Download a pdf of the Forum Abstracts with Program (Acrobat (PDF) 1.7MB Jun10 14)

Search the online abstracts for the Forum.

Download poster with information from Cees Passchier on Outcropedia.org (Acrobat (PDF) 1.8MB Jun23 14)

SGT Bylaws draft (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 31kB Jun18 14)

Presenters: please upload your PowerPoint slides or poster presentation using the Forum upload form.

Forum Program

Optional pre-Forum field trips and workshops

Saturday, June 14

Field trip 1: Pseudotachylyte from the Homestake Shear Zone, Colorado Leader: Joe Allen Download field guide (Acrobat (PDF) 7.8MB Jun15 14)

• We will depart promptly at 7:45 am from the D parking lot (Acrobat (PDF) 882kB May24 14). Please eat breakfast before hand, and please plan to arrive before 7:45 so that we can depart on time.
• This field trip involves two short but steep hikes above 9,700 feet. Bring sturdy shoes or boots for rough terrain, sun protection, and a day pack with water, rain parka, and extra warm layers. We will provide a boxed lunch. Note: you must be pre-registered for the field trip in order to participate.

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The Homestake shear zone hosts the largest mapped pseudotachylyte system in the world and uniquely preserves details of earthquake rupture at the fault system scale. It incorporates a 25-kilometer-long, partitioned system of strike-slip to oblique dip-slip pseudotachylytes and dip-slip mylonites. The shear zone originated as a high-temperature structure during continental assembly at ~1.7 Ga and was reactivated as a subvertical, transpressional system at ~1.4 Ga under lower temperatures in a mid-crustal, intracratonic setting. The shear zone was seismogenic in this younger deformation cycle and shows a lateral plastic to frictional strain gradient across a width of 4 to 5 km, from mylonite/ultramylonite with mutually cross-cutting pseudotachylyte, to mylonitic pseudotachylyte, to a system of dispersed pseudotachylyte-bearing fault zones. This trip will examine details of earthquake rupture geometry and dynamics from the base of the seismogenic zone, and will revisit some of the sites presented at a field trip offered for the 125^th annual meeting of the Geological Society of America. For more information, contact Joe Allen.

6:00 Dinner on your own

Sunday, June 15

Field trip 2: Contractional linkage zones and curved faults, Garden of the Gods, with illite geochronology exposé Leaders: Christine Siddoway and Elisa Fitz Díaz Download field guide (Acrobat (PDF) 8.7MB Jun14 14) | More resources

• We will depart promptly at 8:00 am from the D parking lot (Acrobat (PDF) 882kB May24 14). Please eat breakfast before hand, and please plan to arrive before 8:00 so that we can depart on time.
• Bring appropriate clothing and sun protection to suit the weather of the day and sturdy shoes for rough terrain. Compass and small map board are recommended. A boxed lunch will be provided. We will provide a boxed lunch. Note: you must be pre-registered for the field trip in order to participate.

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This focus of the trip is the structural geology and fault geochronology of Garden of the Gods. The site at the south end of the Rampart Range fault (RRF) features Laramide backthrusts, bedding plane faults, and curved fault linkages within subvertical Mesozoic strata in the footwall of the RRF. Pervasive deformation band arrays and younger-upon-older reverse faults are components of the complex system. New results of 40Ar/39Ar illite age analysis of shear-generated illite in the Garden and the surrounding region provide evidence for the time of formation of the Front Range monocline, to be compared against stratigraphic-biostratigraphic records from the Denver Basin. The field trip will complement an illite geochronology workshop being presented by Elisa Fitz Díaz on 19 June. If time allows, and there is participant interest, we will make a final stop to examine fault-bounded, massive sandstone- and granite-hosted clastic dikes that are associated with the Ute Pass fault. These are newly demonstrated to be Neoproterozoic in age. For more information, contact Christine Siddoway.

