L I T E

A quarterly publication for educators and the public-contemporary; geological topics, issues and events.

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evolution of a geologist

This Issue:Earth Briefs-Rising Levels of Mercury in An introduction to the science of ancientfish organisms-Paleontology: Fossils and

Ancient EnvironmentsGeologists evaluate a dangerous site-

. Troublesome Rockfalls Along the Rio The silent mystery-Radon: A PotentialGrande Gorge Problem in Your Home

An historical synopsis of one of NewMexico, Tech’s influential figures-C.T.Brown, "the New Mexico School ofMines’ Best Friend and Benefactor"

Current Topics in Earth Science-highLXTES

Fall’ 1992

New Mexico Bureauof

Mines and MineralResources

(NMBM&MR)

Earth BriefsRising Levels of Mercury in FishLynn BrandvoldSenior Chemist, NMBM&MR

~ Mercu~ levels in fish in.NewMexico s lakes and reservoirshave been rising over the last20 years, while the level of

mercury in the .water has remained aboutthe same~ This seemingly contradictorystatement is correct because mercury hasthe ability to concentrate as it moves upthe food chain. Microorganisms in thewater methylate mercury (convert it to anor~.anic form), which then is picked up byplants and is also absorbed through fishgills. Organisms tend to store this organicform of mercury; as bigger fish eat thesmaller fish, mercury levels increase inthe bigger fish. Larger fish are likely tocontain the most mercury.

The source of this mercury is not, known. Many possible sources exist:stack gases from coal-fired power plants,smelter emissions, old mining and millingwastes, sediment carried frommineralized’areas by run-off into therivers, mercury vapor lamps, oil-gaspressure-sensing equipment, industrial ormutiicipal discharges, or evenmercurochrome poured into householddrains¯ This problem is not unique toNew Mexico. Mercury levels in fish are.increasing nationwide.

Analyzing fish for mercury is anexpensive and time-consuming job. Lastsummer the New Mexico EnvironmentDepartment (NMED) had a backlog fish to analyze. The NMBM&MRchemistry laboratory had lust purchased anew mercury analyzer, and volunteeredassistance in analyzing some of these fish.About 200 samples have been analyzed atthe Bureau to date. The Bureau chemistsalso were interested in whether the fishlost the mercury when cooked. A set ofexperiments was devised in which thefish were either fried, cooked in amicrowave oven, o~" baked and thenanalyzed for mercury. Unfortunatelythey found that the mercury was not lostby cooking.

Lite Geology, Fall 1992

The NMBM&MR chemistry laboratoryis also analyzing for mercury in river andstream sediments, as well as in rock andmineral samples gathered from aroundNew Mexico, in order to betterunderstand the background levels ofmercury. They hope to ultimately puttogether a geochemical map of mercurylevels around ’the state.

a geologistdates a rock

TroublesomeRock Falls Along theRio Grande GorgeWilliam C. HanebergEngineering Geologist, NMBM&MR

~ The geologic processes of

tectonic uplift, weathering,erosion, and deposition

¯ combine to continuallyredistribute soil and rock and reshape thelandscape. Some processes, for examplesoil creep and glacial movement, areslow and occur over tens, hundreds, or .even thousands of years. Other processes,~

for example rockfalls and earthquakes,are rapid and can occur in a matter ofseconds or minutes. In many cases, theserapid processes occur with little or nowarning. The analysis and prediction ofgeologic processes that may adverselyaffect human lives and property is knownas geologic-hazard assessment. Duringrecent years, parts of New MexicoHighway 68 between Embudo and Pilar,which runs through the southern portionof the Rio Grande Gorge, has beensubjected to two catastrophic rockfalls. InSeptember, 1989, five people were killedand 14 injured when a large basaltboulder, loosened during a rainstorm,tumbled downhill, and struck a bus.

On the night of July 25, 1991, againduring a heavy rainstorm, many debrisflows and rockfalls cascaded onto thehighway, and the road was closed for 19hours. The most spectacular event tooccur that night was the fall of a largeschist boulder, which left a 14x5x5 meter(45x15x15 foot) crater in the highwaybefore coming to rest on the opposite sideof the Rio Grande.

