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Geology News
Montana Current Events

The-Vug.com has a photo display of the Montana Moss Agate case by Brooks Britt from the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. This is one of several mineral exhibit competition cases that they feature as articles on their website.

If you collect minerals they note mineral dealer website updates on their homepage.

Montana State University researchers have identified numerous types of pollution in the Ganges River of India. Their work has been reported to the Indian Supreme Court in support of renewed efforts to clean up the river.

Although the recent USGS report on Bakken Formation Oil did not give details for Saskatchewan, the rock unit and an oil production potential extends northwest from the active areas in Montana and North Dakota.

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered volumes of 3.65 billion barrels of oil, 1.85 trillion cubic feet of associated/dissolved natural gas, and 148 million barrels of natural gas liquids in the Bakken Formation of the Williston Basin Province, Montana and North Dakota.

The Bakken shale formation in North Dakota and Montana could yield up to 4.3 billion barrels of oil in the near future. This estimate is not the amount contained in the shale - it is just the amount that could be extracted using current technology. Industry officials believe that North Dakota will set a new record for oil production this year.

USGS Fact Sheet on Bakken Formation Oil

The National Teachers Enhancement Network has several online courses for Spring 2008. These courses are designed for practicing teachers and integrate content knowledge with teaching strategies. Courses in astronomy, environmental science, microbiology, physics, soil science and water quality still have availability. Students earn graduate credit through Montana State University. I have completed two N10 courses and found them to be a productive use of my time.

The Elm Coulee Field is located in Richland County, Montana and the western Williston Basin. The field is being developed with horizontal production wells into a dolomite unit that is about 9000 feet below surface. This story gives some insight into the field’s discovery.

Montana has a new geologic map, the first one since 1955. It was compiled by staff of the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology using data from hundreds of sources. The new map is 50×80 inches in size and features the state at a scale of 1:500,000. You can get one in glossy finish, matte or digital at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology website.

A footprint found in Montana’s Hell Creek formation could have been made by a Tyrannosaurus rex about 65 million years ago. Based upon the shape and size of the print, researchers are confident that it was made by either Tyronnosaurus rex or by Nanotyrannus.

Montana has unveiled sixteen road signs that point out features of geological significance and explain them. These signs were inspired by Donald Hyndman’s “Roadside Geology of Montana”. Sixteen additional locations have been selected to receive a sign. The Roadside Geology Series is a collection of books that provide introductory-level explanations and road logs for a number of US states. More about the Roadside Geology Series.

A new species of ceratopsian dinosaur has been discovered in Montana. It is thought to be a long sought link between the dinosaurs of Asia and those of North America.

USBM Image

Nels Peterson of Montana State University is developing methods to use LIDAR (light detection and ranging) that will produce a three dimensional computer model of dinosaur bones as they are excavated. This will provide valuable information about the animal’s resting place and perhaps some detail about how it lived or died.

USBM Image

From the article: “His methods have upset numerous academics, but Larson has become the world’s most successful dealer in the bones of Tyrannosaurus rex and countless other prehistoric specimens retrieved from the great western plains of Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota. Ten years after his release from a federal prison when he fought off damaging allegations of bone-stealing, Larson is riding a new palaeontology boom.”

Montana State University is offering a number of online courses to help K-12 teachers with their professional development efforts. There are a few earth science courses this time: Earth System Science, Oceanography, Weather, Global Climate Change, and Soil Science. I took Steve Custer’s Electronic Hydrology course in the early years of this program and learned a lot about SNOTEL.

USGS Image

USGS has published: Reported Historic Asbestos Mines, Historic Asbestos Prospects, and Natural Asbestos Occurrences in the Rocky Mountain States of the United States (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming). USGS Open File Report 2007-1182 can be downloaded as a PDF document.

NASA Image

Earth Observatory has an interesting satellite image of hail damage to crops along the Milk River in Montana. A June 16th storm pelted the area with hailstones up to eight centimeters (three inches) in diameter. Their website shows before and after images. The hail damage appears on the “after” image as an area with a lack of vegetation.