AEG News September 2016 AEG NEWS 49(2) - c.ymcdn.comc.ymcdn.com/.../resource/resmgr/aeg_news/AEG_News_September_… · AEG 60th Annual Meeting Sept 10–17,2017 Colorado Springs,CO

NewsNewsVol. 59, No. 3 – September 2016

StudentFocus:

FOSTERINGEDUCATION

AEG 60thAnnual Meeting Sept 10–17, 2017Colorado Springs,COAntlers Hotel Group Rate Only $175/NightThe Antlers Hotel Colorado Springs islocated in the heart of downtown withspectacular views of Pikes Peak and theRocky Mountains and within walkingdistance to numerous restaurants, shops,museums, and downtown nightlife.

FIELD TRIPS• Industrial Minerals Mining & Geology

in the Royal Gorge Region (2-day Trip)• Fire and Flood Impacts & Mitigation• Debris Flows in the Broadmoor area • Garden of the Gods Geology• Cripple Creek/Victor Gold Mine

GUEST TOURS• Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center• Tour Garden of Gods and Lunch in

Manitou Springs• Cog Railroad Ride to the Top

of Pikes Peak• Garden of the Gods Geology

SPECIAL EVENT Dinner and Tour of PhantomCanyon Brewing CompanyLocated in the heart of downtown in thehistoric Cheyenne Building, the three-story brick structure was built in 1901and housed the Chicago Rock Island andPacific Railroad. In 1909, the building re-opened as the Cheyenne Hotel. After thehotel shut down, the building changedhands a number of times and was usedfor a variety of businesses. Saved fromthe wrecking ball in 1993, the historicsite was purchased by Colorado GovernorJohn Hickenlooper who restored theproperty and opened Phantom CanyonBrewing Co. The main dining area andbrewery were the first to open and were agreat success. In 1995 the second flooropened as a Billiard Hall, which has beenvoted the Best Place to Shoot Pool everyyear since. In 2001 they completed thethird floor Banquet Hall.

Table of ContentsNews of the Association 4

The President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Treasurer’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5AEG Foundation Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Committee/Technical Working Groups Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9IAEG Has Annual Council Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa . . . . . . . . .10“So long, and thanks for all the fish.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

News of the Profession 12The GeoCoalition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122016 GeoCoalition Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Women in Engineering Volunteer Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Professional Licensure Is under Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Professional Contributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16AEG Student Members Engage in Valuable Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Field Trips 19Calaveras Dam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Hollywood/Santa Monica/Malibu Fault Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Spring Break on the Colorado Plateau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Geologists Abroad 24

Douro River Valley, Northern Portugal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24The HomeFront 28

Index to Advertisers 35

On the CoverGlenn Gorski, Lead Quality Assurance Inspector for the Calaveras Dam Project,explains things during the San Francisco Section’s recent field trip. Story onpage 23.IMAGE COURTESY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION / E. MORLEY BECKMAN

The association2015–16 OfficersPresident: PAUL M. SANTI

Colorado School of Mines, 303-273-3108, [email protected]

Vice President/President Elect: DALE C. ANDREWSCarmeuse Lime & Stone, 412-777-0728, [email protected]

Treasurer: KATHY G. TROOSTUniversity of Washington, 206-909-9757, [email protected]

Secretary: KEVIN S. RICHARDSU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 303-241-8380, [email protected]

Past President: KENNETH C. FERGASONAmec Foster Wheeler, 602-329-9714, [email protected]

Association Contacts Headquarters—Association Manager: YOLANDA NATIVIDAD

1100 Brandywine Blvd. Suite HZanesville, Ohio 43701Phone: 844-331-7867, Fax: [email protected]

AEG Foundation—President: BRIGET DOYLE, [email protected]

Communications Director: MATT BRUNENGO, 503-534-0414, [email protected]

AEG News (ISSN 0899-5788; USPS 954-380) is published six times a year by theAssociation of Environmental & Engineering Geologists (AEG), with the quarterly issuesNos. 1–4, published in March, June, September and December, respectively. TheAnnual Report and Directory issue is published in January. The Annual Meeting Pro-gram with Abstracts issue is published in September. Print copies are distributed atthe meeting. Subscriptions for Association members, which includes all six issues ofthe AEG News, is $30 in addition to annual membership dues. Nonmember annualsubscription is $40.00, and includes only the four regular issues (#1–4) of the News.The Annual Report and Directory issue and the Annual Meeting Program with Abstractsissue are priced separately. Back issues of the AEG News are $10 each. Inquiriesshould be sent to AEG Headquarters: Yolanda Natividad, Association Manager,1100 Brandywine Blvd. Suite H, Zanesville, Ohio 43701 844-331-7867.

Periodical Postage paid at Zanesville, OH, and additional mailing offices: POST-MASTER: Send address changes to AEG News, 1100 Brandywine Blvd. SuiteH Zanesville, Ohio 43701, USA. AEG News is printed by Allen Press, Lawrence,KS, 66044, USA.

© 2016 Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists—All Rights Reserved

Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those officially representing theAssociation of Environmental & Engineering Geologists except where expressly stated.

AEG News Editor Managing Editor/ProductionAnna Saindon Andrea Leigh Ptak Geotechnology, Inc. Communicating Words & Images11816 Lackland Road, Suite 150 6542 52nd Ave. So.St. Louis, MO 63146 Seattle, WA 98118314-581-6286 Office: [email protected] Cell: 206-300-2067

[email protected]

Submission InformationIn order of preference:1. Send files via email, preferably as attachments, to both email addresses

above. Optimum file format is MSWord 2004. Users of other software programs should convert their file to ASCII or text only.

2. Images should be sent as high-resolution jpeg or tiff files. Questions? ContactAndrea Ptak at 206-725-9169/[email protected].

3. The policy of AEG News editorial staff is to limit the credentials of an individualto two. For example, if John Smith has a MS, a PhD and a PG plus a CEG anda CGWP, his credentials would be limited to John Smith PhD, PG, the two principal credentials. BS/BA and MS degrees will not be recognized. No effortwill be made by the AEG News editorial staff to determine if individuals whosecredentials are missing from the submitted copy actually have academic orprofessional credentials, nor will the staff verify the existence or correctnessof the credentials submitted.

For detailed guidelines visit: www.aegweb.org/SubmitToAEGNEWS

Advertising in the NewsContact AEG Headquarters at [email protected].

Next Submission DeadlineOctober 31, 2016, for the December IssueCanada Agreement number: PM40063731; Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Station A, PO Box54; Windsor, ON N9A 6J5; Email: [email protected]

Vol. 59, No. 3 – September 2016News

September 2016 AEG NEWS 59 (3) 3

id you know that AEG typically has about1,000 Student Members? That is about one-third ofour total membership. Unfortunately, we generallysee conversion of only about ten percent of them toregular members. They represent the future of ourorganization and the group we seek to serve. If theequation I gave in the title is algebraic, then we needto demonstrate something of value (X) that encouragesthem to maintain their membership after graduation. If theequation is chemical, then there is some sort of catalyst X thathelps drive their conversion to professional members. Eitherway, this is a crucial transformation. In fact, we’ve decided thatit is so important that we held a workshop at the last Board ofDirector’s meeting with the goal of identifying “X” in its manyforms. Here are some of the results.

First, our strongest and easiest opportunity to engagestudent members is at the local Chapter meetings. You maynotice that they travel in protective herds. Break them up!

Split off subgroups or individuals and buythem drinks, get to know their names,

introduce them to other professionals.They want to be known and theywant to network and find out whatyou do and about job opportunities.Backing up a step, look for ways to

support their attendance at thesemeetings: subsidize or pay for their

dinner, and help with their transportationcosts and arrangements. Create a student

liaison or student committee that participates in Chapter lead-ership. This may only impact one or two students at a time,but the Board recognized that this is a huge step in engagingthe most talented and excited students. Provide ProfessionalDevelopment Hours for the meetings, and make sure theyknow that AEG is a central piece of their licensure and profes-sional advancement. Finally, meetings focused on students,such as student night research programs or employment fairshave multiple attractions: their professional developmentleaps forward, they have a chance to shine in front of poten-tial employers, and they receive invaluable feedback fromthose they respect.

Chapter newsletters, email correspondence, and socialmedia posts are another venue to integrate students. Askthem for a photograph and short bio when they graduate andpublish these as a way to honor them and keep them con-nected. Periodically post blurbs from members about “WhatAEG means to me,” “What we do as engineering and environ-mental geologists,” or “Tips for employment.” Even moreimportant for new professionals, give them strategies for con-vincing their employers to pay for AEG membership or to send

them to local and national meetings. AGU has anexcellent flyer that does this (http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2014/files/2014/09/014_2417_Convince-Your-Boss-one-pager.pdf), and the elements oftheir argument can be adapted for us: exposureto cutting edge research and professional prac-

tice, networking with peers, career workshops,and advertisement of your company’s technically

challenging projects and capabilities.One of my favorite proposals from the Board is to establish

a mentor or big brother/big sister program, where active pro-fessionals are paired with students to help them meet people atmeetings, to advise them during their job search, and to modelhow to behave and develop professionally. This is an excellentway to give back to the profession, and it can be done at theindividual level and tailored as you see fit.

As you can see, there are many forms of “X” in the equa-tion, and I challenge you to pick one and run with it. And if youneed any raw material, in the form of Student Members, I knowwhere to get them!

NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

4 AEG NEWS 59 (3) September 2016

Students represent thefuture of our

organization…

Student Member + X = Professional Member

Paul Santi, AEG 2015–16 PresidentD

2016 is on TrackThe most important task for our asso-ciation treasurer is to monitor ourfinancials with respect to the Board-approved budget. If unexpectedexpenses arise or income is lowerthan expected, then we can reactaccordingly. I’m happy to report that,while we have had both so far this year, weare still on track with our budget.

Treasurer’s Reserve PerformanceOur Treasurer’s Reserve account was established a decadeago to provide a buffer for lean years. The account, withFidelity Investments, is conservatively invested and fluctuateswith the market, therefore, we watch our TR very closely fornecessary adjustments.

As of June 30, 2016, the account’s value has increased to$286,337, as a result of a $20,000 deposit from our successfulmeetings in 2015 and $10,841 in unrealized gains and $1,398in investment income. We hope to have a surplus from the 2017Annual Meeting in Kona so that we can make a deposit in 2016,continuing our four-year trend of making annual deposits.

Our 2016 AccountsThe following table shows the amounts in our accounts as ofJune 30th of 2016 and 2015. Note that the totals for theOperations and Annual Meeting checking accounts reflect theculmination of various activities, transfers between accounts,and the nuances of each year’s revenue and expenses, so wecannot directly compare 2015 and 2016. The Legislative Fundshows the expected upward trend, since money is added tothe account from members’ annual dues; one withdrawal wasmade to help fight the AZ licensing battle. The trend in theAccounts Receivable is positive and indicates that Offinger isdoing a good job of collecting from those entities that owe usmoney, such as sponsors and exhibitors.

AEG Account Summary, Mid-Year Values, in Thousands

2016 Forecast and Closing RemarksWe are tracking close to our budget for 2016. We are makingadjustments to stem financial impacts from increasing publica-tion costs. The Annual Meeting in Kona is budgeted to gen-erate a $25,000 surplus, and based on early results themeeting appears to be on budget.

