Geological
Society of Washington
Minutes for the 1573rd
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Video Conference via Zoom
President Larry Meinert called the
meeting to order at 20:03 EST.
Attendance
There were 53 attendees.
Minutes
The meeting began with the approval of
the minutes from the previous meeting (1572nd). The minutes of the 1572nd meeting
had been posted online and a Minute’s Minute was read aloud at the 1573rd
meeting. No corrections were noted, and the minutes were accepted.
New Members and Guests
Two
guests were introduced: Kris McCandless (Virginia Dept. of Environmental
Quality) and Bob Kieckhefer
(Retired, Now in San Francisco).
One new member introduced himself on chat: Kris
McCandless (Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality).
Announcements
1.
Larry Meinert
explained that new email security procedures impeded efforts to broadcast the
meeting's switch to a virtual format and to share the Zoom link
with participants. For many servers, emails that contain links now go
directly to spam folders; for reasons unknown, many members did not receive the
announcement at all. Larry confirmed that the next meeting on February 2nd will
also be virtual, as scheduled and that the format for the following meeting on
February 23rd, currently set as in-person at the Cosmos Club, will
be determined closer to the date. Larry said that every effort will be made to
ensure that announcements get out as soon as possible and that the GSW
website remains a reliable source for up-to-date information.
2.
Kori Newman displayed
the dates of regional science fairs for 2022 along with her contact
information. All fairs will be virtual. Judging will involve viewing entrants’
YouTube videos. For those who would like to judge, email Kori. Kori also announced that she is looking for a
replacement either now or next year in her longstanding role as Public
Service/Science Fair Committee Chair. Larry Meinert added his thanks for Kori’s
spectacular job over the years and said that no one person could possibly do this
job as well “which is a plea to stay on forever.” This chair position is but one of many that Kori
holds. She continues to be the president of the Potomac Geophysical Society and
as GSW’s 1st Vice President she is in line to be president in 2023.
Informal Communication
There was no informal communication.
Obituaries
The formal program commenced at 20:12 EST and
consisted of three speakers:
Nico
Kueter (Carnegie Earth and Planets Laboratory), Mariah Baker, (Smithsonian
National Air and Space Museum) and Jonathan Arthur (American Geosciences
Institute).
Nico Kueter presented “Tracing the Origin
of Indonesia’s Alluvial Diamonds.” Nico opened by laying out the history of
Indonesia’s alluvial diamond deposits of Kalimantan. They are among the oldest
worked diamond mines, going back as far as 1000 A.D. Kueter noted that the origin of Kalimantan and
SE-Asian diamonds is curious since they are in a non-cratonic
setting, unusual for diamonds. The apparent lack of kimberlites or kimberlite
indicator minerals, the proximity to ultramafic bodies, and the unusual
alluvial association with detrital gold, platinum, tektites
and agates has resulted in numerous speculations about the primary origin of
Kalimantan diamonds. Nico shared his methods for investigating the geological
history of these diamonds. They involve examining diamond surface features and
the zircon provenance of diamond-associated sediments in Southeast Kalimantan. Based
on this combined approach, Nico proposed a classical primary kimberlitic origin
followed by extended episodes of tectonic displacement of primary kimberlitic
and secondary placer deposits, which were later reworked during the local
orogenic episodes that formed the SE-Asian continental core. Talk Length:22’09”
A question
was asked by: George
Helz (UMD). Several enthusiastic comments were
posted in chat.
Mariah Baker presented “Orbital and In Situ Assessment of the Aeolian
Environment at Glen Torridon, Mars.” Mariah shared images of Glen Torridon,
where the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover spent a full martian year in exploration. This approximately 500-km-wide,
clay-rich trough is situated along the northwest flank of Aeolis Mons in Gale
crater. Mariah said that data acquired from MSL, in conjunction with orbital
images acquired from the High-Resolution Imager Science Experiment (HiRISE)
camera, suggest that the trough has likely served as a long-term conduit for
sand transport, possibly undergoing successive cycles of net accumulation and
deflation. She noted that along its traverse in Glen Torridon, MSL encountered
a diversity of erosional and depositional features, including multiple
generations of bedform, implying a long and varied aeolian history. She pointed
out that the contrast between active ripples exhibiting low-cohesion and
low-albedo and coarse-grained bedforms exhibiting high-cohesion and high-albedo
imply a significant change in local environmental conditions over time.
Small-scale abrasion features in Glen Torridon mudstones indicating sand
transport towards approximately southwest need to be reconciled with those in
nearby sandstones which imply strong transport in the opposite direction.
Modern wind indicators such as impact ripple migration, erosion of drill piles,
and soil wind tails suggest the potential influence of a seasonally-forced,
bimodal wind regime with dominant northerly and easterly components. These
observations are broadly consistent with atmospheric models which predict
enhanced potential for aeolian activity during local spring and summer when
regional winds from the north interact with katabatic winds flowing down Aeolis
Mons from the east. Mariah concluded by stating that while some local-scale
discrepancies exist between model predictions and field evidence of
contemporary flow patterns, data generally support the interpretation that
sediment in Glen Torridon is currently being blown towards the west/southwest
as part of broader intracrater transport pathways.
She closed with a GIF of a Glen Torridon dust devil. Talk Length: 23’ 18”
Questions were asked by: George Helz (UMD), Nico Kueter
(Carnegie EPL), Bill Burton (USGS-Emeritus) and Mong-Han
Huang (UMD).
Jonathan Arthur presented “Scanning the
Geoscience Horizon — a View from AGI.” Jon explained how the geosciences are in
flux, as societies and associations consider their future, academic programs
explore new paradigms and student enrollments decline. He also discussed the effects
of the perceived energy transition, such as professional lane-shifting and
retirements. Jon said that AGI is working with the geoscience federation to
keep its collective eye on the ball, while at the same time, rebuilding its
capacity to represent and serve the geoscience community by providing
collaborative leadership and information to connect Earth, science, and people.
As AGI's new executive director, Jon shared news of AGI's impactful projects,
as well as a glimpse into the future of the geosciences.
Talk Length: 22’ 15”
Questions were asked by: Liz Cottrell (NMNH), Mong-Han
Huang (UMD) and Ester Sztein (NAS) and led to an
extended discussion with Jon about diversity in the geosciences.
President Meinert announced that the
next meeting, on February 2nd is virtual. Speakers for Feb. 2 will be: Dr. Jaime Barnes (University of Texas at Austin), Dr.
Brent Goehring (Tulane University) and Dr. Miquela Ingalls (Penn State
University). The following meeting, on Feb 23rd
is scheduled to be in-person at the Cosmos Club. COVID developments may force
this meeting to be virtual. He then adjourned
the 1573rd meeting at 21:57 EST.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Doyle
Geological
Society of Washington
Minutes
for the 1574th Meeting
Wednesday,
February 2, 2022
Video
Conference Via Zoom
President Larry Meinert called the
meeting to order at 20:01 EST. Larry said that largely due to enhanced security
protocols for many email services, recent GSW meeting announcements containing
Zoom links were routed to SPAM folders or blocked entirely. He asked members to
check their SPAM folder and email him directly if they do not receive meeting
announcements. He confirmed that announcements are sent out one week in advance
and that the GSW website remains a reliable source for up-to-date information.
