s w e N
Vol. 59, No. 4 – December 2016
Scenes from Hawai‘i
AEG’S 2016 ANNUAL MEETING
AEG 60th Annual Meeting Sept 10–17, 2017
Colorado Springs,CO Antlers Hotel Group Rate Only $175/Night The Antlers Hotel Colorado Springs is located in the heart of downtown with spectacular views of Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountains and within walking distance to numerous restaurants, shops, museums, and downtown nightlife.
FIELD TRIPS
• Industrial Minerals Mining & Geology in the Royal Gorge Region (2-day Trip) • Fire and Flood Impacts & Mitigation • Debris Flows in the Broadmoor area • Garden of the Gods Geology • Cripple Creek/Victor Gold Mine
GUEST TOURS
• Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center • Tour Garden of Gods and Lunch in Manitou Springs • Cog Railroad Ride to the Top of Pikes Peak • Garden of the Gods Geology
SPECIAL EVENT Dinner and Tour of Phantom Canyon Brewing Company Located in the heart of downtown in the historic Cheyenne Building, the threestory brick structure was built in 1901 and housed the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. In 1909, the building reopened as the Cheyenne Hotel. After the hotel shut down, the building changed hands a number of times and was used for a variety of businesses. Saved from the wrecking ball in 1993, the historic site was purchased by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper who restored the property and opened Phantom Canyon Brewing Co. The main dining area and brewery were the first to open and were a great success. In 1995 the second floor opened as a Billiard Hall, which has been voted the Best Place to Shoot Pool every year since. In 2001 they completed the third floor Banquet Hall.
In Partnership with the 53rd Forum on the Geology of Industrial Minerals (FGIM)
s w e N
Vol. 59, No. 4 – December 2016
AEG News (ISSN 0899-5788; USPS 954-380) is published five times a year by the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists (AEG), with the regular issues Nos. 1–3, published in April, July, and December, respectively. The Annual Report and Directory issue is published in March. The Annual Meeting Program with Abstracts is published in September. Print copies are distributed at the meeting. Association members receive the electronic copy of all five issues of the AEG News as part of their dues. Print copies of the three regular issues are $30 in addition to the annual membership dues. Nonmember annual subscription is $40, and includes only the three regular issues (#1–3) of the News. The Annual Report and Directory issue is priced separately. Back issues of AEG News are $10 each. Inquiries should be sent to AEG Headquarters: Yolanda Natividad, Association Manager, 1100 Brandywine Blvd. Suite H, Zanesville, Ohio 43701 844-331-7867. Periodical Postage paid at Zanesville, OH, and additional mailing offices: POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AEG News, 1100 Brandywine Blvd. Suite H Zanesville, Ohio 43701, USA. AEG News is printed by Allen Press, Lawrence, KS, 66044, USA. © 2016 Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists—All Rights Reserved Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those officially representing the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists except where expressly stated.
AEG News Co-Editors Anna Saindon Chrissey Frattali Geotechnology, Inc. cfrattali@gri.com 11816 Lackland Road, Suite 150 Ashley Wachhaus St. Louis, MO 63146 aswachhaus@gmail.com 314-581-6286 General Submissions: news@aegweb.org news@aegweb.org
Managing Editor/Production Andrea Leigh Ptak Communicating Words & Images 6542 52nd Ave. So. Seattle, WA 98118 Office: 206-725-9169 Cell: 206-300-2067 andrealeighptak@me.com
Table of Contents News of the Association 4 The President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Treasurer’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Secretary’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 AEG Foundation Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 AEG and IAEG Prepare for Big International Congress in San Francisco in 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Get to Know Our New AEG News Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 2016–17 Jahns Lecturer Scott A. Anderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 The Life and Times of Jim Williams, PhD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 AEG Celebrates an Outstanding 59th Annual Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 News of the Profession 23 Grandparenting Opportunity in New York for Geologist Licensure . . . . . .23 Professional Contributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Drone Operations and Pilot Certification under the New FAA Part 10 . . . .24 The Solution to Dissolution is Temporary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Engineering Challenges for Rivers and Creeks in the St. Louis Region . . .28 Field Trips
31
Tour of Colorado Springs Landslides and Debris Flow Hazards and Mitigation 31 Chabot Dam Seismic Upgrade Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Issues in Professional Licensure for Geologists The HomeFront Index to Advertisers
35 38 47
On the Cover
Submission Information
A thrilling volcano was one of the highlights of the first field trip to open the 59th Annual Meeting. Recap and photos start on page 14.
