H M
P G
AHudson – Mohawk
Professional Geologists Association
N O V E M B E RM E E T I N G
w w w . h m p g a . w i l d a p r i c o t . o r g
Speaker: Mason Stahl, PhDAssistant Professor, Department of Geology, Union College
November 14, 2018
Abstract: Contamination of groundwater with naturally occurringarsenic is widespread throughout much of South and SoutheastAsia and poses a serious health risk to the millions of individualswho consume this water. However, it is unclear why dissolvedarsenic concentrations have reached the high levels currentlyobserved in aquifers throughout the region. In particular, theinfluence of surface water recharge on arsenic contaminationremains unresolved. To address this issue we studied thehydrogeology and geochemistry of an arsenic contaminated site inVietnam (continued on next page).
Hydrogeologic Factors Influencing High Levels of Groundwater Arsenic in
South and Southeast Asia
Cont’d: This field site is located adjacent to the Red River,which presently recharges the aquifer as a result of intensivegroundwater pumping. We find that the effect of riverinerecharge on groundwater arsenic concentrations is controlled bythe geomorphic setting of the river-aquifer interface. Aquifersinland of freshly deposited river sediments are highlycontaminated with dissolved arsenic, whereas aquifers inland ofnon-depositional river segments host low arsenic groundwater.We also observe that the generation of high arsenic requires amuch larger input of organic matter (which fuels arsenicmobilization) in areas of the aquifer not recharged by river wateras compared to areas recharged by the river. These findingssuggest that aquifers throughout the region may be susceptibleto further contamination as a result of hydrologic changesinduced by extensive groundwater pumping for water supply.
N O V E M B E R M E E T I N G
About the Presenter: Mason Stahl is the James M. KenneyAssistant Professor of Environmental Engineering at UnionCollege. He received his B.S. in Mathematics and QuantitativeEconomics from Tufts University and Ph.D. in EnvironmentalEngineering from MIT. Prior to coming to Union, he worked forseveral years as an environmental engineer in Cambridge, MA.
Dinner Sponsors receive free dinner, a display table set up for the social hour and a 5 minutepresentation to the dinner audience, prior to the presentation. Please contact Jesse Vollick [email protected] for more information.
Reservations are required by MondayNovember 12, 2018Whether attending the dinner
or only the presentation.Register on-line at www.hmpga.wildapricot.org/
Call or email Marie Cole at (518) 724-7254 • [email protected]
Location: Century House997 New Loudon RoadLatham, NY 12110
Time: Social Hour 5:00pmDinner 6:00pmProgram 7:00pm
Cost: $10.00 for student members$20.00 for dormant geologists
$25.00 for members$30.00 for non-members
program only: Free
9October 2018
President’s MessageDear Hudson Mohawk Geologists,
We had a great meeting last month where Dr. Dax Soule presented his upcoming field excursion to the Bransfield Strait between the South Shetland Island and the Antarctic Peninsula. His excitement for this work is very contagious and we hope that he can come back and present his findings in a year or so.
This month we have Dr. Mason Stahl from the Union College geology department presenting his hydrogeologic study concerning high levels of arsenic in groundwater in south and southeast Asia. With his background as a consultant in environmental engineering in the northeast U.S. this should be an interesting talk that many of us can relate to.
Let’s not forget that Jesse Vollick is working on filling some other speaking slots for upcoming meetings. If you have some research, or a particular project you would like to present to your colleagues, please let us know and we will look for a meeting date for a presentation. Your help in this aspect is greatly appreciated as we do our best to bring intriguing and relatable projects to each meeting.…. Continues on Next Page.
3October 2018
November 2018 5
Keep an eye out for volunteer opportunities aswe enter the holiday season and begin to thinkabout the Gem & Mineral Show at the NYSMuseum and then the Howes Cave trips forexample in the second half of our HMPGAseason.
I hope to see you all on the 14th (2ndWednesday due to Thanksgiving).
