Geological Society of Nevada
Southern Nevada Chapter
Newsletter
January 2010
PRESIDENT
Swapan Sahoo
UNLV Graduate Student
sahoos@unlv.nevada.edu
VICE PRESIDENT
Josh Bonde
UNLV Graduate Student
bondej@unlv.nevada.edu
TREASURER
Chris Riecken
Consultant
drriecken@cox.net
SECRETARY
Vicki Meyers
UNLV Graduate Student
meyers2@unlv.nevada.edu
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Laura Eaton
UNLV Graduate Student
eatonl4@unlv.nevada.edu
WEBMASTER
Nathan Eck
UNLV Graduate Student
eckn@unlv.nevada.edu
Geological Society of Nevada
Southern Nevada Chapter
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
4505 Maryland Parkway, Box 4010,
Las Vegas, NV 89154-4010
http://geoscience.unlv.edu/GSN
/gsnsc.htm
Importance of Validation of Digital Soil
Layers in Soil Mapping
SPEAKER:
DATE:
LOCATION:
TIME:
SPONSOR:
Dr. Elisabeth (Libby) Hausrath
Thursday, January 28, 2009
LFG Rm. 105, UNLV
Social half-hour at 6:45 pm
Meeting business at 7:15 pm
Talk at 7:30
Anonymous
Greetings GSNer’s! I hope that the holiday season treated you well
and that your new year is off to a great start. 2009 was a great year
for our group, and we ended it with a combined AEG, GSN and NFOP
holiday party in December. For those of you who missed out on the
celebration, I’ve included some pictures from the party in this
newsletter. Also included in this edition of the newsletter is a new
segment entitled “Get to know your fellow GSNer’s”. Our own Nathan
Eck from the UNLV geosciences department has graciously
volunteered to be the first “fellow”, so thanks Nate! If anybody would
like to volunteer for next months, or any months to come, please let
me know by emailing me!
2010 promises to be a great year for the GSN Southern Chapter, and
the first speaker this year is Dr. Libby Hausrath, a professor in the
UNLV geosciences department starting her second year here. The
sponsor for this month has asked to remain anonymous, thank you for
your generosity! If anyone has anything they want in the next
newsletter, please let me know!
Here’s wishing GSN Southern Nevada Chapter a Happy New Year!
-Laura Eaton, Newsletter Editor
October 2009 GSN Southern Nevada Chapter Newsletter
Interpreting Phosphate Mobility on Mars
Speaker: Dr. Elisabeth Hausrath
This week’s talk:
Phosphorus is an essential nutrient on Earth, and therefore
may be important in characterizing habitability on Mars. In
addition, phosphate has been postulated as in important
indicator of aqueous conditions on Mars. Since phosphate
behaves differently under different conditions of pH,
water:rock ratio, oxidation state, and time, it may therefore
may useful interpretations of these conditions on Mars.
Dr. Hausrath’s Background:
Dr. Hausrath received a duel Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in astrobiology and geoscience,
and her research interests are in: soil-forming processes, water-rock interaction, chemical weathering,
mars geochemistry, astrobiology, and geomicrobiology. Her research focuses on water-rock
interactions, and chemical weathering, to try to better understand these processes both on Earth and
on Mars. She uses a combination of laboratory experiments, field work, and modeling to try to better
understand chemical weathering and water-rock interactions.
Weathering plays a key role in many critical processes on Earth, including the formation of soils, the
control of atmospheric CO2 concentrations over geological time scales, and water quality. Yet field
weathering rates remain difficult to predict even when laboratory rates have been measured, and the
effect of factors such as biological interactions, physical erosion, and climate are poorly understood. It
is imperative to better understand this "Critical Zone" upon which life depends.
The study of soil-forming processes and water-rock interactions may also yield significant information
about the aqueous history of Mars, and the potential for life, past or present, on that planet. Despite
extensive evidence for water on the surface of Mars, it is not clear how long water was present as a
liquid. Observations of weathering products and the existence of primary minerals may provide some
constraints for the presence and duration of liquid water. Therefore an understanding of weathering
under Mars-like conditions may help elucidate observations from the surface of Mars.
October 2009 GSN Southern Nevada Chapter Newsletter
2009 NFOP, GSN and AEG Holiday Party
This year’s holiday party was a great success, here
are some snapshots of the party for your viewing
pleasure! Thanks to everybody who came to
celebrate with us!
