful. I also walked around with Will to talk to graduate schools; we talked to Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Kansas State, Mizzou, HOFSCA? or something like that, and some other places I don't remember. I got a chance to talk to Dr. Datta and Dr. Darrah, I've been emailing them both and they gave me advice on getting into their graduate schools and possible research projects. I also stopped by Josh's poster and he was bossing it. Last we all went to dinner and it was so fun!
Ashley Horton
GSA 2015
Hello all, once again this is David coming at you from what will be the last full day of being in Baltimore. All in all, it has been a great day. I began this morning getting lost in the maze of posters from the GSA community while also taking an opportunity to browse the various representative booths and souvenir stands. Later in the afternoon I once again found myself in talks over geoarchaeology and its practical applications in the field, particularly through the use of ground penetrating radar for locating: ancient buildings, animal skeletons, and even long forgotten grave yards.
Baltimore Conference 1^3 + 2
Hi guys this is Chris DeGarmo,
Today has been great thus far. Woke up early to listen to two talks about the research being done on geology in National parks across the country.
The first talk was about thermal regime changes on hydrologic and aquatic resources in The Grand Canyon, apparently this place is in North Arizona (if you did not already know). The research consisted of two different methods using Phabsim and temperature modeling on bright angel creek (bac) and indian garden creek. Really well laid out presentation, and a speaker with a great sense of humor.
The second talk consisted of the loch vale watershed, in Rock Mountain National park. Learned some interesting stuff about core samples, nitrogen deposition from the environment, carbon dating, and algal blooms at high elevation due to the phosphorous levels + nitrogen. This research is still active to date, and seems to have quite a ways to go.
For you hungry people out there, go to the small deli next to Goddess, reasonably priced with coconut water.
-Chris signing off
Today has been great thus far. Woke up early to listen to two talks about the research being done on geology in National parks across the country.
The first talk was about thermal regime changes on hydrologic and aquatic resources in The Grand Canyon, apparently this place is in North Arizona (if you did not already know). The research consisted of two different methods using Phabsim and temperature modeling on bright angel creek (bac) and indian garden creek. Really well laid out presentation, and a speaker with a great sense of humor.
The second talk consisted of the loch vale watershed, in Rock Mountain National park. Learned some interesting stuff about core samples, nitrogen deposition from the environment, carbon dating, and algal blooms at high elevation due to the phosphorous levels + nitrogen. This research is still active to date, and seems to have quite a ways to go.
For you hungry people out there, go to the small deli next to Goddess, reasonably priced with coconut water.
-Chris signing off
On Networking
Networking is hard. But wait, there is more!
...
It's really hard. I've spent most of my free time in Baltimore talking to graduate schools from around the country inquiring about Ph.D. programs. However, since I live that #introvertlyfe, I watch others before I do/think/say anything. Usually N = 5 is enough data for me to jump into the conversation and get my feet wet.
Here are things that I've noticed don't work.
1) Talking about how great one's school/advisor/research is. Everyone here does great stuff; it's hard to be special. Besides, isn't the point of this whole experience to learn about other schools? That requires LISTENING. Most of these booths are run by graduate students; even if one managed to impress the booth attendants, it likely wouldn't matter.
2) Asking about GRE guidelines, and then ranting about how useless standardized tests are for measuring intelligence. Just gotta play the game, guys.
3) Overstaying one's welcome at a booth. Awkotaco.
Some things that have seemed to work for me:
1) Asking about advisors. I've gotten great information about futureadvisors overlords. One question that seems to elicit an outpouring of unsolicited information is, "Is Prof X more of a hands-on or hands-off advisor?". Opens the tap every time, all the time.
2) Funding. Funding. Funding. If it's good, it's obvious. Just ask.
Guaranteed $24,000 nine month stipend in a moderate cost of living area with summer options? Okay.
Dependent upon grant availability? Eh.
3) However, the grand winning strategy has absolutely been my Halloween costume. I'm still Edward to these people. I'm okay with that.
Time to go listen to smart people talk about fracking.
-Brendon
Networking is hard. But wait, there is more!
...
It's really hard. I've spent most of my free time in Baltimore talking to graduate schools from around the country inquiring about Ph.D. programs. However, since I live that #introvertlyfe, I watch others before I do/think/say anything. Usually N = 5 is enough data for me to jump into the conversation and get my feet wet.
Here are things that I've noticed don't work.
1) Talking about how great one's school/advisor/research is. Everyone here does great stuff; it's hard to be special. Besides, isn't the point of this whole experience to learn about other schools? That requires LISTENING. Most of these booths are run by graduate students; even if one managed to impress the booth attendants, it likely wouldn't matter.
