NOVEMBER

MEETING

Join us Tuesday, November 25, 2014

at the Fernbank Museum of Natural

History, 760 Clifton Road NE,

Atlanta GA. The meeting social

starts at 6:30 pm. This month the

speaker is our own Nils W.

Thompson, P.G., CPG, a Principal

Consultant with Environmental

Resources Management (ERM). His

presentation will be: Groundwater

Resources for the Georgia Mining

Industry. The abstrace and Speaker’s

Bio are on the next page.

Our sponsor for Tuesday evening’s

meeting is Premier Drilling of

Loganville, GA. Please read their

information in the following pages.

Please come and enjoy the social

time, pay your dues if necessary,

talk with our generous sponsor and

learn from an interesting

presentation.

Next meeting of the Atlanta Geological Society is

November 25, 2014

Fernbank Museum of Natural History (Clifton Road)

Social begins at 6:30 pm – Meeting begins at 7:00 pm

November 2014

Atlanta Geological Society Newsletter

ODDS AND ENDS Once again dear members, we are into that

’annual’ time of year. Soon, we will be into the

annual Holiday season. We have just gone

through our annual dry spell during October

and early November which has been

convincenly brought to a close with an all day

rain event. The AGS is wrapping up another

year and that means it is time for our annual

election of officers. Next Tuesday, during the

business portion of our meeting, we will have

elections. At last word, there is not a candidate

for the post of Vice-President. Please consider

providing your support to the Society and

please show up for the vote on Tuesday.

Inside these pages you’ll find an update to the

Rosetta satellite and the successful comet

landing pod, Philae, as well as an image of

Jupiter’s moon Europa. In more down to earth

topics, there’s gems and geology in Sri Lanka,

declining groundwater resevior, an amazing

fossil and a press release (Page 16) about the

expansion of Fernbank Museum.

Having recently spoken with high school

freshmen and Cub Scouts about geology, I

wonder if I had planted at least one seed that

will take root. Christmas is coming up.

Consider some geology themed presents for

your nieces and nephews. Goodness knows,

your kids have had that in spades already.

Ben Bentkowski, Newsletter Editor

Page 2 AGS NOVEMBER 2014

Abstract: “Groundwater Resources for the Georgia Mining Industry” will focus

on the occurrence of groundwater throughout the state and will answer questions

about how the Georgia minerals processing and aggregates industries can better

deal with too much or too little groundwater using a sustainable approach.

About the Speaker: Nils Thompson is a professional geologist and principal

hydrogeologist at Environmental Resources Management (ERM) in Atlanta. He

has B.S. and M.S. degrees in geology and has been an environmental consultant

for over 27 years. In addition, Mr. Thompson is a registered professional geologist

in 14 states including Georgia. His responsibilities include project management

and technical direction for the mining and metals/mineral processing industries

(e.g., aluminum, copper, graphite, kaolin, lead, magnesium, nickel, perlite, talc,

vermiculite, aggregate rock, etc.). Mr. Thompson’s area of expertise focuses on

groundwater supply development, open pit dewatering, contaminated soil and

groundwater investigations and cleanups, facility closure planning and budgeting,

EHS compliance audits, geotechnical investigations, due diligence assessments,

and permitting of mines, water withdrawals, and industrial discharges. He can be

reached at Nils.Thompson@erm.com or at (770) 910-5645.

http://geology.com/stories/13/volcanic-explosivity-index/

AGS NOVEMBER 2014 Page 3

Editor’s note: The following are a few brief exepts from an article about Sri Lanka in the

Gemological Institure of America’s Gems and Gemology magazine. Please follow the link for a

very comprehensive article, don’t be satified with a few pretty pictures.

SRI LANKA:

EXPEDITION TO THE

ISLAND OF JEWELS

Peer Reviewed Article

Author: Andrew Lucas, Armil Sammoon, A. P. Jayarajah, Tao Hsu, and Pedro Padua http://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/fall-2014-sri-lanka-expedition-island-of-jewels

ABSTRACT : In February 2014, the authors explored Sri Lanka’s entire mine-to-market

gemstone and jewelry industry. The team visited numerous mining, cutting, trading, jewelry

manufacturing, and retail centers representing each sector and witnessed a dynamic blend of

traditional and increasingly modern practices. Centuries of tradition as a colored gemstone

mining, trading, and cutting source now converge with the technologies, skill sets, and

strategies of today’s global market.