Attendance
There were 48 attendees.
The meeting began with the approval of
the minutes from the previous meeting (1573rd). The minutes of the
1573rd meeting had been
posted online and a Minute’s Minute was read aloud at the 1574th
meeting. No corrections were noted, and the minutes were accepted.
Four new members were announced: Mary
Croke (GMU), Liam Peterson (UMD), Kristopher McCandless (Virginia Dept. of
Environmental Quality) and Stewart Edie (NMNH).
One guest was introduced: Sarah
Christianson.
1.
Kori Newman displayed
the dates of the 2022 regional science fairs along with her contact
information. She asked anyone interested in judging to email her and requested
that organizations send their leftover swag her way. All fairs will be virtual,
and judging will involve viewing entrants’ YouTube videos. Kori said that she
hopes top winners can present their posters at the last GSW meeting of the
year. Larry Meinert thanked Kori for the great job that she continues to do in
educating people about earth science.
2.
Liz Cottrell asked
members to consider stepping into the outreach coordinator position when Kori
leaves this post to take on a greater leadership role at GSW.
Kadie Bennis of the Smithsonian’s
Global Volcanism Program gave a brief overview of the recent Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha‘apai
volcanic eruption. She shared before and after satellite images, plume
dimensions and recent eruptive history. The explosion forced tsunami
evacuations around six different areas of Tonga and the sound that resulted was
heard across several distant neighboring countries including Fiji and New
Zealand, as well as in the state of Alaska. Bennis closed with a recording of
the blast taken by a Ring Video doorbell at an Anchorage residence.
Obituaries
No obituaries were announced.
The formal program commenced at 20:16
EST and consisted of three speakers: Dr.
Jaime Barnes (University of Texas at Austin), Dr. Brent Goehring (Tulane
University) and Dr. Miquela Ingalls (Penn State University).
Jaime Barnes presented “The Role of the
Sub-Continental Lithospheric Mantle in Halogen Cycling through Subduction
Zones.” Barnes stated that halogens (Cl, F, Br, I) are highly fluid-mobile
elements and that their incompatibility in minerals limits modification by
fluid-rock interaction thereby making them reliable tracers of fluid source.
Due to their hydrophilic nature, elemental ratios as well as the isotopes of
chlorine have been used as a fluid tracer in subduction zones or to trace
recycled crustal material into the upper mantle. Recent work has focused on
defining the elemental concentration and isotopic composition of inputs (e.g.,
sediments, altered oceanic crust, serpentinites) into the subduction zone, as well as, outputs from the volcanic front (e.g., gases,
lava, melt inclusions). Although the cycling of halogens (primarily Cl and F)
through the arc volcanic front is now reasonably well understood, their overall
budgets remain uncertain. Additional output pathways are likely but to date
have been poorly quantified. Jaime said that four possible, yet largely
unquantified outputs/reservoirs are: 1) loss through or sequestration in the
forearc via cold and thermal spring systems; 2) sequestration in the crust due
to magma ponding; 3) deeply subducted residue and input into the deep mantle,
and 4) sequestration in the sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). She
presented ongoing work to characterize the halogen budget of the SCLM. In particular, SCLM that has been metasomatized by slabderived fluids may have high
concentrations of halogens compared to typical depleted upper mantle due to
enrichment of halogens in slab-derived fluids. She reported bulk rock halogen
concentrations (F, Cl, Br, I) in mantle xenoliths from the southwestern United
States to constrain the effects of metasomatism from slabderived
fluids of the subducting Farallon slab on halogen abundances. Talk Length:20’ 05”
Questions were asked by: Liz Cottrell (NMNH), Mike Purucker (NASA),
George Helz (UMD) and Steve Shirey (Carnegie
Institution).
Brent Goehring presented “Holocene
Glacier Length Variations Along the Spine of the American Cordilleras:
Confirming Hypotheses and Worrisome
Trends.” Goehring presented new results
showing that glaciers in the North and South America are experiencing retreat
beyond anything seen in at least the last 10,000 years. This fact sheds light
on the sensitivity of glaciers to future climate change over a wide range of
latitudes, elevations, sizes, and climatic regimes. He shared measurements of
the cosmogenic nuclides carbon-14 and beryllium-10 from rock only recently
exposed by retreating glaciers. Brent said that this study is the result of
samples drawn from crowdsourcing and the data represents the work of three
fantastic master's students. Talk
Length:21’09”
Questions were asked by: Larry Meinert
(Economic Geology & CSM), Liz Cottrell (NMNH), Mike Purucker (NASA) and Bill Burton (USGS-Emeritus).
Miquela Ingalls presented
“Carbonate-associated Phosphate as a Proxy for Nutrient Availability for Early
Life” Ingalls opened her talk by establishing that phosphorus (P), an essential
element for life processes is currently negligible in the surface oceans and
exists in very low concentrations in the deep oceans and thus, is the primary
limitation on net primary productivity (NPP). This circumstance sets up the
paradox of why P plays a key role in the structures and processes of cell
biology. Were P concentrations higher in the Archean oceans early in the
evolutionary history of cell biology? Miquela compared P concentrations in
shallow marine carbonates from the Neoarchean (2.8 to 2.5 Ga) and the
Phanerozoic (<550 Ma). She reported that primary carbonate structures and
fabrics from the Neoarchean yield significantly higher P concentrations than
those that formed during the Phanerozoic and interprets this to mean that
Archean seawater was more enriched in P than modern oceans and thus P was not
the primary limitation on NPP. Talk
Length:20’ 55”
Questions were asked by: George Helz (UMD), Mike Ackerson (NMNH),
Bill Burton (USGS-Emeritus) and Larry Meinert (Economic Geology &
CSM).
President Meinert announced that the
next meeting on February 23rd, is currently set as in-person at the
Cosmos Club. All attendees are required to show proof of vaccination. He then
adjourned the 1574th meeting at 21:47 EST.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Doyle
Geological
Society of Washington
Minutes
for the 1575th meeting
Wednesday,
February 23, 2022
John
Wesley Powell Auditorium, Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C. / Video Conference Via
Zoom
President Larry Meinert called the
meeting to order at 20:03 EST.
Attendance
There were 57 attendees, 22 in-person and 35 on Zoom.
Minutes
The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the
previous meeting (1574th).
The minutes of the 1574th meeting had been posted online and
a Minute’s Minute was read aloud at the 1575th meeting. No
corrections were noted, and the minutes were accepted.
New Members and Guests
No new members were introduced.
Two guests introduced themselves: Kopal Jha (NASA, GSFC) and Emily Callahan
(UMD, CRESST II).
Announcements
No announcements were made.
Informal Communication
There were no informal communications.
Obituaries
There were no obituaries.
Formal Program
The formal program commenced at 20:07 EST and consisted of
three speakers: Dr. Juliana Troch
(Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History), Dr. Maya Wei-Haas (National
Geographic) and Dr. Jacqueline Lungmus (Smithsonian
National Museum of Natural History).
