Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology …Nevada’s state geological survey

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Public Safety: Earthquakes, Floods, and other Geologic Hazards

Mineral Deposits: Knowledge for the Mining Industry

Geothermal and Oil: Knowledge for an Energy-Sustainable Future

Public Outreach and Benefits: Field Trips and Workshops

Awards and Honors

New Faces at NBMG

Connect with NBMG

NBMG Information Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2MVieeukNg&feature=youtu.be

www.nbmg.unr.edu

Work done by NBMG scientists in 2014 promotes public safety, a renewable energy future, and knowledge for the mining industry to strengthen Nevada’s economy.

The Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology conducts cutting-edge, societally relevant science that fosters economic development and public safety and involves training of the next generation of geoscientists. Major projects include earthquake hazard studies in the nation's third most seismically active state, mineral and geothermal resource assessments, and regional tectonic studies of Nevada's rapidly evolving landscape. (Produced in cooperation with WebsEdge).

This summary sheet only includes publications in the official Bureau series (Bulletins, Maps, Open-File Reports, etc.). NBMG scientists published many other maps and articles, and the complete listings are on our website at http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/.

Map 182: Geologic map of the Minden quadrangle, Douglas County, Nevada and Alpine County, California, by Alan R. Ramelli, James C. Yount, David A. John, and Larry J. Garside (2014) A 1:24,000-scale, color geologic map of the Minden 7.5-minute quadrangle in Douglas County, Nevada and Alpine County, California with descriptions of 37 geologic units and two cross sections. Accompanying text includes full unit descriptions and references. This quadrangle includes portions of the Genoa fault, which ruptured in a major earthquake several hundred years ago. The Minden quadrangle also includes extensive deposits of the Carson River; understanding the distribution of these deposits helps in assessing flood hazards for populated areas in the Carson Valley. Open-File Report 2013-12: Evidence for high contemporary slip rates along the Eglington fault, Clark County, Nevada, by Craig M. dePolo, Wanda J. Taylor, and James E. Faulds (2013, released 2-14-14) The Eglington fault in northern Las Vegas Valley is an unusual fault in that it is expressed as a faulted warp at the surface and accommodated a large vertical surface offset (10-14 m) in latest Pleistocene sediments relative to its short length of 11 km. Coupled with a competing hydro-compaction hypothesis for faults within the Las Vegas Valley, the earthquake hazard of the Eglington fault has been poorly understood and likely underrepresented. Radiocarbon dates from faulted sediments in the area indicate that the vertical displacement across the fault has occurred in the last ~22 kyr (thousand years). A preferred vertical fault slip rate of 0.6 m/kyr, and range of 0.25 to 0.9 m/kyr, are estimated using available

Cline home, June 1, 1983. Photographs show damage caused by Ophir Creek flood. Photograph by Patrick A. Glancy from Landslide-Induced Flooding at Ophir Creek, Washoe County, Western Nevada, May 30, 1983: USGS Prof. Paper 1617, by Patrick A. Glancy (USGS) and John W. Bell (NBMG), page 41. New! Preliminary Geologic Map of the Mount Rose Quadrangle, Washoe County,

Nevada (map includes portion of Ophir Creek)

data. How single event displacements are manifested along the Eglington fault and what the size of those displacements might be is not known, generating uncertainty in estimating the potential earthquake recurrence interval for the fault. Open-File Report 14-4: Preliminary geologic map of the Terrill Mountains quadrangle, Churchill and Mineral counties, Nevada, by Chad W. Carlson (2014) The Terrill Mountains 7.5-minute quadrangle is located about 45 km south of Fallon and incorporates the bulk of the Terrill Mountains, southern Calico Hills, northwest Red Ridge, and part of the Rawhide Flats valley just east of U.S. Highway 95. The Terrill Mountains quadrangle has significant relevance to understanding the evolving tectonic framework of the region, as it straddles a major domain boundary in the Walker Lane. The Walker Lane is a belt of strike-slip faults that accommodates ~20% of the North American–Pacific plate motion and is related to the San Andreas Fault. The quadrangle contains several major Quaternary faults capable of producing large earthquakes as well as the Camp Terrill mining district. The detailed mapping of the Terrill Mountains quadrangle, completed through the EDMAP component of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey, has provided a robust foundation for ongoing and future structural, paleomagnetic, and geochronologic investigations in the region.