Workshop 1 (all day): Strain programs for teaching and research (Berthoud Hall 201) Leaders: Fred Vollmer, Matty Mookerjee, and Paul Karabinos

• The workshop will begin at 8:00 am and conclude at 5:00 pm. We will break for lunch from 12-1. Lunch is on your own. The dining hall accepts both meal cards and cash. Note: you must be pre-registered for the workshop in order to participate.

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The strain analysis workshop will cover the practical use of several current, freely-available software programs for finite strain studies. The programs include the integrated software package EllipseFit by Vollmer, a suite of Mathematica-based programs by Mookerjee, and GeoShear by Paul Karabinos. A free copy of EllipseFit, GeoShear, all Mathematica–based programs, and a trial copy of Mathematica will be provided. Topics will include: collection of oriented samples; Fry-type and Wellman-type analyses; center-point, line, elliptical, and irregular particle digitizing; methods for 2D section ellipse calculation; ellipse data contouring and examination for pre-strain fabrics; polar, Rf-phi graphs, and hyperboloidal projections; unstraining data; use of 3D lineation data; calculation of the strain ellipsoid from multiple section ellipses; statistical analyses, and representing three-dimensional strain data and error regions. The workshop will include topics suitable for levels from undergraduate structural geology laboratories to advanced kinematic-based research projects. Attendees will need to bring a laptop (Windows, Mac, or Linux).

Workshop 2 (morning only): Structural and tectonic analysis with Google mapping technologies (Berthoud Hall 222) Leaders: Declan De Paor and Carol Simpson Download workshop manual

• The workshop will begin at 8:00 am and conclude at noon. Note: you must be pre-registered for the workshop in order to participate.

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It is likely that most geologists on Earth have used Google Earth to view geologic structures. However, there are a range of less well-known tools that are highly relevant to digital geology research and teaching, including Google Maps Engine, Google Earth Engine, Open Data Kit, TourBuilder, and Google Glass Development Kit. The workshop will aim to take participants beyond the basics of geo-browsing by demonstrating how to design virtual field trips incorporating active student engagement and how to use Google mapping technologies to enhance visualization of field data with virtual outcrops, emergent cross sections, and interactive screen overlays. There will be content suited to those who wish to develop their own visualizations and also those that wish to learn about effective use of existing resources.

Workshop 3 (afternoon only): Teaching with Visible Geology, an interactive online tool for visualizing 3D geologic block models (Berthoud Hall 222) Leaders: Rowan Cockett and Barbara Tewksbury

• The workshop will begin at 1 pm and conclude at 5 pm. Note: you must be pre-registered for the workshop in order to participate.

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Visible Geology is a web-based interactive visualization and modelling program for use in introductory and structural geology classes. Students can use this program to create their own geologic block models with events such as deposition of beds, folds, faults, unconformities, and igneous intrusions. Once a geologic history has been created, it is possible to see the geology interacting with various topographies, create cross sections and boreholes, or scroll through the geologic history. The program aids in 3D visualization techniques that are hard to teach by traditional paper-based methods.

The workshop will introduce participants to the capabilities of Visible Geology as well as prototypes of several new interactive geoscience visualizations and to provide an opportunity for participants to develop and refine activities using these web-based tools to help structural geology students better visualize 3D structures.

In a pre-workshop webinar, we will introduce the features of Visible Geology and have participants prepare an exercise that utilizes features of the program. Sample topics for exercises include apparent dip, interference folding, stereonet visualization, cross-sections, and outcrop patterns. The workshop will be devoted to presenting and critiquing participant developed activities that leverage the interactive visualization capabilities of Visible Geology. Additionally, we will present prototypes of new interactive geoscience visualizations and solicit feedback from the community.