The value of hosting a second Association-sponsoredmeeting per year cannot be ignored and we want to continueto have financially successful years. Not only do these addi-tional meetings help AEG maintain a sound financial footing,they also help further our profession. If you have any sugges-tions for topics or would like to host a Professional Forum,please contact a member of the Executive Council.

The trends for 2016 generally look good. I look forward tocarrying out the 2016 budget and finalizing the 2017 budget. If you have any questions or concerns about AEG’s financialstatus, feel free to contact me at [email protected].

We owe our success to our dedicated members, thankyou for all you do! And thank you for allowing me to serve asyour Treasurer.

NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – TREASURER’S REPORT


On Track with Our BudgetTreasurer’s Report for Mid-year 2016

Kathy Troost, AEG 2015–16 Treasurer

AEG News Disclaimer Authors alone are responsible for views expressed in signed articles.Advertisers and their agencies are solely responsible for the content of alladvertisements printed and also assume responsibility for any claimsarising therefrom against the publisher. AEG and AEG News reserve theright to reject any advertising copy.

Accounts 2016 2015

Operations (checking) $161 $144

Annual Meeting (checking) 128 55

Legislative Fund 67 56

Treasurer’s Reserve 286 263

Accounts Receivable 3 19

Accounts Payable 15 36

Your MEMBERSHIP fees help AEG function as a national association.

RENEW before January 15, 2017, to beincluded in the 2017 DIRECTORY.

e at the AEG Foundation are really excited about goingto Hawai‘i! There will be programs, events, field trips to a

volcano (yes!), sightseeing and guest tours, chatting with oldand new colleagues, and learning about the new and interestingresearch in our chosen profession.

But not all our wonderful donors and sponsors are going(sob!). One of our favorites (and we love you all!) has decided toforego the trip in order to work on rewriting her novel, andinstead of lying on a Kona beach or seeing all her favorite AEGFoundation friends, she will be holed up over a laptop forweeks at a time. To her credit, however, she is donating whatwould have been the cost of her airline and hotel expenses forattending AEG2016 to the AEG Foundation, so another studentcan go to field camp. Way to go! We love you, dear friend!

In the June issue of AEG News we told the story of one ofour 2014 scholars, Julia Howe, who was an awardee for theNorman R. Tilford Field Studies Scholarship. This issue, as itwill be included in the Programs with Abstracts, will focus onthe many Scholarships we offer. You can read why we areenthusiastic about what we do!

The AEG Foundation sustains funds for students, for practi-tioners, and for AEG Foundation support. You may donate toany or all of them, any amount, online or by mail. Read them allbefore you decide! A more detailed description and the fundcharters may be found on the AEG Foundation website.

Funds for StudentsBeardsley-Kuper Fund provides financial support for fieldcamp tuition and expenses.Carolinas Scholarship supports geologic studies by undergrad-uate students enrolled in a geology or geoscience program atan accredited university in North or South Carolina.Lemke Fund provides funds to AEG Student Membersattending an AEG Annual Meeting.Marliave Fund supports graduate and undergraduate scholar-ships in Engineering Geology and Geological Engineering.Mathewson Fund provides funds to AEG Student Membersstudying in Texas.Shlemon Quaternary Engineering Geology Fund supportsgraduate students in quaternary engineering geology research.Stout Fund supports graduate and undergraduate students inEnvironmental and Engineering Geology.Student Chapter Grant Program supports AEG Student Chapters for field trips, visiting professional talks, and otherprogram needs through small grants.The Norman Tilford Fund awards grants to graduate andundergraduate students in support of field studies.

West-Gray Scholarship Fund supports undergraduate andgraduate geology students in the eastern half of the U.S.through scholarship grants.

Funds for PractitionersCornerstone Fund supports university-level teaching of engineering geology and geological engineering in the UnitedStates.Jahns Fund supports speaker programs, including the JahnsLecturer selected by the AEG and Engineering Geology Divisionof the GSA.Leggett Fund supports traditional and web-based publicationsin environmental and engineering geology, including public information outreach and a web-based library.Research Fund supports small research projects that advancethe science and application of environmental and engineeringgeology and related fields.Roy J. Shlemon Distinguished Mentor Fund supports anAEG Distinguished Mentor.Shlemon Continuing Education Fund supports local workshops through the AEG Regions/Sections.Shlemon Specialty Conference Fund supports specialty conferences in engineering geology and related fields.

Foundation Support ProgramsGreatest Need Fund Donations support program areas ofgreatest current need.Johnston Operations Fund supports the AEG Foundation’sbusiness operations; contributions to this fund reduce theburden on program funds.

More than ever this year, we look forward to seeing our stu-dent awardees at Kona in person presenting their research,hearing them tell about their studies, and interacting with themand the professionals and mentors who will help guide theircareers. Expensive to go there? Not so much, with your help.Even small donations add up; I just donated to the CarolinasScholarship, and I know several geologists who have recentlydonated to both the West-Gray and Tilford. So dust off your check-book or credit card, and help us make this the best year ever!

The AEG Foundation is a non-profit organization separatefrom, but associated with, AEG. We have our own Board ofDirectors, and are a 501(C)3 non-profit organization; donationsto support our programs are entirely tax-deductible. All of ourscholarships and practitioner programs are funded by yourdonations and the income generated by investment of thosedonations.

For more information, or to donate any amount to help uscontinue our programs, please go to www.aegfoundation.org.

NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – AEG FOUNDATION


Get Out Your Hawai‘ian Shirts and Your Credit Card! Aloha!Jane Gill-Shaler, Secretary, AEG FoundationW



Beardsley-Kuper Field Camp Scholarship

Tyler Craig Gilkerson No Photo AvailableUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte –Dept. of Geography and Earth Sciences

Matthew Kyle Seigler Clemson University

Ariel Marie Ellison No Photo AvailableUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks –Dept. of Mining and Geological Engineering

The Beardsley-Kuper Field Camp Scholarship Fund is proud toannounce its sixth annual awards. Funds are intended to sup-port geology field camp expenses with applied environmentaland engineering geology that will be useful to the students’future profession as an environmental or engineer geologist.

Carolinas Scholarship Ashleigh Nicole Kirker

College of Charleston – Dept. of Geology& Environmental Geosciences

Established in 2015 with initial funds forthe gift from Carolinas Section, this schol-arship supports geologic studies by

undergraduate students enrolled in aGeology or Geoscience Program at an

accredited university in North or South Carolina.2016 is the first time this scholarship has been awarded.

Christopher C. MathewsonScholarshipEric Bergersen University of Texas at El Paso –Dept. of Geological SciencesGraduate Division

Sean Michael Czarnecki Angelo State University –

Dept. of Physics and Geosciences andDept. of MathematicsUndergraduate Division

The Christopher C. Mathewson Scholarshipwas established in 2007 as the Texas Sec-

tion Scholarship to support undergraduate andgraduate students studying in Texas. The Fund

was renamed at the request of the Texas Section of the AEG in2011 to honor Dr. Chris Mathewson of Texas A&M University.

Shlemon Quaternary EngineeringGeology ScholarshipElaine Kathleen YoungUniversity of California, Davis – Dept.of Earth and Planetary ScienceThe Shlemon Quaternary EngineeringGeology Scholarship supports graduategeology students conducting Quaternaryengineering geology research. Initial fundingfor the Scholarship was provided by a gift from Roy J.Shlemon, Honorary Member of the AEG. The 2016 award is thefirst Shlemon Quaternary Engineering Geology Scholarship.

Stout ScholarshipDavid William LaPorteColorado School of Mines – Geologyand Geological Engineering Dept.Graduate Division 1st Place

Priscilla Efua AddisonMichigan Technological University –Dept. of Geological and Mining Engi-neering & SciencesGraduate Division 2nd Place

Randall Jones No Photo AvailableUNC-Chapel Hill

Undergraduate Division 1st Place

Danielle TerhaarBoise State UniversityUndergraduate Division

2nd Place

Heni BarnesUniversity ofAlaska FairbanksUndergraduate Division 3rd Place

Dr. Martin L. Stout was Professor ofGeology at California State University,

Los Angeles from 1960 to 1990. He isremembered by all of his students for his

passionate and insightful instruction in engineering geology. Dr.Stout was well known for his expertise on mega landslides, hisworldly travels, his good humor, and his gracious manner. This scholarship supports his legacy.

AEG Foundation 2016 Scholars



Norman R. Tilford Field Study Scholarships

Matthew Thomas DorseySan Diego State University – Dept.Geological Sciences MC-1020Graduate Masters Division

Emily PenelopeAnderson-Merritt

University of CaliforniaDavis – Earth and Planetary

SciencesUndergraduate Division

Anna KatharinaSchuhUniversity of ArizonaUndergraduate Division

The scholarships are awarded for thesummer field season and were estab-

lished in memory of Norman R. Tilford, whowas a leader in engineering geology and a professor of

engineering geology at Texas A&M University. Norm died inlate 1997 while flying his small aircraft to meet a student fieldtrip. Norm was dedicated to teaching geology in the field andthese scholarships will support his legacy.

West-Gray Scholarship

Victoria LeffelPurdue University – Health &

Human SciencesGraduate Division

Christopher Lee OrrUniversity of NC at Charlotte

Undergraduate Division

Established in 2014 with initialfunding provided as a gift from AEGPast Presidents Terry R. West andRichard E. Gray, this fund supports

undergraduate and graduate geologystudents in the eastern half of the United

States through scholarship grants.

Call for Papers:AEG Members are encouraged to submit papers on interesting case histories, original research or otherprojects to its journal on the following topics:

• Environmental geology • Engineering geology • Feasibility studies • Geotechnical engineering • Geomorphology • Low-temperature geochemistry• Applied hydrogeology • Near-surface processes

• Review papers in applied geosciences and technical notes (< 6 pages)

Benefits Include:• 4 Issues Per Year • Papers Are Peer Reviewed • Best Student PaperAward • Best Paper Award

Instructions for Authors: http://eeg.allentrack.net/

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The Advocacy CommitteeAdvocate for Geology – Make the News BetterPhyllis Steckel

When real news happens about geology—an earthquake, amajor contaminant spill, a sinkhole, or a proposed new landfillor mine—how is it reported? Are the technical basics of thearticle or report accurate, or did it miss the mark? Was it plainwrong? Or worse yet, was there an intentional spin to the story?If you have ever wished you could bend the ear of a newsreporter and maybe set them straight, here is your chance.Radio, television, newspaper, or news magazine – they’re all inour sights.

AEG’s Advocacy Committee is developing a list of geolo-gists, including willing AEG members, to be available to themedia. It will be proactively provided to various news reportinggroups, such as state and national press associations.

The geologists who will be best for this list are not neces-sarily the top technical experts recognized among their peers.The best geologists for this role are those with broad interestswithin geology: hard-rock, environmental, geologic hazards, andeverything in between is important. The geologists on the listwill know how to communicate clearly to someone (thereporter) who doesn’t know much about our field or even sci-ence in general. They will be able to build a solid rapport andrespect deadlines, which are short and merciless. They will alsoknow why they need to determine a value to the fourth-decimalplace for a technical report for their job, and why a roundedwhole number for a news story is better. We’re not looking forany ‘gotcha’ news stories.

