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Hudson – Mohawk Professional Geologists Association
N e w s l e t t e r w w w . h m p g a . w i l d M A Y i c o t . o r g
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Continued on page 4
Geoarchaeological Perspectives on Holocene Floodplain Development in the Susquehanna
and Schoharie River Basins, New York
Speaker: Julieann Van Nest, New York State Museum
Wednesday • May 20th, 2015
Abstract: In 1957 Wolman and Leopold published a hypothetical curve that related time to height of the floodplain surface above its channel bed, within a Late Holocene (0–2 ka) context for a stream in Pennsylvania. In this model a maximal floodplain height was approached when over-the-bank flood events became increasingly less likely to top these surfaces. In 1977 Scully presented well-dated soil geomorphological data from the Unadilla and Susquehanna Rivers in New York that closely fit this overall trend. Paying close attention to the many buried soil A horizons, Scully showed that vertical aggradation was accomplished by a series of episodic sedimentation events separated by periods of soil formation. Similar Holocene sections were also well-represented in the many buried floodplain archaeological sites studied by Funk (1993) in the Upper Susquehanna basin. In this presentation I will briefly review these earlier studies as background to interpreting Holocene floodplain sections in the adjoining Schoharie Basin. These field-based studies illustrate much subsurface stratigraphic complexity that is not reflected in morphological terrace schema, and demonstrate that individual floodplain segments as viewed from the surface or air have a complex, polygenetic origin.
About the Speaker: Julieann Van Nest received her bachelors degrees in Anthropology and Geology from the University of North Dakota, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Geology (Quaternary Studies) from the University of Iowa. She is a Registered Professional Archaeologist and has been practicing geoarchaeology
O f f i c e r s President Tanjia Maynard (518) 275-5688 [email protected] Vice President Frank Williams (518) 472-1988 [email protected] Treasurer Danylo Kulczycky “DK” (800) 782-7260 [email protected] Secretary Sarah Benson (518) 453-8749 [email protected] Past President Scott Hulseapple (518) 348-6995 [email protected] B O A r d M e M B e r s Kevin Phelan (518) 348-6995 [email protected] Luanne Whitbeck (518) 475- 1008 [email protected] Jen Kotch 877-7101 x 115 [email protected] Jesse Vollick (518) 724-7265 [email protected] Josh Gowan (518) 348-6995 [email protected] Joe Osso (518) 452-7826 [email protected]
M e e t i N G i N f O r M A t i O N
Location: Century House
997 New Loudon Road
Latham, NY 12110
When: Social Hour 5:00pm Dinner 6:00pm Program 7:00pm Cost: Dinner & Program $10.00 for student members $20.00 for dormant geologists $25.00 for members $30.00 for non-members Program only: Free
Individual Memberships are $25 Student Memberships are $10
Corporate Memberships are $100 and includes four staff as members and the option to run a one-time, full page ad in the newsletter per year. Take out an advertisement in the newsletter! There are four sizes to choose from. Business card, quarter page, half page and whole page. Contact Frank Williams for more information • [email protected]
For sale HMPGA glasses $5 and T-shirts $15
Dinner Sponsorships Dinner Sponsors receive free dinner, a display table set up for the social hour and a 5 minute presentation to the dinner audience, prior to the presentation.
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Reservations are required by Monday MAY 18, 2015
Whether attending the dinner, or only the presentation.
Register on-line at
www.hmpga.wildMAYicot.org
or call or email Diane at (518) 348-6995, [email protected]
P r e s i d e N t ’ s M e s s A G e
My tenure as president of this fine organization is at an end. As of June 1st Frank Williams will take the reins (or the rock hammer, a lesser known but more applicable, idiom). Welcome, Frank and good luck! The Officers and Board of Directors for 2015 -2016 are: Officers President: Frank Williams Vice President: Sarah Benson Secretary: Kevin Phelan Treasurer: DK Kulczycky Board of Directors Luanne Whitbeck Jen Kotch Jesse Vollick Josh Gowan Joe Osso As seems to be the case EVERY YEAR, we are in need of an additional Board Member. So, I end my message with gratitude and a final round of badgering: 1. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve and work with such amazing and
committed people. 2. VOL UNTEER already, sheesh. You won’t regret it, I promise.
