Winter 2020 Vol 63 No 4

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Vol. 63, No. 4 – Winter 2020

AEG 2020

Annual Meeting

A Virtual Success!

AEG 64th Annual Meeting

The Westin Riverwalk September 18–26, 2021 www.aegannualmeeting.org

Guest Tours

Hill Country Wine Tasting & Fredericksburg Shopping San Antonio Missions World Heritage Tour San Antonio Riverwalk Walking Tour Natural Bridge Caverns

The Westin Riverwalk Situated on the Riverwalk’s quiet end, this upscale hotel is near the Pearl District, home to downtown restaurants, bars, shopping and entertainment. Walk to the historic Alamo or the Spanish Governor’s Palace to admire its white adobe architecture. Enjoy beautiful indoor and outdoor venues overlooking the Riverwalk. The hotel rooms and suites feature pillow-top mattresses, marble bathrooms and room service. As you revel in Riverwalk views from a private balcony, feel the energy of downtown San Antonio at The Westin.

Field Courses

Three-Day Fort Worth Trinity River Course San Antonio River Improvements Project Karst Cave – Cave without a Name Edwards Aquifer ASR and Desalination Plant Canyon Dam Spillway Houston Drainage and Subsidence

Technical Program

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS will be opening on January 1, 2021.

SYMPOSIA TOPICS Dams Landslides NOA Coastal Hazards Environmental Geologic and Seismic Hazards Geophysics GeoUAS (drones) Tunneling

TECHNICAL SESSION TOPICS Urban Drainage (Surface Water) Urban/Water Topics (Groundwater) Faulting/Subsidence Drilling and Logging Technologies/Topics Groundwater/Fracking and more…

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Vol. 63, No. 4 – Winter 2020

AEG News (ISSN 0899-5788; USPS 954-380) is published five times a year by the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists (AEG). This includes three regular issues published in Spring (#2), Summer (#3) and Winter (#5) and two special issues: the Annual Report and Directory (#1) in March and the Annual Meeting Program with Abstracts (#4) in September (digital publication only). Digital copies of the Program with Abstracts are distributed at the AEG Annual Meeting. Association members receive an electronic copy of all five issues of the AEG News as part of their dues. Print subscription for Association members, which includes all three regular issues of the AEG News, is $40 in addition to annual membership dues. Nonmember annual subscription is $50 and includes only the three regular issues; the Annual Report and Directory issue is priced separately. Back copies of AEG News regular issues are $12 each.

Inquiries should be sent to AEG Headquarters: Association Manager, 3053 Nationwide Parkway, Brunswick, OH 44212 330-578-4900.

Periodical Postage paid at Brunswick, OH, and additional mailing offices: POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AEG News, 3053 Nationwide Parkway, Brunswick, OH 44212, USA. AEG News is printed by Allen Press, Lawrence, KS, 66044, USA. © 2020 Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists—All Rights Reserved Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those officially representing the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists except where expressly stated.

AEG News Editors Acquisitions Editor: Visty P. Dalal, Sr. Engineering Geologist, Maryland Dam Safety Program, news@aegweb.org Content Editor: Bill Roman, Chief Geologist, Gannett Fleming, Inc., wroman@gfnet.com Managing Editor/Production: Andrea Leigh Ptak, Communicating Words & Images, 206-300-2067, andrealeighptak@me.com, www.andrealeighptak.com

Submission Information In order of preference:

Index to Advertisers

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From the Editors 4 Your Questions & Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 The Acquisition Editor’s Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 In This Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 News of the Association 6 The President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Vice President’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Treasurer’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Secretary’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Headquarter’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Foundation News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Technical Working Groups Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 AEG Member Profile: Dorian Elder Kuper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 2020 Outstanding Volunteer Awardees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 In Memory of Gunnar Schlieder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Special Feature: AEG Virtual Annual Meeting Recap Field Notes: You Don’t Look Like a Geologist

18–20 21

News of the Profession 23 The Development of Geology Degree Program Accreditation by the ABET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Registration of Geologists in Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 AEG’s Bryan Receives 2020 Distinguished Practice Award from GSA . . .26 Professional Contributions 27 The Cascade Volcanoes: Reaching New Heights in Applied Geoscience .27 Dam Failure: Edenville and Sanford Dams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

On the Cover

1. Send files via email, preferably as attachments, to both email addresses above.

Optimum file format is MSWord. Users of other software programs should convert their file to ASCII or text only. Photos and other images, charts, graphs, etc.) should be sent as separate images but may be included in the Word.doc for placement purposes.

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For detailed guidelines visit: https://aeg.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/aeg_news_style_guide_0713.pdf

The AEG 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting was a success. Read all about it beginning on page 18. See page 4 for a rundown on the talking heads.

The association 2020–21 Officers President: WILLIAM GODWIN Consulting Geologist, Carmel, California, president@aegweb.org Vice President/President Elect: MADDIE GERMAN Geologist, Raleigh, North Carolina, VP@aegweb.org Treasurer: NATHAN SARACENO Senior Geologist, DiGioia Gray and Associates, Monroeville, Pennsylvania, treasurer@aegweb.org Secretary: SARAH KALIKA Consulting Geologist, DiabloGeo Environmental, San Ramon, California, secretary@aegweb.org Past President: CYNTHIA PALOMARES Texas Engineering Extension Service, Texas A&M University, Caldwell, Texas, PP@aegweb.org

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Association Contacts

Submission Deadlines https://aeg.memberclicks.net/aeg-news Canada Agreement number: PM40063731; Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Station A, PO Box 54; Windsor, ON N9A 6J5; Email: returnsil@imex.pb.com

AEG News welcomes your feedback. Letters should be sent with the writer's name, address, and daytime phone number via e-mail to news@aegweb.org. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Winter 2020

Table of Contents

Headquarters: Association Manager: SHERI MASKOW J&M Business Solutions 3053 Nationwide Parkway, Brunswick, OH 44212 330-578-4900, manager@aegweb.org AEG Foundation—President: WILLIAM FLANIGAN, president@aegfoundation.org Communications Director: BILL ROMAN, wroman@gfnet.com

AEG NEWS 63(4)

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FROM THE EDITORS

News

Vol. 63, No. 4 – Winter 2020

On the Cover Key

Generally in order of appearance during the annual meeting but not inclusive, with apologies to those not pictured.

Row 1: Cynthia Palomares, Scott Lindvall, Cheryl Hapke, Brian Heinzl, Jesse Hill, Greg Hempen, Jacob Anderson.

Row 2: Ed Cording, Ike Isaacson, Michael Piepenburg, Paul Headland, Ashton Krajnovich, Gauen Alexander, AEG 20020 Annu ual a Lauren Lasky, Patricia Bryan.

Meetiing A Virtuual Row 3: Scott Burns, David Successs!

Innes, John Noyes, Bill Godwin, Renee Wawczak, Bill Roman, Visty Dalal.

Row 4: Niall Henshaw, Burns, Mark Bailey, Sarah Kalika, Oliver Barker, Thomas Zdeb, Gerry Stirewalt, Isaac Pope, Patrick Pringle, Jenise Thompson.

Row 5: James Arthurs, Stirewalt, David Fenster, Leon van Paassen, Stirewalt, Fenster, Iuliia Tcibulnikova, Stirewalt, Fenster, Morley Beckman, Stirewalt, Timothy Blackwood, Douglas Boyer, Bruce Hilton, Matthew Balven.

Row 6: Hilton, Scott Walker, Suzanne Hess-Brittelle, Amy LeFebvre, Holly Nichols, Greg Braun, Brian Greene, Philip Shaller, Nichols, Walker, Visty Dalal, John Mundell. Row 7: Paul Santi, Anna Stanczyk, Kerry Cato, Rory Robinson, Yonathan Admassu, Santi, Luke Weidner, Vishnu Chakrapani Lekha. Row 8: Jennifer Bauer, Trent Hubbard, Larry Gurrola, Andrew Mitchell, Samatha Farmer, Margaret Kroehler, Stirewalt, Fenster, Nicholas Ferry.

Row 9: Dylan Hemraj, George Freitaj, Stirewalt, Fenster, Echo Li, Stirewalt, Fenster, Jacqueline Sosa, David Rogers, Cassandra Wagner, Edmund Medley.

Row 10: Kevin Richards, Mundell, Wagner, Kevin Hayes, Richards, Bill Kingston, Scott Burch, Michael George, Coralie White, Stephanie Briggs.

Row 11: David Cregger, Kimberly Davidson, Wagner, Don Terres, Wagner, Don Riley, Jon Major, Heather Clark. Row 12: James Faulds, Rich Koehler, William Hammond, John Sager, Major, Jeremy Britton, Maddie German, Nathan Saraceno, Mariliis Eensalu, Tomsen Reed, Angela Han.

o t x e Indvertisers Ad

AEG Corporate Sponsor Listing . . .11 California State University, San Bernardino . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 DiGioia Gray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 UPenn . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover AEG 2021 Annual Meeting . . .Inside Front Cover AEG Future Meetings . . . . . . . . . .32 AEG Karst Hazards Forum . . . . . . .22 To advertise in AEG News, contact AEG Headquarters at advertising@aegweb.org

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Your

Questions &Answers Get answers and information from AEG members on your industry and associationrelated questions.

In each issue, questions sent by any member will be posted along with the response from the official to whom it is addressed. If the questions are general in nature, then the AEG News editorial staff will research it and post the response, otherwise a specific AEG official will respond to the question. Please send your questions, comments, input, or suggestions to Visty Dalal, AEG News Acquisitions Editor at news@aegweb.org.

This issue’s questions are answered by AEG PastPresident Cynthia Palomares…

Q1) Does AEG use Social Media to communicate relevant information about the Association and the Geosciences Profession?

AEG uses several Social Media platforms to communicate information. AEG currently uses Instagram, Facebook Page and Group (two different platforms), Twitter, and LinkedIn. AEG recently launched our Instagram page (aegweb) and is actively posting articles/info on this page. AEG recently launched a Facebook group (different from a page) that allows interaction among members. Anyone can post information/articles here and others can then interact with each other. In addition, Association-level webinars are being recorded and posted on the AEG website for future viewing. If you missed a webinar, this is a great way to be able to view the webinar. We are currently working on hosting a weekly blog with various topics dealing with Applied Geology.

The blogs will be posted on the AEG website with links on social media. Look for these in the very near future!

Q2) Will the AEG Annual Meeting scheduled for September 2021 be in person or a virtual format?

The 2021 AEG Annual Meeting is scheduled to take place in San Antonio, Texas, in September 2021. While the Annual Meeting planning committee is currently working toward having the meeting in person, we are also exploring options for a hybrid meeting, where attendees that can’t travel to San Antonio for various reasons will be able to connect with the Annual Meeting Technical Sessions and other events online. We will be working toward this hybrid format as the planning continues. Of course, we will be watching the developing events of the COVID-19 pandemic and will adjust our planning, if needed, as we get closer to September 2021.

AEG NEWS 63(4)

Winter 2020

HERE FROMHEADER THE EDITORS

Acquisition Editor’s Pen

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Visty Dalal, AEG News Acquisitions Editor

appy fall season, everyone (and winter by the time you receive this issue). This year has just slipped by us and we are already in the holiday season! Where did the spring, summer, and fall seasons go as it just seems that the last time I looked outside my window I saw the spring shoots blooming on the trees and already the leaves have started to fall off, at least in my neck of the woods! Well, the silver lining during this pandemic time is the fact that I got to spend so much time with my family at home. While Jasmine went to work at the bank, the kids and I went to our separate corners in our basement to do our studies or office work. We became experts in coordinating our schedules so that our online meetings and workshop times didn’t interfere with each other’s work. We still continue doing that and love the time at home!

Another highlight of this year for me was AEG’s Virtual Annual Meeting in September 2020. Thanks to the Planning Committee for doing an excellent job in putting this together at such a short notice. Everything at the meeting went so well and smoothly, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the activities and presentations. Hats off to Heather Clark for coordinating the entire conference so well with the help of others. We appreciate her behind the scenes efforts that make us all look so efficient. Thank you, Heather!

With the culmination of each Annual Meeting, we experience a leadership transition as AEG’s Executive Council (EC) says goodbye to the Past President and welcomes a new AEG Secretary, who joins the four remaining EC members in working diligently to ensure AEG succeeds in all its activities and provides a wonderful experience to all its members. EC contact information appears on the next page, so please reach out to them with your questions, concerns, and ideas.

This past year, it has been an honor to work closely with our new Past President Cynthia Palomares, who was instrumental in our success in all the activities that were carried out during these challenging pandemic times. The decision to hold the annual conference online and many other similar ones were a huge risk that paid off big time for everyone. I take this wonderful opportunity to highlight SOME of Cynthia’s accomplishments for the 2019–20 year! Bravo, Cynthia, for a job well done in these unprecedented times!

Cynthia’s accomplishments include: COVID-19 Issues Cancelled President’s visits and Jahn’s Lectureship after February 2020 • Scheduled and promoted online webinars (Associationlevel and Chapter-level) • Increasing AEG virtual presence in social media • Added blog posts to AEG website on various topics • Hosted first Virtual Annual Meeting September 2020

Association Management Company

Membership Recruitment Monthly emails sent to members during renewal period • Outreach to non-renewing members by Heather (March 2020) • Postcard sent to nonrenewing 2018 and 2019 members in June 2020

Chapter Visits and Presentations Given Texas Chapter (Geohydro Workshop) • Puget Sound Chapter • Portland Chapter • Alaska Chapter – Anchorage • Alaska Student Chapter – Fairbanks • Chapter visits cancelled after February 2020 • Association-level webinars (2 given in May 2020) • St. Louis Chapter – virtual presentation given in June 2020

Association-Level Webinars Thirteen webinars scheduled and held – Attendance varied from 200 to 500 people • Promoted a fee for non-members after the 2020 Annual Meeting

Strategic Plan New and improved website launched in November 2019 • Legislative Tracking System – launched November 1, 2019 • Social Media Platforms expanded and increased visibility (Facebook, Instagram, twitter and LinkedIn) • Blog posts added to website and doing well • Goal to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion among the geosciences and AEG added to the AM plan.

