december 2008 - hgs
TRANSCRIPT
Volume 51 Number 4
HGSBulletinHouston Geological Society
December 2008
A Pictorial Look at theDaisetta Sinkhole,N.E. Liberty County,TexasPage 23
A Pictorial Look at theDaisetta Sinkhole,Northeast LibertyCounty, TexasPage 23
December 2008
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 1
Volume 51, Number 4 December 2008
Houston Geological Society
The
In Every Issue5 From the President
by Kara Bennett
7 From the Editor by Michael Forlenza
30 GeoEvents Calendar
55 HGS MembershipApplication
56 HGA/HPAC
57 Professional Directory
Technical Meetings
18 HGS General Dinner MeetingModern Turbidite System Depositional Patterns asAnalogs for Subsurface Petroleum Plays in theNorthern Gulf of Mexico
23 HGS Environmental & Engineering Dinner MeetingA Pictorial Look at the Daisetta Sinkhole, NortheastLiberty County, Texas
28 SIPES Luncheon MeetingWind Energy—It’s up in the Air
Other Features13 Letter to the Editor
15 Pictures from Galveston—November 2008After Hurricane IkeAlison Henning
33 Geologic Website of the MonthGeology.com www.geology.comMichael Forlenza, PG
37 Help Put Earth Science Back into Texas PublicSchools!
37 Fall Community Outreach
39 Scouts Select Smoking Volcano Cake for FirstPlace Prize Earth Science Week Cake ContestIanthe Sarrazin, Ralph Baird, and Daniel Molina
43 Government UpdateHenry M. Wise and Arlin Howles
51 HGS Holiday Party
Houston Geological SocietyOFFICERSKara Bennett PresidentGary Coburn President-electArt Berman Vice PresidentJohn Tubb TreasurerMatt Boyd Treasurer-electMike Jones SecretaryMichael Forlenza Bulletin EditorGordon Shields Editor-elect
DIRECTORSAlison Henning Richard HoweIanthe SarrazinWalter Light
HGS OFFICE STAFFSandra Babcock Office ManagerLilly Hargrave WebmasterKen Nemeth Office Committee
Chairman
EDITORIAL BOARDMichael Forlenza EditorGordon Shields Editor-electJames Ragsdale Advisory EditorCharles Revilla Advisory EditorLilly Hargrave Advertising EditorLisa Krueger Design Editor
The Houston Geological Society Bulletin (ISSN-018-6686) is published monthly except for July and August by the HoustonGeological Society, 14811 St. Mary’s Lane, Suite 250,Houston, Texas 77079-2916. Phone: 713-463-9476; fax: 281-679-5504Editorial correspondence and material submitted for publica-tion should be addressed to the Editor, Houston Geological SocietyBulletin, 14811 St. Mary’s Lane, Suite 250, Houston, Texas 77079-2916 or to [email protected]: Subscription to this publication is included inthe membership dues ($24.00 annually). Subscription price fornonmembers within the contiguous U.S. is $30.00 per year. Forthose outside the contiguous U.S. the subscription price is $46.00per year. Single-copy price is $3.00. Periodicals postage paid inHouston, Texas.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Houston GeologicalSociety Bulletin, 14811 St. Mary’s Lane, Suite 250, Houston,Texas 77079-2916
About the Cover: Aerial view of Daisetta sinkhole in Liberty County, Texas. The view is to the north.Photo courtesy of Richard G. Howe. © 2008 Copyright Richard G. Howe. All rights reserved.
Bulletin
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December 15HGS
HolidayParty
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December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 3
Board of Directors 2008–09http://www.hgs.org/about_hgs/leadership.asp
President (P) Kara Bennett Consultant 832-452-3747 [email protected] (PE) Gary Coburn Murphy Oil 281-675-9210 [email protected] President (VP) Art Berman Labyrinth Consulting Services 713-557-9076 [email protected] (S) Mike Jones Scout Petroleum 713-654-0080 [email protected] (T) John Tubb INEXS 713-805-5649 [email protected] (TE) Matt Boyd Southwest Energy 281-618-7379 [email protected] (E) Michael Forlenza Malcolm Pirnie Inc. 713-960-7421 [email protected] (EE) Gordon Shields Fugro Gravity and Magnetics Services 713-369-6132 [email protected] 07-09 (D1) Alison Henning H2B, Inc. / Rice University 832-203-5016 [email protected] 07-09 (D2) Richard Howe Terrain Solutions 713-467-2900 [email protected] 08-10 (D3) Ianthe Sarrazin Petrobras America 713-808-2775 [email protected] 08-10 (D4) Walter Light Thunder Exploration 712-823-8288 [email protected] Chairperson Phone Email Board Rep. AAPG HOD Foreman Sharie Sartain 281-382-9855 [email protected] PAcademic Liaison Brad Hoge [email protected] D3Ad Hoc Constitution & Bylaws Steve Earle 713-328-1069 [email protected] PAdvertising Lilly Hargrave 713-463-9476 [email protected] EArrangements Matt Boyd 281-618-7379 [email protected] TEAwards Mike Deming 281-925-7239 [email protected] VPBallot Paul Hoffman 713-783-7880 [email protected] SCalvert Memorial Scholarship Carl Norman 713-461-7420 [email protected] PECommunity Outreach Walter Light 713-529-2233 [email protected] D1Continuing Education Ken Schwartz 281-690-0995 [email protected] D1Directory Michael S. Benrud 713-785-8700 x104 [email protected] EEEarth Science Week Martha McRae 713-869-2045 [email protected] D1
Jennifer Burton [email protected] D1Engineering Council Claudia Ludwig 713-723-2511 [email protected] D4Environmental & Eng Geologists Matthew Cowan 713-777-0534 [email protected] VPExhibits Paul Carter 713-826-0540 [email protected] D3Field Trips Gary Moore 713-466-8960 [email protected] D4Finance Joe Lynch 281-496-9898 x134 [email protected] TFoundation Fund John Adamick 713-860-2114 jada@tgsnopec .com PEGeneral Meetings Art Berman 713-557-9076 [email protected] VPGolf Tournament Mark Dennis 281-494-2522 [email protected] D1Government Affairs Arlin Howles 281-808-8629 [email protected] D4
Henry Wise 281-242-7190 [email protected] D4Guest Night Bill Osten 281-293-3160 [email protected] D2Houston Energy Council Sandi Barber 713-935-7830 [email protected] D4HGA/HPAC Norma Jean Jones 281-497-3857 [email protected] S
Daisy Wood 713-977-7319 [email protected] SInternational Explorationists Justin Vanden Brink 281-877-9400 [email protected] VPAd Hoc Int'l Year of Planet Earth Sandi Barber 713-935-7830 [email protected] D3Membership Steve Levine 713-624-9723 [email protected] SMembership Growth Linda Sternbach 281-679-7333 [email protected] D2Museum of Natural Science Inda Immega 713-661-3494 [email protected] D3NeoGeos Cecelia Baum 713-268-5238 [email protected] S
Rachael Czechowskyj 713-609-4406 [email protected] Publications Bill Rizer 281-392-0613 [email protected] D1Nominations Linda Sternbach 281-679-7333 [email protected] PNorth American Explorationists Steve Getz 713-871-2346 [email protected] VPNorthsiders Tony D'Agostino 832-237-400 [email protected] VP
David Tonner 713-516-6894 [email protected] VPOffice Ken Nemeth 713-689-7605 [email protected] PEPersonnel Placement Peter Welch 713-862-2287 [email protected] PEPublication Sales Tom Mather 281-556-9539 [email protected] EEShrimp Peel Lee Shelton 713-595-5116 [email protected] D1Skeet Shoot Tom McCarroll 713-353-4728 [email protected] D1Technofest Deborah Sacrey 713-468-3260 [email protected] D1Tennis Tournament Ross Davis 713-659-3131 [email protected] D1Vendor’s Corner Paul Babcock 713-859-0316 [email protected] TEWeb Site Manager Tarek Ghazi 713-432-4562 [email protected] PEWeb Master Lilly Hargrave 713-463-9476 [email protected] PE
HGS Office Manager Sandra Babcock 713-463-9476 [email protected]
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 5
From thePresidentKara Bennett
From
the President
Recently, the HGS completed an audit of our books. I am
pleased to be able to say that the HGS is fiscally sound. As a
501-c3 organization, we are classified as a non-profit, but it is still
a good idea to stay in the black, particularly in financial times
such as these. The good news is that this year we can expect a
substantial income from the proceeds of the joint meeting of
GCAGS/GSA, the Africa Conference, and the Mudstone
Conference (scheduled for February 2009). The bad news is that
the audit turned up a substantial number of unpaid accounts
receivable, most of which comes
from advertising in the Bulletin
which was not paid to us, and that
the Shrimp Peel, usually held in the
late fall, was cancelled because of
Hurricane Ike damage and use of the
racetrack facility as a staging ground
for incoming electrical service
vehicles. Another issue has been an
ongoing dispute with Schwab, by
whose counsel the HGS placed some
of our cash cushion in an investment
which was billed as a conservative,
safe vehicle, but turned out to be
much more risky than we were aware.
After a great deal of negotiation with them, we have decided to
settle with the recovery of about half of our loss on the investment.
