April Dinner Meeting – 2017

NOTICE! CHANGE OF DATE!

Date: April 26, 2017

Speaker: Dr. Jan Rasmussen, Jan Rasmussen Consulting

http://www.janrasmussen.com/consulting.html

Topic: Wulfenite in Arizona

Location: McFate Brewing Company

 

RSVP HERE!

Abstract:

‘Wulfenite in Arizona’ by Jan Rasmussen

Arizona is famous for its spectacular wulfenite specimens, such as the butterscotch-colored, bladed crystals from the Glove Mine south of Tucson. A recent bill in the Arizona legislature has designated wulfenite to be the state mineral.

 

Wulfenite (lead molybdate) forms in the oxidized zones of lead-zinc-silver deposits during later periods of alteration. The best large samples of wulfenite are associated with Laramide (~75 Ma), Jurassic (~190 Ma), or mid-Tertiary (~25 Ma) lead deposits where there are permeable fault zones with open space, open channelways, or caves. Microscopic specimens of wulfenite are associated with the later stages of porphyry copper or other types of ore deposits in the lead-zinc zones. Surprisingly, wulfenite does not occur in the presence of molybdenite, but rather occurs in close proximity to cerussite (lead carbonate) that has been altered from galena.

 

Museum quality specimens of wulfenite occur at the Glove Mine in the northwestern Santa Rita Mountains of Laramide age and at the Silver Bill, Defiance, Mystery, and Tom Scott mines in the Turquoise district (Courtland-Gleeson area in Cochise County) of Jurassic age. Mid-Tertiary age wulfenite samples are found at the Red Cloud Mine in La Paz County, Rowley Mine in Maricopa County, Old Yuma Mine in the northern Tucson Mountains, and the Mammoth-St. Anthony Mine at Tiger, AZ north of San Manuel.

 

Biography:

Dr. Jan Rasmussen is a consulting geologist in Tucson, specializing in writing permitting documents, such as Aquifer Protection Permits and Mine Plan of Operations, for consulting companies, such as SRK Consulting and other clients. As a Registered Geologist in Arizona and a Qualified Person with registration from SME, Jan has written Canadian National Instrument 43-101 reports for mining clients. Jan’s work in economic geology has included exploration for metallic and industrial mineral resources and most recently research with MagmaChem Exploration into ultra-deep hydrocarbon resources in the North Sea for a Norwegian oil company.

Jan earned a Ph.D. in economic geology from the University of Arizona in 1993 and then worked for Woodward-Clyde as a geochemist/economic geologist on the Yucca Mountain project in Nevada. Jan’s work there was recently published in the 2015 Geological Society of Nevada symposium volume.

Jan’s most recent full time job was as Curator of the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum in Phoenix from 2007 through 2010.  Jan received the SME Individual GEM award in 2010 for her work in educating children about the importance of mining in their lives. Her interest in wulfenite started with her early research into molybdenum in Arizona with the Arizona Bureau of Mines (now the Arizona Geological Survey).

Throughout her career, Jan has been committed to educating people about geology and has taught Physical, Historical, and Environmental Geology as adjunct faculty for the University of Arizona, Austin Community College, Cochise College, and Pima Community College.

Jan has coauthored 14 books or open file reports on Arizona geology and numerous articles, most of which are available as pdf files on her website www.janrasmussen.com. Jan has recently started a photographic website, www.MiningMineralMuseum.com  about the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum as it was in 2010.

 

 



March ASU Student Networking Night

Date: March 30, 2017  — 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Student Networking Night at ASU

Please join the Phoenix Chapter of the Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists (AEG), the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG), and the Arizona Hydrological Society (AHS) at the 11th Annual Arizona AEG student night on March 30, 2017. This year at Student Networking Night we will pair students and professionals for mock interviews for the students and lightning talks by professionals. This is an opportunity for students to learn how diverse the geologic field is and what varying aspects are available as a professional. This is also a night for professionals to meet students and learn what they are studying and what they hope to do once they graduate.

The event will begin at 6:00 pm and will be held in the La Paz Room of the Student Memorial Union on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University (301 E. Orange Mall
Tempe, AZ 85281). For directions, please refer to the map of the ASU Campus and Student Memorial Union, or visit http://www.asu.edu/map/interactive/.

RSVP HERE!

 

Students and professionals, please send resumes to aeg.arizona@gmail.com for us to pair teams together.

Students, if you’d like to participate in our resume workshop, please email aeg.arizona@gmail.com and indicate resume workshop.

Professionals that would like to give a 5 to 10 minute presentation on your role in your firm and your experience as a geologist or engineer, please contact Danielle Smilovsky (Danielle.Smilovsky@amecfw.com).



January 2017 Dinner Meeting

Join us for our January 2017 Dinner Meeting at McFate Brewing Company in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Our speaker will be Mr. Geno Mammini, R.G. who will be presenting on Groundwater Recharge – Siting, Design, Operation, and Enhancement.