New Operational Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Created Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Posted on AEG Website We look forward to working with AEG's new President Bill Godwin and his team in accomplishing great things this year also. Here’s wishing everyone a very rewarding and successful year filled with great events and activities in these “new normal” times. I look forward to seeing everyone (face-to-face) at the 2021 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, in September.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the technical authors who contributed great articles for publication in this issue. We appreciate their time and efforts in putting these articles together for our magazine so that all our AEG members can benefit from their work. Likewise, wouldn’t you like to share some of your research or projects with AEG members by submitting to AEG News. We would be especially happy to receive more committee and chapter news to share. Send me an email at: news@aegweb.org and I will contact you. THANKS! Have wonderful holidays, everyone!

Respectfully, Visty Dalal

Transitioned to a new AMC in March 2020 Winter 2020

AEG NEWS 63(4)

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FROM THE EDITORS HEADER HERE

In this issue…

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Bill Roman, Content Editor

he editors welcome you to the final issue of AEG News for 2020, a game-changing year for sure. With this issue, AEG News is introducing some changes too. We are excited to present the debut of Deborah Green’s column “Field Notes.” In her first column, Deborah addresses the topic of diversity in the geosciences. In Visty Dalal’s Q&A segment, Cynthia Palomares responds to questions on social media and future annual meetings. The News of the Association section features the inaugural reports by the four members of the Executive Council, who assumed their new roles as President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary at the annual meeting. Sarah Kalika updates us on methods to better identify asbestos in talc and consumer products containing

talc. We are also pleased to feature a member profile

by Dorian Kuper, pay homage to Gunner Schlieder, and provide a recap of the Annual Meeting.

In News of the Profession, Dale Elifrits chronicles the development of geology degree program accreditation and explains how the process works, Charles Livingston provides a colorful history of licensure in Georgia, and we inform you of AEG member Patricia Bryan’s selection for a prestigious award.

Finally, our professional contributions section features a description of two dam failures in Michigan by Thomas Oommen and a delightful exploration by Isaac Pope of opportunities for reaching new heights in multiple fields via research in the Cascade Volcanoes.

HEADER NEWS OFHERE THE ASSOCIATION – THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Making Up for That Lost 2020 Vision William Godwin, 2020 –21 AEG President

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am honored to be your President of the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists. I’d like to say that even though the title of the Association is all inclusive of the professionals, students, teachers, and retirees that make up our membership, this is not really the case, as we have a lot of work to do to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion to our membership, daily practices, and professional outlook. In addition to supporting our new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, one of my goals this year is to visit three or four elementary or junior high schools in disadvantaged neighborhoods to enlighten students on what geoscience means, specifically how it is important, that it is a real science, is a profession that pays wages, and allows travel and work outdoors. While this might sound like an oversimplification of what geologists do, I can speak for myself when I say that a one-semester Earth Science class in my eighth-grade year made a big impression on me. I am requesting ideas from AEG News readers on how and where I might make this happen.

I lament the fact that due to the pandemic I will not immediately be able to visit the AEG Chapters and Schools that are spread across the United States. I will say, somewhat selfishly, that one of the reasons I wanted to be on the Executive Council (EC) was to be able to travel to and speak with members and geoscientists and share in our collective experiences. My plans may change early in 2021 based on responsible implementation of travel, meeting, and socialization protocols so that I can make that happen. In the meantime, I will carry on in a virtual mode to fulfill my commitment to the Association.

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Qualities of good leadership include surrounding yourself with a strong supporting staff, listening to your constituents more than telling them what you think they want to hear, and being clear about your message. I have a lot to learn and will strive to not sweat the small stuff, but to implement to the best of my ability my vision of what I see as goals for making the Association stronger and more vibrant. As I shared during the recent Annual Meeting my vision includes: 1. Continue Strategic Plan Implementation by supporting: a) Professional Forums, b) Leadership and Succession Plans, and c) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 2. Webinars (National) to continue the successful series 3. Build on professional relationships and connections 4. Make AEG relevant to a younger generation To use a geotechnical analogy, the stability of any organization is based on the foundation on which it rests. That foundation is strong in part by the hard work and dedication of the AEG Past Presidents, and most recently the devotion showed by the immediate Past President Cynthia Palomares. I learned from Cynthia that adversity and challenges can be overcome with the right attitude and skillset. I am lucky that Cynthia will be on the EC this year.

Lastly, I’d like to say that I am especially proud that this year the EC is made up of more women than men. I believe that this may also represent a sea change of leadership to a younger generation, which I think is good for this Association.

AEG NEWS 63(4)

Winter 2020

NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – VICE PRESIDENT’S HEADER REPORT HERE

Committees = Community Maddie German, 2020 –21 AEG Vice President

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huge thank you to the members of this association who have bestowed on me the great privilege to serve on the Executive Council as their Vice President/ President-Elect. AEG is an incredible organization with members and volunteers who work tirelessly to serve one another in the incredible profession we all share. This year, as I get to interact more closely with members through the committees, I look forward to hearing your individual stories about AEG and how this association fits into your world.

One of my duties is to support our AEG President Bill Godwin, more specifically, to help him complete our next round of key initiatives from our strategic plan, to maximize our membership engagement, resolve any residuals from the year of clarity, and (of-course) make it all fun.

Additionally, I am afforded the opportunity to work with the operational committees, supporting their individual undertakings and promoting AEG’s overall mission. For anyone looking to develop their leadership skills or those interested in having a larger role in the association, the committees are an excellent place to start. Anyone can join a committee— student members, new members, retired professionals, if you have an interest, you are welcome. For the folks new to AEG’s committees, here is a list: ■ Advocacy ■ Awards ■ Chapter Support ■ Communications

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■ Continuing Education ■ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion ■ Finance ■ Governance ■ K–12 Education ■ Licensure

For anyone looking to develop their leadership skills or those interested in having a larger role in the association, the committees are an excellent place to start.

■ Meetings Advisory ■ Strategic Initiative ■ Student and Young Professional Support ■ 2021 Annual Meeting

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This list with descriptions for each of the committees can be found on AEGs website, and you can check the calendar to see their next meeting time. If you don’t see your personal interest on that list, please reach out to me; AEG is always seeking enthusiastic members to build committees and expand our reach. You can email me at VP@aegweb.org or HQ at manager@aegweb.org if you are Winter 2020

interested and want to be connected with a committee chair.

Yes, everyone is busy. The folks who currently volunteer also have jobs, families, and other social obligations. Surprisingly, most AEG committees do not require an extensive time commitment; they only meet for one hour, once a month. You can definitely fit that into your schedule—especially when it is fun; you are interacting with and making new friends, plus you are making a worthwhile investment in your career and AEG. Sure 2020 was an odd year, but wouldn’t you like to assert some control over the future? The committees are one way the membership can influence the direction of the organization. Regardless if you agree with the present course we are traveling or not, you make a difference by attending and contributing.

We do have an urgent need. The K–12 committee is in desperate need of members. If reaching out to younger generations and teaching about the geosciences is important to you, please reach out and become involved in that group.

This group will play a critical role as AEG strives to develop information and expand knowledge of the geosciences to increasing numbers of children in the next generation. Plus, who doesn’t want to spend an afternoon doing science projects with a bunch of eager and interested kids?

If 2020 taught us anything it is that there can always be some extraneous situation that no one expects to throw a monkey wrench into our best-laid plans. However, I can’t stress enough the incredible community of geoscientists that makes up this association. Each person brings their own unique story to share and educate the rest. Join in community with your fellow geoscientists to support yourself and AEG.

AEG Executive Council Statement on Diversity AEG supports diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Geosciences profession and in our organization. AEG leadership plans to further our efforts in promoting these values by challenging ourselves on what we can do better to encourage underrepresented populations to consider and obtain careers in the Geosciences and to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment within our Association and the Geosciences profession. We welcome and encourage you to join us as we strive to take meaningful, positive action. Please contact Bill Godwin AEG President, at president@aegweb.org if you would like to help further develop these efforts.

AEG NEWS 63(4)

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HEADER NEWS OFHERE THE ASSOCIATION – TREASURER’S REPORT

Out of Adversity…

Nathan Saraceno, 2020 –21 AEG Treasurer

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am thankful for your trust and continued support as I step into the role of AEG Treasurer. In this role, I have the responsibility to maintain a full and accurate record of AEG’s financial transactions and accounts, and to report to the Finance Committee and AEG Board of Directors (BOD) on a regular basis.

At the BOD meeting in September, the operating budget passed by the Board included a proposed $597,675 revenue and proposed total expenses of $625,520 for a net deficit of $27,845 for the 2021 calendar year. This is the third deficit budget in a row for AEG, which the BOD and Financial Committee is rightfully concerned about. However, there is good reason to be optimistic about next year.

The 2021 budget is based on several conservative assumptions, not least of which is the uncertainty related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and how that will play a role with respect to membership, planned conferences, and the Annual Meeting next year. Generally, many of the surpluses we hope to see were kept low or net zero, but the typical expenses that weren’t used this year due to travel restrictions were kept in the budget. For example, the Karst Forum and Dams Forum are projected to be net zero surplus.

Despite the conservative budget, we have good reason to believe that AEG will come out ahead next year. A good measure of this is the fact that we anticipate our 2020 yearend financial balance (revenue vs expenses) to be significantly less negative than originally budgeted, even after the unexpected impacts of the pandemic. Further, as you’ll read within other officer reports, AEG is successfully implementing online webinars, for which we have begun charging a nominal fee to non-members. We also are looking at ways to increase revenue through sponsorship of webinars and publications.

Across the Association, AEG is renowned for exceptional networking. While the above methods are helpful, the greatest means of maintaining networking and the financial health of AEG (and our continued future success) is to increase membership. Since last year, our Full Membership category has decreased by almost 100 members. This is likely due in part to widespread financial uncertainty in a pandemic year, but also follows a longer-term trend of decreasing membership observed by AEG and many other professional organizations. Most initiatives undertaken by the BOD and our committees are focused on providing and improving member benefits.

AEG is committed to providing you, our members, and the greater geoscience community with high-quality technical and professional resources. We are working to better promote technical forums, webinars, and publications as a means to attract new members and maintain our existing membership.

One thing you can do as an existing member to support the long-term success of AEG is to bring in a new member (or 8

two. Or three!). If you know someone with a shared interest in applied geosciences, invite them to join you at your next Chapter meeting (or virtual event), or start forwarding them the invitations to upcoming webinars and encourage them to join if they think they could benefit.

I would be remiss to end this report without mentioning that our transition to our new association management company, J&M Business Solutions (J&M), in February 2020 revealed numerous inconsistencies and missing paperwork within AEG’s financial records managed by the prior management company. Unfortunately, this also meant that our accounts from 2018 through the beginning of 2020 did not reconcile year to year, which had a cascading effect on our financial reporting and audit requirements.

To deal with this, J&M hired a bookkeeper who began to completely rebuild the financial records within the Quickbooks financial software used by J&M. This process has consumed the majority of 2020. As I write Across the this article in October, we Association, AEG is now have the 2018 renowned for exceptional records reconciled and networking. …the greatest are working on the 2019 means of maintaining records. The 2020 networking and the financial records are already uphealth of AEG (and our to-date, but need to be continued future success) reconciled with the 2019 is to increase ending balance before we membership. have final “actuals” for the 2020 calendar year. By the time you read this, I am hopeful this paragraph may have been more informational than summarizing ongoing efforts, and that we now have all financial records current and reconciled.

A major “Thank you!” is in order for Maddie German who, as the 2019–20 Treasurer did the lion’s share of the work to see this through!

Now that December is here, we’re all looking forward to putting 2020 behind us and have our eyes (and hearts) set on a successful and positive 2021. While this year had its adversities, let’s not forget where we thrived and carry that with us as we move forward. “Out of adversity comes opportunity.” I look forward to seeing where we go from here and taking advantage of the opportunities afforded to us!

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Advertisers and their agencies are solely responsible for the content of all advertisements printed and also assume responsibility for any claims arising therefrom against the publisher. AEG and AEG News reserve the right to reject any advertising copy.

AEG NEWS 63(4)

Winter 2020

NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – SECRETARY’S REPORT / HEADQUARTERS’ HEADER REPORT HERE

Grateful for My Latest AEG Volunteer Role Sarah Kalika, 2020 –21 AEG Secretary

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s I begin my term on the Executive Council (EC) as Secretary, I am reminded of the many volunteers in our long history who have led this great organization. I am thankful that you have elected me to join in their ranks and grateful to begin my term with a fantastic group of volunteers on the EC and within the Board of Directors (BOD).

As your Secretary, my primary goal is to capture and keep a record of discussions and decisions that are made by the BOD and EC during our meetings. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 travel and meeting restrictions, these meetings have been held during most of 2020 as conference calls and we will likely continue to conduct meetings this way for the near future. While we are not meeting in person, rest assured that the Association’s business is being completed using conference calls with plenty of opportunities for interaction.

My history with AEG does not begin on the EC. In fact, when I joined AEG eleven years ago as a fired-up professional geologist with a freshly minted PG license, I was excited to have found such a fantastic group of people and ready to be involved in Chapter leadership. I was soon elected as the Vice Chair of the San Francisco Section (now Chapter) and became the Chair two years later. While representing San Francisco on the BOD, I served on several AEG Operational Committees (Governance, Meetings Advisory, Chapter Support, Communications, and Finance). Just nine years after attending my first Annual Meeting, I co-chaired the 2018 AEG Annual Meeting/IAEG Congress in San Francisco. As if that were not enough to fill my time, in 2014 I co-founded the Technical Working Group on Naturally Occurring Asbestos, which expanded and became an IAEG

Commission in 2019. Although definitely not a prerequisite for joining the EC, I am thankful for my years serving on various committees and collaborating with all of AEG’s awesome volunteer leaders, as this experience has well prepared me for this next phase of leadership.

In 2020, AEG successfully pivoted from an inperson Annual Meeting in Oregon to our first-ever virtual Annual Meeting! The virtual meeting was an outstanding opportunity for members across the world to participate from their homes or offices and an excellent opportunity to include those who are usually unable to travel due to airport proximity, health restrictions, or finances. AEG is looking into incorporating some kind of virtual format within future Annual Meetings.