Many smaller rockfalls have tumbledonto the roadway since the highway wasbuilt. The New Mexico State Highwayand/Transportation Department hasinstalled rockfall-protection nets uphillfrom the roadway just north of Embudo.

Geologists from the New MexicoBureau of Mines and Mineral Resourcesvisited the July 1991 rockfall site inSeptember 1991. They estimated that theboulder was traveling at about 21 metersper second (47 miles per hour) a.nd struckthe road with 85,000,000 Newtonmeters(32,000 foot tons) of kineticenergy, which is several hundred timesgreater than the capacity of the protectivenets installed to stop smaller rockfallsalong the gorge. To put this figure into

perspective, 85,000,000 Newton meters isequivalent to about 24 kilowatt hours ofelectricity, or enough to supply anaverage household for two to three days!

Glossary of Geologic-Hazard Terms....................... .i, . .

Basalt-A dark-tolored rock containing ironand magnesium and formed from moltenmaterial.

Debris Flow-A moving mass of rockfragments, soil, and mud.

Deposition-The constructive process ofaccumulation by which materials are laid,placed, or thrown down by ni:tural agentssuch as the mechanical settling of sedimentsfrom suspension.in water.

Earthquake-A sudden motion or tremblingin the Earth caused by the abrupt release ofslowly accumulated strain.

Erosion-The process by which soil and rockare loosened, dissolved, or worn away and

ltransported bY an agent such as weathering.

Glacial Movement-The process by which alarge mass of ice creeps .slowly downslope, oroutward in all directions, due to.the stress ofits own weight.

Kinetic Energy- Part of the energy of anobject in motion.

Rockfall-The relatively free falling and~ortumbling of a newly detached piece of bedrockdown a slope.

Schist-A type of rock with a planar, layeredcrystalline structure, that has been formedunder high temperatures and pressures.

Soil Creep.The gradual, steady downhillmovement of soil and loose rock material on aslope.

Tectoni~ Uplift-An upward movement ofpart of the Earth’s crust, generally occurringover broad areas, due to stresses within theearth.

Weathering.The destructive process bywhich rock is exposed to atmospheric agentsand is changed in appearance and form.

Reference-Bales, R. L., andJac~on, J. A.,(editors), 1980, Glossary of geology: AmericanGeological Instilute, Alexandria, VA, 2nd edition,749pp.

Life Geology, Fall 1992

The upper photograph illustrates the swath of destruction created by the July 1991 boulderas it slid and rolled down the southeastern side of the gorge, after which it struck thehighway and came to rest across the river. The boulder, in its final resting position alongthe northwestern bark of the Rio Grande, is shown in the lower photograph (note rafters forscale). Photos by Paul Bauer, NMBM&MR.

Lite Geology, Fall 1992

C.T.Brown, "the NewMexico School ofMines’ Best Friendand Benefactor"Robert W. EvelethSenior Minin~ En,~iineer, NMBM&MR

C. T. Brown was an earlybenefactor of the New Mexico

-~ School of Mines (now~//~ popularly known as New

Mexico Tech), and his influence on theschool, dating back to the turn of thetwentieth century, still .lingers. Brown isbest remembered for his unfailingdevotion to, and support of, the NewMexico School of Mines. A brief note inthe Gold Parr (1925), states "It was largelydue to his efforts that the school wasstarted and maintained."’ In recognition of C.T. Brown’s many

contributions to the school, theadministration building was named ,Brown Hall after being rebuilt in 1928following a fire. Across campus, at theBureau of Mmes and Mmeral Resources,the tradition and memory of this man arepreserved with reverence and care. In t,heMineral Museum of the Bureau, much ofBrownt’s mineral collection, along with afew extant objects and artifacts associatedwith his life and career, are displayed.