Juliana Troch presented “Tracing Fluids in Magmatic Systems: Alkali Trace Element Diffusion (Li, Rb, Cs) in Silicic Melts as a Function of Water Content.” Troch established that water plays a key role in magmatic systems, as the presence or absence of an exsolved fluid phase controls the size, frequency and style of volcanic eruptions. However, determining if and when a magmatic system was fluid-saturated prior to eruption, and how much of this fluid was lost during degassing is extremely challenging due to the volatile nature of fluids and gases, leaving little trace in the rock record. Troch said that linking partitioning and diffusion data for variably fluid-mobile elements to three-phase compaction models of magma reservoirs is a promising new tool to trace fluid exsolution in these systems, but relies on well-calibrated experimental data. As one puzzle piece in this approach, Troch presented experimentally-derived diffusion relationships for the alkali trace elements Li, Rb and Cs as a function of variable water content in the melt. Troch reported that results suggest that a 4-weight percent increase in water correlates with one to two orders of magnitude faster diffusivities, providing insights into diffusion mechanisms for these elements, as well as fluid-melt equilibration timescales in silicic magmatic systems. Talk Length: 20’20”
Questions were asked by: Ved Lekić (UMD), Richard Walker (UMD), Mong-Han Huang (UMD), Larry Meinert (Economic Geology & CSM) and Francesca Miozzi (Carnegie Institution).
Maya Wei-Haas presented “Behind the Scenes of Daily News at National Geographic.” Wei introduced her topic by noting that the creation of popular science stories can sometimes seem like a black box: insert an interesting study and out pops a polished (or sometimes not-so-polished) story. Wei-Haas dove into what happens between these two steps—and how sometimes things go wrong. She said that the relationship between scientists and reporters can be confusing if you don’t know what to expect. She walked through the reporting process, including how she finds sources, conducts interviews, crafts story angles, and more. She also shared basic tips for scientists working with journalists so that when the next media request comes in, everyone is ready to talk all things science. Talk Length: 22’40”
Questions were asked by:
Ved Lekić (UMD), Mong-Han
Huang (UMD), Jon Arthur (AGI) and Larry Meinert (Economic Geology &
CSM).
Jacqueline Lungmus presented “The Original Arms-Race: Derived
Forelimb Ecologies in the Ancient Forerunners of Mammals.” Lungmus opened by pointing out that mammals have managed to
fill every conceivable ecological niche on planet Earth and are noteworthy in
large part because of their incredible diversity in form and lifestyle. They
can swim, fly, run, burrow, and everything in between. However, mammals are the
only living members of the larger clade Synapsida,
which has a fossil record spanning 320 million years. She said that by looking
directly at fossil evidence, researchers can elucidate how much of this
variation is truly unique to Mammalia, and pinpoint when this astounding
breadth of form and functional originated. Recent work has shown that aspects
of this diversity can be traced back into the fossil forerunners of mammals,
providing examples of a unique evolutionary story that is much longer than
previously appreciated. Lungmus concluded by noting
that exploring the deep fossil history of Synapsida
and their ancestors is critical for understanding the broader evolutionary
story of mammals. Talk Length: 20’24”
Questions were asked by: Mong-Han Huang (UMD), Victor Zabielski (NVCC), Mark Tyra (NIST), Larry Meinert (Economic Geology & CSM) and Gabriela Farfan (NMNH).
President Meinert announced that the next meeting on March 23rd is currently set as in-person. All attendees are required to show proof of vaccination. He then adjourned the 1575th meeting at 21:55 EST.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Doyle
Geological
Society of Washington
Minutes for the 1576th Meeting
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
John Wesley Powell Auditorium, Cosmos Club, Washington D.C.
President Larry Meinert called the meeting to order at 20:08
EDT.
Attendance
There were 54 attendees, 21 in-person and 33 on Zoom.
Minutes
The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the
previous meeting (1575th). The minutes
of the 1575th meeting had been posted online and a Minute’s Minute was read
aloud at the 1576th meeting. No corrections were noted, and the minutes were
accepted.
New Members and Guests
One new member was introduced: Sasha LaPonsa (U.S.
House of Representatives).
One guest was introduced:
Mary Ackerson (Mike Ackerson’s (NMNH) mother).
Announcements
Mike Purucker announced the giveaway of a NASA 2022-23
fourteen-month calendar featuring agency scientists and stunning images of
Earth and beyond.
Informal Communication
There was no informal communication.
Obituaries
There were no obituaries.
Formal Program
The formal program commenced at 20:10 EDT and consisted of
three speakers: Dr. Anne Pommier (Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie
Institution of Science), Dr. Robert Poirier (United States Geological Survey)
and Dr. Jan Hellmann (Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland).
Dr. Anne Pommier presented “The Interior of Terrestrial
Planets and Moons as Revealed by Their Electrical Properties.” Pommier stated
that an outstanding goal in planetary science is to understand how terrestrial
planets and moons evolved to have the composition, thermal state, and magnetic
field that we observe today. To achieve that goal requires the integration of
datasets from space missions with experiments in the laboratory. Over the past
decade, technological advances have enhanced the capability to conduct in situ
measurements of physical properties on samples that are analogs to planetary
mantles and cores. Pommier explained how electrical conductivity experiments at
extreme pressures and temperatures are used to probe the structure and dynamics
of the Earth and other terrestrial bodies. She shared data showing that
electrical properties are closely connected to models of the thermal evolution
and composition of cores. Pommier also highlighted applications to several
metallic cores, as well as connections with field observations from space. Talk
Length: 21’25”
Questions were asked by:
Jamie Allan (NSF), Liz Cottrell (NMNH), Yasmina Martos (NASA), Mike
Purucker (NASA), George Helz (UMD) and Larry Meinert
(Economic Geology & CSM).
Dr. Robert Poirier presented “Paleo-perspectives on Future
Sea Level Projections for the U.S. Atlantic Coast.”
Poirier opened by noting that a recent NOAA report concludes
that sea level is expected to rise on average by
0.25-0.30m (i.e., 10-12 inches) along the contiguous U.S.
coastline, and up to 0.45m (i.e., 18 inches) along the Atlantic Coast, by the
year 2050. While these estimates should be viewed as generally robust, they
also identify the need for continued improvements to our understanding on various processes affecting sea level. Poirier said that
research that builds upon previous efforts to reconstruct late Quaternary and Holocene sea level of the U.S. Atlantic coastline is
providing a means to more effectively isolate and understand various
contributions to local and regional sea level, including land-based ice melt,
thermal expansion, vertical land movement, and changes in the ocean circulation
system. He reviewed the key contributors to regional sea level on the U.S.
Atlantic Coast and presented results from multiple time periods that can be
used to improve model reconstructions of past sea level change. Poirier
concluded his talk by addressing the long-term plan. He said that ultimately, insights from the
recent past can be applied to provide better constraints on what can be
expected in the future under various scenarios.
Talk Length: 19’48”
Questions were asked by:
Larry Meinert (Economic Geology & CSM), Gabriela Farfan (NMNH),
Jamie Allan (NSF), Laura Dwyer (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Retired) and
Yasmina Martos (NASA).
Dr. Jan Hellmann presented “Fractionation and Mixing
Processes in the Early Solar System Inferred from Tellurium Isotope Variations
in Chondrites.” Hellman explained that fractionation and mixing processes in
the early Solar System is important to understand because ultimately, they
define the chemical characteristics of the planetary building blocks and Earth.
