2010 NEWSLETTER

Department of Geology and Geological Engineering

Volume 20 December 2010

Department News Research Activities Faculty News and Student News Field Camp Alumni News Activities and Activities Page 3 Page 11 Page 30 Page 34 Page 21 Page 21

AAPG AEG AGS SEG

Greetings from Berthoud Hall! senior classes. This puts stress on our Geology and Geological Engineering at physical space here in Berthoud, as well CSM a pillar of excellence. Research The Department extends to you our as impacts teaching loads. However, funding for the Department was again most sincere greetings and warmest Berthoud Hall is bustling and it’s nice to strong for the year, with awards of over wishes. It gives us great pleasure to have the problem of too many students, $2.6M. We have made some laboratory publish and distribute the 2010 rather than too few! modiications, added a hot-cathode Newsletter of the Department of Geology The continued interest in the cathodoluminescence instrument, and and Geological Engineering. This is our Department, and in the geosciences and opportunity to share with you the geoengineering in general, is likely activities of our highly active and the result of increased awareness of engaged faculty, students, and staff. I just how important the Earth and conduct exit interviews with our its resources are for today’s graduating seniors and graduate globally integrated society. students, and nearly every one says that Colorado School of Mines is we’re the “best department” and/or strategically positioned to answer “best major” on campus. We love what society’s call for rational scientiic we do and that carries through all that analysis and politically and socially we do to make CSM Geology and adroit engineering solutions. Of Geological Engineering the place to be! course, the School’s focus areas of As we have seen the past couple of Earth, Energy, and Environment years, the Department continues to place Geology and Geological Engineering at the forefront of the grow, with record-high student Fa 2010 New Student Orientation and Welcome School’s efforts. numbers. We currently have enrolled Back Picnic 137 graduate students and 164 declared The Department faculty and majors in our sophomore, junior, and staff continue to work to make

1 2010 NEWSLETTER

GEGN203 students visit the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Black Canyon of the Gunnison. look forward to adding the QEMSCAN facility to Berthoud in early 2010. Eileen Poeter, Eric Nelson, and Graham Closs continue on transitional retirement. We are in the process of searching for a tenure- line faculty position in structural geology for an August 2011 start date. Because of dificulties in Colorado higher education funding, we’re not conident in being able to ill other positions in the near term. We hope that as the economy (and the legislature…) turns around, we’ll be able to ill faculty vacancies resulting from our recent retirements. In the spring, David Benson and Bruce Trudgill were awarded tenure, and Reed Maxwell was promoted to Associate Professor. Congrats all around! As for me, I continue on as Department Head and am now in my ifth year in this position. I also feel that I’m still learning the job and could certainly not do this without the tremendous help I get from Debbie and Marilyn – we all know who really runs this place. I told myself I wouldn’t travel so much this year, but apparently I don’t listen to myself very well. I had a trip to Jakarta in late April and early May to work on isolated carbonate platform reservoirs, followed in rapid succession by a trip to Houston, back for graduation, and then on to Morocco the next day for an AAPG Student Chapter ield trip to the High Atlas mountains (you can read about that in this Newsletter). After giving a short course in Atlanta and running my week of ield camp at Molas Lake in June, we welcomed twelve visitors from the Kazakh National Technical University. Through the support of Chevron’s University Partnership Program, Dr. Ramona Graves (Head of Petroleum Engineering at CSM) and I have been working with KazNTU on scientiic, engineering, and educational exchange. Our visitors were faculty and students from their Petroleum and Geology Institutes. We showed them the spectacular geology of Colorado and worked toward developing their efforts at integration of geology and engineering. In the fall, I attended a European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) workshop on the future of the geoscience workforce in the resource industries. The conference was held in Pau, France at the foot of the Pyrenees. Finally, Ramona Graves and I visited Almaty, Kazakhstan, to work with KazNTU and to attend another EAGE conference. The Department is on sound inancial footing, due in large part to the continued support from you and your companies. While the administration has needed to cut budgets for the departments, Geology and Geological Engineering has made up for those cuts with your generous donations. All of us in the Department wish to extend our gratitude for your generosity and belief in our efforts. The Department is strong and sound and, as you’ll read in this issue, many Here is a breakdown of the students exciting developments are underway. Please accept my best wishes to you and pursuing degrees in our Department. your families for a safe, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Please also continue to maintain your ties with the Department – we love to hear what our alums are up to! I encourage you to send us comments, suggestions, or just a friendly email. And Ph.D.!!!! 39 please come visit us when you can. All the best from all of us at the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering. M.Sc.!!!! 86

Professional Master ! 12

John D. Humphrey Undergraduates!! 164 Department Head ! Male!!! 112 ! Female!! 52

2 2010 NEWSLETTER Department News

I held weekly meetings with our Collections managers and Update on the Museum volunteers. Our volunteer ranks have doubled this year to roughly By Bruce Geer 37. We now have our own facebook fan page. Attendance, donations box, and Gift Shop revenues increased, despite the national recession. Additionally, our Book Sale and Garage Sale were very Our Geology Museum continues to evolve into a real gem. successful. My third year at the helm of the Museum has seen further Several security measures were emplaced. Significant cash and challenges and has specimen donations continued, with many impressive loans. In produced great pride. I short, our Museum is becoming nationally recognized for its quality view every day working displays and staff. in our Museum as We also applied for and received a grant from the Golden another typical/atypical Civic Foundation, hosted numerous receptions, identified many day. I approach them specimens, and obtained a moon rock from former Governor John with zeal and try to do Vanderhoof and Governor Ritter. Check it out in our new my very best. The basement display (see photos!) at the gifting ceremony for the improvements are moon rock, August 25, astounding, but I must 2010. acknowledge the help Our “Friends of and support that I’ve the CSM Geology received from our Museum” now has over Bruce Geer, ©Denver Post Advisory Council, 53 members from Student Aids, donors, around the world. The volunteers, Friends of Friends are about to the CSM Geology ratify their own by-laws. Museum (FCSMGM), They have raised funds specimen loaners, for our Museum to visitors, visiting purchase some researchers, CSM wonderful new display faculty, staff, specimens. They were administrators, and helpful in running our students who support Book Sale and Garage us in so many ways. Sale. Over a dozen Let me give a quick members attended two year in review. Our field trips to mines near ©CBS. Gov. Bi Ritter and Bruce Geer Advisory Council Silver City, NM in (including Bryan Lees November. Friends [GE 1985]) has con- receive 20% discounts Chris Shorey (right) and Mike Ghedotti tinued to meet monthly to steer our Museum. There were also in our Gift Shop, and an of Regis University at an opening monthly meetings to co-ordinate the Creede Mineral Symposium. e-mail newsletter. reception honoring the donation and The latter was a three day event held last September in southwest There are roughly display of the Regis University Colorado at the Creede Underground Museum and attended by 71 10 new exhibits in our Coection. participants. Museum, largely due to Our Student Aids have met monthly to coordinate our efforts. the work of our Of our 12 Student Aids working a total of 90 hours a week this Collections Managers Ed Raines and Tom Hughes, as well as past semester, seven are those who lent us their personal treasures. Our Creede mining GE majors and four are district display, won first prize out of 19 museums at the 2010 women! I met monthly Denver Mineral Show! with our Student Aids. Some projects completed since my last communication Again, John Bristow included the printing of another five thousand colorful brochures, (GE ’11) was responsible the processing of numerous donations, and frequent restocking of for our Self-guided tour our Gift shop. We received another grant from the Golden Civic brochure. Foundation, held a successful Garage Sale, hosted numerous receptions, identified many specimens, and received several major donations, including one from Regis University, which Chris Shorey helped us to obtain (see photos)! ©Denver Post

3 2010 NEWSLETTER

Mines Geology Trail By Stephen A. Sonnenberg

Figure 2. Sketch of geology of the Golden area with Golden, Basin Margin and Clay Pits faults (Weimer, 2004 aer F. E. Moore).

Figure 3. Generalized stratigraphic column with formations of Figure 1. Bedrock geologic map with the Mines Geology Trail. Golden-Green Sandstone beds within the Laramie Formation are yeow Mountain area lines, intervening areas are claystone (Weimer, 2004). (Weimer, 2004).

Colorado School of Mines (CSM) has a The CSM Geology Museum is wealth of geology on campus that has been the location of the first stop. The used for teaching and research purposes for Geology Museum started as a years. Bob Weimer, CSM Professor “mineral cabinet” put together by Emeritus, designed a walking trail through Arthur Lakes, Geology Professor, in the campus outcrops in 2004. New signs 1874. The museum now has around were erected along the trail this year to 50,000 minerals, fossils, and make the trail more self-guiding. The trail artifacts with the best ones being emphasizes the history of CSM and Golden on display. Before starting the trail, Stop 2 is a prominent sandstone ridge and the story of the Front Range uplift. be sure to watch the 10-minute video on (near vertical) in the Laramie Formation “I’ve taught all over the world, but I’ve the geology of the Front Range. The video with dinosaur tracks, burrows and leaf and never seen this much geology on a campus,” was created by Paul Weimer, CU Professor wood imprints (Fig. 3). The tracks are says Bob Weimer (Keller, 2005). and Bob’s son, and some of his students. approximately 68 Ma. Small fragments of The walking trail visits outcrops of the The Weimers have brought together a palm fronds and minor faults are also Pierre, Fox Hills, Laramie and Arapahoe tremendous public outreach project that is present. The underlying clay layer was formations. Most of these units have a near viewed by many K-12 students and museum mined out which results in spectacular vertical tilt due to the uplift of the Front visitors throughout the year. exposures. Range (64 to 55 Ma). “The Golden-Green At the first stop, an overview of the Stop 3 illustrates mined fire clay (used Mountain area may be regarded as the type trail is presented on new geology trail signs for making bricks) and environments of locality for the record of events that built (Figs. 1, 2). Interestingly, CSM and Golden deposition in the Laramie Formation. the Rocky Mountains, referred to as the are located right along the Golden and Sandstones present are interpreted to have Laramide Orogeny, a name derived from Basin Margin faults. Fortunately, these the Laramie Formation,” says Weimer systems are no longer active! Also at stop (Keller, 2005). one, the history of CSM campus is given. The Geology Trail is now well marked Many buildings on campus are named after and trail brochures are provided from the either early geology professors (Arthur Geology Museum (13th and Maple). The Lakes, Lakes Library; E.L. Berthoud, tour can be self-guided but guided tours by Berthoud Hall) or prominent geology Bob Weimer and others are done graduates (Ben Parker, Parker Student throughout the year. The trail requires Center; John Lockridge, Lockridge Arena- Steve Sonnenberg and Bob Weimer conducting periodic maintenance, and the AAPG Recreational Center; Russel Volk, Volk the trail tour for the first Van Tuyl Lecture of student chapter at Mines pitches in twice a Gymnasium; George Brown, Brown the academic year. year for the maintenance. Building).

4 2010 NEWSLETTER deposited in crevasse-splay deposits that built out into lakes or bays. Clays and peat were deposited in back-levee swamps. Log and leaf imprints can also be observed. Stop 4 illustrates the Clay Pits fault which places lower Laramie sandstone on Pierre Shale. The prominent sandstone ridge is cut off by the fault. The fault is interpreted to be a syndepositional fault. Stop 5 is an overview of Clear Creek Valley and the Rock Garden. Rock samples are present which represent the geology north of Golden (Fountain, Lyons, Lykins, Morrison, Dakota, Benton, Niobrara, Pierre, Laramie, Arapahoe, Denver, Table Mountain lava flows). Also at the Garden are samples of famous Colorado Rocks (e.g., Green River Oil Shale, Yule Marble). At Stop 6, the marine shoreline Fox Hills Sandstone (69 Ma) is exposed with the Pierre Shale. Both the Fox Hills and Pierre were deposited in a shallow marine seaway. Stop 7 illustrates another exposure of the Laramie Formation (68 Ma) and emphasizes the clay pit fault, fire clay mining, and also reclamation. Stop 7a illustrates a coal mining disaster that occurred in 1889 when the White Ash mine flooded and ten miners perished. Stop 8 illustrates the unconformable contact between claystones of the Laramie Formation and the conglomerates of the Arapahoe Formation. The Arapahoe is a source of well water for some Denver residents. In February 2005, CSM’s Geology Trail became an Earthcache site. Earthcache is an adventure game using GPS devices (www.earthcache.org). The task of the earthcache exercise (“to claim the cache”) is to name the State Rock and its neighbor to the west and e-mail in the results! The Mines Geology Trail trip is free and open to all the public. I encourage you to visit the trail and also thank Bob Weimer for creating a spectacular history/geology lesson in Golden’s backyard.

FRED F. MEISSNER MEMORIAL FUND

As reported in the 2007 edition of the Newsletter, Fred Meissner passed away during that year. Many of Fred’s family, friends, and colleagues contributed money to the Fred Meissner Memorial Fund. The response was so great, we were able to endow the fund. This means the principal will remain in perpetuity, and the Department will receive an annual spending limit from the interest earnings. An outstanding undergraduate student in our Department will be awarded the fellowship annually. Students will continue to benefit from Fred’s legacy for years into the future thanks to the generosity of many people. Following are friends who contributed to the fund. We appreciate their thoughtfulness and generosity.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. Albertus Dr. Brian W. Horn Mr. and Mrs. Blair Roberts Dr. Donna S. Anderson Ms. Patricia Irwin Rocky Mountain Association of Mr. Clyde M. Becker, Jr. Mr. Michael S. Johnson Geologists Aux. Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Birdsong, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Larry J. Manion Rocky Mountain Association of Mr. and Mrs. William D. Blankenship Dr. Sandra M. and Mr. Fred E. Mark Geologists Mr. Dudley W. Bolyard Mr. and Mrs. Bernard M. McGowan Rocky Mountain Section – SEPM Mrs. Sally C. Burch Mr. and Mrs. Bob McDougall Corporation Mr. and Mrs. Roger L. Burton Ms. Elizabeth McKenna Mr. James P. Rogers Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Crouch III Dr. and Mrs. Larry Meckel Mr. and Mrs. Roland G. Rogers Discovery Group, Inc. Ms. Susanna Meissner-Cutler Mr. and Mrs. Tim T. Schowalter Mr. Robert J. Doubek Mr. and Mrs. Walter Mosgovoy Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Spencer Mr. Charles W. Downing Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Near Dr. Mark D. Sonnenfeld Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd N. Edwards Mr. and Mrs. John C. Osmond Thomasson Partner Associates, Inc. Fancher Enterprises, LLC Dr. Ira Pasternack Ms. Marilyn Tunnell Mr. and Mrs. Boyd A. Fenton Mr. and Mrs. H. Preston Pate Ms. Charlotte W. Weiler Flagg Diamond Corporation Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Penney Dr. and Mrs. Robert J. Weimer Goolsby Brothers and Associates, Inc. Petroleum Technology Transfer Council Whiting Petroleum Corporation Mr. and Mrs. Germaine Gregg Ms. Jean Beresford Pohl Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. Wilde Ms. Eileen H. Griffith Mr. Russell A. Pomeroy Mr. and Mrs. James S. Wilson Ms. Sharalyn R. Harr Ms. E. P. Rall Mr. and Mrs. John R. Wingert Mr. Frank C. Horacek Ms. Andrea Richardson

5 2010 NEWSLETTER

GEGN 203 students grasp the scale of Cochetopa GEGN 203 students prepare to swarm the syenite caldera (standing on the rim) and looking across dike (lighter color) and adjacent hornfels altered to the resurgent Cochetopa dome. Moments later, layer (darker color) near Spanish Peaks. they are aowed to throw rocks for the only time on the trip (not pictured)! The Moral Dilemma. GEGN203 students weigh their desire to “become one with the outcrop” against the Geomorphology of Central Colorado Field Trip Garden of the Gods’ ordinance denying By Paul Santi them that right.

