Paleoseismicity Research: From Trench to Earthquake Hazard Map

/
Paleoseismicity Research: From Trench to Earthquake Hazard Map

Dr. Ashley Streig, Assistant Professor in the Geology Department of Portland State University and NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow, gave a talk to GSOC about her paleoseismology research on the San Andreas Fault in California. Streig’s research in the Hazel Dell site in the Santa Cruz Mountains was interpreted as showing the results of 3 significant earthquakes happening since the land was settled and logged by the first Spanish settlers.

Read More

Board Meeting Notes

/
Board Meeting Notes

President Janet Rasmussen called the meeting to order at the home of Rosemary Kenney. Other board members in attendance constituting quorum were Bo Nonn, Dawn Juliano, Paul Edison-Lahm, Kirben Smoody, Marty Muncie, and Larry Purchase, Sheila Alfsen, John Piccininni. Also in attendance were Rosemary, Rik Smoody, Jane Walcott, Dave Olcott, Julia Lanning, and Doug Rasmussen. The minutes of the December 5th, 2015 board meeting were approved.

Read More

Welcome New Members

/

Rex Breunsbach                                            

Alice Brocoum                                                                         

Jaclyn Phillips                                                                                      

Connie Reightler                                                                    

Diana and Fred Bradshaw

William Auel

Ryan Westling

Ann Goetcheus

April Avery

Susan Anderson

Patricia Reed      

Read More

In Memory of Dr. John Whitmer, 1923-2016

/
In Memory of Dr. John Whitmer, 1923-2016

Reprinted by permission from Northwest Geological Society. Dr. Whitmer was a long time GSOC member and avid amateur geologist, remembered for his field trips and his beautiful reports and guidebooks.

Our colleague, friend, and former NWGS President Dr. John Whitmer passed away on January 13 at the age of 92. He was born in Spokane, Wash., where he spent much of his youth, but he graduated from Billings High School, Montana, in 1941. It was during his freshman year of high school in Spokane before moving to Montana that a teacher there inspired what would be a lifelong passion for geology. John went on to attend college at Montana State College in Bozeman, where he majored in electrical engineering, but this was disrupted by World War II. He ended up in Oregon and in 1946 was accepted into the University of Oregon Medical School. 

Read More

Cookie Dough, Jelly Sandwiches, and Structural Geology: A Beginner’s Guide

/
Cookie Dough, Jelly Sandwiches, and Structural Geology: A Beginner’s Guide

Dr. Nancy Price, a recent addition to the faculty at Portland State University and a structural geology specialist, spoke to GSOC about her research in rheology. As she described her work in the course of the lecture, Price looks at metamorphic rock outcrops and samples in order to determine the histories of events which have been recorded in their structure.

Read More

Nominating Committee Results

/

The following slate of officers has been selected by this year’s nominating committee:

President...................................................................................... Bo Nonn

Vice President........................................................................ Rik Smoody

Secretary...................................................................... Paul Edison-Lahm

Treasurer............................................................................. Dawn Juliano

Director, 3 years............................................................... Kirben Smoody

Director, 2 years................................................................ Larry Purchase

Director, 1 year................................................................. Martha Muncie

Nominations will be closed for this year’s slate of officers after the January meeting of the society.  The slate of officers will be voted on and approved at the February monthly meeting.

The Nominating Committee members were Janet Rasmussen, Paul Edison-Lahm and Carol Hasenberg.  Our thanks to the selected members and members of the Nominating Committee!

Read More

Board Meeting Notes — December 5th, 2015

/

President Janet Rasmussen called the meeting to order at the home of Rosemary Kenney. Other board members in attendance constituting quorum were Bo Nonn, Dawn Juliano, Paul Edison-Lahm, Kirben Smoody, Marty Muncie, and Larry Purchase. Also in attendance were Rosemary, Carol Hasenberg, Rik Smoody, and Doug Rasmussen. The minutes of the October 10th, 2015 board meeting were approved.

