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Hudson – Mohawk
Professional Geologists Association
Newsletter
www.hmpga.wildapricot.org
F e b r u a r y
M e e t i ng
Marine Forcing of Deglacial Ice Retreat
in Southwestern Greenland
HMPGA
Speaker: : Dr. Kelsey Winsor, Colgate University
Wednesday • February 18, 2015
Abstract: Observations of modern Greenland ice sheet retreat suggest
that a warming ocean is currently accelerating ice loss. Were ocean
temperatures dominant drivers of ice loss during episodes of past
retreat? I will present a chronology of deglacial ice retreat along
southwestern Greenland, comparing ice history to proxies of changing
atmospheric and oceanic forcings. Offshore, sediment accumulation
rates suggest a withdrawal of ice from the continental shelf break 19-18
ka, previous to the majority of deglacial warming. While ocean
temperatures do not appear to be the culprit for this retreat, the first
early deglacial jump in eustatic sea level correlates with it well. Later,
and on land, 10Be surface exposure dates from marine-terminating
outlet glaciers indicate rapid retreat from the modern coastline to the
modern ice margin 12-10 ka. This interval was witness to rising ocean
temperatures, consistent with the sea being a driver of retreat. A control
transect of exposure dates from a region with little marine influence
yields much slower retreat rates—a warming atmosphere was not
enough to drive the observed rapid retreat along the marine-terminating
outlet glaciers. This work suggests that changes in sea level and ocean
temperatures sustained centuries- to millennial-scale deglacial retreat of
the Greenland ice sheet.
About the Speaker: Dr. Winsor is a Quaternary geologist with
emphasis in paleoclimatology, paleoceanography, and glacial geology.
She studied Geology and Philosophy at Smith College, then took a brief
hiatus from academia at the Pacific Northwest National Lab. There, Dr.
Winsor worked with a team characterizing the movement of chemical
Continued on page 2
Officers
President
Tanjia Maynard
(518) 275-5688
[email protected]
Vice President
Frank Williams
(518) 472-1988
[email protected]
Treasurer
Danylo Kulczycky “DK”
(800) 782­7260
[email protected]
Secretary
Sarah (Newell) Benson
(518) 453­8749
wastes through fluvial sediments of the Hanford Site.
Dr. Winsor then attended graduate school at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of
Geoscience, and is now a visiting assistant professor
at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. Most of her
research has centered around the causes of deglacial
Greenland ice sheet retreat. More recently, Dr. Winsor
has become involved with both Antarctic and
Laurentide ice sheet research, which should make her
into a more well-rounded glacial geologist!
M e e t i ng
Location:
Century House • 997 New Loudon Road
Latham, NY 12110
When:
Social Hour
Dinner
Program
Cost:
Dinner & Program
$10.00 for student members
$20.00 for dormant geologists
$25.00 for members
$30.00 for non-members
[email protected]
Past President
Scott Hulseapple
(518) 348-6995
[email protected]
Board Members
Kevin Phelan
(518) 348-6995
[email protected]
Luanne Whitbeck
(518) 475- 1008
Info r ma t i on
5:00pm
6:00pm
7:00pm
Program only: Free
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.
[email protected]
Jen Kotch
877-7101 x 115
[email protected]
Reminder!
Annual individual memberships and corporate memberships and
advertising fees were due in September.
Individual Memberships are $25
Jesse Vollick
(518) 724-7265
[email protected]
Josh Gowan
(518) 348-6995
[email protected]
Vacancy
If interested in volunteering,
please contact a board member!
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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
2
P r e s i d e n t ’ s
M e s s ag e
It has been a cold and snowy few weeks, but spring is less than 2 months away. The days are
getting longer and soon, warmer weather will be here.
A few things of interest this month, the Gem, Mineral and Fossil show at the NYS Museum is
being held on February 14th and 15th.
Our speaker this month is Dr. Kelsey Windsor form Colgate University and will be presenting
on the Greenland Ice Sheet Outlet Glacier Response to Climate Forcings.