2010 represents the third consecutive year we have been able to take all of our sophomore majors, over 50 in number, on a 3-day field trip through Central Colorado for the GEGN 203 Engineering Terrain Analysis class. The purpose of the trip is to expose them to a huge range of landforms, rock types, structural and stratigraphic features, and geologic processes. Day 1 progresses along Interstate 70 from Golden to Glenwood Springs, with stops to observe glacial features, mining districts, slope stability issues, young basalt flows (4000 years!), and the fantastic engineering and stratigraphic section in Glenwood Canyon. Day 2 takes us all the way to Alamosa, including visits to the mill site in the town of Marble, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Cochetopa dome and caldera area, and the San Luis Valley. Day 3 begins with a morning romp in the Great Sand Dunes, a trip over La Veta Pass to the radial dikes near Spanish Peaks, and several stops in Colorado Springs. Traveling on a bus allows for rolling commentary, so not only are the students seeing an amazing amount of geology, but they are getting hours and hours of additional lecture time with the perfect visual aids whizzing by.

Economic Geology by Thomas Monecke, Murray Hitzman, and Nigel Key

With rising metal prices, this turned out to be another eventful year for the geodynamics and ore deposit research group (Sarah Appleby, Graham Closs, Murray Hitzman, Karin Hoal, Nigel Kelly, Thomas Monecke, Eric Nelson, and Richard Wendlandt). We have been very active to grow our program and analytical capabilities and to conduct cutting-edge research in some of the most exciting places in the world. As always, we continue to provide our students with the best educational experience possible. Besides our regular undergraduate and graduate courses, we organized short courses in economic geology. In spring, Jeff Hedenquist and Antonio Arribas gave an excellent short course on epithermal gold deposits while Jeremy Richards covered the porphyry to epithermal transition in another outstanding short course this fall. We have teamed up with the Society of Economic Geologists for these courses allowing us to bring graduate students and professionals together for two days of intense training. Together with the University of Ottawa, we gave our economic geology field school in Ontario and Quebec in eastern Canada for the second time. This 2-week long field training introduces students to world-class mining camps including those of Cobalt, Timmins, Kirkland Lake, Rouyn-Noranda, and Malartic-Val d’Or. During the field school, students become familiar with the architecture of Archean greenstone belts and complete exercises that involve core logging, underground stope mapping, open pit mapping, outcrop mapping, lithogeochemical sampling, Abitibi field trip group at the Malartic deposit, and much more. It has been a great experience and we thank all our sponsors who Quebec: Sometimes one feels sma. support this kind of hands-on training for our students.

6 2010 NEWSLETTER

This year, we have had an unprecedented number of Hanneman, Teresa Johnson, and Robert Nowak. Tom Meuzelaar students applying for graduate study in economic geology. With is a 2010 Geosciences BC Scholarship recipient. the arrival of the new graduate students this fall, we have The Society of Economic Geologist’s meeting in Keystone, become one of the largest graduate programs in economic Colorado, in early October was, without doubt, one of the geology in the country, if not in the world. We currently have highlights of the year. Bringing together over 600 professionals over thirty graduate students conducting research in all corners and 160 students was a major success to which we contributed of the world by serving in various functions in the organization of the ranging from meeting. The strong student participation in the conference was Peru and inspiring and much welcomed by all participants. It was a Argentina to tremendous opportunity for our own students to network and to the get to know the movers and shakers of the industry. In addition Democratic to Keystone, a number of our students attended the RoundUp in Vancouver and the meeting of the Geological Society of America in Denver. Earlier this year, the management structure of our analytical facility focusing on automated quantitative mineral analysis

Core loing at Malartic, Quebec: Elizabeth, Jeff, Owen and Bob looking for gold.

Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Mauretania, to places like Ireland or those closer to home like Documenting clast shapes at the Potter massive Montana, Minnesota, Wyoming, sulfide deposit, Ontario. and Canada. Changes to the curriculum of our professional Master Program in Mineral Exploration started to pay off and we have also seen an increase in students in this one-year program geared towards Section work at the LaRonde deposit: Some rocks professionals wishing to increase their knowledge and skills only reveal their secrets if you get reay close. across the spectrum of economic geology and mineral exploration. Jeannette McGill, Rebecca Klein, Brandon Lewis, changed. Sarah Appleby now operates and manages the facility, Jocelyn Ross, Ho Cheol Shin, Chris Siron, and Mike Tedeschi which will move to Berthoud Hall in the next months. This is an graduated this year and have joined our many alums working in exciting opportunity that will allow us to build a cutting-edge industry. Congratulations and all the best for your future careers! electron beam facility in our Department that will integrate A number of the students were successful with grants during quantitative mineral analysis with high-precision microanalysis. the year. The Society of Economic Geologist’s Foundation We have also installed a brand new hot-cathode awarded research grants to Jeffrey Edelen, Jack Gibbons, and cathodoluminescence microscope, which is only the second of Erik Tharalson. SEG fellowships were awarded to Harry its kind in North America. Laboratory refurbishment of our rock crushing facilities is underway and the new mineral separation and microscopy laboratories are already in heavy use by our many graduate students. Our group is also growing in terms of faculty. Stuart Simmons became part of our group in January, initially for a period of two years. He is one of the world’s experts in geothermal research and the geology of epithermal precious metal deposits and will strengthen our research expertise in those areas. Welcome Stuart! We are currently also in the process of hiring a new structural geologist to replace Eric Nelson, who is on transitional retirement. So by this time next year we will have welcomed a new structural geologist with an interest in mineral deposit research. As always we wish our friends and alums all the best for the coming year! Let’s hope that the next year will be as productive and inspiring as this one. Class project of Hydrothermal Geochemistry: sampling of hydrothermal liquids at Waunita hot spring, Colorado.

7 2010 NEWSLETTER Engineering Geology and Geotechnics Administration). Dr. Higgins received the AEG “Karl and Ruth by Paul Santi, Jerry Hiins, and Wendy Zhou Terzaghi Outstanding Mentor Award” at the AEG annual meeting in September. He was nominated by numerous former students The engineering geology and geotechnics program continues (known as “Jerry’s Kids”) and colleagues in recognition of his its robust ways, with an excellent cadré of graduate students, lifelong efforts in providing professional, ethical, and technical strong interest from undergraduates, and a vigorous research mentoring for environmental and engineering geologists.He has program. Drs. Jerry Higgins, Wendy Zhou and Paul Santi served as the chair of the AEG Landslides Working Group, which continued as full-time faculty, Dr. Meghan Morrissey maintained organized three landslides sessions at the 2010 AEG meeting, and her research appointment, and Dr. Keith Turner (retired) he continues to serve as an ABET program evaluator for continued his active involvement with the program. geological engineering programs. Dr. Santi’s students are conducting research on a variety of Dr. Zhou currently has two students, including PhD student areas, mostly focused on debris flow analysis and mitigation. Matt Minnick and MS student Elif Acikalin, working on a Specific projects include flow initiation and mobilization (Jon National Energy and Technology Laboratory (NETL)/ McKenna, supported by the USGS), flow prediction and planning Department of Energy grant to develop a GIS- (Geographic (Joe Gartner, also supported by the USGS), characterization of Information Systems) and web-based water resource geospatial debris flow yield rates (Derrick Schimming), and prediction of infrastructure for oil shale development in the Piceance Basin, peak flow rates, debris flow dewatering, and impacts of climate Colorado. Jordan Garrett, a new MS student, has been warming change on debris flow potential from wildfire areas (all under up with the project by helping out on geochemical data pro- Holly Brunkal’s research umbrella!). Nathan Swanson is using cessing. He will formally join the project in January 2011. Elif sediment analysis techniques to distinguish between debris flows Acikalin is also working on a GIS-based project of landslides and other types of surficial deposits (supported by a Tilford susceptibility analysis of Green Mountain, Jefferson County, Scholarship from AEG). Rounding out Dr. Santi’s research group Colorado, which is the subject of her thesis. MS student Ben is 2010 MS grad Kevin Mininger, who analyzed potential clogging Lowry recently defended his MS thesis on construction of a of wick drains when used for landslide stabilization (supported by three-dimensional subsurface framework model and geospatial Blackhawk Geologic Hazards Abatement District). Dr. Santi is infrastructure of the Muddy Creek landslide complex, Gunnison conducting additional research developing databases on debris County, Colorado. Ph.D. student Eric Anderson is conducting flow fatalities and on debris flow size ranges and characteristics in research on the aeromagnetic signatures to aid in exploration of burned areas. He received the 2010 Meritorious Service Award the world class pebble Porphyry deposit in Southwestern Alaska from the Engineering Geology Division of GSA. (support from USGS). Dr. Zhou and her students gave about ten Dr. Higgins had an entire crop of graduate students finish in conference presentations in 2010, and she chaired or co-chaired 2010: MS students Sarah Rickard (landslide characterization on three sessions at different conferences. She also served as reviewer the Oregon coast, support from USGS), Travis Pickering for several technical publications and served as a panel member (characterization of the Dowds No. 1 Landslide, Western for the Mining Engineering Committee of the British Columbia Colorado), Rex Whistler (aggregate resources maps for Native Innovation Council, which is a Crown Agency of the provincial American lands in northern New Mexico, support from Bureau of government. Indian Affairs), and ME students Michael Woodard (who worked Our students have been active presenting their research on a project with CDOT on rockfall rating systems), and Evan results. In all, we contributed two of the three posters at the Lindenbach (who worked with department grad Mike West on Rocky Mountain AEG Section Student Night in April (with Kevin developing a preliminary hazards map for a mining operation in Mininger winning the Brunton!), had six students at AEG’s annual Columbia). Ongoing students include Bruno Protti, who is meeting in Charleston and two at the GSA meeting in Denver. analyzing rockfall attenuator tests, and Arun Parsons, who is On the awards side, Kevin Mininger won the Student Professional developing guidelines for geologic hazard characterization of Paper Award from AEG, Nathan Swanson won a Tilford Field transportation corridors (support from Federal Highway Study Scholarship from AEG, and Holly Brunkal won a Lemke Scholarship from AEG. In case it is not clear, we are a dominant presence at AEG, and our students take home a disproportionate share of the prizes! As you may recall from your own time at Mines, field trips are a crucial part of our educational preparation, and this year was no exception. Department funds and donations from alums allowed us to take a full busload of Engineering Terrain Analysis students on a three-day trip around the Central Colorado Rockies. Engineering Geology and Geotechnics students had a 1.5 day field trip to view I-70 construction and slope stabilization problems in Glenwood Canyon and visit the DeBeque Canyon landslide in Western Colorado. Advanced Engineering Geology students spent a day in Glenwood Springs viewing debris flow, rockfall, gypsum karst, and collapsible soil hazards. They also took a field trip to Colorado Springs to view landslide hazards problems and 2010 Geology Field Camp in Durango, Colorado zoning issues in an urban area.

8 2010 NEWSLETTER FRIENDS OF THE DEPARTMENT

We gratefully acknowledge contributions received in the past year from our Friends and Supporters. Contributions include funding, data, software, materials, and access to areas needed for classes and research. Endowed funding showed modest earnings resulting in slightly higher spending limits than last year. Industry giving continued to be strong this past year. Funding from the State of Colorado will be cut even further in the next two years meaning further budget cuts to all departments on campus. Whether people designate their funds as discretionary or for specific purposes, the funds are used accordingly. Many of the activities highlighted in this Newsletter are funded with discretionary dollars. For 2010, the Senior Class Gift took a different turn. It was called, "The Major Match - Colorado School of Mines Senior Class Gift Challenge". The challenge took on a boxing theme, whereby the competition was between the various majors. There was both a lightweight and a heavyweight division, based on whether there were fewer or more than 35 graduating seniors from the major. Geology and Geological Engineering was in the lightweight division (33 majors), but our seniors showed that they were anything but lightweights! Not only did our seniors win the lightweight division, with both the largest dollar gift and highest percentage of participation, but they handily beat the heavyweights, too! All told, we had 85% participation (next highest was 65%) and a total donation of $1,416.37. That amount was matched double by President Scoggins ($2,832.74) for a total gift to the Department of $4,249.11. The next highest (and heavyweight) donation was $634.00 from a department that graduated 97 seniors. Our seniors ROCK!!! We are humbled by the dedication, devotion, and selflessness that our seniors have shown toward the Department. The funds were deposited in our Geology Education Fund (the discretionary fund), which is used in diverse ways to improve the educational experience for our students. These include scholarships and fellowships, field camp assistance, field camp supplies, laboratory materials and supplies, among other things. We graciously salute and thank our rock star seniors! Geology Endowment – The Enhancement Committee embarked upon an ambitions goal to build a discretionary endowment fund to support the Department. With the knowledge that State funding is continually decreasing, we felt it imperative to take the funding situation into our own hands to secure funding for the future. Anadarko Petroleum El Paso Energy Service Co. Katie B. Kocman Donna S. Anderson James & Kathy Emme E. Dean B. Laudeman Michael A. Ardeel Encana Oil & Gas Barrett A. Lavergne Scott Ardeel EOG Resources Cheryl D. Leighton Mr. & Mrs. William J. Barrett Jane Estes-Jackson Dieter K. Letsch David A. Baska ExxonMobil Corporation Mr. & Mrs. Mark K. Levorsen Robert J. Beach David L. Feavel LiTMus EPO Sebastian B. Benavides Federal Highway Administration Kevin D. Lock Mr. & Mrs. Dave Benson George L. Freeland Robert W. MacCannon Matt R. Bourget Stefanie Frelinger Teresa A. Malesardi Lee T. Billingsley Matthew J. Frohbieter Michael S. Malone Loren C. Bongirno Laurence H. Gardner, II Marathon Oil Company Bp Exploration Henry J. George Thomas M. Mason The Brunton Trust Mr. & Mrs. Albert P. Geyer Theodore R. Maynard Eric P. Bunnell Andrew R. Giebel Timothy MacIntyre William S. Calkin Karl Graham MDU Resources Foundation Cameco Corporation Jessica C. Grainger Douglas C. Mead Michael J. B. Carter Thelma R. Halbrook L. D. Meckel L. Michael Cheeseman Halliburton Robert A. Metz James S. & Jacqueline D. Classen Michael D. Halsema James B. Mollison Ann E. Clift Travis S. Hammond Anthony T. Monasterio Chevron Corporation Diah Hangorro Craig E. Moore Mr. & Mrs. Marshall C. Crouch, III Megan L. Hesse Myrna Moorman Michael & Carol Cruson Murray W. Hitzman & Maeve Michael J. Muhr Mr. & Mrs. James R. Daniels Boland Nautilus World Ltd. Robert Daniels Victor T. Holm NETL Grant Ross R. Davis L. Kenneth S. Horkley Nexen Petroleum USA, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Dempsey Craig F. Horlacher Danielle M. Nihiser Kim P. de Rubertis John D. & Michelle Humphrey Chris A. Oglesby Devon Energy Corporation Donlon Hurtubise Oil Shale Symposium Carl F. Dietz ITF Industry Consortium Thomas W. Olsen Thomas E. Dimelow Teresa M. Johnson Robert B. Owen Beverly C. Duer Mr. & Mrs. William H. Kanes Arthur J. Pansze Kim Dupé Kenneth D. Kite Jim A. Paschis, Jr. Sarah A. Edwards Charles Kluth Petroleum Technology Transfer Council