These groups, such as the Missouri Press Associationand the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, are theAEG of the news-reporting community. The list will be helpfulto both broadcast and print-media news journalists. The pro-fessional groups will make the list available to their membersby including announcements of its availability in their newslet-ters and on their websites. The list will include names, con-tact information, and technical and geographic areas ofexpertise. It will be refreshed at least annually. The list willalso be posted on the AEG website—admittedly a passive,but necessary, announcement.

There is, of course, no way to know how this will bereceived. A good guess is that some groups and some indi-vidual reporters will welcome the list as a resource and maybeeven remember to use it. Others may never consider it. But it’sbetter for AEG to make the offer—to be proactive—than toaccept ignorance in the news-reporting community. There aretoo many issues today that are too important to keep silent.

If you would like to be considered for membership in thislist, please contact Phyllis Steckel ([email protected]).

Coastal Hazards Technical Working GroupSAVE THE DATES: Nov. 14–16, 2017Coastal Hazards Professional Forum The Coastal Hazards Technical Working Group of AEG is plan-ning a Professional Forum for the Gulf Coast region for

November 2017. The proposedvenue is The Dauphin Island SeaLab, Dauphin Island, Alabama. High-lights include a half-day session tar-geting students, technical symposiafeaturing issues related to the GulfCoast, and a day for networking,collaborating, and brainstorming.We expect an international mix ofemergency managers, planners,

and technical experts to attend. Please visit the AEG websitethis November for an official announcement and details.

Naturally Occurring Asbestos Technical Working GroupBiennial Symposium – Assessment, Monitoring andMitigation of Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) Hazards in the Western U.S.Presented by: AEG’s Naturally Occurring Asbestos Technical Working Group

Thursday, December 15, 20168:00 am–6:00 pmOakland Marriott Hotel, 1001 Broadway, Oakland, CAPresenters include Cal-OSHA, California Air Resources Board,local air districts, environmental consultants, analytical laborato-ries, and more! For meeting information, or to register toattend, visit the event webpage athttp://www.aegsf.org/NOA2016

Meeting Co-chairs:Mark Bailey, PG – Asbestos TEM Labs, [email protected] Sarah Kalika, PG, CAC – AEG San Francisco Chapter,[email protected]

Corporate Sponsor: Asbestos TEM Laboratories, Inc.

NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – COMMITTEE/TWG REPORTS

Update Our Members…AEG has over three dozen committees and technicalworking groups. AEG News welcomes submissionsfrom these groups to keep our members updated ontheir progress.

A complete list is available on our website atwww.aegweb.org/?page=OperationalComms.

he 52nd World Council Meeting of the International Association of Engineering Geologists and the Environment

(IAEG) was held on August 28, 2016, in Cape Town, South Africa.AEG is the national group that represents the U.S., and AEG hasbeen active representing the U.S. in this organization for manyyears. This year we will have three members of AEG representingus at the council meeting: Scott Burns, President of IAEG, JeffKeaton, Vice President for North America, and Eldon Gath, ourofficial representative of AEG to IAEG.

IAEG has 56 national groups from around the world, and thisyear will welcome another 9 new national groups. The purpose ofIAEG is to connect engineering geologists around the world. Avery interesting agenda was put together for all delegates at themeeting. Next year the council meeting will be in Nepal.

We now have over 100 AEG members who are membersof IAEG, but we are hoping to grow this number. The cost isapproximately $16/year for membership without the bulletinand about $50/year for membership with a bulletin. The exactcosts will be on the membership renewal forms this comingfall for AEG.

Every four years IAEG has its congress, or large meeting.The last one was in 2014 in Torino, Italy. The next one will bethe first one ever in the US in the 54-year history of IAEG. It willbe held in San Francisco from September 17–21 in 2018 andwill be in conjunction with AEG’s 61st Annual Meeting. A Plan-

ning Committee from AEG, headed by Sarah Kalika of the SanFrancisco Chapter, has been working on this for almost twoyears. It will be in the international format with a five-daymeeting with an all-day field trip for all participants in themiddle. Call for papers will come out in late 2016.

If you have any questions about IAEG, please feel free toemail me ([email protected]).

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NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION

IAEG Has Annual Council Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa

Scott Burns, President, IAEG

The IAEG General Council—with representatives from around the world—meets in Cape Town, South Africa.

Scott Burns chairs the IAEG Executive Council meeting.T

hen I took over the position of AEG News Editorfrom Allen Shaw in December 2012, it was an unex-

pected and challenging roller coaster ride—one that hasreminded me more than once of the adventures in TheHitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (hence the title, if youmissed the reference). AEG News has been the only mag-azine I’ve read continuously since college, which led meon an adventure in editing, soliciting, and meeting anamazing array of people from across the country. This isthe hardest volunteering position I’ve ever taken on, andalthough it was worth it, I’m off to other adventures.

Chrissey Frattali and Ashley Wachhaus will be co- editors of AEG News going forward. Chrissey will be theone asking for articles about one of your projects or fieldtrips—Submissions Editor, and Ashley will be in the back-ground trying to tease good English—spelling andgrammar—out of what we submit. Be kind to both ofthem—have someone else read and edit your materialbefore submitting it, and be mindful of the deadlines andstyle guidelines (both on the AEG webpage).

Some of my favorite accomplishments during my timeincluded: bringing full color to AEG News, revamping the look in2014; finally having a style guide; and bringing a wider varietyof professional articles and advocacy articles to the issues. The

overall process has been streamlined so issues are going outon time and generally on budget.

As I leave, the AEG Executive Council and I worked out thefinal major change to the AEG News under my tenure. Histori-cally, it has required the editor, copy editor, and submitters towork through major holidays and was spaced so that theAnnual Report and Directory and the Program with Abstractsoverlapped with the regular issues creating ridiculous amountsof stress for all involved. So AEG News will be going to fiveissues a year starting with the 2016 Annual Report. The threeregular issues will be bigger—providing the same amount ofinformation—and, as a bonus, will save on postage and printingcosts. See the sidebar with this article, for the new submissiondeadlines, which will also be available online and on the table ofcontents page of each issue.

The question I get asked the most is: “How I am going touse all this free time?” Garimot Arnis Training (Filipino martialart) has been a big part of my life the last nine years. I’m asenior instructor and am spending most of this year preparingfor my next test and mentoring my sisters and brothers in theart. I have trips to Hawai‘i and the Philippines lined up, and amlearning the ukulele, because it looked like fun. It’s hard to bebored when there is so much you want to do.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in thisendeavor, including my coworkers at Geotechnology. Theyoften helped me out, when there was too much to do and notenough time. Andie Ptak (our production manager) was a life-saver when I began, and her historical knowledge of the Newsfilled in the gaps in my knowledge.

Most of all, thank you to every one of you who have sharedyour stories with the rest of AEG. AEG News is truly built of onthe stories of all AEG members, and I’ve enjoyed learning fromeach and every one of you.

Best wishes and see you in Kona!

NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION


AEG News 2017 Submission DeadlinesIn an effort to keep the quality of the AEG News whileavoiding duplication and holiday work for volunteers, thefollowing are the new deadlines for the AEG News startingwith the 2016 Annual Report and Directory.

The December 2016 issue submission deadline is stillOctober 31st.January 15 Annual Report and Directory

February 28 April AEG News – typically special edition

May 31 July AEG News Issue – Annual Meeting insert

August 15 Program with Abstracts

October 31 December AEG News – Annual Meeting Photo Collage

Your new AEG News Co-Editors are:Chrissey Frattali – Soliciting and receiving submissions([email protected])

Ashley Wachhaus – Editing and final reviews ([email protected])

Or as always, you can email [email protected] and it willreach all the parties involved in the AEG News. Ideas andsubmissions are always welcome.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish.Anna Saindon, Soon-to-be-retired AEG News EditorW

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n 2005, four organizations came together to form the Geo-Coalition (GC):

1) The International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC),comprised of 2,000 corporate and individual members,throughout the world, but primarily in the U.S. and Canada

2) Geo-Institute of ASCE (G-I), with 12,000 individual members,and 80 COPRI Organizational Members as well

3) ASFE/The Geoprofessional Business Association, now calledthe Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA), with 250corporate members in Canada and the U.S. who employover 100,000 geoprofessionals

4) Deep Foundations Institute (DFI), with 3,100 corporate andindividual members throughout the world, but primarily in theU.S. and Canada.The group agreed that if we had a major issue that needed

industry support, it might be possible to undertake some advocacy initiatives. However, the more immediate need wasthe creation of an atmosphere wherein the member organiza-tions were able to work together, avoid conflicts, and avoidconflicting or duplicative publications and committee work.

The founders recognized that the most valuable asset anyvolunteer organization has is its volunteers. The volunteer effortof a group, provided by its members, is finite and precious. Towaste that effort by competing with each other or duplicatingwork was not in anyone’s best interest. The founders realizedthat to accomplish even these modest goals, they needed todevelop a culture of trust. To do so, they decided to keep thegroup small and only add to its number other geo-organizationsthat fit the culture.

It was agreed that those who would attend a GC meetingwould include each organization’s Executive Director, and twovolunteer members, preferably an organization’s President andPresident-elect.

The first GC meeting was held in 2005, and cards wereheld very close to the chest. The member organizations had,until then, considered themselves to be competitors. After sev-eral meetings, however, it became obvious that the individualorganizations were duplicating efforts, to the detriment of each.Having technical committees in three different organizations, alldiscussing the same matters was a dysfunctional duplication ofeffort. Holding meetings on the same weekend, in the sametown also made no sense.

Early breakthroughs included the creation of a ADSC-DFI JointMicropile Committee that met alternatingly at DFI and ADSC meet-ings, and establishment of a GeoCalendar where all memberswould post their committee meetings, seminars, et al., as well astheir proposed dates and locations. This calendar posting wouldact as a caution to others to “check-in” with each other beforelocking in a date that another organization was considering.

As a result of this early success, two more organizationswere invited to join: the Pile Driving Contractors Association(PDCA) representing 840 corporate and individual membersin Canada and the U.S., and the Association of Environmental& Engineering Geologists (AEG), representing 3,500 engineering geologists.

Once the new members were assimilated into the culture,the United States Universities Council on Geotechnical Educa-tion and Research (USUCGER) was next to join, representing250 professors at 127 Universities in the U.S.

In 2015, the GC entered into preliminary discussions withThe Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS), representing 1,200academic and practicing engineers in Canada.

What Has It Accomplished?When the four organizations first began talks it was suggestedthat there should be a large industry congress, which wouldinclude the meetings of all of the member organizationsinvolved in technical issues. The sentiment at the time was, itwill never happen. Wrong! We now have the International Foun-dations Congress and Equipment EXPO (IFCEE) that is heldevery three years. IFCEE 2015 drew 3,500 attendees repre-senting four of the seven GC members who sponsored theevent as a joint venture. IFCEE 2018 will be a Joint Venture offive of the GC members. This would never have happened hadtrust not been built at GC meetings.

The group’s successes included the creation of a GC TaskForce to create a document outlining an “industry opinion”about soil reports. Depending on what type of work was to beundertaken, specific recommendations were presented.