2) Asking about GRE guidelines, and then ranting about how useless standardized tests are for measuring intelligence. Just gotta play the game, guys.
3) Overstaying one's welcome at a booth. Awkotaco.
Some things that have seemed to work for me:
1) Asking about advisors. I've gotten great information about future
2) Funding. Funding. Funding. If it's good, it's obvious. Just ask.
Guaranteed $24,000 nine month stipend in a moderate cost of living area with summer options? Okay.
Dependent upon grant availability? Eh.
3) However, the grand winning strategy has absolutely been my Halloween costume. I'm still Edward to these people. I'm okay with that.
Time to go listen to smart people talk about fracking.
-Brendon
Monday, November 2, 2015
Karst, Anthrax, and Kidney Stones
Hey everyone, this is Matt Carey.
I started the day off with a technical session on karst formations. My favorite talk, of the 4 I sat through, was about vertical cave formations in micrite rock outside of the village Tahsis in British Columbia. This was the first cave I have heard of being formed in micrite. After that, I met up with Ashley Horton and walked over to the Geology and Health technical session. I sat through 3 talks here. One of which, was on a man's research of anthrax field contaminations in Michigan. I was a little shocked to see field photos of him collecting contaminated sediments in shorts and a tee shirt. I asked about this after his discussion and he informed me that he was safe handling the samples as long as he didn't ingest, or inhale the anthrax. After this Ashley gave a stellar presentation on kidney stone synthesis. The audience cringed together at the mention of staghorn growth features on some of the samples. Later in the day, I had the opportunity to show my poster and talk about research I have been doing with Dr. Ruhl. Had lots of good talks with passersby and received some solid feedback. Tomorrow I am planning on getting out in the city a little and seeing the house Edgar Allen Poe wrote The Raven. I'll keep y'all posted on the goings on tomorrow.
GSA Monday
Hello all! Sarah here again.
This morning I went to a couple talks about volcanology, including one from Vanderbilt on field work in the Peach Spring Tuff in Arizona.
I had lunch at the Mineralogical Society of America Student Career Forum. They had a postdoc, a tenure-track faculty, someone who was a professor and manager of a museum, a collections management specialist, a geoscience teacher who taught herself to code and manages the minerals4kids website, and someone from the Gemological Institute of America.
Afterward I went and checked out the exhibition hall, talking with several grad schools before I went to look at posters. There I ran into Dr. Erik Klemetti (who writes the Eruptions blog on Wired and is a tenured professor at Denison University), and spoke to him briefly about his blog, volcanoes, and my current research project on the columnar rhyolite of Hughes Mountain in southeast Missouri.
I ended up going back over to the booth side to speak to a couple more graduate schools, where I discovered the University of Buffalo and had a lengthy conversation with the representatives there. They have an extensive volcanology program, which is well-funded, and a couple of the faculty there are looking for students, so I'm definitely considering applying!
Tomorrow morning there are a couple talks I plan to go to, and then I'll be meeting with Dr. de Silva from Oregon State before browsing more posters.
I'm keeping busy, but having a blast!
This morning I went to a couple talks about volcanology, including one from Vanderbilt on field work in the Peach Spring Tuff in Arizona.
I had lunch at the Mineralogical Society of America Student Career Forum. They had a postdoc, a tenure-track faculty, someone who was a professor and manager of a museum, a collections management specialist, a geoscience teacher who taught herself to code and manages the minerals4kids website, and someone from the Gemological Institute of America.
Afterward I went and checked out the exhibition hall, talking with several grad schools before I went to look at posters. There I ran into Dr. Erik Klemetti (who writes the Eruptions blog on Wired and is a tenured professor at Denison University), and spoke to him briefly about his blog, volcanoes, and my current research project on the columnar rhyolite of Hughes Mountain in southeast Missouri.
I ended up going back over to the booth side to speak to a couple more graduate schools, where I discovered the University of Buffalo and had a lengthy conversation with the representatives there. They have an extensive volcanology program, which is well-funded, and a couple of the faculty there are looking for students, so I'm definitely considering applying!
Tomorrow morning there are a couple talks I plan to go to, and then I'll be meeting with Dr. de Silva from Oregon State before browsing more posters.
I'm keeping busy, but having a blast!
