Geo-CVD 2017 now accepting applications! Deadline August 17th

The American Geosciences Institute, in collaboration with many other geoscience societies, invites members of the geoscience community from across the nation to come to Washington D.C. for the annual Geosciences Congressional Visits Days (Geo-CVD), which will take place this year on September 12-13, 2017.

Building the Modern World: Geoscience that Underlies our Economic Prosperity

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Geoscience information is integral to the strength and growth of communities and provides the resources for economic growth. All building materials, energy resources, construction projects, and hazard mitigation efforts are fundamentally based on geoscientific data and the geoscience workforce.

Our speakers are:

Emily W. Coyner, PG, Director of Environmental Policy, National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association | Slides Video
Brian K. Banks, PG, Principal, Schnabel Engineering | Slides Video
Austin Becker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Coastal Planning, Policy, and Design, University of Rhode Island | Slides Video

Key topics to be addressed include:

The industrial materials and minerals used to construct buildings/infrastructure
The importance of readily available construction materials and the resulting demand for mines and quarries throughout the U.S.
How geoscience is used to determine whether or not sites are suitable for infrastructure development
How geoscience is used to help guide design and construction to enhance the quality of life, economic strength, and physical security of coastal areas

Webinar Co-sponsors:
American Association of Petroleum Geologists; American Geophysical Union; Consortium for Ocean Leadership; Geological Society of America; National Ground Water Association; National Science Foundation; Soil Science Society of America

Resources to Learn More

View this webinar's Question & Answer session
U.S. Geological Survey: Aggregates Publications & Data Products
U.S. Geological Survey: Aggregate Resource Availability in the Conterminous United States
Federal Highway Administration: Wherefore Art Thou Aggregate Resources for Highways?
National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Characterization, Modeling, Monitoring, and Remediation of Fractured Rock
National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering
National Research Council: Underground Engineering for Sustainable Urban Development
Environmental Protection Agency: Green Infrastructure: Coastal Resiliency
U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit: Coastal Resilience Tools
U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit: Coastal Infrastructure (Hawai'i and Pacific Islands)

Search the Geological Surveys Database for reports and factsheets about geoscience and the economy.

Building the Modern World: Infrastructure is made of ROCKS

BuildingModernWorld_Webinar_Flyer.pdf

AGI_BuildingModernWorld_Aug2017_Coyner.pdf

AGI_BuildingModernWorld_Aug2017_Banks.pdf

AGI_BuildingModernWorld_Aug2017_Becker.pdf

How do pyrite and pyrrhotite damage building foundations?

Pyrite and pyrrhotite are minerals known as iron sulfides. When iron sulfides are exposed to water and oxygen, a series of chemical reactions breaks down the iron sulfides and forms new minerals called sulfates. These sulfates take up more space than the original iron sulfides. As they grow, the new sulfate minerals push against the surrounding rock, causing it to swell and crack. This causes damage in two main ways:

What is Lidar and what is it used for?

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

"LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth. These light pulses—combined with other data recorded by the airborne system— generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.

Interactive map of environmental information in Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Watershed Health Assessment Framework provides a comprehensive look at Minnesota's watershed and environmental information in the form of an interactive map. The map includes information on:

What is geoscience?

Geoscience is the study of the Earth - its oceans, atmosphere, rivers and lakes, ice sheets and glaciers, soils, its complex surface, rocky interior, and metallic core. This includes many aspects of how living things, including humans, interact with the Earth. Geoscience has many tools and practices of its own but is intimately linked with the biological, chemical, and physical sciences.

EarthCube Solicitation deadline: March 14

Do you have a passion for geoscience, data sharing, and cyberinfrastructure? Check out EarthCube! Initiated by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2011, EarthCube aims to improve cyberinfrastructure and data sharing across the geosciences by funding interdisciplinary research. 2017 NSF EarthCube Solicitations are open until March 17, 2017. Learn more here.

SEG podcast discusses mentoring in the geosciences

Society of Exploration Geophysicists

Looking for something new and geoscience-y to listen to on your morning commute? Seismic Soundoff is an audio podcast produced by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG). The ninth episode, "Mentoring geoscience leaders," features inverviews with Andréa Darrh, Dr. Esther Babcock, and Dr. John Bradford, who talk about the process and importance of mentoring in their careers.

AWG Offers Travel Award for Women Geoscience Students

Association for Women Geoscientists

The Association for Women Geoscientists (AWG) is offering a competitive $500 award for women geoscience students to present their research at a national or international geoscience meeting, not including the Geological Society of America (GSA) Annual Meeting.

Interactive map of the geology of North Carolina

The North Carolina Geological Survey has produced an interactive online version of its geologic map of North Carolina. Users can click on the individual units for more information, and a PDF of the map is available for download.

In addition to the state geologic map, users can also view information and maps of North Carolina's physiographic provinces and major geologic features.

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