As early as 1899, Cony T. Brown beganoffering a special prize, a gold medal, tothat student at the NM School of MinesWho displayed particular proficiency inassaying, metallurgy, etc. The recipient ofthe first gold medal, in 1900, was Carl J.Homme. The Brown Medal became ~atradition and C.T. Brown personallyawarded the medal through 1924, at.thelast commencement he attended beforehis death in January 1925. The BrownMedal is still awarded today.

He was born Cony Thomas Brown inCorrina, Maine, on November 30, 1856.He left school at the age of 16 toapprentice as a tinsmith. Three ~,ears ofthat was apparently enough for youngBrown, and he hopped a train to far-offEllis, Kansas, arriving on the brand-newrails of the Union Pacific (Biography,1895).

After four years in Ellis, he becameacquainted with a group of men whoowned mining property in New Mexico¯These men must have recognizedBr’)wn’s great enthusiasm, honesty, andattention to detail (traits that wouldbecome lifelong trademarks), because

they hired him, barely into,his 20s, tobecome superintendent of operations forEllis Mining Company in the WaterCanyon district west of Socorro, NewMexico (Twitchell, 1917; Bullion, 1883).When this sl~rendipitousopportunity fora career in mining appeared, he focusedall his efforts on self-training andeducation. By the turn of the ~entury anymention of Brown was usually precededby the ta~ line "well-known miningexpert (Western Mining World, 1902).

While mining remained the core ofBrown’s business interests, he waainvolved in many other venturesincluding coal, bicycles, buggies, liveryservice, and mail delivery (The SocorroChieftain, 1895; Biography, 1895). He waspresident and manager of the SocorroLight and Power company, president ofthe Socorro State Bank (Twitchell, 1917),and owne~r and operator of the renovatedGraphic Smelter of Socorro. During hisfinal years, he served as a New Mexicostate senator (The Socorro Chieftain, 1925;Regents, 1925).

His greatest achievement, from apersonal standpoint, must have occurred vat commencement in 1914 when the NewMexico School of Mines recognized hismany years of effort on behalf of theInstitute and the~ mining industry byawarding him the first honorary degree inthe school’s history--that of MiningEngineer (Catalog 1937-38).

During his 45-year mining career,Brown assembled a remarkable mineralcollection. The collection of about 1500pie~(~s (Museum. Archives) purchased from th? Brown family in 1938(Catalog, 1945--47). Some of the highlightsof the collection today include a verylarge green smithsonite, a brassy-yellowcadmian smithsonite, several spectacular,azurites and native coppers, and a snowy-white "jackstraw" cerrussite---all from theMagdalena district. These and manyothers are carefully preserved in theMineral Museum at the New MexicoBureau of Mines and Mineral Resourcesin Socorro.

After his death, The Socorro Chieftain(1925) recorded that C. T. Brown left thisearth with "the richest heritage possible--

the memory of one who died in debt to no,man, either politically, financially, ormorally." It is,thus fitting and proper that

"the Brown collection receive the best carepossible, for he was, after all, "the Schoolof MinesI best friend and benefactor"(Catalog, 1933-34).

References

Author unknown, 1895, Biography [of C. T.Brown], in An lllust/’ated History of NewMexico, editor unknown: The Lewi~Publishing Company, Chicago, 1895.

Bullion, 1883, issue for July 1, 1883:Newspaper, Socorro, New Mexico, 1883-1888; El Paso, Texas, 1888-1894.

Catalog, 1933-34: New Mexico School ofMines, Socorro, New Mexico.

~., 1937-38: New Mexico School ofMines, Socorro, New Mexico, p. 87.

,1945--47: New Mexico School ofMines, Socorro, New Mexico, p. 32.

Gold Parr, issue for February 1, 1925: NewMexico School of Mines, Socorro, NewMexico.

Museum Archives, Catalog of mineral cabinet[of] C. T. Brown, complete annotateddescriptions of specimens in Browncollection at time of purchase: Archives ofthe Mineral Museum, New Mexico Bureauof Mines and Mineral Re~urces, Socorro,New Mexico.

Regents, 1925, Unpublished minutes of theBoard of Regents (nee Trustees) of the New

, Mexico School of Mines, S~corro,’NewMexico, p. 113.