9 2010 NEWSLETTER Roger J. Phillips & Rosanna Ridings Keith W. Shanley Scott R. Walker Timothy J. Piwowar, Jr. James R. Shannon Maureen Wan Sara P. Post Shell Oil Company Dr. and Mrs. Don L. Warner Phillip A. Preble Mr. & Mrs. Roy A. Skoog James R. Weber William J. Pretsch Peter L. Siems Jacob F. Weigel Mr. & Mrs. James E. Riley Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Smith Dr. & Mrs. Robert J. Weimer Michele R. Robertson Stephen A. Sonnenberg Mr. & Mrs. Bernard T. Westapher John W. & Diane Robinson Timothy J. Stockhausen Whiting Petroleum Corp. Foad Roghani Joan V. Stratton Craig W. Wilcox Phylicia L. Saner Mr. & Mrs. Neil Thompson Mark Williams Herman T. & Ruth Schassberger Spencer R. Titley Edward A Yuhas & Patricia G Anda Robert Schwering Thomas M. Trapl J. Stevens Zuker Mark E. Shaffer Mr. & Mrs. James A. Uhrlaub

Hydrology by Dave Benson and Reed Maxwe

Dr. Benson’s fledgling “Field Methods in Hydrology” class ---GEGN 584 --- was the recipient of a very generous donation from local consulting firm Leppert Associates. Principal Shawn Leppert donated a drill rig and drilling team to install two wells in CSM’s Clear Creek field site (Figure A). A donation from Shell Oil was used for well materials. The new wells compliment several “legacy” wells that were installed by the USGS (and CSM emeritus faculty Keenan Lee) in the 1980s. The well field is situated near the new pedestrian bridge over Clear Creek beside the Highway 6 overpass. The class went on to conduct slug and pumping tests (Figure B). The plan next Fall is to perform interwell tracer tests to determine aquifer characteristics important to contaminant transport. The Clear Creek and Mines Park sites have the potential to become world-class research Figure A. Leppert Associates and the GEGN monitoring stations. Professors Benson and Maxwell submitted a proposal to the National 584 class instaing one of two groundwater Science Foundation to instrument both sites with meteorological stations to “close the loop” monitoring wes near the Highway 6/Clear on energy and water transfer across the land surface. We also anticipate asking for more Creek overpass. donations in the form of wells, materials, and monitoring equipment. Figure B. Dr. Benson, his dog Monkey, and An earlier exercise at the Clear Creek site graduate students Matt Somogyi and Steven used Electrical Resistivity Tomography to image Students John Wiiams and Steve Meyerhoff Meyerhoff monitor a pumping test in the new the water table depth across a wide area. Side explaining hydrology, hydrogeology and wes. contaminant transport to K-6 graders at a benefits included locating the contact between local elementary math and science night. Clear Creek terrace gravel deposits and the underlying near-vertical sedimentary rock units, as well as the location of the Golden Fault (Figure C). Dr. Maxwell’s group continued researching the hydrologic cycle with three group members publishing their first scientific articles (Adam Atchley, Erica Siirila and Steven Meyerhoff) and all students presenting at the GSA and AGU annual meetings. Dr. Maxwell served on a Science Advisory board for the new Water Science Alliance, a EU200M effort to create a number of European Water “Super Centers.” On a more local note, HSE students participated in K-6 outreach at a local elementary. Figure C. Cross-section of Using sand-tank aquifer models (affectionately called “ant farms”) they set up a series of demonstrations inverted resistivity in a roughly to teach fundamental hydrology, hydrogeology and contaminant transport to school kids. E-W section near the new Clear Creek wes. The tomograph was measured by the Field Methods in Hydrology (GEGN 584) class. The striking contact between the medium and low resistivity units is inferred to be the Golden Fault. The red colors indicate near- surface unsaturated gravels.

10 2010 NEWSLETTER

The Nikki Hemmesch Fellowship Fund

The Nikki Hemmesch Fellowship Fund was established in honor of Nikki Hemmesch after her untimely death during her PhD studies here. We are working toward reaching the endowment goal of $25,000. After the principal is reached, annual spending limits will be issued, and the Department will award it to qualified recipients. Supports of the Hemmesch Fellowship are:

Dr. and Mrs. Nicholas Harris Frank and Pat Hemmesch Nikki Hemmesch Family Mike and Debbie Pelzer Mr. Thomas W. Olsen Dale and Yvonne Brambrink Mildred Pelzer Randy and Mary Mick Tom and Nancy Pelzer Jim Pelzer Bob and Diane Pelzer Elaine Pelzer

Research Activities

Chevron Center of Research In 2010, three new students joined quality issues (Point Loma Formation, Excellence CoRE. Ph.D. candidate Grace Ford is California, and Cloridorme Formation, by Greg Gordon, David Pyles, and Charlie studying stratigraphic architecture and Quebec). Rourke depositional systems in a high net-to-gross Continuing students are Jeremiah fluvial system (Middle Wasatch Formation, Moody and Greg Gordon. After completing Utah). Kassandra Sendziak is pursuing her his MS degree, Jeremiah Moody stayed with 2010 was another busy, productive year M.S. degree, and will be studying CoRE for his PhD to work on sequence for the Chevron Center of Research stratigraphic architecture in a low net-to- stratigraphy and reservoir connectivity in Excellence (CoRE), an innovative gross fluvial system (Lower Wasatch fluvial systems in the Escanilla Formation, academic-industry relationship that Formation, Utah). Ph.D. student Jane Spain. Greg Gordon began his Ph.D. in promotes world-class research and Stammer is studying hydrodynamic 2009. He is working on deep-water education. CoRE’s research focus is fractionation of minerals and textures in stratigraphic architecture and quantitative outcrop/stratigraphic analysis submarine fans, and associated reservoir sedimentologic controls on reservoir quality to address knowledge gaps in the in structurally confined, distributive subsurface. CoRE continues to benefit submarine fan systems. His field areas are in greatly from interactions with research the Guaso Formation, Spain, and the geoscientists, explorationists, and Modelo Formation, southern California. engineers in the petroleum industry. In this past year, CoRE researchers Charlie Rourke, CoRE’s program presented seven talks and posters at the manager, initiated the CoRE Education annual AAPG meeting in New Orleans, and Series, a series of technical presentations one talk at the International Sedimentology by industry researchers and academic Conference in Argentina. During this time, colleagues made available to Mines CoRE researchers published five peer- geology students and faculty. reviewed articles in AAPG Buetin, Journal Dr. David Pyles, principal investigator of Sedimentary Research, and Marine and of CoRE and a research professor in the Petroleum Geology. department, was promoted to Director. CoRE researchers received several (Congratulations, David!) This year two awards this year, including Travel Grants students finished their M.S. theses under (Colorado School of Mines GSA) to attend Dr. Pyles’ direction: Alexandra Fleming technical conferences, ConocoPhillips completed a project on the stratigraphic SPIRIT Scholarships, Devon Energy architecture and hierarchy of submarine fan lobes (upper Cretaceous Point Loma Formation of southern California), and Chevron Center of Research Exceence (CoRE) Jeremiah Moody completed his project on PhD students: Jane Stammer, Grace Ford, deep-water channels in an actively Gregory Gordon, and Jeremiah Moody. Anisclo deforming basin (Eocene Morillo Canyon, Spain turbidite system, Ainsa basin, Spain).

11 2010 NEWSLETTER

Scholarships, and a Gulf Coast Section SEPM Ed Picou Fellowship Grant. At the AAPG conference, David Pyles was awarded the Wallace Pratt Award and the J.C. Sproule Award for best article published in AAPG Bulletin, and best article published by a young author, respectively. Pyles also received the SEPM Award for Best Poster. This year, CoRE researchers spent 366 man-days in the field conducting research or participating in geologic trips to locations such as southern California, Ainsa basin (Spain), and Utah. As 2010 draws to a close, the CoRE group looks ahead to potential new avenues to broaden the research program, including shallow-marine clastics, carbonates, and shale gas reservoirs. Furthermore, CoRE is recruiting two or three new graduate students and/ or Post-Doctoral researchers for Fall 2011.

3D TIGHT: A Tight Gas Sandstone Study Exploiting a 3D Outcrop Geologic Model for Hydraulic Fracture Modeling Studies by Donna Anderson and Mary Carr

The 3DTIGHT project is a building a detailed high-resolution 3D- developed for each of five facies. Then, collaborative effort between the GE and PE geocellular model combining both using the calculator function in GOCAD Departments with co-PIs Jennifer stochastic and deterministic methods in and the rock property histograms, the Miskimins (PE), Donna Anderson, Mary GOCAD utilizing outcrop data from properties were distributed by facies using Carr (both GE), and graduate student Donna Anderson’s field work. either a triangular or normal distribution. A Patricia Cuba (PE). Funded by ITF in 2009, This year’s geologic effort focused on very iterative distribution and upscaling the primary objective is to perform populating the GOCAD geologic model process resulted in a satisfactory rock hydraulic fracturing sensitivity studies using with rock properties and exporting those property model. 2D slices exported from detailed models of fluvial tight gas systems, results into GOHFER, for hydraulic the GOCAD model were used to populate built from outcrop and subsurface studies, fracture modeling. Based on core and well a series of GOHFER models for an MS to provide insight into how hydraulic log measurements calibrated to the thesis in petroleum engineering. The early fractures propagate in such vertically and outcrop, statistical distributions of each of results of the hydraulic fracture study are laterally constrained systems. During the four rock properties (porosity, permeability, presented in SPE 140143. first year, Mary Carr’s efforts centered on Poisson’s ratio, Young’s modulus) were

12 2010 NEWSLETTER COSTAR begun development of models to Yuval Bartov, formerly at CSM, and By Jerry Boak, Director understand how the shale will fracture now at Israel Energy Initiatives, reported under the stresses of in situ pyrolysis of oil on plans to develop a very large new The Center for Oil Shale Technology shale. Mike Batzle (Geophysics) and resource of oil shale by in situ methods, and Research (COSTAR) has started its students are now ready to measure seismic potentially increasing Israeli resources from second two year phase, with ExxonMobil velocities of oil shale at ambient and 4 to 100 billion barrels. In neighboring and Total continuing to support the elevated temperatures, as well as the Jordan, two oil shale companies, Eesti research program, and Shell deciding to anisotropic rheologic properties of oil shale Energia of Estonia and Jordan Energy discontinue its participation due to budget samples. John Berger (Engineering) is Minerals Limited announced major plans constraints. The COSTAR team has made supervising students working on the for oil shale development. And Morocco major strides in assembling an integrated fracture models. Scott Beuchler recently discussed their agreement with three geologic framework for the Green River finished his thesis developing a two- companies, Eesti Energia, Petrobras/Total, Formation in the Piceance Creek Basin, dimensional Discrete Element Model code and San Leon Energy. improved understanding of the Greater that realistically models fracture geometry The technical sessions included Green River Basin, and begun research in rock material. Steve Geer will be presentations from international oil and collaborations on the Uinta Basin with adapting that model to introduce thermal oilfield service companies like ExxonMobil, researchers at the University of Utah and effects, and Carissa Unrein will be Shell, Total, and Schlumberger, from the Utah Geological Survey. implementing a 3D version of the code. national laboratories such as Los Alamos Kati Tanavsuu-Milkeviciene, working and Idaho National Laboratories, from with Rick Sarg, has developed a sequence companies and universities in Estonia, stratigraphic framework that divides the China, Jordan, Israel, Canada, Australia, and history in Colorado into six major stages Morocco, from U. S. universities and that correlate well to existing stratigraphic independent oil shale companies, and from units, and provide a consistent interpreta- Rising Enthusiasm Evident at 30th the U. S. and Utah geological surveys. Red tion of the relationship of rich and lean Oil Shale Symposium Leaf Resources presented their plan to produce as much as 9,500 BOPD in Utah zones within the formation to cyclical By Jerry Boak, COSTAR Director patterns of lake evolution, as well as clear within as little as 24 months. connection to the climate history of the Hot topics included reuse of spent The 30th Oil Shale Symposium at the early Eocene. “Ming” Suriamin recently shale (China and Estonia), system scale Colorado School of Mines on Oct. 19 completed his Master Thesis on the modeling of the petroleum industry and its highlighted significant progress in research carbonates of the Douglas pass area in environmental impact in the Rocky and development of oil shale resources in Colorado. His work combines field, Mountain region (Los Alamos National the U. S. and around the world. More than petrographic and isotopic evidence of the Laboratory), and water needs and 270 delegates from 19 countries and 22 evolution of the lake consistent with the contamination risks (CSM, Idaho National states in the U.S. attended the two and one- broader framework. Work by Jufang Feng Lab, and AMEC). The USGS reported on half days of sessions on science, engineer- and Sheven Poole is underway to add its newly published assessment of Utah’s oil ing, environmental, socioeconomic and organic geochemistry and mineralogic data shale resource at 1.3 trillion barrels, and policy issues relating to potential from the reference sections in Douglas Pass suggested that the Wyoming resource production of oil from oil shale. and in core from the deeper basinal oil would be at least as large. This brings the On the opening day, Juhan Parts, shale to this bigger picture. USGS estimate of western U. S. resources former Prime Minister of Estonia talked Additional work from external to at least 3.8 trillion barrels. about the wide-ranging efforts in oil shale participants at Binghamton University Mines and GE were well represented development in Estonia and around the (Deidra LaClair and Elliot Jagniecki) has with talks by Kati Tanavsuu-Milkeviciene, world by Estonian companies. Mitchell characterized the similarities and Jerry Boak, Matt Minnick, and Wendy Leverette of the U. S. Bureau of Land differences in the development of Zhou, and posters by Boak and Julie Management reported progress in the evaporitic minerals like halite, nahcolite, Carmen of the Arthur Lakes Library. second phase of leasing of Federal land for trona, and shortite in the Colorado and The Oil Shale Symposium is the Research, Development and Deployment, Wyoming lakes that reveal characteristics premier international conference on the with three lease applications advancing to of the lake evolution, and have redefined development of oil shale, which could the Environmental Assessment stage. the stability field for shortite. University of potentially add another three trillion Shuyuan Li of the China University of Wisconsin researchers under Alan Carroll barrels of oil to global resources. For more Petroleum described a major buildup of oil have focused primarily on the clastic information, see the symposium program at shale retorting capability, adding more than lithostratigraphy of the Wyoming Basins, http://mines.conferenceservices.net/ 100 retorts last year with an equal number and have identified important tectonic programme.asp? expected next year. Larry Lukens and John influences on lake stratigraphy there. conferenceID=2211&language=en-uk Parsons of QER reported on advancement In addition, the Geomechanics team in of prospects for oil shale development in COSTAR has advanced understanding of Australia, including extensive work on the physical properties of oil shale and Myth Busting with the Australian public.