See you all at the summer event!! Gratefully, Tanjia Maynard President 2014 – 2015
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s U M M e r e V e N t
Mardi Gras Night
L i v e M u s i c ! F i r e w o r k s !
Tuesday, JULY 28th
SAVE the DATE
Dinner at the Pavilion and tickets to the Valley Cats Baseball game.
About the Speaker: Julieann Van Nest | continued continuously since 1980, primarily in contract archaeology settings. Prior to coming to the New York State Museum as a Research Scientist in 1999 she was Project Geologist at the Center for American Archeology in Kampsville, Illinois. Her latest article “Holocene Mississippi River floods and geoarchaeological site formation processes in the Sny Bottom, western Illinois, USA” appeared in Quaternary International 342:114–138 (2014).
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M e M B e r s P O t l i G H t
Joseph G. Spaulding, Staff Geologist Sterling Environmental Engineering, P.C., Latham, New York
How did you become interested in Geology? I became interested in geology my freshman year of high school when I took Earth Science. I was lucky enough to have a great teacher who was very hands-on and made everything seem easy about how the earth works and its processes. When I was much younger, I was probably interested in geology and didn’t even know it. I would constantly have my head down while walking outside or through the woods looking for any cool rocks or fossils. What I love about geology is that it challenges me look in all directions, not just what’s in front of me.
What is your current position? I am currently a staff geologist at Sterling Environmental Engineering. I work with a very talented group of engineers and geologists. They are a very helpful and accepting group of professionals, providing a smooth transition from college to the working world. I really enjoy the environmental consulting business because I am doing something different every day and I can use the geologic skills I gained in college and directly apply them to my work. I already have had the opportunity to be involved in a
range of projects such as solid and hazardous waste management, brownfield development, site assessment, petroleum remediation, and site development or closure.
Do you have a favorite rock? What is it? My favorite rock would have to be the “Herkimer Diamond”. The Herkimer Diamond is a double-terminated quartz crystal that was discovered within the exposed outcrops of dolostone in and around where I grew up. Some of the first discoveries of the diamond were in the City of Little Falls, which is why it is special to me. The diamonds are known for their extreme clarity and some believe that they hold a variety of mystical healing powers. When I was younger, I enjoyed collecting them believing that they were “real” diamonds and were actually of value.
What made you decide to pursue this career path? At first, I had no idea what I would be doing when I graduated from college. I knew that it would be difficult to find a job to directly apply my skills with limited experience. I became interested in environmental geology during my junior year continued on Page 8
Rainbow Basin in the Mojave Desert, California. Whitewater Preserve and Whitewater River, San Bernardino Mountains, California.
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SPONSOR A HMPGA DINNER and Tell Us About Your Services Dinner Sponsors receive free dinner, a display table set up for the social hour and a
5 minute presentation to the dinner audience, prior to the speaker presentation.
P r o g r a m D i r e c t o r s Being active in HMPGA is a fully volunteer activity that often demands a great deal of attention. The following members chair this year’s committees and we thank them:
Committees Contact Email
Communications and Educational Outreach Jen Kotch [email protected]
Membership Josh Gowan [email protected]
Newsletter Liz Haight [email protected]
Program Sarah Benson Jesse Vollick
[email protected] [email protected]
Webmaster Scott Hulseapple [email protected]
Each year Jennifer Kotch coordinates HMPGA volunteers for several weeks of 1/2 day field trips to the Museum of Mining & Geology at Howe’s Caves. For more information about the annual trips please contact Jennifer Kotch, Senior Project Geologist, HRP Associates, Inc. • [email protected]. Thanks Again Jen.
THANK YOU ! THANK YOU ! To the HMPGA members who volunteered their time.
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G E O - C R Y P T O C I P H E R
CLUE: I equals A and each letter of the expression is substituted by another letter.
CBZ NBR WRLELWSVNV CRTRG’N SJUTRVVRQ
QDTSGW NBRST OSVSN NL I VSRTTI GROIQI
XINBLESNB: NBRZ NLLF SN ALT WTIGSNR.
Answer in the September 2015 HMPGA Newsletter.
This years volunteers : Ted Loukides, Luanne Whitbeck, Joseph Osso, Kevin Phelan, Steve Trader, Jennifer Kotch, Paul Griggs, Marty Pidel, Fred Schauf, Brian Remus, Peter Murray, Curtis Cappellano,
Mau Piel, Gardiner Cross, Alexandra Monson, Adrian Bilger, and Deming Justin.