Chad Carlson won first place in the 2014 Student Geologic Map Competition at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Vancouver on October 21, 2014 for his Geologic Map of the Terrill Mountains, Western Nevada (Ph.D. student, advisor: Jim Faulds, NBMG). Open-File Report 2014-07: Preliminary geologic map of the Mount Rose quadrangle, Washoe County, Nevada, by Nicholas H. Hinz, Alan R. Ramelli, and James E. Faulds (2014) A 1:24,000-scale, preliminary geologic map of the Mount Rose 7.5-minute quadrangle in Washoe County, Nevada. This quadrangle straddles the northern Carson Range directly north of Lake Tahoe and includes much of Incline Village, the Mount Rose Highway, three north Lake Tahoe ski areas, part of the Tahoe Rim Trail, Mount Rose proper, and numerous major tributary drainages to the Truckee River and Lake Tahoe. Mapping of this quadrangle has important implications for understanding earthquake and landslide hazards in the Reno–Carson City–Lake Tahoe region. The bedrock exposures in the quadrangle consist of Mesozoic crystalline basement and Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The Tertiary section includes a complex section of lavas, intrusions, and volcanic sedimentary rocks. Much of these volcanic and sedimentary rocks were derived from a Miocene ancestral Cascades volcanic center in the northwest quarter of this quadrangle. Principle surficial deposits include late Pliocene to modern alluvial fan and fluvial deposits, Quaternary glacial deposits, and late Quaternary mass wasting deposits. Notable deep-seated landslide complexes reside in the Whites Creek, Gray Creek, and First Creek drainages. The Tertiary section is cut by a system of north-northwest to north-northeast-striking normal and dextral-normal faults with both down-to-west and down-to-east sense of displacement, kinematically linked with a system of northeast to east-northeast-striking sinistral-normal faults. Detailed mapping of Quaternary fault scarps associated with the Incline Village fault zone benefited greatly from publicly available, high-resolution LiDAR data for the Tahoe basin.

Educational Series 54: Nevada active mines and energy producers, by John L. Muntean and David A. Davis (2014)