13 2010 NEWSLETTER

Field Trip to the Piceance Basin, Garield County, Colorado By Wendy Zhou

The Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines (CSM) was awarded a three-year grant by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct a research project entitled GIS- and Web- based Water Resource Geospatial Inastructure for Oil Shale Development in October of 2008 (for more information about the project, please refer to NETL's website at http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/oil-gas/Petroleum/projects/Environmental/Produced_Water/ 06554_GreenRiverGIS.html). The goal of this project is to develop geospatial data infrastructure which contains the basin baseline datasets for meteorological, geomorphologic, geological, hydrological, hydrogeological, as well as customized analytical toolsets and user interfaces (UIs). The water resource geospatial infrastructure will provide water management solutions that will facilitate decision making, environmental impact studies (EIS), and cost estimation under different development scenarios for potential oil shale resource development in the Western U. S. Other performers of the project include University of Texas at San Antonio as a subcontractor of CSM and Idaho National Laboratory as an independent collaborator of CSM. A group photo taken with the "famous" Piceance Basin JQS in the background. From As part of the project, a three day trip to the le to right: Elif Acikalin, Wendy Zhou, Mengistu Geza, Matt Minnick, Tuan B. Lee, Piceance Basin was taken from July 23rd to the 26th Paul Quinn, and Kyle Murray 2010 by the project group. The two main goals of the trip were to orientate firsthand the study group to the physiography of the Piceance Basin and acquire GPS located photographs of hydrological significant sites. Visiting the study site was important to really understand the scale and scope of the basin and experience the meteorological, hydrological, and geomorphologic changes across the basin. This will facilitate modeling of the basin systems. Three major subbasins, Parachute, Piceance, and Yellow creeks were toured during the trip. GPS locations of outcrops, geologic contacts, springs, wells, diversions, and stream gages were recorded during a field trip to the Piceance Basin. Observations of the landscape and geologic setting were made throughout, primarily, the northern part of the basin. Also, we would like to use this opportunity to express our gratitude to Michele Thomas of ExxonMobile for her valuable information on planning this trip, and Jay Johnson of Newpark for escorting us traveling through the Colony property.

News from Rocky Mountain PTTC (Petroleum Technology Transfer Council) By Dr. Mary Carr

Thanks to the participation of 673 Geologic and Engineering professionals at 22 workshops the Rocky Mountain region of PTTC has had another successful year. We held several cooperative events with the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists as well as the Montana Geological Society. PTTC was also involved with the RMS-AAPG and provided a very successful Niobrara ield trip at the COGA (Colorado Oil and Gas Association) conventions. Continued funding from the Department of Energy provided approximately 40% of our operating budget, which represents a decrease in the absolute amount of external funding from previous years. The goal of the Rocky Mountain PTTC is to become independent of governmental funding. This will be accomplished by continuing to provide a variety of high quality workshops. It will also be necessary to raise our fees slightly in order to ensure that the Rocky Mountain section of PTTC will be a strong institution well into the future. For several years, now the Rocky Mountain PTTC has enjoyed the unwavering support of volunteers involved with the Futures in Energy program. We have run the Futures program very successfully at CSM for several years and with less success in Pinedale, Wyoming. In order to highlight the excellent program in Pinedale and to avoid ongoing construction at CSM, the Futures committee decided to offer the Futures program only in Pinedale, Wyoming, for 2010. Andy Leonard and Steve Williams were the instructors to

14 2010 NEWSLETTER ! !

PTTC Futures in Energy students visit the Pinedale Anticline to see Futures in Energy students visit an abandoned we on a geology field trip an actively driing we. in the shadow of the Wind River Mountains.

ten enthusiastic high school students. Field trips to look at the Steve Sonnenberg outcrops around the Pinedale area as well as a day-long visit to the Pinedale anticline hosted by Questar were a really big hit. Steve Sonnenberg’s research includes sequence stratigraphy, Housing during the week-long event was provided by Halliburton. tectonic influence on sedimentation, and unconventional Thanks again to the companies that support this worthwhile petroleum systems. His current research focuses on the Bakken program: Lario Oil and Gas Company, Luff Exploration Co., North Petroleum System in the Williston Basin and Mancos Niobrara Ranch Resources LLC, Marathon Oil Company, Denver Earth Petroleum system in the Rocky Mountain basins. Science Project, NICO Resources LLC, Questar Exploration, RMS The Bakken project focuses on the stratigraphy, structure, AAPG Foundation, White Eagle Exploration. For 2011, we are diagenesis, burial history, mineralogical distribution and planning once again to hold the program in Pinedale, Wyoming, petrophysical properties of the Bakken Petroleum System. The and would be very appreciative of your contributions. research is funded by a NETL grant and a 20 company industry Thank you for your support and we hope to see many of you consortium. Geology students finishing thesis projects in the in the coming year. Check out upcoming courses at Bakken include: Becky Kowalski, Andrea Simenson, John Stroud, www.pttcrockies.org James Vickery, Alan Gantyno, and Steve Angster. Continuing and new students on the Bakken project include: Adrian Almanza, Cosima Theloy, Matt Billingsley, Chloe Alexandre, Ginny Gent, and Hui Jin. A new Niobrara industry consortium was started in September Donna Anderson 2010. The Niobrara project will focus on stratigraphy, structure, fracturing, diagenesis, burial history, and petrophysics. There are 15 Donna Anderson continues research on the Juana Lopez to 20 companies involved in the study. Niobrara students include: member of the Mancos Shale in southeastern Utah. She, along Toffer Lewis, Kelly Bruchez, James Taylor, and Melanie Peterson. with Mary Carr, has also been working on a collaborative project M.S. students finishing work on international projects in 2010 with Petroleum Engineering on a fluvial modeling study using included Komon Pinyo (Thailand project) and Rzger Abdulla (Iraq outcrop data from the Rangely area (see separate article). Graduate project). Jon Jay Charzynski finished a M.S. on the Niobrara student Jeffrey Thompson is completing an MS thesis on the 3D Formation in North Park Basin. Adam Anderson is finishing his architecture of fluvial-tidal sandstone bodies in the nonmarine Iles thesis on the Codell Sandstone of the northern Denver Basin. Formation in the Rangley area. Graduate student Judd Goldberg is working an MS thesis on the Baxter Sandstone of the Rock Springs uplift.

15 2010 NEWSLETTER

Probing the deep-water: A cruise on the Mediterranean By Mason Dykstra

One of the highlights of my year was a 10-day long cruise aboard the Italian research vessel Urania with Chief Mission Scientist Fabiano Gamberi and Mission Scientist Michael Marani, both of the Marine Science Institute (ISMAR), Bologna, Italy. The cruise was to the Capo d’Orlando Basin, just North of Sicily and South of the Aeolian island arc (Fig. 1). The Capo d’Orlando Basin starts on the continental slope North of Sicily, and rapidly falls into deep-water to what is essentially a large (~55 km x 70 km) intraslope basin, bounded by Sicily and the Aeolian island volcanoes. The bathymetry is quite variable, with many submarine canyons cutting the Sicilian slope, some active and some Figure 1. Google Earth map of the northern part of the inactive and currently being denuded by mass-failure processes. These Island of Sicily and the Capo d’Orlando Basin. feed onto a deep-water fan complex in 1500-1600 meters of water. We were there to collect multibeam bathymetry, high-resolution sub- bottom profiles, and gravity cores of the surface sediments (up to 6 meters below the seafloor) within some of the submarine canyons, channels, and levees, and out on the submarine fan system. The cruise was very successful, with a very high return rate on the cores, and good data quality on the bathymetry and the sub-bottom profiles. One interesting thing we found was that some submarine channels are quite active in the modern day (Fig. 2), with turbidite sand at the seafloor and downward injections which we interpret as indicative of sediment bypass (large-scale turbidity currents flowing past into deeper water). As we sampled further down the channels and onto the submarine fan Figure 2. Gravity core om an active submarine canyon in the system became sandier and coarser-grained at the seafloor, the Capo d’Orlando basin, exhibiting a downward-injected indicating that it is very active at present day, and demonstrating that turbidite sand just below the seafloor. in this location at least, sea-level is not a major control on sediment flux to the deep sea. The final evening we had a beautiful sunset and views of the islands (Fig. 3).

Figure 3. Sunset on the island of Alicudi. The sides of the island are very steep, and plunge an additional 1500 meters below the sea surface.

Publications:

Following is a listing of some of the publications faculty members produced during the year.

• Aschof, J.L. and Steel, R.J., InPress, Anomalous clastic wedge development during the Sevier-Laramide transition in the Cordilleran Foreland Basin, USA: GSA Buetin; DOI: 10.1130/B30248.1 • Aschof, J.L., and Steel, R.J., InPress, Anatomy and development of a low-accommodation clastic wedge, Upper Cretaceous, Cordilleran Foreland Basin, USA: Sedimentary Geology; DOI: 10.1016/j.sedgeo.2010.10.006 • Steel, R.J., Plink-Bjorklund, P. and Aschof, J.L., InPress, Tidal deposits of the Campanian Western Interior Seaway, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado, in Tides and Tidal Deposits, Springer Publishing, New York • Valora, P.M. and Aschof, J.L., InPress, Geologic map and sections of the Thistle 7.5 degree Quadrangle: Insights into tectono-stratigraphic development of the Southern Provo Salient, Utah: UGS Open File Report #TBD. • Aschof, J.L, 2010, Preliminary regional sequence-stratigraphic framework and characterization of potential fluvial reservoirs of the Upper Mesaverde Group, Uinta Basin, Utah: UGS Open File Report #569. • Aschof, J.L., 2010, Stratigraphy and Reservoir Characteristics of the Mesaverde Group, Uinta Basin, UT: QEP (formerly Questar) Industry Training Fieldtrip Guidebook • Bolster, D., D. A. Benson, T. Le Borgne, and M. Dentz (2010), Anomalous mixing and reaction induced by superdiffusive nonlocal transport, Physical Review E, 021119. • Bradley, D. N., G. E. Tucker, and D. A. Benson (2010), Fractional dispersion in a sand bed river, J. Geophys. Res., 115, F00A09, doi:10.1029/2009JF001268.

16 2010 NEWSLETTER

• Brandt, A. R., J. Boak, and A. K. Burnham, Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Oil Shale Derived Liquid Fuels, in O. I. Ogunsola, A. M. Hartstein, and O. Ogunsola, eds. Oil Shale: A Solution to the Liquid Fuel Dilemma, ACS Symposium Series 1032, sponsored by the ACS Division of Fuel Chemistry, American Chemical Society, Washington DC • Eberle, J., Fricke, H., Humphrey, J., Hackett, L.*, Newbrey, M., and Hutchinson, J., 2010, Seasonal variability in Arctic temperatures during early Eocene time; Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 296, p. 481-486. • Diehl, S.F.*, Anderson, R.E., and Humphrey, J.D., 2010, Fluid flow, solution collapse, and massive dissolution at detachment faults, Mormon Mountains, Nevada, in Umhoefer, P.J., Beard, L.S., and Lamb, M.A., eds., Miocene Tectonics of the Lake Mead Region, Central Basin and Range: Geological Society of America Special Paper 463, p. 427–441, doi: 10.1130/2010.2463(19). • Sulis, M., Meyerhoff, S., Panniconi, C., Maxwell, R.M., Putti, M. and Kollet, S.J. A comparison of two physics-based numerical models for simulating surface water– groundwater interactions, Advances in Water Resources 33(4), 456-467, doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2010.01.010, 2010. • Kollet, S.J., Maxwell, R.M., Woodward, C.S., Smith, S.G., Vanderborght, J., Vereecken, H., and Simmer, C. Proof-of-concept of regional scale hydrologic simulations at hydrologic resolution utilizing massively parallel computer resources, Water Resources Research, 46, W04201, doi:10.1029/2009WR008730, 2010. • Ferguson, I.M. and Maxwell, R.M. The role of groundwater in watershed response and land-surface feedbacks under climate change. Water Resources Research 46, W00F02, doi:10.1029/2009WR008616, 2010. • Maxwell, R.M. Infiltration in arid environments: Modeling interactions between the water and energy balance and subsurface heterogeneity in desert systems. Vadose Zone Journal, 9,970-983, doi:10.2136/vzj2010.0014, 2010. • Rihani, J.F., Maxwell, R.M. and Chow, F.K. Coupling Land Surface and Groundwater Processes: Idealized Simulations to Identify Effects of Terrain and Subsurface Heterogeneity on Land Surface Energy Fluxes. Water Resources Research, 46, W12523, doi:10.1029/2010WR009111, 2010. • Maxwell, R.M., Lundquist, J.K., Mirocha, J., Smith, S.G., Woodward, C.S. and Tompson, A.F.B. Development of a coupled groundwater-atmospheric model. Monthly Weather Review, in press doi:10.1175/2010MWR3392, 2010. • Atchley, A. and Maxwell, R.M. Influences of subsurface heterogeneity and vegetation cover on soil moisture, surface temperature, and evapotranspiration at hillslope scales. Hydrogeology Journal, doi:10.1007/s10040-010-0690-1, in press 2010. • Daniels, M.H. Maxwell, R.M. and Chow, F.K. An algorithm for flow direction enforcement using sub-grid scale stream location data. ASCE Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, doi:10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0000340, in press 2010. • Siirila, E.R., Navarre-Sitchler, A.K., Maxwell, R.M., and McCray, J.E. A quantitative methodology to assess the risks to human health from CO2 leakage into groundwater. Advances in Water Resources, doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2010.11.005, in press 2010. • Kollat, J.S., Reed, P.M. and Maxwell, R.M. Many-Objective Groundwater Monitoring Network Design Using Bias-Aware Ensemble Kalman Filtering and Evolutionary Optimization. Water Resources Research, doi:10.1029/2010WR009194, in press 2010. • Ferguson, I.M. and Maxwell, R.M. Impacts of Local Water Management Practices on Land Energy Fluxes. Environmental Research Letters, in press, 2011. • Morrissey, M.M., G. Gisler, M. Weaver, and M. Gittings (2010) Numerical Model of Crater Lake Eruptions, Bulletin of Volcanology, Volume 72, Number 10, 1169-1178, DOI: 10.1007/s00445-010-0392-5 • Hannington, M., Jamieson, J., Monecke, T., Petersen, S. (2010) Modern sea-floor massive sulfides and base metal resources: Toward an estimate of global sea-floor massive sulfide potential. In: R.J. Goldfarb, E.E. Marsh, and T. Monecke (eds.) The Challenge of Finding New Mineral Resources: Global Metallogeny, Innovative Exploration, and New Discoveries. Volume II: Zinc-Lead, Nickel-Copper-PGE, and Uranium. Special Publication Number 15. Society of Economic Geologists, Littleton: 317-338. • Monecke, T. (2010) Book review: Handbook of Mineral Exploration and Ore Petrology: Techniques and Applications (R. Dahana Raju). Economic Geology 105: 243. • Nelson, E.P. and Rodriguez, C., 2010, Structural and Stratigraphic Controls on Ore Shoot Orientation, Raúl-Condestable Iron-Oxide-Cu-Au (IOCG) Deposit, Perú, Poster at Society of Economic Geologists Convention, Keystone, Colorado. • Nelson, E.P., Enriquez, A., López, D., Dávila, D., and Casaverde, J., 2010, Structural and Stratigraphic Controls on Mineralization, Polymetallic Catalina Huanca Deposit, Ayacucho Province, Perú, Geological Society of America, National Convention, Denver, Colorado. • McMahon,P.B., C.P. Carney*, E.P. Poeter, and S.M. Peterson, 2010, Use of Geochemical, Isotopic, and Age Tracer Data to Develop Models of Groundwater Flow for the Purpose of Water Management, Northern High Plains Aquifer, USA, Applied Geochemistry, doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2010.05.012. • Stannard, David I., William T. Paul, Roy Laws, and Eileen P. Poeter, 2010, Consumptive Use and Resulting Leach-field Drainage from a Mountain Residence, Journal of Hydrology, doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2010.05.012. • Pyles, D.R., D. Jennette, R. Beaubouef, M. Tomasso, and C. Rossen, 2010, Process-related concepts learned by characterizing the high-resolution 3D stratigraphy of a sinuous slope channel exposure: Beacon Channel, Brushy Canyon Formation, west Texas: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 80, p. 67-96. • Bouroullec, R., and D.R. Pyles, 2010, Large Sand Extrusions Affecting Slope Channel Architecture: Mio- Pliocene Monterey and Capistrano Formations, Dana Point Harbor, California: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 80, p. 376-392 • Tomasso, M., R. Bouroullec, D. R. Pyles, 2010, The use of spectral recomposition in tailored forward seismic modeling of outcrop analogs: AAPG Bulletin, v. 94, p. 457-474. • Sonnenberg, S., Fracture Development in the Bakken Petroleum System, Antelope Field, Williston Basin: Wyoming Geological Association 2010 Guidebook