I see COVID-19 as both a challenge and an opportunity for AEG. I am excited to see that many Chapters have embraced the virtual Chapter meeting concept and continued to host speakers. This is a fantastic opportunity for Chapters to be creative and host speakers who would otherwise be unable to travel to a Chapter meeting. Consider hosting a speaker from across the country or outside the US, the possibilities are endless! I have participated in several events this Spring and Summer that were hosted by Chapters that I would otherwise be unable to attend if not online.

Additionally, AEG’s successful webinar series will continue into 2021 and feature presentations by prominent members of the Association on varied Engineering and Environmental Geology topics—all at no charge for members.

I am looking forward to seeing what’s in store for AEG in 2021, and I hope you are too!

Virtual Events and More Sheri Maskow, Association Manager

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s the COVID-19 pandemic continues, so do virtual meetings and webinars. Our Virtual Annual Meeting was a success, and we look forward to hopefully seeing everyone in person in San Antonio, Texas, in 2021.

The Association has been holding at least two webinars each month, with many of the Chapters hosting their own as well. Members are invited to attend all webinars, even those outside of their own Chapter. Recordings of past webinars are available at aegweb.org/webinars. Please invite your coworkers and professional colleagues to a Chapter event and encourage them to join you as an AEG member.

Winter 2020

We are currently in the process of updating committee lists and call schedules. Committee volunteers are needed to assist with projects in 2021. If you are interested in helping to move AEG forward and create additional value for the AEG membership, please let us know at manager@aegweb.org and we’ll help find a place for you to get involved.

It’s that time of year to submit your AEG membership renewal. Current members should have received communication with instructions on how to renew. You’ll visit the link in the email, select your membership type and proceed by logging on and completing the form.

Need assistance with your renewal or login? Contact our office at contact@aegweb.org or 844-331-7867.

AEG NEWS 63(4)

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HEADER NEWS OFHERE THE ASSOCIATION – FOUNDATION REPORT

Recognizing the Foundation Scholars

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Nichole Vetter, AEG Foundation Director & Communications Chair

he AEG Foundation would like to thank everyone who participated in the Virtual Donor’s Reception and the Silent Auction during the Virtual Annual Meeting. The Silent Auction raised $576 for the Johnston Operations Fund.

Lemke Awards The AEG Foundation was proud to select seven students to receive Lemke awards during the Virtual Annual Meeting. This fund was created by a bequest received in 2007 from the estate of Richard W. and June T. Lemke and is intended to help students who present their research defray the costs of attending the meeting. The following are the 2020 recipients.

Emily Smoot – Emily is a graduate of Portland Community College and Portland State University (PSU) with an inspired love for learning and curiosity of the physical world stemming from her untraditional educational background as an “unschooler.”

She is currently a graduate student at Western Washington University. In her free time, Emily enjoys foraging for wild edibles in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Emily hopes to one day pursue a doctoral degree in hydrogeology and use her education to improve and promote the understanding and use of our natural environment and the resources it provides for us Margaret Kroehler – Margaret Kroehler is a master’s student at Kent State University studying engineering geology with a primary interest in slope stability and geologic hazards. She earned her BS-Geology at the College of William and Mary and MS-Geological Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, with research in tectonics of the Blue Ridge and eastern Caribbean, respectively. She worked in the oil and gas industry in Houston, TX before being transferred to Pittsburgh, PA to work on Marcellus Shale development. In Pittsburgh, she developed an interest in engineering geology while attending local professional meetings and decided to pursue it as a new career. Her current goals are to graduate this year and obtain a job in the Pittsburgh area.

Iuliia Tcibulnikova – Iuliia is pursuing her MS in geological engineering at Michigan Tech University. She is fascinated with the Artic and all things frozen. She also likes medieval history and cooking.

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Samantha Farmer – Samantha is a student at East Tennessee State University earning a master’s degree in geosciences (concentration in geospatial analysis). She earned a BS in geology (concentration In environmental and engineering) from Radford University (2019). Her career interests include geotechnical asset management, utilizing Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for geologic applications, and geologic field mapping.

Sarah Harris – Sara is a senior at East Tennessee State University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in geosciences with a concentration in geology and environment, and a minor in GIS. She has a 12-year-old son named Zack and enjoys playing Minecraft with him, reading, and traveling.

Kara Kingen – Kara is currently pursuing her MSc in geology at Portland State University, with a focus on geomorphic processes. She loves being outside and appreciating the amazing landscape (hiking, camping, etc.), and hopes to use her education to preserve it in the best way possible.

Luke Weidner – Luke is a PhD candidate at the Colorado School of Mines studying rockfall hazards and machine learning. Outside of work he enjoys exploring the outdoors and playing the piano.

ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS The following scholarships were awarded during the 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting. Photos of the scholars were published in the 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting Program with Abstracts and recipient videos can be viewed on the AEG Foundation's website: https://www.aegfoundation.org/about/news.php?n=29

Carolinas Scholarship Established in 2015 with a gift from the Carolinas Chapter, this scholarship supports geologic studies by undergraduate students enrolled in a geology or geoscience program at an accredited university in North Carolina or South Carolina.

Ciara Sailar – Appalachian State University

AEG NEWS 63(4)

Winter 2020

NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – FOUNDATION HEADER REPORT HERE

Marliave Scholarship The Marliave Scholarship Fund was established in 1968 to honor the late Chester E. Marliave, Burton H. Marliave, and Elmer C. Marliave, outstanding engineering geologists and supporters of AEG. The funds are distributed as grants, which are intended to support academic activity and reward outstanding scholarship in Engineering Geology and Geological Engineering.

Spencer Whitman – University of Nevada Reno

Susan Steele Weir (Women of “Steele”) Scholarship The Susan Steele Weir Scholarship Fund was established by the AEG Foundation in 2017 in order to create a fund that promotes and supports the continued development and advancement of women in the profession of engineering geology.

Catherine Hobart – Baylor University

Edward Fordham – Western Washington University – Graduate Division Tomsen Reed – Utah State University – Graduate Division

Norman R. Tilford Field Study Scholarship The Tilford Scholarships are awarded to both undergraduate and graduate students for the summer field season, and were established in memory of Norman R. Tilford, who was a leader in engineering geology and a professor at Texas A&M University. Norm died in 1997 while flying his small aircraft to meet a student field trip. Norm was dedicated to teaching geology in the field and these scholarships support his legacy.

Angelina Han – Amherst College – Undergraduate Division Lauren Herbert – Colorado School of Mines – Graduate Division Chad Neptune – California State University, Fresno – Graduate Division

Christopher C. Mathewson Scholarship Established in 2007 as the Texas Section Scholarship, the Scholarship was renamed in 2011 to honor Christopher C. Mathewson. Recipients of the scholarship are undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in an accredited Texas college or university, or graduate students conducting field studies in Texas.

Mariliis Eensalu – Northern Illinois University – Post-Graduate Division

West-Gray Scholarship

Ashley Aguilar – University of Texas at San Antonio – Graduate Division

Established in 2014 with initial funding provided as a gift from AEG Past Presidents Terry R. West and Richard E. Gray, this fund supports undergraduate and graduate geology students studying in the eastern half of the United States.

Emma Fuentes – Angelo State University – Graduate Division

Katrina Ferry – University of Kansas – Undergraduate Division

Shlemon Quaternary Engineering Geology Scholarship

Samantha Tramontano – City University of New York – The Graduate Center, Queens College – Post-Graduate Division

The Shlemon Quaternary Engineering Geology Scholarship supports graduate geology students conducting Quaternary engineering geology research. Initial funding for the Scholarship was provided by a gift from Roy J. Shlemon, Honorary Member of the AEG.

e t a r o p r o C Sponsors 2020

James Fisher – Lehigh University

Robert J. Watters Great Basin Chapter Scholarship This fund supports geoscience studies by students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Recipients of grants must be students enrolled in an accredited Nevada college or university or students enrolled in an accredited four-year college conducting a substantial portion of their field studies inside Nevada.

Kathleen Rodrigues – University of Nevada, Reno

Glacier Peak

The University of Arizona College of Engineering

Martin L. Stout Scholarship Dr. Martin L. Stout was Professor of Geology at California State University, Los Angeles from 1960 to 1990. He is remembered by his students for his passionate and insightful instruction in engineering geology. Dr. Stout was known for his expertise on landslides, his travels, his good humor, and his gracious manner. This scholarship supports his legacy.

Emma Palko – Miami University – Undergraduate Division Ramon Antonio Richardson – Mississippi State University – Undergraduate Division Winter 2020

Applications are now being accepted for the 2021 year with a Feb. 1, 2021 deadline and should be made online. For more information, visit https://www.aegfoundation.org/applications/.

(888) 658-2042 onlineengineering@arizona.edu https://online.engineering.arizona.edu/online-eng-mining/

Kilauea Lettis Consultants International, Inc. Earth Science Consultants (661) 287-9900 1000 Burnett Avenue, Suite 350 Concord, CA 94520 http://www.lettisci.com/

AEG NEWS 63(4)

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HEADER NEWS OFHERE THE ASSOCIATION – TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPS

Naturally Occurring Asbestos TWG Update: Federal Interagency Working Group Presents Methods to Better Identify Asbestos in Talc and Consumer Products Containing Talc Sarah Kalika, PG, CAC Sarah is an environmental geologist and asbestos consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sarah serves on AEG’s Executive Council, AEG’s Technical Working Group for NOA/IAEG Commission on NOA, and is co-chair of AEG’s Meetings Advisory Committee.

In 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) formed the Interagency Working Group on Asbestos in Consumer Products (IWGACP), which is comprised of thirtyeight representatives of the following agencies: FDA, National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Representatives from these agencies were selected for participation because of their expertise in asbestos testing, asbestos health research, and regulation or policy creation for consumer products that contain talc as an ingredient. The IWGACP worked for a year to produce recommendations, which were published in Executive Summary, Preliminary Recommendations on Testing Methods for Asbestos in Talc and Consumer Products Containing Talc on January 6, 2020 (Executive Summary) and summarized in a FDA public hearing held on February 4, 2020.

Why are governmental agencies in the United States worried about talc, and what does this have to do with asbestos?

Asbestos, a known carcinogen, is commercially defined and Federally regulated as six minerals that grow in a fibrous manner (described as “asbestiform”). The six “asbestos” minerals are the serpentinite mineral chrysotile and five amphiboles: actinolite, anthophyllite, tremolite, amosite (grunerite), and crocidolite (riebeckite), though hundreds of other asbestiform minerals (primarily amphiboles) exist and remain unregulated. The mineral talc (a hydrated magnesium silicate) often contains intergrowths of asbestos. Removal of asbestos from talc ores is difficult. Although multiple analyses of representative samples of talc ore are conducted by the mine prior to (and during) extraction, the existing laboratory analytical methods have been alleged to be insufficient to identify and properly count fibers of asbestos (primarily the amphibole variety) that occur alongside talc deposits. As a result, asbestos fibers are sometimes not detected by the mines and are included within talc source materials sold to manufacturers of commercial products.

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If even a small percentage of talc contains asbestos, this becomes a problem that impacts human health. The mineral talc is widely used in beauty products including facial powders, blush, eye shadows, “baby” powders, and feminine hygiene products. Asbestos has recently been discovered within “toy” makeup products marketed to children. As reported during the FDA public hearing on February 4, 2020, the presence of asbestos has been blamed in epidemiological studies as a possible cause of ovarian cancer, linked to exposure within personal hygiene “talcum powders” that have been marketed for use since the late 1800s. Since 2017, several voluntary recalls have occurred for talc-based cosmetic products within the US, Canada, the Netherlands, and Taiwan due to the presence of asbestos.

The FDA does not allow talc-based products to contain asbestos, but methods to determine the presence of asbestos within talc have lagged behind technologies developed by the asbestos assessment, identification, and mitigation industry.

According to the IWGACP’s Executive Summary, concern about the purity of talc increased in the 1970s when numerous cosmetic products were determined to contain asbestos. In 1976, the cosmetics industry implemented a voluntary testing of raw talc materials using the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) J4-1 method, which is similar to the United States Pharmacopeia’s (USP) method to determine “absence of asbestos.” Both of these methods rely on the use of x-ray diffraction (XRD) or infrared spectroscopy (IR) followed by polarized light microscopy (PLM) only if XRD or IR is positive for amphibole or serpentine minerals in talc (IWGACP, 2020).

However, because of the sensitivity of this method, PLM with a magnification power of 50x-1,000x, fails to detect finely-sized particles of asbestos. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which has an increased magnification power up to 20,000x, and provides determination of mineral content by analyzing the chemical signature, greatly improves the capability of an analyst to detect and count asbestos and other fine fibers within a sample of talc ore (as well as within soil, air, and samples of manufactured products).

According to the IWGACP, in 2010, the FDA asked USP to consider revising their testing strategy for asbestos in talc, and in 2014, the Talc USP expert panel recommended an update to require electron microscopy. However, not all products are tested to USP’s voluntary standard.

In comparison, the determination of the presence of asbestos within rock or soil begins with the use of PLM as a screening approach to determine whether further analysis by TEM is necessary. In California, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) uses the strictest known regulatory approach and requires analysis that uses TEM for at least 25% of samples, if samples are initially reported below PLM’s detection limit of 0.25%. Essentially, DTSC’s approach assumes that if asbestos is present in large concentrations, it will be detected by PLM. If PLM screening reports asbestos as “not detected” or “trace,” then TEM should be implemented as a confirmation approach. The use of TEM has become more widespread and the costs for laboratory analysis more competitive than when the CTFA implemented testing for talc in 1976.

AEG NEWS 63(4)

Winter 2020

NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPS Furthermore, the IWGACP stated in the Executive Summary that “published methods for analysis of bulk materials were not intended to determine the presence of asbestos in products at less than 1% concentration.” The IWGACP additionally stated, “in contrast, the likely amount present when asbestos is a contaminant or impurity in talc or talc-containing consumer products might be orders of magnitude below 1%.” The IWGACP was created in an effort to research and report on existing analytical approaches and laboratory methods and to provide recommendations to the talc industry on a detailed approach to more thoroughly detect and count asbestos within talc ores during mining and processing.