On the whole, though, HGS is doing very well. We tend to run
in a cycle of about 3-4 years; when we host the AAPG annual
meeting, we earn a cash influx, and on years when we do not
have that meeting, we break even or sometimes run a bit into the
red. As a non-profit, that’s okay, as long as we are providing the
services we want to provide to our members. We do have a
substantial cash cushion, so that if the industry falters, we can
still continue our programs through the hard times. We are looking
into rescheduling the Shrimp Peel in the late spring, and the
conferences and continuing education courses we offer this year
should provide enough income to comfortably finish the year.
We are grateful to the companies that sponsor many of our
events. I was invited recently to accept a donation of over $5000
to the HGS Foundation from the TGS Charity Golf Tournament,
which will be used to provide undergraduate scholarships for
geology students. TGS/A2D has been a long-term sponsor and
donor to the Foundation, and we would like to thank them and
companies like them that provide ongoing funding for our
events and scholarship programs.
December brings us two talks and a party. Dr. Hans Nelson will
speak at the General Dinner about modern turbidites and mini-
basin pathways in the northern Gulf of Mexico and their use as
Miocene depositional analogs. At the
Engineering and Environmental
meeting, Richard Howe will be showing
some spectacular photos of the
Daisetta sinkhole. The International
Explorationists have organized a
holiday party December 15, with live
music and a prime rib buffet. That
sounds like a great way to finish the
year!
For anyone who missed it last month,
I will buy a drink ticket for use at any
HGS dinner or lunch event for the
person who comes closest without
going over in predicting the price of oil at the close of business
on March 31, 2009. Last day to enter will be December 31, 2008.
Email your picks to me at [email protected].
Do not forget the Public Comment period for input to the new
earth science 4th year high school science curriculum. This is our
opportunity to show the Texas State School Board that earth sci-
ence is an important part of the education of high school
students in our state. Only three public comments had been
received as of the November HGS board meeting! Since then, I
have sent my comments by email to [email protected]
(put “SCIENCE FEEDBACK” in the subject line). You can find
the proposed curriculum at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/
scienceTEKS.html. It’s easy, takes only a few minutes, and it is
very important for our kids, both for general education, and to
introduce them to the geosciences as a profession.
May you have a wonderful holiday season. �
HGS Finances are Sound
John Adamick (TGS and Chairman of HGS FoundationCommittee) and Kara Bennett accept donation from TGSCharity Golf Tournament.
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 7
It is an occasion of some note when civic leaders from earliercenturies can be credited with foresight
and vision in the service of their cities
by implementing and funding successful
projects. Successful projects can provide
tremendous benefits to citizens more than
100 years later. Among these are:
• Construction of the city walls that saved
Vienna from the Ottoman invasion in
1683.
• The late-1800s planning and develop-
ment of New York City’s huge water
system that brings fresh water from
mountain reservoirs to the city through
underground aqueducts.
• Baron Haussmann’s urban redesign of Paris between 1852 and
1870 that included wide, straight boulevards to cut through the
medieval street grid.
Construction of the Galveston Seawall is also noteworthy for
its enduring service to the city. The
Galveston Seawall may seem modest now,
but its construction is considered
an astonishing feat for that era, not to
mention for a city that was all but
destroyed by a hurricane.
On the night of September 13 and the
morning of September 14, 2008, Hurricane
Ike tore into southeast Texas. Galveston
Island and the Bolivar peninsula suffered
the brunt of the tempest when winds
exceeding 100 miles per hour and the
storm surge blasted ashore. The eye of
Hurricane Ike passed directly over
Galveston Island. The storm surge associated with the hurricane
was most powerful on the “dirty side” of the storm, that is, the
right side, or north side, in relation to track of the eye. Coastal
communities and low-lying barrier islands from Galveston
northward to the Louisiana border and beyond were devastated.
A full accounting of the damage in
these coastal communities from the
hurricane will not be known for
many months, but in some areas
90 percent of the structures were
damaged or lost. Galveston suffered
extensive damage from storm-driven
flood waters, but the city, protected
behind its seawall survived and
has begun to recover. The lives that
sheltered there were spared.
The storm surge at Galveston was
fortunately less than the 18 to 22 feet
that was forecasted. Hurricane Ike’s
10 to 12 foot storm surge from the
Gulf of Mexico was largely blocked
by the 17-foot high seawall. To many,
the seawall may be an ugly concrete
monstrosity, but it worked. The seawall
From theEditor
From
the Editor
Homage to a Seawall
The Galveston Seawall may
seem modest now, but its
construction is considered
an astonishing feat for that
era, not to mention for a city
that was all but destroyed
by a hurricane.
Michael Forlenza, [email protected]
From the Editor continued on page 9Construction of the Galveston Seawall
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 9
From the Editor continued from page 7 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From
the Editor
performed as promised and protected the city from the full
fury of the Gulf. The foresight of Galveston’s early civic leaders
paid off.
When Galveston was founded in 1839, the natural topography of
the island included very little land with an elevation higher than
five feet above sea level. In hindsight, the establishment of a city
in such a vulnerable position seems unwise. In the following
years, the island endured several strong storms including the hur-
ricane of 1886. Still, Galveston grew and by the late 1800s, was the
largest city in Texas and the commercial engine of the region,
dubbed the “Wall Street of the South.”
The city’s luck changed in September 1900 when the Great
Galveston Hurricane roared out of the Gulf of Mexico. The storm
surge submerged the island and claimed 6,000 to 8,000 lives, still
the greatest natural disaster in United States history. The city
leaders resolved to stay and restore the city to prominence, but
protection was needed to prevent a future cataclysm and to give
the business owners and residents the
confidence to rebuild.
Galveston formed the Deep Water
Committee to oversee the task of
protecting the city and appointed
three engineers to develop a plan.
These engineers were Henry M.
Robert, retired from the Army Corps
of Engineers; H.C. Ripley, formerly
with the Army Corps of Engineers;
and Alfred Noble from Chicago.
Interestingly, while Henry M. Robert
is honored in Galveston for his work
with the Deep Water Committee, he
is more widely known for developing
Robert’s Rules of Order. After attend-
ing an unruly church meeting in Massachusetts in 1877, Mr.
Robert took on the duty of authoring and self-publishing a set of
procedural rules to maintain order during meetings. Henry M.
Robert was featured in an episode of Dr. John Lienhard’s Engines
of Our Ingenuity on Houston public radio [http://www.uh.edu/
engines/epi1099.htm].
The engineers devised a plan for the coastal protection of
Galveston that featured a 17-foot tall reinforced concrete seawall
and raising the entire elevation of the island behind the seawall.
The seawall design involved placing a foundation in an excava-
tion three feet deep and 16 feet wide. Into this space, pine pilings
were driven into the sand to a depth of 40 to 50 feet. Protection
for the pine pilings was provided by planking driven to a depth of
24 feet. On top of this foundation, forms were placed for the con-
struction of the concrete seawall. These forms were 15 feet thick
at the base, five feet wide at the top, and 17 feet high. The Gulf
side of the concrete sections were constructed with a concave face
to allow the force of the waves striking the seawall to be deflected
upwards and to dissipate. Large rip-rap blocks of Texas granite,
were placed at the base of the seawall, on the beach, to help break
up the force of the wave action and to protect the foundation
from being undercut.
Raising the grade of the area of the island behind the seawall was
a monumental task that involved trucking, dredging, and placing
a ten foot or more layer of fill. Every part of the infrastructure of
the city had to be raised. Roads, sidewalks, water lines, and sewer
lines had to be replaced. Any structure that survived the storm
had to be jacked up to the new ground level.
The design also called for the fill behind the seawall to slope
upward for a distance of 200 feet to a point where it was eventually
Construction of the Galveston Seawall. Granite rip-rap is visible on theseaward side of the wall.
From the Editor continued on page 11
Drawing by M. Forlenza
Conceptual design of seawall.
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 11
From the Editor continued from page 9 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From
the Editor
four to five feet
higher than the top
of the seawall. This
slope was intended
to further break the
action of any water
that over topped
the wall. The grade
on the northern
part of the raised
island was con-
structed with a
gentle northward
slope to allow
storm water that
topped the seawall to drain into Galveston Bay.
As with many construction projects, the finished product varied
somewhat from the design. The upward slope of the fill behind
the seawall actually extends only about 100 feet and tops out at an
elevation somewhat less than the full planned height. Also, the
height of seawall is closer to 15 to16 feet due to confusion
between whether to the top of the wall should be positioned rela-
tive to mean sea level or to mean low tide.
Work on the original segment of the seawall began in October
1902 and was completed in July 1904 for a total cost $1.6 million.
Several subsequent extensions of the seawall were constructed
between 1905 and 1961 bringing the total length to more than
ten miles.
Galveston never fully recovered from the 1900 hurricane.
Following the devastating storm, the center of the region’s
population growth and the seat of financial power retreated
from the coast to the Houston area. Construction and
expansion of the ship channel in 1914 secured Houston’s
place as the principal port and center of commerce in
southeast Texas. Galveston clung to a lower status as a his-
torical interesting town and a seaside resort.
But the seawall gave citizens confidence to restore the city
and build homes and businesses. The Galveston Seawall was
tested during ten hurricanes between 1909 and 1983. Some
accounts report that the 1915 hurricane was more powerful
Automobiles, buggies, and pedestrians circa 1910.