Site locations and information on this map were obtained from a variety of published and non-published sources with the last updates made in December 2013. All sites shown on this map have had some form of production activity during 2012 and 2013. This reduced-size map does not include the mining district names shown on OF14-1, second edition. This map was prepared in cooperation with the Nevada Division of Minerals. MI-2012: The Nevada mineral industry 2012 (released 2014) Starting in 1979, NBMG has issued annual reports that describe mineral, geothermal, and oil-gas activities and accomplishments in Nevada, and include statistics of known gold and silver deposits (177 pages). This report provides summaries of all active mines, geothermal power plants and exploration, and oil-gas exploration and production in the state. Open-File Report 2014-01: Nevada active mines and energy producers (second edition), by John L. Muntean and David A. Davis (2014) Site locations and information on this map were obtained from a variety of published and non-published sources with the last updates made in December 2013. All sites shown on this map have had some form of production activity during 2012 and 2013. The second edition includes the names of the mining districts which were only shown as a symbol marking the center of the district on the first edition map. Open-File Report 2014-03: An updated mineral and energy resource assessment of the Desert National Wildlife Range, Clark and Lincoln counties, Nevada, by John Muntean, Nick Hinz, Tim Cramer, David Davis, Greg Dering, and Chris Sladek (2014) In March 2013, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) contracted the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG) to update the mineral and energy resource assessment of the Desert National Wildlife Range (DNWR). The first such assessment of the DNWR was completed by NBMG in January of 1993, and was published as NBMG Open-File Report 93-2, Energy and Mineral Resource Assessment of the Desert National Wildlife Range, Eastern Section, Clark and Lincoln Counties, Nevada. That assessment covered approximately 740,000 acres managed by USFWS east of the Nellis South Range military complex. That assessment was required to withdraw lands within the DNWR from mineral entry. The 2014 report provides an updated assessment of mineral resources in the DNWR, which will furnish important data to extend the period of withdrawal from entry for another 20 years. Open-File Report 2014-08: Preliminary geologic and alteration maps of Lookout Mountain, Ratto Ridge, and Rocky Canyon, southern Eureka mining district, Eureka County, Nevada, by Russell V. Di Fiori, Sean P. Long, John L. Muntean, and Gary P. Edmondo (2014) Identification of favorable structural settings for Carlin-type gold deposits is fundamental for future exploration. In this study, mapping and structural analysis were performed in the southern part of the Eureka mining district in east-central Nevada, in order to understand geometric and temporal relationships between structural systems and Carlin-type mineralization. Geologic and alteration maps at a scale of 1:10,000 of a ~3.5 km (east-west) by ~8 km (north-south) region were generated, along with cross sections that illustrate pre- and post-extensional deformation geometry. This project bridges a gap between recent 1:24,000-scale mapping and <1:500-scale mapping performed in an active mineral exploration campaign. The southern Eureka mining district contains several favorable structural conditions for Carlin-type gold mineralization, including: 1) normal fault systems that predate or are contemporary with late Eocene gold mineralization; 2) complex normal fault interactions in an accommodation zone, including zones of dense fault intersections, antithetic normal faults, and fault-damage zones. These structural conditions were fundamental for generating a network of open-system fluid pathways, which produced an ideal structural architecture for Carlin-type mineralization, and can be used as predictive tools for exploration elsewhere.

Russell Di Fiori won second place in the 2014 Student Geologic Map Competition at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Vancouver on October 21, 2014 for his Geologic Map of the Eureka Mining District, Eastern Nevada (M.S. completed May 2014, advisor: Sean Long, NBMG). Pamphlet P-25: Major mines of Nevada 2013: Mineral industries in Nevada's economy, by Rich Perry and Mike Visher (2014) This twenty-fifth issue of an annual series of reports on the major mines and mills in Nevada lists the names and addresses of operators, numbers of employees, and annual production in 2013. Map locations of all major mines are shown and an overview of mineral production and its effect on Nevada's economy are presented (28 pages).

Open-File Report 2013-10: Preliminary geologic map of the central Lake Range, southern Fox Range, and northern Terraced Hills, Emerson Pass geothermal area, Washoe County, Nevada (second edition), by Ryan B. Anderson, James E. Faulds, and Gregory M. Dering (2014) Detailed geologic mapping and stratigraphic-structural analyses have elucidated the kinematics, stress state, and structural controls of a “blind” geothermal system in Emerson Pass on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Reservation, western Nevada. The Emerson Pass area resides near the boundary of the Basin and Range and Walker Lane provinces of northwestern Nevada, at the northeast end of Pyramid Lake. Strata of the surrounding Fox Range, Lake Range, and Terraced Hills are comprised of late Miocene to Pliocene sedimentary rocks and the middle Miocene Pyramid sequence volcanic rocks, all overlying Cretaceous intrusions and Triassic to Jurassic metasedimentary rocks. The active geothermal system is expressed by a 2-m deep shallow temperature thermal anomaly (maximum ∼60°C) that lies at the western edge of a broad left step at the northeast end of Pyramid Lake between the north- to north-northeast-striking, west-dipping, Fox and Lake Range normal faults. The 2-m temperature surveys have defined a north-south elongate thermal anomaly that resides on a north- to north-northeast-striking normal fault. Additionally, travertine mounds, chalcedonic silica veins, and silica-cemented Pleistocene lacustrine gravels in Emerson Pass indicate a robust geothermal system active at the surface in the recent past, likely the early Holocene. This publication was prepared with support from the U.S. Department of Energy. We thank the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation for access to tribal lands and logistical support throughout the project. Open-File Report 14-6: Preliminary geologic map of Heath Canyon, central Grant Range, Nye County, Nevada, by Sean P. Long (2014) New 1:24,000-scale mapping across the full width of the central Grant Range, in a transect-style map located east of the Grant Canyon and Bacon Flat oil fields in Railroad Valley, provides valuable context for relating the structural style and geometry within the range to the subsurface structure of the oil fields. Sedimentary rocks between Cambrian and Pennsylvanian in age and Eocene to Oligocene sedimentary and volcanic rocks are exposed in the map area. This publication was prepared as part of the STATEMAP component of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey.