For instance, meteoritic and planetary materials are variably depleted in
volatile elements compared to the composition of CI chondrites and the Sun. However, the origin of these volatile element
fractionations and how they are related to volatile loss during
high-temperature processes within the solar nebula, remains poorly understood.
Hellman showed how variations in stable tellurium (Te)
isotopic compositions can constrain the origin of volatile element depletion in
carbonaceous chondrites and described how these insights hold important clues
on the nature and origin of the materials that contributed to Earth’s volatile
element budget. Talk Length: 20’59”
Questions were asked by: Steve Shirey (Carnegie
Institution), Liz Cottrell (NMNH), Mike Walter (Carnegie Institution), Graham
Lederer (USGS) and Mike Ackerson (NMNH).
President Meinert announced that the next meeting is on
April 6th and will be virtual. He then adjourned the 1576th meeting at 21:51
EDT.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Doyle
Geological
Society of Washington
Meetings for the 1577th Meeting
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Video Conference via Zoom
President Larry Meinert called the meeting to order at 20:03
EDT.
Attendance
There were 39 attendees.
Minutes
The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the
previous meeting (1576th). The minutes
of the
1576th meeting had been posted online and a Minute’s Minute
was read aloud at the 1577th meeting. No corrections were noted, and the
minutes were accepted.
New Members and Guests
No new members were announced.
One guest was introduced: Mara Cox (Piedmont Virginia
Community College).
Announcements
1.
Bill Burton announced that the 2022 GSW Spring
Field Trip: “Proterozoic and Paleozoic evolution of the Blue Ridge geologic
province in northern Virginia” will be on Saturday, May 14th. Bill Burton and
Steve Schindler will lead this trip and Alan Pitts will provide logistical
support. Bill’s email is posted on the GSW website for those who have
questions.
Informal Communication
There was no informal communication.
Obituaries
No obituaries were announced.
Formal Program
The formal program commenced at 20:09 EDT and consisted of three speakers: Dr. Roger Fu (Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University), Dustin Trail (Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Rochester) and Kathleen McKee (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center).
Roger Fu presented “Exploring the Solar System Formation and the Early Earth with Novel Paleomagnetic Tools.” Fu opened his talk by explaining that magnetic fields are thought to govern the dynamics of protoplanetary disks by mediating inward gas accretion and, possibly, setting up turbulent concentrations of dust to form the first planetesimals. A subset of these planetesimals then accrete to form rocky planets, which may host magnetic core dynamos and, in the case of Earth, a crust consisting of mobile tectonic plates that gave rise to a biosphere. He discussed how recent advances in paleomagnetic instrumentation have enabled access to complex meteorites and early Earth rocks that record magnetic fields in the protoplanetary disk and document the development of dynamos and plate tectonics on the Earth and Mars. Fu noted that these new techniques hold promise for challenging problems in broad areas of geomagnetism. Talk Length: 22’00”
Questions were asked by: Mike Purucker (NASA), Beth Doyle
(NVCC) and Bill Burton (USGS Emeritus).
Dustin Trail presented “Zircon as a Window into Global and Local Environments of the Early Earth.” Trail established that the environment of early Earth and conditions responsible for the emergence of life remain unknown but there is broad consensus that our early planet was generally habitable, with low temperature water-rock interactions that may have formed the substrate upon which life arose. These planetary-scale constraints are essential, though it is reasonable to expect that key prebiotic chemistry occurred in more localized settings. He explained how his research in zircon chemistry sheds light on the global early Earth environment, and proposed potential local environments and scenarios that may have been important for prebiotic chemistry or life. Talk Length: 21’12”
Questions were asked by: Bill Burton (USGS Emeritus) and
Phil Piccoli (UMD).
Kathleen McKee presented “Using Infrasound and Complementary Data in Remote Characterization of Large Volcanic Eruptions.” McKee opened her talk by pointing out that retrospective eruption characterization is valuable for advancing our understanding of volcanic systems and evaluating our observational capabilities, especially with remote technologies (defined here as a space-borne system or non-local, ground-based instrumentation which includes regional [15-250 km range] and remote [>250 km range] infrasound sensors). Two of the largest explosive volcanic eruptions of the past decade occurred in June 2019 at Raikoke, Kuril Islands and Ulawun, Papua New Guinea volcanoes. To improve understanding of the eruptive behavior of these volcanoes her team integrated data from the International Monitoring System infrasound network, satellites (including Sentinel-2, TROPOMI, MODIS, Himawari-8), and globally-detected lightning (GLD360) with information from local authorities and social media, along with plume modeling. McKee noted that remote infrasound data provide insight into changes in eruption intensity and onset and that during both eruptions, the infrasound peak frequency decreases as the intensity increases. She explained that this may be related to changes in erupted jet and plume dynamics, such as an increase in vent diameter (observed in satellite) and that this analysis illustrates the value of interdisciplinary analysis of remote data to illuminate eruptive transitions and processes. Talk Length: 24’45”
Questions were asked by: Mike Purucker (NASA) and Bill Burton (USGS Emeritus).
President Meinert announced that the next meeting is at the Cosmos Club on April 27th. The pandemic situation will continue to be monitored and changes will be made, as needed. He then adjourned the 1577th meeting at 21:40 EDT.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Doyle
Geological
Society of Washington
Minutes for the 1578th Meeting
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
John Wesley Powell Auditorium, Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C. / Video Conference Via Zoom
After technical difficulties were resolved, President Larry
Meinert called the meeting to order at 20:19 EDT.
Attendance
There were 71 attendees, 29 in-person and 42 on Zoom.
Minutes
The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the
previous meeting (1577th). The minutes of the
1577th meeting had been posted online and a Minute’s Minute
was read aloud at the 1578th meeting. No corrections were noted, and the
minutes were accepted.
New Members and Guests
No new members were introduced.
Four guests were introduced: Jianhua Wang (Carnegie
Institution), Lynn Shirey (wife of Steve Shirey), Kathy Breen (NASA Goddard)
and Claire van der Wal (NASA Goddard).
Announcements
1.
Larry Meinert announced that the 2022 GSW Spring
Field Trip: “The Proterozoic and Paleozoic Evolution of the Blue Ridge Geologic
Province in Northern Virginia” is on Saturday, May 14th. Bill Burton and Steve
Schindler will lead this trip and Alan Pitts will provide logistical support.
Details can be found on the GSW website.
2.
Jamie Allan announced a talk tomorrow, April
28th on matching unused Appalachian Energy with bitcoin mining. Jamie said that
this topic struck him as “sufficiently weird and interesting.” Through GSW’s
affiliation with AAPG, GSW members can attend this talk by signing up. Jamie
provided his email address for those interested.
Informal Communication
There was no informal communication.
Obituaries
There were no obituaries.
Formal Program
The formal program commenced at 20:26 EDT and consisted of three speakers: Dr. Steven Shirey (Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science), Dr. Scott Guzewich (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) and Dr. Jens Barosch (Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science).
