* Joe Bardswich – Moss Gold Mine
* Jerry Aiken and Matt Monte – Holbrook Potash Mine
* David Newlin – community response to potash mining at Holbrook
* Niemuth – mining news
* Kim Patten and Christy Caudill – National Geothermal Data System
“In this report we briefly review the geology of the Mancos Shale in Arizona and consider its potential to yield hydrocarbons with horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.” Quoted from the Arizona Geological Survey document repository.
A diversity of gemstones are produced in the United States. However, the $11 million per year in domestic production is tiny compared to the $23.5 billion that are imported.
Raven Maps are beautiful examples of shaded-relief wall maps that display the elevation of a state in vibrant colors. These large maps look great in a classroom, den or office. Use one to mark the locations of your work or company.
Since 1972 the “Roadside Geology” series has provided introductory information on the geology of states and small regions of the United States.
The books provide a combination of maps, travel logs, photos and commentary for the geology that can be seen along highways or visited at parks and public viewing areas. They are popular with geologists, teachers, students and others who are interested in the Earth.
Geology.com and RockTumbler.com are both GeoShops.com websites.
Lots of people enjoy going to fee mining sites where you can prospect inactive surface mines, mine tailings, soil, sediments or outcrops and keep any rocks, gems, minerals or fossils that you find. Examples include: Herkimer Diamond Mines where you can search for doubly-terminated quartz crystals, and Crater of Diamonds where you might be lucky enough to find a real diamond.
The Arizona Geological Survey published a mineral resource evaluation for the proposed Arizona Sonoran Desert Heritage Area in western Maricopa County.
The next Arizona Mining Review features an interview with Dorothy Kosich of MineWeb.com on the potential impact of the proposed Obama budget, and discussion with economist Dr. Kent Hill of Arizona State University on the economic impact of mining on Arizona. Also, a geologist from the Utah Geological Survey will discuss the recent landslide at the Bingham Canyon Mine.
Watch it online on Friday at 10:00-10:30 AM MST-PDT. A video of the program will be available online if you can’t watch at that time.
“A new video from the U.S. Geological Survey illustrates Lake Mead’s healthy and robust ecosystem and the aquatic science research and monitoring that happens on the lake.” Quoted from the USGS video release.
Arizona Mining Review is a live, online video magazine from the Arizona Geological Survey exploring and reviewing mining in Arizona — its challenges and successes. From potash to copper to gold, from mineral exploration to policy development, tune in to see experts from industry, academia, research, and politics discuss the current state and future of mining in Arizona.
You can view the next program live on Wednesday, March 27th at 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM MST or view archive programs at any time.
Scoria is a dark-colored igneous rock with abundant gas vesicles. It is used to make lightweight concrete and as a landscape aggregate. Nature uses it as the construction material for cinder cones.
The Tucson Citizen has an article about sinkholes in Arizona. Like in Florida, karst features in Arizona can develop over limestone, but gypsum and salt can also support karst topography.
Publications from the Arizona Geological Survey include:
The Arizona Geology Blog has an interesting post about how potash deposits in the Holbrook Basin of Arizona have been valued. A Google search shows that Holbrook Basin potash has been frequently discussed on the blog.
The folks at MyTopo.com are now printing supersized topo maps; large enough make a huge 8′ x 5′ (or 5′ x 8′) map that will look fantastic on the wall of your office, conference room, lobby, cabin or den. These maps are custom-centered on any location that you pick using their online map-making tool.
We are affiliates of MyTopo.com and receive a commission on sales.
“Kinder Morgan hit an unexpected ‘gusher’ of carbon dioxide reportedly from fractures in granite in the St. John’s CO2-helium field in eastern Arizona.”
… And if you don’t believe that… they are going to pipeline it to New Mexico and West Texas! (Quote from the Arizona Geology Blog.)
Last month the Arizona Geological Survey published a new Geologic Map of Petrified Forest National Park. Instead of charging people $25 or more as geological surveys have traditionally done for a paper map, AZGS made it available for free downloading on their website. The result was 1100 downloads in a couple of weeks. It might have taken years or decades to “sell” that many maps.
Now anybody anywhere can learn about petrified forest geology at any time without charge as long as they can use an internet connection. Isn’t this a great way to fulfill the duties of a geological survey?
Divide project costs by the number of people who will be educated by a downloadable product and compare that to print publication. Which will have a lower cost per person educated?
Lee Allison reports on two proposed underground potash mines in Arizona. One could employ the longwall mining method that has a long history of use in underground coal mines.
The Arizona Geological Survey has released a new Geologic Map of Petrified Forest National Park. The map is accompanied by a booklet that contains information about the geologic setting of the Park, its historical geology, stratigraphy, descriptions of mapped rock units and macrofossil occurrences.
The Arizona Geological Survey is celebrating its 125th anniversary with photos of the day, field trips, an Arizonamining review and much more. Hundreds of geoscientists have contributed to the production of more than 1,000 geologic products – maps, reports, geologic hazard assessments, and other valuable products.
This video provides an overview of the 2013 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show – one of many mineral shows that will be held in Tucson in January and February. The VisitTucson.com website had a large listing of shows.
Petrified Forest National Park is the most famous location in the world for observing petrified wood. It is one of several government and private parks in the United States that feature petrified wood.
This is not a brand new publication, however, USGS has a nice .pdf map of the Grand Canyon that can be used for online reference and for student projects. It can be viewed online, printed on a plotter and cropped with a graphics program to create printed hand-outs. The title is: “Geologic Map of the Grand Canyon 30′ x 60′ Quadrangle, Coconino and Mohave Counties, Northwestern Arizona“.
“For over 150 years, geologists have debated how and when one of the most dramatic features on our planet—the Grand Canyon—was formed. New data unearthed by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) builds support for the idea that conventional models, which say the enormous ravine is 5 to 6 million years old, are way off.” Quoted from the California Institute of Technology press release.
“Once buried under detritus eroded from the uplifted Santa Catalina Mountains, the Pirate fault is currently being exhumed by the downcutting Cañada del Oro and its tributaries. [...] This field examination reveals the fault to have left a sparse but diverse collection of remains implying a varied history of fault development and evolution.” Quoted from the publication press release.
The U.S. Forest Service has a potential geologist / minerals administrator job opportunity at Coronado National Forest.
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Homeowners Insurance usually does not cover damage caused by floods, landslides, earthquakes and other geohazards.
Frac Sand is a high-purity silica sand used in hydraulic fracturing to enhance the flow of oil and gas from tight rock units.
Diamonds from Coal? Diamonds form under a variety of conditions that rarely involve coal as a source of carbon.
Fluorescent Minerals glow with spectacular colors when illuminated in the dark with an ultraviolet lamp.
Helium is a byproduct of the natural gas industry. Its most important use is in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.
Canada Diamond Mines: Canada is the third largest producer of gem-quality diamonds in the world.
Utica Shale: New wells in eastern Ohio prove that the Utica Shale will be a major source of natural gas and natural gas liquids.
Spectacular Fossils of the Green River Formation. Some of the world's best-preserved fossil fish from an intermountain lake.
Opals: Gem quality opal is one of the most spectacular gemstones. A single stone can flash with every color of the spectrum.
