Devils Kitchen Sinkhole Sedona

Here is a link to Paul Lindberg's Article on the Devils Kitchen Sinkhole in Sedona. This is one of the sinkholes we visited on the Sedona field trip that Paul lead for the Club.

Arizona Geology | Online!

Happy New Year to All

Harry Allen

Great Photo of mud bubble exploding

This is a link to a great photo of a mud bubble exploding at the giant mud volcano in Indonesia.They can be up to 30 feet in diameter.


From Close Up or Far Away, Amazing Volcano Photos | Science & Nature | Smithsonian Magazine

Happy holidays to all

Harry Allen

Yellowstone’s “Super Plume” of Molten Rock Bigger Than Originally Thought | Courtney Lowery | New West Blog | NewWest.Net

Ed Wolf sent us an interesting article on the Yellowstone "Super Plume"
It would be a Super volcano if it ever went off again.
Yellowstone’s “Super Plume” of Molten Rock Bigger Than Originally Thought | Courtney Lowery | New West Blog | NewWest.Net

Harry Allen

Paul Lindburgs Grand Canyon models

Delores Manburg sent us a link to the You Tube videos of Paul Lindburg's Grand Canyon Lecture about the origin of Grand Canyon.

Paul gives the very best overview of the geologic history of the Canyon. His handmade models are the Greatest!!


Each of the videos run about 7 minutes.
We will be getting the rest of Mr. Lindberg's presentation posted as soon as we can work our way through them.
Here are the links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGGgwlvOUgc - 1st half
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xU9a4iZuuc - 2nd half

Copy the links if they don't work.

Harry Allen

Video of Submarine Valcanic Eruption

Here is a first video of a volcanic eruption at about 4000 ft sub sea -- this is how pillow lava is formed.








Harry Allen

Arizona topo maps

Lee Allison reports in his blog that there are new downloadable topo maps available for Arizona


Arizona Geology: Arizona coverage with new generation topo maps

Arizona topo maps

Lee Allison our state geologist reports :

New next gen topo maps are available for Arizona. They can be downloaded and printed on your printer.


Arizona Geology: Arizona coverage with new generation topo maps

Harry Allen

Geology Story of the Verde formation

Steve Ayres of the Verde News wrote a good overview of those White rocks in the Verde Valley


geology story

Harry Allen

End of the BIF's

Another article on what could have been the cause of the end the Banded Iron Formation Deposition about 1.85 Billion years ago.



Giant Asteroid Impact Could Have Stirred Entire Ocean | Wired Science | Wired.com

Harry Allen

Banded Iron Formations:

a "new" BIF depositional model:

Banded Iron Formations: Interaction of Air, Water and Rocks


Some thoughts on how our BIFs got here.

Metamorphic Rocks Class change

Hard Rock Fans take note:

Terry Steinborn's Metamorphic Rocks class At Yavapai Community Ed has been changed to the SpringII Session (April-May). It was going to be given in the SpringI session.

Harry Allen

Happy "birthday," dear planet

(From the Nova Geoblog). Happy 6013th Birthday Earth.


NOVA Geoblog: Happy "birthday," dear planet

??How many of our legislators still believe in this Date is correct?? Are they having a birthday party today?

Harry Allen

'Shiva' Crater In India

Look at this giant Crater identified off India( 500 km diameter)



PALAEOBLOG: Did 'Shiva' Crater In India Doom The Dinosaurs?

Harry Allen

'Scary' climate message from past

The blog Arizona Geology had a link to this news- It is sobering if you know anyone on the coasts. So long Flordia with a rise of the sea levelof 80 to 130 feet.


BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | 'Scary' climate message from past


Harry Allen

The Big One Video

Here is a video of what could happen to California when the "Big One" goes near LA



Harry Allen

The Arizona Geological Survey

Take this survey to rate the programs of the State Survey. It could determine what goes extinct.