In order of preference: 1. Send files via email, preferably as attachments, to both email addresses above. Optimum file format is MSWord 2011. Users of other software programs should convert their file to ASCII or text only. 2. Images should be sent as high-resolution jpeg or tiff files. Questions? Contact Andrea Ptak at 206-725-9169/andrealeighptak@me.com. 3. The policy of AEG News editorial staff is to limit the credentials of an individual to two. For example, if John Smith has a MS, a PhD and a PG plus a CEG and a CGWP, his credentials would be limited to John Smith PhD, PG, the two principal credentials. BS/BA and MS degrees will not be recognized. No effort will be made by the AEG News editorial staff to determine if individuals whose credentials are missing from the submitted copy actually have academic or professional credentials, nor will the staff verify the existence or correctness of the credentials submitted. For detailed guidelines visit: www.aegweb.org/SubmitToAEGNEWS
PHOTO BY JARED NEDZEL
The association 2016–17 Officers President: DALE C. ANDREWS Carmeuse Lime & Stone, 412-777-0728, dale.andrews@carmeusena.com Vice President/President Elect: KATHY G. TROOST University of Washington, 206-909-9757, ktroostaeg@gmail.com Treasurer: KEVIN S. RICHARDS U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 303-241-8380, kevin.richards@comcast.net Secretary: CYNTHIA PALOMARES Texas Engineering Extension Service, Texas A&M University, cynthiapalomarescon@gmail.com Past President: PAUL M. SANTI Colorado School of Mines, 303-273-3108, psanti629@gmail.com
Association Contacts
Advertising in the News
Headquarters—Association Manager: YOLANDA NATIVIDAD 1100 Brandywine Blvd. Suite H Zanesville, Ohio 43701 Phone: 844-331-7867, Fax: 740-452-2552 contact@aegweb.org
Contact AEG Headquarters at advertising@aegweb.org.
Next Submission Deadline February 15, 2017, for the April–Special 60th Anniversary Issue
AEG Foundation—President: BRIGET DOYLE, bdoyle@uscupstate.edu
Canada Agreement number: PM40063731; Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Station A, PO Box 54; Windsor, ON N9A 6J5; Email: returnsil@imex.pb.com
Communications Co-Directors: MATT BRUNENGO, 503-534-0414, mbrunengo@aol.com, and RYAN MARSTERS, marsters.ryan@gmail.com
December 2016
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
3
NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Guided by the Journey
l
Dale C. Andrews, AEG 2016–17 President
have loved my journey with AEG. I became a Professional Member of AEG and attended my first Annual Meeting in 1999, thanks to a subtle push by my advisor, Dr. Abdul Shakoor, to whom I am forever thankful. I had the privilege to serve as Chairman of the then Allegheny–Ohio Section (now the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter) and as a Director of AEG for two years in 2005 and 2006. This was my introduction into our inner workings. Enjoying the involvement, I have been part of various association committees ever since, most recently co-chairing the 2015 Pittsburgh Annual Meeting with my longtime friend, Paul Hale. Now I am at the pinnacle of my journey, serving as AEG’s 60th President. What a true honor and privilege it is for me to serve AEG in this capacity. I also feel fortunate to be the inaugural President under AEG’s new governance restructure. Following the wonderful Hawai‘i meeting (thank you again Ken Neal, Steve Evans, and the entire 2016 planning committee), we held the first board meeting that included our newly elected Regional Directors. This group of leaders exceeded my high expectations. I can tell you that these individuals are passionate about AEG and are excited to serve their region and help grow AEG. With the restructure behind us, we were able to focus on setting goals that adhere to AEG’s mission to contribute to its members’ professional success and the public’s welfare. We developed short-term goals, many of which are already gaining traction. These include: ■ Establishing new student chapters, ■ Increasing interaction with our student members, ■ Adding and/or reinvigorating existing Chapters, ■ Developing an AEG Response Team made up of professionals who would be available to the media and public as the frontline experts on natural disasters, ■ Utilizing traveling short courses and webinars to provide easier access to the professional development needs of our members,
teers, and ■ Striving to provide at least one topical professional forum each spring. As you can see, we have a lot planned for the coming year and we are always looking to do more. If you have other ideas or care to help with any of our existing initiatives, please let me know. There is room for willing volunteers. Also, if you have not already done so, as you renew your AEG membership you will see a new option to become a sustaining member. Members can now elect to provide a small additional contribution to AEG for the explicit use of helping expedite the many goals outlined above and progressing our strategic plan. Sustaining members will also be recognized in the spring edition of the AEG News. Together we will continue to foster the reputation of AEG as the Association of choice for all applied geologists. I look forward to the journey still ahead serving as President of AEG. I wish you all a very happy holiday season AEG News Disclaimer
■ Growing our international presence by seeking opportunities for collaboration with similar minded societies outside the U.S., ■ Retooling our operational committees to improve the efficiency and recognition of our indispensable volun4
Past President Paul Santi presenting Dale with the president’s gavel during the corporate luncheon at the Annual Meeting in Hawai‘i.
