James Butler, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Geohydrology Section, Kansas Geological Survey
Seminar Lab Subject:
Charting Pathways to a More Sustainable Future in the Ogallala Aquifer of Western Kansas (V)
Seminar Lab Location :
Virtual lecture 7:00 PM CT.
Participation instructions will be e-mailed to GSM members. If you are not a member of GSM and wish to attend this free seminar online, register as follows by 12 noon CT Monday, Feb 12: Go to the Contact menu above and select "Ask GSM". In the form that appears, enter your name and e-mail address. Enter "Feb 12 lecture" in the subject line. In the message body, please enter the city and state or country from which you will view the seminar. You will receive instructions by e-mail prior to the lecture. Check your spam folder if the instructions do not appear in your in-box at least one hour prior to the lecture.
Seminar Lab Details:
Abstract: The High Plains Aquifer (HPA) in the central United States is one of the world’s largest and most important aquifers. Like many of the world’s major aquifers that support irrigated agriculture, the HPA is being depleted at an alarming rate. This is particularly true in the Ogallala component of the aquifer in western Kansas, where continuation of current rates of depletion poses an existential threat to the viability of irrigated agriculture and the rural communities that depend on it. In this presentation, I will discuss current conditions in the aquifer, how we got to this point, and ongoing efforts to chart more sustainable paths for the Ogallala and similar aquifers around the world.
Biography: Jim Butler is a Senior Scientist in the Geohydrology Section of the Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas. He holds a B.S. in Geology from the College of William and Mary, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Hydrogeology from Stanford University. His research interests include assessment of aquifers that support irrigated agriculture, well responses to natural and anthropogenic stimuli, and stream-aquifer interactions. Jim was the 2020 recipient of the M. King Hubbert Award of the National Ground Water Association in recognition of his scientific contributions to groundwater hydrology.
Jeff Thole, M.Sc., Geology Laboratory Supervisor & Instructor, Macalester College
Seminar Lab Subject:
Paleo Lab: Fossils Through Time: Fossil Diversity and the 'Big Five' Mass Extinctions
Seminar Lab Location :
Lab time is 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon (We suggest arriving at 9:45. The doors are card-access only; someone will be stationed at the south door (at least) to allow participants in. Olin Hall has lots of interesting specimens and exhibits on display.)
Macalester College Geology Dept., SW area of basement of Olin-Rice Science Center (Building 14), (south end of campus, by tennis courts). Park to the south or west of the building.
Summary: Fossil diversity increased profoundly during the "Cambrian Explosion" with the evolution of complex life forms. This diversity has waxed and waned since that time due to numerous factors but generally these factors are controlled by tectonic forces and the movements and locations of tectonic plates on the earth's surface. Extinction driving forces include climate changes (both warming and cooling), volcanism, sea level changes, and large-scale impact events. We will look briefly at the "Big Five" extinction events and what the fossil record tells us about which groups survived to produce the diversity we see on earth today.
The lab will include a brief introduction and a chance to look at a collection (albeit somewhat limited) of mostly common fossils that represent which groups did or did not survive the big extinction events. We'll do a quick review of how to identify common (primarily invertebrate) fossils and participants can explore fossil sets and try their hand at fossil identification. There will also be the opportunity to identify a variety of Cretaceous microfossils from Montana using stereomicroscopes.
Biography:Jeff Thole is the Geology Laboratory Supervisor at Macalester College. He arrived at Macalester in 1996 after doing 5 years of environmental consulting. His work experience also includes spending a year as a geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Virginia. His primary duties include teaching introductory geology labs and maintaining, running, and user instruction for the instrumentation housed in the Macalester Science Division’s Keck Laboratory. Jeff received Master of Science in Geology from Washington State University in 1991 and Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Minnesota – Duluth in 1987.
James Butler, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Geohydrology Section, Kansas Geological Survey
Seminar Lab Subject:
Charting Pathways to a More Sustainable Future in the Ogallala Aquifer of Western Kansas (V)
Seminar Lab Location :
Virtual lecture 7:00 PM CT.
Participation instructions will be e-mailed to GSM members. If you are not a member of GSM and wish to attend this free seminar online, register as follows by 12 noon CT Monday, Feb 12: Go to the Contact menu above and select "Ask GSM". In the form that appears, enter your name and e-mail address. Enter "Feb 12 lecture" in the subject line. In the message body, please enter the city and state or country from which you will view the seminar. You will receive instructions by e-mail prior to the lecture. Check your spam folder if the instructions do not appear in your in-box at least one hour prior to the lecture.
Seminar Lab Details:
Abstract: The High Plains Aquifer (HPA) in the central United States is one of the world’s largest and most important aquifers. Like many of the world’s major aquifers that support irrigated agriculture, the HPA is being depleted at an alarming rate. This is particularly true in the Ogallala component of the aquifer in western Kansas, where continuation of current rates of depletion poses an existential threat to the viability of irrigated agriculture and the rural communities that depend on it. In this presentation, I will discuss current conditions in the aquifer, how we got to this point, and ongoing efforts to chart more sustainable paths for the Ogallala and similar aquifers around the world.
