Events

2024

November 20, 2024 -- Pete Hetherington, Geologist and author, "Fossil Fuels and the Creation of the Modern World"
October 16, 2024--Rex Cole (Professor Emeritus, CMU) "Gravel-Capped Terraces on the SW Flank of Grand Mesa: Implications for Late Cenozoic Climate and Uplift Histories"
September 18, 2024--Vince Matthews (Former State Geologist of Colorado) and Steve Cumella (Independent geologist) “Neogene Rotational Rifting of the Colorado Plateau Microplate: A model for the distribution of divergent stress and strain in the Uinta Basin and uplift of the Uinta Mountains (and possibly the San Juan Mountains).”
May 8, 2024--Annual CMU Undergraduate Student Research Forum.
April 17, 2024--Cesar Vivas, PhD Tuttle Geothermal Project Engineer University of Oklahoma "Repurposing inactive oil and gas infrastructure to unleash geothermal energy"
March 13, 2024--Steve Cumella, Consulting Geologist (and GJGS member), Ouray, Colorado "Geology Revealed by High Resolution Google Earth Imagery"
February 20, 2024--Dr. Paul Baldauf, Dept. of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL "Exploration of an aeolian record of climate change, Last Glacial Period to the Modern Era, northern Great Plains, USA"
January 24, 2024--Speaker--Dr. Bob Anderson, Department of Geological Sciences, Institute for Alpine and Arctic Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. "Climate as seen through the lens of Colorado’s Glaciers"

2023

February 20, 2024 Speaker--Dr. Paul Baldauf, Dept. of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL "Exploration of an aeolian record of climate change, Last Glacial Period to the Modern Era, northern Great Plains, USA"
January 23, 2024 Speaker --Dr. Bob Anderson, Department of Geological Sciences, Institute for Alpine and Arctic Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. "Climate as seen through the lens of Colorado’s Glaciers"
December 6, 2023--Speakers (Poster Sessions). CMU December Graduating Seniors: Arron Orelap and KennaLee Worster
November 16, 2023--Speaker--Ned Sterne,Independent Geologist,Littleton,CO “Deformation of the Rocky Mountain Erosion Surface and Its Effects on Landscape Evolution and Drainage Reorganization across Colorado: Carving the Black Canyon across the Cimarron Uplift and rerouting the ancestral Castle Rock and South Platte rivers around Pikes Dome.”
October 18, 2023 --Speaker--David Lipson, Ph.D., C.P.G., HRS Water Consultants, Inc. Lakewood, CO “Hydrogeology Careers in the 21st Century”
September 20, 2023 --Speaker--Dr. Thomas Wright, Emeritus Scientist-in-Charge, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, "History of Studies at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii"
April 19, 2023--Speakers-- Jay Scheevel, Doug Underhill, Martin Pitts "What I did during my career and advice for the future"
March 15, 2023--Speaker--Donald J. Fry, 50/50 Energy, LLC, “New Concepts for Drilling and Completion, Leading to Substantial Cost Savings”
February 15, 2023--Speaker--Jordan Walker, PhD Student, Baylor University, “Stratigraphic reevaluation of Mollies Nipple, Kane County, Utah, USA to better understand the origin of alunite and jarosite cements”
January 25, 2023 --Speaker--Patty Webber, Minerals & Economic Geologist, Wyoming Geological Survey "Critical Minerals Research in Southern Wyoming"

2022

December 14, 2022 -- Multiple Oral presentations: GSA Speaker Presentations/Talks were given at the National GSA 2022 Meeting by Colorado Mesa Faculty and students
November 16, 2022 -- Poster Session: The Posters Were Presented at the National GSA 2022 Meeting by Colorado Mesa University Students
October 19, 2022. Speaker--Dr. Mike Blum, Richie Distinguished Professor, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas “Dakota Group Fluvial Systems of the Colorado Front Range: Provenance, Geochronology, and Significance to the Alberta Oil Sands and North American Sediment Routing”
September 21, 2022. Speaker--Dr. Vince Matthews, "Clockwise Rotation of the Colorado Plateau Microplate creates two active rifts in Colorado"
May 4, 2022. Annual Student Research Presentations.
April 20, 2022. Speaker --- Tim Rynott, Founder Four Corners Helium LLC. "Once the Federal Helium Reserve is depleted will North America be able to sustain helium self-sufficiency"
March 16, 2022. Speaker--Patrick A. Burkhart, PhD "Savor the Cryosphere"
February 16, 2022. Speaker--Nathan Rogers, Colorado Geological Survey Golden, Colorado “The Stratigraphic Framework for the Mancos-Niobrara of the Piceance Basin Western Colorado.”
January 26, 2022. Speaker--Dr. Javier Tellez, Dept. of Physical and Environmental Sciences Colorado Mesa University, "UAS-Based Photogrammetry for Facies Architecture and Fluvial
Sequence Stratigraphic Definition of the Burro Canyon Formation,Piceance Basin, Colorado"