Completed portion; Fort Crockett extension (1905) From the Editor continued on page 13
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 13
From the Editor continued from page 11 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From
the Editor
than the 1900 hurricane. Yet, in testament to the faith put into the
seawall, only eight lives were lost in the 1915 hurricane.
Reporting in the aftermath of the 1983 Hurricane Alicia, the
Army Corps of Engineers estimated that $100 million in damage
was avoided because of the seawall.
The seawall itself sustained damage from Hurricane Ike when
areas of the foundation were badly eroded. In October 2008, Jerry
Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office,
announced an emergency beach renourishment project to pro-
tect the Galveston Seawall. “This emergency project will protect
the city's greatest asset,” Patterson said. “The Texas General Land
Office is going to save what saved Galveston.” The emergency
project is expected to cost at least $6 million.
Many coastal experts and researchers of beach processes say that
barrier islands are not a suitable place for extensive development
because of the disruption of the natural movement of sand. In a
natural state, sand is constantly redistributed on a barrier island
by currents, long-shore drift, and storm overwash. This move-
ment allows the barrier island to be maintained in a state of flux.
Permanent structures and hardened beach defenses disrupt this
sand movement and will ultimately fail experts say, often hasten-
ing erosion and environmental deterioration.
The concrete seawall is not a very attractive feature and considered by
many experts to be a crude approach to coastal management. But
when the objective is to protect Galveston from violent storms, the
seawall is crude, but effective. �
Letter to the Editor
I read with interest the article in the
November Bulletin decrying the influ-
ence of politics in science. I think
everyone in HGS supports scientific
“objectivity,” but after tracking down the
main references cited it seems clear to
me that they are even guiltier of mixing
the two than the outgoing administra-
tion. The Waxman diatribe is full of
insults, mis-characterizations, guilt by
association, prejudicial attribution of
motives and sneering denigration of
industry scientists who make up most of
the membership of HGS. Here is the sole
Waxman report on Oil and Gas:
“…Administration has changed scientif-
ic data or suppressed scientific
information to favor an oil and gas prac-
tice called ‘hydraulic fracturing.’ The
leading provider of hydraulic fracturing
is the energy company Halliburton, pre-
viously led by Vice President Cheney”
(page 24). In other words, they uncon-
scionably asked somebody who actually
knows something about fracing for
comments. And because the unholy
Halliburton does fracing, the practice
must perforce be an evil that needs to be
stamped out.
The 2005 book The Republican War on
Science is even worse. The author of this
left-wing screed, Chris Mooney, is not a
scientist but a Washington journalist for
“Seed” magazine, not exactly a peer
reviewed journal, which specializes in
political attacks on those who disagree
with the party line of the far left. The
book is full of insinuations that any sci-
entist working for industry must be an
evil accomplice of the “far right,” nefari-
ously colluding to destroy the health and
safety of innocent American families.
Here is Mooney: “During its rise,
the…conservative movement has relied
heavily on two key constituencies with
an overriding interest in the outcomes of
scientific research in certain areas:
industry and the religious Right.
Companies subject to government regu-
lation regularly invoke ‘science’ to thwart
federal controls and protect the bottom
line” (page 5). Outside of Hollywood,
since when did American industrial sci-
entists become so automatically
untrustworthy and contemptible? And I
actually think attention to the bottom
line is a fiduciary responsibility and not
a character defect. These zealots are
arguing fringe group policy opinion and
camouflaging it by calling it “science.”
Science thrives on competitive discourse;
listen to any two good geologists on an
outcrop. The scientific way to advance
an idea is to convince, not to muzzle
your opponents or question their
motives. I have personally never found
the argument, “Shut up, I’m a govern-
ment scientist,” very persuasive. And as a
recovering academic myself, I’m well
aware of the appalling anti-industry
mindset that passes for objectivity on
many of our best campuses until
research support is needed. The laudable
HGS objective of promoting advance-
ment in the geosciences and supporting
the teaching of geosciences does not
include systematic trashing of either the
right or the left; let’s leave politics out of
it entirely.
David J. Hall, Ph.D.
15 Twelve Pines Court
The Woodlands, TX 77381
Letter to th
e EditorLetter to the
Editor
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 15
Pictures from Galveston—November 2008After Hurricane Ike
Alison Henning
Washout and detour of County Road 257 west of San Luis Pass on Follet’s Island.
House at the surf line on Pirate’s Beach on Galveston Island that was formerly located approximately 100 feet from the shoreline. Note the bottomof the painted areas on the piers that indicates the former level of the top of the driveway and ground surface. The broken piers on the right are allthat remains of another house which was significantly farther seaward than its neighbors. The exposed remains of a geotube are visible in the surf.
View looking west from Pirate’s Beach subdivision on Galveston Island. Note the concrete driveways attached to the piers of the houses formerly atground level. Several feet of sand were eroded away during Hurricane Ike. The concrete structure in the foreground is the retaining wall for thewalkway that used to lead to the beach.
18 Houston Geological Society Bulletin December 2008
HGS General Dinner Meeting
Monday, December 8, 2008Westchase Hilton • 9999 WestheimerSocial Hour 5:30–6:30 p.m.Dinner 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Cost: $28 Preregistered members; $35 non-members & walk-ups
To guarantee a seat, you must pre-register on the HGS website and pre-paywith a credit card. Pre-registration without payment will not be accepted. You may still walk up and pay at the door, if extra seats are available.
Several analogs of known ancient depositional patterns are
observed in modern turbidite systems
of the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM).
Bryant Canyon/Fan feeds through a
chain of mini-basins (2 to 15 kilometers
in diameter) that exhibit seismic facies of:
1) mass-transport deposit (MTD)
wedges of chaotic mud and sheets of
chaotic mud and sand, 2) incised, pond-
ed, and perched turbidites, and 3) bypass
channelized facies. The mini-basin pathway of Bryant Canyon,
which traps mud, has resulted in non-bifurcated aggrading chan-
nels that extend 200 kilometers across the
sand-rich Bryant Fan to feed single distal
depositional lobes which are approxi-
mately 30 kilometers in length. The
Bryant mini-basin and fan patterns pro-
vide analogs for the Miocene systems in
the Mississippi Canyon area. In contrast,
the mud-rich Mississippi Delta and its
associated 20-kilometer-wide gullied
canyon sediment source have resulted in multiple mid-fan chan-
nel bifurcations and outer fan chan-
nel splays in 200-kilometer-long
lobes of the mud-rich Mississippi
Fan.
Extensive MTDs, ranging in size
from 400-kilometer-long debris
sheets to 10-centimeter thick MTD
beds, were deposited during lower-
ing and rising sea level episodes and
are intermixed with the channel and
lobe turbidite deposits. Similar to
Bryant Canyon and Mississippi Fan,
the intermixing of turbidites and
extensive MTDs is found in some
subsurface turbidite systems of the
GOM margin. The Rio Grande Fan
is a contrasting braided fan analog
for some Paleogene subsurface
The Bryant mini-basin and
fan patterns provide analogs
for the Miocene systems in the
Mississippi Canyon area.
C. Hans NelsonCSIC University of Granada and Department of Earth andEnvironmental Sciences, University of Texas at ArlingtonJohn E. DamuthDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences,University of Texas at ArlingtonHilary Clement OlsonInstitute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences,University of Texas at AustinDavid C. TwichellU. S Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA Carlota EscutiaCSIC, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universityof Granada, Spain
Modern Turbidite System Depositional Patterns asAnalogs for Subsurface Petroleum Plays in the Northern
Gulf of Mexico
HGS General Dinner continued on page 21Seafloor relief map by Lui and Bryant
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December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 21
petroleum plays in the northwestern GOM. Multiple canyons
provide coarse-grained sediment from adjacent mountain
sources to deposit the fan on a continental-slope plateau. The
seismic facies relatively steep fan gradient (1:250) and incised
channels, rather than leveed channels, throughout the surface
and subsurface show that the Rio Grande Fan is a braided sand-
rich fan. �
Biographical SketchDR. HANS NELSON has a BA from
Carleton College, an MS from the
University of Minnesota, and a PhD
from Oregon State University in geo-
logical oceanography. He spent 32 years
studying continental margins as a
Research Marine Geologist for the U. S.
Geological Survey. His studies of
resource, geologic hazards, and envi-
ronmental assessment have focused mainly on turbidite systems
and have resulted in nearly 200 refereed books, articles, and tech-
nical reports and approximately 160 abstracts. He has served as
Chief Scientist for 30 scientific expeditions, mainly studying in
Alaskan and Pacific NW seas, but also in the Atlantic, Gulf of
Mexico, Mediterranean, and deep lakes such as Crater Lake,
Oregon, and Lake Baikal, Russia. Dr. Nelson also has been a
Visiting Professor for Stanford University, and the universities of
Barcelona, Utrecht, Brest, Aberdeen, and Granada in Europe. He
has given short courses in turbidite systems around the globe for
professional scientific societies, universities, and petroleum com-
panies. Dr. Nelson’s current research interests as Principle
Investigator focus on turbidite paleoseismology of the Cascadia
subduction zone and San Andreas fault system, Gulf of Mexico
intraslope basin and abyssal basin turbidite systems (GIB
Project), and Antarctic turbidite systems. He also is a consultant
for the Turbidite Research Group at the University of Leeds in
England and for several petroleum companies.