CAL2015: Nevada geology calendar 2015, designed by Jack Hursh, Jennifer Vlcan, Chris Henry, and Nick Hinz (2014) This 12-month calendar (January 2015 through December 2015) features a different geologic topic each month: Snow Covered, Lacustrine Sediments, Pahranagat Shear Zone, Sandstone, Natural Arches, Hot Springs, Las Vegas Valley, Metamorphic Rocks, Ruby Mountains, High Alpine, Folded Rock, Black Rock Desert, and Abandoned Mine Safety. It is full of beautiful photos highlighting Nevada’s scenic wonders and also includes interesting facts about Nevada geology that really make you want to go and visit those sites. Educational Series 55: Geo- and eco-mapping around DRI (The great altered rock walking tour), by Jonathan G. Price, Elisabeth M. Price, and Daphne D. LaPointe (2014) This geo- and ecotour around Great Basin Science Sample and Records Library and Desert Research Institute (DRI) is an opportunity to identify and sample local rocks and minerals, see how geologists use the presence of various desert plants to help map the distribution of rocks, and learn about the significance of the local geology. It is designed as an exercise that can be done by students. They can identify several types of rocks and plants, indicate the distribution of the rocks and plants on a map, and discuss why geologists and ecologists make maps. You will be able to collect volcanic rocks and several minerals that are characteristic of the hydrothermal (geothermal) alteration associated with volcanoes that were active in the Reno area about 16 million years ago. You will also be able to describe and recognize many species of plants, several of which grow on acidic soils that form above altered volcanic rocks. See also Educational Series 53 which has an accompanying plant identification guide. This publication was prepared for a Nevada Mining Association Education Committee field trip for teachers. Educational Series 56: Carson rocks! A sesquicentennial celebration of some of our capital city's geological high points, by D.D. LaPointe, Jonathan G. Price, and Winnie Kortemeier (2014) In recognition of Nevada’s 150th birthday, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG) had its 17th annual Earth Science Week public field trip in the hills around Carson City—in order to explore some of the geological features that have made this such an exciting place for people to live and that continue to shape its development today. The theme of National Earth Science Week 2014 was “Earth’s Connected Systems” and participants were encouraged to explore the interactions between Earth’s geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere as we explored several sites on the field trip. More information on National Earth Science Week is available at this website: http://www.earthsciweek.org/materials/index.html We traveled from central Carson City to several sites in and around its outskirts and discussed a wide variety of topics such as earthquake and volcanic hazards, watersheds, water use and planning, mineral resources, weathering and erosion, rockfall hazards, bedrock geology, and geologic history and how these topics have impacted human history in Nevada in general, and regional development in the Carson City area. Along the way, we visited several sites where we examined and collected a variety of interesting rocks that help earth scientists explain the geologic history of the area. The field trip was designed to offer a high-quality field-based Earth science educational experience to all, and provided participating teachers with an array of potential venues for class field trips. Materials and ideas were shared on how to facilitate field-based learning for K-12 classes.