GSA thus far
First, the HOGS won big in Fayetteville. We cheered for you all the way over here Razorbacks (Thanks ESPN3 for the live coverage)! #WPS #UNCOMMON
We arrived on Saturday after a beautiful drive through Virginia. Running along the general strike of NNE to SSW while driving through the Appalachians provided an awesome view for the entire I-81 drive the Virginia. The downtown Baltimore area was very welcoming with it newness and modern curb appeal. After the groups check-in at the hotel, we had just enough time to make it to the Saturday evening meet and greet. Several students dressed in their Halloween costumes, and were absolutely the most creative and best dressed in attendance. (Way to represent UALR, geo-peeps!)
Sunday was an amazing experience! My morning consisted of some poster observations and technical sessions, and journey through the extensive GSA 2015 Program. At 1200 hours, myself and two others made our way down to the Baltimore Ravens football game, as they hosted the San Diego Chargers.
We were even able to see the former Raven, Super Bowl winner, and recently retired RAY LEWIS !!! This was great, as I had just said to others around me that I wish I could have seen Ray Lewis play before he retired - Then, a few minutes later, there he was! During the game as a spectator from sky press box, Ray Lewis still had complete control of his former fans and team as he led them in defensive cheering and loudness!
The chargers fell to the Ravens at the end of regulation by a 3-pt field goal that put the Ravens up 26 to 29. What a great way to spend the afternoon! I immediately went back to the conference and had the privilege of visiting with a GSA assigned mentor, someone that has similar interest as myself, and volunteered to help me network with schools and employers throughout the event. The evening was concluded by me visiting UALR students at their poster presentations to observe what they had been working so diligently on for the past semester+. Everyone did an awesome job!
On Monday, I viewed new posters that had been hung and visited with multiple people about the posters and the research that they were doing. I was even discovered purple sand, a natural occurrence someplace in Maine that I happen to be familiar with (Yes Dr. Rene, I will bring you back some almandine-garnet sand from Maine for the sed class). ;) I then attended Ashley Horton's technical session... I must say, GREAT JOB ASHLEY - We're proud of you, you did great!!! Several of us students attended the luncheon "Geology in Government Programs," and were able to speak directly with high positioned government officials about geologic careers in almost every government agency. Moreover, we learned of current positions/internships available for both graduated and non-graduated students, and how to apply for them. My afternoon was spent viewing additional posters that time had previously prevented, then visiting with many of the hundreds of vendors present in the exhibit hall. After an exhausting day, a few students and I decided to grab some pizza's and enjoy a relaxing night in the room. Unfortunately, for some present, they had to watch the Monday night NFL game, and their fantasy NFL Fantasy Football teams become majorly unraveled #ITLLBEOKWILL . HaHaHaHaHa
... This just in - BREAKING NEWS - Two fans seated in the upper level at the Colts and Panthers game decided to tie themselves to the railing in the front of the upper level and repel down in front of the sky-boxes. They hung a banner protesting the refining of a liquid natural gas well located in the area. Although it's semi-appropriate for us, by being at a geology convention, the police are everywhere trying to prevent protests and riots... #THANKFULLYITSNOTINBALTIMORE
See ya soon Tuesday...
- KEVIN GARDNER
We arrived on Saturday after a beautiful drive through Virginia. Running along the general strike of NNE to SSW while driving through the Appalachians provided an awesome view for the entire I-81 drive the Virginia. The downtown Baltimore area was very welcoming with it newness and modern curb appeal. After the groups check-in at the hotel, we had just enough time to make it to the Saturday evening meet and greet. Several students dressed in their Halloween costumes, and were absolutely the most creative and best dressed in attendance. (Way to represent UALR, geo-peeps!)
Sunday was an amazing experience! My morning consisted of some poster observations and technical sessions, and journey through the extensive GSA 2015 Program. At 1200 hours, myself and two others made our way down to the Baltimore Ravens football game, as they hosted the San Diego Chargers.
We were even able to see the former Raven, Super Bowl winner, and recently retired RAY LEWIS !!! This was great, as I had just said to others around me that I wish I could have seen Ray Lewis play before he retired - Then, a few minutes later, there he was! During the game as a spectator from sky press box, Ray Lewis still had complete control of his former fans and team as he led them in defensive cheering and loudness!
The chargers fell to the Ravens at the end of regulation by a 3-pt field goal that put the Ravens up 26 to 29. What a great way to spend the afternoon! I immediately went back to the conference and had the privilege of visiting with a GSA assigned mentor, someone that has similar interest as myself, and volunteered to help me network with schools and employers throughout the event. The evening was concluded by me visiting UALR students at their poster presentations to observe what they had been working so diligently on for the past semester+. Everyone did an awesome job!