_______

Sri Lanka is one of the meccas of gemology. Few sources, especially among active localities,

can match its rich history as a gem producer and trade center. As Sri Lanka takes its place in

today’s gem and jewelry industry, the gemologist can observe a combination of traditional

methods and modern technologies as well as new business strategies for a highly competitive

market.

What appear to be primitive practices are often highly efficient and well suited to the task.

While most of the mining enterprises are small operations using simple hand tools, these allow

for continuous mining, employ a large workforce, and are less damaging to the environment.

Cutting is another sector where traditional techniques still prevail, providing excellent initial

orientation of the rough crystal for maximum face-up color and weight retention. At the same

time, highly skilled recutting in Sri Lanka is achieving international market standards of

proportions, symmetry, and brightness. Fine precision cutting to tight tolerances on modern

lapidary equipment is being applied to calibrated goods that meet the strictest requirements,

including those of the watch industry.

Page 4 AGS NOVEMBER 2014

The island of Sri Lanka has been blessed with some of the richest gem deposits on the planet.

Metamorphism generated by a series of mountain-building events resulted in the gem wealth

we see today. Before the well-known Pangaea, there were several supercontinents in Earth’s

early history. The assembly and breakup cycles of these supercontinents are the engines that

formed most of the world’s gem deposits (figure A-1), and some of these events are closely

related to gem formation in Sri Lanka.

Nearly nine-tenths of Sri Lanka is underlain by high-grade metamorphic rocks of Precambrian

age. Neodymium and rubidium-strontium dating (see Milisenda et al., 1988; Kröner and

Williams, 1993) indicate an age between 1,000 and 3,000 million years (Ma). The

supercontinent Rodinia, the predecessor of Pangaea, assembled between 1300 and 900 Ma (Li

et al., 2008), so the protolith of these high-grade metamorphic rocks must have been inherited

from previous supercontinent cycles. McMenamin and McMenamin (1990) considered Rodinia

the “mother” of all subsequent continents. More than 75% of the planet’s landmass at that time

had clustered to form Rodinia, but gigantic size did not translate to stability for the

supercontinent. Due to the thermal insulation caused by the giant landmass, the first breakup

of Rodinia happened at about 750 Ma along the western margin of Laurentia. Rifting between

Amazonia and the southeast margin of Laurentia started at about the same time (Li et al.,

2008). While Rodinia was breaking up, the individual continents of Gondwanaland started to

join together.

AGS NOVEMBER 2014 Page 5

Consistent with the nomenclature

suggested by Cooray (1994), the

Precambrian basement of Sri Lanka can be

divided into four units: the Highland

Complex (HC), the Vijayan Complex (VC),

the Wanni Complex (WC), and the

Kadugannawa Complex (KC). Most of the

gem deposits are located in the HC, which

extends northeast to southwest (figure B-1).

Found within the VC are klippes (island-

like, isolated fragments of an overthrust

rock layer) from the HC. One of Sri Lanka’s

few primary sapphire mines was

accidentally discovered in the Kataragama

klippe (Pannipitiye et al., 2012). The

Highland Complex contains high-grade

metamorphic rocks such as pelitic gneisses,

metaquartzite, marble, and charnockite

gneiss (Cooray, 1994). Rocks in the HC have

the highest grade of metamorphism

(granulite facies), and the complex is

younger than the VC to the east and south.

The contact between these two complexes is

a thrust fault dipping west and northwest,

with the HC on top. This thrust fault is also

a major tectonic boundary interpreted as a

suture zone that marks the final junction

between West and East Gondwanaland at

approximately 550 Ma (Kröner, 1991). The

VC is comprised of migmatites, granitic

gneisses, granitoids, and scattered

metasediments (Cooray, 1994). Lying west

of the HC, the WC contains migmatites,

gneisses, metasediments, and granitoids.

The nature and exact position of the contact

between the WC and HC is still not well

defined (Cooray, 1994). The smaller KC is

within the elongate synformal basins

around Kandy. Hornblende and biotite-

hornblende gneiss are the main rocks in the

KC (Cooray, 1994). Other than these

Precambrian basement units, the northern

and northwestern coasts of the island are

covered by Miocene limestone, Quaternary

red beds and clastic sediments, and recent

sediments (Dissanayake, 1986).

http://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/fall-2014-sri-lanka-

expedition-island-of-jewels Please follow the link for more!