Steve Shirey presented “What Super Deep Diamonds Tell Us About a Top-100 Question in Science: What Causes Deep Focus Earthquakes?” Steve opened by establishing that earthquakes occurring below 300 km and especially in the mantle transition zone are some of the strongest events in the Earth. So-called deep focus earthquakes, whose nature and cause has been poorly understood for more than 100 years, occur with regularity and are a prominent result of plate tectonics. He explained how decarbonation/melting reactions in the slab crust and dehydration reactions in the slab mantle can provide mobile fluids to the earthquake generation regions, suggesting that mobile fluids cause or are related to deep earthquakes. He discussed newly synthesized observations that support this conclusion including model paths of cold versus warm subducting slabs, comparison of P-T conditions to experimentally determined mineralogies of the slab crust and mantle, and synthesis of mineral inclusions in super deep diamonds showing mobile fluids exist. Talk Length: 15’24”
Questions were asked by: Jamie Allan (NSF), John Jens (USACE
ERDC TEC), Bethany Theiling (NASA Goddard) and Martin Schmidt ( ).
Scott Guzewich presented “Volcanic Climate Warming.” Scott gave an overview of flood basalt, or large igneous province volcanism, noting that it is among the most intense geologic phenomena a planet can experience, lasting for millennia or longer and releasing massive quantities of climate-changing gases and aerosols. Such eruptions appear common to all rocky terrestrial worlds in the Solar System and have been linked to or are contemporaneous with major climate disruptions, ocean anoxic events, and mass extinctions in Earth’s history. He said that previous work has suggested that such eruptions would produce two distinct phases of climate response: comparatively brief, but intense, cooling from the reflection of sunlight by sulfate aerosols, and then longer-term warming from CO2 emissions. Guzewhich explained how he and his team utilized a sophisticated global climate model to determine that SO2 emissions alone can produce climate warming through dynamic and radiatively driven feedbacks that result in three orders of magnitude increase in stratospheric water vapor. Talk Length: 20’21”
Questions were asked by: Mike Purucker (NASA Goddard),
Bethany Theiling (NASA Goddard), Frank Lemoine (NASA Goddard), Mike Ackerson
(NMNH) and George Helz (UMD).
Jens Barosch presented “Initial Analysis of Asteroid Ryugu: Organics and Presolar Grains.” Jens shared details on the collection of approximately five grams of material from the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu by the Japanese Hayabusa2 mission. Since the successful delivery of these precious samples to Earth in late 2020, several international science teams have been working on the initial analysis. Barosch said that a major scientific goal of the mission is to understand the nature and origin of (prebiotic) organic matter commonly found in primitive solar system objects such as Ryugu and chondritic meteorites. He shared results from the macromolecular organics initial analysis sub-team with a focus on the H, C and N isotopic characterization of Ryugu organic matter by NanoSIMS. He also discussed tiny and rare dust grains found in the returned samples and their formation in winds and explosions of ancient dying stars. Barosch noted that they were part of the original building blocks of the Solar System and provide a wealth of information about its origin and evolution. Talk Length: 21’39”
Questions were asked by: Mike Ackerson (NMNH), Steve Shirey (Carnegie Institution), Larry Meinert (Economic Geology & CSM), Scott Guzewich (NASA Goddard) and Mark Tyra (NIST).
President Meinert announced that the next meeting will be at the Cosmos Club on May 11. He then adjourned the 1578th meeting at 21:39 EDT.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Doyle
Geological Society of Washington
Minutes for the 1579th Meeting
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
John Wesley Powell Auditorium, Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C. / Video Conference via Zoom
President Larry Meinert called the meeting to order at 20:04 EDT.
Attendance
There were 69 attendees, 19 in-person and 50 on Zoom.
Minutes
The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting (1578th). The minutes of the 1578th meeting had been posted online and a Minute’s Minute was read aloud at the 1579th meeting. No corrections were noted, and the minutes were accepted.
New Members and Guests
New member Virginia Agostinelli was in attendance but was not introduced.
Six guests were introduced: Caroline Kenney (PVCC), Daisy Dudley (PVCC), Jordan Harris (US Senate), Tiffany Ge (US Senate), Josie Hammon (US Senate) and Celia Merzbacher (SRI).
Announcements
1. Larry Meinert announced that the 2022 GSW Spring Field Trip: “The Proterozoic and Paleozoic Evolution of the Blue Ridge Geologic Province in Northern Virginia” is this Saturday, May 14th . Bill Burton and Steve Schindler will lead this trip and Alan Pitts will provide logistical support. Details can be found on the GSW website.
2. Liz Cottrell announced openings on GSW’s Finance Committee. Early career members interested in investments or how the Society manages funds are especially encouraged to email Liz and apply.
Informal Communication
There were no informal communications.
Obituaries
1. Liz Cottrell gave an appreciation of geologist Carter Hearn.
2. Mike Walter gave an appreciation of geochemist Charlie Prewitt.
A moment of silence was observed.
Formal Program
The formal program commenced at 20:18 EDT and consisted of three speakers: Dr. Matt Jones (Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History), Dr. Munazza Alam (Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science) and Dr. Bryan Killingsworth (United States Geological Survey).
Matt Jones presented “Voyage to the Submarine Agulhas Plateau: A New 95-million-year Geologic History from the Southwest Indian Ocean.” Matt transported us to the Agulhas Plateau, an expansive bathymetric high roughly 500 kilometers offshore of South Africa. Here, in the spring of 2022 the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 392 recovered the first continuous cores from the plateau spanning in age from the Late Cretaceous to modern. He explained that the Plateau’s debated origin is hypothesized to be linked to previous continental rifting or large igneous province volcanism. The new cores will provide the first detailed insights into the tectonic formation of the Agulhas Plateau, as well as major climatic and oceanographic events in the region, which is located at a critical oceanic gateway between the Indian and south Atlantic basins. In addition to an overview of initial scientific findings, Jones outlined how shipboard scientists employed a broad set of geoscience skills to interpret cores in real time. He also described the unique logistical trials of drilling in remote marine settings during a pandemic, along with the future challenges and opportunities that face international initiatives to explore the geologic history of the ocean. Talk Length: 18’40”
Questions were asked by: Patrick Taylor (NASA), Carl-Henry Geschwind (Independent Researcher, retired), Callan Bentley (PVCC) and Bill Burton (USGS Emeritus). Munazza Alam presented “Exotic Exoplanets and How to Find Them.”
Munazza opened her talk by giving an overview on the status of planet discoveries outside of the Solar System in recent decades. She noted that many of these planets are nothing like our own. As planets pass in front of (transit) their host stars, a small fraction of starlight filters through the planet’s atmosphere. Alam shared how she precisely measures the spectrum of this filtered starlight and what it reveals about the makeup of a planet’s atmosphere and how the planet formed and evolved. Talk Length: 19’07”
Questions were asked by: Celia Merzbacher (SRI) and John Counts (USGS).
Bryan Killingsworth presented “Triple Oxygen Isotopes of Sulfate and the Rise of Oxygen.” Bryan explained the multiple lines of geochemical proxies that support the initial rise of Earth’s atmospheric O2 around 2.5 to 2.3 billion years ago. He noted that the causes, precise timing, and tempo have yet to be fully resolved and that perhaps surprisingly, direct records of oxygen itself are rarely used for probing the early rise of O2. On the other hand, sedimentary sulfates can incorporate oxygen from atmospheric O2 during sulfide oxidation processes, making them a useful archive for studying Earth’s ancient O2. He said that for further insight on the rise of O2, the triple oxygen isotope compositions of sulfates from around 2.3 billion years ago from the Kazput Formation, Turee Creek Basin, W. Australia were measured. Killingsworth reported that unique oxygen isotope signatures of Turee Creek sulfates, with δ18O down to -19.5‰ and Δ17O down to -0.30‰, suggest their origin in sulfide oxidation in the presence of glacial meltwater and atmospheric O2 oxygen sources and concluded that the Turee Creek sulfates evaluated in a new oxygen isotope systematics and model framework support estimates of nearmodern O2 and highly elevated bioproductivity at ~2.3 billion years ago. Talk Length: 20’56”
Questions were asked by: Mike Ackerson (NMNH), Larry Meinert (Economic Geology & CSM) and Patrick Taylor (NASA).
