U.S. Geological Survey
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U.S. Geological Survey Number 75 Fall 2017 -Winter 2018 An organization of retirees of the Geologic Division, U.S. Geological Survey, who seek to keep in touch with each other and with their former Agency. Officers National Officers President John Keith 703-435-1147 Vice President Vacant Secretary/Treasurer Odette B. James 703-476-9738 Regional Officers East Jim McNeal 703-476-0025 Central John S. Stuckless 303-236-7847 Marith Reheis 303-277-1843 West Patrick Muffler 650-493-6439 Newsletter Senior Editor Bill Outerbridge 703-860-8537 Editor Kathleen Gohn 703-620-3368 Production Dave Newman 540-212-3281 Directory Coordinator Odette James 703-476-9738 References Bob Tilling [email protected] Address Geologic Division Retirees U.S. Geological Survey 953 National Center Reston, VA 20192 Email Address [email protected] About the Cover: U.S, Geological Survey crew, Thiel Mountains, Antarctica, 1961. Left to right: Art Ford, Bjorn Anderson, Rowland Tabor, John Aaron, and Ray Elliott. See note from Art Ford on page 13. From the President list will not be comprehensive. In Denver, Warren Finch, Paula Hansley, Don Mullineaux, and Bob Fleming come to mind. In Western Region, Dan Dzurisin, Doug Morton, Clark Blake (see Memorial in this issue), and Bob Wallace have all been dedicated to the avocation. Through the years, the birders have been subject to a certain amount of humor regarding their obsession. For example, Dallas Peck, though a happily obsessive gardener, was not especially interested in birds. But, he said, with a chuckle, “Each year when I visited Dave Stewart’s field project in Penobscot Bay, Maine, the first day in the field was A Few Good Birds, and an Election spent refreshing my knowledge of local birds!” One of the great benefits of being around the U.S. Another good story is about James Papike, who Geological Survey for a few years (now 57 for me) is worked for the Survey in Washington, D.C., in the late the pleasure of learning from experts, especially in 1960s, before departing to teach at Stony Brook. At subjects other than geology. Many of you are aware that time there was a brown-bag lunch group presided that there has been a long tradition of strong interest in over by Dan Appleman. The group discussed refined (some would say obsession with) birds by various topics each day, like favorite violin concertos and rare members of the institution. One of the outstanding birds they had seen. The first day Papike was asked to birders during my time in Reston was Tom Nolan join the lunch group, Appleman opened the (Director, 1956-1965), who died in 1992. Though I conversation by saying, “Jim, do you like birds?” don’t know when Tom became interested in birds, it Papike replied, enthusiastically, “Oh, yes—I go duck was apparently early in his career. I was lucky that hunting every year!” It was NOT the answer the group Tom and Bob Smith, and later Dave Stewart and John was hoping for… So if you are thinking of taking up a Aaron, encouraged my avian interests. Tom, along new hobby, get in touch with one of the Survey birders. with Ed McKnight, Art Baker, and Bill Rubey, started They are easy to find—just look for someone out on an annual USGS Christmas Bird Count, part of the the lawn, tripping over flower beds because their eyes Audubon Society’s national CBC program, near are glued to binoculars! Stafford, VA, in 1947. That count has continued On a different note, you will find a ballot in the through its 71st year this past December, and it has mailing with this Newsletter. It’s time for an election been staffed mostly by USGS scientists over the years. of our officers, and I am stepping down to be on the One of the notable changes documented by this count ballot as Vice-President. It’s been a great five years in is the dramatic population recovery of the Bald Eagle. this position. I want to thank all of you who have Ed McKnight was the initial organizer, a task he supported the GD Retirees, especially those who performed from 1947 through 1985. When Ed was contributed your time and effort to maintain the vitality ready to pass on the organizing duty, Dave Stewart and of the organization. Please continue your support for Odette James took over. For the 2017 count, Laurel the Newsletter by actively submitting stories and Bybell, Dave Govoni, and Steve Hilburger took on the features that would otherwise be lost from our history. responsibility. In other Survey locations, there have been equally avid birders. I’ll mention a few, but the John Keith 1 Treasurer’s Report Assets, December 31, 2016 and Membership Statistics Checking account, Wells