Page 6 AGS NOVEMBER 2014

BENEFITS OF AN AGS MEMBERSHIP

Location – AGS meets at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, which is

a truly awesome facility central to most of our membership.

Cost – AGS membership ($25 general; $10 student) is the most inexpensive

for any geological society in the SE.

Active – AGS holds nine lectures a year and is one of the most active

geological societies in the SE.

AEG – For one of our lectures, AGS co-sponsors with the Association of

Environmental & Engineering Geologists to annually present the “Richard

H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer” while in Atlanta.

PDH – AGS is recognized by Alabama, South Carolina, and other

professional state boards to provide Professional Development Hours for

our lectures, as well as field trips and workshops.

PG Classes – AGS offers nearly monthly Professional Geologist

development training classes in preparation for passing the ASBOG

examinations and has been recognized by the Georgia State Geologist as

enhancing PG test scores for participants.

Free Food – AGS offers free pizza and Coke at all of our regular meetings,

sandwiches and hors d’oeuvres at the Jahns lecture, and a sit-down BBQ

dinner at our June social.

IMAX – As part of the June social, AGS and Fernbank present a free IMAX

movie.

Networking – AGS meetings include professionals, academics, regulators,

and others who all share the same interest in geological sciences.

Resume – AGS membership and even involvement in one of our many

committees will enhance any resume.

Annual membership dues for the Atlanta Geological Society are $25 for

professional membership, $10 for students, and $100 for corporate sponsorship

(which includes up to 4 professional memberships). Please complete

the application form and submit with your payment to the AGS Treasurer.

For further details about membership, please contact the AGS Membership

Chairman – Burton Dixon Dixonburton1@gmail.com

AGS NOVEMBER 2014 Page 7

ROSETTA'S TARGET: COMET 67P/CHURYUMOV-GERASIMENKO - UPDATE

Images taken by the Rosetta spacecraft’s OSIRIS imaging system show the portions of the journey its Philae

comet lander undertook on Nov. 12, as it approached and then rebounded off the surface of comet

67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

The mosaic comprises a series of images captured by OSIRIS’s narrow-angle camera over a 30-minute period

spanning the first touchdown. The images were taken with Rosetta’s OSIRIS narrow-angle camera when the

Rosetta spacecraft was orbiting the comet at about 9.6 miles (15.5 kilometers) from the surface. The images

have a resolution of 11 inches (28 centimeters) per pixel, and the enlarged insets are 56 x 56 feet (17 x 17

meters). The time of each of image is in spacecraft event time and marked on the corresponding insets in

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/UTC).

From lower left to upper right, the inset images show Philae descending toward, and across, the comet before

touchdown. The image taken at 15:43 GMT (7:43 a.m. PST / 9 minutes after Philae first contacted the surface)

confirms that the lander was moving east, as first suggested by the data returned by the CONSERT experiment,

and at a speed of about 1.1 mph (0.5 meters per second).

The final location of Philae is still not known, but the imaging team is confident that combining the CONSERT

ranging data with OSIRIS and navigation camera images from the orbiter and images from near and on the

surface from Philae’s ROLIS and CIVA cameras will soon reveal the lander’s whereabouts.

Page 8 AGS NOVEMBER 2014

Rosetta continues into its full science phase http://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/news/rosetta-continues-its-full-science-phase

19 November 2014

With the Philae lander’s mission complete, Rosetta will now continue its own extraordinary

exploration, orbiting Comet 67P/Churymov–Gerasimenko during the coming year as the

enigmatic body arcs ever closer to our Sun. Last week, ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft delivered its

Philae lander to the surface of the comet for a dramatic touchdown.

The lander’s planned mission ended after about 64 hours when its batteries ran out, but not

before it delivered a full set of results that are now being analysed by scientists across Europe.

Rosetta’s own mission is far from over and the spacecraft remains in excellent condition, with

all of its systems and instruments performing as expected. With the landing performed, all

future trajectories are designed purely with science as the driver, explained Laurence

O’Rourke and Michael Küppers at the Rosetta Science Operations Centre near Madrid, Spain.

“The desire is to place the spacecraft as close as feasible to the comet before the activity

becomes too high to maintain closed orbits,” says Laurence. “This 20 km orbit will be used by

the science teams to map large parts of the nucleus at high resolution and to collect gas, dust

and plasma at increasing activity.”