During a hearing on February 4, 2020, the IWGACP’s subject matter experts presented their contributions to the Executive Summary. Following the presentations by IWGACP members, the hearing was opened for public comments.

Commenters included geologists, asbestos laboratory professionals, asbestos researchers and industry experts, attorneys, representatives of talc producers, and a medical doctor who showed fascinating images of an ovary that had been impacted by talc. These events were simulcast by the FDA and recorded for playback.1 Colleagues of the AEG Naturally Occurring Asbestos Technical Working Group / IAEG Commission on Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA TWG / IAEG Commission) participated in and contributed to this hearing. Following the hearing, the NOA TWG/ IAEG Commission prepared a letter in support of the IWGACP’s efforts.

Specific items that we support within the IWGACP’s recommendations included: ■

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Adoption and use of the term “elongate mineral particle” as defined as “any mineral particle with a minimum aspect ratio of 3:1” as defined originally in NIOSH Bulletin 62 published in March 2011.

Expanding the definition of “Elongate Mineral Particle” (EMP) to include all solid solution amphibole compositions, and not adopting the definition of commercial asbestos that limits reporting to the five amphiboles named in current regulations and test methods, which are crocidolite (riebeckite), amosite (grunerite), anthophyllite, tremolite and actinolite.

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Use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as the definitive method for the identification of asbestos and fine fibrous EMP.

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Procedures to report asbestos/EMP concentrations in terms of fiber concentration (such as fibers per gram) rather than mass (percent by weight). Weight percent is related to the size of the particle (particularly width) and specific gravity, whereas fibers per gram is independent of these variables.

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Laboratory counting and reporting of all mineral particles meeting clearly specified mineral type and dimensional criteria.

The NOA TWG / IAEG Commission also supports the IWGACP’s identified areas for future efforts in promoting the reliability of methods used for the analysis of asbestos and EMPs in talc and talc-containing consumer products including: Winter 2020

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Validation of analytical methods (x-ray diffraction [XRD], polarized light microscopy [PLM], transmission electron microscopy [TEM]) specific to talc and consumer products containing talc.

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Research and validation of methods of sampling that maximize sample representativeness and minimize errors.

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Research on methods for sample preparation, in particular, treatments (e.g. “concentration methods”) that improve test method sensitivity.

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Development of talc-specific reference standards for assessing laboratory and analyst proficiency to provide for improved reliability of quantitative analysis.

The letter written by the AEG NOA Technical Working Group/ IAEG Commission on NOA in support of the work of the IWGCAP was submitted to the FDA during the public comment period.

The IWGACP is expected to produce a white paper that expands upon their recommendations within the Executive Summary and responds to comments received during the public hearing, although the shifting priorities of these agencies in response to COVID-19 might delay these efforts. The AEG NOA TWG / IAEG Commission on NOA will continue to monitor the progress of the IWGACP.

Notes 1. link: https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-news-events/public-meetingtesting-methods-asbestos-talc-and-cosmetic-products-containing-talc02042020-02042020

Environmental & Engineering Geoscience MAY 2020

VOLUME XXVI, NUMBER 2

CALL FOR PAPERS

AEG’s journal Environmental & Engineering Geoscience (E&EG) is currently seeking articles for review and possible publication.

E&EG is dedicated to publishing peerreviewed, high quality, original research and case studies on environmental geology, engineering geology, geotechnical engineering, geomorphology, low-temperature geochemistry, applied hydrogeology, and near-surface processes. Visit https://www.editorialmanager.com/eeg, the Peer Track on-line submission platform, for Instructions for Authors, the Style Guide, and to login.

THE JOINT PUBLICATION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENGINEERING GEOLOGISTS AND THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA SERVING PROFESSIONALS IN

ENGINEERING GEOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY, AND HYDROGEOLOGY

Published quarterly and hosted at GeoScienceWorld (http://eeg .geoscienceworld.org/), E&EG publishes articles ahead-of-issue, as soon as they are ready. Current and past issues are available to GSA members who select the journal as part of their annual dues and subscriptions options and to AEG members as a benefit of membership.

For more information or to discuss possible special issue topics, please contact a co-editor: Abdul Shakoor (ashakoor@kent.edu) or Brian G. Katz (eegeditorbkatz@gmail.com).

AEG NEWS 63(4)

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AEG2020 NEWS OF –THE VIRTUAL ASSOCIATION ANNUAL– MEETING MEMBER PROFILE

Rocks, Water, and AEG! Dorian Elder Kuper, Past President AEG

Dorian Kuper writes from Helena, Montana, and is a registered Engineering Geologist in Oregon and Washington. She is President of Kuper Consulting, LLC and an AEG Past President.

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rowing up, I was always checking out rocks out in the Phoenix desert where I lived or on my Grandparents’ cattle ranch in Skull Valley, Arizona. I would be constantly on and off a horse picking up “cool” rocks to take home. I took an Earth Science class in high school and that clinched it—I knew I wanted to be a geologist.

When I told my dad I wanted to go to school to be a geologist, he said “What? You are supposed to work in an office as a secretary, or….” Needless to say, I won out and spent four years with 35 men and 4 other women in the same classes earning my Geology degree and Environmental Studies degree.

A professor I had said women shouldn’t go to field camp; women belong in the laboratory for geology. HA! I successfully completed my field camp with a smile! Now, it is refreshing to see a large proportion of women in the geological sciences and being accepted into the “field.”

Grad school provided great opportunities while working at a large geotechnical firm where I was the only staff woman geologist at the time. They had a Project Engineer who was a woman who saved me one funny time in the field. Being a staff geologist, I was mapping the geology on a large grading job in San Diego where I instructed the grading contractor to “excavate deeper—you haven’t removed all of the compressible alluvium.”

Can you imagine a 22-year-old telling an “older” contractor what to do with his giant scrapers? He told me to call my office and have my “boss” come out to decide if this is necessary. So I did, and out came Carol Forrest, a geotechnical engineer. That got him, two women telling him what to do…but we succeeded!

As the first woman to be registered as a Certified Engineering Geologist in San Diego County a few years ago (!), I had an entrée into a variety of networking events. I enjoyed going through the chairs of the San Diego Association of Geologists, as I interacted with senior geologists committed to mentoring us “young ones.”

These geologists were competitors and yet offered me the opportunity to come out to their job sites to see fault trenches, landslides, down hole borings, grading jobs, and more! Wow, talk about sharing. Trust was built between the professionals, including my future husband, Tom Kuper—who was a competitor while we were dating and yes, he did steal a client of mine!

I joined AEG in 1981 and attended monthly meetings in Los Angeles. This was the best opportunity as I learned the 14

“art” of networking and marketing, developing contacts and connecting with professionals. I observed senior geologists in competing firms sharing ideas, building trust with each other and developing long-term relationships.

I learned that volunteering with AEG and other professional organizations would allow me to expand my marketing capabilities. When Tom and I moved to Oregon, I had no clients. I joined the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), which provided a huge opportunity to meet prospective clients— primarily engineers and architects. That was the steppingstone to forming a niche clientele—aggregate mining. An architect approached me and asked if I could permit an aggregate mine site in Washington? Sure, let me take a look at it (I had never permitted an aggregate site, much less in Washington). A little homework and we got the site permitted by characterizing the rock resource, designing the mine and reclamation plans and managing the key consultants. The multi-discipline education experience geologists have makes us suited for characterizing and permitting mining projects. Thanks to SMPS connections, we jumped into the permitting of aggregate sites all over the Northwest.

I was lucky to be appointed to the Oregon State Board of Geologists where I served a seven-year term, and as a result was elected to the Executive Committee of the National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG), which prepares the national registration exams for geologists. At the same time, Tom and I were attending local and national AEG meetings and overlapped with professionals across the US and internationally.

In developing the ASBOG tests, I also saw the difference in the practice of engineering geology, depending on what part of the country one lived—quite an eye-opener for me.

The most rewarding phone call was from Dr. Scott Burns asking me if I would be interested in coming on the Executive Council for AEG. I was flattered and apprehensive at the same time, as I felt to be an unknown in the AEG national arena. I was

Dorian at Memorial Falls in Montana.

AEG AEG NEWS NEWS 63 63(4) (3)

Summer Winter 2020

NEWS OF THEHEADER ASSOCIATION HERE

MEMBER PROFILE… mainly involved with the Southern California and Oregon Sections—who would vote for me? I was honored to spend five years on the EC. The opportunity to meet other geologists from the US, Canada, and numerous European countries by overlapping in national and international meetings has been wonderful.

To be able to attend AEG meetings and brainstorm various technical solutions with other professionals is very rewarding.

Service to our clients and solving complex issues in permitting aggregate sites is the key to our success. Referrals from clients are the best type of marketing a company can have. At the same time, being involved with AEG, getting to know members and conversely them knowing the kind of work we do has led to recommendations from AEG folks to potential clients.

These relationships have afforded us projects we never would have dreamed of! Who would have thought that our two-person firm would get the opportunity to work as expert witness on the Panama Canal, as a result of a recommendation from a fellow AEG member!

I have developed some very warm and dear friends within AEG that I know I can pick up the phone to say “hi” and catch up or to say “hi, I am working in your area, can we collaborate on a project together?” We have shared lots of work stories, travel stories, and of course “some” beer and wine together with many true AEG friends. Stay involved, and have fun with AEG, as exciting work opportunities and special friendships will evolve.

Leadership Opportunities Immediately Available!

Bolster Your Resume Practice leadership skills with your fellow geoscientists from across the US and the globe. Share ideas and manage projects while working to support AEG and promote the Geosciences.

Build Friendships Working together for a common purpose you will build community and form relationships with like-minded individuals.

The added bonus is always connecting in-person at the Annual Meeting.

Choose Your Time Committment Operational committees typically meet once per month for one hour. (That is only 12 hours per year.) You can commit to as many activities as your schedule allows.

Interested?

Contact the committee co-chairs listed on the website or AEG VP Maddie German at vp@aegweb.org to become involved or get more information.

2020 Outstanding Volunteer Awardees

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EG News is proud to publish the names of the three AEG members who have the distinct honor to receive a “2020 Outstanding Volunteer Award” for their outstanding contributions and dedication to AEG in their respective responsibilities. Please congratulate them when you next talk to them for their outstanding service to AEG. Besides the beautiful, professional certificate that they hold in their pictures, each volunteer also received a gift card. So, the moral of the story is that there are benefits of becoming an AEG member and volunteering in any position that you feel comfortable with.

So, won’t you join our beloved AEG and its various teams and Chapters!

Bill Roman

Visty P. Dalal

Niall Henshaw

Recognized for outstanding leadership and engagement as Director of AEG’S Communications Committee and for serving as Content Editor of AEG News.

Recognized for his vision and work as the Acquisitions Editor of AEG News and for striving to make the News more beneficial to our members.

Recognized for his work as co-chair of the Finance Committee and working to create a realistic budget for AEG’s 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting.

Winter 2020

AEG NEWS 63(4)

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HEADER NEWS OFHERE THE ASSOCIATION

In Memory of Gunnar Schlieder 1957–2020

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unnar Schlieder, a widely respected engineering geologist in Eugene, Oregon, died on July 21, 2020 from an apparent heart attack with much in life left undone. Gunnar was born to Siegfried and Eva Johanna (Werner) Schlieder on February 17, 1957, in Göttingen, Germany. His parents brought him to the US when he was eight years old. The family returned to Germany, but Gunnar was captivated by America. After he graduated from the Technical University of Munich with a BS degree in Geology in 1978, he came back to the US to pursue graduate work. He completed a MS in Geology at The George Washington University in 1984, and a PhD in Geology from Lehigh University in 1989. Both his master’s degree and PhD were in Glacial Geology, a discipline that would later come to define his finest accomplishment in interpretive geology.

Following completion of his PhD in 1989, he landed in Eugene, Oregon. After a brief time as a partner in GEM Consulting, Gunnar established GeoScience, Inc., a geology consulting firm he led as CEO and President. Gunnar was an Oregon Registered Geologist (RG), a Certified Engineering Geologist (CEG), a member of the Association of Engineering Geologists, and the Lehigh branch of Sigma Xi. Gunnar was a strong taskmaster. Few could stand up to his expectations and desire to have quality oversight and control of the company’s work. Gunnar’s belief, which is a standard in geology, was that every piece of evidence must be consistent with the final geologic interpretation, or the interpretation is wrong, and must be reformulated. This precept would guide an enviable career in engineering geology. Gunnar was the ultimate consummate professional.

Throughout his career, Gunnar provided geotechnical consulting services to residential clients, developers, industry, and governmental entities; he completed more than 40 projects for the City of Eugene. He was a voice of reason and consistency in land development, forestry, and the location and design of public roads. Being located in Eugene, much of Gunnar’s professional work was in support of the forest industry’s never-ending quest to balance society’s needs for forest products, jobs for woods workers, a viable business model for forest landowners, and long-term environmental quality. At the same time, he was very active in local land use decisions where the property concerned had some level of geologic risk for the proposed use. Gunnar spent more time than he would have liked in the role of expert witness in legal disputes, working for both plaintiff and defense attorneys as the merits of the case dictated.

He was a generous mentor to younger geologists throughout his career. He employed the Socratic method of teaching as a means of developing critical thinking skills in those that were fortunate enough to be mentored by him. He was universally regarded as the single most capable practitioner of determining landslide public safety risk levels from forestry operations in the state of Oregon. Many of the current 16

Gunnar collecting a soil sample during his research on the 2014 Oso Washington landslide

professional landslide public safety practitioners in the Pacific Northwest learned the analytical techniques of that practice from Gunnar.

Gunnar was a member of the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association, an international group of volunteers who respond to geotechnical extreme events, such as earthquakes, landslides, dam failures, etc., to conduct detailed reconnaissance and document valuable perishable information that can be used to advance research and improve engineering practice.

Gunnar’s most important project and contribution to society was the investigation of the Oso Landslide in Washington State.