The Arizona Geological Survey | Home |


Harry Allen

Arizona Memory Project : Browse

Arizona Geology has a link to old geologic reports from some of the mining districts around the state. Some old photos are also in the data

Arizona Memory Project : Browse

Harry Allen

Walking tour of historic Walker

Barbara and Jim Marcel have graciously offered to lead a 5.5 mile hike of the historic Walker mining district on Saturday, September 26. We will meet at 8 am at the Petsmart parking lot by Walker Road to carpool. Bring a lunch, water, and wear appropriate clothing including good walking shoes. The trip should be over in early afternoon. No pets, please.

Fall Adult Education Geology Classes

Yavapai College has an upcoming class on the Geology of Arizona's Parks & Monuments taught by Terry Steinborn and Harry Allen. Classes will be on Thursdays, 9-11 am, at the college from September 17 through October 22. There will also be a separate Edventure field trip -"The Volcanoes of Northern Arizona" to the Flagstaff area on October 23. Visit www.yc.edu/ce (class), www.yc/edu.edv (field trip) or call 717-7755 to register.

| Geologic Structures

Check out George Davis's rock collection in 3D --So that you can see all sides of the rock structure. They take a little time to load but it is almost like looking at a hand specimen.

Welcome | Geologic Structures

Harry Allen

Chinleana: Repeat Photography

Bill Parker at the Petrified Forest has an interesting set of repeat photos fron the Park. As you can see there has not been much change in the rocks since the 1920's. Erosion is slow in the high desert.


Chinleana: Repeat Photography - Charles Camp and Annie Alexander - 1921


Harry Allen

San Pedro River report presages Verde's future

The Camp Verde Bugle does a good job explaining how the San Pedro decision could effect the Water Wars for the Verde water. "Sub flow" is what the battle is all about.


CVBugle - San Pedro River report presages Verde's future

This will be used in the law suits for the Verde Waters

Harry Allen

Acid rain responsible for mass extinction at T/J boundary

Triassic/Jurassic Extinction Info. from new paper.


Stratigraphy.net internals: Acid rain responsible for mass extinction at T/J boundary


Harry Allen

Great NewTopographic Map of the World

To all Map lovers:

This is a very cool Topographic map of the World

The Most Complete Topographic Map of the World

Harry Allen

State Senator: 'Earth has lasted 6,000 years without environmental laws'

Lee Allison's post on one of our senators

Arizona Geology: State Senator: 'Earth has lasted 6,000 years without environmental laws'

Do you ever wonder how we get such great laws in Arizona???


Harry Allen ( no relation )

WOOLY MAMMOTH IN SCOTTSDALE?

Are they working on making Mammoths in Scottsdale?? Should they be the Mexican Hairless variety for summers in the Valley? Check this post from Archea:

ARCHEA: WOOLY MAMMOTH

Harry Allen

Sarychev Peak Eruption

This is a great shot of a volcanic eruption on June 12 2009

Sarychev Peak Eruption, Kuril Islands : Image of the Day


Harry Allen

Clean Energy and Quake Fears

This is a article that Terry Steinborn sent us about Geothermal Energy

Deep in Bedrock, Clean Energy and Quake Fears - NYTimes.com

Harry Allen

The Stone Goat

There is a rock and fossil shop in Prescott:

Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

It is in the parking lot at the southeast corner of Cortez and Sheldon streets(between the two pizza places)

Check it out.

Harry Allen

Verde News - Big Chino: The big water bank

Here ia a Verde News article on the Big Chino aquifer-Where Prescott would like to take its the water to ship in its pipeline to our homes .


Verde News - Big Chino: The big water bank

Harry Allen

Gold Prospecting --Old AGS papers

The AGS has put some of the old Gold Papers on the web. Make your fortune this Summer.

AZGS Mineral Resources Gold Prospecting

Harry Allen

Iron King mine fact sheet

The EPA released a fact sheet on our local Super Fund site at the Iron King Mine in Dewey.


IKM May 09.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Stay away from Chaparral Gulch.


Harry Allen

Lost World -- dinosaurs survived mass extinction

News of some lonely Hadrosaurs in New Mexico after the K/T event

Science News Examiner: Evidence shows some large dinosaurs survived mass extinction


Birds may not have been the only Dinosaurs to survive.


