Event Details

DATE:

Tuesday, February 17th, 2026


SPEAKER: 

Amit Milo, USGS


TITLE:  

Modern Mapping: New Techniques to Understand the Geologic Past and Present


TIME:    

5:30 - 6:30 PM: Happy hour, dinner and drinks.

6:30 - 7:30 PM: Society business and talk.

7:30 PM: Raffle to raise money for student dinners.


LOCATION:  

Vallecito Room, Student Union Bldg., Fort Lewis College

 

COST:     

 $25/person


RESERVATION DEADLINE (Please register here on website):

Friday, February 13th at noon.


ZOOM LINK: https://fortlewis.zoom.us/j/9744025631 

Meeting ID: 9744025631. Zoom starts at 6:30pm

. 

ABSTRACT:

Advances in imaging technology are transforming the way geologists map, analyze, and interpret our planet. When paired with traditional field methods, these tools provide new insights into Earth’s geological past and deepen our understanding of active geologic processes. This talk focuses on the use of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) and satellites to generate photogrammetric products and false-color composites, with two case studies highlighted. The first case study presents research in which these tools were used to establish the locations and structural features of Proterozoic metasedimentary outcrops in Redrock, New Mexico. Sampling at these previously undocumented sites led to the recovery of specimens that may represent the oldest fossils ever found in the state of New Mexico. The second case study, from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, discusses the use of these imaging techniques to investigate contemporary surface processes such as estimating coastal erosion rates. By integrating traditional field mapping with these emerging approaches, the talk illustrates how modern techniques are expanding the geologist’s toolkit by improving efficiency, enriching datasets, and ultimately enabling more robust geological interpretations.