Pancho’s Radical Runup, Grand Canyon By John E. Warme, Professor Emeritus

Pancho's Radical Runup is an ancient large-scale landslide in the Grand Canyon that attained probably the highest cross-canyon runup of any landslide in the US 48 states--1000+ ft. If you happen to visit around the Deer Creek Falls area, look for the outcrop record of this unusual event. As with many geological phenomena, the fact of this record Runup has not been noticed by countless hikers and river-runners over the years. Once pointed out it seems obvious, and in this case spectacular. Such was the case after the discovery of Pancho's Runup landslide. Since 1969 I have led 46 Colorado River boat trips down the Canyon for school classes, as AAPG Geotours, and for groups of hardy and adventuresome friends. Over the last dozen years I became increasingly curious about a peculiar trail of rocks on the south slope of the Canyon opposite the famous Deer Creek Falls. The rocks are well exposed, cover many acres, and were mapped as talus that mantles the lower slope where they cover most of the Cambrian Bright Angel Shale at river mile 137 (Figure 1). The "talus" is a train

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Figure 1. Slab 1 of Pancho's Runup (red arrows) Figure 2. Aerial view of south slope of Grand Figure 3. Slab 3 of Pancho's Runup (P; see lapping across the Bright Angel Shale at river Canyon, om mile marker 136 to 137; upstream Figure 2), resting across the slope of Bright mile 136.8-137.0. Note Rampart Cave (R) and is eastward, to le. Labels of Slabs 1 to 5 are Angel Shale, with remnant mass of Sanup Plateau (S) Members that crop out om placed above where the underlying Rampart Mississippian age Redwa Limestone (M). A 5 beneath the Runup. Brecciated mass of Cave (R) and Sanup Plateau (S) Members slabs have the same detailed rock properties, Mississippian Redwa Limestone (M) is appear as parael tracks running om beneath distinctive fossils and abundant oncoids, and erosional remnant of original landslide volume each slab over to the next one. Base of the weathering color as the dolostones of Rampart that must have dammed the Grand Canyon; lowest cliff above the Slabs is ~1000 above Cave (R) and Sanup Plateau (S) Members. most of the mass was eroded downstream long the Colorado River, and marks the minimum ago. height of Pancho's Runup. Red arrows show the present extent of the largest slab, number 1. Photo courtesy Alan Herring, 2009. of seemingly attached blocks streaming particular features had not been visited down the slope, labeled as "RUNUP" on by the mappers in the field owing to the Figure 1. The rocks weather to a very limited access and necessary commit- distinctive rusty-brown color that is the ment of time and effort to reach them. fingerprint of two dolostone Members During recon traverses, CSM All of the slabs are remnants, eroded of the Muav Limestone that locally graduate student Jill Savage and I tested on all sides. The highest is about 900 interfinger with the shales of the Bright our suspicions, obtained the required feet above the modern River, but the Angel. The two Members are labeled in research permit from the National Park Runup must have reached at least Figure 1 as "R", Rampart Cave (~50 ft Service, got needed assistance from another 100 feet to the lowest cliff of thick), and "S", Sanup Plateau (~25 ft colleagues, and confirmed on the the overlying Muav Limestone shown thick), and shown to crop out outcrop that the "talus" was the same upslope of the slabs on Figure 2. Slab 3, prominently from beneath the rusty- dolostone, of the same exact rock type Figure 3, is heavily fractured and brown trail of runup rocks indicated by and fossils, as the in situ Members vertically stepped, whereas the in situ the red arrows. The outcrop in Figure 1 cropping out from beneath them. Thus Members have only widely spaced, is above a river runners' camp named its position mantling the south slope was simple, vertical fractures. As the slab Pancho's, or Pancho's Kitchen, hence the product of detachment and failure of traveled it was pressed against the my name for it. the 2000-foot-high Redwall-Supai cliff existing slope, was brecciated, then I speculated that the "talus" was the on the north side of the Canyon. During gravitationally slumped upon halting to same distinctive rock as the two stripes the landslide event, the two hard create rough vertical steps in the slab. of dolostone members across the dolostone Members were squeezed Most of the internal breccia fragments outcrop. If so, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, together and became a basal, brittle slab were rotated, then somehow pressed and it lapped across and above the in situ upon which the mass rode, likened to a glued together to create a stream of Members. To achieve this relationship, sled-runner. The compound slab was cemented dolostone that is very the dolostone "talus" could not have driven up the south slope and carried resistant to weathering and erosion. For traveled up and over itself; it must have the main mass of the slide with it. landslides of carbonate rock elsewhere it come from the opposite side of the During fieldwork we discovered has been proposed that heat and Grand Canyon, crossed the Colorado that the mantled slope of dolostone pressure created during transport River gorge, and rode up and over the in shown in Figure 1 was only the obvious converted carbonate to quicklime and situ members of the same rock layers on Slab 1 of five such slabs; four more were carbon dioxide. The quicklime then the opposite slope. If confirmed as the distributed for a mile eastward along the quickly hydrated and converted back to exact same rock type, the "talus" would Colorado River corridor as shown in calcite that tightly cemented the breccia be the signature of a colossal cross- Figure 2. Each of the five slabs had been fragments. Furthermore, released carbon canyon runup. It turned out to be even noticed features, but previously mapped dioxide gas may have reduced friction in more spectacular than shown in the area as local landslides or as travertine the cushion and eased movement of the of Figure 1. mounds, both of which are common overlying rock masses. In some cases, along the slopes of the area. These

18 2010 NEWSLETTER thick stratigraphic sections were single compound slab of dolostone, However, we all later discovered that in transported over less than one degree minimally one mile wide, that ferried a 1989 Don Elston, USGS Grand Canyon slopes. In the example of Pancho's, huge volume of broken rock from the north geological pioneer, noticed Slab 1 and remaining open fractures were later sealed slope. proposed that it was the rusty-brown by at least two other episodes of carbonate Today the north slope across from the weathering dolostone that had to represent cementation, one of which was dated by C14 Runup exhibits the three-mile-long Deer cross-canyon runup. It is not clear if Elston as ~25,000 years old. Creek Landslide, which I interpret as the actually confirmed his idea by visiting the Masses of Mississippian Redwall latest in a series of retrogressive slides that outcrop. If he had, he would have seen at Limestone (M) still remain over the slabs have widened the north side of the Canyon. least some of the other slabs, and assembled (Figures 1, 3). They represent a small Pancho's Runup is all that remains of an the whole picture. However, we have now fraction of the rock volume that must have earlier very large and unusual event, as shown that his notion was correct. Work been piggybacked on the slabs, pressing described here. continues on details and dating of Pancho's them to the south slope as they moved, and In 2002, Jill Savage included the Runup Radical Runup. of course temporarily damming the as part of her CSM Masters Thesis that Thanks to all those who have assisted Canyon. All five slabs have a 1 to 3 meter- summarized and interpreted several of the us in the field by braving the steep and hot thick cushion of ground-up rock beneath large landslides in the Deer Creek area. I climb to Runup outcrops: Alan Herring, them that contains polished river pebbles, first reported the existence and cross- Andy White, Conor Watkins, Jon Tapeats Sandstone, and even rare fragments canyon origin of the slabs at the 2004 GSA Kirkpatrick, Doug Lindsey, Peter Huntoon, of Precambrian basement gneiss scooped Annual Meeting, and Conor Watkins and Stan Beus, Jared Morrow, Hatch River up in the axis of the Grand Canyon. The David Rogers presented in 2007 a splendid Expedition crews, and many others. similar structure of all five slabs suggests scenario for the stages of the landslide that Pancho's Runup originally formed as a event that account for what we see today.

Faculty News and Activities

A Geologist’s Year on Capitol Hill by Maeve Boland

What an experience! Within two hours of joining the office of Senator Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND), I was sitting in the back of his car as the Senator drove to the National Press Club in Washington, DC, to give a lunchtime address. His Energy and Environment Legislative Assistant was briefing him on the upcoming event, Blackberries were buzzing, and I was thrown full tilt – while anxiously clutching the Senator’s talking points for the speech – into all the action of a Senate office. So what was a research faculty member from CSM’s Department of Geology and Geological Engineering doing in such a situation? I had the honor and privilege of serving as the American Geophysical Union’s 2009-10 Congressional Science Fellow, and this was to be my life for a year. The Congressional Science Fellowship Program, which has been coordinated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for the past 37 years, offers scientists and engineers the opportunity to join the office of a Member of Congress or a Congressional Committee for a year. Fellows bring their technical expertise and scientific perspective to the policy- making process and in return they are plunged into the midst of all that happens on Capitol Hill. The fellowship allows participants to become immersed in an experiential pedagogical environment – or, to put it more plainly, they learn by doing. Senator Dorgan chaired the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee so he oversaw the main funding for science in the Department of Energy including the National Labs, he was also a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which is responsible for national energy policy. His office gave me a tremendous opportunity to see how energy policy is made in the U.S. Congress. This was not a stellar year for policy making in the energy and environment sector as not many bills were passed into law, but I did get to participate in the full range of Congressional activities. I met with constituents from North Dakota and with lobbyists from a wide array of organizations. I wrote talking points for the Senator and prepared briefing books for Congressional hearings that he attended. I helped write legislation to promote the rapid, near-term deployment of electric-drive vehicles (which, as of the time of writing, still has a chance of passing). And I used my scientific background to analyze hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas extraction, carbon capture and sequestration, and the Gulf oil spill, among many other topics. I found that science and technology are highly regarded by Congress but that there is a need for more scientific expertise in the policy-making system. Science and engineering underpin so much of our world that we must have people who understand the technical realm involved in decisions that affect the development, use, regulation, and consequences of science and technology. Congress can be a puzzling institution, even to those who work there, but it must function well for our democratic system to thrive. Scientists, engineers, and the nation as a whole can only benefit from engaging the process and I enthusiastically encourage anyone who is interested to explore their options for bringing more science and engineering into the nation’s policy-making process.

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Keith Turner Appointed Visiting Research Associate at British Geological Survey

Alan Keith Turner, professor emeritus of the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering was recently appointed Visiting Research Associate (VRA) by Dr. John Ludden, Executive Director of the British Geological Survey (BGS). Founded in 1835, the BGS is the world's oldest national geological survey and the United Kingdom's premier center for earth science information and expertise. Visiting Research Associate status is a distinction conferred by the BGS and the United Kingdom's Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) to a very limited number of research scientists who can contribute to the BGS mission. They have an important role in mentoring upcoming scientists within the BGS. Currently there are only eight active Visiting Research Associates and Dr. Turner is the only one who is not resident in the United Kingdom. The appointment extends for three years, until 2013. Turner served on the faculty of the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering from 1972 until his retirement in August 2005. During a sabbatical to Holland in 1988, Turner was asked to propose methods for creating 3D subsurface geological models to support groundwater and engineering infrastructure investigations. This initiated his collaborations with the BGS and the USGS, with Turner serving as Director of a NATO-sponsored Advanced Research Workshop on 3D Geoscientific Modeling in December 1989; this was the first international specialty conference on the subject. During the 1990’s Turner conducted 3D modeling research at Mines, with support from the USGS Yucca Mountain Project and several industry software companies. PhD’s were awarded to Claudia Faunt and Frank D’Agnese for their models of the Death Valley Regional Groundwater System. Frequent European visits to report on this research maintained close contacts with the BGS and other European geological surveys. From 1999-2002, a cooperation agreement between Mines and the Delft University of Technology (TUD) in The Netherlands allowed Turner to serve as Professor of Engineering Geology at TUD, and to pursue new opportunities for international cooperation in teaching and research in geological engineering. He simultaneously continued his teaching and research at both universities, and facilitated several student exchange visits. Before coming to Mines, Turner was a faculty member in civil engineering at the University of Toronto and Engineering Geologist with the Canadian Department of Public Works in Ottawa. Turner received his BSc in Geological Sciences from Queen’s University (Canada), MA in geology from Columbia, and his PhD in civil engineering from Purdue University. Turner has served on several committees of the National Academy of Sciences, including: Mapping Science Committee (1997-2003), Committee on the Review of the National Landslide Hazard Mitigation Strategy (2001-2004), and Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering (2005-2009). Throughout his career, Turner has actively supported the Transportation Research Board; he has chaired a series of TRB standing committees dealing with geology and mapping topics and the TRB task force responsible for producing the book "Landslides: Investigation and Mitigation," for which he received two national awards in 1997. Turner has been awarded Emeritus Membership on the TRB Engineering Geology Committee. He currently chairs a TRB task force preparing a new TRB book on rockfall, serves on three National Cooperative Highway Research Project (NCHRP) panels, and chairs the Technical Expert Task Group that directs two Strategic Highway Research Program projects developing new multi-sensor platforms for locating underground utilities.

Maeve Boland – Research Assistant Professor – has been appointed as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow for 2010-2011. Dr. Boland will be working with the leadership teams in the Energy Resources and Minerals Programs at the U.S. Geological Survey.

Paul Santi received the 2010 Meritorious Service Award from the Engineering Geology Division of the Geological Society of America for "outstanding service to the division." He is the 22nd recipient of the award in the division's 63-year history.

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Kazakh Delegation Visits CSM for Integrated Workshop By John Humphrey

In late June and early July 2010, twelve visitors from the Kazakh National Technical University (KazNTU) visited CSM for a field, lab, and classroom workshop on integration of petroleum engineering with the geosciences. The group was comprised of eight faculty and four students and was originally designed to be a follow- on seminar to the trip that CSM took to the Karatau region of Kazakhstan during the summer of 2009. While the trip to Kazakhstan was solely a field seminar, we designed the Colorado visit to be more of a workshop that included a field component. Together with Dr. Ramona Graves (Head of CSM Petroleum Engineering), Department Head Humphrey taught aspects of integrated petroleum exploration, led The obligatory Coors tour! laboratory visits and demonstrations, discussed accreditation issues, and spearheaded fieldwork around Colorado. Dr. Graves and I have been working with KazNTU since 2008, with the support of Chevron’s University Partnership Program. The partnership is designed for sharing ideas, potential research collaboration, and for CSM to help KazNTU prepare their programs for accreditation (ABET and other international accreditation bodies). One important component for their accreditation is to begin to break down departmental barriers that have been entrenched since the Soviet era. We have been working closely with them to show how the integration of earth science, geophysics, and petroleum engineering is essential for today’s exploration workforce. For the field course, we visited classic localities in the Front Range area (including the Mines Geology Trail, of course!). We then circumnavigated the State, with an extended stay in Durango at the edge of the Paradox basin. Our visitors were Working in one of the PE computer labs. bedazzled by the spectacular geology and scenery of Colorado. Certainly one of the highlights of the trip for the Kazakhs was spending a traditional American Fourth of July at the Humphrey house. We had standard barbeque fare, cold beverages, and even model rocket firing (they called my son a Kazakh cosmonaut!). Overall, the visit strengthened the bonds between two great institutions. It’s gratifying to work with our Kazakh colleagues and we are in the planning stages of running another field course in Kazakhstan in the summer of 2011!