On Monday, I viewed new posters that had been hung and visited with multiple people about the posters and the research that they were doing. I was even discovered purple sand, a natural occurrence someplace in Maine that I happen to be familiar with (Yes Dr. Rene, I will bring you back some almandine-garnet sand from Maine for the sed class). ;) I then attended Ashley Horton's technical session... I must say, GREAT JOB ASHLEY - We're proud of you, you did great!!! Several of us students attended the luncheon "Geology in Government Programs," and were able to speak directly with high positioned government officials about geologic careers in almost every government agency. Moreover, we learned of current positions/internships available for both graduated and non-graduated students, and how to apply for them. My afternoon was spent viewing additional posters that time had previously prevented, then visiting with many of the hundreds of vendors present in the exhibit hall. After an exhausting day, a few students and I decided to grab some pizza's and enjoy a relaxing night in the room. Unfortunately, for some present, they had to watch the Monday night NFL game, and their fantasy NFL Fantasy Football teams become majorly unraveled #ITLLBEOKWILL . HaHaHaHaHa
... This just in - BREAKING NEWS - Two fans seated in the upper level at the Colts and Panthers game decided to tie themselves to the railing in the front of the upper level and repel down in front of the sky-boxes. They hung a banner protesting the refining of a liquid natural gas well located in the area. Although it's semi-appropriate for us, by being at a geology convention, the police are everywhere trying to prevent protests and riots... #THANKFULLYITSNOTINBALTIMORE
See ya soon Tuesday...
- KEVIN GARDNER
Good evening everyone,
My day has been so exciting! I woke up pretty early this morning to hear 4 talks about investigating coastal environments. I then went to speak to a few professional booths in the exhibit hall. I have learned a bunch about both graduate schools and the professional side of geology already, and I'm still or done talking to everyone I want to see! There are so many people here to visit. My feet are starting to hurt from walking so much, but I'm having an absolute blast here in Baltimore.
-Ryan Hefley
My day has been so exciting! I woke up pretty early this morning to hear 4 talks about investigating coastal environments. I then went to speak to a few professional booths in the exhibit hall. I have learned a bunch about both graduate schools and the professional side of geology already, and I'm still or done talking to everyone I want to see! There are so many people here to visit. My feet are starting to hurt from walking so much, but I'm having an absolute blast here in Baltimore.
-Ryan Hefley
Blog people,
Tonight I went to the exhibit and got some free goodies and looked at posters. I finally got to meet with Dr. Ayers who I've been playing email tag with the past couple of days, he told me about his current projects and took me to one of his students posters to listen to her spiel. I also looked at Matt Carey's poster, fetched his girlfriend, and took some group photos. I later walked around with Luke and we saw some posters and a new technology for using reference points to draw on posters. Cool day wahoo the end.
Ashley Horton
Tonight I went to the exhibit and got some free goodies and looked at posters. I finally got to meet with Dr. Ayers who I've been playing email tag with the past couple of days, he told me about his current projects and took me to one of his students posters to listen to her spiel. I also looked at Matt Carey's poster, fetched his girlfriend, and took some group photos. I later walked around with Luke and we saw some posters and a new technology for using reference points to draw on posters. Cool day wahoo the end.
Ashley Horton
Thanks!
Hi again,
I would also like to thank all of the UALR students and faculty that came to hear my talk, it meant a lot and I'm happy I'm surrounded by so much love and support at my school!
THANKS YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!
Ashley Horton
I would also like to thank all of the UALR students and faculty that came to hear my talk, it meant a lot and I'm happy I'm surrounded by so much love and support at my school!
THANKS YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!
Ashley Horton
GSA 11/2/2015
Hello!
This morning Dr. Ruhl took Matt, Chris, and I out for breakfast at good ole' starbucks since we were all presenting today. After breakfast I went over my talk with Dr. Ruhl then we sat through most of the geology and health talks until my talk at 11:05. Then I gave my talk which was cool because a man I have been emailing about working with, Dr. Datta, was running the session and got to hear my talk. Another person I have been talking to about graduate school, Dr. Gutierrez, came to my talk and we got to visit afterwards. I went to lunch with Matt and Josh from Fayetteville. After lunch I went to get new socks because my loafers I wore with my lady suit made my feet bleed, then I bleed through those socks and decided to go back to the hotel to change. I went to a talk on zircon/fluid trace element partitioning which was excellent and given by a guy I want to work with at Vanderbilt. I hit up a talk on brines in coal-mine drainage too with Christina, that guy was funny. Okay that's my first post for the day.