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Forum main program

Monday, June 16 - Forum Day 1

8:00-12:00 Session 1: Lithospheric deformation - rheology and the rock record (Berthoud Hall 241)

8:00-8:10 Forum introduction Yvette Kuiper

8:10-8:15 Introduction Micah Jessup and Joe Allen, session chairs

8:15-9:00 Keynote talk: Strain localization (and de-localization?) in deep continental crust: examples from an exhumed section and remote observations from still deep crust in North America Kevin Mahan, University of Colorado, Boulder Download presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 36.3MB Jun13 14)

9:05-9:25 Invited talk: Initiating localized deformation in the mantle Phil Skemer, Washington University, St. Louis Download presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 13.2MB Jun15 14) | More resources

9:25-9:45 Invited talk: Advances in quantifying crustal stress magnitudes Steve Kidder, City College of New York

9:50-10:10 Two-minute poster pitches (participants limited to 2 minutes each with 2 ppt slides)

• Uplift and seismicity driven by groundwater depletion in central California Colin Amos, Western Washington University Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 4MB Jun19 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 4.2MB Jun19 14) | More resources
• Deformation-enhanced element mobility in feldspar: a strain speedometer? Naomi Barshi, McGill University Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 4.8MB Jun16 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 9.9MB Jun16 14)
• Cyclicity of intra-arc deformation, crustal thickening and strain rates: implications for arc tempos in the Mesozoic Sierra Nevada, California Wenrong Cao, University of Southern California Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 4.1MB Jun15 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 4MB Jun15 14)
• Rheology of the crust during syn-convergent extension: insights from the Cordillera Blanca Detachment, Peru Micah Jessup, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Belly of the beast: detailed mapping in the deformation core of a quartz-plastic transitional zone fault: implications for deep fault seismicity on major strike slip faults Ben Melosh, McGill University Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 3.2MB Jun15 14) | Download teaser slides (Acrobat (PDF) 15MB Jun16 14)
• Strain-induced rutilation of quartz in mylonites and timescales of ductility in an extensional shear zone William Nachlas, University of Minnesota
  
• Stressed thrust ramps localize fault injectites on the Naukluft Thrust, Namibia Timothy Sherry, McGill University Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 1.1MB Jun25 14)
• Role of dolomite in the development of weak fault zones Rachel Wells, Texas A&M University Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 4.3MB Jun14 14)

10:10-12:00 Posters and coffee (Berthoud Hall 243)

12:00-1:00 Lunch Slate Café, Student Center

1:00-2:00 Group discussion (Berthoud Hall 241)

• Topics: Margins curriculum testing opportunity (Lisa Lamb); report-out from 2012 meeting (Basil Tikoff); digital database for structural geology and tectonics (Basil Tikoff); RCN (Research Coordination Network) for Field Geology – EC3 (Matty Mookerjee); Earthscope updates and opportunities for the future (Basil Tikoff). Downlload powerpoint (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 13.2MB Jun17 14) (includes web links for more information and for volunteering).
• EarthScope Geochronology Graduate Student Award Program (informal presentation). Becky Flowers, Jim Metcalf, Ramon Arrowsmith, Blair Schoene, Tammy Rittenour Download presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 100kB Jun16 14)

2:00-6:30 Session 2: Tectonics at the Earth's surface - geomorphic expressions and shallow deformation (Berthoud Hall 241)

2:00-2:05 Introduction Ryan Gold and Colin Amos, session chairs

2:05-2:50 Keynote talk: Issues in climate-tectonic interactions Doug Burbank, UC Santa Barbara Download presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 38.4MB Jun16 14)

2:50-3:05 Coffee break

3:05-3:25 Invited talk: Determining hillslope-scale material strength from seismically-triggered landslide events Marin Clark, University of Michigan

3:25-3:45 Invited talk: Why should I care about your slop? Linking shallow geologic observations to deeper Earth processes Richard Briggs, USGS Download presentation (Acrobat (PDF) 3.1MB Jun17 14)

3:45-4:05 Invited talk: Normal faulting and graben development as catalysts for Late Cenozoic landscape change, Fish Lake Plateau, Utah Chuck Bailey, College of William and Mary Download presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 17.4MB Jun16 14)

4:05-4:30 Two-minute poster pitches (participants limited to 2 minutes each with 2 ppt slides)