Harry Allen

Toroweap Point - Grand Canyon

Last week we camped at Toroweap Point and had a great View of the Uinkaret lava flow that formed lava falls when it cascaded nearly 3000 feet into the Grand Canyon.

Here is a gigapan of the flow with Lava Falls below on the river.


Harry Allen

Beach Boys song -- Out on the Coconino

Here is a piece from The Geotripper Blog for the summer on the plateau

"In the meantime, for those of you who will be headed out to the open range this summer, especially the southwest that I love so much, I offer another bit of poetry from the archives. In honor of the Beach Boys, it can be set to the tune of "Kokomo" (thanks to our department poet laureate Vicki)

Out on the old plateau
Far away from Modesto
We're camped out on the Navajo
With no place to go
Out on the Coconino

Arches had the wind
Lovely was the Grand Canyon
Cedar Mesa was the best there'd been
It felt like Heaven
Out on the Coconino

Zoraster, disaster, drive a little faster
Chinle, please hurry, we're all a little weary
Jurassic, Triassic, we say it's just fantastic
Colorado Plateau
Out on the Coconino

Just when we start to snooze
CB crackles with Garry's news,
"Hey guys? Can you name that rock,
back there at six o'clock?"
Out on the Coconino

Her Garry! It's scary!
Those cliffs were really hairy
Arches and bridges, volcanoes, faults and itches
Surprises, moonrises, this trip has had some hitches,
but best of all, we're still all
out on the Coconino!


Harry Allen

Field Trip Details

For the May 9 Flagstaff field trip:
Car Pool from Prescott leaves promptly at 7:30 from the Fry's parking lot at Willow Creek and Sandretto. Park behind the Wells Fargo bank.
9:15 Meet at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Regular admission is $7.00. We will split into two group with tours of the therizinosaur exhibit led by Dave Gillette, curator of geology and discoverer of the dinosaur. While one group tours the exhibit, the other group can explore the museum. From 9:15-9:45 Wayne Ranney will be available to describe the geology exhibits at the museum.
12:00 Leave museum, take Rte 180 north and west to Red Mountain.
12:30 Meet at Red Mountain parking lot.
12:30-1:00 Picnic lunch.
1:00-1:30 Hike in to Red Mountain to explore this interesting cinder cone. Nancy Riggs and Ed Wolfe will be available to discuss the geology.

Arizona /New Mexico state line

Here is a link to the story about the real location of the Arizona New Mexico state line . It seems to be at a different location than the Four Corners Marker/Park on the Reservation.

The American Surveyor Magazine - Land Surveying and Mapping Online


Harry Allen

Phytosaur Skull Excavation

Bill Parker posted the first in a series about a Phytosaur being excavated near the Petrified Forest. It is interesting to see what they look like in the field when first found.

Chinleana: Phytosaur Skull Excavation

Harry Allen

Alaska's Mount Redoubt

Great pictures of the eruption of Mt Redoubt

Alaska's Mount Redoubt - The Big Picture - Boston.com


Harry Allen

Verde Water Case What is Subflow?

Lee Allisons blog has this reference to an interesting legal case. It is about what is "Subflow" and what is "Ground Water". It could change the legal definition of water rights in the state.

Arizona Geology: Groundwater-surface water subflow case in the Verde Valley

Does surface water stop at the bottom of a river?


Harry Allen

new time scale, updated and in color : All of My Faults Are Stress Related

Kim Hannula posted a link to a new GSA time scale-- if you need one go to the full size version

Geological Society of America's time scale, updated and in color : All of My Faults Are Stress Related

Harry Allen

Salton Sea quake swarm

Lee Allison has an interesting picture of the quakes in the Salton Sea . A big one there could effect the
near-by towns in Arizona.