-Top kidney geologist (Ashley Horton)
This morning Dr. Ruhl took Matt, Chris, and I out for breakfast at good ole' starbucks since we were all presenting today. After breakfast I went over my talk with Dr. Ruhl then we sat through most of the geology and health talks until my talk at 11:05. Then I gave my talk which was cool because a man I have been emailing about working with, Dr. Datta, was running the session and got to hear my talk. Another person I have been talking to about graduate school, Dr. Gutierrez, came to my talk and we got to visit afterwards. I went to lunch with Matt and Josh from Fayetteville. After lunch I went to get new socks because my loafers I wore with my lady suit made my feet bleed, then I bleed through those socks and decided to go back to the hotel to change. I went to a talk on zircon/fluid trace element partitioning which was excellent and given by a guy I want to work with at Vanderbilt. I hit up a talk on brines in coal-mine drainage too with Christina, that guy was funny. Okay that's my first post for the day.
-Top kidney geologist (Ashley Horton)
GSA 2015 geoarchaeology
Hey everyone, this is David coming at you from GSA 2015, in lovely Baltimore. First off, I'd like to congratulate Ashley Horton on an excellent presentation this morning on synthesizing kidney stones. Moving on, I attended a career mentor lunch where geologists ,who are employed by the federal government, answered questions and gave advice about pursuing careers in the government sector. After that, I spent my afternoon attending talks about geoarchaeology, which is an interdisciplinary speciality that combines: geology, geography, history, and anthropology. One of the main topics for this afternoon was using geoarchaeological methods to search for pre clovis sites which are hypothetical representations of some of the earliest migrants to the North American continent. Anyone with a interest in history and geology should look into this speciality.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Good evening all, or rather good morning since it is 12:07 A.M.
Today was the first day of the sessions at GSA here in Baltimore. Amanda and I started our day by going to mass at The Baltimore Basilica, which is also known as Americas first cathedral. We then went back to the hotel to put some stuff away. We got Mandy and took off to get breakfast down by the harbor. We stayed there until 1:00 so we could attend the afternoon sessions.
My afternoon consisted of going back and forth between the hydrology and geophysics areas. I found them all rather good and informational. A lot of things that we have learned in sedimentology this semester, I could follow along with. Such as viewing a stratigraphy column and actually being able to know what I'm looking at. One of the cool things a speaker talked about was burrows!
Majority of the afternoon though was spent in the exhibit hall where I got to talk to several grad schools. I have now been introduced to the science of oceanography and am very curious about it. My mission is to find all grad schools who have this program to learn more about what it actually is.
I talked to several of the students who had posters (including our own students, who by the way did an AMAZING job!) and networked with them. There is a lot of great students and future geologists out there.
BY FAR THE COOLEST THING TODAY WAS THE VIRTUAL SANDBOX TOPOGRAPHY DEMONSTRATION. It is nothing more than a computer, sandbox, sand, projector, and an Xbox Kinect. The Kinect will pick up the depth of the sand and draw out topographic lines in real time. When you move the sand around, the whole environment changes with you!
With this virtual sandbox, it could be a great way to have our intro physical classes to really be hands on when learning about maps. There is so much potential with this hardware.
Today was the first day of the sessions at GSA here in Baltimore. Amanda and I started our day by going to mass at The Baltimore Basilica, which is also known as Americas first cathedral. We then went back to the hotel to put some stuff away. We got Mandy and took off to get breakfast down by the harbor. We stayed there until 1:00 so we could attend the afternoon sessions.
My afternoon consisted of going back and forth between the hydrology and geophysics areas. I found them all rather good and informational. A lot of things that we have learned in sedimentology this semester, I could follow along with. Such as viewing a stratigraphy column and actually being able to know what I'm looking at. One of the cool things a speaker talked about was burrows!
Majority of the afternoon though was spent in the exhibit hall where I got to talk to several grad schools. I have now been introduced to the science of oceanography and am very curious about it. My mission is to find all grad schools who have this program to learn more about what it actually is.
I talked to several of the students who had posters (including our own students, who by the way did an AMAZING job!) and networked with them. There is a lot of great students and future geologists out there.
BY FAR THE COOLEST THING TODAY WAS THE VIRTUAL SANDBOX TOPOGRAPHY DEMONSTRATION. It is nothing more than a computer, sandbox, sand, projector, and an Xbox Kinect. The Kinect will pick up the depth of the sand and draw out topographic lines in real time. When you move the sand around, the whole environment changes with you!
With this virtual sandbox, it could be a great way to have our intro physical classes to really be hands on when learning about maps. There is so much potential with this hardware.
Ryan Hefley
GSA 2015
Hey, it's David again. Keeping with the theme of the day, I spent the afternoon sitting though lectures on mass extinctions, followed shortly by Thai food from a local restaurant. It's been a good first day here in Baltimore.
Surprise Reunion!