Jen still needs volunteers for May 14th!
H e A l t H A N d s A f e t Y c O r N e r
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Member Spotlight | continued from Page 5
when I participated in an internship working with the Catskills Headwaters Research Institute held at the Biological Field Station in Cooperstown. Our efforts were centered on characterizing the water chemistry from springs of the Marcellus Shale that our group identified in Northern Otsego County. We learned various sampling protocols and procedures and plotted the chemical composition of the samples. This internship helped develop my interest in environmental geology and guided me in my academic studies and career choice.
What other people, interests or activities do you enjoy? I enjoy being outdoors as much as possible and spending time with family and friends. I love winter and snowboarding although this winter has gotten old; I am looking forward to the warmer weather and seeing green again. I also like to play the acoustic guitar. I find it relaxing and it’s a good feeling when you’re able to perfect a tune that you’ve been working on.
I recently moved to downtown Albany at the beginning of the year, so I am excited to see
what the urban environment has to offer in the spring and summer. I love the Capitol Region and there always seems to be something to do in or near Albany.
Describe your most memorable experience in your profession? My most memorable experience in my profession is the two week field trip to Southern California that I participated in through the SUNY Oneonta Earth Sciences Department. The trip consisted of field investigations and observations, mapping rock units, faults and folds and drafting maps and cross sections. The landscape was awesome and the geology was so different than what I had been exposed to at the time. A couple places that stick in my mind are the multi-colored rock formations of the Rainbow Basin in the Mojave Desert (home of Death Valley) and the steep, narrow canyon of the Whitewater River, located in the San Bernardino Mountains. The Whitewater River, in particular, is so dynamic, creating a whole different world from the vast desert floors.
Please see Joe’s photos on Page 5.
I find your lack of PPE disturbing. #StarWars
American Society of Safety Engineers
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DID YOU HEAR? Five mineral species never before described in New York State
were discovered as a result of recent investigations. Chevkinite-(Ce), Orange County; Ancylite-(Ce), New York County; Calcioancylite-(Ce), New York County; Coffinite on
Th-rich Uraninite, Westchester County and Gahnite, Essex County.
M i N e r A l O f t H e M O N t H - P e r i d O t
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Peridots are almost unique in the mineral kingdom. As they form only one way, through volcanism, they are only found in igneous rocks from Earth. Peridots only occur in only one color, an olive green. The intensity and tint of the green, however, depends on how much iron is contained in the crystal structure, so the color of individual peridot gems can vary from yellow—to olive—to brownish-green. The most valued color is a dark olive-green.
Mg2SiO4
Peridot crystals have been collected from some Pallasite Meterorites. A famous Pallasite was offered for auction in April 2008 with a requested price of close to $3 million at Bonhams, but remained unsold.
The largest cut peridot olivine is a 310 carat (62 g) specimen in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. Peridot olivine is the birthstone for the month of August.
Got Jobs? HMPGA will post your job vacancy in the Newsletter. Send ‘em over!
HMPGA Committees: HMPGA is a volunteer-run organization. If you have any interest in volunteering to help our group thrive, we always welcome members on our various committees. Contact Sarah at [email protected] if you are interesting in being a more active member!
Send Us Your Photos!! The HMPGA newsletter welcomes the submission of photos or anything of a geologic nature for inclusion in future newsletters. Please send your submissions to: Liz Haight • [email protected].