Gunnar was a member of the six-person team commissioned by the Attorney General of Washington to determine the cause of the landslide, which killed 43 people. Gunnar was the primary on-the-ground geologist and was responsible for the geologic interpretation that fundamentally changed our understanding of the glacial geology of the region.

Gunnar is survived by his mother of Heiligenstadt in Oberfranken, Bavaria, Germany, his wife, Robin Jayne, and two children, Wilhelm and Sophia, just days short of their 18th birthdays. In addition, he leaves countless professional colleagues who will never again enjoy his humor, his insistence on high quality of professional practice, his love of sailing, his love of good food, his love of good beer, his restoration of old houses, and the stimulating discussions that he always brought to the table.

Gunnar will be sorely missed by family, friends, and colleagues. In his memory, we all should work to bring out the better person that is within each of us in everything that we do—he would want that.

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HEADER NEWS OFHERE THE ASSOCIATION

Recap F

Heather Clark, AEG Meeting Manager

or the first time in AEG’s history, we had no choice but to cancel the in-person 2020 Annual Meeting as originally planned in Portland, Oregon, due to the nation’s collective response efforts to COVID-19 and the Governor of Oregon mandating that no large gatherings take place through September 2020. We replaced the anticipation of our Annual Meeting with the same zeal for a new opportunity to adapt and serve our members and the geology community. The virtual format allowed many people to attend who normally would not be able to attend due to financial, travel, or visa restrictions.

We offered the same great Technical Program with several fun events added. This was a great opportunity for everyone to attend and get a feel for what AEG Annual Meetings have to offer, hear from industry leaders, and get a look at how our

profession is pivoting to address the challenges we all face in this unprecedented environment. The 2020 Contingency Planning Committee put together a technical program that provided an outstanding educational experience for attendees. PDHs and CEU credits were available for all technical sessions. All sessions were recorded so the attendees could view them at any time.

Attendees had the chance to learn from the experts, all from the comfort and safety of their home computer!

AEG’s 63rd Annual Meeting was held from September 16–18, 2020. Four hundred eighty-three participants from across the US and from nine other countries (South Africa, Nigeria, Australia, Ghana, France, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Philippines, India, and Canada) were in attendance.

Scott Lindvall, 2019–20 Jahn’s Distinguished Lecturer, presented “Crossing the San Andreas Fault: Improving the Resilience of the Los Angeles Aqueduct System.”

Cheryl Hapke, 2020–21 Jahn’s Distinguished Lecturer, presented “Our Changing Coastlines: The Intersection of Geologic Processes & People.”

Gannett Fleming’s Brian Heinzl presented on the US Route 30 Landslide Remediation in Pittsburgh—winner of AEG’s Outstanding Environmental & Engineering Geologic Project Award.

Opening Session Keynote speaker Jesse Hill presented on “Surface Rupture of the Little River fault in Response to the August 9, 2020 Mw 5.1 Earthquake near Sparta, NC.”

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NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION–2020 VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING RECAP The meeting kicked-off with the Opening General Session featuring 2019–20 Jahns Distinguished Lecturer – Scott Lindvall speaking on Crossing the San Andreas Fault: Improving the Resilience of the Los Angeles Aqueduct System; 2020–21 Jahns Distinguished Lecturer – Cheryl Hapke presenting on Our Changing Coastlines: The Intersection of Geologic Processes & People; Gannett Fleming’s Brian Heinzl presenting on The Route 30 Landslide Remediation Project, which received the AEG Outstanding Environmental & Engineering Geology (OEEG) Project Award; and the Keynote speaker, Jesse Hill with the North Carolina Geological Survey, who spoke on The Surface Rupture of the Little River Fault in Response to the August 9, 2020 Mw 5.1 Earthquake near Sparta, North Carolina.

A new session, Hot Topics Panel, featured experts from The Walker Lane, An Incipient Plate Boundary Dissecting the American West and Potential Heir to the San Andreas Fault and Mount St. Helens Geologic, Geomorphic, and Hydrologic Context for Management of Spirit Lake, Managing a Volcanic Debris Dam Geohazard Utilizing Dam Safety Principle, and Spirit Lake Debris Blockage Explorations and Site Characterization.

Hot Topics – the Walker Lane – James E. Faulds, Dr. Rich D. Koehler, and William C. Hammond discussed “The Walker Lane: An Incipient Plate Boundary Dissecting the American West and Potential Heir to the San Andreas Fault.”

Hot Topics – Mt St Helens – John Sager, Jon Major and Jeremy Britton discussed ongoing and planned work in the following areas: debris blockage characterization, a planned exploration program in 2021; geophysical surveys (seismic and GPR) of the eruption debris blockage at Spirit Lake; seismic hazard mapping; and, dam safety issues with respect to the blockage, and tunnel outlet.

More than 80 Oral Presentations and 20 Posters were presented. Technical sessions included Symposium: Engineering Geology for Tunnels and Underground Construction; Environmental Symposium 2020: RADON Occurrence and Winter 2020

Remediation; NOA Symposium: Hindsight in 2020 and Lessons for the Future, Applied Geoscience Methods for Problem Solving – A Gallery of Practical Examples; Dams and Levees Lessons Learned Symposium; and Landslide Symposium: Seeking Stable Slopes in a Time of Rapid Change. Poster presenters sent videos of their presentations that were posted on each presenter’s page on the attendee website.

Ed Cording opened the Engineering Geology for Tunnels and Underground Construction Symposium with a 60-minute keynote address on “Observing Ground Behavior at the Source in Underground Construction.”

Vishnu Chakrapani Lekha spoke on “Improving Satellite-Based Precipitation Using Rain Gauge Observations for Landslide Prediction in a Data Sparse Region” during the Landslide Symposium.

Isaac Pope (center), who was the meeting’s youngest presenter, discussed the Cascade Volcanoes. Isaac is shown here with Gerry Stirewalt (left), who moderated and spoke during Technical Session #4—Applied Geoscience Methods for Problem Solving – A Gallery of Practical Examples, Part I; and Pat Pringle (right), who during the same session presented on "Tree-Ring Analysis (Dendochronology), a Tool for Dating of Subfossil Forests—Victim Tree Examples from Mount Ranier Lahars and the Bonneville Landslide." See page 26 of this issue of AEG News for Isaac’s paper on the Cascade Volcanoes.

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NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION–2020 VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING RECAP

J. David Rogers (center) presented on “Site Characterization of Levee Foundations” during the Dams and Levees Lessons Learned Symposium, Part II, which was moderated by Kevin Richards and Cassandra Wagner.

During the AEG corporate business meeting, 2019–20 AEG President Cynthia Palomares announced the Carolinas and Texas Chapters as co-winners of the Outstanding Chapter Award. During the AEG Foundation awards ceremony, Foundation President Bill Flanigan announced the winners of the student poster competition. First place went to Thomas O’Shea for his poster on Investigating Risks Related to Unstable Slopes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Second place was a tie between Sarah Harris for Residential Property Annual Slope Movement Monitoring in Erwin, Tennessee and Isaac Pope for Poorly Sorted Terrace Deposits of the Cispus Valley: Glacial Drift or Mount Adams Lahar?. Fourth place went to Kara Kingen for Climatic Controls on the Kinematics of the Hooskanaden Landslide, Curry County, Oregon.

Virtual events provided a fun way for attendees to connect.

Virtual Happy Hours included Women in AEG/AWG, Volunteer Recognition, Chapter Leadership, Student and Professional Networking, and a Special Event Happy Hour with Scott Burns— Wine Tasting and Terroir—that allowed attendees to escape the office for an evening for an exciting happy hour where Scott Burns led the wine tasting as he explained the importance of terroir— that is the relationship between geology, soil, climate, and wine. It was a fun and memorable evening showcasing the Oregon region’s geology and wine as well as attendee’s wines from around the world.

Another component of the Women in AEG Happy Hour was breakout groups to brainstorm ideas to introduce more girls and young women to geology.

Scott Burns hosted the Special Event—a wine tasting/happy hour during which Scott explained the importance of terroir—that is the relationship between geology, soil, climate, and wine.

Thank you to everyone that participated in this unprecedented event and a special thank you to our sponsors, without their generous support the meeting would not have been possible. The Virtual Annual Meeting was a success, achieved a small surplus, and received overwhelming positive feedback.

AEG will be considering hybrid meeting options in the future.

During the Women in AEG Happy Hour, Cynthia Pridmore gave a presentation that included how she first became interested in geology and how she works to encourage other girls and young women to also take up the torch.

Thank you to the Annual Meeting Contingency Committee!

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HEADER FIELD NOTES HERE

In this series, we present ideas, opinions, and, sometimes, ramblings of the author. The opinions are not necessarily those of the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists or any other organization or entity.

You Don’t Look Like a Geologist Deborah Green Deborah Green has 35 years of professional experience, and has been a self-employed consultant for 25 of those years. Now, semi-retired, she’s written a novel whose protagonist is an engineering geologist working on a dam with a problematic foundation. Her website, www.geologistwriter.com, is populated with short essays on geology, the natural world, and our interactions with them. She is a long-time, active member of AEG, joining in 1982 as a graduate student.

Deborah was awarded the Floyd T. Johnston Service Award in 2005, and traveled the country meeting students as the 2018–19 Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer.

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s a professional environmental and engineering geologist, I crisscrossed the US for 35 years investigating and remediating contaminated soil and groundwater, and studying geologic hazards. If there’s a more fulfilling or fascinating career, I can’t imagine it. Yet enrollments in geology programs in colleges and universities are going down, just when we need the brightest young minds solving these problems, in addition to critical climate disruption issues.

What does a geologist look like? Some of you know me, but if not, you may not be picturing me accurately—I’m a 115-lb woman, just five feet, one inch tall. I had just turned 24 when I took my first professional position in 1984, one of two women among more than 20 geoscientists in the Earth Sciences office of a large engineering consulting firm. It’s unlikely that the drillers I worked with my second day on the job had ever taken direction from a woman before. Not many geologists looked like me in those days. Today, women comprise more than 40 percent of the geoscience workforce, however, that only addresses some of the inequities women still face.

Despite the great strides made in the field with respect to gender representation, the geosciences are, according to some studies, the least diverse of all the STEM fields. This is especially troubling since there is science that shows diverse teams do better work. It’s well known that people of color are underrepresented in science and engineering, but why are the geosciences, in particular, not attracting a wider range of students? Depending on the study you reference, fewer than 12 percent of our professional colleagues are people of color, and one study suggests only 5 to 7 percent.

For the last two years, I’ve been trying to understand why people of color feel discouraged from entering this important field. I did so, in part, while touring the country as the Richard Winter 2020

H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer (supported by both the Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists and the Geological Society of America, the lecture series is designed to promote student awareness of applied environmental and engineering geology). I learned a lot through research and reading as I prepared the talk entitled “You Don’t Look Like a Geologist,” a comment I have heard throughout my career, and I learned even more as I spoke with students and professors at more than 50 colleges and universities in 25 states. Many of those schools invited me specifically to have a conversation on the lack of diversity in our profession.

Here are some of the things I discovered. First, many college-bound students never take an Earth Science class in high school, so it isn’t even on their radar screen when they think about a major. But that problem, which we sorely need to address, crosses socioeconomic lines. There had to be more to it.

In a MiSTEM (Minorities in STEM) Student Group meeting at a small Ohio college, several first-generation college students related that their parents don’t necessarily want them to go into medicine or engineering, but they do want their children to be successful professionals, and those are the widely recognized STEM fields. Geoscientists need to educate students about our field, one in which, like medicine and engineering, they can make a living and make a difference. Students could then assure their parents of the promise of the path they are on.

And speaking of paths, we know that not all geologists spend their time out on trails with a rock hammer hanging off their belts. Though it’s true many of us wish we did, the reality is that many of us spend as much or more time in our offices as doing fieldwork, especially as we progress in our careers.

On the subject of fieldwork, I was told the term itself may alienate some prospective geoscience students and their parents. At two California State University campuses in the largely agricultural Central Valley, I spoke with several Hispanic, first-generation college students, some of whose parents, literally, work in the fields. Their parents wondered why they were working so hard to send their children to college, since “fieldwork” is exactly what they are hoping their kids won’t have to do.

In many courageous conversations, students, professors, and professionals discussed the biases they held, often unconsciously until we had those discussions. Students also shared ways they felt excluded—by other students, their professors, and potential employers. For some, geology’s “beer culture” is offputting. Physical limitations can exclude students unable to shoulder a 40-lb backpack and carry it for miles over rough terrain. Others mentioned feeling intimidated prior to their first overnight field trip, because they didn’t have experience camping.

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FIELD NOTES There is the economic exclusion factor of completing a degree and furthering a career by attending a six- or eight-week-long summer field camp that not only costs thousands but also keeps students away from much-needed summer jobs. And how do you make field camp work if you’re a single parent? Those are just a few examples of issues that can steer prospective geologists away from the profession—especially people whose diverse perspectives could help solve the huge environmental and engineering problems our society faces.

There are programs, particularly in academia, seeking to alleviate this crisis in the geosciences, yet so much more needs to be done, especially in the private sector where I’ve spent my career. Those of us working in the profession must do more to recognize and manage our individual biases, like choosing a job candidate because they attended a traditional field camp, rather than taking field courses that cost less and required less time away from home. But that is only a first step. We must acknowledge institutional biases and systemic oppression. Those of us in positions of power—within companies, governmental agencies, colleges and universities, and professional associations— must address those issues.

A colleague I’ve known for decades and thought was one of the more forward-thinking members of our profession,

approached me after a talk and said that students should find their way to the geosciences on their own (after all, he had). I must disagree. You can’t find your way to a place you don’t know about. If established geoscientists aren’t actively opening doors and creating opportunities for diversity to flourish, then we are barring those doors.

Another colleague was offended when I closed a talk with, “If we aren’t aware of white privilege, it’s because we have it.

And if you aren’t aware of male privilege, it’s because you have it.” He became defensive, as if I was accusing him of anything more than being human; too often we’re not aware of the privileges we have, they are invisible to us because we have always had them. I believe the issues that bring up defensive feelings are the most crucial to examine. Not to chastise ourselves, but to open our eyes and our minds, which is exactly what good scientists do every day.