• The reactivation of the Lost Lakes Fault in Yosemite National Park (USA): when did it happen and what does it mean? Richard Becker, University of Wisconsin, Madison Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 8.1MB Jun14 14)
• Finding active faults using earthquake focal mechanisms, geomorphic analysis and field work (SLAM) Vince Cronin, Baylor University Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 776kB Jun16 14)
• Reconciling invariant topography with significant along-strike gradients in climate and tectonics in the Greater Caucasus Adam Forte, Arizona State University
• Anatomy of the 200 km-long, left-lateral surface rupture from the 24 September 2013 Mw 7.7 Balochistan earthquake, southern Pakistan Ryan Gold, USGS Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 2.6MB Jun13 14)
• Using high-resolution basin analysis to unravel complex fault kinematics, understand tectonic events and address climate change in the central Basin and Range Melissa Lamb, University of St. Thomas Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 30.4MB Jun18 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 10.5MB Jun17 14)
• Insights about polygonal faults and related structures from extensive exposures of the Cretaceous Khoman Formation, Western Desert, Egypt Barbara Tewksbury, Hamilton College Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 3.6MB Jun13 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 6.3MB Jun14 14) | More resources
• Deformation bands in the Etchegoin Formation: implications for stresses on the San Andreas Fault in central California Sarah Titus, Carleton College
• New GPS evidence for continental transform fault creep, Central Range Fault, Trinidad, Caribbean-South American plate boundary and geological/hazard implications John Weber, Grand Valley State University
• Rapid uplift of the Kumkuli Basin since ~5 Ma as a consequence of large-scale transpressional faulting within the northern Tibetan Plateau Petr Yakovlev , University of Michigan Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 16.4MB Jun19 14)

4:40-6:30 Posters and coffee (Berthoud Hall 243)

6:00-7:00 Dinner Slate Café, Student Center

7:30-9:00 Preparing for an academic career in the geosciences - a special evening session for grad students and post-docs (Berthoud Hall 204) Leaders: Barbara Tewksbury and others

• Are you interested in a future faculty position? Come to this informal "speed dating" session where you will have a chance to talk with current faculty about what it's like to teach and do research at a wide variety of academic institutions and get advice on how to prepare for an academic job search.
• On the Cutting Edge has an extensive set of online resources on preparing for an academic career. Topics include the job search process, preparing to teach, moving your research forward, and career planning. On the Cutting Edge also has resource pages for early career faculty, which provide information and advice useful for those who are starting to think about academic careers, as well as those already in faculty positions.

Tuesday, June 17 - Forum Day 2

8:00-12:00 Session 3: Geochronology and tectonics (Berthoud Hall 241)

8:00-8:05 Introduction John Cottle and Emily Peterman, session chairs

8:05-8:50 Keynote talk: Continuous thermal histories from MDD modeling of ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar K-feldspar analyses and applications to extensional tectonics Martin Wong, Colgate University Download presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 6.7MB Jun14 14)

8:55-9:15 Invited talk: Geochronology and Himalayan tectonics Kyle Larson, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Download presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 16.5MB Jun17 14)

9:15-9:35 Invited talk: Dating brittle deformation with hematite (U-Th)/He chronometry Alexis Ault, University of Arizona/Utah State University

9:40-10:00 Two-minute poster pitches (participants limited to 2 minutes each with 2 ppt slides)

• A structural and U-Pb zircon geochronology investigation of selected units in the Eastern Merrimack Belt: implications for Post-Acadian deformation, eastern Massachusetts Robert Charnock, Colorado School of Mines Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 18.3MB Jun16 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 2.4MB Jun16 14)
• Geochronology of rare earth element mineralization in a high-grade metamorphic terrane, Music Valley, California John Cottle, University of California, Santa Barbara
• The rich isotopic memory of illite; an example of clay dating and fluid fingerprinting from the Zimapán Basin in central Mexico Elisa Fitz-Díaz, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 3.9MB Jun14 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 9.1MB Jun14 14)
• Cenozoic crustal shortening and plateau uplift within the Hoh Xil Basin, north-central Tibetan Plateau: implications for causal mechanisms of plateau evolution Lydia Staisch, University of Michigan Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 14.7MB Jun14 14)