The Socorro Chieftain, 1895, issue for August 9,1895.

Twitchell, R. E. (edit’or), 1917, Cony T. Brown; in The leading facts of New Mexicohistory, vol. IV: The Torch Press, CedarRapids, lowa.

Western Mining World, 1902, voi. 17, p. 2.i

O

Fall 1992, Lite Geology

In tilt’ ~ummcr of I~22, Brown showed ()ff his unusunl height (6’3" or 6’4")~lg~linst his fineshlnd ~)t c()rn in Iht’ t,m~)us "Cornfit’ld ]’()fIr,ill" (NMBM&MR phi?t() collecli()n

I,itt’ (;t’oh~gy, }:~lll 1992

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Brown was southwestern representative for the Empire Zinc Company from 1903 until his death. This view of Brown (onthe left) is thought to have been made at the Ozark Mill in the town of Kelly (ca. 1910, NMI3M&MR photo collection #1513).

t~rown’s great discovery at Kelly mine, southwest of Socorro, was that massive amounts of dry-bone ore (valuablesmithsonile) were masquerading, as limestone. This led to major investment and development in the area as depicted inthis photc~, where ,~ large, th~uble-drum hoist is being, delivered to the future Taylor Shaft site at Kelly (ca. Itl(17,NMBM&MR photo collection # 1505).

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C.T. Brown had extensive mining interests in the water Canyon district and would occasionally move the entire familythere to escape the summer heat. In this summer of 1897 view, Brown (with his arm extended) is shown with part of hisfamily. His wife, Anna K. Brown is at the right, and his son Tom is seated at the left. Others are unidentified (NMBM&MRphoto collection #1515).

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Delivering steam boilers, hoist engines, and other heavy machinery to the Buckeye Mine in Water Canyon in early spring1899 was a moment in history that Brown felt worth preserving on the photographic plate. Brown is the tall man seated onthe second wagon (NMBM&MR photo collection #1647).Acknowledgments: The "Cort~li,’ld Portrait" l,r,,vid,’d I,y Frank and l’,’~Ry I)aih’y was mist,hwcd in the NMI3M&MR Mineral Mus,’um archives Ji,rmanz/ i/,.ars, until 13rown’s .~randdaz~k, hter. Mary I.,,uisc (13r,,wn) l)ilh~r,I, requested to see it. Th,’ author h,cat,’d the i,lu,t,,, which zs now I,acl~ on disl,!ayat flu’ 13ureau. All ,,fh,’r I,h,,t,,s w,’r,’ d, mated t,, lh,’ NMI3M&MR 1,hob, ,’,,Ih’cti,,i I,.u/ Mary /.,,ui.s,. (13ro,,n) l)illard. The m~.lhc,r is indl’l,f,’d /,, Mrs.Alvin ]. (13,’try) Thompson and. Mr. Cyril l’,’rus,’l~, NM.qM Cla.,,s ,!] ’43. lc, tlwir r,’minisc,’nccs re.,e, arding I~rown and the Brown min,’ral c,,Ih’,’fion.This arlich’ is an cx,’rl,l ,,fa mant~scril,I tilh’,l "Mann/shmh’s ¢!f l~rown " I,II th,’ same aulhm.

Life Geology, Fall 1992

s.

Paleontology: Fossils andAncient Environments

Donald WolbergPah,(mtologist, NMBM&MR

Paleontology is the science concernedwith ancient organisms: plants, animalsand creatures not-quite-either, that arepreserved in the rocks and sediments ~3fthe Earth as fossils. Fossils may consist ofactual remains of whoh,, complete organi’smssuch as microorganisms preserved inchert or amber; leaves preserved inmudstones or amber; or mammothsfrozen in ice. Fbssils also may consist ofparts of organisms such as bones, teeth,shells, or wood altered to varyingdegrees. If the original materials compris-ing the organism have weathered away, afossil may be an actual impression of !heorganism preserved as a cast or mold.Fossils may consist of traces or remains ofan organism’s activity such as tracks orburrows, and even coprolites (fossilizedfeces).