Arizona Geology: Bombay Beach earthquake swarm continuing

Wait and see

Harry Allen

Mount Redoubt in Alaska Erupting

Late last night, March 22, Mount Redoubt in Alaska started erupting. It has been showing signs of activity for some time, and the eruption followed two days of increasing seismic activity. Redoubt is near Cook Inlet not far from Anchorage, so volcanic ash is a concern for airplanes. Follow the activity at the Alaska Volcano Observatory:
http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php

Havasupai Opens May 1st

The Havasupai will reopen the trails May 1 st after all the trail damage from the big flood is finished. It could be a chance to really see the effects of the flood.

Havasupai Tribe

Harry Allen

Magnitude 7.9 - TONGA Earthquake

Here is the details on the Tanga Quake
Thanks to the USGS

Magnitude 7.9 - TONGA REGION

Harry Allen

Archaeology Meets Astronomy & Geology

Dr. Ted Bunch will be speaking at the Smoki Pueblo Museum on Saturday March 28 at 2:00 pm. He will talk about his "Black Mat Theory," hypothesizing that an extraterrestrial body exploding in the upper atmosphere 13,000 years ago was the culprit that lead to a "mini nuclear winter" that devastated the earth, wiping out most of the megafauna and their habitat.
This is part of Archaeology Awareness Month, and the Smoki Museum will be open to the public at no charge that day.

March 7 field trip

This is Paul Lindburg explaining the origin of the sinkholes in the Sedona area. They are from collapse of the overlying sandstone into a cave system in the Redwall limestone 500 or more feed below. The Redwall is the aquifer carrying water from the Rim to the Verde River under the town of Sedona.





This is Paul explaining the outcrop evidence for the timing of the faulting that formed the Verde Valley.

Paul again put on a tremendous field trip. It was attended by 35 people of all levels of geologic expertise and they all learned new things. His ability the communicate the "Geologic Story" to everyone makes for a great trip.


Harry Allen

gigapan: verde outcrop

I took my first Gigapan of one of the outcrops we visited on our Club field trip to the Sedona area last weekend .

Paul Lindburg lead us on another great trip-- his third. This outcrop is important in explaining the origin of the Verde Valley.

Check the whole outcrop here:

gigapan: verde outcrop

This is a labeled detail view of the faulting.

Pz is the red Permian Supai Sandstone which was deposited first.

Across the normal fault on the downdropped side are the Tertiary Volcanics from the House Mountain Volcano (Miocene) which overlay the Supai.

On top of the Permian is Gravel 1 which was transported to the north carrying clasts from the highlands in central Arizona. These deposits include include Paleozoic and Mazatzal gravels derived from the south, indicating they were deposited when the Bradshaw Mountains were much higher and rivers flowed to the north and northeast in the opposite direction from today.

On top of the entire outcrop and younger than the faulting is Gravel 2 which was transported to the west towards the center of the Verde Grabben. It contains clasts from both the underlying Tertiary House Mountain basalt and the Supai in a red matrix of mud and sand.

The conclusion from this outcrop is that the formation of the Verde Valley Grabben occurred during the Basin and Range Extentional Orogeny (6 m.a. more or less) and after the the Eruption of the Volcanics from House Mountain (aprox 13m.a.).

Harry Allen

Google Earth Geology

More neat map stuff.

San Diego State University has some great Google Earth maps of geologic features. There is even a Geologic Map of the Grand Canyon for your next trip.

SDSU - Department of Geological Sciences - Google Earth Geology

Harry Allen

Digital Geological Map of AZ

The state Survey has a digital Geologic map ( one to 1 million scale) that can be seen as a overlay for Google maps. This is a cool way to look at the Geologic map at any scale and also have all the roads to orient your selves.


The Arizona Geological Survey Map Services Geological Map of AZ

It is not very detailed but it is a good overview of the state geology.

Harry Allen

Montezuma Well

Lee Allison's blog led me to Steve Ayres article in the Verde News. It is a article about the subsurface of the Montezuma Well . Very interesting.

Verde News - Years of exploring the curious bottom of Montezuma Well


Harry Allen

Western Association of Vertebrate Paleontologists

WAVP meeting Feb 12,13,14 2009

We went to a Vertebrate Paleontologists Meeting (WAVP) at the Petrified Forest last week. It began with a 200th birthday party for Charles Darwin on the 12th followed by a Field Trip in the Petrified Forest and a full day of professional papers.