Planning the science orbits involves two different trajectories: ‘preferred’ and ‘high-activity’.

While the intention is always to fly the preferred path, Rosetta will move to the high-activity

trajectory in the event the comet becomes too active as it heats up. When solar heat activates

the frozen gases on and below the surface, outflowing gas and dust particles will create an

atmosphere around the nucleus, known as the coma.

Rosetta will become the first spacecraft to witness at close quarters the development of a

comet’s coma and the subsequent tail streaming for millions of kilometres into space. Rosetta

will then have to stay further from the comet to avoid the coma affecting its orbit. In addition,

as the comet nears the Sun, illumination on its surface is expected to increase. This may

provide sufficient sunlight for the DLR-operated Philae lander, now in hibernation, to

reactivate, although this is far from certain. Early next year, Rosetta will be switched into a

mode that allows it to listen periodically for beacon signals from the surface.

AGS NOVEMBER 2014 Page 9

PIONEERING PHILAE COMPLETES MAIN MISSION BEFORE HIBERNATION

15 November 2014 http://sci.esa.int/rosetta/54962-pioneering-philae-completes-main-mission-before-hibernation-/

After being out of communication visibility with the lander since 09:58 GMT / 10:58 CET on Friday,

Rosetta regained contact with Philae at 22:19 GMT / 23:19 CET last night. The signal was initially

intermittent, but quickly stabilised and remained very good until 00:36 GMT / 01:36 CET this morning.

In that time, the lander returned all of its housekeeping data, as well as science data from the targeted

instruments, including ROLIS, COSAC, Ptolemy, SD2 and CONSERT. This completed the measurements

planned for the final block of experiments on the surface.

In addition, the lander's body was lifted by about 4 cm and rotated about 35° in an attempt to receive

more solar energy. But as the last science data fed back to Earth, Philae's power rapidly depleted.

“It has been a huge success, the whole team is delighted,” said Stephan Ulamec, lander manager at the

DLR German Aerospace Agency, who monitored Philae’s progress from ESA’s Space Operations Centre in

Darmstadt, Germany, this week.

“Despite the unplanned series of three touchdowns, all of our instruments could be operated and now it's

time to see what we've got.”

Against the odds – with no downwards thruster and with the automated harpoon system not having

worked – Philae bounced twice after its first touchdown on the comet, coming to rest in the shadow of a

cliff on Wednesday 12 November.

The search for Philae's final landing site continues, with high-resolution images from the orbiter being

closely scrutinised. Meanwhile, the lander has returned unprecedented images of its surroundings.

While descent images show that the surface of the comet is covered by dust and debris ranging from

millimetre to metre sizes, panoramic images show layered walls of harder-looking material. The science

teams are now studying their data to see if they have sampled any of this material with Philae's drill.

“We still hope that at a later stage of the mission, perhaps when we are nearer to the Sun, that we might

have enough solar illumination to wake up the lander and re-establish communication,” added Stephan.

From now on, no contact will be possible unless sufficient sunlight falls on the solar panels to generate

enough power to wake it up. The possibility that this may happen later in the mission was boosted when

mission controllers sent commands to rotate the lander's main body with its fixed solar panels. This

should have exposed more panel area to sunlight.

The next possible communication slot begins on 15 November at about 10:00 GMT / 11:00 CET. The

orbiter will listen for a signal, and will continue doing so each time its orbit brings it into line-of-sight

visibility with Philae. However, given the low recharge current coming from the solar panels at this time, it

is unlikely that contact will be re-established with the lander in the near future.

Page 10 AGS NOVEMBER 2014

The puzzling, fascinating surface of Jupiter's icy moon Europa looms large in this

newly-reprocessed color view, made from images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft in the

late 1990s. This is the color view of Europa from Galileo that shows the largest portion of the

moon's surface at the highest resolution. To create this new version, the images were

assembled into a realistic color view of the surface that approximates how Europa would

appear to the human eye.

The scene shows the stunning diversity of Europa's surface geology. Long, linear cracks and

ridges crisscross the surface, interrupted by regions of disrupted terrain where the surface ice

crust has been broken up and re-frozen into new patterns.