President Meinert announced the tentative fall schedule and said that the next meeting will be at the Cosmos Club on September 14. He then adjourned the 1579th meeting at 21:39 EDT.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Doyle
Geological
Society of Washington
Minutes for the 1580th
Meeting
Wednesday, September
14, 2022
John Wesley Powell Auditorium, Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C. / Video Conference via Zoom
President Meinert called the meeting to order at 20:03 EDT.
Attendance
There were 57 attendees, 27 in-person and 30 online.
Minutes
The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting (1579th). The minutes of the 1579th meeting had been posted online and a Minute’s Minute was read aloud at the 1580th meeting. No corrections/corrections were noted, and the minutes were accepted.
New Members and Guests
Nine new members were announced: Virginia Agostinelli (Rutgers U), Robert Citron (MIT/NASA Goddard), Sarah Christensen (Geosyntec), Teresa Cordaro, Damien Gaul, Helen Hendrix, Melissa Hendrix, Matthew Jones (NMNH) and Austin Shiver (GMU).
Six guests were introduced: Madison Sanders (STR), Bobby Baum, Magdalen Grismer (NMNH), Kumiko Matsui (NMNH), Brian Huber (NMNH) and Caroline Kenney (PVCC).
Announcements
1. Larry Meinert announced that former GSW President David Applegate has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the next director of the U.S. Geological Survey. Larry said that all who have worked with Dave consider him an outstanding choice. Meinert added that Applegate is a worthy successor to a long line of distinguished previous directors, starting with Clarence King and John Wesley Powell. A rousing round of applause followed. Dave will be speaking at the next GSW meeting.
Informal Communication
There was no informal communication.
Obituaries
There were no obituaries.
Formal Program
The formal program commenced at 20:12 EDT and consisted of three speakers: Dr. Zack Torrano (Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science), Dr. Huai-Hsuan May Huang (Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History) and Dr.Vincent Kofman (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center).
Zack Torrano presented "Refractory Inclusions in Meteorites: Tracers of Early Solar System Isotopic Reservoirs." Refractory inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites include Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) that are the oldest dated Solar System solids at 4.567 billion years old, and other objects such as amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs). These refractory inclusions record a snapshot of the earliest history of our Solar System, and by measuring their isotopic compositions we can learn about the nucleosynthetic sources of the initial material present in the nascent Solar System, the isotopic reservoirs present at this time, and the potential relationships between refractory inclusions and later formed solids. The Cr and Ti isotopic compositions of meteorites have proven to be particularly useful forensic tracers of isotopic reservoirs present in the early Solar System, and the Cr and Ti isotopic compositions of refractory inclusions therefore provide new information about the formation environment of these objects and the isotopic evolution of our Solar System. Talk Length: 19’09”
Questions were asked by: Gabriela Farfan (NMNH), Mike Purucker (NASA Goddard), Mong-Han Huang (UMD), Ved Lekić (UMD) and Larry Meinert (Economic Geology & CSM).
Huai-Hsuan May Huang presented "Biotic Responses to Climate Changes: A Contemporary Issue in Paleoceanography." Marginal seas, such as the Mediterranean and the Sea of Japan, are natural laboratories for understanding biological impacts of environmental changes, such as sea-level changes and oceanic deoxygenation. Huang focused on the deep-sea benthic ecosystem responses to orbital-scale climate changes in the Sea of Japan. She and her colleagues studied two-million-year, high-resolution records of microfossil ostracods at the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Sites U1426 and U1427. Their results showed that (1) the long-term faunal changes were primarily controlled by secular Pleistocene climate events and secondarily by oxygen levels, and that (2) extirpation events related to bottom-water anoxia occurred recursively during the glacial maxima. Huang concluded by noting that the study suggests the high vulnerability of deep-sea benthic fauna to sea-level changes and deoxygenation in marginal seas. Talk Length: 17’42”
Questions were asked by: Mong-Han Huang (UMD) and Mike Ackerson (NMNH).
Vincent Kofman presented “The Impact of the James Webb Space Telescope on Planetary Science.” The James Webb space telescope (JWST) has recently been commissioned, and scientists are now in the early phases of the data interpretation and images. Kofman discussed the impact that the JWST has on the field of planetary science, ranging from its capability to map objects in the Solar System at high spatial resolution, to the spectra of exoplanets containing stunning amounts of spectral information. He said that the first early release science images have already demonstrated that observations from the JWST can rival that of space craft, and this will no doubt lead to deep new understanding in planetary science. Kofman noted that JWST is expected to be operational for a decade so its total impact on planetary science and the study of exoplanets will be tremendous. He highlighted JWST’s observational capabilities in the context of his work in studying the atmospheres of planets. Talk Length: 21’48”
Questions were asked by: Greg Neumann (NASA Goddard Emeritus), Mike Purucker (NASA Goddard), Ved Lekić (UMD), Bill Burton (USGS Emeritus) and Mike Ackerson (NMNH).
President Meinert adjourned the 1580th meeting at 21:36 EDT.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Doyle
Geological
Society of Washington
Minutes for the 1581st
Meeting
Wednesday, September 28,
2022
John Wesley Powell
Auditorium, Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C. / Video Conference via Zoom
President Meinert called the meeting to order at 20:08 EDT.
Attendance
There were 87 attendees, 46 in-person and 41 online.
Minutes
The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting (1580th). The minutes of the 1580th meeting had been posted online and a Minute’s Minute was read aloud at the 1581st meeting. No corrections were noted, and the minutes were accepted.
New Members and Guests
No new members were announced.
Sixteen guests were introduced: Madison Sanders (STR), Ryan Kramer (NASA Goddard), Steve Simon (NOAA Climate Prediction Center), Carsten Oertel (MITRE), Anastassios Dardas (MITRE), Jessica Whittaker (USGS Denver), Gabrielle Hedrick (MITRE), Chris Moses (USGS, Denver), Liz Roberts (MITRE), Maggie Goldman (USGS Denver), Amanda Towler (NASA JPL), Joshua Elliott (DARPA), Jennifer Wang (DARPA), Melissa Hendrix (Architect, Shalom Baranes Associates, Washington D.C.), Helene Hendrix (Jackson-Reed High School, Washington D.C.) and Caroline Kenney (PVCC).
Announcements
1. Larry Meinert unofficially announced that next month’s Bradley Lecture will be delivered by Nobel Prize-winning physicist John Mather. Mather, senior project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, has promised to share spectacular images. The Bradley Lecture will be at AGU on October 19th.