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Mini-basin depositional patterns, mass transport deposits
Northern Gulf of Mexico submarine fansBryant – Sand-rich, fed by canyon with mini-basins that trap muds;single sinous channel and lobe; limited MTD’s & splaysRio Grande – Sand-rich from mountain sources: multiple canyons &braided channels; lacks lobes & MTD’sMississippi – Mud-rich, gullied canyon, meandering channels; multiplesplays & lobes; half turbites and half MTD’s
Seismic Line across Beaumont Basin along the Bryant Canyon Pathway
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 23
Sinkholes are geological hazards associated with salt domes
along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. These features are
the surface expression of collapse structures that originate from
solution cavities within the cap rock
and/or the stock of salt domes. A sink-
hole’s manifestation may be entirely nat-
ural or can be exacerbated or induced by
anthropogenic activity.
The Daisetta sinkhole, which collapsed
on May 7, 2008, is located along the northwest flank of the Hull
salt dome within a band of densely spaced petroleum wells that
ring the dome. The presence of at least four other previously
existing sinkholes within this band of active and abandoned wells
suggests that their occurrence, like that of the Daisetta sinkhole,
may be a result of oilfield operations begun in the early 1920s.
Initial collapse of the ground surface at the
sinkhole was likely a vertical displacement of
the substrate by an upwardly migrating cavi-
ty. Subsequent widening of the hole at
ground level appears to be a result of mass
wasting processes such as earth fall, topple,
and slumping. Away from the edge of the
hole are open cracks bounding slump blocks and minor cracks within
the blocks. These features suggest lateral spreading of the adjacent sedi-
ment mass into the hole.
Richard G. Howe,Vice-PresidentTerrain Solutions, Inc.
HGS Environmental & EngineeringDinner Meeting
Tuesday, December 16, 2008Black Lab Pub, Churchill Room • 4100 Montrose Blvd.
Social 5:30 p.m., Dinner 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $25 Preregistered members; $30 non-members & walk-ups
The HGS prefers that you make your reservations on-line through theHGS website at www.hgs.org. If you have no Internet access, you can e-mail [email protected], or call the office at 713-463-9476 (includeyour name, e-mail address, meeting you are attending, phone number andmembership ID#).
A Pictorial Look at the Daisetta Sinkhole,Northeast Liberty County, Texas
HGS Env
ironm
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The view of this low-oblique aerial photo is to the southeast with Daisetta High School visible at the upper right edge of the photo. State Highway770 is visible next to the sinkhole and runs north and south. Hull swamp is below and left of the sinkhole. The photo was taken on May 09, 2008 with a hi-resolution (10.3 megapixels), digital SLR.
HGS Environmental & Engineering Dinner continued on page 25
The photo presentation will provide a preview of the HGS/AEG Daisetta
Sinkhole seminar and field trip which is scheduled for January 17, 2009.See page 40 for more information.
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 25
With an average diameter of approximately 620 feet, the Daisetta
sinkhole is among the largest sinkholes associated with Gulf
Coast salt domes. Whereas the depth from the rim of the sinkhole
to the bottom of the water standing in it is about 75 to 80 feet, the
actual depth to the bottom of the collapse column is unknown
but could be more than 1,000 feet.
Several groups have been investigating the sinkhole from different
perspectives using a variety of field instrumentation and methods.
The United States Geological Survey performed a horizontal
LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scan of the walls of the
collapse last May in an attempt to provide a 3-D image of the
sinkhole. Additionally, the USGS has placed a horizontal
extensometer at the eastern edge of the sinkhole to measure rates
of lateral spreading of the adjacent soil/sediment mass into the
hole. The University of Texas at Dallas has performed two sets of
horizontal LIDAR scans with an intervening time of several
months that will be used to attempt to show changes in hole
morphology through 3-D imagery. The Texas Spatial Reference
Center at Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi has placed at
least two benchmarks in Daisetta with one located near the eastern
edge of the sinkhole. The purpose of the benchmarks being the
detection of elevation changes across the dome. Robert Traylor
with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has been
studying subsurface information to determine the collapse
mechanism and believes the sinkhole is a result of liquefaction at
depth rather than ceiling collapse. The Center for GeoInformatics
at Lousiana State University is
monitoring ground movements
at the nearby Hull-Daisetta High
School using GPS technology.
The Texas Bureau of Economic
Geo log y h a s conduc t ed a
micro-gravity study to identify
gravity anomalies across the Hull
salt dome.
Dr. Carl Norman, Professor
Emeritus of the University of
Ho u s t o n D e p a r tm e n t o f
Geosciences, and Richard G. Howe,
of Terrain Solutions, Inc. have
monitored elevation changes
along Highway 770, approximately
100 feet east of the sinkhole, in
an attempt to see if the sinkhole
may be expanding in the subsurface
and thus posing a threat to highway
traffic and nearby buildings.
Additionally, they have been
mapp ing the s inkho l e and
surrounding ground deformation with a Total Station. During
their numerous visits to the sinkhole since its appearance, Mr.
Howe has made an extensive photographic survey of the sinkhole
in an effort to document changes in the sinkhole and adjacent
ground surface. The spectacular nature of the sinkhole and some of
the changes that have occurred since its inception will be shown
through aerial and ground photography. �
Biographical Sketch For more than 32 years, Richard G. Howe
has practiced geology in various fields
of application which include petroleum
geology, engineering geology, environmental
geology, and hydrogeology. Over the years,
Mr. Howe has followed the water-related
issues that impact the Houston Metropolitan
Area and has been an advocate for sound
water resource management. In the course
of his professional work, he has conducted studies of many of the
surface faults that cross the upper Gulf Coast which have
occurred as a result of geologic process that can cause extensive
damage to buildings and other structures.
He graduated from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas with a
BS in geology and received his MS in geoscience from Texas A&M
University in College Station, Texas where much of his course
HGS Environmental & Engineering Dinner continued from page 23 ________________________________________________________________________________
HGS Env
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This photo is looking to the south-southeast across the crown, main scarp, and head of a slump block locat-ed along the southeast quadrant of the sinkhole. Dr. Carl Norman is sitting on the crown of the slump withhis legs dangling across the block's main scarp and his feet hanging a few inches above the head of theslump.
HGS Environmental & Engineering Dinner continued on page 27
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 27
work concerned engineering geology, hydrogeology, and environ-
mental geology.
Mr. Howe is Vice-President of Terrain Solutions, Inc., an environ-
mental and geological services firm. He is a Licensed Professional
Geoscientist in Texas (No. 27) and is a Certified Professional
Geologist with the American Institute of Professional Geologists
(No. 5191). Mr. Howe is a Past-President of the Engineering,
Science, and Technology Council of Houston (ECH) and is a
Past-President of the Science Engineering Fair of Houston. Mr.
Howe is a long-time member of the Houston Geological Society
(HGS), He serves on the Board of Directors for the Society and is
on the Society’s Environmental and Engineering Geology
Committee and Field Trip Committee. He represents HGS to
ECH as one of its Councilors. Additionally, Mr. Howe is on the
Advisory Committee for the Earth & Space Sciences Department
at Lamar University and the Advisory Committee for the
Geosciences program at the University of Houston Downtown.
He is a member of the Texas Association of Professional
Geologists, Association of Engineering and Environmental
Geologists, the Environmental Division of the American
Association of Petroleum Geologists Environmental Division,
and the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM). Mr. Howe
serves as President of Charterwood Municipal Utility District
where he has been a director on its board for more than 20 years.
HGS Environmental & Engineering Dinner continued from page 25 ________________________________________________________________________________
HGS Env
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View southeast across the southern portion of the Daisetta sinkhole.
28 Houston Geological Society Bulletin December 2008
Paul Strunk and Patrick Nye will present an overview of the wind energy business
and a discussion of the company’s current wind farm projects in North America.
Some of the topics to be covered will include wind measurement, electricity transmis-
sion, birds and permitting, local issues and property rights, construction and develop-
ment, and future challenges.
Biographical SketchesPAUL STRUNK, President of American Shoreline, Inc., earned an MS in geology from
Kansas State University. He has been actively involved in oil and gas exploration for
over 40 years and has held numerous offices in both the Corpus Christi Geological
Society and the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, having served as presi-
dent of both organizations. Mr. Strunk has also served as treasurer of the American
Association of Petroleum Geologists and as
chairman of the AAPG Trustee Associates.
He is an active member of SIPES and has
served as a past director.
PATRICK NYE, Vice President of American
Shoreline, Inc., has more than 27 years experience in oil and gas exploration and develop-
ment on nearly every major geological producing trend throughout South Texas. He holds
a BS in zoology from Texas Tech University. He earned a BS degree in geology from Texas
A&I University in
K i n g s v i l l e , n ow
known as Texas A&M
Kingsville. Mr. Nye
has served as chair-
man on numerous
commi t t e e s w i th
the Corpus Christi
Geological Society and has served on the board as treasurer, vice
president, president-elect, councilor, and president. He is a mem-
ber of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, South
Texas Geological Society, and the Coastal Bend Geophysical
Society. Mr. Nye currently serves as chairman of the Corpus
Christi SIPES chapter.