Another example of the group’s important work was a cri-tique of Chapter 18 of the International Building Code (IBC).This effort included representation from all members of the GC.While it is extremely difficult to bring change to the IBC, thetough work of gaining consensus has been done, and all hopethat IBC officials can be convinced that the recommendationsare in the best interest of the industry and the public. Thechanges are intended to make design work in the fields of deepfoundations and anchored earth retention more consistent withthe state-of-practice in those industries.

Mutual NeedsAll GC members recognize that they have a symbiotic relation-ship with one another. At times, each member organizationrepresents persons or corporations that are alternativelybuyers or sellers of each other’s products. In addition, eachmember organization comprises buyers and sellers within theirown organization. A simple example of this is the drill rig

NEWS OF THE PROFESSION

The GeoCoalitionWhat Is It? Why Does My Association Belong?

Alan Macnab, PE, DGEl

continued on page 14…

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2016 GeoCoalition MeetingYolanda Natividad, AEG Association Manager

he GeoCoalition is an informalassociation of professional

organizations representing thegeotechnical design and constructioncommunity formed to encourage com-munication, cooperation and collabora-tion among its members. The groupcomes together once each year toshare insights, calendars, and plans forprofessional activities and to discussissues of common interest to the constituent organizations.

This year’s GeoCoalition meetingwas held in Garden City, NY, fromJune 20–22. Attendees representingAEG were: Dale Andrews, Vice President/ President-Elect, andYolanda Natividad, AEG AssociationManager.

One of the items that AEGbrought to this year’s agenda waslicensure. Good discussion was hadregarding the state of and threat to licensure for geologists.Additionally, how licensure attacks could potentially spreadacross the country and/or to engineering licensure. As aresult, AEG is currently working with the ASCE Geo-Institute to

explore ways in which we can support each other in thedefense of professional licensure.

In addition to the meeting agenda, there were some greatopportunities for networking with the other member associa-tions. There was discussion between Dale Andrews and JoelCarson, the Executive Director of GBA, regarding potential synergies between AEG and GBA. The GBA offers businesstraining: ethics, contract evaluation, risk management, etc.There is a potential to have these types of talks available atfuture AEG Annual Meetings. Finally, there may be an opportu-nity to further our collaborations with the CGS in such a way tobenefit both AEG and CGS members.

There is an expectation that AEG’s involvement in the GeoCoalition will provide an avenue for further collaborationbetween the member organizations. We look forward toreporting further on how the GeoCoalition is working for AEGand vice-versa in years to come.

The 2016 GeoCoalition Attendees (l to r:) Mary Ellen Large of DFI, Steve Hallof PDCA, Mike Moore of ADSC, Dale Andrews of AEG, Yolanda Natividad ofAEG, Ed Kavazanjian of USUCGER, Michel Aubertin of CGS, Brad Keelor ofASCE G-I, Theresa Engler of DFI, Woody Vogt of GBA, John Wolosick of DFI,Alan Macnab as Chair of the GeoCoalition, Kord Wissmann of ASCE G-I andJoel Carson of GBA.

GeoCoalition Member Organizations

ASCE Geo-Institute (G-I)Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists (AEG)Deep Foundations Institute (DFI)Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA)Geotechnical Extreme Events ReconnaissanceAssociation (GEER)International Association of Foundation Drilling(ADSC)Pile Driving Contractors Association (PDCA)United States Universities Council on GeotechnicalEducation and Research (USUCGER)Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS) invited to sit in on the 2016 meeting as a guest

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Women in Engineering Volunteer Work University of Texas

Cynthia Palomares, Texas Section

manufacturer who sells to the drilling contractor. Both aremembers of ADSC. However, not all relationships are assimple. For instance, the contractor members of both PDCAand ADSC need the support of engineers who are G-I and GBAmembers, when it comes to specification of their products.USUCGER member professors are educating the personnelwho will be hired by the corporate members of all the otherorganizations. As such, they are attentive to the needs of theother GC members. At the same time, those same professorsmay be researchers in the areas of earth retention, deep foun-dations, or ground modification, and benefit by the supportthey receive from those in the industries identified. In addition,professors need and want input and participation of practicingengineers and contractors in order to assist with creating real-life learning experiences in their classrooms. The same appliesto providing opportunities for student internships.

As a further example, G-I’s academic members rely heavilyon case history and other course materials produced by ADSC,DFI, GBA, and PDCA. In short, we can all benefit from cooper-ating with one another. The GC is effectively breaking down bar-riers and making member-to-member access easier.

The FutureThe list of outstanding issues that still need to be addressed islong and daunting. For example, the GC is front-and-center in aneffort to address turf wars between structural engineers, geotech-nical engineers and geologists. These are not easy negotiations. Ifwe achieve our objective, the result will be an improvement in theprofessional and business lives of all of our members.

The GC is also concerned about attempts to undermine,and even eliminate, the system of professional licensure in theU.S. In the interest of public safety, it is paramount that work inthe geo-industry should be performed only by persons who arequalified to take on the challenges that are inherent in the projects our members undertake.

There are real issues about appropriate levels of fundingfor university education, especially in the U.S. The GC willspeak out on this matter.

Now that a level of cooperation is in place, one that wasn’tthought possible only ten years ago, the member organizationsmay also enter into other mutually beneficial joint arrange-ments. One example might be “mass buying,” which could verylikely result in savings for members in the organizations that arepart of the GC.

Central to the GC’s mission is that each member is com-fortable with the fact that, while a high level of cooperationexists between members, each member organization retains ahigh degree of autonomy. Nothing is ceded to another organiza-tion unless that GC member recognizes that it is in its bestinterest to do so.

In the world of politics, advocacy and influence, eachorganization is really a small fish in a very large pond. It hasalready been demonstrated that, by joining together, we can befar more effective than if we were to go it alone.

In unity, there is strength. That’s hardly a new concept, butone whose realization is far easier thought about than achieved.GC is getting it done.

n July 26, 2016, Jean Shaw of the Industrial and Haz-ardous Waste Permits Section of the Texas Commis-

sion on Environmental Quality in Austin and I volunteered ourtime with the Women in Engineering Program at the Universityof Texas (UT) at Austin. Both of us are licensed professionalengineers in Texas, and I am a licensed professional geologistin Texas. They discussed their careers, what inspired them,what it took to get where they are now, and what differencethey are making in people’s lives with high school senior girlsattending UT’s “Engineering Camp.” They answered questionsfrom the students about undergraduate engineering and engi-neering geology programs, career choices, and engineeringfor minority students. Research shows time and time again theimportance of role models in encouraging girls to pursueSTEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers. Inthe future, Jean and I hope to spend more time to encourageand mentor more girls to pursue STEM related careers tomake a difference in the world.

Jean Shaw visits with high school senior girls attending University of Texas “Engineering Camp” in Summer 2016.

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oordinated efforts are underway to erode and eliminateprofessional licensure, with licensure of geologists a top

target for elimination by special interests. In the Arizona 2016legislative session, a bill to eliminate licensure of geologistswas introduced, with other professions including landscapearchitecture similarly targeted. The bill was unexpected and inspite of lobbying efforts, a letter writing campaign, and stiffopposition at legislative hearings, licensure in Arizona hasbeen significantly weakened, though we were able to preventits outright elimination.

What Happened in Arizona?Governor Doug Ducey entered office with a promise to reducethe size of government and eliminate regulation. His philos-ophy included the goal of eliminating professional licensure,with threats to geologists, architects, and engineers. A bill was introduced that included the elimination of licensure fornumerous professions. This bill was a surprise to licensureboards, state agencies, and professional groups. Oppositionwas quickly coordinated through numerous groups, preventingthe planned, quiet and quick passing of the bill. After a stronglobbying effort, landscape architects were removed from thebill on the basis that all 50 states require licensure for land-scape architects. Efforts were made through many groups tohave geologists similarly removed, however, the Governor andhis staff refused, believing that de-licensing geologists was animportant step forward in their efforts. The bill started quicklyadvancing through committees.

Continued lobbying efforts and strong advocacy of practicing geologists and supporting professional societies(including architecture and engineering groups) eventually ledto the inclusion of a clause that removed geologists from de-licensing. However, language was introduced to allow“qualified persons” to practice geology without a license,essentially creating a situation where licensure is optional. Ourunderstanding is that planned “next steps” include the alteringor removal of any state regulation that requires a licensedgeologist’s stamp. Staffers within the government of Arizonafreely admitted that their goal is to eliminate all professionallicensure and regulation. So…we saved geology licensurefrom outright elimination, but the stage is set for its value tobe eroded to a point of irrelevance.

Arizona Is Not UniqueAs mentioned at the beginning of this article, this threat is notrestricted to Arizona; a coordinated effort is being advanced ata national level. This effort is led by a political action groupknown as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).ALEC provides state legislatures with draft legislation and it islikely that legislation similar to what was introduced in Arizonais in the works in other states. Licensure of the profession of

geology is considered to be a vulnerable target in part becauseit is not present in all 50 states. Your state may be next.

In Arizona a coalition with members formally or infor-mally representing AEG, AIPG, ASBOG, and other organiza-tions is working on plans to protect what’s left of licensure. Iurge professionals in other states to be vigilant and preparedin advance to fight against efforts to eliminate professionallicensure.

Unfortunately, the current political climate in the country issuch that this is a battle that will spread from Arizona to otherstates. I urge you to not underestimate the threat this repre-sents and to be prepared in advance.


Professional Licensure Is under AttackKen Fergason, AEG Past President

What You Can Do:1. Form an alliance of groups with similar goals.

The Missouri Geologists’ Consortium is anexcellent example of such an organization.https://mogeologists.wordpress.com/

2. Don’t limit your organization to geologists.Include engineers and other licensed professionals.

3. Track proposed legislation through keywordsearches. However, it may be too late if a billis already introduced, so finding ways toknow what’s coming is important. Appoint alegislative liaison within your Chapter to trackthese types of activities. Having a contactwithin the state licensure board is ideal.

4. If sufficient resources are present, find a lobbyist to help in your efforts.

5. Utilize the licensure resources availablethrough AEG.http://www.aegweb.org/?page=LicensureResources

6. Write letters to your legislators. Meet withthem in person. Educate them on who geologists are, what we do, and the value oflicensure. Emphasize public safety and eco-nomic interests. Example letters are avail-able through AEG’s licensure resources.

7. Utilize support from AEG in the form ofadvice, informational material, examples,and funding.

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PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Priscilla Addison Priscilla is a second-year Geological Engineering PhD student atMichigan Technological University. Her research focuses on pre-

dicting post-wildfire debris flowoccurrences. Debris flow,which is the fast movement ofslurry that travels undergravity and picks up loosematerial in its path, is amongthe most hazardous conse-quence of a wildfire. In recentyears, these occurrences havebeen seen to spike in fre-

quency in the western United States. Although debris flows arenot exclusive to wildfire affected areas, a fire can transform abasin that had no such history into a substantial hazard for anylife and/or infrastructure in its path.

Using remote sensing and machine learning techniques,Priscilla is working on developing models to predict the occur-rence of these events, the associated volume of eroded mate-rial, if triggered, and finally, the inundation area of material toassess the risk to life and infrastructure in their paths.