Read More

Traveling Oregon’s Geologic Highways and Byways with Dr. Marli Miller

/
Traveling Oregon’s Geologic Highways and Byways with Dr. Marli Miller

Synopsis of GSOC Friday night lecture, October 9, 2015, given by Dr. Marli Miller, University of Oregon Department of Geology and author of Roadside Geology of Oregon, Second Edition (Mountain Press Publishing Co., 2014).
by Carol Hasenberg

Dr. Marli Miller explained and gave examples of her recent book, Roadside Geology of Oregon, Second Edition, to one of GSOC’s largest audiences ever. The book was a 4 year project from which Miller laughingly said that she learned an embarrassingly large amount of material. Amongst her reviewers for the project were Portland State University professors Martin Streck and Scott Burns. The Second Edition is a long awaited rewrite of the classic Roadside Geology of Oregon by David Alt and Donald Hyndman, written in 1978.

Photo credit: Marli Bryant Miller

Read More

Board Meeting Notes October 2015

/
Board Meeting Notes October 2015

President Janet Rasmussen called the meeting to order at the home of Rosemary Kenney. Other board members in attendance were Bo Nonn, Dawn Juliano, Paul Edison-Lahm, Kirben Smoody, Marty Muncie, Larry Purchase, Sheila Alfsen, and John Piccinnini, constituting quorum. Also in attendance were Rosemary Kenney, Carol Hasenberg, Dave Olcott, and Doug Rasmussen. The minutes of the August 2nd, 2015 board meeting were approved

Read More

Mt. Hood field trip

/
Mt. Hood field trip

Larry Purchase writes about our recent amazing GSOC Mt. Hood field trip "My thanks to all who contributed, especially..."

  • Janet for her firm Presidential direction: "No Matter What! Don't Cancel!"
  • Ellen for naming the flowers and appreciating the hydrology of the White River stream flow.
  • The Smoody Family for reconnoitering the area for years.
  • Julia for taking such great photos. Wrecking yard junk at the bottom of the Parkdale Lave Flow?
  • The park rangers for warmly welcoming us and giving us a wonderful tour of the Cloud Cap Inn.
  • Eric & Paul for organizing a last minute car load of participants.
  • Most of all to Bo! — for devoting so much time and energy in researching the geology and preparing such a concise, to the point, field trip guide.
Read More

Women in Geology: Margaret Steere

/
Women in Geology: Margaret Steere

Diligent, talented, industrious and devoted are only some adjectives to describe Margaret Steere. Margaret was a native of Michigan, but came to Oregon early during her career. Schooled at the University of Michigan with degrees in geology, Margaret applied her skills in cartography for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II. She joined the staff of Oregon’s Department of Geology and Mineral Industries and worked for 30 years as a geologist and geologic editor. Upon retirement, Margaret continued her service to the state as a volunteer. Margaret’s expertise in geology included paleontology as she utilized her skills to maintain and curate the collection for DOGAMI’s museum as well as authoring numerous articles on fossils.

Read More

Jan and Janet Discover Mima Mounds from Google Earth Image

/
Jan and Janet Discover Mima Mounds from Google Earth Image

President Janet's SE Oregon Scouting Trip (Take Two)

On Monday, June 1, Jan Kessler and I headed down to SE Oregon to scout my field trip stops for the September GSOC trip. My husband Doug and I did a preliminary trip last August.

We had Marli Miller's new Roadside Geology of Oregon with us so the navigator could read aloud from it as we travelled. It was very helpful. We stopped at Glass Buttes off Hwy 20 between Bend and Burns. Neither of us had been there before. The turnoff is on the south side of the highway, just west of milepost 77. Look for a cattle guard. I was disappointed that it wasn't a sparkling glass mountain as I had imagined.

Read More

Board Meeting Notes

/

June 13, 2015

President Janet Rasmussen called the meeting to order at the home of Rosemary Kenney. Other board members in attendance constituting quorum were Bo Nonn, Paul Edison-Lahm, Lawrence Purchase, Kirben Smoody, Sheila Alfsen, and John Piccinnini. Also in attendance was GSOC member Doug Rasmussen. The minutes of the April 11th, 2015 board meeting were approved. Treasurer’s Report (Submitted earlier by Dawn): Approved by the board. 

Read More