Open House at GBSSRL: First Annual Open House on October 15-16, 2014 The open house was hosted by the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG) at the Great Basin Science Sample and Records Library (GBSSRL). It was an opportunity for the general public to discover Nevada and learn more about our dynamic landscapes and unique geology. Nevada is richly endowed with natural resources and has more gold and geothermal resources than any other state. But our evolving landscapes also make Nevada prone to natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, and landslides. The Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology is the state’s geological survey and charged with assessing our mineral, geothermal, and oil-gas resources while also analyzing natural hazards to mitigate their effects. The GBSSRL houses vast collections of reports and rock and mineral specimens on Nevada’s geology, resources, and geologic hazards. We welcomed the public to our first annual open house on October 15 and 16 to learn more about our unique environment. Informal presentations addressed Nevada’s gold deposits (Nevada is America’s True Golden State), geothermal resources (Why is Nevada in Hot Water), and earthquakes (Nevada is Earthquake Country: How to Protect Life and Property). We will have our second annual open house in October 2015, with details to be announced our website and by UNR in the late summer. Special Publication 38: The Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology: Current and future benefits to the university, the state, and the region, by Subhash B. Bhagwat, Ph.D., M.B.A. (2014) This study was commissioned by the College of Science, University of Nevada Reno (UNR), to assess the benefits of geological research and service by the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG) and to consider future synergies between NBMG and the other geoscience units at UNR, while maintaining the core mission of NBMG. The study involved two steps: 1) review and assess the benefits derived from NBMG’s past geologic research and services, and 2) assess how best to focus available resources in the future. After studying NBMG’s past publications, a questionnaire was sent to over 1,800 users of geologic information in Nevada. The purpose of the campaign was to assess how users perceive the usefulness of geologic research and services of NBMG, both in terms of its quality as well as in monetary terms. The results of the questionnaire are reported in this publication (64 pages). Workshops for teachers: “Since August 1984, the Nevada Division of Minerals and the Nevada Mining Association have co-sponsored annual Earth Science Education Workshops for teachers from throughout Nevada. A summer "Statewide" workshop is held in rural communities near operating mines. A spring workshop is held in Las Vegas, specifically designed for teachers in Southern Nevada. Teachers enrolled in the Earth Science Education Workshops can receive Nevada Department of Education recertification, Professional Development (PDE, School District), or university (UNR or

Open House at GBSSRL: Jennifer Vlcan teaches students how to locate their homes on an earthquake hazard map online.

Open House at GBSSRL: Seth Dee shows a student how to trace a fault on a map.

UNLV) credit.” (NDOM website) D.D. LaPointe (NBMG Research Geologist and Education Specialist, retired) and Jon Price (State Geologist Emeritus, retired) taught classes at these workshops.

Geoff Blewitt: Geoff Blewitt has been awarded the Vening Meinesz Medal for 2015. The medal was established by the European Geosciences Union Division of Geodesy and is the highest award offered in Europe that recognizes distinguished research in Geodesy. The official announcement of the medal recipients was posted on October 13, 2014 at http://www.egu.eu/news/126/egu-announces-2015-awards-and-medals/. A description of the medal and a list of past recipients is given at http://www.egu.eu/awards-medals/vening-meinesz/. Carlson, Di Fiori, Edwards: Three of our current and recent UNR graduate students won “gold, silver, and bronze” (clean sweep) in the 2014 Student Geologic Map Competition at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Vancouver, BC (October 21, 2014): Chad Carlson (Ph.D. student, advisor: Jim Faulds) for 1st place for his Geologic Map of the Terrill Mountains, Western Nevada; Russell Di Fiori (M.S. completed-May 2014, advisor: Sean Long) for 2nd place for his Geologic Map of the Eureka Mining District, Eastern Nevada; Joel Edwards (M.S. completed-May 2013, advisor: Jim Faulds) for 3rd place for his Geologic Map of Neal Hot Springs, Eastern Oregon. All three worked incredibly hard and dedicated many months to generating some very detailed and beautiful maps of some very complex geology. These maps will stand as enormous contributions for many years to come. Our Cartographic/GIS staff helped with the layout and provided technical assistance on the maps. NBMG Cart/GIS group: The Cartography/GIS group of NBMG received a “Special Achievement in GIS” award from the Environmental Systems Research Institute. You can read about this honor in the article linked below: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology’s Cartography and GIS Lab receive Special Achievement award: Community and campus resource nationally recognized (by Annie Conway, Nevada Today, 9/9/2014): http://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2014/cartography-and-gis-lab John Muntean: “Dr. John Muntean was named the Arthur Brant Chair in Exploration Geology. This continues the commitment of the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering and the College of Science to mineral resource discovery, development and production. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Muntean has been a faculty member at the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and Director of the Ralph Roberts Center for Research in Economic Geology. Dr. Muntean will continue to hold these positions while adding the Arthur Brant Chair title.” (from Russ Fields) Bill Hammond: Bill Hammond was elected Secretary of the Geodesy Section, American Geophysical Union (note from Geoff Blewitt). http://elections.agu.org/