SIPES Luncheon MeetingWind Energy—It’s up in the Air
Paul Strunk and Patrick NyeAmerican Shoreline, Inc., Corpus Christi, Texas
SIPE
S Lun
cheo
n Meeting
Thursday, December 18, 2008Houston Petroleum Club in the Discovery Room, 800 Bell St. (down-town Houston). Social 11:15 AM, Luncheon 11:45 AM
Reservations Required: Make reservations by telephone (713-651-1639), fax (713-951-9659), website (www.sipes-houston.org), ore-mail [email protected] to B. K. Starbuck-Buongiorno by 12:00 noonon Tuesday preceding the meeting. You can now sign up for the meet-ing online at www.sipes-houston.org, but payment is still required byregular mail or at the door.
Cost: $30 for SIPES Members and Chapter Affiliates who register by12:00 Noon Tuesday; $35 for new registrations at the door. The pricefor guests, non-members and walk-ins is $35. No-shows will be billed.
30 Houston Geological Society Bulletin December 2008
HGS Environmental &Engineering Dinner Meeting “A Pictorial Look at the Daisetta Sinkhole,
Liberty County, Texas” Richard G. Howe., Page 23
HGS Holiday PartyHosted by the International
Explorationists Sullivan’s Steakhouse
Page 51
GSH Technical Luncheon “Seismic Attributes for Stratigraphic Feature
Characterization,” Satinder Chopra, Omni Palace
HGS General DinnerMeeting
“Modern Turbidite System DepositionalPatterns as Analogues for Subsurface
Petroleum Plays in the Northern Gulf ofMexico,” C. Hans Nelson, Westchase
Hilton, Page 18
S u n d a y M o n d a y T u e s d a y
December 2008W e d n e s d a y
21
7
14
3
10
15
23
302928
17
[email protected] 24-hour wellsite service hotline: 713-328-2121
NO ONE HAS MORE WAYS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR RESERVOIR.
8 9
22 24
30
31
16
21
NOWyou can make
your reservations on-line at
www.hgs.org
Gulf Coast Section of SEPM- 28th Bob F. PerkinsResearch Conference
Houston, TexasPage 50
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 31
Members Pre-registered Prices:General Dinner Meeting . . . . . . . . .$28Nonmembers walk-ups. . . . . . . . . . . $35Env. & Eng. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25Luncheon Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . .$30Nonmembers walk-ups. . . . . . . . . . . $35International Explorationists . . . . . .$28North American Expl. . . . . . . . . . . .$28Emerging Technology . . . . . . . . . . . .$25
T h u r s d a y
4 5 6
12
19
GEOEVENTS
27
S a t u r d a yF r i d a y
1311
Collarini Energy Staffing Inc.Full–Time and Temporary Exploration and Production Personnel
Geoscience � Facilities � Drilling � Production � Reservoir Engineers � Landmen � ManagementProcurement � Information Technology � Health and Safety � Accounting � Administrative Support
11111 Richmond Avenue, Suite 126 www. collarini.com 4200 South I-10 Service Road, Suite 230Houston, Texas 77082 Metairie, Louisiana 70001Phone (832) 251-0553 Phone (504) 887-7127Fax (832) 251-0157 Connecting the Industry ’s Exper ts Fax (504) 887-7162
Upcoming GeoEventsJanuary 1 – 7HGS Trans-Pecos Field Trip Page 43
Wednesday, January 7SIPES Luncheon – Joint Meetingwith SPEE The New SEC GuidelinesDr. John Lee, SEC
Saturday, January 17HGS/AEG Daisetta Sinkhole Seminarand Field Trip Page 40
January 27-29Texas Ground Water AssociationAnnual Convention and Trade ShowGalveston, Texas
February 5 – 62009 NAPE Expo Houston, Texas
February 9 – 13AAPG 6th Annual Winter EducationConferenceNorris Conference Center, HoustonTexas
February 19SIPES LuncheonCasing Drilling Reduces FormationDamage, Enhances ProductionBob Tessari, Turnkey E&P, Inc.
March 29 - April 2, 200922nd Annual Symposium on theApplication of Geophysics toEngineering and EnvironmentalProblems (SAGEEP 2009)www.eegs.orgFort Worth, Texas.
Saturday, April 4 HGS Guest NightDowntown Aquarium[Note the earlier date and the newvenue]
2018
25 26
HGA/HPAC HolidayLuncheon
Pine Forest Country Club
Page 56
SIPES Luncheon “Wind Energy – It’s Up in the Air,” Paul
Strunk and Patrick Nye, Petroleum Club
Page 28
Reservations:The HGS prefers that you make your reservations on-line through the HGS website atwww.hgs.org. If you have no Internet access, you can e-mail [email protected], or call theoffice at 713-463-9476. Reservations for HGS meetings must be made or cancelled by thedate shown on the HGS Website calendar, normally that is 24 hours before hand or on thelast business day before the event. If you make your reservation on the Website or by email,an email confirmation will be sent to you. If you do not receive a confirmation, check withthe [email protected]. Once the meals are ordered and name tags and lists are prepared, nomore reservations can be added even if they are sent. No shows will be billed.
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 33
Typing the word “geology” into the Google Internet search
engine will return more than 25 million results. Typing
“geology” into the Yahoo search engine will return more than 87
million results. At the top of both of these lists is the link to
Geology.com.
Geology.com is a lively website with a broad approach to the
earth sciences and related subjects and presents material drawn
from many sources. The Geology.com homepage has a clean,
straightforward, newspaper-type layout. A header bar allows
access to areas of the website such as News, Articles, Careers, and
World Maps. The body of the homepage is arranged in four
columns with lists on the left and right and introductions to arti-
cles in the middle two columns. Each article introduction has a
title, a brief summary, and thumbnail photograph. Larger photo-
graphs of featured articles are located at the top of the columns.
The list of articles provided on the homepage is quite extensive
with more than 45 selections displayed.
The articles are the heart of Geology.com. These articles cover a
wide range of geological topics and timely subjects including
such items as: Hurricane Ike damage photographs, the Phoenix
Mars Lander, the geology of bottled water, blood diamonds, and
the Marcellus shale. The articles are accompanied by high-quality
illustrations, graphics, and photographs. The interesting article
on East African rifts has several excellent maps and beautiful
photographs [http://geology.com/articles/east-africa-rift.shtml].
The homepage is dense with hundreds links in the lists that con-
nect to the extensive resources throughout Geology.com. The
most popular links are listed on the left and the constantly-
updated list of geology items in the news is on the right. The
well-organized access to a wide selection US and World maps and
satellite images on the website is useful.
The Careers page on Geology.com does not list job openings but
provides articles on the job market for geologists and links to
employers that typically hire geoscientists. The links are grouped
into several categories including: headhunters, oil and gas com-
panies, oil field services companies, environmental/engineering
companies, government agencies, mineral companies, and aca-
demic institutions. The online Geology.com store sells the
Geo
logic W
ebsite of the MonthGeology.com
www.geology.comMichael Forlenza, PG
Geologic Website of the Month continued on page 35
Geologic Website of the Month continued from page 33 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
popular Roadside Geology books, other earth science texts, and
some supplies for field geologists such as waterproof notebooks
and pens.
Geology.com is published by Dr. Hobart King. Dr. King holds a
BS in geology from California University of Pennsylvania and an
MS and PhD in geology from West Virginia University and is a
licensed professional geologist. He worked as a geologist at the
West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey from 1980 until
1994 where he held positions as a coal geologist, economic geolo-
gist, and head of the Economic Minerals and Geologic Hazard
Section. In 1994, he joined the faculty of Mansfield University
and taught the school’s first online course. He was the director of
Mansfield University's Center for Effective Teaching and is the
author of Hazard City: Assignments in Applied Geology, a CD that
accompanies geology textbooks published by Prentice Hall.
According to Dr. King, the content for the articles on
Geology.com comes from three sources in approximately equal
proportions: guest authors, republication of public domain con-
tent, and articles that he writes himself. “Most of the content on
the site is written for the non-geologist and entry-level geology
student,” said Dr. King. “The goal is to provide content that they
will find interesting and hopefully useful, presented at a level that
they will understand.”
Geology.com, which has thousands of visitors each day, tries to
provide content that is of interest to both the layman and the
professional. “I have two hopes,” said Dr. King. “First, I hope that
many people who are not geologists arrive at the site and find
something that deepens their interest in the subject. Second, I
hope that the site offers some resources that geologists use regu-
larly. Many practicing geologists have subscribed to our daily
news email.”
Dr. King acquired the Geology.com domain in an auction in
2005, which, at that time, was a domain with about six pages of
content. He retired from Mansfield University in 2008 to work
full time on Geology.com. “The main reason that I started
Geology.com is that I enjoy learning about geology and sharing
that information with other people,” said Dr. King.
The content of the website is continually adjusted based on the
popularity of the articles. The continuous maintenance and
updating of the website represents a significant level of effort by
the limited staff at Geology.com. In addition to Dr. King, the
website has a full-time webmaster and cartographer, and a half-
time artist and researcher.
Geology.com is a commercial website supported by advertising.
However, the advertisements themselves are unobtrusive. On the
homepage there are no advertisements. Most of the linked pages
have several small sponsored areas along the side or at the bot-
tom. The entire website is thankfully free of banner ads, pop-up
ads, or flashing and dancing advertisements.