Teaching our Kazakh visitors Colorado geology. Student News and Activities

Student News

Hoy Brunkal was accepted into the International School on “Landslide Risk Assessment and Mitigation” of the University of Salerno, Italy. The School is held annually and is aimed at 40 PhD students selected every year from those working in the field of Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Engineering Geology or with a similar Engineering background. Of the 40 students selected for this year’s program, only 2 were from the United States. Holly Brunkal is the first student from Colorado School of Mines to attend this prestigious program.

In June, Sophie Hancock was awarded the Best Student Paper at AAPG Rocky Mountain Section. Her paper is titled: “In Situ Recovery: Hydrologic aspects of producing a deposit with a fault system”.

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Association of Geoscience Students By Michele Wiechman, President

The Association of Geoscience Students (AGS) brings students together who are interested in Earth Science. Our members bring unique perspectives from various departments including Geology & Geological Engineering, Geophysics, Mining Engineering, and Engineering. Our activities range from academic lectures from top professors at Mines and neighboring colleges such as the University of Colorado-Boulder, to getting down and dirty while rock hounding. We have had the chance to learn about a variety of topics ranging from Martian Geology from Jeff Andrews-Hanna to an upcoming lecture about some of the research being conducted at the University of Colorado. With lectures scheduled on a monthly basis, AGS is continuing to provide the CSM community with the chance to learn about the various aspects of the geosciences. AGS strives to provide our members with fun geology-related activities. Some of our memorable trips this last year included a visit to the Colorado Gem and Mineral Show to view impressive collections from around the world and a field trip led by Steve Sonnenberg to learn A group of AGS members preparing to spend some time in the about the geology of Colorado as it relates to the petroleum industry. Colorado School of Mines Edgar Experimental Mine in Idaho AGS continues to plan future activities including a tour of The National Springs, Colorado Earthquake Center and National Ice Core Laboratory, a gold panning expedition led by Murray Hitzman, and an overnight mineral collecting trip. In addition to organizing trips, AGS coordinates with other organizations to increase the activities available to our members. This past fall, AGS partnered with the Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration to organize a tour of the CSM operated Edgar Experimental Mine. AGS is also involved in many department activities including the Geology Department’s annual Christmas party and End of the Year Banquet. AGS will continue to bring CSM many great activities and intellectual lectures throughout the coming months, so don’t blink or you might miss out.

Association of Engineering and Environmental Geologists by Scott Ferguson, President

The Colorado School of Mines Student Chapter of the Association of Engineering and Environmental Geologists has enjoyed a great year in 2010, and we look forward to another splendid one for 2011. All of us are pleased to see increased interest and participation from the student body and faculty. Undergraduate, graduate, and faculty attendance for our twice monthly chapter meetings is up from previous years. So much so, that we have outgrown our small lab room and settled in a larger lecture hall. These meetings are enjoyable events where we invite a varied and diverse group of professionals who give informative presentations about their experiences, work, or research in engineering, engineering geology, and related fields. From presentations on abandoned coal mine subsidence hazards from the Colorado Geological Survey, to a special presentation from the 2010 AEG/GSA Jahns Distinguished Lecturer in Engineering Geology, Dr. Paul Marinos, on tunneling in karst terrain, each and every chapter meeting has been an exceptional learning opportunity. Along with our Colorado School of Mines (CSM) chapter meetings, many students have been attending the monthly AEG Rocky Mountain Section meetings held on campus at their new location in the Colorado Mountaineering Center. To encourage additional students to attend these AEG Rocky Mountain Section meetings, a new fund has been created within our student chapter to assist with students’ attendance payments and to ensure that the opportunity is available to all members. We had another good showing of both faculty and graduate students at the 53rd annual AEG meeting held in Charleston, South Carolina. Both Jerry Higgins and Paul Santi were moderators for the Landslides and Slope Stability Symposium, while Mines graduate students including Holly Brunkal and Kevin Mininger presented their research. Next year, the 54th annual AEG meeting will be held in Anchorage, Alaska. It is sure to be another event not to be missed, and we hope to again have a strong representation for the Colorado School of Mines. In the year to come, we look forward to the continuation of presentations from our guest speakers at our bi-weekly meetings. In addition, all members should be certain not to miss the three upcoming events this semester: the joint CSM student chapter and Rocky Mountain Section of AEG Student Night, which will be held April 14th, 2011, the CSM student chapter dinner/professional

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panel discussion/resume review night, to be held on February 3rd, 2011, and the CSM student chapter silent auction (date still tentative). These events are superb opportunities for students to network with industry professionals and gain valuable contacts for future endeavors. In addition to these events, we are also planning on a special fieldtrip in late February or early March. John Kalejta of Geobrugg has volunteered to give a presentation to the student chapter on Geobrugg solutions to rock fall, debris flow and landslides, and he will lead a field trip to the EXCEL slide above Georgetown, CO. Those who partake in the fieldtrip will be able to see rock fall mitigation/stabilization strategies at work in a real world application – a great opportunity. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for our newest club shirt as they should be released sometime this spring semester. For more information on these events, look for department emails and posted fliers, or contact Scott Ferguson at [email protected]

Le: Jerry Hiins showing the tension crack on top of the slope of the actual landslide.

Right: Debeque Canyon, Colorado, landslide rubble zone where the rock fa (originating om the top of the slope) coects. The rubble zone is in the landslide.

Student Support

Our students are fortunate to be in a program that companies, alums, and friends of the Department believe in and support not only financially but with computer programs, equipment, and data. This support for students is critical to progress in their programs and the ability to afford the cost of their education. We gratefully acknowledge all sources of student support.

Elif Acikalin Department Teaching Assistant Funds Adam Anderson Encana Oil & Gas Fellowship Eric Anderson U.S. Geological Survey Brett Arpin Frank & Peter Andrews Fellowship, Thomas E. Dimelow Fellowship, GE Field CampFund Adam Atchley EPA Joel Barber MDU Resources Fellowship, L. Michael Cheeseman Fellowship Mitchell Bennett Newmont Matthew Billingsley Lawrence & Kay Carol McPeek Fellowship John Bristow John S. Phillips Fellowship David Broughton African Minerals Ria Brunhart-Lupo W.M. Keck Foundation Teaching Funds, Department Teaching Assistant Funds Holly Brunkal Department Teaching Assistant Funds, LARAM Landslide school Mary Bubb BP Fellowship Peter Bucknam Paul Keating Graduate Fellowship Michael Collins Department Teaching Assistant Funds Nick Danielle Anadarko Petroleum Fellowship Arianne Dean NSF, DOE Robert Deister MDU Resources Michael Doe REPSEA Casey Dowling Maxwell Gardner Fellowship, James B. Mollison Fellowship Kevin Duvernay Chevron Fellowship, Stratigraphic Development of Continental Slopes Consortium Project, Phase II (BG Group, BP, ConocoPhillips, Dong Energy, GDF Suez, Hess, Petrobras, RWE Dea, Statoil, and Total) Elisabeth Easley Scott Wagner, Department Teaching Assistant Funds Jeffrey Edelen Esperanza Resources Olusanmi Emmanuel Geological Characterization of the Marcellus Shale Project (BG Group) Christopher Fehn C. Richard Wagner Fellowship JuFang Feng COSTAR funding from ExxonMobil and Total Andrew Fields First Quantum Minerals

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Alexandra Fleming GSA Travel Grant, Chevron Center of Research Excellence Grace Ford Chevron Center of Research Excellence Joe Foremski MGSI Solutions, LLC Laura Garchar Ortec, Department Teaching Assistant Funds Jordan Garrett Department Teaching Assistant Funds Joseph Gartner U. S. Geological Survey Jack Gibbons Camiro, Rudy Epis Graduate Fellowship, John Steven Cone Memorial Fellowship Judd Goldberg Samson Oil and Gas Greg Gordon GSA Travel Grant, ConocoPhillips Spirit Award, GCS SEPM Ed Picou Grant, Devon Energy Scholarship, Chevron Center of Research Excellence Garth Graham U.S. Geological Survey Peter Graham SIPES, Department Teaching Assistant Funds Thomas Grummon James B. Mollison Fellowship, Rex Monahan Fellowship Wesley Hall Discovery Metals Ltd. Sophie Hancock UR Energy, Society of Economic Geologists Harry Hanneman Barrick, Camiro, Department Teaching Assistant Funds Thomas Hearon BP Fellowship Levi Heintzelman Encana Erich Heydweiller ConocoPhillips Fellowship Elizabeth Holley Barrick, Department Teaching Assistant Funds Zane Houston MDU Resources Hamed Ibrahim NSF Umut Isikalp Turkish Petroleum Corporation Hui Jin Anadarko Petroleum Fellowship Theresa Johnson Minerals and Metals Group Nicholas Kerr Teck Ireland Mike Kirschbaum First Quantum Minerals, Department Teaching Assistant Funds Rachel Knuckles James B. Mollison Fellowship, GE Faculty Fellowship Fabien Laugier Paul S. Pustmueller Fellowship Julie Leibold Cameco, U.S. Geological Survey, UR Energy Brandon Lewis Newmont Liz Major NSF, DOE Teresa Malesardi Department Teaching Assistant Funds Ryan Marsters John S. Phillips Fellowship Jessica Matthews Department Teaching Assistant Funds Jon McKenna U. S. Geological Survey Michael McLain Anadarko Fellowship Brandon Meehl Robert Hutchinson Fellowship Corey Meighan Department Teaching Assistant Funds Tom Meuzelaar Rockware, Geoscience BC, Camiro Steve Meyerhoff NSF, Department Teaching Assistant Funds Nickolas Miller Chevron Rocky Mountain Basin Modeling Kevin Mininger Department Teaching Assistant Funds, Blackhawk Geologic Hazards Abatement District, Gillen Company Matthew Minnick Department Teaching Assistant Funds Jeremiah Moody GSA Travel Grant, ConocoPhillips Spirit Award, Devon Energy Scholarship, Chevron Center of Research Excellence Robert Munz Robert Hutchinson Fellowship Michael Musso Anadarko Fellowship Owen Nicholls International Tower Hill Matthew Nobles Paul S. Pustmueller Fellowship Bob Nowak Department Teaching Assistant Funds Sean O’Neal C. Richard Wagner Fellowship, Paul S. Pustmueller Fellowship Arun Parsons Federal Highway Administration Chelsea Parten Robert Hutchinson Fellowship, James B. Mollison Fellowship Elizabeth Pesce Teal Mininig Conor Pesicka Anadarko Fellowship Bruno Protti Department Teaching Assistant Funds Andrew Ritts Camiro William Robinson Paul Keating Graduate Fellowship

24 2010 NEWSLETTER Jocelyn Ross Kennecott Phylicia Saner Department Teaching Assistant Funds Zachary Santos James B. Mollison Fellowship Kassandra Sendziak Devon Energy Scholarship, Chevron Center of Research Excellence HoCheol Shin Ivanhoe Mines Nick Silvis BP Fellowship Erica Siirila DOE/NETL Chris Siron Full Metal Minerals, John and Carol Mann Fellowship Jane Stammer Chevron Center of Research Excellence Timothy Stockhausen Franklin Fogarty Fellowship, Metalline Mining Company Lauren Stout ConocoPhillips Fellowship Nathan Swanson AEG Tilford Field Study Scholarship Benjamin Tanner Anadarko Fellowship Justin Tappan MDU Resources, L. Michael Cheeseman Fellowship, Thomas E. Dimelow Fellowship James Taylor Department Teaching Assistant Funds Mike Tedeschi Constellation Copper, John S. Phillips Fellowship Erik Tharalson Encampment Minerals Jeffrey Thompson Anadarko Fellowship, ITF, Marshal and Jane Crouch Foundation Fund Olivia Turner Stratigraphic Development of Continental Slopes Consortium Project, Phase II (BG Group, BP, ConocoPhillips, Dong Energy, GDF Suez, Hess, Petrobras, RWE Dea, Statoil, and Total) David Underwood Robert Hutchinson Fellowship, bp Fellowship Rebecca Vasil bp Fellowship Erik Walega Chevron Fellowship Tess Weathers Department Teaching Assistant Funds Jacob Weigel U.S. Army Michele Wiechman Chevron Fellowship John Williams DOE Travis Wokasch James B. Mollison Fellowship Jon Woodhead Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc.

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Society of Economic Geologists by Daniee Schmandt, President

This new academic year brought in a strong contingent of new SEG students. With our strong and active members, the chapter will continue to strengthen our presence on campus and in the SEG community around the world. Thanks to our SEG faculty supporters, most notably Dr. Monecke and Dr. Hitzman, we continue to host joint SEG-CSM short courses. These courses permit great opportunities for students, free of charge, to see lots of rocks and hear about lots of rocks from some of the best geologists and experts in the field. These also give international attention, and money, to CSM as host for these SEG sponsored courses. This fall semester we hosted guests and lecturers for a porphyry short course, and this spring we will have a short course on Carlin-type Au deposits.

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Many geological conferences have blessed Denver and the Denver area this year. This year, to our delight, the international SEG conference was held in early October at Keystone, CO allowing most of our student SEG contingents to get their name out and see the vast and amazing products of the SEG community. GSA and the "other SEG" (Society for Exploration Geophysics) were hosted in Denver giving everyone in the geologic community a chance to see the most current advances in the science of geology and geophysics. During the fall semester, our chapter had a tour of the Lafarge aggregate quarry down the street. This was great for many us who had never seen an aggregate mine and to learn about industry happening in our own community! More field trips to come include a trip to NV to learn about the Carlin trend in the field and how to pit map (thank you Dr. Snow!). In May, there will be a trip to western Africa offered to us by RandGold Corporation. One of our greatest achievements this year, and most profitable fundraiser, was organized by Sophie Hancock and Ken Witherly with Condor Consulting Inc. About 30 professionals came to CSM for a hands-on, 2-day course to learn some of the key elements to "exploring in 2020" as geophysics will likely be the new frontier in mineral exploration. This was an excellent experience for everyone involved and really helped get the CSM name out there. Good job Sophie and thank you! We continue to bring in talks from some of the greatest minds in economic geology to teach us about geology, ore deposits, research, the industry, and sometimes, simply, life! And we had a great Christmas party!

AAPG Student Chapter Field Trip Rift Tectonics and Sedimentation – Field Seminar in Morocco By John D. Humphrey and Dawn Jobe

The AAPG Student Chapter again designed an excellent field excursion, carrying on the tradition of studying and visiting classic field localities. This time the group from CSM attended a nine-day field seminar in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains in May. Leading the course and field trip were Professors John Warme and John Humphrey. President of the Student Chapter, Dawn Jobe, went above and beyond the call of duty to make the trip happen – she organized the trip, was the principal fund raiser, and kept us focused while abroad. Nineteen Student Chapter members were joined by two Moroccan geologists for this spectacular trip, a perfect combination of world-class geology and exotic cultural highlights. The focus of our trip was the central and eastern High Atlas Mountains, an incredible example of an inverted rift basin. As a brief background, during the Jurassic, the region was a short-lived marine rift basin that developed during the break-up of Pangea. Carbonate shelf-to-basin sedimentation dominated throughout the elongate rift basin. Later, convergent Alpine orogenesis inverted the basin, so that the present configuration has the deepest basinal sedimentary rocks occupying the highest elevations of the mountain range. Those basinal lithologies consist of carbonate turbidites and marls, with sponge-algal mounds associated with horst blocks and a widespread mid-basin high. The flanks of the range expose dramatic successions of shallow-water and peritidal carbonates. Each stop provided a natural laboratory for the students to study carbonate facies and tectonic relationships. In order to lessen our collective jet lag, the trip began with a visit to the royal and ancient city of Rabat, the capital city of Morocco. The group visited the Royal Palace and several of the casbahs. We saw walls and architecture from the Roman period (1st century BC to 3rd century AD) and wandered the marketplace (souk). In Rabat, we also connected with representatives of ONHYM, the state organization of petroleum and mineral exploration, production, and development. There, they briefed us on an overview of Moroccan geology and their current and on-going petroleum and minerals exploration efforts. From Rabat, we proceeded to the second of three royal and ancient cities that we would ultimately visit, the exotic city of Fez. Meandering through the teeming medina, the sights, sounds, and smells overwhelm you. Crowded alleyways bustle with commerce. We entered through the blue gate and wandered narrow streets and in and out of shops. With our appetite for culture briefly sated, it was

The AAPG group visits the Onhym Students embarking on a quest for the top Dawn and Steve riding the so sediment headquarters to learn about the petroleum of one of the 42 pinnacle reefs. deformed “magic carpet”. systems of Morocco.