I drafted parts of this essay early in 2020 with the hope that as we began both a new year and a new decade, we would soon see the day when whoever was doing the work— they looked like a geologist. Just a few months later, with more Americans than ever before opening their eyes to the inequities people of color face, perhaps that day is coming.

Karst Hazards Virtual Forum CSU San Bernardino Geosciences Chair Position The Department of Geological Sciences at California State University, San Bernardino invites applications for a Department Chair, tenure track position, at the rank of Associate or Professor to begin service in July 2021.

The successful candidate must have a PhD in the geosciences.

The area of the candidate’s specialization is open. Preference will be given to candidates with administrative experience as a department chair or similar leadership experiences.

If you are interested in this opportunity, use the link on the Geoscience Department website to apply on the web at: https://www.csusb.edu/geology.

California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) is located in San Bernardino, 60 miles east of Los Angeles and the Palm Desert satellite campus is in the Coachella Valley.

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From AEG: Recent Advancements in Karst & Karst-Like Hazards’ Investigation and Mitigation March 23–25, 30–31, & April 1, 2021 SIX LIVE VIRTUAL 4-HOUR SESSIONS beginning Tuesday, March 23, OR View Sessions anytime until Monday, April 12, 2021 The Karst Hazards Forum (KHF), a virtual meeting, will address the three broad topics of Karst, Pseudokarst, and Anthropogenic Sinkholes [karst-like erosion due to human activities]. The KHF’s goal is to bring together specialists, who will explain these features and formative processes, their professional investigations and measures to avoid or mitigate karst hazards, and provide case histories of these hazards.

Registration and Call for Abstracts Opening Soon! www.aegmeetings.org

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The Development of Geology Degree Program Accreditation by the ABET C. Dale Elifrits, PhD Summary of General Criteria and Program-specific Criteria

Writing from Highland Heights, Kentucky, Dale Elifrits is Professor Emeritus of Geological Engineering and Associate Director Emeritus of Freshman Engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology and Director of Pre-Engineering (retired) and Visiting Professor of Geology at Northern Kentucky University. He is a Senior Emeritus Member of AEG and a Fellow and Registered Member of SME.

The Genesis of Geology Degree Program Accreditation

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t a 1999 meeting of the Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG), Robert E. Tepel suggested to ASBOG leaders that an accreditation process analogous to that of the Accreditation Board of Engineering Technology (ABET) and the work of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) would help in the geologist licensure process. Three years later at its 2002 Annual Meeting, AEG initiated discussions about the future practice of the profession of geology as Tepel convened the first of a series of symposia entitled Visioning the Future of Engineering Geology: Sustainability and Stewardship. The series featured presentations addressing the needs of the profession from practitioners, faculty members, agency representatives, employers, and ABET representatives (see AEG Special Publication 19). These symposia illuminated the need for quality assurance in geology degree program requirements and opened the conversation about how the erstwhile-named Applied Science Accreditation Commission (ASAC) of ABET could provide this assurance by offering accreditation of geology degree programs.

Fast forward: In May 2015, ABET’s executive leadership appointed an ad hoc Committee to examine opportunities for accreditation of science degree programs. Geology programs became the initial focus since ABET had accredited geology programs at foreign institutions using ASAC and its General Criteria. This paper’s author was appointed to represent the geology discipline. An extensive search was conducted to identify a professional society to be the Lead Society for geology program accreditation. After many conversations with and rejections by geo-centric professional societies, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME) agreed to assume this role. SME is a member society of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME), which is one of the five ABET founding societies, and has responsibility for geological engineering, mining engineering, geophysical engineering, and related programs. Also, SME has a wide breadth of professional geologists in its active membership.

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Natural and applied science programs are now accredited by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC) of ABET. This commission is populated by professionals from the various societies of these disciplines who have gathered to work for quality assurance of science degree programs for their professional practice. ANSAC General Criteria are designed to be used in all science disciplines (https://www.abet.org/accreditation /accreditation-criteria/criteria-for-accrediting-applied-and-naturalscience-programs-2020-2021/). Each Lead Society is responsible for specific Program Criteria for that society’s discipline(s).

During the past four years SME, through an ad hoc committee appointed by its Council on Education, promulgated geology and geoscience program-specific criteria. These were released by ANSAC/ABET in November of 2018 for public comment, revised in the fall of 2019 per the few comments received, and adopted for use in the fall of 2020. (Consult the site above and scroll down to find these program criteria.) The ad hoc committee from SME was composed of Jonathan G. Price, PhD, Nevada State Geologist Emeritus; William H. Wilkinson, PhD, Vice President Exploration-Africa, Freeport-McMoRan Inc.; and chaired by C. Dale Elifrits, PhD, Professor of Geological Engineering Emeritus, Missouri University of Science and Technology, who has more than 30 years of ABET experience, including serving as the geology program evaluator for the first geology program in the U.S. to be accredited by ANSAC/ABET. That committee consulted organizations such as AIPG, ASBOG, and many professionals in the practice of geology. These program criteria were largely crafted to reflect the ASBOG Task Analysis data as related to the needs of Professional Geologists in practice in the US.

Brief Summary of the Accreditation Process The ABET accreditation process is common to all four ABET commissions, of which ANSAC is one. But each commission operates independently of the others using its own criteria and determining its actions. Program Evaluators are trained by the commission for which they will undertake program accreditation reviews NB: This means that volunteer geology degree program evaluators are needed and AEG members are prime candidates—contact the author of this paper for further information or visit the ABET.org and examine how to become a program evaluator. Program Evaluator Candidates (PEV-Cs) are required to be SME members and are trained by ANSAC/ABET at ABET expense. PEV-Cs who successfully complete the ANSAC/ABET training will then attend the SME Annual PEV Update and Training at an SME annual meeting before completing an observation visit with an ANSAC campus visit team to be fully prepared to make program reviews. The annual

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NEWS OF THE PROFESSION meeting training has no registration cost and the SME Foundation reimburses costs of the observation visit.

Program reviews normally are accomplished via three-day campus visits conducted by a team of PEVs, one for each program visited, with a team chair, all of which are ANSAC trained professionals; and the team chair an ANSAC Commissioner. Reviews may also be conducted in part or entirely in virtual mode if circumstances require, as with the COVID pandemic during the 2020–21 Cycle. The geology PEV evaluates the geology program, shares findings with the team, after which the PEV and the team reach a consensus as to the recommended accreditation action. This recommendation, along with the geology PEV’s report, move forward via the team chair’s report to the ANSAC Commission, where the final accreditation action is taken, and the program and institution are so advised.

The time elapsed from an institution’s request for a program accreditation review by ANSAC to the time of the ANSAC Commission’s accreditation action notification is nominally from January to August of the following year. The program submits a Self-Study to ABET by July 1st of the year in which the request is made. The campus visit phase of a review normally occurs in the fall the same year. See the ABET Accreditation Policy and Procedure Manual for details of this process (https://www.abet.org/ accreditation/accreditation-criteria/accreditation-policy-andprocedure-manual-appm-2020-2021/ ) The program will receive an oral report of the visit findings at the end of the campus visit or virtual review, followed by a draft statement of findings in January/February with an opportunity to make a due process response. After this response, the team chair will finalize the team’s report and the recommended accreditation action. This will

be submitted for the Commission’s consideration and final decision at the Commission’s annual meeting in July and followed by official notification to the program by early September. Normally, the PEV’s work is finished when the team leaves campus, but the PEV may be contacted by the team chair during the due process period.

Value of ANSAC/ABET Program Accreditation ABET accreditation is recognized worldwide as the “gold standard” for marking a degree program’s high quality.

Foreign-based geology degree programs have been accredited

by ANSAC/ABET using the General Criteria for several years, and interest is increasing. ABET’s Industry Advisory Council recently completed a study of the high value of accreditation; see https://www.abet.org/about-abet/publications/.

Certification to sit for the Geologist-in-Training Examination is simplified for a student who graduates from an ABET-accredited program. The State of California now requires that applicants have graduated from an ABET-accredited program or a program that demonstrates its requirements fulfill both ANSAC General and Geology Program Criteria. Further, holding a degree in geology or a similarly named degree that is ANSAC/ABET-accredited provides advantages for the graduate’s professional and career development.

Acknowledgements The author thanks Robert E. Tepel, AEG member; David R. Hammond, SME’s ANSAC Commissioner for geology and geoscience programs; Amanda Reid, Esq., Adjunct Accreditation Manager, ANSAC; and my wife Kathy, my long-time technical

Co-Editor Wanted Geology of the Cities of the World Project

AEG is seeking an enthusiastic volunteer to serve as Co-Editor of the Geology of the Cities of the World publications. The series was founded by Dr. Allen Hatheway in 1980 in tribute to Dr. Robert Leggett, a geologist who helped develop the concept of urban geology as a specific field of practice. The 27 issues published to date provide practitioners, graduate students, university faculty, planners, engineers, developers, and government officials background information useful for discovering and highlighting geological issues unique to a city and in some cases its metropolitan area.

The Co-Editors review draft documents and provide direction to the authors about the technical content and presentation.

Attention to detail, patience and ability to visualize the finished product are required. The time commitment for the Co-Editor varies depending on the activities of the various lead authors and the reviewers. The Co-Editor should consider typically setting aside up to twenty hours per month. When a specific paper is under review, the time commitment may increase, to up to sixty to eighty hours per month.

For more information and to indicate your interest in this voluntary position, contact Co-Editor Ted Toskos at Theodoros.toskos@gmail.com.

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Registration of Geologists in Georgia Charles R. Livingston Writing from Atlanta, Charles Livingston is a registered geologist in Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and California (Certified Engineering Geologist) and a registered engineer in Colorado.

Charles is a Senior Emeritus Member of AEG and has worked on energy, mining, and infrastructure projects throughout North America.

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am an 84-year-old retired geologist in Atlanta, Georgia, and I have been an AEG member for a little over 53 years. On February 26, 2019, I gave a geology talk to a professional geology organization called the Atlanta Geologic Society. What I generally do in such presentations (rather than talk about detailed geology) is to talk about some of the crazy (and sometimes scary) things that have happened on some of my geology projects. This way, the talk is also of interest to the non-geologists that may be present (wives, husbands, etc.). I did that this time, but about halfway through the talk, I added something a little different. I asked, “How many of you are registered geologists in Georgia?” The majority of the audience raised their hands. I then said, “You know, just a few days ago, I had the occasion to go to the Internet and look up something about the Georgia State Board of Registration for Professional Geologists.

What I found kind of shocked me. It said the following:

The Georgia General Assembly created the Georgia State Board of Registration for Professional Geologists in 1975 for the purpose of protecting the public health, life, property and welfare by regulating those who engage in the public practice of geology.

The Board has the authority to adopt rules, set standards for licensure, adopt mandatory standards of professional conduct, and investigate and discipline unauthorized, negligent or incompetent practice.”

I then said, “that is an absolute crock!”

When I said that, a geologist in the front row (about six feet from where I was standing at the podium) nearly jumped out of his shorts and voiced his displeasure at me for saying such a thing. He said, “Charles, I served on the geology board, and it is not a crock!” I then said, “The statement that the General Assembly created the geology board is what constitutes a crock. If you think that the members of the General Assembly were sitting around one day in 1975 drinking their coffee and picking their noses, and suddenly someone said, “Hey, I’ve got a pregnant idea—lets create a Georgia State Board of Registration for Professional Geologists,” I’m here to tell you that that never happened. At that period in time, the members of the General Assembly (the House and the Senate) couldn’t even spell geologist. They didn’t know what geologists do, or why Winter 2020

registration of geologists was desirable.” What I then told them about how it actually was that we came to have registration of geologists in Georgia is explained in the paragraphs that follow.

In February of 1967, I was hired by Dames & Moore, a national and international engineering company, to come to Georgia (from my home state of Colorado) to become project manager for a geologic investigation for the first nuclear power plant in Georgia in the southern part of the state near the town of Baxley. When I told my AEG contacts in Denver that I was moving to Atlanta, they told me that AEG didn’t have a section in the southeastern portion of the country, and that they would like me to form a new section there after I made the move. I told them that I would do that.

When we made the move, my son was four years old and my daughter was four months old. The way it worked out, I didn’t get to see them or my wife very much for a long time. As soon as we got to Atlanta, I found myself often working 80 to 90 hours per week and being gone for weeks and months (as long as three months) without even getting home on a weekend. After finishing the nuclear power plant investigation in Georgia, I performed five more geologic investigations for nuclear power plants in Alabama, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and New York. I did investigations for oil refineries in Quebec and New Brunswick Canada, Grand Bahama Island, and Joliet, Illinois. I spent a month in Prudhoe Bay Alaska, and I had dam projects in Georgia and Louisiana. Even when I was home in Atlanta writing reports, I didn’t get to see much of my family.

They were still in bed when I left early to beat the traffic, and they were already in bed when I got home.

Needless to say, this didn’t leave much time to even think about forming a new AEG section in the southeastern portion of the country. It so happened, however, that in 1972 things slowed up just a little bit, and I was able to call a meeting of geologists in Atlanta and surrounding areas. I told them all about AEG and asked them if they would be interested in being part of a new section. They were interested. Shortly after that, I flew to Kansas City, where AEG was having the annual meeting that year, and met with the Board of Directors on Saturday after the meeting had been concluded. They were delighted to hear of the interest in forming a new section and did all the paperwork necessary to make it happen. The new section was to be called the Southeastern Section and would include Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina.

I became the Chairman of the new AEG Section. We promptly formed a legislative committee and wrote a bill to provide for registration of geologists in Georgia and deemed that the entity that would make all this happen would be called the Georgia State Board of Registration for Professional Geologists. We then lobbied the Georgia House and Senate to get the bill passed. They got it and passed the bill. They did pass the bill, but it was handed to them on a platter, and they did not create it.