JoshPresident 2018-2019
President’s Message Continued OfficersPresident
Josh Gowan(518) 348-6995
Vice PresidentJesse Vollick
(518) [email protected]
TreasurerBill Kotas
(518) [email protected]
SecretaryBrian Taylor
(518) [email protected]
Past President Kevin Phelan(518) 348-6995
Board MembersJohn Armitage
Curtis Cappellano518-330-7732
Scott Hulseapple(518) 348-6995
Elizabeth Moore(518) 812-6984
George [email protected]
Luanne Whitbeck(518) 475-1008
HMPGA President Josh Gowan presents October'sspeaker, Dr. Dax Soule, with a plaque after his excitingtalk on Wedensday October 17th, 2018.Photo Provided by Jesse Vollick
November 2018 6
Mineral of the MonthRhodochrosite
Primary used for a minor value gemstone. Can be found in a range of pink to red crystals and has a perfect cleavage on 3 planes. Crystals forms are not commonly found. It is found world wide but has
nearby notable locations in Massachusett: Betts Manganese Mines, Forge Hill Iron Mine. New Hampshire: The famous Palermo No1 Mine, Parker Mountain Mine, and Stony Mountian.
Calcite Group • Formation: Trigonal crystals. • Localities: Worldwide• Chemical Composition: MnCo3• Hardness: 3.5 - 4
This mineral often occurs in moderate to low temperature hydrothermal veins, and with late stages of hydrothermal minerals in pegmatites.
7November 2018
Mr. Phelan’s
NOVEMBER
GEO-CRYPTOCIPHER
CLUE: P = Y each letter of the expression is substituted by another letter.
OCTOBER’S SOLUTIONGEO-CRYPTOCIPHER
..
QXNJC WANJJNMF Y WCCG QCJJ NM LXC BNW-HYGC, LXC
FCIJIFNEL MILCW Y HXYMFC TAIB FJYHNYJ ISLQYEX LI HIYELYJ
GJYNM HJYP YMW WCHJYACW NL Y XPYMMNE XNYLSE.
WHEN GRAMPY THE GEOLOGIST TURNED SIXTY FIVE, NYSED MADE SURE HIS WAS A GRANDFATHERED LICENSE
Send your solutions to [email protected]
In 2017, 8.2 Tehuantepec, Mexico quake ruptures both the mantle and the crust! October 25, 2018- Sciencedaily.com
November 2018 8
“Initially, it was believed the earthquake was related to a seismic gap, occurring where the Cocosocean plate is being overridden by a continental plate, in an area that had not had a quake ofsuch magnitude since 1787. Subduction zone megaquakes generally occur near the top of whereplates converge.
The epicenter, however, was 46 kilometers (28 miles) deep in the Cocos plate, well under theoverriding plate and where existing earthquake modeling had said it shouldn't happen, a 13-member research team reported Oct. 1 in the journal Nature Geoscience after an analysis ofdata from multiple sources.
"We don't yet have an explanation on how this was possible," said the study's lead author DiegoMelgar, an earth scientist at the University of Oregon. "We can only say that it contradicts themodels that we have so far and indicates that we have to do more work to understand it."
You can find a link to the full article here:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181025103348.htm?fbclid=IwAR3NrtQGnNn721uKklaIJ7UblN3gM11Ogi7_bJgKLCZgWjJkKuNKvGctI_U
University of Oregon. "Mexico's 2017 Tehuantepec quake suggests a new worry: The location of the 8.2 earthquake was as a surprise, say researchersafter a comprehensive study of data from multiple sources." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181025103348.htm (accessedNovember 3, 2018)
9November 2018
HMPGA PROGRAM DIRECTORSBeing active in HMPGA is a fully volunteer activity that often demands a great deal of
attention.The following members chair this year’s committees and we thank them:
Webmaster Scott Hulseapple [email protected]
Newsletter/ Communications Elizabeth Moore [email protected]
Educational Outreach Joe Osso [email protected]
Programs Jesse Vollick [email protected]
Membership Luanne Whitbeck [email protected]
Follow us on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HudsonMohawkProfessionalGeologistsAssociation
Ads in the HMPGA Newsletter range from$100-$200 annually. For more information contactBill Kotas, [email protected]
Corporate Member Contacts2018-2019
As of 9/6/2018