GROUNDWATER RECHARGE – SITING, DESIGN, OPERATION, AND ENHANCEMENT

Geno Mammini, R.G. is a senior project hydrogeologist at Clear Creek Associates with over 16 years of experience in hydrogeologic and environmental consulting.  Geno graduated with his Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from California State University – Sonoma in 2000.  Geno is a Registered Geologist in Arizona and Washington, and is the groundwater chair for the Tri-State Seminar, an annual event held in Las Vegas that focuses on educating water professionals.  Geno has managed the design and construction of numerous public supply wells, ASR wells, vadose zone injection wells, and groundwater recharge basins, and has also conducted studies to enhance performance of recharge facilities.

Groundwater recharge remains an important water resources management tool in the southwest.  However, with today’s economic conditions, public and private entities alike must get the greatest return possible for each recharge investment dollar.  That is why it is critical to properly locate, construct, and operate recharge facilities to maximize their capability to efficiently recharge groundwater, both in the short-term and over the long haul.  This presentation will review types of recharge technologies including vadose zone methods and direct injection systems, and will discuss factors that should be considered during each stage of the recharge project from siting through design and ultimately operation.  Case studies will be sited to support hydrogeologic and costing assumptions.

Thank you to our sponsor Clear Creek Associates and Geo-Logic Associates:



In Memoriam of Lee M. Allison

In honor and remembrance of Arizona’s late state geologist, Lee M. Allison, several colleagues and friends have organized a special event including an afternoon field trip and an evening dinner event. The afternoon field trip event is still being organized and will be on the afternoon of November 19, 2016. The dinner event is planned on November 19, 2016 at  Tohono Chul Park, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, Tucson, Arizona. There is no cost to this event as it is sponsored by:

AEG – Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists
AGS – Arizona Geological Society
AZGS – Arizona Geological Survey
AIPG – American Institute of Professional Geologists
ARPA – Arizona Rock Products Association
SABC – Southern Arizona Business Coalition

Evening Event: Celebrating the life of Lee Allison @ Performance Garden of Tohono Chul Park

Day / Time: November 19, 6:00–10:00 pm
Light dinner and drinks provided (cash bar)

Those planning to attend the evening celebration, please RSVP to Kristi Sagar.

Field Trip: Debris-Flow Hazards of the Santa Catalina Mountains and Quaternary Evolution of Piedmont Fans

Day / Time: November 19, 12:30–5:30 pm
Leaders: Ann Youberg and Phil Pearthree of the Arizona Geological Survey
Transportation: TBD
Field trip guide provided gratis by Arizona Geological Survey

Those planning to attend the afternoon field trip, please RSVP to fmconway@email.arizona.edu.

 



2016 Southwest Geo-Hazards Symposium– Early Bird Special

2016 Southwest Geo-Hazard Symposium

November 14, 2016

Desert Willow Conference Center
4340 E Cotton Center Boulevard, Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ  85040

Please visit the AzSCE website for more details on registration, sponsorship opportunities and a listing of topics and speakers. The symposium flyer can be found here.

 Register before October 21 for Early Bird Special!!!



October 2016 Dinner Meeting

 

Our next dinner meeting will be held Wednesday October 5, 2016 at McFate Brewing Company located on Scottsdale Road, south of McDowell Road, in Scottsdale (Google Map). We will start off at 5:30 pm with a hosted happy hour, followed by dinner at 6:30 pm and the presentation and discussion starting shortly after dinner.

This months meeting sponsor is Resilient Drilling.

Meeting Sponsor!

Our presenter is Dr. Phil Pearthree, Interim Director for Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS). Dr. Pearthree will be giving an update on the status of AZGS, as well as a discussion on the landslide database available through AZGS. See October 2016 AEG Meeting flyer for additional details.

We will also present the new AEG Phoenix Chapter leadership, including:

Jessica Castleton, Southwest Regional Director
Ashley Evans, Chair
Danielle Smilovsky, Vice Chair
Maren Henley, Secretary
Tiana Rasmussen, Treasurer

Please RSVP by Monday, October 3, by email to aeg.arizona@gmail.com if you would like to attend. If you would like to sponsor a student dinner for an additional $10, please let us know in your RSVP as well.

PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW MEETING LOCATION


WordPress



Revised Earth Fissure Maps Released – Cochise, Maricopa & Pinal Counties

NEWS RELEASE: Revised Earth Fissure Maps for Cochise, Maricopa and Pinal Counties released.

Immediate Release – 2/03/2016

Tucson, AZ – The Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS) continues to map, monitor, and inform the public regarding earth fissures in south-central and southeastern Arizona. Six freshly revised earth fissure maps are now available for parts of Maricopa, Pinal and Cochise Counties. A single new earth fissure map for just east of the Picacho Mountains in Pinal County was issued.