Color variations across the surface are associated with differences in geologic feature type and

location. For example, areas that appear blue or white contain relatively pure water ice, while

reddish and brownish areas include non-ice components in higher concentrations. The polar

regions, visible at the left and right of this view, are noticeably bluer than the more equatorial

latitudes, which look more white. This color variation is thought to be due to differences in ice

grain size in the two locations.

Images taken through near-infrared, green and violet filters have been combined to produce

this view. The images have been corrected for light scattered outside of the image, to provide a

color correction that is calibrated by wavelength. Gaps in the images have been filled with

simulated color based on the color of nearby surface areas with similar terrain types.This global

color view consists of images acquired by the Galileo Solid-State Imaging (SSI) experiment on

the spacecraft's first and fourteenth orbits through the Jupiter system, in 1995 and 1998,

respectively. Image scale is 2 miles (1.6 kilometers) per pixel. North on Europa is at right.

Additional information about Galileo and its discoveries is available on the Galileo mission

home page at http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/galileo/. More information about Europa is available

athttp://solarsystem.nasa.gov/europa. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA19048

AGS NOVEMBER 2014 Page 11

Mind-Blowing Fossil Preserves Tiny Horse Carrying Unborn Foal

By Kate Wong | November 11, 2014

BERLIN: The former oil shale mining site of Messel, near Frankfurt, Germany, is well known for

its spectacular fossils of organisms that lived between 47 million and 48 million years ago, during

the Eocene epoch. But a fossil of the early horse speciesEurohippus messelensis, described at this

year’s Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting in Berlin, stands out even in that illustrious

company.

The tiny specimen—full grown, Eurohippus was about the size of a modern fox terrier–preserves a

mare and her unborn foal (circled in the image above) in exquisite detail, with many of the bones in

anatomical position. Also visible are parts of the uterus, including the placenta and the so-called

broad ligament that attaches the uterus to the mare’s lumbar vertebrae and helps support the

fetus. The soft tissue is not preserved directly, but as images formed by the petrification of

bacteria that replaced the soft tissue when the animals died.

Comparing the fossil to the known phases of fetal development and birth in modern horses, Jens

Lorenz Franzen of the Senckenberg Research Institute and his colleagues determined that the

mare did not die during birth. The fetus was nearly at term when the pair died, but it was still

facing upside down rather than having rotated into the right side up birth position.

The exact cause of death of the mare and foal is unknown. But like many of the animals at Messel,

they may well have perished from asphyxiation when ancient Lake Messel belched up a cloud of

noxious carbon dioxide gas, as it did from time to time as a result of volcanic activity.

Follow the

Link!

http://blog

s.scientific

american.c

om/observ

ations/201

4/11/11/mi

nd-

blowing-

fossil-

preserves-

tiny-horse-

carrying-

unborn-

foal/

Page 12 AGS NOVEMBER 2014

Earth’s Disappearing Groundwater

November 5th, 2014 by Adam Voiland http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/earthmatters/2014/11/05/earths-disapearing-groundwater/

Maybe you have heard people call Earth “the water planet.” The nickname is well-deserved. As this

mosaic of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on

the Terra satellite conveys so well, the majority of Earth’s surface is covered by either liquid or frozen

water. The atmosphere is awash with water as well. One satellite-based data set estimates that about 60

percent of Earth’s surface is covered by clouds (composed of water and ice droplets) at any given time.

Earth is home to yet another type of water—groundwater—which includes all the fresh water stored

underground in soil and porous rock aquifers. Though groundwater is often forgotten because it’s not

visible, more than two billion people rely on it as their primary water source.

With drought afflicting several parts of the world, and with aggressive use of groundwater in many

agricultural regions, this precious water resource is under serious strain, warns NASA Jet Propulsion

Laboratory hydrologist James Famiglietti. In a commentary published by Nature Climate Change in

October 2014, Famiglietti wrote:

In many parts of the world, in particular in the dry, mid-latitudes, far more water is used than is

available on an annual, renewable basis. Precipitation, snowmelt, and streamflow are no longer enough

to supply the multiple, competing demands for society’s water needs. Because the gap between supply

and demand is routinely bridged with non-renewable groundwater, even more so during drought,

groundwater supplies in some major aquifers will be depleted in a matter of decades. The myth of

limitless water and the free-for-all mentality that has pervaded groundwater use must now come to an

end.

AGS NOVEMBER 2014 Page 13

Earth’s Disappearing Groundwater (cont.)