AECOM Walter Howard 518.951.2200 Adirondack Environmental Services Perter Guidarelli 518-434-4546Alpha Analytical Pat Filey 716.392.3932Alpha Geoscience Scott Hulseapple 518.348.6995Aztech Environmental Technologies Mary Passaretti 518.885.5383Bond, Schoeneck & King Kevin Bernstein 315.218.8329 Brown & Caldwell Frank Williams 518.560.5912Cascade Matt Ednie 518.355.2201Cobleskill Stone Products Michael Moore 518.234.0221ConTest Analytical Labortory Scott Basal 518.608.1036Continental Placer Bill Miller 518.458.9203 Corbett Industrial Cleaners Lynne Farrell 518.688.7393Geotech Environmental Equipment, Inc. Peter Murray 802.651.3050Griggs – Lang Consulting Geologists Jeff Lang 518.270.5920H2H Associates Richard Hisert 518.270.1620Hager – Richter Geoscience, Inc. Jeffrey Reid 603.893.9944Hanson VanVleet, LLC Kirby VanVleet 518.371.7940HDR, Inc. Michael Lehtinen 518.937.9500Hydrogeologic, Inc Eric Evans 518.877.0309Intertek-PSI Bill Kotas 518.377.9841Leggette, Brashears & Graham, Inc. Frank Getchell 201.818.0700Parratt Wolff, Inc. Danylo Kulczycky “DK” 800.782.7260PVE Sheffler Chris Brown 845.454.2544Regenesis Maureen Dooley 781.245.1320SJB Jim Vincent 518.899.7491 Sterling Environmental Engineering, P.C. Mark Williams 518.456.4900
https://www.facebook.com/HudsonMohawkProfessionalGeologistsAssociation
Follow us on Facebook:
Ads in the HMPGA Newsletter range from$100-$200 annually. For more information contactBill Kotas, [email protected]
Eastern New York (ENY) Chapter of the Air & Waste Management Association (MASS-A&WMA). Theyencompass the greater Capital District and Hudson Valley region of eastern New York State. Aprofessional non-for‐profit association of engineers and scientists working in the environmental field, witha particular focus on issues related to air and waste. www.awmanenychapter.wildMAYicot.org
The Geological Society of America (GSA) strives to be a leader in advancing the geosciences, whileenhancing the professional growth of its members, and promoting the geosciences in the service ofhumankind. www.geosociety.org
The New York State Museum is a major research and educational institution. It is dedicated to promotinginquiry and advancing knowledge in the fields of geology, biology, anthropology, and history, through theinvestigation of material evidence germane to New York State's past, present and future.www.nysm.nysed.gov
New York State Council of Professional Geologists (NYSCPG) strives to strengthen and advance thegeologic sciences as a profession, promote the protection of public health and welfare and theenvironment through the professional practice of geologic sciences, and create high standards of ethicalconduct among its members and within the profession of geology, as well as the legal standing ofgeologists and their ability to practice geology in New York State by promoting the licensing of geologistsin New York State through statutory regulation. www.nyscpg.org
The Capital District Environmental Breakfast Club is an informal group of environmental professionalsthat meets monthly to discuss current environmental issues. Each meeting features a speaker on a topicof interest, a regulatory update, and an open forum. Meetings are held on the first Friday of each monthexcept July and August. The Environmental Breakfast Club meets at the Holiday Inn Turf on Wolf Roadin Colonie, New York. Meetings start at 7:30 am. The cost is $15 per person, which includes a fullbreakfast buffet. www.youngsommer.com
Buffalo Association of Professional Geologists (BAPG) conducts regular membership meetings on thethird Wednesday of the month, January through June and September through November. Meetingsfeature distinguished speakers and interesting topics. Field trips and technical seminars sponsored bythe BAPG encourage the exchange of scholarship and expertise. www.bapg.org
Central NY Association of Professional Geologists (CNYAPG) conducts regular meetings on the thirdWednesday of each month, unless otherwise posted, from September to May. Meetings feature dinnerand distinguished speakers whose presentations invite comment and discussion. www.cnyapg.org
Long Island Association of Professional Geologists (LIAPG) is a not-for-profit professional organizationdedicated to the professional and business needs of geologists located in the Long Island / Metro NewYork area. www.lipg.org
HMPGAP.O. Box 5506Albany, NY 12205-0506
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