El Hachemi BoualiEl Hachemi is a PhD student in Geophysics at Michigan Techno-logical University working on providing efficient and economi-cally feasible assessment methods for the Geotechnical AssetManagement (GAM) program. Traditional assessment methodshave been field-based, which takes time for large transportationcorridors. The use of satellite and unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs) is presently becoming a more viable method for GAM

programs, especially when combined with traditional fieldobservations and data collections.

Two current studies highlight this approach. The firstcombines the California Landslide Inventory (CLI) with surficialdisplacement measurements using satellite-based Interfero-metric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). The CLI has docu-mented landslide events over the past 50 years; satelliteradar data were obtained between July 2012 and September2014. The goal is to compare InSAR results with known land-slide locations to (1) validate InSAR as a viable landslidedetection approach, and (2) locate potential landslides thatmay pose a future hazard to surrounding GAM infrastructure.The second study utilizes the Rockfall Hazard Rating System(RHRS) as a metric for comparing hazard scores derived fromfield, satellite, and UAV-based observations in order to deter-mine the viability of supplementing repetitive fieldwork withremote sensing data. Both studies aim to capitalize onadvancements made in remote sensing techniques so thatefficient and cost-effective GAM programs can be developedand maintained.

Aaron A. Morrison University of Missouri Columbia

IntroductionIn June 2016, work began on a NASA funded research projectto study lunar impact melts. The project is headed by Dr.Christopher Hamilton from the University of Arizona, in con-junction with Dr. Catherine Neish (Western Ontario University),Dr. Michael Zanetti (Western Ontario University), and Dr. EinatLev (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, University ofColumbia). For the first phase of the project, the team is collaborating with Dr. Alan Whittington from the University ofMissouri to evaluate the rheological evolution of lunar simulantmaterial. Three compositions were chosen as the closestcompositional analogs to true lunar material: JSC-1a (NASAlunar regolith simulant), Stillwater anorthosite (lunar highlandsimulant from Montana), and Stillwater norite (lunar mare simulant from Montana).

Energy released during impact cratering events can rapidlyheat silicate materials to superliquidus temperatures and gen-erate gravity-driven melt flows that behave, ostensibly, like lavaflows. However, the rheology of these impact melt flows on theMoon and other planetary bodies is poorly constrained. Bycharacterizing the rheology of the simulant materials, thisphase of the project attempts to uncover how the impact meltsof the moon would flow and how closely those flows behavelike terrestrial lava flows upon cooling.

AEG Student Members Engage in Valuable Research

In this issue, we’re highlighting some of the research projects by our Student Members.

Bouali investigatingunstable slopes alonga railroad corridor in Southeastern Nevada.

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MethodsThe first step in this process is to measure the liquid viscosities(η, Pa s) of each material. This was done at the University ofMissouri by Dr. Whittington, Dr. Zanetti and PhD student AaronMorrison (University of Missouri). Each material was first ana-lyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to determine liq-uidus and glass transition temperatures. Viscosities were thenmeasured in a concentric cylinder viscometer at superliquidusconditions and a parallel plate viscometer at temperaturesslightly above the glass transition (Fig 1). Figure 1 is a cartoondepiction of how each viscometry method is set up. Essentially,in both methods the stress (σ, Pa) and strain rate (γ. , s-1) arethe measured values which are used to calculate viscosity (η = σ/γ. ). The measured viscosity data can then be fit by VFTequation (log η = A + [B/(T-C)]) as a function of temperature (T, Kelvin) to form a single liquid viscosity curve that can beused to extrapolate/interpolate to conditions beyond the abili-ties of the instrumentation. Figure 2 is a plot of these curves

which show similar viscosities of all three materials at tempera-tures relevant to impact melts (T > 1600°C).

Future WorkFurther work during fall 2016 will determine how viscositychanges upon cooling and the dominant mechanisms for thatchange (cooling effects or physical/chemical effects of crystal-lization). The viscosity measurements and datasets produced inthe lab will later be used by Dr. Lev and Dr. Whittington asparameters for modeling the physical and thermal processesoccurring during an impact event. Results will be applied toappropriate lunar craters to determine how well our data reflectwhat is observed on the moon. Satellite mapping and lunar sur-face reconnaissance will be primarily conducted by Dr.Hamilton, Dr. Neish, and Dr. Zanetti. These preliminary findingswill be presented at GSA Denver in September 2016.

Lauren Schaefer, PhDLauren, an AEG Marliave fellow and a recipient of the Lemke andTilford field scholarships, finished her Doctorate in GeologicalEngineering from Michigan Tech this summer. Schaefer’s doc-toral research used remote sensing, rock mechanics, andnumerical modeling to understand the nature and dynamics ofvolcanic flank stability. After finishing her PhD, she received anEast Asia Pacific Institute grant from the National Science Foundation to travel to the University of Canterbury (UC) inChristchurch, New Zealand (NZ) to study the structural stabilityof the active Mt. Ruapehu Volcano, a popular ski resort on thenorth island of NZ. Subsequently, she was offered a postdoc-toral fellowship at UC, where her current projects involve ana-lyzing the stability of volcanoes in the Taupo Volcanic Zonealongside NZ’s geological society (Geological and Nuclear Sciences, GNS), working with NZ geothermal companies to har-vest energy from volcanic systems, and using experimental labwork to understand how earthquakes trigger volcanic eruptions.

The newly graduated Dr. Lauren Schaffer with her advisor, Dr. Oommen

continued…


Figure 1: (above) Diagram of parallelplate viscometer setup. Glass coresare deformed under uniaxial stress atvarying temperature steps. Viscositycan be determined from the rate ofcollapse at a given temperature.(right) Diagram of concentric cylinderviscometer setup. A Pt-Rh crucible holds the molten sample while a rotating Pt-Rh spindle is inserted. By measuring the torque on the spindle at controlledRPMs, stress and strain can be calculated to determine viscosity.

Figure 2: JSC-1a (green diamonds), Stillwater anorthosite (red circles), and Still-water norite (blue squares) liquid viscosity. Data points are observed viscositiesfrom one concentric cylinder measurement and two cores measured in the parallel plate viscometer. Solid curves are the best fit VFT equations for eachmaterial. Bounding temperatures are given in Celsius for the experimental rangeof each viscometer.

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Caroline R. ScheevelStability Analysis of Cook Lake, Wyoming LandslideCook Lake, located north of Sundance in Crook County, WY, issurrounded by historic and active landslides. The most recentlandslide took place in 1997 and failed a 27-acre area on thesouthwest side of Cook Lake. The failure is located directlyacross the lake from a US Forest Service campground; there-fore, landslide reactivation is potentially dangerous to anycampsite occupants. My research seeks to analyze the currentstability of the landslide area by conducting a back-analysis of1997 failure conditions and then producing a forward model ofreactivation conditions. The ultimate goal of this research is toestimate the probability of landslide reactivation under variablegroundwater conditions and to evaluate the run-out of thepotential future reactivations.

Field observations of the exposed scarp face and themuddy toe near the lake support a conceptual model of afailure plane that follows a paleo scarp deep into the subsur-face and then curves to follow the gentle dip of a weak bed-ding plane. Elevations of ponding and seepage noted duringfield reconnaissance help constrain the modeled water tablelevels. Direct shear tests conducted on undisturbed, ground-level samples provide the basis for strength ranges used incomputer modeling.

I conducted both backwards and forward modeling in RocScience Slide 2.0, a finite element analysis program. Sincethe 1997 failure plane is not constrained by borehole data, Iconstrained the initial failure plane by analyzing three transectsroughly parallel to the sliding direction for similar slide planegeometries that yielded factors of safety close to unity. I forcedthe forward model to exploit some part of the modeled 1997slide plane, hypothesizing that slope materials are weakest inthe previous failure zone.

Results indicate that the northern part of the slide is mar-ginally stable and may move in the future, but that the southernpart is less likely to move. Runout projections determined byapplying the surrounding landslide terrain’s dominant angle ofreach indicate that landslide reactivation may send material intothe lake, but that the material is not expected to cross the lake(see figure). Thus future reactivations are not expected to becatastrophic to the nearby campground.


Areas of nearby slides compared to the map-calculated angle of reach. The blueregion represents 1/2 – 2/3 of the area disturbed by the 1997 slide, which isassumed to represent the potentially active northern portion of the slide. Thered dashed lines bound the 95% confidence interval that contains the meanangle of reach for a given area size. Angles identified in the blue zone do notcause landslide material to reach the campsite.

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Submissions Wanted!The April 2017 issue of AEG News will be a special editioncommemorating AEG’s 60th anniversary. We are activelyseeking articles covering historic, current, and future topicsregarding AEG.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: February 28, 2017

n Friday, June 3, 2016, a group of 14 intrepid membersof the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of AEG visited

Calaveras Dam for presentations and a site tour. This wasour first AEGSF field trip in several years and it was deemed agrand success by all involved!

We met at the (rather expansive) field trailers just out-side the dam site and after a site environmental briefing,were treated to two excellent presentations. Glenn Gorski,the project’s Lead Quality Assurance Inspector, presentedon the overall goals, challenges, and changes to theproject since it began in 2011, highlighting the impacts ofpreviously unmapped landslides which were encounteredduring excavation.

Bradley Erskine, the project’s Compliance Manager forthe Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) Program, presentedon the NOA issues associated with construction of the dam,including containment measures, monitoring protocols, andlaboratory testing of air samples.

We also viewed a fantastic time lapse video of construc-tion completed to date which you can see via YouTube athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM-Ll6iNWKc.

After the presentations, we piled into several project pickuptrucks and viewed the site from the left and right abutments.We were able to see the entirety of the dam excavation, con-structed spillway, and associated geologic exposures.

Glenn and Bradley accompanied our group to both sitesand continued to answer questions about constructionmethods, geologic mapping results, NOA monitoring andabatement efforts, and everything in between. We returned to the field trailers (but not without thorough vehicle and per-sonnel decon!) and enjoyed a tasty lunch while getting toknow each other better. After lunch, a few hearty souls con-tinued networking at Bosco’s restaurant and bar in nearbySunol, CA, before heading home.Our visit to Calaveras Dam

was thoroughly educational and enjoyable! Many thanks to allwho attended. AEGSF especially thanks Glenn Gorski andBradley Erskine for their onsite education and assistance, MariaLe of SFPUC for coordinating on behalf of the owner, Ryan Coefor helping run the field trip and obtaining our all-importantlunches, and Courtney Johnson for helping keep track of ourmember registrations. We are planning on more Chapter fieldtrips in the next year as we gear up for IAEG 2018..

Bradley Erskine of the NOA Program pointing out the features of the sitegeology from the right abutment

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FIELD TRIPS


Calaveras Dam San Francisco Section

E. Morley Beckman, Section Chair

O Panoramic View from the Right Abutment of the New Calaveras Dam

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

PHOTOS BY E. MORLEY BECKMAN

EG’s Southern California Section is the largest bynumber of members, and is also the original AEG

Section, founded in 1957. Over the decades, as itsmembership increased and covered a broader geographicalarea, subsections were created to accommodate the demandfor meetings and presentations. After a brief period of quietudeduring and shortly after the Great Recession, the SoCal Sectionhas come back strong. In June 2015 and again in June 2016,our section organized two very successful day field trips alongthe Hollywood/Santa Monica/Malibu fault zone.

The fault zone was known to early geologic workers in thearea as early as the late 1800s, based mostly on geomor-phology. By the latter part of the 20th century, much of thelength of the fault and splays were identified and mapped.However, recency of movement along this fault zone has been

debated for several decades. For much of the 20th century,the consensus was that the fault was inactive, based on theCGS definition of an active fault (rupture within Holocene time).

June 2015 Group Photo of Presenters

FIELD TRIPS


Hollywood/Santa Monica/Malibu Fault ZoneSouthern California Section

Shant Minas, Southern California Section Chair

Calavares Dam field trip participants—members of AEG’s San Francisco Section—gathered at the left abutment

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FIELD TRIPS

Starting in the early 2000s, a significant number ofstudies were commissioned along this fault zone for a varietyof development projects, both public and private, includingthe Metro Purple Line subway and the Millennium project inHollywood. Some of the driving force for the fault studieswas political, often commissioned by opponents of the var-ious projects. By 2011, enough data had come forth to suggest the fault is active. In 2013, the city of Los Angelescreated its own map of the fault zone and began requiringfault rupture hazard studies for all new developments withinthe fault zone. In early 2014, the California Geologic Surveyfollowed suit and issued its Alquist Priolo fault map for theHollywood quadrangle. The AP map for the Beverly Hillsquadrangle is forthcoming.

The zoning of this fault as active has generated a signifi-cant amount of work for practicing engineering geologists insouthern California. However, there is still intense debateamong geologists, academicians, and regulators regarding thelocation of various fault splays as well as recency of movementalong segments of the zone. Frequent coverage by local mediaand newspapers of projectsaffected by the fault zone addedto the already heightened intensityand sensitivity of the debate.

This combination made for aperfect opportunity for the AEGSoCal Section leadership to reju-venate the Section membership,by organizing a series of field tripsalong the fault zone, starting at itseast end and moving west. Thefield trips were held in June 2015and June 2016, organized underthe leadership of current AEGSoCal Chair Shant Minas, pastChair David Perry, and currentVice-Chair Darrin Hasham, with thesupport of fellow past and currentBoard members Edmond Lee,Pedram Rahimikian, Ted Zeidan,and Matt Pendleton.

For the remainder of 2016,our Section (soon to be Chapter)

will be compiling all of the reports, maps, and figures from thepresenters from both field trips, in order to issue an AEG FieldTrip Guidebook sometime in early 2017. In the meantime, wehave compiled some memorable photos from the two field tripsto share with our cohorts in AEG worldwide.

BELOW: David Perry (standing directly on the fault scarp!) discusses the SantaMonica fault at the University High School. June 11, 2016.

Organizer andCurrent AEGSoCal ChairShant Minaswith mentor

RichardCrook, Jr.

ABOVE: Eldon Gath, Roy Shlemon and Jerry Treiman discuss their findings fromnumerous fault studies at Winter Mesa Drive, Malibu. June 11, 2016.

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FIELD TRIPS

Phillip Shaller on wave cut platforms uplifted along the coastal thrust fault, June 11, 2016.

Southern California Section field trip attendees, June 11, 2016.

ndergraduate geology courses cover a wide range oftopics, many of which are discussed in the classroom

but are never actually seen first-hand. Field trips, therefore, pro-vide students in these courses an opportunity to actually seeand explore many of the topics they learn about in the class-room. Such was the case for students in Structural Geologyand Sedimentology and Stratigraphy at Tufts University.

Over Spring Break in March 2016, seven students, accom-panied by two professors from the Department of Earth andOcean Sciences at Tufts University, flew to Las Vegas to begina nine-day road trip and geologic exploration across the Colorado Plateau. The trip included some of Utah’s mostfamous National Parks, such as Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon,Arches, and Canyonlands. Students were also given a chanceto experience some of the state’s lesser-known geologic won-ders, such as the San Rafael Swell. The trip allowed for a stopat the Valley of Fire State Park, located about an hour outsideof Las Vegas, NV, and Natural Bridges National Monument.

For several of the students on the trip, myself included, itwas our first time visiting the western U.S., and also our firsttime visiting a National Park! Naturally, we were overwhelmednot only by the beauty but also the geologic diversity of themany locations we stopped at along the trip. Most of the students agreed that Capitol Reef National Park encompassedboth natural beauty and geologic diversity well. Our group hikedin along the sheer-walled Capitol Gorge Trail and climbed up tothe Tanks for a beautiful view of the small, side canyon and theeolian sandstones that comprise much of the park. Afterwards,several of us free-climbed up some ancient sand dunes to enjoyan even more beautiful view. This hike also provided a goodexploration of plumose structure and en echelon jointing, twostructures students in Structural Geology knew well. It was oneof the defining moments of the trip.

Probably the most nerve-wracking experience of the tripwas the treacherous drive down theMoki Dugway. After several hours drivingacross the Colorado Plateau, the profes-sors steered off-road, taking us out toMuley Point. It was quite a breathtakingview; we were able to look down on thediverse stratigraphy of the Goosenecks(the oldest layers being of Pennsylvanianage), and could see as far out as Monu-ment Valley in Arizona. Then, the profes-sors drove the two vehicles down athree-mile winding road, until we were1,200 feet lower than where we started.Being afraid of heights, my heart wasracing as we traversed down the steepdirt road, but we were soon on flatground again and we continued ourjourney across the plateau.

The most noteworthy part of the trip, however, occurredjust outside of the town of Moab. After an exciting morningexploring Canyonlands National Park, our team drove overto an outcrop of the Moab fault. Having a very little priorknowledge about the formation of the fault, we (both profes-sors and students) attempted to use our skills to determinethe nature of the fault. We stayed for several hours, drawingmultiple cross-sections of the fault. It was a quite heateddebate. Was it a thrust fault? Was it a normal fault? Whichlayer was the Morrison Formation? By the time we left theoutcrop, it was getting dark and everyone finally agreed thatit was indeed a normal fault caused by extension. Uponreturning to the hotel, two students drew a detailed cross-section of the entire outcrop, noting every intricacy theycould find. It was a mentally exhausting experience, but itfelt amazing to apply skills that we had spent a lot of timelearning in class. The details we didn’t work out still piquemy mind every once in a while, but that’s the true beauty ofgeology: the mystery is never over and there will always besomething new to discover.

Moments like this were what made the journey memorable;all of the students were fully engaged throughout the course ofthe trip. Each night, we students would read research articlesfrom well-known scientific journals or publications by theNational Park Service, and then the next morning we wouldpresent to the group on what we had learned. Then, we wouldtraverse through the parks and to the sites to get a first-handlook at what we had read about. We were all so interested inevery location we stopped at that the professors had to practically pry us away from the sites so that we could stay on schedule. While this resulted in several delays, it was still an amazingly positive experience because everyone was soengaged and demonstrated such intense interest and excitement towards what we were learning.

FIELD TRIPS


Spring Break on the Colorado PlateauMattison Barickman, Student Member–Tufts University

Tufts students and faculty enjoy a Bryce Canyon morning in Utah

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Jim and Betsy Hamel of Hamel Geotechnical Consultants, Mon-roeville, PA, cruised on the DouroRiver in Northern Portugal fromDecember 27, 2015, to January 3,2016. They boarded ship in Porto,cruised approximately 200 kmupriver to Barca d’Alva, took a daytrip to Salamanca, Spain, thencruised back downriver to Porto.

The Douro River rises in themountains of north-central Spain,

flows approximately 580 km westerlyacross Spain, 110 km southerlyalong the border between Spain andPortugal, then 210 km westerlyacross Portugal to the Atlantic Oceanat Porto.

Fifteen dams have been built onthe Douro. Five dams in Spain and fivedams along the Spanish-Portugueseborder regulate water flow and pro-duce hydroelectric power. The last fivedams—all in Portugal—also have

GEOLOGISTS ABROAD

Douro River Valley, Northern PortugalJim Hamel, AEG Honorary Member, Allegheny-Ohio Section

Profile of Douro River by Jose-Manuel Benito, Wickipedia

Jim and Betsy Sampling Port Wine, Porto

Map of Douro Valley

Douro River Dam and Lock Data

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navigation locks. All of these latter dams and locks are massiveconcrete gravity structures similar to those in the U.S. and else-where. The dams have crest gates for passing floods. Thesingle locks, which have relatively high lifts, can accommodatevessels with a maximum length of 83 m and a maximum widthof 11.4 m. The river cruise ship was a tight fit in the locks.

The Douro Valley was eroded mainly in Cambrian to Pre-cambrian age granites and greywacke schists. These rocks,near the boundaries of the African, Iberian, and Eurasian Plates,have been extensively faulted. The river valley is fault-controlledwith many sharp bends. Classic fault topography and faultscarps occur in certain reaches. Some reaches are short andvery narrow with steep rock sides. Other reaches are long andwide with flatter soil-covered slopes.

The Upper Douro Valley is famous for production of portwine. This is the world’s oldest demarcated wine region, datingfrom 1756. Vineyards are everywhere on terraced slopes aswell as flatter uplands. Posts cut from local slate are used tosupport vines. The terroir here includes rocky, acidic, schist-derived soil and a warm, sunny microclimate.

Jim and Betsy visited several wineries and winestorage/aging cellars and sampled many varieties of port aswell as excellent Portuguese table wines. The wines and cui-sine of Portugal are on a par with those of any other Euro-pean country. Outstanding food and wine, complex andinteresting geology and history, and extremely friendly peoplemake Portugal a great place to visit.

GEOLOGISTS ABROAD

Carrapatelo Dam Douro River

Douro River Cruise Ship, Barca d’Alva

Douro River Fault Topoghaphy and Scarp

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GEOLOGISTS ABROAD

Douro Valley near Pinhao

Douro River Rocky Reach

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GEOLOGISTS ABROAD

Douro Valley, Terraced Slope with Landslide at Left

Submissions to “Geologists Abroad” WelcomeMany of our members spend their “vacations” traveling the globe in search of interesting geology. We invite you all to share your experiences with readers of AEG News in our new feature section: Geologists Abroad. The focus of thearticle should be about the geology of the region visited, though you can also touch on interesting cultural aspects.Write-ups should be 700–1,400 words and photos and images should be a minimum of 300 dpi at 7.5" wide (typically>5MB).

Jim in Port Wine Cellar, Porto

Slate Posts holding Grapevines, Favaios

Carolinas SectionMaddie German, Chair

The Carolinas Section has been keeping our members en -gaged throughout the spring and summer. Our “early summer”meeting was held in conjunction with the field trip SueBuchanan planned for Wilmington, NC. The meeting was heldon Friday, May 13, at Reel Café in downtown Wilmington. Professor Roger Shew, a 2016 North Carolina OutstandingEducator award recipient, from UNC Wilmington presented histalk Coastal Zone Issues – Geological and Environmental Treas-ures, Stressors, Solutions? On Saturday we enjoyed the Beachto River Field Trip: A Visit to the Coastal Zone to Observe Geological Controls and Environmental/Anthropogenic Impactson Our Natural Systems.

The day began with a visit to Fort Fisher/Kure Beach wherewe discussed the reconstructed seawall and the probable haz-ards of living in close proximity to the seawall; beach re-nourish-ment and erosion; and the local, naturally occurring coquinarock outcrops. We even observed a few groundwater seeps atthe beach! That afternoon we enjoyed a river tour of the CapeFear and Northeast Cape Fear Rivers, learning the history andviewing the beauty of the rivers. We also discussed some ofthe issues of water quality and sources, river classification,efforts to restore anadromous species with the construction ofa rock arch rapid, future fishery efforts, and population anddevelopment stressors in the area. The meeting offered threecontinuing education credits and the field trip offered six contin-uing education credits, for a total of nine credits for a greatweekend. We had a great turn out of about 30 geologists androck enthusiasts. Even one student managed to attend, despitetheir summer break schedule.

At the Wilmington meeting we held another 50/50 raffle toraise money for the Carolinas Scholarship Fund and membersdid not disappoint. The raffle winner even donated their prizemoney back to the scholarship fund, netting a total of $90.

In June, the Section leadership met at the annual face-to-face meeting where we actually got through the entire agenda.We discussed many of the changes implemented at the nationallevel dealing with contracts and banks, planned 2016 sponsor-ship for the NCSTA and AEG Annual Meeting in Kona, andstarted the process of revising the Carolinas Bylaws.

To keep membership networking opportunities availableover the summer months, the Carolinas Section held a freesocial event on August 4 at Tobacco Road Café patio over-looking the Durham Bulls baseball field.

Section member Jennifer Thomas produces our quarterlysection newsletter, GeoNews. The latest issue was published inJune 2016, and provides Carolinas members with section andnational AEG updates, a summary of our section financials,geology-related articles, and a place to advertise for our sec-tion sponsors.

Sue Buchanan also planned the field trip and meeting toBoone, NC, that took place Friday, August 26–Saturday,

August 27. At Friday’s meeting, Appalachian State Universityprofessors Dr. Arthur Merschat and Crystal Wilson presentedon the tectonic history of the Appalachian Mountains. On Saturday, they led us in and around Boone as we examinedand discussed not only Paleozoic deformation and mountainbuilding, but also over-printing brittle structures and geomor-phic evidence for later reactivation of the Linville Falls fault.Meeting attendees earned three education credits towardtheir geology license, and field trip attendees earned ten education credits.

We currently have 24 sponsors for the Carolinas Sectionfor 2016. Walt Plekan, our Sponsorship Chair, has been busygetting our existing sponsors renewed and recruiting new ones.The generosity of our sponsors allows AEG Carolinas to fundeducation outreach programs for students, our profession, andthe general public.

New York - Philadelphia SectionBrionna O’Connor, Newsletter Editor

The two-year term for our Section officers and board memberscame to a close in August 2016. In July, NY–PA was finalizingnominations for the 2016–18 term. Our very own CurtSchmidt, serving as Chair during this past term and previouslyas Treasurer, was nominated to run for the position of NewEngland Regional Director to represent Maine, New Hampshire,Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York,and New Jersey (Region 10). We hope to see Curt join AEG’sBoard of Directors at the first Board meeting at the 2016 AEGAnnual Meeting in September.

Curt was among several members at this year’s AEGAnnual Meeting in Kona, Hawai‘i. Niall Henshaw of Parsonsattended the Board of Directors meeting as the Co-chair of theFinance Committee, Loren Lasky of the New Jersey Depart-ment of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) moderated the Technical Session on Environmental Remediation, and MattMcMillen of Bucks Geophysical in Bucks County, PA, alsoexhibited at the meeting.

Our meetings—as the AEG Region 10 NY–PA Chapter—willresume this fall under our new officers and board members.

Oregon Section Chris Humphrey, Secretary

The Oregon Section closed out the 2015–16 lecture serieson May 17 with our annual Student Poster Night. A total of21 posters covering a wide range of topics were judgedby a three-person panel of Section professionals. In addi-tion, the 2016 Jahn’s Lecturer, Jerry DeGraff, presentedhis talk, The Challenges of Providing Landslide Informationduring an Emergency Response. The meeting was wellattended, and all the posters and DeGraff’s presentationwere well received.


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On June 11, the Oregon Section hosted an EngineeringGeology of Mount St. Helens field trip. The 32 trip attendeestraveled along the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway to the DavidJohnston Ridge Visitor Center. Along the way the SedimentRetention Structure (SRS) was visited and the building of theHighway to Mt. St. Helens and the Spirit Lake Tunnel were dis-cussed. Special thanks go out to Field Trip Chair, Erin Dunbar,and trip leader, Scott Burns, for organizing the event.

Special congratulations to Angela Piller and Max Bordal,both from Portland State University, on winning this year’s Stu-dent Award to attend and present posters at the 2016 AnnualMeeting in Kona, Hawai‘i. Each received an award of $1,250 tobe used for airfare and accommodations. Angela’s presentationis titled Precipitation Intensity Required for Landslide Initiation in Rwanda, and Max’s is titled, Quantifying Rapid Erosion with Terrestrial Laser Scanning and Point Cloud Analysis in an Urbanized Watershed.

Thanks to the Section Board for all of their efforts duringthe 2015–16 term, and especially to our out-going SectionChair, Adam Reese. Ballots for the new Oregon Chapter ofRegion 3 2016–17 Board have been compiled and the officialresults are as follows: Chair Stephen Hay, Chair-Elect MarkSwank, Treasurer Chris Humphrey, and, the newest member tothe Board, Secretary Ben George. In addition, the Oregon Sec-tion thanks our support team and the continued efforts by Pro-gram Chair Mike Marshall, Newsletter Editor Scott Braunsten,Field-Trip Chair Erin Dunbar, Webmaster Keith Olsen, and Mem-bership Chair Ruth Wilmoth.

Rocky Mountain SectionDenise Garcia, Secretary

The Rocky Mountain Section, soon to be the Mile-High Chapter,took a break from meetings from June through August. How-ever, members attended a very exciting field trip to tour someColorado Springs landslides and debris flow hazards and miti-gation sites this August. We spent the morning observing activelandslides in and around the Broadmoor area then spent therest of the day examining debris mitigation efforts in severalareas around Colorado Springs. It was a very successful andinteresting field trip! The Section has also been working hard toorganize the 60th AEG Annual Meeting, which will be held inColorado Springs in September 2017. We are looking forwardto seeing the AEG members there! Check out the ad on theinside front cover of this issue for details.

In other news, the 2016 Rocky Mountain Geo-Conferencewill be held on November 4, 2016, in Denver at the MarriottDenver West. This conference is a continuation of the biannualseries presented by AEG, the Geotechnical Group of the ASCEColorado Section, CAGE, and the ASCE Geo-Institute. The goalof the conference is to enhance the technical knowledge oflocal geotechnical engineers and geologists in areas of currentregional interest. The proceedings will be published nationallyby the Geo-Institute of ASCE as part of their Geotechnical Prac-tice Publications showcase.

St. Louis SectionStefanie Voss, Section Editor

Section member Phyllis Steckel held her Earthquake Insightfield trip April 1–3 to Southeast Missouri to look at geologicalevidence and earthquake history of the region and notablepoints of interest from the 1811–12 New Madrid earthquakesin the New Madrid Fault Zone. This trip occurs annually and willbe held again in the spring of 2017. If you are interested inattending, please contact Phyllis via email [email protected].

We had our last meeting before summer break on May 4,2016. Stefanie Voss presented A Geologist among Archaeolo-gists, a discussion of cave archaeology, primarily in Missouri,and how human activity has affected caves. The non-profitgroup CAIRN—Cave Archaeology Investigation & Research Net-work—conducts cave investigations to find and document anyprehistoric or historical artifacts before the evidence is lost totime or looters. I’ve been privileged to be a part of this groupas a geologist and board member. As the organization’s geolo-gist, I provide my input as to whether a piece was worn by ero-sion or man and identify the rock type and the geologicformation that the cave may be located in for the record andany reporting.

The summer break also included a couple of social activi-ties. On August 25, we had a night at the ballpark to see theCardinals play the New York Mets. At press time, we are alsotrying to coordinate a field trip into Cliff Cave in St. LouisCounty Park. This cave is only open to the public on a very lim-ited basis, due to bat habitat hibernation season.

The St. Louis Section also partners with Geotechnology toshow college students what engineering and environmentalgeology is all about. This workshop is hosted by Geotechnologyand will be on September 10th at their corporate headquarters.


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Stefanie Voss presenting at the May meeting

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San Francisco Section Maggie Parks, Secretary

We kicked off a fun summer with a busy June. First, we held ashort course on soil stratigraphy taught by Dr. Glenn Borchardt.Twenty-five enthusiastic professionals spent two days learningthe details of trench logging. The second day was spent atPoint Pinole Regional Shoreline, where field techniques andexamples were observed.

Next, we held a field trip to the Calaveras Dam Replace-ment Project near Sunol. Fourteen intrepid AEG members vis-ited the dam for presentations and a site tour. Presentationsincluded a project overview from Glenn Gorski and an overviewof the Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) issues associatedwith the project from Bradley Erskine. After the presentation,the participants were able to visit the entirety of the dam exca-vation, constructed spillway, and associated geologic expo-sures. For the full recap and photos, see the article in the FieldTrip section of this issue of AEG News—page 19.

At the end of June, we joined with AEG’s Naturally Occurring Asbestos Technical Working Group to hold ameeting to discuss The Development of a Naturally Occur-ring Asbestos Training Course. Led by Mark Bailey, PG, themeeting was held at Pietro’s No. 2 Restaurant in Vacaville,and we covered the advisability of offering a training courseand the course content.

In August, we held a joint meeting with the GroundwaterResources Association of California (GRA) at HS Lordship’s inBerkeley, where we heard a talk from Joel Pomerantz. He is anauthor and historian who discussed his recent book, Seep CityWater Log, in his talk From the Ground Up: How San Francisco’s Water History Created a City against All Odds.

We’re still looking for a new meeting venue to replaceSinbad’s and Pyramid Brewing, which have both recentlyclosed. If anyone has a great idea, please forward it along!We’d also like to thank our Corporate Sponsor Fugro for theirsupport of our Section!

As always, check our Section website for a copy of ourlatest newsletter, up to the minute news, meeting information,local job postings, and events. www.aegsf.org

Southern California SectionInland Empire Chapter(Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, Southern California Region)Shaun Wilkins, Secretary

The second quarter of 2016 was an exciting one! For thesecond consecutive year (and ninth since our inception) weoffered our annual field trip, this time to visit and discussfaulting along the San Jacinto fault as well as the historicallyinteresting (and beautiful) Massacre Canyon. Two discussionswere held in the quarter, including our annual joint meeting withthe Inland Geological Society (IGS) and Society for Mining Metallurgy and Exploration (SME).

The trip was held on April 30 and put together by MichaelCook, of Kleinfelder West, and Dale Hamelehle and Mark Spyk-erman, both of Earth Systems Southwest. The San Jacintofault zone is a highly active, left-lateral strike-slip fault that islocated to the southwest of the San Andreas Fault. The faultzone trends through communities of San Jacinto and Hemet,such that we were able to visit various locations where thefault zone is expressed within this urban setting. Numerousexamples of fault geomorphology were identified and dis-cussed, both in urban and natural settings. Several of theattendees were able to enlighten the crowd of almost 50 withstories and examples of their work on the fault. Janis Her-nandez, a geologist with the California Geological Survey (CGS)presented a discussion of the local Special Studies Zones Map(known, active faults with zones of required investigations),

Impressive rock outcrop at the end of the trail in Massacre Canyon.