The situation is looking particularly grim in California, a state currently suffering from extreme

drought. The extent of the drought is visible in the series of GRACE maps of dry season

(September-November) water storage anomalies shown below. Red areas show the height of the

water in comparison to a 2005-2010 average. California’s Sacramento and San Joaquin river

basins have lost roughly 15 cubic kilometers (4 cubic miles) of total water per year since 2011 —

more water than all 38 million Californians use for domestic and municipal supplies annually.

Over half of the water losses are due to groundwater pumping in the Central Valley, according to

Famiglietti. Image by Felix Landerer, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

______________________________________________________________________________________

From “I F’ing Love Science” http://www.iflscience.com/

Page 14 AGS NOVEMBER 2014

Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear Opens September 27, 2014

Are you curious about coulrophobia? Paranoid about pyrophobia? Avidly avoiding aviophobia?

Fear is a universal emotion. Regardless of what scares us, we all share the same biological response to fear. Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear examines the physiological, neurological and sociological aspects of this often misunderstood emotion. Immersive and engaging hands-on activities encourage visitors to experience fear in a safe and enjoyable environment, while also measuring their responses and thinking about what it means to them. Exhibit Highlights

Fear of Animals: Reach inside an opaque box connected to terrariums filled with snakes and other creatures - it's easier said than done.

Fear of Electric Shock: Feel your heart beat faster as you anticipate an electric shock. Faces of Emotion: Identify which facial expressions correspond to our basic emotions and

learn about how we communicate our feelings to others. Facial Recognition: Interact with the Facial Expression Analysis system, a software

program that detects movements of the face and tries to match them to their corresponding emotional expressions.

Freeze Game: Play an immersive put-yourself-in-the-picture video game that transports you to a savannah where you find out how important the freeze response is to survival in the animal kingdom.

Make a Scary Movie: Experiment with different soundtracks and sound effects to create your own scary movie.

_______________________________________________________________________

Winter Wonderland On view November 21 - January 11, 2015

This holiday-inspired exhibition features trees and other displays decorated by local cultural

partners that recognize celebrations including Christmas, Hanukkah and the Festival of Lights, as

well as traditions and practices like origami, indigenous art and national symbols. Learn More

AGS NOVEMBER 2014 Page 15

Now Showing in the Fernbank IMAX movie theater:

Galapagos: Nature’s Wonderland Travel to a paradise like no other. The Galapagos Islands is a wonderland of nature, a

universe of remarkable and unique creatures that learned to survive against all odds

on this volcanic archipelago that is constantly evolving. Meet these fascinating

creatures and learn how they’ve adapted to unique environments in this new giant

screen adventure.

Jerusalem Discover why this tiny piece of land is sacred to three major religions through the

stories of Jewish, Christian and Muslim families who call Jerusalem home.

Unprecedented access to the city's holiest sites and breathtaking aerial footage combine

to make Jerusalem a unique and stunning cinematic experience. Presented in

conjunction with the special exhibition Winter Wonderland.Learn more

Membership Dues Payment Status:

Professional Student Corporate* Complimentary

2003 62 22 5 15

2004 81 3 8 15

2005 26 0 3 16

TOTAL 168 22 14 15

* 14 corporate sponsors with329 of 56

individual memberships in active use

Finances:

The AGS account balance is

growing as we receive new 2005

dues payments, advertising, and

sponsors.

Account Balance

as of January 10,

2005 - $ 8,017.69

Fernbank Museum of Natural History Upcoming Public Programs and Events

(All programs require reservations, including free programs)

Page 16 AGS NOVEMBER 2014

Press Release

Fernbank Museum Announces 75-Acre Expansion

to Visitor Experience ATLANTA, For Release on November 21, 2014

Today, Fernbank Museum of Natural History is announcing significant expansion plans, which

include 75 acres of outdoor experiences. The announcement largely focuses on 10 acres of all-

new outdoor experiences, environments and activities, set to open in summer 2016 along with

expanded access to Fernbank Forest.

The new outdoor adventure experience will occupy the 10 acres of mature woodlands behind the

Museum’s terrace overlook. Fernbank’s expansion will allow visitors to experience the same

level of immersive, fun and engaging programming Fernbank is already known for in a new,

outdoor setting.

