Geological Insights & Event News

Outgoing President David Schiowitz invites members to the final May social and encourages voting in officer elections. His Prez Sez column highlights April’s strong FLC student presentations and reflects on spring winds, dust, and smoke, noting a striking NOAA satellite image of regional fires and storms. Upcoming field trips include RMAG’s San Juan River Raft Trip with Gary Gianniny and a Colorado Glaciology trip with Vince Matthews. We’ll see you all again at the picnic in August.

April 2022 newsletter features three Fort Lewis College senior geology students presenting thesis research: Si Arnold on Redwall Limestone mud mounds in Grand Canyon, Matt McCormick on crustal contamination in Dulce swarm mafic dikes, and Jack Tingwall on Dolores River channel complexity. Five additional students present posters. Foundation announces four MS Thesis Grant winners from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah universities. SGM sponsors five student dinners. Society seeks volunteers for President-Elect position and field trip coordinators for upcoming year.

March 2022 newsletter features retired ExxonMobil researcher Dr. Peter Vrolijk presenting on searching for rare natural occurrences and seeking deep fluid sources off Costa Rica using autonomous underwater vehicles and decision-making algorithms. Tom Staatz and Kim Gerhardt awarded Honorary Memberships. Newsletter memorializes member John Ott, FLC geology graduate devoted to Animas Valley water systems. Jeff Brame sponsors 10 student dinners. Foundation seeks new board director. Society recruiting President-Elect and field trip leaders for spring/summer/fall.

February 2022 newsletter features Fort Lewis College Professor Dr. David Gonzales presenting on Cenozoic landscape evolution in the western San Juan Mountains, covering post-Laramide uplift, Telluride Conglomerate deposition, volcanic activity, and tectonic processes over 35 million years. Tim Rynott generously sponsors 15 student dinners. Foundation announces 2022 MS Thesis Grant program with April 1 deadline for Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona geoscience theses. Jon Harvey provides earthquake fun fact about 1992 St. George, Utah magnitude 5.8 event.

January 2022 newsletter features Dr. Christian J. Heine from FTF Geosciences presenting on wind-blown sands and recognizing them in modern dunes, outcrops, and subsurface. President David Schiowitz reports improved snowpack conditions with Upper Colorado River Basin at 132% of median. Newsletter memorializes longtime member Dr. Charlie Burnham, former Harvard mineralogy professor who enriched FCGS and FLC geology programs. Dr. Jeff Geslin and FCGS sponsor 10 student dinners.

December 2021 newsletter features Dr. Ron Hill, Chief Geochemist at EOG Resources, presenting on the unconventional Bakken petroleum system and what geochemistry reveals about petroleum processes. Meeting includes FLC geology student poster presentations covering topics from fluorite mineralization to debris flow mapping. Chuck Baltzer generously sponsors 20 student dinners. President David Schiowitz discusses current drought conditions and low snowpack across Colorado and the West. Foundation donates $1000 to FLC undergraduate research fund.