10:00-12:00 Posters and coffee (Berthoud Hall 243)

12:00-1:00 Lunch Slate Café, Student Center

1:00-2:00 Group discussion (Berthoud Hall 241)

2:00-6:30 Session4: Geoscience learning and spatial cognition (Berthoud Hall 241)

2:00-2:05 Introduction Tim Shipley and Carol Ormand, session chairs

2:05-2:50 Keynote talk: Applying cognitive science research to improve geoscience teaching and learning Carol Ormand, SERC, Carleton College Download presentation (Acrobat (PDF) 4.4MB Jun17 14)

2:50-3:05 Coffee break

3:05-3:25 Invited talk: Creating, disseminating, and testing interactive 3D models for teaching structural geology Paul Karabinos, Williams College

3:25-3:45 Invited talk: Virtual geological mapping and development of geospatial analysis competencies using Google Earth and related digital technologies Declan DePaor, Old Dominion University Download presentation (Acrobat (PDF) 15.5MB Jun17 14) | More resources

3:45-4:05 Invited talk: Visuospatial ability and geologic mapping: Experts and novices in the field Nicole LaDue, Northern Illinois University Download presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 13.1MB Jun17 14) | More resources

4:05-4:20 Two-minute poster pitches (participants limited to 2 minutes each with 2 ppt slides)

• A structure for mastering stereonets for structural geology Katherine Boggs, Mount Royal University Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 1.9MB Jun21 14)
• Thin-skinned models for undergraduate teaching labs - flour structures Dan Davis, Stony Brook University Download poster (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 3.4MB Jun14 14) | Download teaser slides (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 4.1MB Jun14 14)
• New approaches to teaching spatial thinking in the context of structural geology Laurel Goodwin, University of Wisconsin, Madison Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 8.7MB Jun13 14)
• Geological field research: an ideal course 'recipe' for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students Yvette Kuiper, Colorado School of Mines Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 5.2MB Jun14 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 3.3MB Jun14 14)

4:40-6:30 Posters and coffee (Berthoud Hall 243)

6:00-7:00 Dinner Slate Café, Student Center

7:30-8:30 Optional visit to Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum (#24 on the map (Acrobat (PDF) 882kB May24 14))

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Wednesday, June 18 - Forum Day 3

8:00-12:00 Session 5: The structural geology of natural resources and regional tectonics (Berthoud Hall 241)

8:00-8:05 Introduction Nils Backeberg and Mary Louise Hill, session chairs

8:05-8:50 Keynote talk: The Central Piedmont Shear Zone of the Southern Appalachian Piedmont Allen Dennis, University of South Carolina, Aiken Download presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 22.1MB Jun18 14)

8:55-9:15 Invited talk: SCLM rifting and regional shearing in the N. American Superior Craton – implications for deformation, mineralization, and tectonic reconstructions Lyal Harris, INRS-ETE, Québec Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 5.8MB Jun13 14) | More resources

9:15-9:35 Invited talk: New thermochronologic, paleomagnetic, and fault-slip constraints on Pliocene tectonics and provenance, North Coast Marine area, Trinidad and Tobago John Weber, Grand Valley State University

9:40-10:00 Two-minute poster pitches (participants limited to 2 minutes each with 2 ppt slides)

• Damaged goods in the Marmion Tonalites, Superior Province, Ontario: deformation fabrics in a gold-bearing damage zone Nils Backeberg, McGill University Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 1.3MB Jun13 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 1.3MB Jun13 14)
• Siluro-Devonian assembly of the high-grade core of the Central Appalachian Piedmont Howell Bosbyshell, West Chester University Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 3.2MB Jun20 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 8.5MB Jun17 14)
• Timing and style of deformation in the Nashoba Formation of the Nashoba Terrane, eastern Massachusetts Wesley Buchanan, Colorado School of Mines Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 17.7MB Jul4 14)
• Mapping deformed Pennsylvanian rocks in the Dunkard Basin, southwestern Pennsylvania using GigaPan images Patricia Campbell, Slippery Rock University Download poster ( 18MB Jun18 14)
• Southeastward propagation of thermotectonism within the Paleoproterozoic Big Sky orogeny: New Constraints from the N. Madison Range, SW Montana Cailey Condit Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 1.8MB Jun13 14)
• Pre-Timiskaming folding in the Archean Southern Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Ontario and Québec, Canada: structural constraints and conundrums Ben Frieman, Colorado School of Mines Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 13.6MB Jun19 14)
• Structural geology of the Nadaleen Trend, Northeastern Yukon Territory, Canada: implications for recent Au discoveries Justin Palmer, Colorado School of Mines Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 2.3MB Jun14 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 2.3MB Jun14 14)