2. Mong-Han Huang announced two talks this week at the University of Maryland, College Park campus. Dr. Susan L. Brantley, professor of geosciences at the Pennsylvania State University, will deliver both as part of the Department of Geology Helz Distinguished Lecture series. The first is on Monday, October 3 at the ESJ Learning and Teaching Center at 4:30 p.m. in room JS0224. Dr. Brantley will then deliver a talk of general interest on Thursday, October 6, at 6 p.m. in the ESJ Center, room 1212. President Meinert pointed out that this lecture series is named after GSW’s very own George and Roz Helz.
A rousing round of applause followed.
Informal Communication
There was no informal communication.
Obituaries
There were no obituaries.
Formal Program
The formal program commenced at 20:23 EDT and consisted of three speakers: Susan Anenberg (Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University), Valentina Aquila (Department of Environmental Science, American University) and David Applegate (United States Geological Survey).
Susan Anenberg presented "Climate Change, Air Pollution, and Public Health: Bridging Science to Policy." Anenberg’s talk addressed recent advances in estimating the health burden from air pollution and climate change, and how this research can inform policy choices. She pointed out that climate change and air pollution interact in several ways, and are among the leading causes of premature death worldwide. Novel geospatial datasets of environmental indicators make it possible to track the burden of environmental pollution with complete geographical coverage and high spatial resolutions. Talk Length: 18’40”
Questions were asked by: Ved Lekić (UMD), Mong-Han Huang (UMD), Joseph Kanney (NRC) and Larry Meinert (Economic Geology & CSM).
Valentina Aquila presented "The Impacts of Volcanic Eruptions on Earth’s Climate." Aquila gave an overview of the main impacts of volcanic eruptions on the climate, and presented the concept of solar geoengineering, i.e., the idea of mimicking volcanoes to counteract global warming with ad-hoc injections of aerosol in the stratosphere. Large volcanic eruptions can spew teragrams of sulfur dioxide and sulfate aerosol into the stratosphere. There, they increase the Earth’s albedo for years after the eruption, modifying the global climate. The last eruption large enough to change the global climate was Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines, in 1991, which decreased the global mean temperature by about half a degree Celsius during the following year and brought stratospheric ozone concentrations to an unprecedented low. She pointed out that smaller eruptions such as the one of Nabro in 2011 or Calbuco in 2015 have, one by one, a much smaller climate impact than Pinatubo, but their frequency make them a fundamental player in the radiative balance of our planet. Talk Length: 20’46”
Questions were asked by: Mong-Han Huang (UMD), Jessica Whitaker (USGS), Steve Simon (Climate Prediction Center), Joe Kanney (NRC), Janine Andrys (NMNH) and Larry Meinert (Economic Geology & CSM).
David Applegate presented “The Role of the U.S. Geological Survey in a Time of Converging Crises” Applegate reported that since its founding, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been dedicated to delivering science to inform decisions on some of the most consequential issues facing our nation. That was the case in 1879 when the order of the day was to characterize the resources of an expanding nation. It is very much the case today when a growing population requires safe and abundant water resources, critical minerals for our energy future, healthy ecosystems that foster our quality of life and fulfill our stewardship responsibilities, and disaster-resilient communities prepared to thrive despite the natural hazards we face in a warming world. Relying on a talented, dedicated workforce and a wide array of partnerships, the USGS combines foundational mapping, monitoring, remote sensing, and sampling of our changing Earth systems with the technical expertise to analyze, model and interpret these data. Applegate said that the Survey seeks to deliver real-time situational awareness, long-term assessments, and other scientific information in ways that are relevant, meaningful, and useful to those who need it most, when they need it most. Talk Length: 22’35”
Questions were asked by: Liz Cottrell (NMNH), Ved Lekić (UMD), Mong-Han Huang (UMD), Carl-Henry Geschwind (Independent Researcher), Brooks Hanson (AGU), Ester Sztein (NAS), and Jonathan Tucker (NAS).
President Meinert adjourned the 1581st meeting at 22:07 EDT.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Doyle
Geological
Society of Washington
Minutes for the 1582nd
Meeting
Wednesday, October 19,
2022
American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C. / Video Conference via Zoom
President Meinert called the meeting to order at 20:09 EDT.
Attendance
There were 141 attendees, 58 in-person and 83 online.
Minutes
The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting (1581st). The minutes of the 1581st meeting had been posted online and a Minute’s Minute was read aloud at the 1582nd meeting. No corrections were noted and the minutes were accepted.
New Members and Guests
Two new members were announced: Jonathan Tucker (NAS) and Sam Rigby (BASIS DC Public Charter School).
Seventeen guests were introduced and/or signed the guest book: Jane Mather (NASA), Josh Rosera (USGS), Carl Martin (Cambridge U), Alexander J. Lastner (UMD), Zachary Zega (UMD), Stephen Griffies (NOAA and Princeton U), Sarah Feakins (U Southern CA), John Martinic (DOE/FERC), Nick Schmerr (UMD), Amy East (UC Santa Cruz), Caroline Kenney (PVCC), Stephen Cox (NMNH), Mary Ackerson (Mike A’s mom), Magdalen Grismer (NMNH), Carol Frost, John Faber and Liz Cottrell’s dad.
Announcements
President Meinert announced that the next meeting, scheduled for November 16th, will be virtual and that the presenters will be confirmed shortly.
Informal Communication
There was no informal communication.
Obituaries
There were no obituaries.
Formal Program
The formal program commenced at 20:23 EDT. Bradley Lecturer John Mather (Senior Project Scientist for James Webb Space Telescope, NASA) presented “Opening the Infrared Treasure Chest with JWST (James Webb Space Telescope)”
Mather shared his origin story and that of the James Webb Space Telescope or as he called it “the great golden eye in the sky.” He reported that JWST, launched on Christmas Day 2021 unfolded like clockwork and is performing beautifully despite potentially injurious micrometeoroid strikes. Mather said that we can now see farther back in time, farther out in space, and deeper into the dusty clouds where stars are being born today. He noted that over 20,000 technicians, engineers, scientists, and computer scientists built it, tested it, launched it, commissioned it, and are now using it. He explained why the spectra over the wavelength range from 0.6 µm (red) to 28 µm (thermal infrared) is optimum and shared stunning photos and startling discoveries. As it turns out, first galaxies grew much more quickly than astronomers expected. In addressing what comes next, Mather said that we hope to know if small planets around small red stars (M dwarf class) have atmospheres and perhaps water.
Questions were asked by: Mong-Han Huang (UMD), Bill Burton (USGS Emeritus), Liz Cottrell (NMNH), Michael Wysession (Washington U), Gabriela Farfan (NMNH), Yasmina Martos (NASA Goodard), Michelle Muth (NMNH), Dick Smith (USGS), an unidentified questioner, Jonathan Tucker (NAS), Ved Lekić (UMD), Mike Purucker (NASA Goddard), Jamie Allan (NSF) and Larry Meinert (Economic Geology & CSM).
President Meinert adjourned the 1582nd meeting at 21:39 EDT.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Doyle
Geological
Society of Washington
Minutes for the 1583rd
Meeting
Wednesday, November 16,
2022
Video Conference via Zoom
President Meinert called the meeting to order at 20:03 EST.
Attendance
There were 47 attendees.
Minutes
The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting (1582nd). The minutes of the 1582nd meeting had been posted online and a Minute’s Minute was read aloud at the 1583rd meeting. No corrections were noted and the minutes were accepted.