26 2010 NEWSLETTER time to explore the wonders of rift- examples of tepee structures in the associated Jurassic carbonates. world are exposed in the Liassic We charged up a Liassic patch shallow-water peritidal carbonates reef just southeast of Ifran. The here. beautiful exposure revealed a reef With our geological investiga- core characterized by massive tions behind us, we headed west and scleractinian head corals, with then north, back over the High abundant bivalves, bryozoans, and Atlas. The pass we navigated is at crinoids. Liassic shallow-marine to 2260 m (the Col du Tichka), and wild peritidal carbonates are exposed just and scary hairpin turns abound on NNE of the town of Midelt. Scores either side. The spectacular of shallowing-upward cycles show mountain scenery gave way to the cryptalgal laminite caps, rip-up hot plains leading to Marrakech, the clasts, fenestral porosity, micro-karst third of the royal and ancient cities surfaces, and a variety of skeletal and of Morocco we visited. non-skeletal grains. After a slow Students absorbing geology through a lecture about shaow It is difficult to describe drive over bad roads, we approached water carbonate facies. Marrakech. One has to experience a casbah, our accommodations for the craziness that is this city. Tight the evening. Auberge was rustic, their surfaces, which are then overlain by meandering souks in the medina with small rooms and raucous birds. Before the rhythmites. Beds of varying open to the famous central square, where and after dinner, we were treated to African competence show slumping, sliding, and all things wild and bizarre overwhelm the drums and dance, and several in our group other evidence of soft-sediment senses. Several students tried their hands at participated with vigor. deformation. In true Moroccan fashion, snake charming and monkey wielding. Continuing on our geologic trek, we many students took the opportunity to ride Our return to Rabat was punctuated by visited shelf deposits exposed on the the “flying carpet”. a visit to Casablanca, with its enormous northern side of the basin that consist of A climb to patch reefs (forty-two of mosque. During our final evening in ooid and skeletal grainstones and them) along the upper carbonate platform country, goodbyes and thanks were said all packstones. Moving into the higher occupied another morning. These around. Our hosts and our crew grew elevations, we spent time examining spectacularly exposed reefs occur on the lee together during the field trip, and it was carbonate turbidites showing various side of the southern platform. The arduous bittersweet to bid farewell. The Moroccan degrees of Bouma sequence development. climb was followed by a delicious picnic people were friendly and accommodating, lunch of fresh bread, tuna, sardines, and it was a true cultural experience to visit cheese, fresh melon and warm Coca this wonderful kingdom. The trip was at Cola! Delicious! From there, we times casual, and at times strenuous; continued south to visit crowd- however, our hosts made the overall stay pleasing shallowing-upward cycles truly remarkable. above the Oued Ziz that demonstrate We wish to acknowledge Chevron, meter-scale cyclicity through hundreds Anadarko, Total, Williams, Forest Oil, of meters of section. Razor-sharp ConocoPhillips, Shell, Devon and EOG flooding surfaces are overlain by Resources for its generous support of this subtidal facies. outstanding field trip. Field studies are an We next headed to the desert- integral part of a well-rounded geoscience margin town of Erfoud. We awoke the education; the Department and the AAPG next morning at 3:30 and in the dark of Student Chapter is grateful for financial the early morn, with no navigational assistance toward that end. aid, our drivers tore across the desert In the true spirit of geology, students engage in an towards dunes of a great erg. There we Daniee perched atop devonian reefs. arm waving discussion of the tectonic setting. mounted camels and rode upwards to watch the sunrise. The remainder of Bedding planes often show Thallasianoides the morning was spent observing and Zoophycos trace fossils. Ammonites are nearby awe-inspiring Devonian pinnacle present on some bedding planes, and reefs. Extremely fossiliferous, similar spectacular debris flow units outcrop Devonian beds elsewhere are the source throughout the area. for tabletops and numerous other Next we worked our way up through decorative items. the central-platform high through the After a morning of geological Domerian up to Toarcian rhythmites. Huge orientation in the hotel, we departed for sponge-algal mounds dominate the end of the Gorge du Todra, aka the Grand the Domerian, and large ammonites cap Canyon of Morocco. Some of the finest

27 2010 NEWSLETTER

COMPLETED THESES -2010

ABDULA, RZGER GOLAB, JAMES A. M.SC.-GOLOGY M.SC.-GEOLOGY Petroleum Source Rock Analysis of the Jurassic Sargelu Fromation, ICNNo-Pedogenic Facies of the Colton and Lower-Middle Green River Northern Iraq (Adv. Dr. Sonnenberg) Formations: Implications For Terrestrial Paleoclimate Studies (Adv. Dr. Plink-Bjorklund) ANGSTER, STEPHEN J. M.SC.-GEOLOGY GRAHAM, PETER R. Fracture Analysis of the Bakken Formation, Williston Basin. Field Studies M.SC.-GEOLOGY in the Little Rocky Mountains, Big Snowy Mountains, Montana and Evolution of the Onion Creek Salt Diapir and Related Sediment Filled Beartooth Mountains, Wyoming, and 3D Seismic Data, Williston Basin Salt-Withdrawal Basins during he Plio-Pleistocene: Analysis of Growth (Adv. Dr. Sarg) Strata and Progressive Unconformities, Grand County, Utah (Adv. Dr. Trudgill) BIRDSALL, TERRANCE R. M.SC.-GEOCHEMISTRY HEINTZELMAN, LEVI Stratigraphy and Diagenesis of the Natih E Member, Natih Formation, M.SC.-GEOLOGY Jebel Madar, Oman (Adv. Dr. Humphrey) 3-D Structural Modeling and Strain Analysis with Implications for Petroleum Production Across the Douglas Creek Arch, Northwestern BUCKNAM, PETER D. Colorado. USA (Adv. Dr. Trudgill) PROFESSIONAL MASTER-PETROLEUM RESERVOIR SYSTEMS (Non-Thesis) (Adv. Dr. Curtis) JOBE, TIFFANY DAWN M.SC.-GEOLOGY CANTER, KAREN LYN Optimizing Geo-cellular Reservoir Modeling in a Braided River Incised PH.D.-GEOLOGY Valley Fill: Postle Field, Texas County, Oklahoma (Adv. Dr. Plink- Early Carbonate Diagenesis and Dolomitization of Late Plesitocene Reef Bjorklund) Limestones, Barbados, West Indies (Adv. Dr. Humphrey) KLEIN, REBECCA W. CHARZYNSKI, JON JAY PROFESSIONAL MASTER-MINERAL EXPLORATION & MINING M.SC.-GEOLOGY GEOSCIENCES (Non-Thesis) (Adv. Dr. Monecke) Stratigraphic Interpretation, Geochemistry, and Petrophysics of the Niobrara Formation, North Park Basin, Jackson and Grand Counties, KO, TINGWEI (Lucy) North-Central Colorado (Adv. Dr. Sonnenberg) M.SC.-GEOLOGY Characterization of Gas Generated by Sequential Hydrous Pyrolysis of CLARINGBOULD, JOHAN S. Potential Gas-Prone Source Rocks for Tight-Gas Reservoirs in the Rocky M.SC.-GEOLOGY Mountain Area (Adv. Dr. Harris) Structural Evolution and Integrated Geo-modeling at a Salt-Cored Carbonate Dome, Jebel Mader, Oman (Adv. Dr. Sarg) KOWALSKI, BECKY M.SC.-GEOLOGY CONOVER, ELIZABETH Quantitative Mineralogic Analysis of the Middle Bakken Member, Parshall M.SC.-HYDROLOGY (Non-Thesis) (Adv. Dr. Benson) Field, Mountrail Country, North Dakota (Adv. Dr. Sonnenberg)

FLEMING, ALEXANDRA LEWIS, BRANDON M.SC.-GEOLOGY M.SC.-GEOLOGY Stratigraphic Architecture of Lobe Strata in a Submarine Fan Setting, Geology of the Toboggan Gold-Telluride Prospects, Murray, Idaho (Adv. Point Loma Formation, California (Adv. Dr. Pyles) Dr. Hitzman)

FOX, JEFFREY L. LINDENBACH, EVAN M.SC.-GEOLOGY MASTER OF ENGINEERING-GEOLOGICAL ENGINEER (Non- Quantification of Normal-Fault Dimensions and Growth Evolution: Thesis) (Adv. Dr. Higgins) Detailed Insight from a Section of the Northern Mid-Atlantic Ocean Spreading Ridge at 290N (Adv. Dr. Trudgill) LOWRY, BENJAMIN M.SC.-GEOLOGY GANTYNO, ALLAUDDIN ALAN Construction of a Three Dimensional Subsurface Framework Model and M.SC.-GEOLOGY Geospatial Infrastructure of the Muddy Creek Landslide Complex, Sequence Stratigraphy and Microfacies Analysis of the Late Devonian Gunnison County, Colorado (Adv. Dr. Zhou) Three Forks Formation Williston Basin, North Dakota and Montana (Adv. Dr. Sonnenberg) MAURO, LAURA A. M.SC.-GEOLOGY GLANZMAN, RICHARD K. Deposition and Development of Pennsylvanian Phylloid Algal Reservoirs PH.D.-GEOCHEMISTRY in the Lower Desert Creek Interval of the Paradox Formation, Cutthroat Application of Field Portable X-ray Fluorescence to the Mining Industry (McClean) Field, Paradox Basin, Montezuma County, Colorado (Adv. Drs. (Adv. Dr. Closs) Humphrey/Sonnenberg)

28 2010 NEWSLETTER

McGILL, JEANNETTE SIMENSON, ANDREA PH.D.-GEOLOGY M.SC.-GEOLOGY Platinum Group Metal Production Potential: East Limb, Bushveld Depositional Facies and Petrophysical Analysis of the Bakken Complex, South Africa (Adv. Dr. Hitzman) Formation, Parshall Field, Mountrail County, North Dakota (Adv. Dr. Sonnenberg) MEYERHOFF, STEVEN M.SC.-HYDROLOGY SIIRILA, ERICA An Integrated Surface-Subsurface Model to Approximate Runoff for M.SC.-HYDROLOGY Heterogeneous Slopes (Adv. Dr. Maxwell) A Quantitative Methodology to Assess the Risks to Human Health from CO2 Leakage into Groundwater (Adv. Dr. Maxwell) MININGER, KEVIN T. M.SC.-GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING SIRON, CHRISTOPHER R. Lifespan of Horizontal Wick Drains Used for Landslide Drainage (Adv. M.SC.-GEOLOGY Dr. Santi) Geology of the Little Whiteman Carbonate-Hosted Replacement Deposit, Western Fortymile District, East-Central, Alaska (Adv. Dr. MOODY, JEREMIAH D. Hitzman) M.SC.-GEOLOGY Effect of Growth Structures on Slope Channel Architecture and Facies STROUD, JOHN with Respect to Reservoir Characterization, Eocene Morillo Turbidite M.SC.-GEOLOGY System (South-Central Pyreness, Spain) (Adv. Dr. Pyles) The Role of the Lodgepole Formation in the Bakken Petroleum System, Billings Nose, North Dakota (Adv. Dr. Sonnenberg) MORRISON, JEAN M. PH.D.-GEOCHEMISTRY TEDESCHI, MICHAEL Weathering, Transport, and Bio-accessibility of Chromium and Nickel M.SC.-GEOLOGY in Soils Derived from Ultramafic Rocks (Adv. Dr. Ranville) Geology of the Cerro Verde Iron Oxide-Copper-Gold Prospect: San Javier, Sonora, Mexico (Adv. Dr. Hitzman) OSBORN, ERYN M. PROFESSIONAL MASTER-PETROLEUM RESERVOIR SYSTEMS VALORA, PARKER (Non-Thesis) (Adv. Dr. Curtis) M.SC.-GEOLOGY Late Cretaceous to Paleogene Tectono-Stratigraphic Evolution of the PICKERING, TRAVIS Southern Provo Salient, Servier Fold-Thrust Belt Central Utah: New M.SC.-GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING Insights from Geologic Mapping, Growth Strata Analysis, and Characterization of the Dowds No. 1 Landslide, Dowds Junction, Eagle Structural Analysis in the Thistle, Utah 7.5 Quadrangle (Adv. Dr. County, Colorado (Adv. Dr. Higgins) Aschoff) PINYO, KOMON VICKERY, JAMES O. M.SC.-GEOLOGY M.SC.-GEOLOGY Petroleum System of the Chum Saeng Formation, Phitsanulok Basin, Lithofacies, Mineralogy, and Ichnology of the Bakken Formation Thailand (Adv. Dr. Sonnenberg) (Mississippian and Devonian),Williston Basin, Montana and North Dakota, USA (Adv. Dr. Sonnenberg) RICKARD, SARAH M.SC.-GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING WHISTLER, REX Characterization of the Carmel Knoll and Devils Punch Bowl M.SC.-GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING Landslides of Lincoln County, Oregon (Adv. Dr. Higgins) Regional Aggregate Resource Assessment of the Albuquerque and Santa Fe Metropolitan Regions, New Mexico (Adv. Dr. Higgins) ROSS, JOCELYN K. M.SC.-GEOLOGY WILLETTE, DONNA CARAWAY A Geometallurgical Study at the Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah PH.D.-GEOCHEMISTRY Analyzing Mineralogical and Textural Parameters Impacting Rock Geologic Factors, Responsible for the Generation of Natural Gas and Breakage (Adv. Drs. Hitzman and Hoal) Pryobitumen (Char) Through the Pryolysis of Crude Oils (2 vols.) (Adv. Dr. Curtis) SEO, HYE-YOUNG MASTER OF ENGINEERING -GEOLOGICAL ENGINEER (Non- WOODWARD, MICHAEL Thesis) (Adv. Dr. Poeter) MASTER OF ENGINEERING-GEOLOGICAL ENGINEER (Non- Thesis) (Adv. Dr. Higgins) SHIN, HOCHOEL PROFESSONIAL MASTER-MINERAL EXPLORATION AND MINING GEOSCIENCES (Non-Thesis) (Adv. Dr. Hitzman)

29 2010 NEWSLETTER

Field Camp

Minivans, Chef, and Rock Hammers: The Field Camp Experience By Casey Dowling, Robbie Deister, Joel Barber, and Tom Grummon

10 AM, May 16, 2010: Three minivans loaded with camping necessities, rock hammers, and Chef Boyardee meet outside Berthoud Hall. Five students from the geological engineering department make a final check to make sure all’s packed and ready for the road. Soon they set off caravan-style to reach Moab by 5 PM. After staking out claims at the Lazy Lizard Hostel in town, the five meet up with the rest of their fellow classmates at the welcome center in Arches National Park. Week one of Field Camp 2010 has begun.