The outdoor expansion will offer incredible new experiences for all ages as visitors explore

extraordinary landscapes along with a five-story change in elevation—from dramatic vantage

points high in the trees to footpaths winding through rugged, ever-changing terrain. Experiences

will include dramatic tree pods, imaginative play areas, immersive ground trails, unique sensory

stations, elevated adventure nets, hands-on water cycle activities, a restored wetland, and

“floating” walkways.

“We are thrilled to expand our offerings with this new outdoor attraction. This is a rare

opportunity to connect our visitors with a truly authentic nature experience, right here inside the

city," said Susan Neugent, Fernbank president and CEO. "This is the most significant

development at Fernbank since the Museum opened, and we can’t wait for our visitors to

experience this fun and invigorating encounter with nature."

The new permanent feature highlights Fernbank’s extraordinary environmental legacy, which

began 75 years ago when Trustees organized to preserve Fernbank Forest, one of America’s

largest old-growth urban forests. The outdoor adventure area will open in conjunction with

increased access to the 65-acre forest.

Construction for the outdoor adventurewill not impact Fernbank Forest, where the Museum is currently

leading a research-based restoration that includes removal of more than 45 harmful invasive species and

restoration of many native species that have largely disappeared.

Fernbank’s outdoor expansion will be included with museum admission at no extra charge and

will be free for Museum Members. To learn more about the Fernbank Forest restoration and the

upcoming experience, visit www.fernbankmuseum.org.

AGS NOVEMBER 2014 Page 17

AGS Committees

AGS Publications: Allison Keefer

Phone (404) 657-8642

allison_keefer@dnr.state.ga.us

Career Networking/Advertising: Todd Roach

Phone (770) 242-9040, Fax (770) 242-8388

tdr@piedmontdrilling.com

Continuing Education: Currently Open

Fernbank Liaison: Chris Bean

Phone (404) 929-6313 Chris.bean@fernbankmuseum.org

Field Trips: Open

Georgia PG Registration: Ken Simonton

Phone: 404-825-3439

kws876@gmail.com

John Salvino, P.G.

johnsalvino@bellsouth.net

Teacher Grants: Bill Waggener

Phone (404)354-8752

waggener80@yahoo.com

Hospitality: Currently open

And in need of a volunteer or two.

Membership Burton Dixon

Dixonburton1@gmail.com

Social Media Coordinator: Carina O’Bara

carina_do@yahoo.com

Newsletter Editor

Ben Bentkowski

Phone (404) 562-8507,(770) 296-2529

BBENTKOW@gmail.com

Web Master: Kathaleen Bentkowski

kathaleen770@gmail.com

www.atlantageologicalsociety.org

AGS 2014 Meeting Dates

Listed below are the planned meeting

dates for 2014 and 2015. Please mark

your calendar and make plans to attend.

November AGS meeting

November 25, 2014

December No meeting, No P.G. Study

Class Enjoy the Holidays!

2015 Meeting Dates January P.G. Study Class

January 31, 2015

January AGS meeting

January 27, 2015

February AGS meeting

February 24, 2015

February P.G. Study Class

February 28, 2015

AGS Officers

President: Nils Thompson

nils.thompson@erm.com

Phone (678) 486-2766

Vice-President: Cassidy Sutherland

Phone (770) 492-8230

Cassidy_sutherland@golder.com

Secretary: Rob White

Phone (770) 891-0519

robeth@bellsouth.net

Treasurer: Shannon George

Phone (717)-343-4452

shannonsgeorge@gmail.com

shannonsgeorge@gmail.com

Page 18 AGS NOVEMBER 2014

ATLANTA GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

www.atlantageologicalsociety.org

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FORM

Please print the required details and check the appropriate membership box.

DATE:

NAME:___________________ _

ORGANIZATION:____________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE (1): TELEPHONE (2):

EMAIL (1): EMAIL (2):

STUDENT $10

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP $25

CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP $100 (Includes 4 professional members, please list names and emails below)

NAME: EMAIL:

NAME: EMAIL:

NAME: EMAIL:

NAME: EMAIL:

For further details, contact the AGS Treasurer: shannonsgeorge@gmail.com

.

Please make checks payable to the “Atlanta Geological Society” and remit with the completed form to:

Atlanta Geological Society

c/o Golder Associates

Attn: Shannon George

3730 Chamblee Tucker Road

Atlanta, GA 30341

CASH

CHECK (CHECK NUMBER: .)