We are gearing up for the high school field trips and are in need of volunteers. Please, please
consider saving a day to introduce 9th graders to the fabulous world of geology. We had a
hard time covering all of the slots last year, with many folks covering more than one day. We
will not be able to continue these field trips if we can't get an adequate number of volunteers
to help. Please contact Jen Kotch to put your name in. Field trips are held in late April to early
May and are a fun way to spend a half day.
If you haven't renewed your corporate membership, please contact Frank Williams to do so.
HMPGA thanks you for your continuing support.
The HMPGA Board has one vacancies to fill for next year. If you are interested in becoming a
Board Member, please contact Tanjia. The Board keeps the association running and there are
no qualifications to join! Have a voice at the table, be a board member.
Looking forward to seeing you all at the February meeting.
Sincerely,
Tanjia Maynard
President 2014 - 2015
Corporate Sponsorship and Advertising
Any companies interested in joining HMPGA or advertising in the newsletter should
contact Frank Williams at [email protected]
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M e m b e r
Spo t l i gh t
Dr. Charles A. Ver Straeten, Curator of Sedimentary Geology
at the New York State Museum.
Hi all. Up front, let me say this is a bit uncomfortable to do, talk about one’s self.
But this another way to get to know each other a bit more. So here I go. - Chuck
Q
W
: How did you become interested in Geology?
hen I was a kid growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, I
wanted to live in the Rocky Mountains, and study forestry or mountain sheep. So when I grew up, I became a
jazz trombonist…
But in my mid-20s, living in the Catskills, a childhood interest in rocks fused with thinking about time the way
geologists do. At that same time, I found the local library had a copy of a NY State Museum Bulletin, “The
Geology of the Catskill and Kaaterskill Quadrangles”. I could get in the car and go see what the authorgeologist was talking about. And collect fossils. It led me back to undergrad school in Geology, at age 30.
Alban Low Live Sketches
www.albanlow.com
Q: What is your current position? I’m a research geologist and Curator
of Sedimentary Geology at the New York State Museum and Geological
Survey. It’s the job that was my model of being a geologist before I even
went back to school. So I have a deep appreciation of working at the
State Museum as Devonian geologist. I examine a diverse range of
aspects and problems of the sedimentary rocks I work on. And the mix of
geological research, collections work, interacting with various other professionals, and teaching and interacting
with the Public, K-12 teachers, grad students and geo-paleo exhibits keeps me on my toes.
Q
M
: Do you have a favorite rock?
any years ago I collected a fist+-sized rock of Late Silurian Manlius
Limestone south of Syracuse. It’s 3.5” tall, and has at least 35 different layers stacked up, of varying
thicknesses, grain types, grain-sizes, layering and colors. | Continued on page 9.
Program Directors
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
Communications and
Educational Outreach
Membership
Contact
Jen Kotch
Josh Gowan
Email
[email protected]
[email protected]
Newsletter
Tanjia Maynard
[email protected]
Program
Sarah Benson
Jesse Vollick
[email protected]
[email protected]
Webmaster
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Scott Hulseapple
[email protected]
5
Sp e c i a l
Event
The 22nd Annual James Campbell Memorial
Gem, Mineral and Fossil
Show and Sale
Saturday, February 14 & Sunday, February 15
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Vendors display and sell gems, jewelry,
minerals, fossils, and much more.
Admission: $5 each day.
Children 12 and under are free.
Remember Cash Only.
Co-sponsored by the Capital District Mineral Club and the New York Academy
of Mineralogy. All proceeds benefit the Museum's mineral acquisition fund.
SAVE THE DATE
Friday, April 24, 2015 6:30-9:00 PM
Shenendehowa High School
Science and Health Discovery Night
Sponsors and Volunteers Needed
See flyer last page
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“30,000 itty-bitty, perfect octahedrons…” “This rock is a strange one indeed.”
A 30mm rock that contained approximately
30,000 diamonds, a concentration of 1m times
higher than normal was pulled out of the Alrosa
Udachnaya diamond mine last fall. After
scanning the rock with X-rays, scientists found
that the diamonds inside measure just 1mm and
are octahedral in shape - similar to two
pyramids stuck together at the base. The red
and green coloring comes from larger crystals
of garnet, olivine and pyroxene.