While Geology.com will not be a primary source or a last stop for
technical information for professional geoscientists, there is plenty
of interesting information to browse through. The website is well
organized with straightforward navigation. One of most useful
features of Geology.com is being able to find links to related earth
science websites and materials all in one place. For example, in
addition to the geologic dictionary on the website, Geology.com
provides links to outside sources for 17 geological dictionaries.
Go ahead, type “geology” into your browser and click away. �
Geo
logic W
ebsite of the Month
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 35
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 37
Texas students need your help! After a long hiatus, earth sci-
ence may soon be taught again in Texas public schools. A
new high school course called Earth and Space Science (ESS) is
currently being developed by the Texas Education Agency. A
draft of the new course curriculum is available for public review
on their website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/
scienceTEKS.html.
We need you to share your
comments on the new curricu-
lum by email, fax, or regular
mail according to the instructions on the website. Other science
courses included in this draft curriculum have received hundreds
of public comments, but the ESS course has received only five!
Show your support for the teaching of earth science by sending
your comments to the Texas Education Agency.
Houston Geological Society members were instrumental in lob-
bying the state for the return of earth science to the Texas public
schools, so let’s see these efforts through to implementation. The
study and practice of earth science is vital to the Texas economy
and to our livelihoods, so
please share your enthusiasm
for earth science with the Texas
Education Agency. For more
information, please contact Alison Henning at
Help Pu
t Earth Scien
ce Back into Texas Schools!Attention Geoscientists!
Help Put Earth Science Back into Texas Public Schools!
Nine volunteers and friends of the Houston Geological
Society worked Saturday, November 1, 2008 at the
Montgomery County Food Bank in Conroe, Texas. They sorted
and packed 4,000 pounds of canned and dry goods for future dis-
tribution to charities, food kitchens, and food pantries. The
Montgomery County Food Bank distributes over one million
pounds of goods each year, of which 60 percent goes to families
with dependent children.
Pictured are Jim Noser, Hans and Joyce Blixt, Maynard Smith,
Debbie Steele, Gregg Evans, Bob Choate, and Tarek Ghazi.
Thanks to Paul Babcock, another hard-working volunteer, for
organizing the event and taking the photos.
Upcoming Community Outreach events include the Christmas
Bike Build at Reliant Center (with Elves and Moore) and Tree
Planting Day in January. Specific dates for both will be
announced shortly. � Fall Community Outreach
Fall Community Outreach
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December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 39
Afantastic volcano cake with orange lava frosting, brown sugar
sand, and dry ice "smoke" stole the show at the Houston
Museum of Natural Science on October 11, 2008 and earned its
creator, the Cake Lady Bakery of Friendswood, a check for $1,000.
The cake contest, in which elaborate designs illustrated various fea-
tures of planet earth, was a highlight of the many lively events con-
ducted during a very successful 2008 Earth Science Week. There
were many smiles of amazement as children and adults marveled,
not just at the grand prize cake contest winner, but
also the other entries. The winner of the second
place prize of $500 was a rendition of Glacier Lake
in Alaska. The Glacier Lake cake, featuring sugar
polar bears and steam rising off of the blue Jell-O
frozen lake. The Glacier Lake cake was the creation
of Sweet Delight Wedding Cakes of Houston.
The Houston Geological Society was delighted to
join with the Geological Society of America and the
United Nations-chartered International Year of
Planet Earth (IYPE) organization to host these
Earth Science Week events. IYPE, truly international
in scope, currently has 74 member nations bringing
Earth Scien
ce Week 2008Scouts Select Smoking Volcano Cake
for First Place PrizeEarth Science Week Cake Contest
Ianthe Sarrazin, Ralph Baird, and Daniel Molina
Smoking Volcano Cake Earth Science Week 2008 continued on page 41
together a global spirit of progress and vigor within the geo-
sciences for today and tomorrow.
The goal of the cake contest was to excite young people, and of
course adults too, while teaching about the immense forces which
continue to shape our planet and affect our lives. Our master of
ceremonies for the cake contest was former NBC News corre-
spondent Dan Molina. Mr. Molina, speaking side by side with
geologist Janet Combes, told the crowd of Houstonians, who had
just been through Hurricane Ike, how important it was that geo-
scientists were studying the effects of this tragic storm so that we
can be better prepared the next time. Mr. Molina and Ms.
Combes even got those on hand to brightly cheer, “Geosciences!’
The Boy Scouts who were selected to be judges for the cake con-
test stood tall and strong as they went about their duties. The
organizers of the event were gratified by the delight of the chil-
dren as they dug into the cakes and gave the confections a “yum
yum!” endorsement. The cake contest created happiness for the
participants and caught the curious attention of passerbys.
We are glad to see that geologic organizations are using public
outreach and new ways to excite people, young and old, about
geology and their companion studies of math and basic sciences.
Hopefully, through these efforts, more students will enter into
studies of math and science and the general public will become
more aware of the contributions of scientists. We look forward to
hearing more cheers of “Geosciences!”
We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of our sponsors dur-
ing Earth Science Week. For the cake contest, we had the support
of New Dominion LLC of Tulsa, ETROA Resources of Covington,
Louisiana, Ralph Baird of Baird Petrophysical of Houston,
PetroDevelopment Partners LP of Houston and Beverly Hills,
California, and the Houston Geological Society. Thank you. �
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 41
Glacier Lake Cake
Earth Scien
ce Week 2008Earth Science Week 2008 continued from page 39 _________________________________________________________________________________________________
David Childers, ph: 281-872-5022, e-mail: [email protected] Northchase, Suite 1600, Houston, TX 77060
42 Houston Geological Society Bulletin December 2008
A clearer image www.pgs.com
Some species of shrew, like this Northern Short-tailed Shrew, emit calls out to the environmentand listen to the echo of those calls that return from objects in the environment. This form ofecholocation, also called biosonar, allows them to locate, range and identify objects. While someanimals use echolocation to pinpoint food, the shrew uses it to investigate its terrestrial habitat.
PGS develops and deploys the highest fidelity imaging and data processing tools to providea clearer image of the subsurface. The ability to honor true azimuth in 3D SRME and state-of-the-art signal processing capabilities, coupled with versatile velocity model-building workflowsand a com prehensive suite of pre-stack depth migration algorithms, deliver consistent results to reduce drilling risks and lower finding and development costs. Find out more about our unmatched turnaround time, data quality and image clarity by calling Frank Dumanoir at (281) 509-8354.
The Government Update provides information on rules, regula-
tions, policy, and meetings of interest to professional geoscientists.
If you would like the most up-to-date information, refer to the HGS
website to review the Wise Report. The Wise Report is posted as
needed, but not more often than once a week.
TBPG Meeting NotesThe Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG) met on
September 5, 2008. The complete video of the meeting is available
at: http://www.texasadmin.com/cgi-bin/txgeo.cgi. The more
interesting portions of their agenda were:
Compliance and Enforcement Committee Report – The TBPG
is slowly investigating companies who are practicing geoscience
without a license. One of the lists they are investigating is the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) licensed
Registered Corrective Action Specialists (RCASs). The general
opinion is that, if you are a RCAS, your company should be registered.
Oil and Gas Activities and Jurisdiction – The TBPG has had a
number of requests for from PGs and one (informal) from the
SEC regarding whether oil and gas records should be sealed by a
PG. Oil and gas geologists are exempt by law, but there have been
repeated questions about PGs sealing reports. If the documents
are used in-house, then no seal is required. The questions are in
regard to documents delivered to the Texas Railroad Commission
or documents used by the general public for such things as
reserve estimates. No decision has been made at this time. The
TBPG is considering establishing a public advisory committee to
help with this issue. Members of the oil and gas, and minerals
industries would be invited to participate, should this happen.
TBPG Sealing Requirements Guidance Document – At the
request of a number of Groundwater Management Districts,
the TBPG is developing a guidance document to help PGs
understand when a document needs to be sealed. This guidance
should be available in a few months.
Amending the Texas Professional Services Procurement Act –
The Texas Professional Services Procurement Act (1993),
Government Code Chapter 2254 Subchapter A specifies which
professionals and licenses are required for various contracts. PGs
are not on their list, so the TBPG is making a recommendation
for an amendment to the law to include PGs. This will be done
during the next legislative session in 2009.
AGI Government Affairs Monthly Review (September 2008)Congress Unable to Clean-up the Air Between States
The House of Representatives was unable to complete work on a
bill to revise the EPA’s Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). The rule,
issued in 2005, allows the EPA to deal with emissions from electric
utilities in 28 states and D.C. through a cap and trade system.
In July 2008, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in D.C. told the
EPA it was wrong to use a cap-and-trade program to deal with air
pollutants, rather than forcing
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 43
Gov
ernm
ent Update
Government Update continued on page 45
Government UpdateHenry M. Wise, P.G. and Arlin Howles, P.G.
This HGS field trip is based on the recent, highly successful GSA
field trip to Trans-Pecos, Texas with the addition of a night in the
Davis Mountains and a visit to McDonald Observatory.