Biography: Jim Butler is a Senior Scientist in the Geohydrology Section of the Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas. He holds a B.S. in Geology from the College of William and Mary, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Hydrogeology from Stanford University. His research interests include assessment of aquifers that support irrigated agriculture, well responses to natural and anthropogenic stimuli, and stream-aquifer interactions. Jim was the 2020 recipient of the M. King Hubbert Award of the National Ground Water Association in recognition of his scientific contributions to groundwater hydrology.
Jeff Thole, M.Sc., Geology Laboratory Supervisor & Instructor, Macalester College
Seminar Lab Subject:
Paleo Lab: Fossils Through Time: Fossil Diversity and the 'Big Five' Mass Extinctions
Seminar Lab Location :
Lab time is 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon (We suggest arriving at 9:45. The doors are card-access only; someone will be stationed at the south door (at least) to allow participants in. Olin Hall has lots of interesting specimens and exhibits on display.)
Macalester College Geology Dept., SW area of basement of Olin-Rice Science Center (Building 14), (south end of campus, by tennis courts). Park to the south or west of the building.
Summary: Fossil diversity increased profoundly during the "Cambrian Explosion" with the evolution of complex life forms. This diversity has waxed and waned since that time due to numerous factors but generally these factors are controlled by tectonic forces and the movements and locations of tectonic plates on the earth's surface. Extinction driving forces include climate changes (both warming and cooling), volcanism, sea level changes, and large-scale impact events. We will look briefly at the "Big Five" extinction events and what the fossil record tells us about which groups survived to produce the diversity we see on earth today.
The lab will include a brief introduction and a chance to look at a collection (albeit somewhat limited) of mostly common fossils that represent which groups did or did not survive the big extinction events. We'll do a quick review of how to identify common (primarily invertebrate) fossils and participants can explore fossil sets and try their hand at fossil identification. There will also be the opportunity to identify a variety of Cretaceous microfossils from Montana using stereomicroscopes.
Biography:Jeff Thole is the Geology Laboratory Supervisor at Macalester College. He arrived at Macalester in 1996 after doing 5 years of environmental consulting. His work experience also includes spending a year as a geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Virginia. His primary duties include teaching introductory geology labs and maintaining, running, and user instruction for the instrumentation housed in the Macalester Science Division’s Keck Laboratory. Jeff received Master of Science in Geology from Washington State University in 1991 and Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Minnesota – Duluth in 1987.
Participation instructions will be e-mailed to GSM members. If you are not a member of GSM and wish to attend this free seminar online, register as follows by 12 noon CT Monday, Feb 26: Go to the Contact menu above and select "Ask GSM". In the form that appears, enter your name and e-mail address. Enter "Feb 26 lecture" in the subject line. In the message body, please enter the city and state or country from which you will view the seminar. You will receive instructions by e-mail prior to the lecture. Check your spam folder if the instructions do not appear in your in-box at least one hour prior to the lecture.
Seminar Lab Details:
After Lecture presentation:
Although we did not record Monday’s lecture, presenter Ron Clendening has generously made the PDF of the extensive slide deck available. Click here to view.
Summary:A presentation summarizing the basic geology of Tennessee and the natural resources located in each of the physiographic regions of the state.
Biography:Ron Clendening is a Professional Geologist in the State of Tennessee since 1990; he has worked for the Tennessee Geological Survey since 2007. His TGS work has been mainly focused on 1:24k quadrangle mapping of the Pennsylvanian geology of the Northern Cumberland Plateau. He has also mapped in the Coastal Plain of West Tennessee and quadrangles on the Western Highland Rim. Prior to joining the TGS, he worked as a Geologist for the TDEC Division of Superfund and as an Environmental Health Specialist for the Tennessee Department of Health.
Participation instructions will be e-mailed to GSM members. If you are not a member of GSM and wish to attend this free seminar online, register as follows by 12 noon CT Monday, Feb 26: Go to the Contact menu above and select "Ask GSM". In the form that appears, enter your name and e-mail address. Enter "Feb 26 lecture" in the subject line. In the message body, please enter the city and state or country from which you will view the seminar. You will receive instructions by e-mail prior to the lecture. Check your spam folder if the instructions do not appear in your in-box at least one hour prior to the lecture.
Seminar Lab Details:
After Lecture presentation:
Although we did not record Monday’s lecture, presenter Ron Clendening has generously made the PDF of the extensive slide deck available. Click here to view.
Summary:A presentation summarizing the basic geology of Tennessee and the natural resources located in each of the physiographic regions of the state.
Biography:Ron Clendening is a Professional Geologist in the State of Tennessee since 1990; he has worked for the Tennessee Geological Survey since 2007. His TGS work has been mainly focused on 1:24k quadrangle mapping of the Pennsylvanian geology of the Northern Cumberland Plateau. He has also mapped in the Coastal Plain of West Tennessee and quadrangles on the Western Highland Rim. Prior to joining the TGS, he worked as a Geologist for the TDEC Division of Superfund and as an Environmental Health Specialist for the Tennessee Department of Health.