Fargo 11,307.55 This report summarizes the financial situation of Undeposited dues & donations 0.00 the Geologic Division Retirees as of the end of 2017. Total assets 11,307.55 Our present financial health is good because we have Assets, December 31, 2017 found a printer for our newsletters and directory who Checking account, Wells Fargo 9,835.20 does a good job at a much lower cost than our former Undeposited dues & donations 0.00 printer. We printed two newsletters and a directory in 2017. We currently have a considerable surplus, which Total assets 9,835.20 we have been reducing over the past few years. At current levels of expenses, the current surplus could Notes: fund the organization for two years, even with no dues Comparison with 2016: The amount received for or donation income. This last year, our expenses were dues in 2017 is $227 less than in 2016, and the amount about $1500 greater than our income, so if this trend received as contributions is $16 less. Dues billing cost continues, our surplus should decrease to a more $52 less (this cost varies considerably from year to year reasonable level over the next year or two. We will because of advance buying of envelopes and labels in keep dues at the current $6 level for another year or some years). two, to continue to reduce the surplus, but soon it will Escrow for future dues: Of the assets at the end of be necessary to increase dues, especially if the 2017, $1086 represents advance dues payments and membership continues to decline. must be regarded as funds in escrow for 2018 and future years. Net worth, January 1, 2017 11,307.55 Dues billings: For 2018, dues notices were sent 2017 Income out in a single batch. Members who have not paid dues Dues and contributions received since 2015 will be dropped from the active Dues for 2016 and prior years 162.00 membership list if they do not pay by the fall. They Dues for 2017 1,190.00 will no longer receive newsletters and their names will Dues for 2018 and beyond 511.00 no longer be listed in the directory. Contributions 368.00 Total income 2,231.00 2017 Expenses Membership statistics: Dues notices (envelopes, stamps, labels) 296.64 Year-end membership: Preparation and mailing of 2017 – 360 2010 – 453 newsletters and directory 3,400.71 2016 – 382 2009 – 484 Bank charges 6.00 – 2015 – 398 2008 504 Total expenses 3,703.35 2014 – 390 2007 – 519 2013 – 407 2006 – 531 Net change in net worth -1,472.35 2012 – 414 2005 – 555 Net worth, December 31, 2017 9,835.20 2011 – 434 2004 – 579 2 In January 2018, we added two new members but as at TAEUS Corp. and PhotoStencil Corp. in dropped several members for nonpayment of dues, so Colorado Springs. During his 13-year career at NASA, as of the beginning of 2018, our membership stands at he flew 3 spaceflight missions conducting 5 354. Since 2004, we have had an average annual net spacewalks for a total of over 856 hours in space. Prior loss of about 17 members. Of our members at the end to NASA, he was chief geologist at Enserch of 2017, 63 were in arrears, 183 were paid up through Exploration, Inc., working projects around the world 2017, and 111 had paid advance dues; 3 are life including in Antarctica and on the continental slope of members. All members who have not paid dues since the Gulf of Mexico. He earned his B.S., M.S., and 2014 have been dropped from the active membership Ph.D. in geosciences from the University of Texas at list. About 93 of our members were Emeritus Dallas. geologists with the USGS at the end of 2017. Memories of Carle Dane Odette James Jim Fassett Secretary/Treasurer [Ed. Note: this anecdote is excerpted from Jim Fassett’s biographical profile of Carle Dane in New New Members Mexico Geological Society Special Publication (2014), A brief history of geological studies in New James Crock Mexico with biographical profiles of notable New Ed DuBray Mexico geologists.] Lucy Edwards Bill Hanna I had the good fortune to meet Carle Dane in the John Repetski early 1960s when he invited me to join him at El Vado, Steve Schindler where he was doing field work with Ed Landis and John Slack measuring sections of the lower Mancos Shale. Carle Michele Tuttle had learned of my work (with Jim Hinds) in the San John Unger Juan Basin using geophysical logs of the basin’s thousands of oil and gas wells to correlate Upper Cretaceous strata throughout the subsurface of the Essays, Anecdotes, and History basin. Having examined outcrops of these rocks around the rim of the basin for decades, Carle was White House Nominates New USGS Director intrigued to see how these rock units could be On January 26, President Trump announced his correlated in a very detailed way on logs.