Tentative itinerary includes travel in 15-passenger vans from
Houston to Del Rio followed by a day of roadside geology from
Del Rio to the Davis Mountains and a night at the historic Prude
Ranch ("Star Party" at McDonald Observatory!). The third day
participants will examine the geology along the scenic route from
Ft. Davis to Marfa to Presidio to Lajitas to Terlingua. The next two
nights will be in Big Bend country examining the Buda, Boquillas
(Eagle Ford and Austin equivalent), Aguja, and Javelina
Formations in Big Bend National Park including the
Cenomanian-Turonian and Turonian-Coniacian stage bound-
aries. Other units that will be visited briefly include the Early
Cretaceous Santa Elena, and Del Rio Formations as well as
Tertiary igneous and sedimentary units and Paleozoic units in the
Marathon Basin and Davis Mountains.
Trip is limited to 24 participants maximum!
Cost: $596 per-person cost includes all transportation, all
lodging, three full breakfasts, two continental breakfasts, four
lunches, three dinners, field guide and all entry fees.
Participants will earn 30 professional development hours.
Planned departure is on January 1 (complimentary in-van
Alka-Seltzer) with a return on January 7.
Interested parties should contact Dee Ann Cooper at
[email protected] for more details.
Further details will be posted on the HGS webpage.
Start the New Year with a Field Trip to West Texas!
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 45
emission reductions. The court advised the EPA against revising
the program, saying, "No amount of tinkering with the rule or
revising of the explanations will transform CAIR, as written, into
an acceptable rule."
With no relevant legislation coming from Congress to resolve the
issue, an unusual alliance of the Bush administration, industry,
and environmental groups have asked a federal appeals court to
reconsider the circuit court’s decision. A petition (05-1244) was
filed on September 24, 2008 by the state of North Carolina and others.
House Concerned about Lack of Oversight in “Preventable”
Oil Spills
Representative Elijah Cummings (D-MD), chairman of the
Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation,
stated, “We cannot have oil spills all over our waterways. I'm
sorry, we can do better than that.” Cummings comments were in
reference to poor oversight of the shipping industry by the U.S.
Coast Guard, resulting in an oil spill near New Orleans in July.
The July spill resulted from an unlicensed tugboat operator
pulling a huge barge, who cut in front of an oil tanker.
The Coast Guard has the authority to tighten and check license
requirements, but has not taken steps to do so. Rear Admiral
James Watson, director of prevention policy, guaranteed that the
Coast Guard would publish a rulemaking notice by the end of
2009. Congress has pledged to boost funding if it would assist in
lowering the number of spills. The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Office of Response and
Restoration, which is involved in cleanup efforts, has experienced
a 30 percent cut in funding since 2004, limiting its ability to act in
response to multiple spills.
Yucca Mountain Proposal Enters Review Phase
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced on
September 9, 2008 that it has deemed Department of Energy’s
(DOE) license application for a nuclear waste repository at Yucca
Mountain “sufficiently complete.” This is the go-ahead for a full
technical review of the document. There is a three-year deadline
for the review process with a possible one-year extension. The
NRC warns that its ability to complete the review is contingent
on receiving the adequate funding – an extra $40 million in the
2009 budget year – from Congress. There is no guarantee that the
project will be approved.
The DOE predicts the Yucca Mountain repository could open
by 2020 at the earliest. The United States’ nuclear waste, which is
currently stored at 121 sites in 39 states around the country, would
Gov
ernm
ent Update
Government Update continued on page 47
Government Update continued from page 43 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
46 Houston Geological Society Bulletin December 2008
Day One: 3 March 2009�Regional: NW European Session�Prospect Forum�Lunch�Prospect Forum�Finance Forum�Sponsored Reception
Day Two: 4 March 2009�Theme: Unconventionals Session�Prospect Forum�Lunch�Prospect Forum�Regional: Far East Session�Sponsored Reception
Day Three: 5 March 2009�Theme: Global Carbonate Potential�Regional: Africa/ME Session�Lunch (exhibition closes)�Short Courses/Seminars�Farmout Presentation�Conference Closes
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The revised 3-day program includes:�More Prospect Forum sessions �More networking opportunities with longer breaks
�New themed speaker sessions to complement focused regional sessions
Mark your calendar to attend the 8th annual APPEX London Prospect and Property Expo, 3-5 March 2009, at the Business DesignCentre in London.APPEX is the perfect place to meet and network with a truly international audience of key industry senior managersand government representatives. APPEX brings together a who’s who of host governments,NOCs and independent oil companies tospeak and exhibit, so why make cold calls when you can network in person to form mutually beneficial business relationships?
If you’re looking for globalE&P opportunities or JV partners
you’ll find them here.
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December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 47
be consolidated at the Yucca Mountain site, about 100 miles
northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. The proposal is highly controversial.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) warned that Yucca
Mountain is a “dangerous proposition” not only for Nevadans, but
“for every community in the country that would have the waste
transported through their cities and towns.”
In contrast, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman described the
move to the review phase as “a significant step forward,” saying he
is confident the NRC's review will confirm that the Yucca
Mountain repository will safely store nuclear waste “in a manner
that is most protective of human health and the environment.”
He recognized that “the expansion of commercial nuclear power
will be the key to providing the large amounts of emissions-free
base load power we need, and the establishment of the Yucca
Mountain repository is an important step toward enabling that
expansion to occur."
Experts Suggest New Polar Laws in Face of Change
On September 7, 2008, legal experts met in Iceland to discuss the
ability of current law, the United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea, to address growing concerns in the Arctic region associated
with the melting of sea ice. In a released statement, experts said, “A
new coordinated international set of rules to govern commercial
and research activities in both of Earth’s polar regions is urgently
needed to reflect new environmental realities and to temper
pressure building on these highly fragile ecosystems.”
The Law of the Sea Convention covers a range of topics from
fishing to resource development and territorial boundaries, but
many experts feel the current regulatory framework is not clear
enough to handle the expected increase in disputes as the Arctic
would provide a convenient shipping channel between the Pacific
and Atlantic oceans. During the symposium, experts analyzed the
capacity of the Law of the Sea Convention to address potential
problems associated with increased economic activity in the
Arctic, specifically, overfishing, pollution from heavier ship traffic
and resource extraction, oil spills, and the spread of invasive
species in ballast water. Organizers anticipate that an agreed
upon set of recommendations resulting from the conference, will
be sent to governments, international organizations and other
stakeholders by the year end.
For more information on the Polar Law Symposium visit:
http://www.ias.unu.edu/sub_page.aspx?catID=8&ddlID=620
Draft of Texas Education Standards Strengthens Teaching
of Evolution
Proposed drafts of state science education standards were
released by the Texas Education Agency on September 22, 2008.
The new science standards strengthen the teaching of evolution
Government Update continued from page 45 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Gov
ernm
ent Update
Government Update continued on page 49
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 49
by eliminating language requiring students to be taught about the
“strengths and weaknesses” of scientific theories. The Texas
Education Agency is soliciting public comment on and expert
review of the draft standards before submitting a revised copy to
the state board of education for approval. Texas Citizens for
Science's Steven Schafersman predicts the “public debate and
approval will be contentious."
To view the draft science education standards visit:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/scienceTEKS.html .
Louisiana School System Issues Guidelines for NewSupplemental Education LawThe Louisiana Department of Education sent a letter with general
guidelines to their public schools in August about how to deal
with the new supplemental education law entitled, “Louisiana
Science Education Act.” The law allows teachers to bring in
supplementary materials related to science. The law states: "The
state... shall allow and assist teachers, principals, and other school
administrators to create and foster an environment... that
promotes critical thinking skills, logical analysis, and open and
objective discussion of scientific theories being studied, including,
but not limited to, evolution, the origins of life, global warming,
and human cloning.”
The city, parish, or local school district is suppose to approve of
the supplementary materials before they are used in any classes,
but they have no guidelines about such materials. The letter is
meant to provide some general advice until the department can
formulate more formal guidelines through the Louisiana
Handbook for School Administrators. The letter states that
“Religious theories cannot be advanced under the guise of critical
thinking. Written materials or oral presentations that teach
creationism or intelligent design or that advance the religious
belief that a supernatural being created humankind or that state
that evolution is only a theory are prohibited.”
There is concern that this law is meant to challenge the teaching
of evolution and science and to allow religious and other non-
scientific materials to be brought in as supplements. The legislative
language is similar to arguments and language prepared by the
Discovery Institute, a private religious-based institution that
promotes the teaching of religious concepts, such as intelligent
design and creationism in public schools.
The legislation went from introduction to law in a few months
and has caught the school system unprepared to deal with the
requirements. Administrators and schools will now have to spend
time and resources on developing guidelines for this unfunded
mandate and will also have to deal with any lawsuits brought by
any individuals about any supplementary materials that might
be used.
There is concern that similar laws might be implemented in other
states. Similar legislation has been introduced in Florida,
Missouri, Michigan, South Carolina, and Alabama and other
states may consider supplementary material bills.
Key Reports and PublicationsClimate Change: Federal Actions Will Greatly Affect the Viability
of Carbon Capture and Storage As a Key Mitigation Option.
[http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-1080] September
30, 2008.
In this report, the GAO examined (1) key economic, legal, regulatory,
and technological barriers impeding commercial-scale deployment
of CCS technology and (2) actions the DOE, EPA, and other
agencies are taking to overcome barriers to commercial-scale
deployment of CCS technology.
China's Greenhouse Gas Emissions and MitigationPolicies. [http://opencrs.com/document/RL34659] Posted September 17,
2008.