New Members and Guests
Five new members were announced: Caroline Kenney (PVCC), Nikita Kepezhinskas (APEX Geoscience), Laura Sammon (MathWorks), Nicholas Powell (USGS) and Magdalen Grismer (NMNH).
No guests were introduced.
Announcements
No announcements were made.
Obituaries
John Repetski gave an appreciation of Martin Buzas, Curator of Benthic Foraminifera at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. John said that Marty, as he was known by all, was a really nice guy who helped a lot of people. He had a quiet way but a sharp wit. His specialty was in the distribution of foraminifera over large areas, and he published 15 books and over 100 articles. Marty also taught at George Washington University and was a great teacher.
A moment of silence was observed.
Informal Communication
There was no informal communication.
Formal Program
The formal program commenced at 20:08 EST and consisted of three speakers: Lyle Nelson (Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University), Sean Gaynor (Department of Geosciences, Princeton University) and Nicholas Tailby (American Museum of Natural History).
Lyle Nelson presented "Utilizing Tandem In Situ and Isotope Dilution U-Pb Detrital Zircon Geochronology to Calibrate Evolution of Life and Climate in the Late Neoproterozoic and Early Cambrian.” Lyle opened by pointing out that the Death Valley region of California hosts beautifully exposed late Neoproterozoic-early Paleozoic strata deposited during rifting and passive margin development in western North America. While these units provide globally significant sedimentary records of evolutionary and environmental changes during this dynamic interval of Earth history, a notorious lack of radioisotopic age constraints has hindered calibration of the biostratigraphy, chemostratigraphy, and paleoclimate records. Nelson highlighted recent efforts to improve age models for the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian strata of Death Valley using tandem in situ and isotope dilution U-Pb geochronology of detrital zircons. He concluded by noting that his results contribute to calibration of the Cryogenian snowball Earth glaciations and the Cambrian explosion of animal life. Talk Length: 22’58”
Questions were asked by: Steve Shirey (Carnegie Institution), Nick Powell (USGS), Graham Lederer (USGS) and Larry Meinert (Economic Geology & CSM).
Sean Gaynor presented "Local Melt Contamination and Global Climate Impacts: Geochronology of Karoo LIP Sills in Organic-Rich Shales.” Sean started with an overview of Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) and their correlation with global climate change and mass extinctions. To establish this causative link, chemical proxies from marine sedimentary sections must be temporally tied to LIP activity through high-precision geochronology. These temporal relations need to be established through highly precise and accurate U-Pb geochronology; however, many LIP rocks lack U-rich mineral phases, and therefore present challenges for utilizing U-Pb geochronology. The Ecca Group of the Karoo basin hosts Jurassic LIP mafic sills, as well as abundant shale horizons, so the emplacement of sills and subsequent thermogenic degassing of their carbon-rich wall rocks is a potential climate change driver. Unlike the basalts that make up much of the Karoo LIP, pegmatitic pods from mafic Karoo LIP sills yield abundant zircon, which is considered the “gold standard” for U-Pb geochronology. However, analyses from these mafic pods yield unusually variable dates and geochemical compositions, which indicate that localized assimilation of sedimentary rocks enabled localized zircon crystallization. These complications come with a benefit. Because of this assimilation-crystallization relationship, these minerals directly date interaction of LIP magmas with carbon-rich wall rock. Given the temporal overlap of the emplacement of sills and the timing of the global Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (TOAE), Sean noted that his data support a causal link between this discrete period of Karoo sills emplacement and global climate change that took place during the Early Jurassic. Talk Length: 22’20”
Questions were asked by: Mike Ackerson (NMNH) and John Jens (USACE ERDC TEC).
Nicholas Tailby presented “Rutilated Quartz: A Useful and Cautionary Tale Involving Thermobarometry and Diffusion.” Nick described his approach to quartz thermometry, using rutilated quartz from a granodiorite of the Lachlan fold belt in southeastern Australia. The titanium content of quartz serves as a proxy for the crystallization temperature and Nick noted that this technique has a previously established set of assumptions involving pressure, temperature and activity that need to be met. He shared his results and discussed the potential complications and ultimate benefits of using rutilated quartz for thermobarometry. Talk Length: 19’14”
Questions were asked by: Liz Cottrell (NMNH), Megan Holycross (Cornell U), Sean Gaynor (Princeton U), Larry Meinert (Economic Geology & CSM), Jane Hammarstrom (USGS) and Graham Lederer (USGS).
President Meinert said that the 1584th meeting will include his presidential address: “Exploration for Skarn Deposits – if Sherlock Holmes had been a geologist” and that the 130th Annual Business Meeting will follow.
He adjourned the 1583rd meeting at 21:42 EST.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Doyle
Geological
Society of Washington
Minutes for the 1584th
Meeting
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
American Geophysical Union / Video Conference via Zoom
President Larry Meinert called the meeting to order at 20:03 EST.
Attendance
There were 85 attendees, 39 in-person and 46 online.
Minutes
The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting (1583rd). The minutes of the 1583rd meeting had been posted online and a Minute’s Minute was read aloud at the 1584th meeting. No corrections were noted, and the minutes were accepted.
Guests and New Members
Two guests were introduced: Dennis L. Askew II (Amazon) and Jan Hellmann (UMD).
Announcements
Kori Newman urged all to check their SPAM folder for the GSW renewal notice.
Obituary
No obituaries were announced.
Informal Communication
There was no informal communication.
Formal Program
The formal program began at 20:09 EST with the President’s Address to a hybrid live and Zoom audience. First Vice President Kori Newman introduced Larry Meinert. Kori described Larry’s military marathon triumphs, home-winery operations and his extensive career in mineral resources to the far reaches of the planet.
Larry then presented the intriguingly titled “Exploration for Skarn Deposits – if Sherlock Holmes Had Been a Geologist.” Larry demonstrated his professorial chops as he illustrated the sleuthing methods of exploration geologists. The in-person audience members ogled a dazzling skarn deposit sample chock a block with crimson garnets, as Larry elucidated the fundamentals of skarn formation. He introduced the common calc-silicate minerals and economically important elements that crystallize in the intense reaction zone between hot magma and cooler carbonate rocks. Larry praised skarn deposits as natural geochemical laboratories for the study of changes in temperature, pressure, oxidation state, pH, and phase equilibria. He empowered us as potential exploration geologists through his lessons on these diverse chemical drivers. From South American peaks to the densest jungles of Papua New Guinea, Larry discussed a range of field relations and ionic equations. For the paleontology diehards in the crowd, he even offered up vivid images of mineral replacement in fossils. Throughout his presentation Larry sharpened our Holmesian skills with pop quizzes and mercifully leading questions whose answers to the Watsons among us were occasionally elementary but always enlightening. Talk Length: 58’16”
As per GSW tradition, no questions were asked after this Presidential address.
President Larry Meinert adjourned the 1584th meeting at 21:11 EST.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Doyle
Geological
Society of Washington
Minutes for the 130th
Annual Meeting
Wednesday, December
7, 2022
American Geophysical Union / Video Conference via Zoom
Annual Meeting minutes will be added
when approved at the 131st Annual Meeting at the end of Fall 2023.