Exactly how old an organism has to bein order to be termed a fossil is ratherarbi’ttary; for most purpos~es, a fossilshould have a respectable age associatedwith it. In general, we place the "fossil-nonfossil" boundary at the end of the lastIce Age (Pleistocene Epoch), and thebeginning of the Holocene (RecentEpoch), about 12,000 years ago. Anorganism doesn’t have to represent anextinct speciesin order to be termed afossil, nor does it have to be heavilymineralized.

The popular n6tion of fossils asremains of organisms, that is organisms"turned to stone", is not accurate. In fact,the process is actually replacement,where original mineral matter is dis-solved and replaced by other mineralmatter. Most frequently the secondary

Fall 1992, Life Geology

mineral matter is silica. The original formof the organism may or may not bepreserved with fidelity. What remainscan be an actual replica of the originalorganism. Perhaps the most commonexample of replacement is petrifiedwood, where the original woody struc-ture and the minerals that originally,produced the fossilization of the wood,have been replaced by several forms ofsilica, various carbonate minerals, andeven pyrite.-

Most frequently, fossils consist oforiginal material such as shell, bones orteeth to which mineral matter has beenadded. A variety of minerals may bedeposited in any available pore space.The re~ulting "fossil" is denser than theoriginal. This fossilization’process isknown as permineralization.

Frequently when an organism such as

. a brachi0pod or mollusk shell is en-tombed in sediment, the original shellymaterial is dissolved and fine-grained .sediments or mineral matter occupy theoriginal space. The cavity that thematerial occupies is a mold, and the ,replica of the original organism isa cast.The q~uality of the replica can varygreatly, and can range from an accurate

’ representation of the original organism’sform to something hardly recognizable.

In reducing environments, those thatare depleted in oxygen and are possiblyrich in’organic matter, ordinary decayprocesses do not take place, instead,.volatile organic compounds are driven offduring compaction. Carbon remainsbehind as a thin film, frequently repro-ducing the form of the organism with

great accuracy. This process is termeddistillation or carbonization.

Two rare and unusual forms offossilization, freezing and mummifica-I~ion, can yield the most spectacular fossilremains. A familiar example is themammoths that, during the last Ice Age,mired in ponds.or [~ogs that froze. Themammoths were entombed in icedeposits for 20,000 or more years. Thenatural deep freeze of arctic permafrost L~,j

. protected the carcasses to an amazingextent. Skin, hair, blood and stomachcontents preserved by freez!ng haveprovided a wealth of information aboutthese animals and the environments inwhich they lived.

Mummification is preservation bydesiccation. Fossils preserved by thisprocess include dinosaurs that died about75 million years ago, and ground slothsthat died in southwestern caves some15,000 years ago. Mummification fre-quently preserves in great detail theremains of organisms including muscles,internal organs and skin.

Fossilization also ma~,occur when an organism becomesengulfed within a preserving medium.Familiar examples include preservation inasphalt, such as that found in the La Brea’Tar Pits of southern California. Anotherexample is preservation in amber, anatural resin secreted by trees. Amber has

, many properties similar to plastics; it haspreserved bacteria, leaves, insects, frogsand even lizards. Fossils preserved inamber may be complete and intact.

Certain factol:s increase the opportunity {a~.for an organism to become a fossil. If the "

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Upon death, many forces act upon anorganism, including decay, attack byscavengers, and weathering and water-flow processes. If a deceased organism isquicklyburied by sediment, and canavoid major destructive forces such asigneous activity, dissolution, or erosion, itcould be well on its way to becoming afossil¯

If a fossil is discovered, its story’can be told. However, mostfossils either remain buried in

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Lite Geology, Fall 1992

igneous

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Radon: A PotentialProblem in Your HomeVirginia T. McLemoreGeologist, NMBM&MR

~A silentvisitor bemay~i~l[~ entering homes and schools~i~ across the United States. This

. ’~,.li~.-la~..visitor is tasteless, odorless,and invisible, and only can be detected byscientific instruments. It comes from anaturally occurring radioactive gas chlledradon. Radon is formed by the decay orbreakdown of uranium, which occursnaturally in small amounts in the soilsand rocks surrounding some homes. Thisgas occurs in extremely lowconcentrations in air outdoors, but maybecome concentrated in air-tight homesand other buildings. Radon entersbuildings through cracks in walls andfoundations, sumps and floor drain~.Exposure to high concentrations of radonover long periods of time may increasethe chances of developing l{ang cancer.