This background report describes Chinese GHG emissions and
some of its mitigation efforts. It touches briefly on China's inter-
national cooperation. �
Government Update continued from page 47 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Gov
ernm
ent Update
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 51
HGS
Holiday PartyHosted by the International Explorationist Group
Join us for an evening of fun, food and friends at one of Houston’s premiere steakhouses.The party starts at 5:30 pm and your ticket includes
a great buffet dinner with Sullivan’s signature Prime Rib.
Live music by the DarDans
This is an HGS-wide event and a chance for you to network with fellow geoscientists in the Houston area. All HGS members and non-members are welcome.
Tickets are $45/per person and money raised helps support HGS activities throughout the year.
When: Monday, December 15th, 5:30pm start
Where: Sullivan’s Steakhouse 4608 Westheimer, Houston Texas (inside the Loop)
RSVP online at www.hgs.org as soon as possible to make this year’s party a great one.
JOB OPPORTUNITYAn Independent E&P Company having affiliates actively engaged inpetroleum exploration operations in North America, Africa, CentralAsia, Middle East and Far East is seeking experienced geoscientists.The Group has offices in USA, Europe, Middle East and Asia. Theselected candidates will be based in Houston, Texas. Job dutiesinclude interpretation of Gulf of Mexico 3-D seismic data and
prospect generation for drilling and review and evaluation of 2-Dand 3-D seismic data for joint ventures in Gulf Coast Region.
The applicant must have 5+ years offshore Gulf of Mexico experience and knowledge of latest geophysical methods and tools.
Desired qualification is a degree in geology or geophysics.
Salary is competitive with excellent package of benefits includingoverrides and a chance to share in success of the Company.
Send resume to: [email protected]
Tauber Exploration & Production Co.
Seeking Ready to Drill Prospects
Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast
Contact: Tim Tade or David Voight
(O) 713-869-5656 (F) 713-869-1997
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 601 • Houston, Texas 77007
52 Houston Geological Society Bulletin December 2008
ENDEAVOR NATURAL GAS, LPSeeking Drill-Ready Prospects
Texas and Louisiana Gulf CoastEast Texas • North Louisiana
Large working interest and operations preferred but not required.
Contact: Bruce Houff(O) 713 658-8555 • (F) 713 658-0715
(Email) [email protected] Louisiana, Suite 3350 • Houston, Texas 77002
Contract and Full Time Exploration and Production StaffGeoscience, Management, Reservoir Engineers, Landmen,
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Tel: 713-953-0823, ext. 13, Fax: 713-2953-1642(we also have offices in Canada, London and West Africa)
www.geoexperts.com
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 53
HGS Welcomes New Members
ACTIVE MEMBERSThomas LapinskiHermann LebitLaura UnverzagtMasayoshi SuzukiJeffrey PorterStephen ChungJames SeefeldtSuchit HartTom SwisherMolly MayerEric PotterLars HubertMeissa HarperChristopher VandewaterHarvey DeutschAdrian DigbyJason McClainJoseph Wyszynski
James HartBarry WawakScott BurnerMargaret WilliamsThomas HarrisCarrie CazesEric RhodenMichael PickellMary KaiserMark MiyaokaDavid Drowley
ASSOCIATE MEMBERSFernando ZieglerAaron Van DolahZachary WessellPatrick WallStephanie YurchykLuke Olsen
Wesley IngramDipankar DwivediBhavna AroraCecilia RamirezChris CassleKelsey MosleyDaniel FingoldBrice MabryJustin MaxwelllAlex BarnardBlair StanleyBoris RadosavljevilSeth RobinsonDean SnidowKelli McGuireDev MaharjanKristopher FarmerCory RedmanJoshua Wilkins
Shelby BatesZheng HuangMaggie ZhaoJena NoltingJames MarkinAnierobi EkweogwuMichael ZahlerJoanna CamposJessica-Ann DillonCharles SniderAlfredo MartinezRandy MooreCarl McCutcheonKelly LimbaughAlba WillisLance Cole
Effective November 3, 2008
Welcome New Members
54 Houston Geological Society Bulletin December 2008
HGS Bulletin Instructions to AuthorsAll materials are due by the 15th of the month, 6 weeks before issue publication. Abstracts should be 500 words or less; extendedabstracts up to 1000 words; articles can be any length but brevity is preferred as we have a physical page limit within our current publishing contract. All submissions are subject to editorial review and revision.
Text should be submitted by email as an attached text or Word file or on a clearly labeled diskette in Word format with a hardcopy printout to the Editor.
Figures, maps, diagrams, etc., should be digital files using Adobe Illustrator, Canvas or CorelDraw. Files should be saved and submittedin .eps (Adobe Illustrator) format. Send them as separate attachments via email or CD if they are larger than 1 MEG each, accompaniedby figure captions that include the file name of the desired image. DO NOT EMBED them into your text document; they must be sent as separate files from the text. DO NOT USE POWERPOINT, CLIP ART or Internet images (72-DPI resolution) as these do not have adequate resolution for the printed page and cannot be accepted. All digital files must have 300-DPI resolution or greater at the approximate size the figure will be printed.
Photographsmay be digital or hard copy. Hard copies must be printed on glossy paper with the author’s name, photo or figure numberand caption on the back. Digital files must be submitted in .jpg or .eps format with 300-DPI or greater resolution at the printing size andbe accompanied by figure captions that are linked by the file name of the image. The images should be submitted as individual email attach-ments (if less than 1 MB) or on CD or zip disk.
AdvertisingThe Bulletin is printed digitally using QuarkXPress. We no longer use negatives or camera-ready advertising material. Call the HGS office foravailability of ad space and for digital guidelines and necessary forms or email to [email protected]. Advertising is accepted on a space-availablebasis. Deadline for submitting material is 6 weeks prior to the first of the month in which the ad appears.
Be a web page SponsorEffective May 4, 2008 you can now have your company logo picture posted on every page (including Calendar, Articles, Events, JobBank, etc.) of theWebsite and not just the Entry page like it was before the redesign. To have an ad posted, you must provide us with the graphic and give us the URL itshould link to when clicked.
All ads appear in the “Our Sponsors” box in the upper left of the page. Each ad is displayed for a short time and replaced by the next ad in the list. Eachad will be randomly displayed on each page.
All Sponsor logo images must be 55 x 166 pixels and be no more than 8 bits per pixel with a maximum of 256 colors. The format can be either GIF orJPG, preferably interlaced or progressive. It is important to make the image file size as small as possible so that it will transfer to the users' browserquickly.
Home Page Website Business Web and Bulletin Newsletter Sponsor Personal Resumes GeoJobBankLogo 165x55 Card (with link) Business Card Banner Ad (with link) (Members only) Posting
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December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 55
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56 Houston Geological Society Bulletin December 2008
December is the end of the calendar year and the month of
excitement and expectation. Families will be gathering and
celebrating Christmas. Friends will be giving parties and gifts
and ushering out the old year and welcoming in the uncertain
New Year.
Foremost on the hearts and minds of most Americans has been
the dramatic downtown of the economy which caused the erratic
and often extreme devaluation of personal assets, IRAs and pen-
sions. Now we must place our hope in our newly elected officials
to fulfill campaign promises and move quickly to bring confi-
dence and stability back to the market and to the economy. The
United States is known for its integrity, determination, strength
and resilience, and we pray that these qualities will be evident as
we move forward in hope.
The HGA/ HPAC holiday event on Friday, December 5, will be a
lunch at the Pine Forest Country Club. We will be entertained
with Reviews of Great Books for Gift-Giving by Valerie Koehler,
Owner of Blue Willow Bookshop, plus Holiday Music by Mario.
Nan Pye and Lynn Schoenberg are Co-Chairs for this event. We
are anticipating a really large turnout of members and guests.
Hope to see you there.
If you have not yet joined HGA/HPAC, please fill out and submit
the membership form in this Bulletin and then, as members of
HGA/HPAC, consider joining Geowives for additional activities
by calling Daisy Wood at 713-977-7319. �
The year 2008 is almost a memory, so see you at something
Geological in 2009!
Hou
ston
Geo
logical A
uxiliary/Hou
ston
Petroleum
Aux
iliary Cou
ncilNews Houston Geological Auxiliary/Houston Petroleum
Auxiliary Council NewsNorma Jean Jones, HGS Liaison
You are invited to become a member of
HGA/HPAC2008–2009 dues are $20.00
Mail dues payment along with the completed yearbook information to Nan Pye, 18219 Longmoor, Houston, TX 77084
YEARBOOK INFORMATION
Last Name First Name Name Tag
Spouse Name Name Tag HGS Member’s Company
Home Phone Business Phone Business Fax
Street Address City Zip
Email Address Home Fax
Please choose a committee assignment if you are interested.
� Fall Event � Yearbook � SOS � Membership
� Christmas Event � Spring Event � Notification � Game Day
� May Luncheon � Courtesy
December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 57
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58 Houston Geological Society Bulletin December 2008
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December 2008 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 59
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10 issues713-463-9476
Where is your card?$135 per year
10 issues713-463-9476
60 Houston Geological Society Bulletin December 2008
7500 SAN FELIPE, SUITE 250HOUSTON, TEXAS 77063
Where is your card?$135 per year
10 issues713-463-9476
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