East Tennessee Geological Society (ETGS)

04/15/2016

Pshaw.

Source: http://www.lukesurl.com/archives/comic/418-meander-i-ardly-know-er

Support the artist Luke Surl!

10/20/2015

We hope can come to our November meeting. Here are all the details:

Monday, November 9, 2015 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm

Pellissippi State Technical Community College
10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville
J.L. Goins Administration Building, Cafeteria Annex

The Fukushima Daiichi Accident or How I Almost Had My Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Presented By
Elizabeth C. Phillips
Oak Ridge Environmental Management
Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Abstract

After the Fukushima Daiichi accident many measures have been taken to remediate the site. One of these is to install a frozen soil barrier around the site. A frozen soil barrier to contain radioactive groundwater was installed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1997 and its effectiveness and comparison to the barrier at Fukushima will be discussed.

10/03/2015

Hi everyone - We've got a wonderful presentation (and pizza!) lined up for our October meeting. Hope you can make it. Here are the details:

Monday, October 12, 2015 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm

Pellissippi State Technical Community College
10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville
J.L. Goins Administration Building, Cafeteria Annex

Geophysics as a Tool for Geologic and Geotechnical Engineering Site Characterization — Reducing Risk of the Unknown

Presented By
Joel Daniel, PG - Schnabel Engineering
Greensboro, North Carolina

Characterizing subsurface conditions for geologic and geotechnical engineering projects is often challenging and not without some degree of risk. Historical exploration methods such as drilling and test pits are important at providing direct measurements of subsurface conditions and geotechnical properties; however, these methods can be inadequate in producing enough data to develop a good understanding of how these conditions and properties may vary across a site. Geophysical surveys can provide cost-effective means of obtaining additional information to supplement data obtained by direct observation. Several important scenarios where geophysics can play a key role are in the siting of dams and other critical structures, micro-tunneling and trenchless construction, evaluating the extent of buried waste, evaluating seepage pathways, and evaluating reservoir conditions, among others.

Biography

Joel Daniel is a geophysicist with Schnabel Engineering in Greensboro, NC. Joel has over 23 years of experience working in the environmental and geotechnical engineering fields. Joel’s experience includes the application of near-surface geophysical techniques to environmental and engineering projects. Joel received his BS in Geology from Virginia Tech, and his MS in Geological Sciences from Old Dominion University. Joel is a registered professional geologist in Virginia and a licensed geologist in North Carolina.

09/11/2015

It's that time again! We hope you can join us for the upcoming September 2015 meeting. We'll kick it off with an award-winning student presentation from last spring and finish up a presentation about the underground storage of carbon dioxide by our very own Vice-President!

Here are the details:
Monday, September 14, 2015
6:00 - 7:30 pm
Pellissippi State Technical Community College
10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville
J.L. Goins Administration Building, Cafeteria Annex

A Land Snail Assemblage for the Federally Threatened Anguispira picta

Presented By: Mackenzie Hodges
University of Tennessee, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Land snails are a highly diverse and ecologically important group. However, they are very poorly studied and comparatively little is known about their distribution and conservation status. Among the few land snail species known to be at risk is the federally threatened Painted Snake Coiled Forest Snail or Painted Tigersnail, Anguispira picta (Clapp), which is endemic to the southern Cumberland Plateau, Franklin County, TN. The objective of this study was to identify the community of land snails that co-occur with A. picta. Of the 1,063 specimens collected, 927 were identified, belonging to 28 species in 17 genera. The most common genera, Anguispira, comprised 30% of collections; while Anguispira cumberlandiana, and three other species, represent new county records. This study adds to the ecology of A. pica, which continues to be threatened by habitat loss and other disturbances in its limited range.

AND

Underground Storage of Carbon Dioxide: Introduction and Field Demonstration Examples

By: David Riestenberg
Advanced Resources International, Knoxville, Tennessee

Carbon Dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technologies have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions from new and existing coal- and gas-fired power plants and large industrial sources. After separation and compression of CO2 from the source it is transported to an injection site(s). This presentation will introduce the concept of underground injection and geologic storage of the CO2 into deep underground rock formations. Experiences with a U.S. Department of Energy-supported demonstration of CO2 capture, transport and storage, the “Anthropogenic Test”, will be shared.