What began with a mid-crosswalk compliment on a stranger's shoes turned into an unplanned Geo-fam reunion outside the Baltimore Convention Center. Today I ran into former UALR Earth Sciences professor Dr. Jamey Jones as we walked to the GSA afternoon sessions. I never had class with Dr. Jones but we met at the GSA meeting two years ago in Denver, Colorado. I honestly thought he looked familiar when I first saw him today but figured that it was due to the plaid-shirt-and-beard combo that is so prevalent at this type of conference. Dr. Jones now works as a research geologist for the USGS in Anchorage, Alaska, but his legacy lives on in the Earth Sciences because he co-founded and led the Field Geology II course which all geology majors are required to take.
This is one of the many reasons I love GSA! The annual meetings promote networking and meeting new people but also allow for reconnecting and catching up with those from past conferences.
This is one of the many reasons I love GSA! The annual meetings promote networking and meeting new people but also allow for reconnecting and catching up with those from past conferences.
--m. wren
P.S. Dr. Jones, if you're reading this, I hope you'll join the rest of us for our department dinner Tuesday night! Also, shout out to the rad shoes you were wearing! Here's a visual because I know you guys are interested:
Volcanoes, Volcanoes, Volcanoes
Sunday night update from Sarah:
As most people know I love volcanoes, and it's what I want to do with my life, so I went to all of the volcano talks today.
There was a session in the afternoon on intraplate and divergent boundary volcanism, which focused quite a lot on Hawaii. It was incredibly interesting! I learned that Hawaii actually has explosive eruption periods, which last for centuries, and these kind of switch on and off with effusive erution periods (one of which we're in right now). Explosive eruption periods are characterized by caldera subsidence and less material erupted, as well as ash fall and pyroclastic flows.
One of the other technical sessions was about anoxia, volcanic eruptions, and mass extinctions. Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) are massive outpourings of igneous rock, from 100,000 km3 to 80,000,000 km3, occurring in short periods of time in intraplate locations. LIPs are primarily of mafic composition (and there are continental and oceanic ones), but some can be silicic. There are also intrusives associated with LIPs, as well carbonatites and kimberlites. LIPs correlate with the big five mass extinctions, but the effects of LIPs are not correlated with the volume of material erupted. The composition of the host terrane (many LIPs are found in sedimentary basins) plays a role in what sort of volatiles are produced.
Went to lunch with Aaron and the Matts to a little Middle Eastern deli near the convention center, and then a bunch of us went out for dinner at Mother's Federal Hill. The former was good, as I had a conversation about volcanoes and volcanic degassing with someone from Syracuse University, but the latter was... disappointing.
Tomorrow is the MSA Student Career forum luncheon, and one of the people I'd like to work with for graduate school is giving a talk in the morning, so I'm going to try and speak with him afterwards. If not, I'll catch him Tuesday morning.
As most people know I love volcanoes, and it's what I want to do with my life, so I went to all of the volcano talks today.
There was a session in the afternoon on intraplate and divergent boundary volcanism, which focused quite a lot on Hawaii. It was incredibly interesting! I learned that Hawaii actually has explosive eruption periods, which last for centuries, and these kind of switch on and off with effusive erution periods (one of which we're in right now). Explosive eruption periods are characterized by caldera subsidence and less material erupted, as well as ash fall and pyroclastic flows.
One of the other technical sessions was about anoxia, volcanic eruptions, and mass extinctions. Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) are massive outpourings of igneous rock, from 100,000 km3 to 80,000,000 km3, occurring in short periods of time in intraplate locations. LIPs are primarily of mafic composition (and there are continental and oceanic ones), but some can be silicic. There are also intrusives associated with LIPs, as well carbonatites and kimberlites. LIPs correlate with the big five mass extinctions, but the effects of LIPs are not correlated with the volume of material erupted. The composition of the host terrane (many LIPs are found in sedimentary basins) plays a role in what sort of volatiles are produced.
Went to lunch with Aaron and the Matts to a little Middle Eastern deli near the convention center, and then a bunch of us went out for dinner at Mother's Federal Hill. The former was good, as I had a conversation about volcanoes and volcanic degassing with someone from Syracuse University, but the latter was... disappointing.
Tomorrow is the MSA Student Career forum luncheon, and one of the people I'd like to work with for graduate school is giving a talk in the morning, so I'm going to try and speak with him afterwards. If not, I'll catch him Tuesday morning.
GSA 2015
Hey all you bloggers out there in Blogland!
This is Matt Carey signing in live from GSA 2015 in Baltimore, MD. So far, this trip is great! My day has been filled with non-stop geology. This morning, I started things off with 2 big cups of coffee and a quick talk with friends about all the technical sessions going on. I was torn between sessions on Caribbean tectonics, karst geomicrobiology, and urban geochemistry. Since my research is focused on urban geochemistry of the Arkansas River through Little Rock, I went with the geochem. I sat through 6 speakers. My favorite was given by Meredith K. Steele titled The Cation Conundrum: benign indicators or important mechanisms in aquatic ecosystems. An interesting thing I learned from this talk was that a common source of sodium in urban surface water flows is from the weathering of buildings and associated materials. Prior to this, I had only understood sodium presence being related to waste waster discharge from treatment facilities and pesticides. After the technical sessions, I mulled around a bit and thought about what I had just learned and how it related to my studies. I ended the day by talking with several schools about graduate programs in the exhibition hall. Two schools I am interested in are in Texas and New Mexico, one of which is building their own drones and remote control airplanes for use in aerial imagery and remote sensing. Totally cool work. I am very excited about the present and the future. Tomorrow I present my first poster for research I have been doing with Dr. Ruhl. I'll keep y'all posted on how it all goes!
This is Matt Carey signing in live from GSA 2015 in Baltimore, MD. So far, this trip is great! My day has been filled with non-stop geology. This morning, I started things off with 2 big cups of coffee and a quick talk with friends about all the technical sessions going on. I was torn between sessions on Caribbean tectonics, karst geomicrobiology, and urban geochemistry. Since my research is focused on urban geochemistry of the Arkansas River through Little Rock, I went with the geochem. I sat through 6 speakers. My favorite was given by Meredith K. Steele titled The Cation Conundrum: benign indicators or important mechanisms in aquatic ecosystems. An interesting thing I learned from this talk was that a common source of sodium in urban surface water flows is from the weathering of buildings and associated materials. Prior to this, I had only understood sodium presence being related to waste waster discharge from treatment facilities and pesticides. After the technical sessions, I mulled around a bit and thought about what I had just learned and how it related to my studies. I ended the day by talking with several schools about graduate programs in the exhibition hall. Two schools I am interested in are in Texas and New Mexico, one of which is building their own drones and remote control airplanes for use in aerial imagery and remote sensing. Totally cool work. I am very excited about the present and the future. Tomorrow I present my first poster for research I have been doing with Dr. Ruhl. I'll keep y'all posted on how it all goes!
Bloggers,
Today after lunch I went to the exhibits. I met with some professors I had previously emailed at Vanderbilt and Missouri State which helped me narrow down my graduate school selection. I also got to talk with some people at other graduate school boards. Moose showed me a section in the exhibit that had a topographic sandbox model that was made to help students better understand topography, a light shines down on the sand box and you can move the sand however you want and the lights will project how the topo lines will look so that's pretty awesome. I visited Will and Brendon at their posters and they did a ROCKIN job. Yay GSA!
Ashley Horton
Today after lunch I went to the exhibits. I met with some professors I had previously emailed at Vanderbilt and Missouri State which helped me narrow down my graduate school selection. I also got to talk with some people at other graduate school boards. Moose showed me a section in the exhibit that had a topographic sandbox model that was made to help students better understand topography, a light shines down on the sand box and you can move the sand however you want and the lights will project how the topo lines will look so that's pretty awesome. I visited Will and Brendon at their posters and they did a ROCKIN job. Yay GSA!
Ashley Horton
Hey all,
So today was pretty awesome at the Baltimore Convention Center for the annual GSA meeting.
Learned some great new information about using gigaPan and gigaMacro for making high resolution composite imaging that can be useful when working with GIS and GoogleEarth.
I also attended several other lectures that ranged from Dinosaurs to including geoscience into K-12. It's been a very interesting conference so far and I look forward to tomorrow's schedule!
- Matt Acree
So today was pretty awesome at the Baltimore Convention Center for the annual GSA meeting.
Learned some great new information about using gigaPan and gigaMacro for making high resolution composite imaging that can be useful when working with GIS and GoogleEarth.
I also attended several other lectures that ranged from Dinosaurs to including geoscience into K-12. It's been a very interesting conference so far and I look forward to tomorrow's schedule!
- Matt Acree
GSA Sunday
Will Ketcheside.
Had a great time meeting with Grad schools and listening to talks from the hydrology division! Also presented my poster and should have a picture to add of that tomorrow.
Had a great time meeting with Grad schools and listening to talks from the hydrology division! Also presented my poster and should have a picture to add of that tomorrow.