The field trip started with a tour of the Fossil Prep. lab. This is where the bones go after they have been covered in plaster and removed to the lab. The Prep people remove the matrix and stabilize the bones. It is a real art.

The main fossil animal they have found in the Petrified Forest is not a true "Dinosaur" -- it is a Phytosaur --a large Croc like animal that lived in the streams of the Triassic . There are only a few true Dinosaurs found in the Park. Thanks to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History for the Phytosaur Illustration below:

The Field Trip was led by Bill Parker -the Staff Paleontologist in the park. He explained the new work they have been doing on the geology of the park. They have revised the stratigraphy as well as digging new fossils during the field season.



We had one off-trail hike into the muddy Chinle badlands to see one of the very productive fossil locations.

A Phytosaur tooth

The next day was four sessions of technical papers about the latest research in Vertebrate Paleontology - much technical and over our heads as non-specialists, but others very informative. Overall it was a great couple of days. Bill organized an excellent conference. He has also put together a very informative paleontology exhibit at the park headquarters (proving that a quality exhibit can be made with limited funds.)

Harry and Debbie Allen

Feb. 28 Field Trip to Sedona

Paul Lindberg will be leading the third in his series of field trips in the Jerome/Verde Valley/Sedona area on Saturday February 28. Car pooling is encouraged due to limited parking at some of the locations. Either a Red Rock pass or Golden Age pass will be required for each car.

There will be a car pool leaving Prescott at 7:45 at the Fry's parking lot on Willow Creek and Sandretto (south of Willow Terrace); meet behind the Wells Fargo Bank. We will rendevous with Paul at 9:00 at a viewpoint parking area on the south side of Highway 89A about a mile east of the Page Springs turnoff.

This will be an all-day trip, ending around 4 pm. Bring a lunch, water, and appropriate clothing, including hiking boots for some rock scrambling. Running shoes are not recommended.

We require a signed waiver for everyone on the trip. These are good for the May '08- June '09 year and will be available at the departure point.

Wayne Ranney to Speak at Library

Wayne Ranney will be speaking at the Prescott Library on Thursday, March 5 at 7 pm. He will be giving a presentation and book signing of the new book he has co-authored with Ron Blakey, Tracing the Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau.

GeoCommunicator

There is a web site that give map info. about where the federal land is -- so that you can wander about and not tresspass. You can also see maps of the mining claims.

Download the PLSS to make your own maps by adding any layer you need --topo ,Tand R ,Roads, Land ownership. Then print them out for field use. They also seem to have some other useful mapping tools if you need them.


GeoCommunicator Home

Harry

Anaconda movie star found in Columbia

Remember the 1967 movie Anaconda and the ridiculous large snake. They found fossil evidence for a even bigger one. Again a case of the the movies predicting the geologic past.

Associated Press: Ancient fossil find: This snake could eat a cow!

Harry Allen

What Geologists do

Here is a cool video from the AGI about why it is fun to be a geologist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxbIJH4fTYo

Harry Allen

WAVP meeting

Below is the information on the Vertebrate Paleo meeting that was discussed at our last meeting.
It would be a good chance to learn about the Chinle and its Dinosaurs (A visit to Triassic Park)


Western Association of Vertebrate Paleontologists (WAVP) Annual Meeting 2009

Dates: February 13-15, 2009.

Hosts: Petrified Forest National Park and Northland Pioneer College

Symposium Location: Petrified Forest National Park Painted Desert Visitor Center, Interstate 40, Exit 311, 24 miles east of Holbrook Arizona. There is a small restaurant/convenience store for breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

Holbrook, Arizona is a small city of 5000 located along Interstate 40 in northeastern Arizona. Holbrook is home to numerous motels and several small restaurants (mostly Mexican food, but also Chinese, Italian, and American), gas stations, a grocery store (Safeway), and curio shops. Holbrook is the closest lodging to the park.