05/31/2015

We're on hiatus for the summer - see you in the fall!

05/15/2015

Monday, 18 May, marked the 35th anniversary of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption. This week’s offering comes in the form of a collection of ten highly cited GSA papers that examine a variety of Mount St. Helens topics, including magma vesiculation, pyroclastic flows, initiation and flow of lahars, melt inclusions, and more. Enjoy. http://www.gsapubs.org/cc/helens

04/12/2015

Hope you can join us for our next meeting! Here are the details:
Monday, April 13, 2015
6:00 - 7:30 pm

Pellissippi State Technical Community College
10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville
J.L. Goins Administration Building, Cafeteria Annex

Structural Geology, Hydrogeology, and Evolution of Gap Cave
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, TN/VA/KY

By
Bill Wilder
Pro2Serve
Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Abstract

Volunteers from the Cave Research Foundation (CRF) in cooperation with the National Park Service have been surveying and mapping Gap Cave since 2003. The detailed cave maps produced in AutoCAD™ provide a foundation for mapping and evaluating structural features inherited from the Alleghenian orogeny (i.e. - bedding planes, faults, folds, slickensided shear fractures, and joints), and often dramatically displayed in 3D across ceilings and walls of the cave. The maps also provide a framework for determining the evolution of the cave passages over geologic time. This talk will review the CRF work to date, the hydrogeology of the cave system, the regional and local stratigraphic and structural setting, and field methods and preliminary findings from studying, mapping, and photographing structural features such as the Cudjo Cave Fault and other remarkable structural features exposed in the cave.

02/27/2015

Hope you can join us for our next meeting - we'll also have pizza and veggies! Here are the details:
Monday, March 9, 2015
6:00 - 7:30 pm

Pellissippi State Technical Community College
10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville
J.L. Goins Administration Building, Cafeteria Annex

PRESENTATION: The State of Tennessee’s Stormwater Management: Challenges, Opportunities, and Tools

Dr. Daniel Yoder, University of Tennessee, Department of Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science

Abstract

As the focus of national enforcement of the Clean Water Act shifts from point source to nonpoint source pollution, pressure is mounting to properly manage stormwater runoff and its associated contaminants. During site development, the focus is on erosion and sediment control, but during post-development, the emphasis is on minimizing total impact through maintaining a more “natural” site hydrology. In conjunction with requirements to remove first-flush contaminants normally associated with urban runoff, this is the focus of the Tennessee Permanent Stormwater Permit granted to Tennessee by EPA several years ago, and which is undergoing implementation over the next year. We will first examine the overall conceptual approach to stormwater management and how that differs from the normal hydrologic control we have been doing for a long time to minimize flooding. We will then look at the specifics of the TN Permit and implications for development, followed by a description of the tools being delivered to assist in determining whether proposed designs meet the Permit requirements. Finally, we will discuss the opportunities that this might open up for geologists and other conservationists to participate in the planning and permitting process.

02/26/2015

Mild earthquake reported in Smokies
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local-news/smokies-add-earthquake-to-snow-ice_74336696

Winter brings snow, ice, wind - plus an earthquake

02/24/2015

REMINDER: Applications for the 2015 L’Oréal USA For Women in Science fellowship program are open.
http://www.lorealusa.com/forwomeninscience

The L’Oréal For Women in Science program recognizes and rewards the contributions women make in STEM fields and identifies exceptional women researchers committed to serving as role models for younger generations. More than 2,000 women scientists in over 100 countries have been recognized since the program began in 1998.

The L’Oréal USA For Women In Science fellowship program will award five post‐doctoral women scientists in the United States this year with grants of up to $60,000 each. Applicants are welcome from a variety of fields, including the life and physical/material sciences, technology (including computer science), engineering, and mathematics.

02/10/2015

Interested in helping with the Tennessee Science Bowl? Here's how you can get involved:
http://www.orau.gov/sciencebowl/volunteers/index.html

The 2015 Tennessee Science Bowl needs volunteers! Register today to become a moderator, a judge, a scorekeeper, a timekeeper or one of many other positions.

02/10/2015

There are a bunch of great field trips organized for Southeast GSA. Take a look at #9, led by Dr. Bob Hatcher.

2015 GSA Southeastern Section Meeting, 19-20 March, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA