atlanta geological society...
TRANSCRIPT
Next meeting of the Atlanta Geological Society is
August 28, 2012
Fernbank Museum of Natural History (Clifton Road)
Social begins at 6:30 pm – Meeting begins at 7:00 pm
August 2012
Atlanta Geological Society Newsletter
ODDS AND ENDS Ben Bentkowski, Newsletter Editor
MARTIAN PLATE
TECTONICS It shouldn’t seem such a surprise. There’s
no reason that the principle of
uniformitarianism should not apply to
other planets. Perhaps the news is that
when topics go from unknown to
possible it opens up new areas for
investigation. A recent announcement by
researchers at UCLA and an article in the
journal Lithosphere describe just this
situation, Martian plate tectonics.
I’d have to say the landing of the Mars
rover Curiosity is the biggest science
story to break since the last newsletter.
Sending a ship 140+ million miles to
hover above the planet’s surface while it
lowers it payload to a soft landing on the
surface is just an amazing feat of
engineering and scientific prowess. The
initial images looked familiar as you may
see a few pages back. (go to Pg 3)
AUGUST MEETING
Join us Tuesday, August 28, 2012 at the
Fernbank Museum of Natural History, 760
Clifton Road NE, Atlanta GA. The meeting
social starts at 6:30 pm. The speaker will be Dr.
Mark Evans speaking on “Means, medians,
UCLs, and non-detects: Finding the Middle of
Skewed Distributions of Lead and PCBs in
Soils”
Dr. Evans has a Ph.D/M.S. in Marine Geology
from the University of South Florida, St. Pete,
Florida B.A. (Environmental Science) from New
College, Sarasota, Florida. Dr, Evans is Currently
an environmental geologist, Site and
Radiological Assessment Branch, Division of
Health Assessment and Consultation, Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry,
Atlanta, GA. At ATSDR he conducts exposure
analyses, review and evaluates information
related to environmental releases of hazardous
substances, and evaluate public health
implications of hazardous substance releases.
His primary research interests are in
developing a cost-effective repeatable
procedure for smoking brisket, establishing
techniques for creating copious amounts of
sawdust from expensive hardwoods, and
determining how to eat as much as he wants
without getting fat(ter).
Page 2 AGS AUGUST 2012
View of central segment of Mars’ Valles Marineris
UCLA scientist discovers plate tectonics on Mars For years, many scientists had thought that plate tectonics existed nowhere in our solar system but on Earth. Now, a UCLA scientist has discovered that the geological phenomenon, which involves the movement of huge crustal plates beneath a planet's surface, also exists on Mars. "Mars is at a primitive stage of plate tectonics. It gives us a glimpse of how the early Earth may have looked
and may help us understand how plate tectonics began on Earth," said An Yin, a UCLA professor of Earth and space sciences and the sole author of the new research. Yin made the discovery during his analysis of satellite images from THEMIS (Thermal Emission Imaging System), an instrument on board the Mars Odyssey spacecraft, and from the HIRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. He analyzed about 100
satellite images — approximately a dozen were revealing of plate tectonics.
The surface of Mars contains the longest and deepest system of canyons in our solar system, known as Valles Marineris (Latin for Mariner Valleys and named for the Mariner 9 Mars orbiter of 1971–72, which discovered it). It is nearly 2,500 miles long — about nine times longer than the Earth's Grand Canyon.
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/artwork/3/7/3/0/3/237303/Mars_Plate_Tectonics.jpg
http://lithosphere.gsapubs.org/content/current
MARTIAN PLATE TECTONICS
AGS AUGUST 2012 Page 3
.
AGS Members… Geology Enthusiasts Needed!!
If you are an AGS member and would like to contribute to the Professional Registration Committee by
leading a lecture on one of the subjects listed below, then please contact me either by e-mail or at the
monthly AGS meetings. The lecture should be for one hour followed by a Q&A session. We need
different speakers for each workshop. Your volunteering to teach on one of these subjects is essential to
the success of the Professional Registration Committee – we need more widespread participation by the
AGS membership. Speakers can be compensated for expenses and will receive certificates to
acknowledge their participation.
The following content domains are covered in the Georgia Professional Geologist exams:
A. General Geology B. Mineralogy, Petrology, & Petrography
C. Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, & Paleontology D. Economic Geology & Energy Resources
E. Structure, Tectonics, & Seismology F. Hydrology & Environmental Geochemistry
G. Engineering Geology
H. Quaternary Geology, Geomorphology, & Surficial Processes
We do not "teach the test" our aim is to review fundamental concepts of the earth sciences and acquaint
candidates with industry specific information not easily obtainable from the literature. Please inform
anyone who might be interested in becoming a professional geologist of our workshop. Please consider
joining us even if you are not a P.G. candidate. The workshops are interesting and informative.
Ken Simonton, P.G., Chair
Professional Registration Committee www.atlantageologicalsociety.org
ODDS AND ENDS continued
Philosoraptor wonders:
Also included in this issue is an announcement
you may have recently received about the local
upcoming AIPG conference. Please consider
attending as it looks like an excellent program.
There is an announcement of an upcoming
conference here in Atlanta for the National
Science Teachers Association. The local SME
chapter is involved and contacts are listed should
you will to be involved.
That’s it for now. Soon it will be fall and time for
a field trip of two. I’ll see about getting some
information in the next newsletter. Until then…
Keep on Rockin’
Ben Bentkowski
Newsletter Editor
Page 4 AGS AUGUST 2012
American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG)
Georgia Section Presents:
4
th Conference on: Innovative Environmental Assessment and
Remediation Technology
SCHEDULE: Wednesday September 12, 2012 and Thursday, September 13, 2012
7:45 AM – 5:00 PM 7:45 AM – 4:00 PM
LOCATION: Kennesaw State University - Continuing Education
3333 Busbee Drive , Room 400
Kennesaw, Georgia 30144
This conference will focus on innovative assessment and remediation technologies being used in the
environmental field. Case studies will include petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents sites.
Presenters will include representatives from private consultants, regulatory personnel, industry, and legal
backgrounds. Attendees will earn 14 personal development hours of continuing education.
Name: ___________________________________________________
Employer: ________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________
City/State/Zip: _____________________________________________
Telephone: (____) _____________ Fax Number (____) ____________ E-Mail ______________________
REGISTRATION: $150.00 AIPG members $110.00, students $20.00, AIPG student members free.
SPONSOR: $200.00 One free registration and send an electronic copy of company logo and contact
information to be placed in attendees notebook.
Other Sponsorships: Breakfast 9/12 9/13 $300.00
Morning Break 9/12 9/13 $300.00
Afternoon Break 9/12 9/13 $300.00
Lunch 9/12 9/13 $1,000.00
METHOD OF PAYMENT:
1. Company Check #: _________ Personal Check #: _________ On-line__________________
Make checks payable to AIPG Georgia Section (all funds go to AIPG) Go to: //www.aipg.org
MAIL TO: Ron Wallace * 3650 Garrards Crossing * Roswell, GA 30075
Phone (404) 362-2589 E-Mail [email protected]
REFUNDS & CANCELLATIONS:
All cancellations must be received in writing and sent to Ron Wallace by mail or e-mail. Phone cancellations are
not accepted. All cancellations postmarked-dated by September 5, 2012, will receive a REFUND minus a 25%
administrative fee. September 6, 2012, registrants are no longer eligible for refunds; however, substitutions are
welcome. Call (404) 362-2589 for substitutions. No REFUND FOR THOSE WHO REGISTER AND FAIL TO ATTEND.
AGS AUGUST 2012 Page 5
NSTA President Karen Ostlund invites you to let science be your passport to
success—scientific literacy is a necessity to survive and thrive in the 21st
century. The Atlanta Conference Planning Committee has built the conference
program around the theme, Science: Passport for Success. The professional
development strands supporting this theme focus on the following topics of
significance: “Providing Access for All Students to the Science in STEM,”
“Effective and Engaging K–8 Science,” and “No Student or Teacher Left
Inside.” The conference offers an impressive array of workshops, featured
speakers, field trips, exhibits, and networking opportunities. There are also a
variety of special programs and ticketed events to choose from to enhance
your professional development experience.
The conference will be held at the Georgia World Conference Center. The local
SME chapter is involved with this event. Here are contacts for further
information.
Local Section contact:
Mike Garska, [email protected] 478-232-9490
Tom Hilderbrand [email protected] (478) 552-3951 x1237
Bob Purett [email protected] w (478) 553-5208,
Patrick Macy [email protected] (404) 477-6528
SME/MEC contacts:
Rachel Grimes, 303-948-4247, [email protected]
Sharon Schonhaut, 303-948-4236, [email protected]
NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS
ASSOCIATION
AREA CONFERENCE IN ATLANTA GA
NOVEMBER 1-3, 2012
http://www.nsta.org/conferences/2012ata/
Page 6 AGS AUGUST 2012
PICTURE FROM MARS ROVER CUROSITY
PICTURE FROM ICELAND If you discount the blue sky and snow, the landscape looks very
similar.
AGS AUGUST 2012 Page 7
Now Showing in the Fernbank IMAX movie theater: LAST DAYS!!
BORN TO BE WILD Back by popular demand! Meet the extraordinary people who rescue orphaned orangutans and
elephants—saving endangered species one life at a time in the lush rainforest of Borneo and rugged savannah of Kenya.
Join world-renowned primatologist Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas and celebrated elephant authority Dame Daphne M. Sheldrick
as their teams rescue, rehabilitate and return these incredible animals back to the wild.
TO THE ARCTIC Swim alongside a polar bear and her cubs and discover a world beneath the ice where corals and odd
creatures thrive. Fly above a thundering herd of caribou making their way to their calving ground then gaze across
hundreds of miles of snow-bound peaks and floating ice in the Arctic Ocean.
Membership Dues Payment Status:
Professional Student Corporate* Complimentary
2003 62 22 5 15
2004 81 3 8 15
2005 26 0 3 16
TOTAL 168 22 14 15
* 14 corporate sponsors with329 of 56
individual memberships in active use
Finances:
The AGS account balance is
growing as we receive new 2005
dues payments, advertising, and
sponsors.
Account Balance
as of January 10,
2005 - $ 8,017.69
UPCOMING IMAX MOVIES:
.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History Upcoming Public Programs and Events
(All programs require reservations, including free programs)
Journey into Africa for a glimpse of the elephant
world during an unforgettable safari over waterfalls,
rivers, plains and forests. Africa’s Elephant
Kingdom follows in the footsteps of one special
elephant family as they survive and flourish on the
immense plains of Kenya.
Awe-inspiring vistas and intimate close-ups take
viewers across the plains of Africa capturing the
stunning beauty of elephants’ natural habitat.
Plunge into the hard, but inspiring work of saving
lives in the face of a natural disaster.
Profiling four individuals who dedicate their lives to
saving others, Rescue gives audiences a behind-the-
scenes look at the adrenaline-filled work of two pilots, a
naval and a volunteer rescue technician.
BOTH MOVIES STARTING September 4, 2012
Page 8 AGS AUGUST 2012
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
767 Clifton Rd, NE, Atlanta, GA 404-929-6400
Special Exhibits On View: http://www.fernbankmuseum.org/explore-
exhibits/special-exhibitions LAST DAYS FOR THIS EXHIBIT!
The Scoop on Poop Open May 26- -September 3, 2012 It's the #1 exhibit about #2.
Fish do it, frogs do it, pythons, eagles, and elephants do it, yet poop is one of
those subjects we find difficult to talk about with a straight face.
Listen in on a bear's digestive system, learn the language of poop in countries
around the world, examine fecal samples in a veterinarian's lab, compete in
dung beetle races, track wild animals by clues left in scat, see how long it takes
an elephant to poop their body weight, and meet a dinosaur dung detective in
this fascinating exhibition that reveals what we can learn about animals by
examining what they leave behind.
For tickets and details on exhibits, films, and events, please visit the website at
www.fernbankmuseum.org Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for the latest news
and updates! Please see the website for details about Martinis and IMAX on Friday
nights.
AGS AUGUST 2012 Page 9
View of an interior of part of Mars' Valles Marineris. The curved white strips in the center of the
valley are winkled sedimentary layers resulted from deformation induced by nearby fault motion.
The photo was taken by the high-resolution Context Camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance
Orbiter spacecraft. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/srp-view.aspx?id=182837
Page 10 AGS AUGUST 2012
AGS Committees
AGS Publications: Allison Keefer
Phone (404) 657-8642
Career Networking/Advertising: Todd Roach
Phone (770) 242-9040, Fax (770) 242-8388
Continuing Education: Currently Open
Fernbank Liaison: Chris Bean
Phone (404) 929-6313 [email protected]
Field Trips: Josh Jenkins
Phone (770) 421-3412
Georgia PG Registration: Ken Simonton
Phone: 404-825-3439
Teacher Grants: Bill Waggener
Phone (404)355-7377
Hospitality: Tom Watson
Phone (678) 358-6943
Newsletter Editor and Membership
Ben Bentkowski
Phone (404) 562-8507
Web Master : Kathaleen Bentkowski
www.atlantageologicalsociety.org
AGS 2012 Meeting Dates
Listed below are the planned meeting dates
for 2012. Please mark your calendar and make
plans to attend.
August 28 Dr. Mark Evans
September 25 Kal Vencill, Slope
stabilization outside Ashville, NC
October 30 TBD
November 30 TBD
December No meeting, enjoy the
Holidays
AGS Officers
President: Nils Thompson
Phone (678) 486-2766
Vice-President: Cassidy Evans
Phone (770) 492-8230
Secretary: Rob White
Phone (404) 463-0679
Treasurer: Stacey Durden-Phillips
AGS AUGUST 2012 Page 11
ATLANTA GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
www.atlantageologicalsociety.org
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FORM
Please print the required details and check the appropriate membership box.
DATE:
NAME:
ORGANIZATION:____________________________________________________________
TELEPHONE (1): TELEPHONE (2):
EMAIL (1): EMAIL (2):
STUDENT $10
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP $25
CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP $100 (Includes 4 professional members, please list names and emails below)
NAME: EMAIL:
NAME: EMAIL:
NAME: EMAIL:
NAME: EMAIL:
For further details, contact the AGS Treasurer: [email protected].
Please make checks payable to the “Atlanta Geological Society” and remit with the completed form to:
Atlanta Geological Society, Stacy Durden-Phillips, Treasurer,
2534 Centennial Commons View
Acworth GA 30102.
CASH
CHECK (CHECK NUMBER: .)