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ABOVE: Prominent scarp representing the dramatic geomorphic expression of the fault zone (keeping in mind the San Jacinto Fault is primarily a strike-slip fault).

Janis Hernandez discusses the Special Studies Zone Map of the San Jacinto Quadrangle, produced by the State of California. Note the end of a pressure ridge inthe background.

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with a prominent pressure ridge as backdrop to the discus-sion. The trip also included a stop to historic MassacreCanyon, which, according to old Native American stories, wasthe site of a large battle that pitted Temecula Native Americansagainst those of the village of Ivah. In addition to the culturalsignificance, the canyon afforded some beautiful scenery andimpressive rock outcrops.

Our annual joint meeting with the local chapters of IGS andSME was held on May 3rd at the Old Spaghetti Factory in his-toric downtown Riverside. Our speaker for this event was AnneRosinski, senior engineering geologist in the Seismic HazardAssessment Program of the CGS. Her talk introduced the Cali-fornia Earthquake Clearinghouse to the attendees, many ofwhom were unaware of its existence. Rosinski is the currentchair of the clearinghouse and through a network of numerousemergency management and scientific agencies, she helps toprovide State and Federal disaster response managers and thescientific and engineering communities with prompt informationon ground failure, structural damage, and other consequencesfrom significant seismic events such as earthquakes andtsunamis. She also informed the crowd of almost 100 atten-dees how they can get involved in the gathering and distributionof this time-critical information.

Finally, our June meeting was held at the Pinnacle PeaksSteakhouse in Colton, CA, our usual monthly meeting place.This is our final meeting until after the AEG Annual Meeting inHawai‘i. We had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Geoff Cromwelland Greg Mendez from the USGS, who provided a combineddiscussion on the 3D Hydrogeologic Framework Model of theYucaipa Basin. Hydrogeologic evaluation of the Yucaipa Basinis essential for local water districts to manage groundwaterresources. Previous hydrogeologic and geologic investiga-tions of the area provide information on hydrogeologic condi-tions, but there is no comprehensive study that describes thehydrogeology of the subsurface throughout the entire basin.The Yucaipa Basin is located in a geologically complexregion between the northwest-southeast trending SanAndreas Fault zone and the ancestral Banning fault. Severalof the dip-slip faults in the area have been identified as bar-riers to groundwater flow within the sedimentary units of thestructural graben. In the study, they compiled available geo-logic and geophysical information from a variety of sourcesinto a 3D hydrogeologic framework model. They discussedthe hydrogeologic model in context with the geologic historyof the area and provided possible hydrogeologic implicationsof their findings.

EDITOR’S NOTE: With the December issue, the format of The HomeFront Section of AEG News will reflect AEG’s new governancestructure. AEG’s governance structure will be fully implemented as of September 2016. To view a map of AEG’s Chapters you maygo to: http://www.aegweb.org/?page=Chapters.

Savethe

Dates!AEG 2017

AnnualMeeting

Sept. 10–17Colorado

Springs, COAEG Members and

their Guests willhave two

opportunities tovisit famed

Garden of theGods. Plan now to

celebrate AEG’s60th Birthday in

Colorado Springs.

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs Photo by Jerry Moore – https://www.flickr.com/photos/jdigger/8325526437

AEG Texas Section Stephanie Coffman, Section Chair

EDITORS NOTE: AEG News apologizes tothe Texas Section for not including theirHomefront article in the June issue. The previous Homefront is included herein.

2016 WINTER MEETING: Earth & Beyond – Rocks of Our Universe and Field Trip to SpaceCenter HoustonOn February 13, 2016, a total of 48people (26 members, 15 non-members, 7 student members) attended the day-longmeeting in Seabrook, TX. The day beganwith Texas Section Chair StephanieCoffman announcing upcoming events, followed by Mark Dobson giving tentative details about theAEG Texas Section Special Field Trip to Big Bend National Parkand Chili Cook-Off in Terlingua to be held at the end ofOctober. Bill Flanigan, AEG Foundation Director, gave anupdate on the Foundation and available scholarships andJacob Kratavil, a student member from the University ofHouston, gave an update about the UH AEG Student Chapterand Career Fair on April 6, 2016.

We had three spectacular, passionate speakers from theLunar Planetary Institute. Dr. Allan Treiman presented his incred-ible research on active Martian gullies; Dr. Georgiana Kramergave an entraining presentation about her studies on the com-position, structure, and evolution of the Moon; and, Dr. PatriciaCraig wowed us with her research on the Geology of Mars andphotos from one of the Mars rovers. After lunch we caravannedto the Space Center in Houston. We had our very own personaltour guide, Marianne Dyson, an award-winning author andformer NASA flight controller. Favorite exhibits of the meeting

attendees included the guided tour of the Independence Shuttleand the Lunar Samples Vault.

2016 SPRING MEETING and Field Trip: Chico and Bridgeport Quarries On April 22–23, Martin Marietta welcomed a total of 30people (25 members, 4 non-members, 1 student member) tothe Texas Section spring meeting. The event began with Sec-tion Chair Stephanie Coffman updating membership onupcoming events and thanking our terrific sponsors: MartinMarietta; GEHRIG, Inc.; Freese and Nichols, Inc.; and McCalip& Company, Inc. Additionally, our Section awarded the Christo-pher C. Mathewson Texas Section Scholarship Fund, a $5,000donation! Eric Walston, Martin Marietta District Quality ControlManager and AEG Texas Section Past Chair, presented aMartin Marietta company overview and field trip introductionwith safety protocols. We then loaded into two 15-passengervans to explore the aggregate mining industry. The Chico andBridgeport quarries are only separated by a road. We split intotwo groups, with each group exploring both quarries in turn.We learned about the local geology being mined, mine plan-ning, and quality control. These quarries are mining the ChicoRidge Limestone. The Pennsylvanian Chico Ridge Limestonedeposit is approximately 200 feet thick and consists of fine- tooccasionally coarse-grained limestone with some occasional,thin, dark gray shale. The Texas Section was able to comparethe processes of a sizing plant and a fractionated plant. Chicois considered a sizing plant and Bridgeport is a partially frac-tionated plant. Sizing is a method strictly controlled by screensto grade the products. Fractionated plants screen the fed rockinto single sizes for blending of the aggregate through tunnelsand conveyors to produce the desired grades. These quarriessupply aggregate for many construction purposes such asconcrete, asphalt, and MSE wall construction in the Dallas/FortWorth Metroplex and surrounding areas.

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BELOW: AEG TX Section Officers with presenters at our Winter meeting–left toright: Benson Chow, Christina Dance, Dr. Kramer, Stephanie Coffman, Dr. Craig,Bill Flanigan, and Dr. Treiman.

AEG TX Section Winter Meeting – having a great time listening to the speakers!

Our speakers included several Martin Marietta employees:Jeremy Teter, Robin Simmons, Rick Williams, Todd Bradshaw, andEric Walston. We extend a special thanks to Jeremy Teter, ChicoPlant Manager, and Todd Lacey, Bridgeport Plant Manager, for wel-coming the Texas Section to tour these Martin Marietta quarries!

2016 SUMMER MEETING: Geology of Cibolo Creek Watershed and Stream Geomorphic Challenges & Professional Ethics forGeologists, Engineers, and Other Good FolksOur summer meeting was held on July 23, 2016, in New Braun-fels, TX. A total of 45 people (36 members, 4 non-members, 5student members) attended the day-long meeting. After anupdate on Section events by Section Chair Stephanie Coffman,Bill Flanigan, Chair of AEG Foundation, giving an update about thefoundation and scholarships and awards available. Next, we cara-vanned to visit the East Salitrillo stream restoration project innortheast San Antonio. Our speakers Tami Norton PE, CFM, andLeeAnne Lutz PE, CFM—both from Cardinal Strategies—walkedus through the project site. They explained the different types ofnatural channel design techniques used to restore and rehabili-tate the once severely degraded stream. After the site visit, wereturned to the meeting room in New Braunfels for lunch and tohear presentations from Tami Norton on the specifics about thestream restoration site and LeeAnne Lutz about larger streamsystem rehabilitation and eco system restoration projects in SanAntonio. Next, we heard from AEG President Paul Santi who

attended our icebreaker and meeting. His talk began with aninformative update on AEG, including upcoming meetings. Afterthe update, he presented on the Mechanics and Analysis of theDeadly West Salt Creek Landslide, Colorado. Our last presenta-tion for the day was by Christopher C. Mathewson, who teachesan ethics course at Texas A&M in the Department of Geology andGeophysics. He gave a one-hour presentation with unique andpowerful ethical scenarios that apply to our profession. A specialthank you goes out to our speakers for volunteering their time topresent to the Section.BELOW: AEG TX Section Summer Meeting – group photo in front of East Salitrillo stream restoration project

THE HOMEFRONT


AEG TX Chapter Officers with presenters–left to right: Bill Flanigan, StephanieCoffman, LeeAnne Lutz, Tami Norton, Paul Santi, Christopher Mathewson, andRusty Branch

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Corporate SponsorsCorporate SponsorsAEG is grateful to the corporations and individuals who contribute to our operating fund through their sponsorship.

titaniumKleinfelder, Inc. Chad Lukkarila14710 NE 87th St, Ste 100Redmond, WA [email protected]

SilverExponent Failure Analysis AssociatesElizabeth Mathieson475 14th St., Suite 400Oakland, CA [email protected]

Gregg Drilling & Testing, Inc.Patrick Keating2726 Walnut Ave.Signal Hill, CA [email protected]

Hoover ConsultingMichael F. HooverPO Box 30860 Santa Barbara, CA [email protected]

SAGE Engineers, Inc. Ara Sanjideh2251 Douglas Blvd., Suite 200Roseville, CA 95661916-677-4800asanjideh@sageengineers.comwww.sageengineers.com

BronzeFeffer Geological Consulting Joshua Feffer 1990 S Bundy Dr, Suite 400Los Angeles, CA [email protected]

Geodynamics Consultant Group, Inc.Harry Audell33282 Golden Lantern Street, Ste 117Dana Point, CA [email protected]

SHN Engineers & GeologistsGary Simpson812 W. Wabash Ave.Eureka, CA [email protected] www.shn-engr.com

Become an AEG CorporateSponsor today!

Benefits of Sponsorship include:■ Listing in each issue of AEG News

■ Listing on AEG website

■ At the Titanium, Platinum and President’s Club levels you will be directlysupporting a student’s attendance at the AEG Annual Meeting. A portion ofyour sponsorship will fund a highly competitive award that will be given to astudent submitted abstract for a technical or poster session. In addition,your company will be verbally recognized at the Annual Meeting.

We are applied geology! AEG is one of the very few organizations dedicated to supportingapplied geology. Members of AEG include geologists specializing in engineering geology, environ-mental geology, and hydrogeology as well as other professionals in affiliated fields,such as civil and mining engineering, land-use planning, public policy and education.

Contact us at [email protected] or 844 -331-7867 to sign up for sponsorship.

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Documents

AEG News September 2016 AEG NEWS 49(2) - c.ymcdn.comc.ymcdn.com/.../resource/resmgr/aeg_news/AEG_News_September_… · AEG 60th Annual Meeting Sept 10–17,2017 Colorado Springs,CO