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NEWS OF THE PROFESSION I was a member of the first Georgia State Board of Registration for Professional Geologists. I personally wrote most of the rules and regulations and part of the exam and passed judgement on 680 applications for registration during my three-year term. Shortly after that, a number of geologists in Alabama decided that they wanted to get registration of geologists in their state. I flew to Birmingham for a dinner meeting where I spoke to them about We promptly what we did in Georgia and formed a legislative how we did it. I gave them committee and wrote a bill to provide for registration of a copy of the bill that we geologists in Georgia and wrote to use as a guide. deemed that the entity that They were successful, would make all this happen and there was registrawould be called the Georgia tion of geologists in State Board of Registration Alabama not long after we for Professional got it in Georgia. A few years Geologists. down the road, geologists in North and South Carolina decided that they wanted to have their own section. They split off and formed the Carolina section, which has become one of the most vigorous and successful sections in the entire organization.

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(EDITORS’ NOTE: If you’re interested in encouraging licensure for geologists in your state, AEG’s Licensure Committee can help! Contact manager@aegweb.org.)

Environmental & Engineering Geoscience MAY 2020

VOLUME XXVI, NUMBER 2

WANTED: BOOK REVIEW EDITOR

Environmental and Engineering Geology (EEG) journal is looking for an enthusiastic member of either AEG or GSA to serve as Book Review Editor. Duties include finding newly published books on topics in environmental geology, engineering geology, hydrology, and related fields and soliciting reviewers to write a two to three page review of the book for publication in an issue of EEG. THE JOINT PUBLICATION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENGINEERING GEOLOGISTS AND THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA SERVING PROFESSIONALS IN

ENGINEERING GEOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY, AND HYDROGEOLOGY

For more information… and to indicate your interest in this voluntary position, contact Co-Editor Abdul Shakoor (ashakoor@kent.edu) or Co-Editor Brian Katz (eegeditorbkatz@gmail.com).

AEG’s Bryan Receives 2020 Distinguished Practice Award from GSA

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atricia Bryan was selected for the 2020 Distinguished Practice Award by the Geological Society of America’s Environmental and Engineering Geology Division (EEGD). The award recognizes outstanding individuals for their continuing contributions to the technical and/or professional stature of environmental and/or engineering geology in North America. Patricia was recognized at EEGD’s virtual awards ceremony held October 28 during GSA’s 2020 Connects Online Meeting and received a commemorative plaque.

Patricia’s colleague and AEG Chicago Chapter Chair Christopher Stohr nominated Patricia for the award. In his nomination citation, Christopher wrote:

Ms. Patricia M. Bryan is a pioneer in the practical profession of environmental geology in North America through her work in consulting and as an entrepreneur as a leading authority on assessment and remediation of brownfields. As an innovator and leader in environmental remediation, Patricia Bryan has and continues to provide practical leadership in applied geology consulting,

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promotes continuing education particularly in remediation of environmental contamination, new methods for protecting groundwater, protection of public health and safety through professional licensure, and on the ground work in making contaminated sites cleaner and usable.

Patricia has more than 33 years of experience in environmental consulting, and since 2014 has served as President and Principal Geologist of Bryan Environmental Consultants, Inc., a Chicago-based environmental consulting firm specializing in due diligence, Phase I and II ESAs, site remediation, and brownfields redevelopment. Patricia is a former President of the AEG Foundation, former Chair of AEG’s North Central Section, and Member of the Illinois Board of Licensing for Professional Geologists.

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PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS

The Cascade Volcanoes: Reaching New Heights in Applied Geoscience Isaac E. Pope Writing from western Washington, Isaac Pope is a young undergraduate student with an insatiable fascination for geoscience. With publications in peer-reviewed journals, he has conducted much university-level research on both geological and mathematical topics.

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duced the local bedrock have continued into the present.

This allows for a more complete understanding of the local geologic history and common natural hazards. Even after decades of study, continued research of such a unique laboratory can be applied to a host of practical and engineering problems prevalent in a variety of geologic environments (Pope, 2020b; Pope, 2020d).

Physical Volcanology: Laying the Foundation Numbering nearly thirty prominent cones from Lassen Peak in California to Mount Meager in British Columbia, the Cascade Volcanoes are series of Quaternary stratocones along the Cascade Magmatic Arc surrounded by a number of smaller cinder cones and other volcanics (figure 1). With diverse geologic histories, the Cascade stratocone eruptions have ranged from dacitic tephra eruptions and dome building, such as at Mount St. Helens, and andesitic and basalt flows with little tephra, such as at Mount Adams, which form the bulk of

owering along the Cascade Magmatic Arc from California to British Columbia, the Cascade Volcanoes are a series of Quaternary stratovolcanoes attesting to the long geologic history of that dynamic landscape. A mere continuation of arc volcanism since the Eocene (Armentrout, 1987), the Cascade Volcanoes have continued to drive geologic investigation four decades after the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens confirmed that the volcanic chain was an active and priceless opportunity (Driedger et al., 2020; Lipman and Mullineaux, 1981; Pope, 2020a). Fueled by its igneous processes and high-relief topography, the dynamic Cascadia landscape incites research within a number of fields of geoscience, of which physical volcanology is only the most obvious. Mass wasting, glacial fluctuations, and the resulting sedimentary deposits and fluvial environments generated by the volcanic setting meld to form an evolving landscape, which has been studied during both the episodes of quiescence and the interims of relative hyperactivity. Furthermore, the volcanogenic geology Figure 1. Numbering to nearly thirty peaks, the Cascade Volcanoes are a series of Quaternary composite cones along the adjoining the Cascade Cascade Magmatic Arc from California to British Columbia. Seven volcanoes (pictured) have erupted in the past three Volcanoes makes the area hundred years, yet this volcanism is merely a continuation of activity since the Eocene. Both the high-relief topography along one of the only locales the arc and the volcanic energy expelled during these eruptions fuel several fields of geologic investigation, thereby where processes that proproviding an unparalleled opportunity to advance applied geoscience. Images in the public domain on the USGS website.

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PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS Cascade volcanism (Hildreth, 2007). Although a continuation of such Cascadia igneous activity since its commencement in the Eocene (Armentrout, 1987), the Cascade Volcanoes have yielded several eruptions in the past two-hundred years (figure 1), making this the most active volcanic chain in the contiguous United States. The volcanic energy coupled with the high-relief topography produces a dynamic environment that provides an unparalleled opportunity to observe volcanic processes in the present as they had existed while producing the basement rock and sculpting the surrounding regions, thereby allowing us to identify potential hazards in both volcanic and non-volcanic environments.

Glaciology: Tracking Climate and Volcanism

1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens and removed over 300 meters of elevation from the summit (Glicken, 1996). The identification of the resulting hummocks in the landslide led to the realization that similar hummocks at Mount Shasta had also been formed during a landslide (figure 3) (Crandell et al., 1984; Crandell, 1989). While Mount St. Helens’ initial landslide was produced by harmonic tremors as magma was ascending into the cone, Mount St. Helens is not the only example of landslides during volcanic eruptions. The more than 3.8-cubic-km Osceola Mudflow was initiated by the collapse of the Mount Rainier peak during a phreatomagmatic eruption (approximately 5.6 ka), which later transformed into a volcanic mudflow through White River into the Puget Lowlands (Vallance and Scott, 1997), creating Mount Rainier’s iconic crater.

Hosting a number of glaciers upon their slopes, the thirty Cascade stratocones contain records of past glaciations and resulting transformation through time in response to climate and volcanism (figure 2). From geologic deposits and photographic records of the past century, climate-induced glacier dynamics can be studied during both the previous surges and current recession, thereby providing the opportunity to study current glacial dynamics and hazards and compare them with older sites to determine their geologic history and to identify potential engineering challenges with respect to aging deposits.

Glacial studies are not limited to the current century either. The age of Cascades makes it possible to investigate most, if not all, of the Pleistocene glaciations. Some, such as the Goat Rocks Volcanic Complex, have been heavily glaciated into the Pliocene (Hildreth, 2007), preserving a record of many of the Quaternary glaciations in the Western United States.

Mass Wasting: Bringing Hill to Valley In the dynamic high-relief landscape of Cascadia, mass wasting is exemplified in a variety of forms both near and distant from the volcanic cones, which may be triggered by volcanism, seismicity, or simple responses to the humid Mediterranean climate. As in many regions beyond Cascadia, rock fall, slumping, and other forms of mass wasting provide a continual engineering challenge, but landslides are particularly significant contributors to mass wasting around the Cascade Volcanoes.

Initiated by a shallow 5.1 magnitude earthquake, the sliding of 2.8 cubic kilometers of volcanogenic material into the North Fork Toutle River valley, the largest landslide in recorded history, commenced the May 18, 28

Figure 2. The lofty Cascade peaks host a number of glaciers useful for tracking both climate and volcanism.

A. Glacier Peak in northern Washington is one of several Cascade Volcanoes recording both past and current glaciations with a variety of prominent glacial features, while some volcanics (such as Goat Rocks Volcanic Complex) are old enough to contain remnants of glaciations into the Pliocene. Image in the public domain on the USGS website. B. Among others at Mount Rainier, the Nisqually Glacier and its dynamics has been documented for tracking current climate change, but glacial deposits such as the lateral moraine in the foreground can provide clues into the Mediaeval “Little Ice Age” and other recent climate fluctuations.

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Figure 3. In the high-relief topography of the Cascade Magmatic Arc, mass wasting is a crucial facet of Cascadia geology resulting from both volcanic and nonvolcanic stimuli. After the May 18 eruption of Mount St. Helens and associated landslide in 1980, geologists realized that the hillocks stretching over forty kilometers from Mount Shasta resulted from a landslide that swept across the valley and produced hummocky topography. Light-colored structures along roadways barely visible in this image indicate the enormous size of the hummocks. Image in the public domain on the USGS website.

Fluvial Geomorphology: Reading the Rivers

Sedimentology: Uncovering the Record

The various natural hazards caused by the Cascade Volcanoes produces a host of factors influencing fluvial geomorphology of nearby valleys, leading to complex geomorphological evolution of the landscape. As documented at Mount St. Helens, landslides can contribute voluminous material to river valleys and dam lakes, increasing the sediment load in rivers and making the potential for extreme flooding whenever a lake overflows or breaches its dam. Reaching further afield than landslides, lahars (volcanic mudflows) can be formed from rapid melting of glaciers during volcanic eruptions. Alternatively, some lahars may also be produced by collapse of a rock avalanche that mixed with snow and ice, such as the Trout Lake Lahar that extended from the southern flanks of Mount Adams to the Columbia River along the present Washington/Oregon boundary. Although only Holocene rock-avalanche lahars (Vallance, 1999) and perhaps one late-glacial lahar (Pope, 2020c) have been identified at Mount Adams, the Quaternary history of lahars has been well studied at Mount St. Helens (Clynne et al., 2008; Crandell and Mullineaux, 1978; Mullineaux and Crandell, 1962), Mount Rainier (Zehfuss et al., 2003), Mount Baker in northern Washington (Tucker et al., 2007; Tucker et al., 2014), and Mount Hood in northern Oregon (Pierson et al., 2009), among others.

Even without volcanic activity, hyperconcentrated flows may be induced by the rapid release of water stored in a glacier, genetically referred to as a jökulhlaup, which can travel many kilometers from the volcano (figure 4). Because of their higher frequency than lahars, jökulhlaups can be important influences on a fluvial system by rerouting streams, toppling trees, and depositing and incising coarse sediments. Regardless of origin, the hyperconcentrated flows of the Cascade Volcanoes provide a unique opportunity to study these natural hazards to better understand debris flows in a variety of environments.

As noted by Heim (1990), geoscience professionals are “truly handicapped” if they lack an understanding of an area’s geologic history in which they are working. USGS geologists saw this firsthand while advising the evacuation of a US military base in the Philippines built in a valley prone to pyroclastic flows from Mount Pinatubo. If the geologists had not recognized that the deposits within the valley were similar to pyroclastics at Mount St. Helens, thousands of lives may have been lost during the 1990 eruption of Mount Pinatubo (Thompson, 2000). Lessons from Mount St. Helens in 1980, Mount Pinatubo in 1990, and others across the globe crystallized the need to understand the geologic history of an area.

Indeed, how may one predict the geologic hazards of a site without first considering what has happened in its past?

With the multitude of geologic conditions and hazards fueled by the Cascade Volcanoes, a variety of sedimentary environments comparable to those in non-volcanic settings can be studied, sometimes with surprising results. For example, fine lamination can be produced within minutes during jökulhlaups (figure 5), which most geologists would not expect in high-energy regimes (Leclair and Arnott, 2005).

Misidentifying such laminations may lead to an underappreciation of the natural hazards––a possibility highlighting our need to study sedimentary environments in real time and apply that knowledge to our engineering projects.

Winter 2020

Hydrogeology: Mitigating the Poison The geology of the Cascade Volcanoes is truly intricate. Built on the faulted and deformed foundation of predecessor volcanics, the lavas and volcaniclastics of the Cascade stratocones provide a distinctive hydrogeological experiment. Water

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PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Figure 4. In such a dynamic environment, fluvial geomorphological evolution may proceed through a host of factors operating at various rates. This transformation occurs through either volcanic activity (such as lahars) or in the interludes between eruptions, but not all accelerated alterations are induced through volcanism.

Glacial outburst floods, or jökulhlaups, occasionally inundate stream valleys carrying glacial meltwater, as can be seen on Tahoma Creek only a month after a jökulhlaup from Nisqually Glacier. Notice the snags denoting the extent of the jökulhlaup beyond the stream’s previous channel.

percolating through the Miocene fold system and overlying volcanics or even near-surface water seepage through debris flow deposits all pose unique conditions for studying how water is stored in and flows between complex systems. Ascending magma and volcanic eruptions can infiltrate the groundwater with hazardous chemicals which may then be transferred into rivers or delicate ecosystems, as observed at Mount St. Helens (Bonelli et al., 1982). Studies mitigating the hazards in communities near volcanoes can provide further insight into dealing with hazardous waste management in complex geologic settings elsewhere. The fractured and faulted bedrock also encourages fracture permeability, the subject of a number of recent studies.