Updated earth fissure study area maps, include: Luke and Chandler Heights in Maricopa County; Picacho and Friendly Corners (3 map sheets) and Santa Rosa Wash in Pinal County; and North Sulphur Springs Valley and Dragoon Road study areas in Cochise County.

The maps and digital data are available at the Natural Hazards of Arizona viewer. Individual fissure study area maps are online at the Arizona Geological Survey’s Online Document Repository. A Google Earth .kmz file is available for viewing the fissures on Google Earth.

All new or revised earth fissure maps employ a base map displaying National Agriculture Imagery Program aerial photography and, when available, a local subsidence map, provided courtesy of the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

A new fissure line category (yellow lines) portrays select fissures as confirmed that were otherwise not mapped by AZGS’ fissure mapping team. These include fissures mapped by reliable sources and those identified on multiple aerial photographs. Previously, if fissures could not be identified during field checks, the fissure was reported as unconfirmed.

Besides posing a threat to infrastructure, fissures are frequently used for illegal dumping of tires, appliances, construction debris, manure and other sundry items.  Because fissures extend downward towards the groundwater table, they represent a potential conduit for surface runoff to contaminate aquifer resources.

AZGS’s earth fissure mapping team will continue to monitor existing earth fissures and map new ones as they form.  AZGS geologists collaborate with hydrologists from the Arizona Dept. of Water Resources to better understand where and when fissures will occur, and with local environmental and geological engineers on ways to mitigate and minimize the impact of earth fissures.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Earth fissures are cracks, seams, or separations in the ground produced during differential land subsidence that accompanies extensive groundwater harvesting.  The earliest appearance of fissures in Arizona was near Eloy in 1927.  Individual fissures range in length from hundreds of feet to miles, and in width from inches to tens of feet.  Currently, geoscientists believe that fissures initially form at the groundwater table and then propagate upwards hundreds of feet to the surface.  Because fissures are commonly oriented perpendicular to local drainages, they are capable of capturing surface runoff.  In-rushing waters may result in rapid erosion of sidewalls and gully development causing dramatic and sudden changes in fissure geometry — length, depth, and width.

Earth fissures are a geologic hazard in the arid valleys of central and south-central Arizona.  As urban and suburban centers encroach on subsiding areas of basins/valleys, residents and structures are placed in closer proximity to fissures. Property owners are encouraged to 1) set structures as far away from fissures as possible, and 2) prevent water from entering fissures.

Reports of earth fissures are confined to Cochise, Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties in central and south-central Arizona.  In 2007, AZGS released 1:250,000-scale planning maps of the four counties showing the approximate locations of earlier reported earth fissures. These earth fissure planning maps are available free, online at the Earth Fissure Center at www.azgs.az.gov/efc.

AZGS is charged by state statute with mapping earth fissures in Arizona.

AZGS Contact Information:
Michael Conway –  520.209.4146 ph
e-mail:   michael.conway@azgs.az.gov
http://www.azgs.az.gov
repository.azgs.az.gov



February 2016 Dinner Meeting

Our next meeting will be held Wednesday  February 3, 2016 at SunUp Brewing Company located on Camelback Road between Central Avenue and 7th Street in Phoenix (Google Map). We will start off at 5:30 pm with a hosted happy hour, followed by dinner at 6:30 pm and the presentation starting shortly after dinner. The meeting sponsor is AEG Arizona Section.

Our speaker is Gary S. Rasmussen, Engineering Geologist and President at Gary S. Rasmussen & Associates, Inc. His presentation is titled “Surface Ground Rupture from the 1992 Mw 7.3 Landers Earthquake as Observed from the Air and Ground “. See February 2016 AEG Meeting flyer for additional details.

Please RSVP by Tuesday, February 2, by email to aeg.arizona@gmail.com if you would like to attend. If you would like to sponsor a student dinner for an additional $10, please let us know in your RSVP as well.



2014-2015 Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecture

Our next meeting will be held Wednesday  September 9, 2015 at SunUp Brewing Company located on Camelback Road between Central Avenue and 7th Street in Phoenix (Google Map). We will start off at 5:30 pm with a hosted happy hour, followed by dinner at 6:30 pm and the presentation starting shortly after dinner.

Our speaker is Eldon Gath, Engineering Geologist and the 2014-2015 Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer. His presentation is titled “Tectonic Geomorphic and Paleoseismic Investigations for the Panama Canal“. See September 2015 AEG Meeting flyer for additional details.

Space is limited, so please RSVP to Zachary Shafer by latest Friday, September 4, if you would like to attend. If you would like to sponsor a student dinner for an additional $10, please let us know in your RSVP as well.

PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW MEETING LOCATION

More information about the Richard H. Jahns award can be found here.