Hello fellow bloggers,
This is Ashley Horton, this morning I went to three talks on geochemistry. I also got some free coffee where the exhibit hall is and browsed my way around some interesting posters. For lunch, DeGarmo and I ate at a pizza joint called Homeslyce. Successful day so far!
ASHLEY HORTON
This is Ashley Horton, this morning I went to three talks on geochemistry. I also got some free coffee where the exhibit hall is and browsed my way around some interesting posters. For lunch, DeGarmo and I ate at a pizza joint called Homeslyce. Successful day so far!
ASHLEY HORTON
The Geologist Who wrote our physical geology book, Stephen Marshak
Hello all,
-chris
This morning I went to a series of talks on Perspectives on Orogenic Evolution, Dating Brittle Faults and Mylonitic Shear Zones, Bending Mountains, and Assembling Supercontinents I: A Session to Honor the Career of Ben Van Der Pluijm where Stephen Marshak gave a talk on cleavage and kinks of the baraboo syncline. A great talk from a geologist who started my career in the fall of 2014 as geologist with the book essentials of geology as a guide to Dr DeAngelis's physical geology class. There's a lot of information on this particular talk so I hope you enjoy.
The Baraboo Syncline of Wisconsin is a doubly-plunging, south-vergent, regional-scale fold with a slightly overturned north limb and a gently north-dipping south limb. This Proterozoic-age structure involves Baraboo Quartzite, consisting of greenschist-grade, ultramature quartzite interlayered with phyllite. Mesoscopic structures developed during regional folding include F1parasitic folds related to regional flexural slip, and S1 cleavage whose intensity and orientation correlates with the concentration of phylllosilicates. In phyllitic layers, S1 is roughly axial planar to F1. At several localities, especially in thicker phyllitic layers of the south limb, S1 cleavage is deformed by S2asymmetric crenulation cleavage and by F2 kink bands. F2 kinks become folds with rounded hinges where thin quartzite layers are involved. S2cleavage dips in a direction opposite to S1 (i.e., is antithetic), and F2 folds verge in a direction opposite to the parasitic mesoscopic F1 folds formed by out-of-the-syncline shear (e.g., F2 verge down-dip on the south limb; local exceptions represent conjugate F2 kinks). High-resolution digital photography allows us to trace S1 microlithons across several S2crenulation domains, and to trace S2 domains into hinge surfaces of F2 kink bands/folds. These observations emphasize that the overall sigmoidal shape of crenulated S1 microlithons is due to the intersection of the microlithon with four micro-scale kink hinges. We interpret S2 and F2 to be manifestations of late-stage subsimple shear within phyllitic layers during progressive development of the Baraboo Syncline. Specifically, out-of-the-syncline flexural-slip causes S1 cleavage in the phyllite to rotate into an orientation that allows slip on S1 domains to initiate. Local resistance to this slip, along with lateral confinement of the phyllitic layers, triggers initiation of contractional antithetic kink bands. Larger ones become F2 folds, and smaller ones become S2 crenulations. Progressive deformation locally overturns F2 limbs. Shortening across subhorizontal S2 domains accommodates overall thinning of phyllitic layers, thereby amplifying the effects of subsimple shear in these layers.
- Stephen Marshak
- University of Illinois
- M. Scott Wilkerson
- DePauw University
- Joshua DeFrates
- University of Illinois
Authors
-chris
GSA Palentology
Hello all, the day started off with talks on paleobiology and paleogeography, with an emphasis on early life preserved within the rock record from several regions around the world. It's an excellent start to the GSA 2015 meeting. -David
Hello from Baltimore!
Hello all!
We arrived in Baltimore last night just in time for the Icebreaker at the convention center, so once we checked in, we ran over to grab our badges and mingle.
The trip to Baltimore was long but fairly uneventful. We stopped at the Kingston Recovery Site, where there was a coal ash spill in 2008. There's been a lot of improvement, and the site looks really nice now!
This is a view from the overlook onto the fill and cap.
There are monitoring stations all around the fill, so that they can make sure everything's going smoothly.
East of Knoxville, we got into the valley and ridge area, and then into the mountains proper. They were gorgeous!
-Sarah
We arrived in Baltimore last night just in time for the Icebreaker at the convention center, so once we checked in, we ran over to grab our badges and mingle.
The trip to Baltimore was long but fairly uneventful. We stopped at the Kingston Recovery Site, where there was a coal ash spill in 2008. There's been a lot of improvement, and the site looks really nice now!
This is a view from the overlook onto the fill and cap.
There are monitoring stations all around the fill, so that they can make sure everything's going smoothly.
East of Knoxville, we got into the valley and ridge area, and then into the mountains proper. They were gorgeous!
-Sarah
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