News and Information: News-December 2005

Previous editions of newsletter, and PDF versions.

*	Was Emmons Wrong?
*	Colorado Scientific Society President’s Note—December 2005
*	CSS Student Presentation Awards, 2005
*	CSS Nominations for Officer Positions
*	It’s Time to Pay Dues for 2006
*	Earth Science Meetings and Talks

Presidential Address - Was Emmons Wrong?

by Dr. Vince Matthews
Director, Colorado Geological Survey

In his inaugural address to the Colorado Scientific Society in January of 1883, the Society’s first president, Samuel F. Emmons, made some rather strong assertions about the geology and mineral resources of Colorado, to wit:

“In Colorado ….we have coal fields whose extent is probably greater than those of Pennsylvania.”
“In silver, Colorado stands pre-eminent.”
“From a mineralogical point of view, the wealth of Colorado exceeds that of the other states.”
In comparing gold to California: “the field for investigation and for the application of scientific methods is all the larger.”
“For the study of the Archaean … it is safe to say we have nowhere else in the world such opportunities.”
“On all the broad extent of these United States certainly no region can be found which presents more facts of interest, more opportunities for investigation, and greater possibilities of new discoveries than the State of Colorado.”

Given that he had served admirably on the King Survey of the 40th parallel examining the geology in California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado; he appears to have had a good comparative basis upon which to make some of these assertions. But was he right, particularly on the last assertion? Or was he simply engaging in boosterism? This address will attempt to show that his statement is as true today, as it was then.

Colorado Scientific Society President’s Note—December 2005

Vince Matthews

I have always felt that CSS is unique among the numerous geological societies in the Metro Area. The other groups are so narrowly focused, that the talks are usually of only marginal interest to me. But, since I first joined 35 years ago, CSS has offered excellent scientific talks that cover a broad spectrum of the earth sciences. Our field trips are superb. The networking opportunities are extraordinary.
Because I feel so strongly about CSS, it is very hard for me to understand why we aren’t attracting more new members. That is clearly the continuing challenge for our Society. I hope that all of you will turn your ingenuity toward helping us bring in new people. Our survival depends on it.
It is a great honor to have had the privilege of serving as your President this past year. I treasure the opportunity and experience. On the 15th, I turn over the silver-nugget gavel to Chuck Kluth. I first met Chuck two decades ago when we were both serving on the CSS Council. He will do an excellent job as the 123rd president, and I look forward to working with him on the Council in the coming year.

CSS Student Presentation Awards, 2005

There were seven student presentations at November’s meeting. The awards for best papers are:
First prize: Timothy MacIntyre, $500; CSM; Fault-related bleaching and sediment-hosted copper mineralization at the Cashin Mine.
Second prize: Douglas Kreiner, $250; CSU; Hydrothermal alteration and its effects on slope stability in Alum Creek.
Third prize: Thomas Neely, $50; CSU; 3D strain at transitions in foreland arch geometry.
Thanks to all who participated and attended.

CSS Nominations for Officer Positions

At December’s meeting, we will be voting from the floor for 2006 officer positions. The nomination for 2006 President-elect is William Nesse. For councilors, the nominations for the two positions are Scott Minor and John Keller. Nominations will also be taken from the floor.

It’s Time to Pay Dues for 2006

Membership dues for the coming year (2006) are now due. You will find a dues payment form in this issue of the newsletter. You will also see a reminder in the mail this month. Based on your votes at the end of last year, dues payments have increased $20 for regular members; dues amounts are unchanged for the other dues categories, $10 for corresponding members (outside the Colorado Front Range area), and $5 for students. If you are uncertain of your member status or whether you owe dues, contact CSS Treasurer Don Sweetkind by phone at 303-236-1828 or by e-mail at dsweetkind@usgs.gov
As you pay your dues, please consider making an additional contribution to one of our Memorial Funds (which support our student research grants program) or the Endowment Fund (which we use to defray operating costs). Any contributions made in 2005 (i.e., checks dated before Jan. 1, 2006) will be credited toward the 2005 tax year. Don will send out an acknowledgement receipt to all those members who contributed in 2005 for tax reporting purposes. Please remember that your entire contribution goes towards generating interest for the grants and that your contribution is 100% tax deductible since the Society is a non-profit Section 501 (c)(3) organization.

2005 DUES & FUNDS CONTRIBUTIONS COLORADO SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY

Download PDF Form.

Last Name: __________________________________________
First Name: __________________________________________
Initial: __________________________________________
Current email, if available: __________________________________________

DUES: Dues are for the calendar year (January-December)
     Regular Members ($15, CO Front Range) ___________________________
     Corresponding Members ($10) ___________________________
     Student Members ($5, enrolled in college) ___________________________

MEMORIAL FUNDS: These funds support earth-science research grants to graduate students
throughout the nation. If your contribution is not specified, it will be distributed equally among the funds:
     (A) Ogden Tweto Memorial Fund ___________________________________
     (B) Steven Oriel Memorial Fund ___________________________________
     (C) Edwin Eckel Memorial Fund ___________________________________
     (D) Bill Pierce-Heart Mountain Fund ________________________________
     (E) George Snyder Memorial Fund __________________________________

This contribution is made in the memory of: _______________________________________________________________

ENDOWMENT FUND: This fund is used to support the Society’s monthly meetings and newsletter,
field trips, family night, annual Emmons Lecture, and special activities. _______________________________________

TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS (DUES AND FUNDS): ________________________________________

Please make your checks payable to the Colorado Scientific Society
Send this form & your check to:
     Colorado Scientific Society
     P.O.Box 150495
     Lakewood,CO 80215-0495

Earth Science Meetings and Talks

Newsletter items must be received by the 25th of each month. Items may include special events, open houses, etc...thanks!