Very Important Note: When driving to the field trip and/or symposium please use the park entrance off of Exit 311 on Interstate 40. DO NOT follow the signs through Holbrook, which will direct you to the southern entrance. If you use the southern entrance it is a 50 minute drive through the park to get to the north end and you will be late.

Registration: Please contact Bill Parker at William_Parker@nps.gov or 928-524-6228 extension 262, letting him know which functions below that you wish to attend and the number of persons in your party. Spaces available on the Zuni Basin trip are limited and will be assigned in order of registration. Please provide the names of all persons in your party as they wish it to appear on nametags.

Registration fee: There is no registration fee. All meals (except for refreshments [non-alcoholic] during the icebreaker and symposium) are the responsibility of participants. This includes lunches for the field trips. The Darwin birthday bash is BYOB although some refreshments will be provided.

Schedule:

Feb. 12: Charles Darwin 200th Birthday Bash – location TBA (Note: This is an “unofficial” event, i.e. not sponsored by the National Park Service or Northland Pioneer College)

Feb. 13: Day- Fieldtrip (weather permitting): Upper Triassic Geology and Paleontology of Petrified Forest National Park (led by Bill Parker, Jeff Martz, and Matt Brown). Meet at the Painted Desert Visitor Center at Petrified Forest National Park at 8:30 am. Evening – icebreaker – Northland Pioneer College Painted Desert Campus, Holbrook, AZ (specific directions will be provided later).

Feb. 14: Symposium: PDVC Petrified Forest National Park. All participants are welcome to join us for dinner in Holbrook after the symposium. Please let us know in advance if you wish to join us.

Feb. 15: Fieldtrip (weather permitting): Cretaceous localities in the Zuni Basin, New Mexico (led by Doug Wolfe). Meeting place TBA. This is the type locality for the dinosaurs Zuniceratops christopheri and Nothronychus mckinleyi. Spaces on this trip are limited and will be assigned ‘first-come – first-serve’ in order of registration. Please contact Bill Parker at William_Parker@nps.gov to register.


We will be providing limited access to our fossil preparation facility during the symposium. Our museum collections (Late Triassic vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants) are open for research by appointment only.

Private well owner?

One of our members -Edessa Carr - told us about an water quality workshop for private well owners. Good info. to have if you like drink clean water

Here is the info:

Yavapai County Cooperative Extension Offers
Free Workshop for Private Well Owners.

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County will be offering a Private Well Owner’s Workshop on February 2nd, 2009 from 6-9pm in the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors Boardroom located on 1015 Fair Street in Prescott, Arizona. In Arizona there are no water quality regulations for domestic wells. Therefore it is in the interest of the private well owner to know how to best protect their own well.

University of Arizona experts will cover the basics of well construction, safeguarding your well against contamination, recommended water quality tests, interpretation of the test results and well water treatment options. Water testing kits will be available for purchase following the seminar.

If you are a well owner, you won’t want to miss this free workshop! Free materials will be available for the first 70 registrants. This program is funded by the University of Arizona Water Sustainability Program: a collaboration of scientists and educators that is coordinated by five University of Arizona water centers.


Edessa Carr
Program Coordinator
Water Resource Education
University of Arizona
Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County
840 Rodeo Drive, #C
Prescott, AZ 86305
Phone: 928.445.6590 ext. 227
Fax: 928.445.6593
email: edessa@cals.arizona.edu
Web: cals.arizona.edu/yavapai/

Age of the Grand Canyon Debate

Wayne Ranney has compiled a list of the papers about the Age debate on the origin of the Grand Canyon. This is a Science debate in action-- we will see who wins the "Big Ditch Debate"

Earthly Musings - Blog Site of Wayne Ranney

Note: Wayne's job does get him to some great places in the world. It is a pretty "Nice Gig".

Harry Allen

CSI Younger Dryas: did a comet kill the mammoths?

Here is a link to an interesting hypothesis about what may have been a really bad day for some Mammoths and the Clovis people. The Younger Dryas was a really cold interval about 13,000 years ago when we lost a number of the really large mammals , such as the Mammoth.


Arizona Geology: CSI Younger Dryas: did a comet kill the mammoths?

Harry Allen