10:00-12:00 Posters and coffee

12:00-1:00 Lunch Slate Café, Student Center

1:00-2:00 Group discussion (Berthoud Hall 241)

2:00-6:30 Session 6: Quantitative approaches toward structural analysis (Berthoud Hall 241)

2:00-2:05 Introduction Saad Haq and Matty Mookerjee, session chairs

2:05-2:25 Invited talk: Quantitative structural analysis: where does it start? David Pollard, Stanford University Download presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 6.8MB Jun14 14)

2:25-2:45 Invited talk: Tracking fault history in sandbox models Dan Davis, Stony Brook University

2:45-3:00 Coffee break

3:00-3:20 Invited talk: Relating lattice preferred orientation to deformational process using statistical analysis of symmetry in orientation distribution space Christopher Thissen, Yale University Download presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 7.3MB Jun19 14)

3:20-3:40 Invited talk: Rotation statistics in structural geology Joshua Davis, Carleton College

3:40-4:00 Invited talk: Fault surface geometry, wear processes and evolution: implications for earthquake mechanics and fault rock rheology James Kirkpatrick, Colorado State University Download presentation (Acrobat (PDF) 22.5MB Jun19 14)

4:00-4:20 Two-minute poster pitches (participants limited to 2 minutes each with 2 ppt slides)

• What, if anything, should the structural geologist know about the mechanics of rock deformation? Raymond Fletcher, Pennsylvania State University Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 88kB Jun19 14)
• Out of sequence thrusting in coulomb wedges Saad Haq, Purdue University Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 1016kB Jun19 14)
• Interactions between regional transcurrent shearing, rifting, and mantle flow on Venus: radar and gravity interpretations and Earth analogues Lyal Harris, INRS-ETE, Québec Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 6.6MB Jun13 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 22MB Jun14 14) | More resources
• Evaluating the effectiveness of Flinn's K-value versus Lode's ratio Matty Mookerjee, Sonoma State University Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 2MB Jun19 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 3.8MB Jun19 14)
• Paleocene paleoelevations of the Basin and Range from clumped isotope thermometry and paleosol geochemistry: a modest Nevadaplano? Nathan Niemi, University of Michigan Download poster (Acrobat (PDF) 4.2MB Jun16 14) | Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 4.4MB Jun19 14)
• Nucleation of ramps in fold-thrust belts: insight from quantitative analysis of sandbox models Pragnyadipta Sen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• EllipseFit 3: a new computer program for integrated geological finite strain analysis Frederick Vollmer, SUNY New Paltz Download teaser slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 3MB Jun19 14)

4:40-6:30 Posters

6:00-7:00 Dinner Slate Café, Student Center

7:30-9:00 Networking time

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Optional post-Forum field trips and workshops

Thursday, June 19

Field trip 3: Proterozoic metamorphism and deformation in the Northern Colorado Front Range Leaders: Kevin Mahan, Graham Baird, and Julien Allaz Download field trip guide (Acrobat (PDF) 2.2MB Jun14 14)

• We will depart promptly at 8:00 am from the D parking lot (Acrobat (PDF) 882kB May24 14). Please eat breakfast before hand, and please plan to arrive before 8:00 so that we can depart on time.
• Field trip involves one short (less than 1,500 ft. but steep hike, so boots or sturdy shoes are recommended. All stops between 5,200 and 8,000 feet elevation. Be prepared for chilly or hot, and dry or wet weather, and bring sun protection. We will provide a boxed lunch. Note: you must be pre-registered for the field trip in order to participate.