October 2009 GSN Southern Nevada Chapter Newsletter
Get to know your fellow GSNer’s
This year we’re starting a new GSN newsletter tradition, thus we present the “Get to know
your fellow GSNer’s” section. The first member we will get to know is Nathan Eck.
Tell us a little about your background as a geologist
I’m currently a Masters student in my second year here at
UNLV. My primary research interest is in economic geology,
particularly Carlin-type gold deposits. My Masters project
involves studying how calc-silicate alteration to potential
host rocks caused by Mesozoic intrusions impacts
subsequent Carlin-type gold mineralization at the Getchell
deposit in northern Nevada near Winnemucca. I’ve spent
the last two summers interning with Barrick at the deposit
while also conducing my field work there
How did you become involved in geology?
I have been interested in geology from a young age,
collecting rocks etc., and growing up in rural Minnesota I
grew up enjoying the outdoors. So geology became a natural
choice when I decided on a major in undergrad and I
haven’t looked back since.
Could you share a story about a field or geology-related experience that stands out as
particularly memorable?
Since becoming a geology major I have been on numerous field trips to different parts of the
country, many of them involving taking fifteen passenger vans to places they were never
designed to go. One of the things I really like about geology is getting to travel and see new and
interesting things that are often off the beaten path.
What is your favorite rock/geological feature?
My favorite rocks are probably agates primarily because it was what I used to collect when I was
younger.
What is your favorite place related to geology you’ve ever been?
One of the coolest places I’ve gotten to visit is a volcanic crater in southern New Mexico called
Kilbourne Hole. Aside from being a really cool volcanic feature the basalt that erupted there
contains mantle xenoliths, composed primarily of olivine and pyroxene, some up to basket ball
sized which litter the surface in places.
October 2009 GSN Southern Nevada Chapter Newsletter
Announcements
Volunteer to Share
your experiences!
Share your field experiences
with other GSN SNV chapter
members through a story and/or
photos in an upcoming
newsletter.
Calling all speakers and sponsors!
GSN is looking for sponsors and speakers for our
2009-2010 year! If you are interested or have ideas,
please contact Swapan Sahoo or Josh Bonde.
Thank you!
Silent Auction Items
GSN is always looking for specimens and silent
auction items for our monthly meetings. The wellbeing of GSN is made possible by your generous
donations. If you have a specimen or silent auction
item, please contact Swapan Sahoo or Josh Bonde, or
just bring it to the next meeting.
Thank you!
Have an announcement you
would like to share in the
next newsletter? Contact
Laura Eaton at
eatonl4@unlv.nevada.edu
Interested? Contact Laura Eaton
at eatonl4@unlv.nevada.edu
October 2009 GSN Southern Nevada Chapter Newsletter
GSN 2010 SYMPOSIUM
Mark your calendars!
The Geological Society of Nevada invites you to attend our sixth symposium, Great Basin Evolution
and Metallogeny. We strive to maintain a tradition of excellence, emphasizing descriptive accounts
of ore deposits, new theories on deposit formation and innovative concepts of how to find the next
district or deposit.
Technical Sessions:
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Carlin-Type Deposits I and II
Great Basin Metallogeny
Nevada Geology and
Tectonics
Discovery Case Histories
New Mine Developments
Volcanic-Hosted Epithermal
Deposits
Young Au-Ag Hydrothermal
Systems
Styles of Tertiary Magmatism
and Metallogeny
Intrusion-Related Deposits
Geothermal
Rumors from the Bush—
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Great Basin Exploration
Update
Outta the Box—Concepts
in Great Basin Geology
and Ore Deposits
Exploration Remote Sensing
Regional Exploratin
Roundup
World Exploration
Exploration Success—
America
Short Courses:
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SEG Workshop—Gold in
2010
Structural Systematics
Fundamentals of NI 43-101
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Molybdenum Deposits
ArcGIS
Remote Sensing
Sample Collection, Prep and
Analysis
Isotopes and Exploration
Field Trips
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Carlin Gold Deposits-Three
Trips
Epithermal Deposits-Two
Trips
Porphyry and IOGC Deposits
Modern Ancient Geothermal
Systems
Industrial Mineral Deposits
Want to learn more or attend?
Contact: (775) 846-9766
Secretary@gsnv.org
www.gsnv.org/symposium
October 2009 GSN Southern Nevada Chapter Newsletter
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Thank you for your support!
October 2009 GSN Southern Nevada Chapter Newsletter