2021

December 15, 2021. Speakers Johnson, V., Anderson, C., Horvat, D., Dacuag, R., Hadden, K., Baker, G., and Livaccari, R.
Geoscience Program in Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, Colorado---"Preliminary geophysical investigation of Cenozoic Tectonic Events along the Northwest Uncompahgre Plateau in Western Colorado, USA"
November 17, 2021. Speaker (remote: Zoom)--Dr. J.G.M. ‘Hans’ Thewissen Northeast Ohio Medical University -- "The Walking Whales: Fossil Discoveries in India and Pakistan”
October 20, 2021. Speaker (remote: Zoom)--Dr. Tomas Villamil, Omega Energy, "Entrepreneurship in the Petroleum Industry: Examples from Columbia, South America"-Video Recording
September 15, 2021, Speaker (remote:Zoom)--Dr. Vince Matthews, State Geologist of Colorado (retired) "The Wonders of Colorado's Glacial Landscape"
May 19, 2021, Speaker--Julian “Nuttman” Chesnutt
PhD Candidate,Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, “An Inventory and Analysis of the Grand Mesa Landslides, Colorado, USA: Insights to High-Volume, Hypermobile Mass-Wasting Events”
April 28,29 Speakers--Annual CMU Student Research Project Presentations
March 17, Speaker--David R. Montgomery is a MacArthur Fellow and professor of geomorphology at the University of Washington, "Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life"-Video Recording
February 17, Speaker--Mr. Ben Haveman
Agapito Associates, Inc.
Grand Junction “ Measurement of Horizontal Principal Stresses & Stress Gradient Determination at New Afton Block Cave Mine Kamloops, British Columbia”
January 27, Speaker--Dr. Sally Potter-McIntyre Department of Geological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois,“Concretions: Records of subsurface fluid/rock/biota interactions”

2020

December 16, Speaker Dr. Emmett Evanoff, Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric sciences Unitversity of Northern Colorado, "The Upper Eocene to Lower Oligocene White River Sequence of the Northern Great Plains and Middle Rocky Montains"
November 18, Speaker Julia McHugh, Ph.D., Curator of Paleontology, Museums of Western Colorado and Geology faculty CMU, "Revealing a Hidden Ecology: the decomposers adn scavengers of Mygatt-Moore Quarry"
October 14, Speaker: Richard G. Warren from Comprehensive Volcanic Petrographics LLC., Topic---"Magmatic Evolution and Hetrerogeneity, and Subsequent Alteration of Volcanic Rocks as Revealed by Quantitative Petrographic Analysis"
September 16, Speakers -- Drs. Rex Cole, and Andres Aslan., Topic---"Geologic History of Grand Mesa: Recent and Future Research Efforts at CMU"
March 25, Speaker -- Richard G. Warren, Comprehensive Volcanic Petrographics LLC, "Quantitative Petrographic Analysis of Volcanic Rocks"
February 19, Speaker -- G. Lang Farmer, Dept. of Geological Sciences, Univ. Colorado, Boulder, "Why Was There Voluminous and Windespread Volcanism in Southwest North America During the Cenozoic?"
January 22, Speaker -- Dr. Greg Baker, Geosciences Program, Colorado Mesa University, "An Overview of sUAS ("drones") Applications in the Geosciences"

2019

December 11, Speaker -- Eric Eckberg, BLM, Grand Junction, "The Mystery Continues: Structural Originas of Unaweep Canyoun, A Field Trip Preview"
November 20, Speaker--Steve Cumella, Consultant, Ouray Colorado “Mancos-Niobrara Petroleum System in the Piceance Basin”
October 16, Speaker--Dr. Elizabeth S. Petrie, Western Colorado sUniversity--"Kenematics of deformation bacnk formation and reactivation associated with a Laramide fault propagation fold"
September 18, Speaker--Jay R. Scheevel, Scheevel Geo Techonologies LLC.---“Cryptodynamic Potential (CP): A Thermal Engine Capable of Driving Geodynamic Processes”
Part 1. Development of Theory and Application to Basinal Hydrodynamics
May 15, Speaker--Rober P. Fillmore, Western State Colorado University,---"Paleogeography of the Salt Anticline reagion during deposition of the Ali Baba Mebmer of the Lower Triassic Moenkopy Formation, western Colorado and eastern Utah"
April 26, Annual Student research symposium. Awards presentation
March 13, Speaker--Bob Raynolds, Research Associate, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, "Colorado’s energy resources in a stratigraphic context"
February 20, Speaker--Marisa Connors
Quality Control Manager, Peak Ready Mix
“From Jurassic Shales to Man-Made Rocks: Life After CMU!”
January 23, 2-Speakers--
1. GJGS member Rex Cole will review his recent work on the basalts of Grand Mesa.
2. GJGS member Bill Hood will discuss the involvement of the CMU Geology Program’s X-ray lab in the identification of cremation remains for the FBI.