The following new faculty and staff members will help NBMG fulfill its mission to provide the citizens of Nevada with geological information that is critical to public safety, economic development, and improving the quality of life throughout Nevada. Two New Geologists Join Cart/GIS—Rachel Wearne and Katie Ryan NBMG welcomes two new cartographers, Rachel Wearne and Katie Ryan, to its Cartographic/GIS group. Both positions are funded entirely on grants and contracts. The Cartography and GIS lab is a specialty group within NBMG. They are a campus and community resource that specializes in producing geologic maps and other publications, as well as data management. They primarily work on NBMG projects, but are available for projects from other departments at UNR, other universities and state agencies, and industry. Rachel Wearne is a newly hired Cartographic/Graphics Technician III and joins NBMG on September 15, 2014. Rachel received her Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Nevada, Reno in May of 2010. She began working for the Nevada Division of Minerals as a Geologist and GIS Specialist on the Abandoned Mine Lands program shortly before graduation. She has spent the past four years assisting in inventorying and securing abandoned mine land features throughout the state, planning for field work with contractors, staff, and summer interns, and working towards maximizing field data collection methods. Rachel has been very active in the Nevada Mining Association’s Education Committee and has taught classes at teacher workshops in both Las Vegas and Reno since April of 2011. She has taught sessions on rocks and minerals in many elementary school classrooms in the Reno–Carson City area. She enjoys educating the public about geology and earth processes, looking at and creating maps, and spending time outdoors. Katie Ryan was hired as a Cartographic/Graphics Technician I on July 1, 2014. Katie received her Bachelor of Science in Geology at the University of Nevada, Reno in 2010. Katie worked as a Jr. Exploration Geologist out of Elko, Nevada. After her graduation from the University, she worked in areas such as Long Canyon in the eastern Pequop Mountains, Northumberland Mine in the Toquima Range, Stevens Basin in Eureka County, and Cortez Hills Mine at Horse Canyon. Upon returning to Reno in 2011, Katie began working with the cartography group at the Bureau on a temporary basis. Along with processing samples in the Mineral Separates Lab, and working on a few short geothermal exploration drill programs, she has since helped to produce a compilation of all of the digital geologic maps of Nevada to the OneGeology Portal (onegeology.org), helped to create interactive geologic and geothermal maps from previously published data, and currently helps to maintain server data and geothermal data produced by Nevada and other states. New Economic Geologist at NBMG – Mike Ressel Mike Ressel joined the faculty of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, filling a new tenure-track faculty position in Economic Geology. Mike will be responsible for studying and assessing mineral resources in the region, including analysis of the processes that make Nevada one of the world’s richest regions in gold deposits. This position will allow NBMG to better fulfill its core mission of studying mineral deposits and distributing that information through published geologic maps, papers, and reports to the public. Mike has a B.S. in Geology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (1989) and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Geology (1996 and 2005, respectively) from the University of Nevada, Reno. His graduate studies were Nevada-focused and broadly covered aspects of Tertiary volcanic geology, igneous petrology, regional magmatism, ore deposits, and tectonics. A major focus of his Ph.D. work was on the relationships between magmatism and Carlin-type gold mineralization on the Carlin Trend, Nevada. His work experience includes five years prior to graduate school working for a consulting firm specializing in geotechnical engineering, GIS, hazardous materials, and hydrogeology throughout the U.S. Since 2000, Mike worked in mining and exploration for gold and copper across North America but also in Africa, Australia, and South America for several companies and involving a variety of deposit styles. His industry experience