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Interested in becoming a Spotlight Member of the Month? Sharing our common experiences and
what makes us love Geology Please contact Liz Haight [email protected]
Liz Haight – Moab, Utah - 2014
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Adirondack Environmental Services Steve Valle 518.434.4546
Advanced Environmental Geology, LLC Brian Norensky 518.3732870
AECOM Walter Howard 518.951.22200
Alpha Geoscience Scott Hulseapple 518.348.6995
Aquifer Drilling & Testing, Inc. Joe Miranda 518.326.1441
Aztech Technologies Mary Passarretti 518.885.5383
Barton and Loguidice Steve LeFevre 518.218.1801
Bond, Schoeneck & King Kevin Berstein 315.218.8329
Brown and Caldwell Frank Williams 518.472.1988
Callanan Industries, Inc Peter Zeh 518.374.2222
Cascade Drilling Robert Danckert 518.939.1050
CHA Sarah Benson 518.453.8749
Chazen Environmental Danielle Marxer 845.454.3980
Cobleskill Stone Products Michael Moore 518.234.0021
Con – Test Analytical Labs Con-Test 413.525.2332
Continental Placer Bill Miller 518.458.9203
EMSI Companies Todd Calder 860-659-8119
Geosyntec Eric Lovenduski 518.785.0800
Geotech Environmental Equipment, Inc. Peter Murray 888.558.5325
Griggs – Lang Consulting Geologists Jeff Lang 518.270.5920
H2H Associates Richard Hisert 518.270.1620
Hager – Richter Geoscience, Inc. Dorothy Richter 732.661.0555
Hanson VanVleet, LLC Kirby VanVleet 518.371.7940
HDR, Inc. Michael Lehtinen 518.937.9500
HRP Associates Jennifer Kotch 888.823.6427
Hydrogeologic, Inc Eric Evans 518.877.0309
Layne Christiansen Steve Crook 518.295.8288
Pace Analytical Bill Kotas 518.346.4592
Parratt Wolff, Inc. Danylo Kulczycky “DK” 800.782.7260
Phoenix Environmental Labs Buddy Beams 518.232.2420
Precision Environmental Services Daniel Nierenberg 518.885.4399
PVE Sheffler Chris Brown 845.454.2544
Regenesis Maureen Dooley 781.245.1320
Sanborn. Head and Associates Timothy White 603.229.1900
SCE Environmental Michael Maergle 855.877.5605
SJB Jim Vincent 518.8997491
Sterling Environmental Engineering, P.C. Mark Williams 518.456.4900
Zebra Environmental Matt Ednie 518.355.2201
c O r P O r A t e M e M B e r c O N t A c t s
Eastern New York (ENY) Chapter of the Air & Waste Management Association (MASS-A&WMA). They encompass the greater Capital District and Hudson Valley region of eastern New York State. A professional non-for‐profit association of engineers and scientists working in the environmental field, with a particular focus on issues related to air and waste. www.awmanenychapter.wildMAYicot.org
The Geological Society of America (GSA) strives to be a leader in advancing the geosciences, while enhancing the professional growth of its members, and promoting the geosciences in the service of humankind. www.geosociety.org
The New York State Museum is a major research and educational institution. It is dedicated to promoting inquiry and advancing knowledge in the fields of geology, biology, anthropology, and history, through the investigation of material evidence germane to New York State's past, present and future. www.nysm.nysed.gov
New York State Council of Professional Geologists (NYSCPG) strives to strengthen and advance the geologic sciences as a profession, promote the protection of public health and welfare and the environment through the professional practice of geologic sciences, and create high standards of ethical conduct among its members and within the profession of geology, as well as the legal standing of geologists and their ability to practice geology in New York State by promoting the licensing of geologists in New York State through statutory regulation. www.nyscpg.org
The Capital District Environmental Breakfast Club is an informal group of environmental professionals that meets monthly to discuss current environmental issues. Each meeting features a speaker on a topic of interest, a regulatory update, and an open forum. Meetings are held on the first Friday of each month except July and August. The Environmental Breakfast Club meets at the Holiday Inn Turf on Wolf Road in Colonie, New York. Meetings start at 7:30 am. The cost is $15 per person, which includes a full breakfast buffet. www.youngsommer.com
Buffalo Association of Professional Geologists (BAPG) conducts regular membership meetings on the third Wednesday of the month, January through June and September through November. Meetings feature distinguished speakers and interesting topics. Field trips and technical seminars sponsored by the BAPG encourage the exchange of scholarship and expertise. www.bapg.org
Central NY Association of Professional Geologists (CNYAPG) conducts regular meetings on the second Thursday of each month, unless otherwise posted, from September to May. Meetings feature dinner and distinguished speakers whose presentations invite comment and discussion. www.cnyapg.org
Long Island Association of Professional Geologists (LIAPG) is a not-for-profit professional organization dedicated to the professional and business needs of geologists located in the Long Island / Metro New York area. www.lipg.org
HMPGA P.O. Box 5506 Albany, NY 12205--0506 Forwarding Service Requested First Class