Aer mapping the Navajo Sandstone The lesson is over - now map it. Students “map by The mapping area in Arches National Park, a week, some students felt the need to committee”. (Dr. Aschoff facing away om the Week 1. Awesome scenery ... lame liquor laws. group.) hurdle themselves off it (safely tied in of course).

30 2010 NEWSLETTER

Field Camp is the point in the geological engineering student’s career that they feel they are finally getting a taste of large-scale mapping work. Throughout their junior year, they’ve gained the skills and knowledge to help them in the field. The Field Methods class, taught by Dr. Nigel Kelly, proved particularly useful in preparing the students for the problems experienced over the six week Field Camp experience. The six problems would refine their current skills and teach them new methods to prepare them for future careers in geology and geological engineering. The first week was set in two scenic locations near Moab, Utah: the Delicate Arch area of Arches National Park and the Mill Canyon area north of Moab. Both areas introduced students to typical salt anticline structures. Dr. Bruce Trudgill along with Dr. Jen Aschoff and Dr. Mary Carr introduced the students to the typical large normal faults and relay ramp structures that dominate the area. Two areas, in one week…it was definetly a greater level of work than anything we had experienced before. We had to map efficiently and with detail to successfully complete David and Zach finding the geology in the smaest both areas. The week gave us a good of examples. example of what to expect for the rest of Field Camp. It was a time to work out the kinks and get our field techniques nailed down. Even though the task was large, it was great to get off the beaten path and map some of the remote canyons and mesas. The Friday in Moab aer turning in the views were amazing, and the adventures memorable. The phrase “Do it for Dewey” as in problem. Time to play. the Dewey Bridge Formation which students felt was overlooked by a particular TA, was coined during the week. It became a rallying call for the students for the rest of field camp. The end of the first week left us in Moab, an outdoor mecca, so what better way to spend the weekend than to enjoy a float trip down the Colorado, or go rappelling off the numerous sandstone cliffs. It was nice to have a weekend with no obligations and be in a recreational paradise. Another bonus was the route to Durango for week two would lead deep into the heart of the San Juan Mountains and some great spring skiing in some of the remote mountain cirques. Some geology students were able to experience the freeze thaw cycle and its consequential rock fall while skiing firsthand…thank goodness for hard ski boots. Week two brought the class to Durango and its expansive moraine deposits. Unlike the first week, the mapping assignment was not in the barren wilderness of the desert but the urban streets of Durango. We also were no longer mapping bedrock either…it was glacial moraines and till now. It was a radical shift that took some adjusting to get used to. Dr. Jerry Higgins, Dr. Paul Santi, and Dr. Wendy Zhou helped us understand the characteristics of moraine and outwash deposits and recognize them in areas now covered with suburban development. The deposits we were looking for had either been completely removed or extensively graded and built upon. Luckily, we had some stereo pairs from the 1950’s before Durango had its development boom. This helped us recognize the landforms and their locations, and we were able to transfer their locales over to our maps. As the week progressed, we were able to Climbing into ore buckets is better recognize the subtle clues that could help than puing them down Colfax us identify a deposit as a moraine or an Avenue. outwash. Using the present day elevations of the moraines and outwashes, we were able to correlate the tills to their corresponding moraines. The main goal of the project was to identify possible aggregate resources for Durango’s development. Tent City en route om Durango to Salida. The dirt Along with mapping surficial deposits, the class took a few hours during one bike would be a handy mapping tool along the jeep roads of the days to look at landslides in the Durango area. Rockfall, landslides, and in the Salida mapping area. debris flow deposits were examined during the field trip. Some were the

31 2010 NEWSLETTER

consequence of poor engineering while others resulted from heavy rains after the 2002 Missionary Ridge fire. The best part of the trip was when the class went to see the debris flow protection measures at the Lemon Dam intake. Coincidently, the dam operator happened to pull up in his truck while we were there and gave us a guided tour of the area and explained the techniques used to catch debris and stabilize the slopes after the Missionary Ridge fire. Durango, being a college town, has a plethora of good restaurants and nightlife. It also has some awesome microbreweries. After long days of mapping it was nice to enjoy some gourmet pizza and sip on great tasting beer. There was also a cooking school that made gourmet and decently priced breakfast burritos…great motivation for a day of mapping. We basked in the comfort and convenience of civilization for the week. Soon however, it was back to the wilderness for week three in Salida. On the road again, rolling along the curvy highways through the San Juans and Central Rockies to reach the hills east of Salida, Colorado. The makeshift campground in Salida gave the group our first taste of what field session accommdations really are: a tent city and two shiny blue portable toilets. A group of geologists struggled setting up camp, fighting to construct two giant tents, proving that we are not civil engineers for a reason. An introduction to the site was conducted by Dr. Ric Wendlant and Dr. Paul Santi. The following morning, warm and sunny weather greeted us as we headed out to map the formations in the hills outside Salida. The units

Half of the group admired the scenery around Molas Lake. The other half were washing off the side effects of the night before.

15-passenger vans are fun, but we thought The tents are set up. Time to relax. A this was a better field vehicle. are dressed in the girls’ field session uniform. consisted of sandstone, quartzite, and limestone with igneous intrusions. Large normal faults cut across the site off setting units and causing mineralization. It was rugged terrain at high elevations. Nights consisted of working on our maps and reports, as well enjoying cowboy cold beverages around the fire. After four days of mapping, and the group smelling like dried sweat and dirt, a few geologists decided to brave an abandoned limestone quarry for a bath despite a rumored Precambrian quarry monster living at the bottom of the lake. Those brave geologists that ventured into the quarry survived and succeeded in smelling slightly better than they did the previous day. The tradition of mad coloring and writing continued on Friday, as we rushed to turn in our reports on time. After a tough week, a weekend at Great Sand Dunes National Park was in order to relax and prepare for another long week ahead. After gallivanting about the fringes of the San Luis Valley, it was time to head northwest of Saguache, Colorado, for week four. Once again, we were camping but not nearly roughing it like the previous week. A kind rancher provided us with a camping area on his ranch with an electrified shelter to work and cook out of along with running water. It was like staying at the Hilton. Tent row was once again established but this time in a much more civilized manner. Like human history, the nomads of the previous week had evolved and wished to form a more orderly society. Named streets, zoned lots, and even a dictator-run home owners’ association all arose to make Tent City more “civilized”. It appeared successful until citizens became fed up with the HOA dictator and a revolution consisting of cowpies and brash language broke out. Social experiments aside, the main purpose of week four was to map the multiple tuffs from the numerous eruptions within the San Juan Volcanic Field. The area was divided amongst partners due to its large size and short time to map. The pairs would split up with one mapping the north and one mapping the south. Dr. Ric Wendlant, Dr. Sam Romberger, and Dr. Greg Holden led the week and assisted the students in identifying the rather similar appearance of the multiple tuff deposits in the area. Distinguishing one tuff from another would be the main difficulty of the week (minus the political upheaval in the tent city). Mapping partners often debated the identity of the tuffs which led to confusion and double-backing to ensure the units and structures were properly mapped. Sam Romberger also introduced the concept of mineralization due to fluid transport. We were required to identify possible areas for uranium deposits due to geothermal fluids, and whether there was a high enough grade of ore to justify a mining operation. The difficulty of the week sharpened our skills even more, though, and taught us how to successfully work with others to map an extensive area. Four weeks down and two to go. The weekend between weeks four and five broke the month of sunshine and near perfect weather. A storm front rolled in and, with it, came rain and snow. Some of the group stopped at the Black Canyon for hiking while others pressed on to Silverton to search out camping spots for week 5. But as previously stated, precipitation, particularly snow, was

32 2010 NEWSLETTER

falling in the San Juans. Luckily a shop owner in town put ten of the group up in his place to ride out the storm. A brewfest in town provided the refugees with nourishing liquids to prepare them for the week ahead. In the San Juan Mountains of Colorado lies Molas Lake, a world-class location for carbonate geology, and scenic to boot. This week we were camping less than 1000 feet below tree line along the recently flooded banks of South Mineral Creek. The snow from the weekend lingered on into the first day of week five. We were mapping carbonates, collapsed karst features, and facies changes in relatively high detail compared to the rest of field camp. But the most memorable part of the week was the beauty of the mountains. The group spent more time looking at the scenery and playing in waterfalls than they probably should have. Dr. John Humphrey led the week with the help of Dr. Sam Romberger, and Dr. Jen Aschoff, and he had two goals: teach us carbonate geology and make his week How many geologists does it take to put up a tent? more fun than the previous four. Both were accomplished... though the latter objective did lead to an unpleasant morning or two. Nothing washes away the remnants of too many beers the night before than a shower in a cold waterfall. It was the final week that the group would be together. Week 6 would divide the group into three sections with two returning to Golden for mining- and

Chelsea and Amanda on the train om Molas Lake - Rachel and Michele on the “Death March in the Cold”. The only Durango and Silverton. reay cold day of field session. petroleum-specific problems and one section remaining in Silverton for an engineering geology problem. With the finish in sight, for the latter section, only surficial deposits near Silverton, CO stood in the way. Led by Dr. Jerry Higgins and doctorate student, Holly Brunkal, we traveled to Silverton and our new weekly residence of the Triangle Motel. This was a whole new place to stay since the previous accommodations were assorted camping and dorm rooms. As we traveled throughout the mountainside, we mapped various colluviums and talus up and down Chelsea and Michele at the Cripple Creek mine. the Animas River valley. The first day we settled in and became more comfortable with the town. First, we observed the main street and all the shops. Next, we went to the local library where we would Real-life lessons in the Edgar Mine. spend most of the upcoming week. At this time, the week mapping project was introduced. As in Durango, we once again had stereo pairs to give us a three-dimensional view of the mapping area. The next day, we were able to observe the mapping area in person. Both the instructor and the TA for the week informed us of the area. In particular, they described Week 6 problem - students in the areas where we must avoid due to some unfriendly people. The Silverton. next couple days were spent going through the mapping area and observing the affects of gravity on rocks and trees. Finally, we finished up the last day of field camp with a field trip. This field trip showed the group active mitigation of rockfall along US 550. We were able to see rock fall mesh, how it is attached to a slope, and how it can fail. Nights were spent in the library, around town or at the Triangle Motel. We enjoyed a couple nights of being shuffleboard champions at the local bar as well as spending some time with a local shop owner at the local brewery. As the time we spent with everyone on field camp came to a close, we were excited and saddened. On one hand, we were done with schoolwork for the summer and were able to go home or travel or head to an internship. On the other hand we were leaving people we knew and know better or people we didn’t know and now we’re very close. All in all, this experience was once in a lifetime.

33 2010 NEWSLETTER Alumni News

Jim Biedeman – BS Geol Eng 2000 – It has been a few years… actually 10… how the time flies. I was in Colorado a few weeks ago for a wedding and ran into John Humphrey in the security line at DIA. Pretty crazy. I have been meaning to email you and the folks at the Geology Department to say hello. We stopped by Mines to check it out and couldn’t believe all of the changes. It almost made me want to come back and go to school al over again…. After Mines I moved to Boston, MA working in the geotechnical/geoenvironmental consulting world. While in Boston I attended Northeastern University and earned an MS in Goetechnical Engineering. After a couple of years in Boston, my wife, Jocelyn, and I moved back home to suburban Philadelphia to be closer to family and start our own. We now have a little boy, Ethan who is 2 ½ and a little girl, Daphne who is 9 moths. I am still working in the geotechnical consulting industry working on all sorts of projects from foundation design in the Philly area to slope stability analysis on the New Orleans Levees....

Lance H. Gardner II Geol Eng. ’53 – Playing some tennis with geologists from Mobil, Shell, etc. and a little golf.

Jonathan Gleason - I was a member (Jonathan Gleason #11) of the 1990 Summer Field Camp. I have many fond memories of that summer and a group picture hangs in my office of the entire group in Moab, UT (the picture was taken by Keenan Lee). The story is true that we camped in tents everywhere and even got snowed on in Leadville. For most of us, the snow was too much and we pooled our resources to rent a few rooms at a motel that night. For the most part the camping aspect added to the overall experience. I do not remember the rain every night, but it might have been bad weather a few nights. The vehicles were unreliable, and one time Professor Hutchinson locked his key in the pick-up. His solution was to smash the drivers’ side window with a rock hammer. Greg Holden had to drive the windowless truck all the way back to Golden. Thanks for putting the article into the newsletter. It was terrific to see the group again and be reminded of the fun times that summer so many years ago. I have not kept in touch with any of my former classmates, but thought I could respond to the question ‘where are they now?’. I am happily married with two children living outside Boston, MA and I own a specialty coatings business. Thanks again, Jonathan

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34 2010 NEWSLETTER Faculty and Staff This Newsletter is compiled once a year for alumni and friends of the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines.

Editor: D. Cockburn

Department Head: John D. Humphrey

Faculty: J.L. Aschoff, D.A. Benson, J.B. Curtis, J. Duncan, J.D. Higgins, M.W. Hitzman, N. Kelly, R.M. Maxwell, L. Meckel (Adjunct), T. Monecke, P. Plink-Björklund, P.M. Santi, C.V. Shorey, G. Snow (Adjunct), S.A. Sonnenberg, B.D. Trudgill, R.F. Wendlandt, W. Zhou

Research Faculty: D. Anderson, S. Appleby, J. Boak, M. Boland, M. Carr, M. Dykstra, I. Ferguson, M. Gooseff, N. Harris, K. Hoal, C. Kluth, C. Moore, M. Morrissey, D. Pyles, R. Sarg, K. Tanavsuu-Milkeviciene

Emeritus Faculty: L.G. Closs, T.L.T. Grose, J.D. Haun, G.S. Holden, N.F. Hurley, R.W. Hutchinson, K. Lee, E.P. Nelson, E.P. Poeter, S.B. Romberger, A.K. Turner, J.E. Warme, R.J. Weimer

Support Staff: D. Cockburn, L. D’Epagnier, C. Rourke, M. Schwinger, J. Skok

Mission Statement Vision Statement The Mission of the Department is to Our goal is to be a world-renowned applied geoscience/geoengineering department. This will integrate basic and applied research in educating undergraduate and be measured graduate students with the knowledge and skills needed for leadership across disciplines in a professional career in the earth sciences and by the strength of our undergraduate and geological engineering; graduate enrollment;

deliver degrees in the earth sciences (graduate) and geological by demand for our graduates in industry, engineering (undergraduate and graduate); government, and academia; and

conduct world-class research in the earth sciences and geological by strong, sustained financial support and engineering, with a focus on applied problems; and recognition of research.

provide service and leadership toward local, regional, and global stewardship of the earth. GE Office Marilyn Schwinger, 303-273-3800, [email protected]

Debbie Cockburn, 202-373-3978, [email protected]

John Humphrey, 303-273-3819, [email protected]

Chris Shorey, 303-273-3556, [email protected]

Photos: Far left: Marilyn and John Left: Debbie

35 2010 NEWSLETTER2

Department of Geology and Geological Engineering Nonprofit Organization Colorado School of Mines 1516 Illinois Street U.S. Postage Paid Golden, CO 80401-1887 Golden, Colorado Permit No. 7

Looking Ahead The Department continues to maintain one of the largest programs in geological engineering and the geosciences in the United States. We anticipate continued enrollment growth as students recognize that the geosciences and geoengineering are critical to the strategic areas of Earth, Energy, and the Environment.