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Conclusions Four decades after Mount St. Helens revived interest in Cascadia, the Quaternary Cascade Volcanoes and surrounding areas continue to offer a myriad of opportunities for advancing applied geoscience. Physical volcanology, though the most obvious discipline, is the driving force fueling a number of geologic processes and hazards that are analogous to those in numerous non-volcanic settings (figure 6). The high elevation 30

Figure 5. Geoscientists would be greatly impeded without first considering a site’s geologic history. To better understand and predict natural hazards common at sites in a variety of environments, the Cascade Volcanoes provide opportunities to study a myriad of sedimentary environments in real time, occasionally yielding surprising results. A. Laminated sands and silts resulting from the latter stages of a jökulhlaup on August 17, 2019, which flooded Tahoma Creek from Nisqually Glacier on Mount Rainier. B. and C. Trough-like cross-laminations interstitial boulders from the 17 August 2019 jökulhlaup on the Tahoma Creek, which may contain striking bands of clay cross-laminations (denoted by the arrow in C).

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PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Figure 6. In the dynamic environment surrounding the Cascade Volcanoes, several disciplines of applied geoscience are represented and encapsulated within the post-1980 landscape of Mount St. Helens. Only the most evident, physical volcanology along with the high-relief topography drives the other disciplines, such as glaciology. Mass wasting, as represented by the primary 18 May 1980 landslide, fluvial geomorphology, as illustrated by the North Fork Toutle River canyon system, and sedimentology, shown by tephra deposits, can be studied to predict and mitigate a variety of natural hazards in both volcanic and non-volcanic environments across the globe, while the resulting complex systems and volcanogenic pollutants simulates a hydrogeological experiment. With so many fields represented, the Cascade Volcanoes are truly exemplary laboratories!

and age of the stratocones allow glacial geologists to study current glacial dynamics in response to volcanism and climate, which may be compared to the record of Pleistocene and even Pliocene glacial deposits among the Cascade Volcanoes. Mass wasting of the high-relief topography aided by volcanism and the Mediterranean climate provide case studies for a variety of mass displacement and movement processes, while the lahars and jökulhlaups combine with mass wasting to incite evolution of the fluvial geomorphology. The resulting deposits from these varied sedimentary environments encourages research of sedimentation in real time, which may be extended to predicting natural hazards at engineering sites. Amid this intricate landscape, hydrogeology may be advanced through study of hazardous chemicals being transferred through complex systems. Representing so many disciplines, the Cascade Volcanoes are an exemplary laboratory for advancing applied geoscience. The opportunity to reach new heights has never been more exciting!

Acknowledgments I thank Dr. Scott Burns for his thoughtful review of this article as well as Mr. John Berry and Dr. George Mustoe for their constructive comments on my original abstract (Pope, 2020d), which formed the basis for this article.

Winter 2020

References Armentrout, J.M, 1987, Cenozoic sequence stratigraphy, unconformity-bounded sequences, and tectonic history of southwest Washington, in Schuster, J.E., ed., Selected papers on the geology of Washington: Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources Bulletin, v. 77, p. 291–320.

Bonelli, J.E., Taylor, H.E., and Klein, J.M., 1982., Impact of Mount St. Helens eruption on hydrology and water quality: US Geologic Survey Technical Report N-8311538, pp. 261–264.

Clynne, M.A., Calvert, A.T., Wolfe, E.W., Evarts, R.C., Fleck, R.J., and Lanphere, M.A., 2008., The Pleistocene eruptive history of Mount St. Helens, Washington, from 300,000 to 12,800 Years Before Present, in Sherrod, D.R., Scott, W.E., and Stauffer, P.H., eds., 2008, A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1750, p. 593–627.

Crandell, D.R., 1989, Gigantic debris avalanche of Pleistocene age from ancestral Mount Shasta volcano, California, and debris-avalanche hazard zonation: US Geological Survey Bulletin 1861.

Crandell, D.R., and Mullineaux, D.R, 1978, Potential hazards from future eruptions of Mount St. Helens volcano, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1383- C. Crandell, D.R., Miller, C.D., Glicken, H.X., Christiansen, R.L., and Newhall, C.G., 1984, Catastrophic debris avalanche from ancestral Mount Shasta volcano, California. Geology, v. 12, p. 143–146.

Driedger, C.L., Major, J.J., Pallister, J.S., Clynne, M.A., Moran, S.C., Westby, E.G., and Ewert, J.W., 2020, Ten ways Mount St. Helens changed our world—The enduring legacy of the 1980 eruption: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2020-3031, 6 p. [https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20203031].

Glicken, H., 1996, Rockslide-debris avalanche of May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens Volcano, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-677.

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PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS Heim, G.E., 1990, Knowledge of the origin of soil Deposits is of primary importance to understanding the nature of the deposit: Bulletin of the Association of Engineering Geologists, v. 17, n. 1, p. 109–112.

Hildreth, W., 2007, Quaternary magmatism in the Cascades – Geologic Perspectives: US Geological Survey Professional Paper 1744, doi: 10.3133/pp1744.s.

Leclair, S. and Arnott, R., 2005, Parallel lamination formed by high-density turbidity currents: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 75, n. 1, p. 1–5.

Lipman, P., and Mullineaux, D., eds., 1981., The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington: Early results of studies of volcanic events in 1980, geophysical monitoring of activity, and studies of volcanic deposits, effects, and potential hazards: US Geological Survey Professional Paper 1250.

Mullineaux, D.R. and Crandell, D.R., 1962, Recent lahars from Mount St. Helens, Washington: Geological Society of America Bulletin v. 73, n. 7, p. 855– 870, doi: 10.1130/0016-7606.

Pierson, T.C., Scott, W.E., Vallance, J.W., and Pringle, P.T., 2009, Eruptionrelated lahars and sedimentation response downstream of Mount Hood: Field guide to volcaniclastic deposits along the Sandy River, Oregon, in O’Connor, J.E., Dorsey, R.J., and Madin, I.P., eds., Volcanoes to Vineyards: Geologic field trips through the dynamic landscape of the Pacific Northwest: Geological Society of America Field Guide 15, p. 221–236, doi: 10.1130/2009.fld015(11).

Pope, I.E., 2020a, David A. Johnston (1949-1980): Luminary of volcanology and martyr for science: The Professional Geologist, v. 57, n. 2, p. 50–54.

Pope, I.E., 2020b., Mount Rainier (Washington): a volcanic landscape overflowing with geomorphological wonders! The Professional Geologist, v. 57, n. 1, p. 51–53.

Pope, I.E., 2020c., Poorly sorted terrace deposits of the Cispus valley: Glacial drift or Mount Adams lahar? Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting. [Poster].

Pope, I.E., 2020d, Reaching new heights: The Cascade Volcanoes as exemplary laboratories for applied geoscience: Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting.

Thompson, D., 2000, Volcano cowboys: The rocky evolution of a dangerous science: Thomas Dunne Books, New York, NY, 326 p.

Tucker, D.S., Scott, K.M., and Lewis, D.R., 2007, Field guide to Mount Baker volcanic deposits in the Baker River valley: Nineteenth century lahars, tephras, debris avalanches, and early Holocene subaqueous lava, in Stelling, P., and Tucker, D.S., eds., Floods, faults, and fire: Geological field trips in Washington State and southwest British Columbia: Geological Society of America Field Guide 9, p. 83–98, doi: 10.1130/2007.fld009(04).

Tucker, D.S., Scott, K.M., Grossman, E.E., and Linneman, S., 2014, Mount Baker lahars and debris flows, ancient, modern, and future, in Dashtgard, S., and Ward, B., eds., Trials and tribulations of life on an active subduction zone: Field trips in and around Vancouver, Canada: Geological Society of America Field Guide 38, p. 33–52, doi: 10.1130/2014.0038(03).

Vallance, J.W. and Scott, K.M., 1997, The Osceola Mudflow from Mount Rainier: Sedimentology and hazard implications of a huge clay-rich debris flow: GSA Bulletin, v. 109, n. 2, p. 143–163.

Vallance, J.W., 1999, Postglacial lahars and potential hazards in the White Salmon River system on the southwest flank of Mount Adams, Washington: US Geological Survey Bulletin 2161, doi: 10.3133/b2161.

Zehfuss, P.H., Atwater, B.F., Vallance, J.W., Brenniman, H., and Brown, T.A., 2003, Holocene lahars and their by-products along the historical path of the White River between Mount Rainier and Seattle, in Swanson, T.W., ed., Western Cordillera and adjacent areas: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America Field Guide 4, p. 209–223.

e h t e v Sa ates…for These Future AEG Events D AEG 2022 Annual Meeting

Planet Hollywood Resort – Las Vegas, Nevada September 13–17

Your fun begins on The Strip, Las Vegas’ main artery and home to bustling casinos, world-class restaurants, ornately designed resorts and over-the-top shows. Overlooking the Las Vegas Strip, our Annual Meeting hotel—Planet Hollywood Resort—is in the middle of everything you will want to experience. This Annual Meeting will be exciting, educational, and a great opportunity to reconnect with your colleagues and meet new ones.

AEG 2023 Annual Meeting Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront – Portland, Oregon September 19–24

Willamette rivers, in the shadow of snowcapped Mount Hood.

It’s known for its parks, bridges, and bicycle paths, as well as for its ecofriendliness and its microbreweries and coffeehouses. The city hosts thriving art, theater, and music scenes. Surrounded by Portland hot spots, the Marriott Portland Downtown Waterfront hotel reflects the vibrancy of the city and is located directly on the waterfront in downtown, surrounded by more than 60 breweries. Wind down with friends by sampling some of the 150 types of whiskey at their on-site restaurant, Proof Reader.

The hotel even helps you go green with complimentary car-charging stations, biodegradable straws and easy access to light rail from the nearby Morrison Subway Station. At night, retire to elevated guest rooms with 24-hour room service, waterfall showers, free Wi-Fi, premium channels and views of Portland. Don’t miss all of the exciting Field Courses, Guest Tours and the Special Event at the Oswago Hills Vineyard planned for this incredible Annual Meeting.

The In-Person AEG 2020 Annual Meeting has been rescheduled for 2023. Portland, Oregon’s largest city, sits on the Columbia and

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PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Dam Failure: Edenville and Sanford Dams Thomas Oommen1, Colin Brooks2 Rick Dobson2, & Nick Marion2

Thomas Oommen is a Professor in the Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Department and the Director of the Computational Science and Engineering PhD Program at Michigan Technological University.

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fter heavy rainfall, Edenville Dam in Michigan failed on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, and Sanford Dam failed downstream the next day. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that the Midland area received 4.13 inches of rain from May 17–19. The dam failures prompted the evacuation of over 10,000 residents. A slope failure led to the collapse of Edenville dam, and the quick-release of water from the failed Edenville Dam led to the overtopping and failure of the Sanford Dam situated 10-mile downstream. Following the dam failures, a Michigan Technological University (MTU) team, including the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI), carried out a reconnaissance survey. The MTU team captured images of the dam failures

from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and developed 3D models of flooding-impacted sites using Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. The images were collected using DJI Mavic, Mavic 2 Pro, & Phantom 3 Advanced UAVs with ground control points whose positions were recorded with decimeter accuracy GPS (figure 1).

The stereo overlapping images were used to develop 3D models using SfM photogrammetry with the Agisoft Metashape software. The scaled and georeferenced outputs developed from the UAV survey include orthophoto, Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and DEM-based derivatives. A comparison of the prefailure dam profile with the post-failure imagery and DEM is shown in Figures 2 & 3. The elevation profile from the postfailure DEM indicates approximately 10 meters of scour at the Edenville Dam site.

Along with the failure of Edenville Dam, the bridge carrying North Meridian Road (M-30) over Wixom Lake washed out due to the rapid draining of the lake that had been impounded by the Edenville Dam. The bridge is located to the west and upstream of the Edenville Dam failure site. Figure 4 shows the extent of the bridge washout caused by the rapid lowering of the lake level. The bridge span was 7.9 meters prior to the failure, and a 70.1-meter section of roadway (including the former bridge) was washed out.

Figure 1: UAV flight at the Edenville Dam site. Seen ahead is the area where the slope failure occurred at Edenville Dam. Winter 2020

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PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS Figure 2: Comparison of the pre- and post-event imagery and DEM at the Edenville Dam site.

Sanford Dam, located 10 miles downstream of Edenville Dam, experienced an overtopping failure. A comparison of the pre-failure dam profile with post-failure imagery and DEM is shown in Figure 5. The profile indicates that the Sanford Dam failure site experienced more than 20 meters of scouring. Based on the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regional geologic map, the Midland area was covered by Glacial Lake Saginaw Lake about 13,000 years ago, and lacustrine sand, gravel, and clay were deposited during this time (Milstein, 1987). The bedrock is mapped as Pennsylvanian Age Grand River Formation (sandstone) and older Saginaw Formation, which are composed of interbedded sandstone, shale, shaley limestone, and coal.

No exposed bedrock was observed at the site, and the material observed was mostly sand, gravel, and clay.

Using existing 1-meter resolution light detection and ranging (lidar) data available from the US Geological Survey collected in 2016, and comparing the lidar surface to the new 3D UAS data, the MTU team was able to estimate volumes of dam material that were lost due to the failure events. The MTU team estimated material losses of approximately 63,590 m3 at Edenville Dam and Figure 3: Post-failure elevation profile obtained at Edenville Dam overlaid on the orthophoto.

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Figure 4: Comparison of M-30 bridge over Wixom Lake before and after the Edenville Dam failure.

Figure 5: Comparison of the pre- and post-event imagery and DEM at the Sanford Dam site.

approximately 350,769 m3 at Sanford Dam. Figure 6 shows the area used to calculate these volumes for the two dam locations, the pre-failure lidar-based elevation data, and the post-failure UAV SfM elevation data.

References Milstein, R. L., 1987, Bedrock geology of southern Michigan: Michigan DNR Geological Survey Division, scale 1:500,000.

Author Info 1. Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI-49931 2. Michigan Tech Research Institute, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

From the Editors‌ Figure 6: Comparison of pre-failure lidar elevation data to post-failure UAS SfM-derived elevation data used to calculate volumes of dam material lost due to their failures.

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AEG NEWS 63(4)

2021 is the International Year of Caves and Karst. AEG welcomes your cave and karst related papers and photos for inclusion in the Spring 2021 issue of AEG News. Submission deadline is February 15, 2021. Please contact news@aegweb.org for details.

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