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Paleoproterozoic supracrustal rocks in the region near Big Thompson Canyon, northern Colorado, have long been recognized as a spectacular example of Barrovian metamorphism, preserving a complete sequence from biotite- to migmatite-zones. However, structural evidence for multiple deformation events, multiple generations of classic Barrovian index minerals, the widespread occurrence of non-Barrovian index minerals (e.g., andalusite, cordierite), and sparse geochronological/thermochronological data all suggest the potential for a complex tectonic history that likely spans from 1.8 to 1.4 Ga. This field trip aims to bring together Earth scientists from a broad range of backgrounds to enjoy a day of field structural geology, metamorphic petrology, and Proterozoic tectonics in northern Colorado. We also hope to foster new ideas and research directions that can utilize the Big Thompson Metamorphic Suite for investigating fundamental orogenic processes. For more information, contact Kevin Mahan.

Workshop 4 (all day): The application of shear sense indicators in shear zones (Berthoud Hall 201) Leader: Cees Passchier

• The workshop will begin at 8:00 am and conclude at 5:00 pm. We will break for lunch from 12-1. Lunch is on your own. The dining hall accepts both meal cards and cash. Note: you must be pre-registered for the workshop in order to participate.

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The course deals with shear sense indicators in ductile and brittle shear zones, with a focus on the recognition and correct interpretation of shear sense indicators in thin section and in the field. The course consist of introductory lectures on the theory of kinematics and shear sense indicators, and a lectures on practical field aspects of shear sense analysis. Quantitative analysis of kinematic vorticity will be briefly treated. The afternoon will be spent working through a large number of thin sections of with shear sense indicators, mostly from mylonites. This one day course on shear sense indicators is an extended part of the regular Microtectonics course in Mainz, Germany.

Workshop 5 (morning only): Ar-Ar datiing of illite, a method to date faults and folds formed in the upper crust (Berthoud Hall 201) Leader: Elisa Fitz Díaz

• The workshop will begin at 8:00 am and conclude at noon. Note: you must be pre-registered for the workshop in order to participate.

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The goal of this workshop is to review fundamentals and updates on Ar-Ar illite dating applied to determine the age of activity of faults and folds. This workshop will consists of three parts: 1) History and theoretical basis of Ar-Ar illite dating; 2) Illite XRD characterization; 3) Ar-Ar illite systematics; 4) Examples of application to the foreland the North American Cordillera: Fold dating in the Mexican Fold Thrust Belt and Fault and fold dating of the Front Ranges Monocline.

Workshop 6 (afternoon only): Using real geodesy data in undergraduate structural geology and geophysics courses (Berthoud Hall 201) Leader: Vince Cronin

• The workshop will begin at 1:00 pm and conclude at 5 pm. Note: you must be pre-registered for the workshop in order to participate.

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A team of folks affiliated with UNAVCO and its member institutions has developed a flexible curricular module about infinitesimal/instantaneous crustal strain that utilizes GPS data that are published online by the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory. The goals of this short course are (1) to teach folks how to use the velocity data from three non-colinear GPS sites to compute average crustal strain, (2) to present the associated curricular resources that we have developed, and (3) to discuss how these curricular resources might be adapted for use in structural geology, geophysics or tectonics courses. Early tests at several universities have indicated that undergraduate students have been able to apply the crustal strain information they have computed, using GPS velocity data, to form a preliminary understanding of the interplay between tectonic setting, volcanism, active faulting and seismicity. Supplementary documents developed for this project enable students to apply (or learn) some mathematics and programming skills related to instantaneous strain analysis using GPS data. The development team is interested in spreading use of these resources, and is actively seeking feedback from students, teachers, and those with a research interest in GPS that will lead to future improvements.

For more information, see Infinitesimal strain analysis using GPS data and all of the files needed to understand and implement the module.