Scientists hope it will shed further light on how
diamonds are made. "The exciting thing for me
is there are 30,000 itty-bitty, perfect
octahedrons, and not one big diamond," said
Larry Taylor, a geologist at the University of
Tennessee, who presented the findings at the
American Geophysical Union's annual meeting.
"It's like they formed instantaneously. This rock
is a strange one indeed."
Original Story by Andrew Trotman, night news editor
for the Daily Telegraph's Business section. Link to Story
"The chemical reactions in which diamonds
occur still remain an enigma.” Said Mr. Taylor
who works with researchers at the Russian
Academy of Sciences to study Udachnaya
diamonds.
ALROSA state-owned Russian diamond
mining company has donated the 30mm rock to
the Russian Academy of Sciences, as the
diamonds are so small that they cannot be used
as gems. Alrosa is the world's leading diamond
miner, accounting for 99% of Russia’s output
with revenues of more than $4billion a year.
The Udachnaya mine, in the Sakha Republic,
just outside the Arctic circle, is more than 600
metres deep, making it the third deepest openpit mine in the world.
(518) 766-4105 • [email protected]
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To My Fellow Environmental Professional Colleagues:
In a volunteer capacity I am a member of the
State University of New York at Cobleskill’s
External Advisory Committee for the
developing 4-year program Bachelor of
Technology Degree in Environmental and
Energy Technologies. The focus of this
program is on Water Resources Management,
Waste Management Technologies, and
Renewable Energy Technologies.
We are currently seeking to place senior
students in internships for the 2015 spring
semester. The internships need to be paid,
and full time for 15 weeks, 600 hours. In
addition to these internships we have two
students graduating this December seeking
full time employment in the area of
renewable energy. If your organization can
provide such an opportunity, or if you know
of an organization that might be able to
accommodate a student(s) we would be
extremely grateful. To arrange such an
opportunity, or to discuss the matter further,
please contact me directly:
518-255-5691 • [email protected]
Dr. Robert Rynk
Associate Professor
106 CEST • SUNY Cobleskill
Cobleskill, NY 12043
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Member Spotlight | continued from Page 5
It’s its own history book of a short period of time at
Syracuse 418 million years ago. A record of
changing events in a tide-dominated environment.
Tides coming and going, apparent storms, changing
water salinity, stromatolite buildups, etc. To me, it’s
an amazing thing, learning to read the stories
preserved in rocks.
Q: What made you decide to pursue this career
path? As with music, I greatly enjoyed learning
and doing geology. During undergrad days, I had a
foot on both the music and geo paths. When the
proverbial ‘fork in the trail’ came, I followed out
the latter (geo grad school) to see where it went. I
was fortunate to find a way to make a living this
time, doing something I would be exploring
anyway.
Q: What other people, interests or activities do you
enjoy? The recent years have brought me back to
music again, with a focus on improvising new,
never-heard music on the spot. Grad school left the
trombone behind, and voice evolved into my
instrument. But I use the voice much like playing a
trombone, focused on melody, rhythm, etc. – not
using words much (think of “scat” singing in jazz,
using syllables). Recent years of ongoing study and
practice are starting to evolve into performances
(e.g., in the improvised music scene in NYC).
layers about a yard above
them, and a horizon of rusty
weathering pyrite nodules a
foot above the ashes. Whoa could those be the same
layers, correlatable across
that distance? They were.
And over the next years I
found and correlated those
and additional distinct, unique rock layers
(including the 9 Tioga ash layers in the upper
Onondaga Limestone) in detail all around the
Appalachian Basin, from western to eastern New
York, to southwest Virginia, and into central Ohio.
The pair of black shales were especially significant.
They were deposited at the deepest point of a major
sea level rise and fall event, just above the base of a
globally correlatable biostratigraphic zone (using
condonts). We’ve now recognized those two same
“deepest water” layers in Germany, the Czech
Republic, Morocco and Siberia.