Denver Mining Club meets every Monday (except when noted) at Country Buffet near Bowles and Wadsworth (at 8100 W. Crestline Ave.) 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. http://china-resources.net. CSM. Dec. 12., “Gold in the ground - more leverage, less risk”, by Mike Richings, President and CEO, Vista Gold Corp. Dec. 19, Auction of mining memorabilia.

Denver International Petroleum Society meets the second Friday of each month at the Wynkoop Brewing Co., 18th and Wynkoop Streets. Reception at 11:30 a.m., lunch at noon, talk at 12:30 p.m. Make reservations (required) by leaving message at (303) 623-5396. Reservations accepted until 10:30 a.m. on Wed prior to the meeting. Cancellations accepted until 11:00 am Wed prior to the meeting. Cost: $15 for lunches; talk only-$2. Contact Keith Murray at (303) 986-8554 for info.

Denver Region Exploration Geologists' Society (DREGS) meets in the Mutual Consolidated Water Building, 12700 West 27th Avenue, Lakewood. Social hour 6:00-7:00 p.m. Technical presentation at 7:00 p.m. Meetings are normally scheduled for the first Monday of each month.For information contact Jim Piper, (303) 932-0134, or the website http://www.dregs.org/. Dec. 5, “The Sweet Home rhodochrosite specimen mine”, by Paul Bartos, CSM. Dec location at CSM Mineral Museum, 13th & Maple, Golden.

Denver Well Logging Society (DWLS) meets on the third Tuesday of each month, Sept. through May. Lunch and a technical talk at the Wynkoop Brewery begins at 11:30 a.m., 18th and Wynkoop Sts. in Denver. Subject matter usually deals with the application of well logs to oil and gas exploration. Web page: http://dwls.spwla.org/.

Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG) Reception at 11:30 a.m., lunch at 12:00 p.m., talk at 12:30 p.m. Reservations are taken by recording at 303-623-5396 until 10:30 a.m., Wed. before the luncheon. Cancellations are taken until 11:00 a.m. on Wed. at 303-573-8621. Luncheon cost is $20 payable to RMAG at the door. Reservations are not required for talk only---cost is $3. Meeting location: Denver Petroleum Club, Anaconda Tower, 555-17th St, 37th floor. Web page: http://www.rmag.org.

Colorado AIPG December and annual meeting Reception at 11:30; lunch and speaker, noon to 1:30. University Club, 1673 Sherman St, Denver. Dec. 14, “Rockfall hazards in Colorado: A land-use and transportation perspective with recent case histories”, by Jon White, CGS, and Ty Ortiz, CDOT. $23 w/ advance reservation, $25 at door. Contact Tom Cavanaugh by C.O.B. on December 9 for reservations at 303-425-1125 or at cavtrac@comcast.net or tcavanaugh@ogenvironmental.com. Rocky Mountain SEPM Reception at 11:30, lunch at noon, speaker at 12:30. Reservations, Dave Uhl:303-389-5092 before noon of preceding Friday. $15.00 lunch, $3 talk only. Wynkoop Brewing Company, 1634 18^th St., Denver. David.uhl@EnCana.com University of Colorado at Boulder, Geological Sciences Colloquium Wednesdays, 4:00-5:30 p.m., Rm. 180. Refreshments at 3:30 p.m on the 3rd floor. For info., call 303-492-8141. Web page: http://www.colorado.edu/GeolSci/. Dec. 7, “Paleobotany, Orography, and the rise of the Colorado Front Range”, by Kirk Johnson, Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Friends of Dinosaur Ridge Fireside chats resume in the fall. Web page: http://www.dinoridge.org. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. For more information please contact the FODR Visitor Center at (303) 697-3466.

Colorado School of Mines Van Tuyl Lectures Fridays 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Berthoud Hall, room 108. Dec. 2, "The Rocky Mountain strike-slip debate: contrasts between advocate and diagnostic scientific approaches", by Eric Erslev, CSU. http://www.mines.edu/academic/geology.html

USGS Geologic Division Colloquium Thursdays, 1:30 p.m., Foord Rm., Building 20, entrance W3, Denver Federal Center. Contact Pete J. Modreski, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Colorado tel. 303-202-4766, fax 303-202-4767, email:pmodreski@usgs.gov

Western Interior Paleontological Society, Ricketson Auditorium, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 7 p.m. Free www.wipsppc.com or call 303-663-5868.

For a constantly updated, online geo-calendar, visit the Colorado Geological Survey at:

http://geosurvey.state.co.us