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Friday, June 20

Field trip 4: Laramide crustal detachment and thrust tectonism, with applications to natural fracturing in Rocky Mountain resource plays Leader: Eric Erslev Download field guide (Acrobat (PDF) 1.7MB Jun19 14)

• We will depart promptly at 8:00 am from the D parking lot (Acrobat (PDF) 882kB May24 14). Please eat breakfast before hand, and please plan to arrive before 8:00 so that we can depart on time.
• Field trip involves several ~1-2 mile hikes on rugged ground. Bring sturdy shoes or boots for rough terrain, sun protection, and a day pack with water, rain parka, and extra warm layers. We will provide a boxed lunch. Note: you must be pre-registered for the field trip in order to participate.

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New lithosphere-scale seismic experiments in the northern Rockies show that lower-crustal detachment is the leading hypothesis for the formation of the enigmatic Laramide Rocky Mountains. This hypothesis was originally proposed in the Colorado Front Range on the basis of minor fault analyses and kinematic restorations. Come visit some of the key outcrops that generated this hypothesis and see how they can be linked with regional seismic data to give a unified thrust model for the Rockies. In addition, we will examine the resulting natural fracture systems that provide critical fluid conduits for tight reservoirs in successful resource plays (e.g., shale gas and oil) like the Niobrara Formation of the Denver Basin. For more information, contact Eric Erslev.

Workshop 7 (all day): Teaching structure lab with linear algebra and simple computing (spreadsheets) (Berthoud Hall 201) Leader: Rick Allmendinger

• The workshop will begin at 8:30 am and conclude at 5:00 pm. We will break for lunch from 12-1. Lunch is on your own. The dining hall accepts both meal cards and cash. Note: you must be pre-registered for the workshop in order to participate.

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30 years after the widespread deployment of personal computers, shouldn't we really be teaching our students how to solve structure problems by computing rather than increasingly arcane graphical methods? Shouldn't they know how their software tools that they rely on for their own science actually work? The purpose of this workshop is to show how to teach a typical structural geology lab using the same math that computer programs use: linear algebra and vector operations. A side benefit of this approach is that it provides fundamental background for understanding the basics of continuum mechanics, what it means to say that stress and strain are tensors, and teach transformations, an operation so fundamental to all of earth science that it is hard to believe that most of us waited so long to learn it! The problems to be solved are familiar: apparent dip, 3 point problems, map thickness, rotations, down-plunge projections, P&T axes for faults and earthquakes, and 1d strain gradients. This approach assumes no previous knowledge of linear algebra on the part of the students; The purpose is to teach them the simple concepts of linear algebra as efficient ways of solving problems of geological interest. No prior computing knowledge is assumed either as all problems are done in spreadsheets. Workshop participants will need access to a personal computer (either Mac or Windows) with Excel or some similar spreadsheet installed. We will also use my program, GeolMapDataExtractor to check answers as well as demonstrate how one can explore error propagation in classic structural geology calculations, and Google Earth for display of some results.

Workshop 8 (all day): Introduction to terrestrial laser scanning (ground-based LiDAR) for Earth science research (at UNAVCO in Boulder) Leader: Chris Crosby

• This workshop will take place at UNAVCO in Boulder. A van will transport participants from Golden to UNAVCO in Boulder and will depart promptly at 8:00 am from the D parking lot (Acrobat (PDF) 882kB May24 14). Please eat breakfast before hand. The workshop will begin at 9:00 am and conclude at ~4:00 pm, and participants will be back in Golden ~5:00 pm. If you are driving instead of taking the bus, here are the directions to UNAVCO. Note: you must be pre-registered for the workshop in order to participate.

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Workshop description: This one-day course will provide faculty, students and professionals with an introduction to Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS - a.k.a., ground-based lidar). TLS provides high-resolution three-dimensional images of geologic features, and has emerged as a powerful tool for applications ranging from outcrop mapping to analysis of earth surface processes. The course will focus on TLS technology, data collection, processing and analysis, and examples of science applications. A combination of lectures and hands-on demonstrations of TLS equipment and data processing will be used.