ATTENTION: Registration is now closed — we've reached maximum capacity for the venue. However, unlimited online attendance is still available using the link below without the need to register.

J Harlen Bretz and the Ice Age Floods — New Discoveries

The Missoula Floods story is well-known to most everybody across the Pacific Northwest...but, Nick Zentner has has been digging into J Harlen Bretz's old papers and notebooks. Come hear some new twists on the old stories!

Lecture Access:

Link for online attendance here.

The online platform for this event will not be interactive. You can click the link above as early as 7:00 pm and will see a screen that says "livestream will start soon". The lecture will being at 7:30.

How to submit post-lecture questions:

Virtual attendees that would like to submit a question may send an email during the lecture to: outreach@gsoc.org. Please enter 'NICK' (in capital letters) in the email subject line.

Speaker Bio:

Nick Zentner has been teaching geology at Central Washington University since 1992. He obtained a B.S. in Geology in 1986 from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He then earned a M.S. in Geology in 1989 from Idaho State University - Pocatello.

In 2015, at the GSA meeting in Baltimore, Nick received the prestigious James Shea Award, a national award recognizing exceptional delivery of Earth Science education to the general public. In 2021, the PBS-TV geology show 'Nick on the Rocks' won two Emmy awards. In 2023, at the GSA meeting in Pittsburgh, Nick received the prestigious Geological Society of America Public Service Award, a national award recognizing contributions that have materially enhanced the public's understanding of the earth sciences.

LAUGHING PLANET, 4110 SE WOODSTOCK
View Laughing Planet menu (or even order ahead)

DO YOU HAVE A ROCK YOU WANT TO BRING TO SHOW-&-TELL?

Feel free to bring an interesting rock, mineral, or fossil to bring to show-and-tell! No scientific knowledge is required, but it's always fun to discuss:

WHERE DID YOU FIND IT? e.g. "my grandmother's yard" or "Wyoming" or "Clackamette Park" or even GPS coordinates on a map.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU? Our group uses a scientific lens to look at the world, but the natural world has a lot of meanings to different people, so this might include:

• "This is the quartz crystal that started my love of geology at age 5!"
  
• "This cobble has special meaning to my fellow tribal members."
  
• "This 3 billion year-old fossil inspires awe every time I hold it!"
  
• "This is one of my field samples from my research last summer."
  

COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES

Ancient Walls North Tour:  A Geological Walking Tour of Downtown Portland Building Stone 

Sunday May 19th 10 am to noon

Registration will begin on April 27th. 

Come see billion-year-old building stones and the fossils hidden under our feet.  Join us for a two-hour outdoor walking tour of downtown Portland's geological mysteries and oddities.  Tour is a one-mile loop on accessible sidewalks and in public buildings.  Note: this is the NORTH tour leaving from Pioneer Courthouse, so a different set of buildings than the usual South tour.

REGISTRATION

This trip will be limited to 20 participants. Participants must be GSOC members or their guests. This trip will be registered on a first come, first served basis.  Registration will begin on Saturday April 27, 2024.

FEES AND CANCELLATIONS

The trip fee will be $25 which covers the leader's expenses and a small contribution to overhead and the Beverly Vogt Scholarship fund.  THE FEE MUST BE PAID UPON REGISTERING AND WILL NOT BE REFUNDABLE. All participants will be required to sign a liability waiver at the meeting area for the trip.

TRANSPORTATION AND WHAT TO BRING

Street parking downtown on Sunday is free until 1 pm except for areas marked otherwise.  There are many TriMet options as well.

Bring along a geologist's loupe if you have one and dress according to the weather - you'll be outdoors for about 2 hours.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND SAFETY

We will be walking slowly, stopping often to peer at stone, for about a mile round-trip.  You will be required to wear a safety vest and keep up with the group, particularly at road crossings.  Participants will be required to sign a liability waiver before beginning the walk.

Join us for an exciting online Geology Hour with Daniel Sheikh, PhD Candidate, PSU Dept. of Geology — and more! 
Zoom link here.

From the field, to the lab, and applying the theory: Timescales and controls on chemical evolution in the Andean volcano Cerro Chaxas

"Analysis of zircon crystals is key to understanding how magma evolves and alters the eruption style of an Andean volcano. Cerro Chaxas is a long-lived volcano whose magma, and therefore its explosive eruption style, altered relatively quickly rather than the slow process that was previously assumed. This discovery could change the way our dangerous volcanoes are monitored."

Analysis of crystallization ages in zircons is a key tool for understanding how magma changes composition and how long it is present in the crust. Cerro Chaxas formed by high magmatic flux. Zircon ages and geochemistry indicate magma was present for an extensive amount of time in the crust below Chaxas. Prolonged residence and high flux caused the chemical composition of the magmatic system (host rocks + magma) to change relatively quickly at Chaxas compared to volcanoes that don't have the same characteristics. 

Register via Zoom here

Speaker Bio:

Charles Tyler (Chuck) Lewis is a fourth year PhD student at Oregon State university, where he also chose to pursue his undergraduate degree because the geology program 'seemed legit' and Smith Rock was relatively close. He was soon enthralled by Earth Sciences and analytical chemistry in a geologic context when his community college advisor opened the door to scientific research. While Chuck does not have the astounding h-index that others may be able to advertise, he did defend his MS with a concussion and that's an equally weighted claim to fame in his book. Chuck now focuses primarily on the U-Pb system in minerals and uses other geochemical techniques to understand how crustal magmatic systems change chemically and spatially over time.

Newport, Oregon: A 5 Billion Year History

The emphasis of this presentation is on dynamic geologic processes that formed Newport and the rest of the Earth over the last 5 billion years. The talk will progress from planetary formation to key plate tectonic events and finish with Quaternary processes that sculpted the coastal landscape with Newport as an example. The talk will be geared to the general public.

Register for the Zoom event here.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. George Priest has a doctorate in geology from Oregon State University, has taught geology at Portland State University, worked in private industry as a geologist, and from 1979 to 2019 as a senior geologist with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI). While at DOGAMI, he led applied research programs in geothermal energy and geologic hazards such as landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis, opening a coastal field office in 2000. He tapered off his work with DOGAMI to part-time positions from 2005 to 2019 and now maintains an adjunct faculty affiliation with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). VIMS is where tsunami simulations for Oregon are done by Dr. Joseph Zhang, one of the foremost tsunami modelers in the world. Dr. Priest's publications can be viewed at the following website: researchgate.net/profile/George-Priest