2018

December 12, Speaker--Rob Gay, Paleontologist for Colorado Canyons Association - Grand Junction, Colorado--“Fossils in Colorado’s National Conservation Areas”
Novermber 14, Speaker -- John Hodge, GJGS Member “Quaternary fluvial history of the Cactus Park and lower Kelso Gulch areas, Delta County, Colorado”
OCTOBER 17, Speaker---Greg B. Arehart, Professor
Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering University of Nevada - Reno
“The new gold rush: Carlin-type deposits in the Great Basin and beyond”
September 19, 2018, Speaker -- Dave Beling, CEO & President Bullfrog Gold Corp. "Overview of the Bullfrog Mining District of Nevada"
May 16, 2018, Speakers -- Micheael A. Rynearson, P.E. VP of Operations, and Nathan Cumella, Geologisit, both at Caerus Oil and Gas, Denver " The evelution of Caerus as an Operator in the Piceace Basein as to the Williams Fork Formation, From Gas to Takeaway Market Avenues in the Piceance Basin"
April 25, 2018..Annual Student Forum. Multiple presenters
March 7, 2018, Speaker---Dr. Thomas Ewing, AAPG Distinguished Lecturer, "Tectonics and Subsidence in the West Texas (Permian) Basin. A Model for Complex Intracratonic Basin Development"
February 14, 2018, Speaker---Dr. Marsha W. French, AAPG Distinguished Lecturer, Colorado School of Mines "Authigenic Quartz: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Developing a Model for Preservation Porosity in Deep, Hot Sandstone Reservoirs"
January 17, 2018,Speaker---Dr. Gigi Richard, Director, Hutchins Water Center, CMU " Monitoring Snowmelt on the Grand Mesa and Channel Changes on the Colorado River"

2017

December 13, 2017,Speaker---Donald E. Ranta, Former President and CEO of Rare Elements Resources ---"An Explorationist's Odyssey Folowing Trends: From Molybdenum to Gold to Rare Earths"
November 15, 2017, Speaker--CHARLES F. HEAD, Burlington Resources and ConocoPhillips (Retired)---“INSIGHTS INTO THE PETROLEUM GEOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHY OF THE DAKOTA INTERVAL (CRETACEOUS) IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN, NORTHWESTERN NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO”
October 18, 2017, Speaker---Ned Sterne, Citizen Scientist and Consulting Geologist---“A Restorable, Crustal -Scale Cross Section Across The Colorado Rocky Mountans Following I-70”.
September 20, 2017, Speaker---Andres Aslan, Geology Professor, CMU---“Late Cenozoic Uplift and Landscape Evolution of the western US”
May 17, 2017, Speaker---Harvey R. DuChen, Lake City, Colorado Karst Waters Institute---“Tectonic influences on Petroleum Migration and Speleogenesis in the Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico and Texas”
April 26, 2017, Annual CMU Student Research Symposium
March 15, 2017, Speaker --- Dr. David Noe, Retired Geologist
“The Earth Beneath Our Feet, Sharing the Geology of the North Fork Valley With It's Populace”
February 15, 2017, Speaker --- Rex Cole, CMU, Geosciences “Geochemical Variation of Grand Mesa Volcanic Field, Western Colorado”
January. 18, 2017, Speaker --- Cassandra Fenton, Instructor CMU Geosciences, "The SPICE Project: Preliminary Cosmogenic Nuclide Production Rates In Quartz Calibrated At The ~70 KA SP Lava Flow, AZ, USA"