includes several Nevada underground and open-pit mines where he did ore control, mine mapping, resource modeling and near-mine development. He has conducted exploration for mineral deposits over a range of scales from reconnaissance-level through district- and mine-scales, which included the assembly of regional framework and prospectivity studies, project generation and management, mapping and sampling, target generation, and property evaluation for acquisitions and auditing. He most recently served as Chief Geologist for North America for Newmont Mining Corp., where he contributed to evaluations of grassroots through advanced exploration projects, helped guide regional and global exploration focus, was involved in developing training and mentoring programs in both mines and exploration, and liaised with university-sponsored research, including advisement for several M.S. and Ph.D. studies. Mike has served on several academic research boards including the Precambrian Research Center at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, the Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources at the University of Arizona, and the Center for Research in Economic Geology at the University of Nevada, Reno as well as being an industry liaison for advisory boards of NBMG and the Geological Sciences Department at UNR. He is a past president of the Geological Society of Nevada and currently serves on its Foundation. He is a fellow with the Society of Economic Geologists. Mike is excited about joining the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, a group that he has been closely involved with for many years. His plans are to advance understanding of mineral deposits, igneous geology, and tectonics in Nevada and the Great Basin through field studies that include mapping and geochronology. He hopes to join with industry and other researchers in strengthening the economic geology program at UNR. New Geologic Mapping Specialists at NBMG – Nick Hinz and Seth Dee Two new Geologic Mapping Specialists were recently added to the faculty of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology. These positions are responsible for conducting and managing geologic mapping programs in the state of Nevada as related to the evaluation of natural resources (e.g., mineral, geothermal, and oil-gas) and natural hazards (e.g., earthquakes, floods, and landslides). These positions will allow NBMG to better fulfill its core mission of carrying out geologic framework studies and producing geologic databases necessary for resource and hazard assessments. Nick Hinz was hired to fill one of two new Geologic Mapping Specialist positions at the NBMG. His primary disciplines are in field mapping, structural geology, geothermal systems, and volcanic geology. Nick earned a B.A. in geology from Whitman College and an M.S. in geology from University of Nevada, Reno. He has previously worked five years in private industry as a consulting geologist and for seven years in a soft money supported (100% grant-funded) position with the NBMG. The majority of his professional experience has been Nevada-based, focusing on geothermal energy resources, Basin and Range extensional tectonics, and evolution of the Walker Lane. The scope of his geothermal research has been to define structural and stratigraphic controls of reservoirs, identify regional patterns in resources, and help advance new and existing exploration strategies. These projects have involved systemic regional assessments, database compilation, detailed geologic mapping, integration of drill-hole and geophysical data sets, structural analyses, and constructing digital 2D and 3D geologic models. In southern Nevada, Nick has conducted detailed geologic mapping of the Miocene-age Searchlight magmatic system in the lower Colorado River extensional corridor, including distinguishing the details of pluton emplacement and stratification, extensive dike swarms, and constraining the spatial and temporal relationships between magmatism, extension, and mineralization. In western Nevada, Nick has completed several detailed mapping projects which constrain the evolution of the Walker Lane and help characterize the structural and tectonic setting of geothermal resources in this region. Nick has previously worked closely with several of the NBMG research geologists including Jim Faulds, Chris Henry, Alan Ramelli, John Bell, and Larry Garside—as well as with faculty in the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy, and many of the geothermal companies in Nevada. Nick recently completed work on 1:24,000-scale geologic mapping of the Mount Rose 7.5-minute quadrangle near Reno with Alan Ramelli and will be