The New Mexico EnvironmentDepartment (NMED), formerly the New"Mexico Environmental ImprovementDivision (NMEID), has tested severalthousand homes throughout New Mexicoand found elevated levels of indoor radonin some homes. It is difficult to predictwhere indoor radon may be a problem.The only way to determine whetherradon is present in dangerous amounts isto,test your home. Special equipment isneeded to detect radon, but two popularradon detectors are available at low costat your hardware store. These are thecharcoal canisters (approximately $10 $25) and the alpha detectors(approximately $20 - $50). After testing,these devices are sent by mail to obtaintest results. There are other radondetectors that require operation bytrained professionals.

¯ If your home has high levels of indoorradon, several easy, low-cost methods areavailable to rid your home of thisunwanted visitor. Simple techniquessuch as caulking and sealing cracks mayreduce most indoor radon levels. Other

techniques may require special experts.Typical costs of reducing indoor radonlevels are comparable to the cost of manyother home repairs.

October 18-24, 1992 is "NationalRadon Action Week." The New MexicoEnvironment Department, EnvironmentalProtection Agency, and Other agencies areurging everyone to test their hon~es forradon. These agencies are providinginformation on how to test for radon andhow to correct radon problems.

For more information, call or write:New Mexico EnvironmentDepartmentRon Mitchell, Environmental Scientist1190 St. Francis Dr., P.O. Box 26110Santa Fe, NM 87502 (505) 827-4300-

Environmental Protection Agency1-800-SOS-RADON

or read:Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)1986, A Citizen’s Guide to Radon: EPA-86-004, Washington D.C.

Environmental Protection Agency, 1986,Radon Reduction Methods, aHomeowner’s Guide: U.S. Health andHuman Services Department, OPA-96-005, 24 pp. , P

Col3en, B. and Nelson, D., 1987, Radon: AHomeowner’s Guide to Detection andControl: Consumers Union, MountVernon, New York, 215 pp.

McLemore, V. T. and Hawley, J. W., 1987,Preliminary Geologic Evaluation ofRadon Availability in New Mexico:NMBM&MR Open-File Report: OF-345,30 pp.

Manchego, R. A., McLemore, V. T., andHawley, J. W., 1991, New Mexico Radon .Survey 1987-1989: New MexicoEnvironmental Improvement Division.

Fall 1992, Lite Geology

..h i g.hL I TESEARTH SCIENCE UPDATE

Teachers’ Reading List: EarthUpcoming Geological Events Science Content Planning Guides what Is ....

October 18-24, 1992National Radon Action Week.Call 1-(800) SOS-RADON for informationon how to test your home.

November 5-6, 199237th Annual New Mexico Water Conference,Taos. Contact the New Mexico WaterResource Researchlnstitute, (505) 646-5367.

November 14-15, 199213th Annual New Mexico MineralSymposium, Socorro, New Mexico.Contact Judy Vaiza, NMBM&MR,(505) 835-5302 for registration or otherinformation.

November 20, 1992New Mexico Geographic Information CouncilFall Meeting, at the Continuing EducationCenter of the University of New Mexico,at 1634 University Blvd. NE,Albuquerque. Contact Amy Budge, (505)277-3622.

Earth Science Content Guidelines GradesK-12Contains a set of questions to guide theinclusion of earth science content into theK-12 curriculum. Content areas include:Solid Earth, Water, Air, Ice, Life, andEarth in Space. Organized by contentarea, and divided into grade levels K-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12. Paperback, 80 pp., publishedAug. 1991.