2016

December, 14, 2016, Speaker --- David Holmes, Industrial Minerals Consultant, "Rare Earths in America: What History Tells"
November, 16 2016, Speakers --- R. Livaccari, A. Trumbo, M. Feil and V. Johnson, "Laramide Structure of the Northern Uncompahgre Plateau and Origin of Unaweep Canyon, Western Colorado"
October 19, 2016, Speaker Ed Baltzer, Avant Envrionmental "Evidence for Quaternary Lakes, Western Colorado adn Eastern Utah"
September 21, 2016, Speaker --- Joe Fandrich, "Westwater, Utah - A Present Day Ice-Dammed Lake: A Key to the Future"
January 20, 2016 Speaker -- Donald R. Metzler -- Moab Federal Project Director, US DOE, " Cleanup of Uranioum Legacy in Southeastern Utah"
February 17, 2016 Speakers -- Dr. Verner Johnson, Professor & Adam Trumbo, Senior Geology Student, Colorado Mesa University, " Preliminary Geophysical, Structural and Geochemical Investigations of the Uncompahgre Plateau in Relation to the Tectonic Implications for the Formation of Unaweep Canyon"
March 16, 2016 Speaker -- Justin Peterson, PE, Regional Engineer for Intermountain West GeoStabilization Intl., " Emergency Repair of a Failing Mechanically Stabilised Earth Wall Utilizing Hollow Bar Soil Nails and Compaction Grouting (38 Road Slope Failure)"
April, 2016 Meeting, Thursday April 7, 7:30 PM, Saccomanno Lecture Hall, CMU Campus, AAPG Distinguished Lecturer -- David A. Ferrill, Director of Earth Material and Planetary Sciences, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas -- "Mechanical Stratigraphy and Normal Faulting"
April, 2016 Annual Student Showcase, Wednesday April 27.

2015

January 21, 2015 Speaker -AAPG Distinguished Lecturer --Don Clark -- Hydraulic Fracturing and Earthquakes
February 18, 2015 Speaker - Douglas Underhill,-Analysis of the supply and demand for uranium with reference to deposit-type geology
March 18, 2015 Speaker - Dr. Julia McHugh, Curator of Paleontology, Dinosaur Journey, - The Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction, An Amphibian Success Story"
April 15, 2015,- Dr. Joanie Kleypas, "Ocean Acidification and Coral Reefs, Geological Perspectives Froma a Coral Reef Ecologist" (rescheduled to September)
May 20, 2015 Lance Erdman and Shawn Burns, "Recent Advances in Oil and Gas Completions"
Sepetmber 16, 2015- Dr. Joanie Kleypas, "Ocean Acidification and Coral Reefs, Geological Perspectives Froma a Coral Reef Ecologist"
October 21, 2015 - Robert Gaston of GDI, "The Discovery of Gastonia and Dinosaur Skeleton Restoration"
November 18, 2015 - Lauren Foster, "Energy Budget Changes Impact Arid Mountain Hydrology More than Snow-Rain Transitions"
December 16, 2015

2014

January 22, 2014 Speaker - Vince Matthews -- Rio Grande Rift
February 19, 2014 Speaker - Jerry Daub -- Colorado Oil Shale - Piceance Basin: A "World Class" Resource
March 19, 2014 Speaker - Douglas Sprinkel --Terrace Gravel implications for capture of Green River
April 16, 2014 Speaker - Fred Mark -- Hunting, Fishing, Eco-Tourism and Unconventional Gas Production on the Vermejo Park Ranch, Raton Basin, New Mexico
April 30, 2014 CMU Student Poster Session with CASH PRIZES for top 3 posters
May 21, 2014 Speaker - Joe Fandrich -- Evidence of tsunamis in the Hoskannini Fm., Utah
May 22, 2014 FIELD TRIP to Hoskannini Fm. outcrops lead by Joe Fandrich
September 10 Special Lecture: Rex Cole -- Geologic Overview of the West Salt Creek Landslide
September 17, 2014 Speaker -- Dr. Alexis Navarre Sitchier -- Geolchemical Controls on Water Chemistry In Perennial Tributaries to the Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
October 15, 2014 Speaker -- Dr. Joel Pederson -- New Results on the Rates and Patterns of Active Salt Deformation, Canyonlands, Utah
October 27, 2014 AAPG Distinguished Lecturer -- Dr. Juergen Scheiber, Indian Univ. -- An Overview of Experimental Mudstone Sedimentology- Results of Experiments and Applications to the Rock Record.
November 19, 2014 Speaker -- Dr. Allen Stork, Western Colorado State Univ. -- Paleogene Topography of the Gunnison Basin
December 17, 2014 Speaker --Ed Baltzer-GJGS President -- Measuring and Dating Fault Displacements on the Lemhi Fault, Idaho.

RECENT PAST GJGS SPEAKERS

Grand Junction Geological Society