I much enjoy living in the forest, rising up a Middle
Devonian escarpment, where my wife and I have a
place (with more elevation change on the property
than the state of Florida). My life-long interest in
Nature/ Natural History continues, exploring and
learning about forest systems, porcupines,
mushrooms and more.
Q
: Describe your most memorable experience in
mm, difficult. Maybe I’d say
your profession?
one evening in a Pennsylvania campground, during
grad school, on a two week field expedition. After a
few days of describing two outcrops of Devonian
limestones, 60 miles apart, I drew up the two
sections in detail, and was comparing them. I
realized that in the middle of the section there were
two ~foot thick black shales at the top of a thicker
gray shale interval - with two thin volcanic ash
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H
9
Health
an d
Saf e t y
Co r n e r
Heading out to Lake Champlain, Lake Placid, or another frozen location for winter fun?
Whether you're walking out on a lake for some ice fishing, pulling up in a snowmobile, or
trying your hand at ice skating, you should know the ice safety basics. Ice safety information
is important knowledge to have during the winter in the Adirondacks, especially during
months of fluctuating temperatures, like late fall and early spring.
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Mineral of the Month Mercury
William E. Brooks, the U.S. Geological Survey mercury commodity specialist compiled
the following information on mercury.
Interesting facts: Mercury occurs as small liquid blobs perched atop or in the crevices of
mercury ores. Since Mercury is a liquid, it lacks a crystal structure and technically is not
really a mineral but a mineraloid. However, most reputable mineral guides, including the
acclaimed Dana's System of Mineralogy, categorize Mercury together with the "true"
minerals. For more info
http://www.minerals.net/mineral/mercury.aspx#sthash.M3C1wTOC.dpuf
Formula: Hg
System: Amorphous • Hardness: 0
Morphology: Igneous, Metamorphic
Color: Tin - White
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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
Tanjia at [email protected] . The
monthly deadline for submission in
the newsletter is the 20th of each
month for inclusion in the following
months newsletter.
FREE! Don’t forget, every corporate member
is entitled to a free one age ad in the
Newsletter. First come, first served!
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!
Got Jobs? HMPGA will post your job vacancy in the Newsletter. Send ‘em over!
NYSDEC Opens New Four Mile Ski Trail on Essex Chain Lakes Lands
A new ski trail has opened in
the
Essex
Chain
Lakes
Complex. The Upper Hudson
Ski Loop Trail is a 4.2 mile loop
trail parallels the Goodnow
River to the Hudson River. The
trail heads north along the
Hudson for a short distance
before
looping back
and
reconnecting with itself 0.5 mile
from the trailhead. The trail is
considered intermediate in level
of difficulty. More information
about the Essex Chain Lakes
Complex, can be found at
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/
dec-opens-new-ski-trail-essexchain-lands-jimconnollywww.linkedin.com/pulse
/dec-opens-new-ski-trail-essexchain-lands-jim-connolly.
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Corporate Member Contacts
Adirondack Environmental Services
Steve Valle
518.434.4546
Advanced Environmental Geology, LLC
Brian Norensky
518.3732870
AECOM
Walter Howard
518.951.22200
Alpha Analytical
Patrick Filey
716.392.3932
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
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
Tom Madison
413.525.2332
Continental Placer
Bill Miller
518.458.9203
ESMI of New York
Todd Calder
860.649.3344
Geosyntech
Eric Lovenduski
518.785.0800
Geotech Environmental Equipment, Inc.
Peter Murray
888.558.5325
GES
Kevin Bradley
866.839.5195
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
LAND Remediation
Keith Decker
518.766.4105
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
Precision Industrial Maintenance
Scott Kramer
518.346.5800
Professional Service Industries, Inc
Paul Misiaszek
518.377.9841
PVE Sheffler
Chris Brown
845.454.2544
Regenesis
Maureen Dooley
781.245.1320
Sanborn. Head and Associates
Timothy White
603.229.1900
Schlumberger Water Services
Chris Bogdon
519.746.1798
Sterling Environmental Engineering, P.C.
Mark Williams
518.456.4900
Zebra Environmental
Matt Ednie
518.355.2201
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.wildapricot.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.ntsm.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
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