starting work on the Sloan 7.5-minute quadrangle along the south side of Las Vegas Valley next fall. He will continue to split his time between mapping efforts in both southern and northern Nevada as part of the NBMG geologic mapping program. http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/staff/Hinz.html Seth Dee was also hired as a Geologic Mapping Specialist with Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and began work at NBMG on April 28, 2014. His areas of expertise are geologic mapping, Quaternary geology, engineering geology, paleoseismology, and earthquake and landslide hazard characterization. Seth has a B.S. in Geology from the University of Puget Sound and an M.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of Oregon. He is a licensed Professional Geologist in California and Utah with ten years professional experience performing geologic studies throughout North America, Asia, and the Middle East in the fields of geologic mapping, geologic hazard assessment, engineering geology, geotechnical engineering, and geochronology. Seth has a longstanding interest in the geology of the Basin and Range and is excited to be transitioning into a position with greater focus on geologic mapping and research. As a mapping geologist at NBMG, Seth will have the opportunity to work on the production of cutting-edge geologic maps that deliver long-term benefit to the economy, public safety, and public understanding of Nevada geology. His first-hand understanding of the end-user application of NBMG products for research, engineering, and hazard characterization will guide his approach to map production. Seth’s combined academic and professional experience has prepared him for the technical, administrative, and logistical requirements of this position. Much of his work has included the production of geologic maps or the direct support of geologic mapping efforts. Seth’s graduate research at the University of Oregon included bedrock mapping and structural analysis of a metamorphic core complex in the Black Mountains of Death Valley to test two prevailing regional tectonic models. As a geologist at the USGS, Seth performed U-Pb analysis of zircons and assisted with geochronologic interpretations in support of geologic mapping projects across the U.S. With William Lettis and Associates and Lettis Consultants International, Seth has produced geologic maps for site investigations and geologic hazard characterizations in northern California, Utah, Idaho, Tennessee, Hong Kong, and Papua New Guinea. Seth’s consulting project experience has exposed him to field work in varied geologic settings—from hazard characterizations of bedrock faults in the southwestern US to Quaternary studies in Asia and California. These experiences provide a foundation of geologic understanding that Seth can apply to mapping the diverse tectonic, stratigraphic and geomorphic conditions found within Nevada. He has performed subsurface evaluation of ore deposits in Utah and appreciates the complexity of mineral resource assessments and the important role that mineral extraction plays in the Nevada economy. Seth’s local project experiences include an engineering geological assessment of levee and flood wall upgrades along the Truckee River in Reno and seismic hazard characterization in the northern Walker Lane. Seth has experience managing budgets, directing personnel, writing proposals, and providing deliverables on schedule for consulting projects, and these skills can be effectively applied to the geologic mapping and funding proposal efforts at NBMG. He has extensive experience in the application of GIS for the management and interpretation of large geodatabases, as well as the final production of geologic maps for publications and reports. For the past three years, Seth has employed digital field mapping techniques through the use of GIS/GPS-enabled Toughbooks and iPads, and looks forward to continuing the application of these techniques as the technology evolves. http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/staff/Dee.html

Subscribe to our new publications email by sending a request to webmaster@nbmg.unr.edu with “Subscribe to publications mailing list” in the subject line. “Like” our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nevada-Bureau-of-Mines-and-Geology/106397989390636 Subscribe to our blog: http://nbmg.wordpress.com/ Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG) Nevada’s state geological survey http://www.nbmg.unr.edu Dr. James E. Faulds, Director and State Geologist http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/Staff/Faulds.html jfaulds@unr.edu, 775-682-6650

NBMG Locations

Director, Research Faculty, Cartographic and Administrative Staff

Publication Sales and Information

Scrugham Engineering-Mines Building NE corner of the UNR Quad University of Nevada/MS 178

Reno, NV 89557

Great Basin Science Sample and Records Library

2175 Raggio Parkway

Reno, NV 89512

phone (775) 682-8766

Jim Faulds (right) receives 2012 Peer Review Excellence award from DOE for his research in geothermal energy. .