’ Item no. 329 $15.00 plus shipping

Earth Science Education for the 21stC¢ntury: A Planning GuideProvides goals to guide the developmentof K-12 earth science curricula, essentialconcepts to understanding the Earth andits interacting systems, recommendationsfor teaching earth science subject matterand for implementing new earth sciencecurricula in schools. Paperback, 40 pp.,published Feb. 1991.Item no. 327 $I0.00 plus shippJn8

To order the above publications,contact the American Geological Institute(AGI) at AGI Publications Center,P.O. Box 205, Annapolis Junction, MD,20701, phone (301)953-1744.

Also, American Geological Instituteoffers a free pamphlet Careers in theGeosciences. This pamphlet describeswhat geoscientists do, where they work,

.i future job prospects, salaries, and where

to find more information. To order,contact the National Center for EarthScience Education, American GeologicalInstitute, 4220 King Street, Alexandria,VA 22302-1507.

Earth fight?The faint illumination of the dark side ofthe moon caused by sunlight reflectedonto the moon from the Earth’s surfaceand atmosphere. Earthlight is most easilyseen during the crescent phases’of themoon.

Aquifer?Soil or rock that is sufficiently permeableto conduct groundwater and to yieldeconomically’significant quantities ofwater to wells and springs.

Paleolithic?An archeological term for the firstdivision of the Stone Age, characterizedby the appearance of man and man-madeimplements.

Reference-Bates, R. L., and lackson, I. A.(editors), 1980, Glossary of geology: AmericanGeological Institute, Alexandria, VA, 2nd edition,749 pp.

............................................

. "There is something fascinating aboutscience. One gets such wholesale returnsof conjecture out of such a triflinginvestment of fact."Mark Twain, writing about geology in Life onthe Mississippi¯

"...Obviously there are no well qualifiedstudents of the Earth, and all of us, indifferent degrees, dig our own smallspecia|ised holes and sit in them."Bullard, E.C. (1960) Response to award Arthur L. Day medal, Proc. Vol. for 1954, Geol.Soc. Am., p. 92.

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Lite Geology, Fall 1992

greetlngs from the edltorlal staff...

The staff of Lite Geology would like to welcome its readers to the fii’st issue, Fall 1992¯The purpose of this publication is to present timely and relevant geological informationin an easily understood, fun-to-read format¯ Lite Geology is less technical than ourregular publications, and is directed tov~ards educators and membei’s of the public whohave an interest in earth s(:ien~e. Whenever possible, supporting activities such asgames, experiments, etc., that should appeal to students will be included in our format.Our broader mission is, to help build earth science awareness in people of all age groupsand of various interests, so please share Lite Geology with a friend. We encourage thesubmission of short articles, experiments, cartoons, quotes, etc., that may help earthscience education. Also, please let us know how you like Lite Geology. For a freesdbscription, please contact the publications office¯

Susan J. WelchEditor, Lite Geology °

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LIT E ,_

New Mexico Bu~au of Mines.,and Mineral Resources

Publications OfficeSocorro, NM 87801

Egeo ogy

is published quarterly by New MexicoBureau of Mines and Mineral Resources(Charles E. Chapin, Director), a division ofNew Mexico Tech (Laurence Lattman,President).

Purpose: to help build earth scienceawareness by presenting educators andthe public with contemporary geological ,topics, issues and events¯ Use Lite Geologyas a source for ideas in the classroom orfor public education. Reproduction isencouraged with proper recognition ofsource.

Life Geology Staff InformationEditor: Susan J. WelchGeological Coodinator: Dave.LoveEducational Coordinator: Barbara PoppGraphic Designer and Cartoonist:Jan Thomas

Mailin8 addressNew Mexico Bureau of Mines andMineral Resources, Socorro, NM 87801.Phone (505) 835-5410. For a free one-year~ubscription, please call or write.Lite Geology is printed.on recycled paper.

~owa~U.S. POSTAGEPAID

IK~GORRO. NEW USOCOFEFIV~" NO. I)

Fall 1992, Lite Geology"