Authors alone are responsible for views expressed in signed articles. Advertisers and their agencies are solely responsible for the content of all advertisements printed and also assume responsibility for any claims arising therefrom against the publisher. AEG and AEG News reserve the right to reject any advertising copy.
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – TREASURER’S REPORT
Off to a Great Start
T
Kevin Richards, AEG 2016–17 Treasurer
his is my first Treasurer’s report for AEG News and I find myself in the enviable position of reporting that AEG is on solid financial footing. I haven’t been Treasurer long enough to take credit for this, but I can report to you that your Board of Directors, Executive Council, Finance Committee, management company, and support from members have all contributed to AEG’s success. These efforts are paying off, so thank you for being a loyal member of AEG. Challenges will continue to arise in the future, but AEG has always maintained high standards and provided continuing service to our profession throughout nearly 60 years of existence. Based on our current financials, I’m happy to say that AEG is in a good position to continue to provide excellent opportunities for those in our profession for the foreseeable future. Here are some of the details: First, let’s take a close look at our 2016 membership numbers. Our member renewals have been relatively stable for several years however we have seen an upward trend of about 10% since 2013. We typically see about 200 new members join AEG each year, and our student member numbers have remained high, varying from a recent low of 637 to a current level of 712. Member dues are the lifeblood of AEG, the money you pay each year enables AEG to have an influence on everything from professional practice, to hiring, education, licensure, advertising, and to providing networking opportunities for those in our profession. Your dues pay the lion’s share of AEG’s operating expenses, so, please don’t be shy about discussing the benefits of joining AEG over dinner with your colleagues who are not currently members. They also benefit from our association! Currently while I’m writing this report, final figures were not yet available for the 2016 Annual Meeting in Kona. I’ve looked over the preliminary financial numbers and communicated with our meeting manager and our accountant, and can say that we are all expecting the meeting to meet or exceed the budgeted surplus of $25,000. AEG’s annual meetings can have an impact on AEG’s financial health and do generate additional income that impacts our ability to carry out AEG’s mission. Knowing this, I personally had reservations about holding a meeting in Hawai‘i when it was first proposed to the Board of Directors many years ago. I’m humbled to say that the Kona meeting was another amazing and rewarding event, and a profitable one too! The local geology, the hotel, the island, the sea, the quality of technical presentations, and the friends and family who came to the meeting combined to make this a meeting I will never forget. The great news is that there is more to come. Another activity this year includes the AEG-sponsored Naturally Occurring Asbestos Forum. This forum is also expected to contribute income for 2016. An area of our finances that has been an ongoing challenge is the cost of periodicals and other publications. It’s no secret that the publications industry has been undergoing December 2016
upheaval and AEG’s publications are no exception. The problems are related to the increasing costs of production, reduced institutional subscriptions, transition to internet publishing, the current trend to move away from paid to open access publications, and loss of print advertising income. All of these factors are driving up the cost of this critical member benefit for AEG. Suffice it to say that there will be more to discuss about this topic in the future. The good news is that after many years of effort, we’re finally seeing a short trend in increasing growth in AEG’s website and internet income. Hopefully this trend will continue into 2017. This growth of internet income, in addition to the growth of merchandise income through our e-store, is helping to offset some of the expenses associated with our periodicals. Even with the rising costs of our publications, my general impression is that overall we are on track with our current budget and although the final numbers are not all in yet, I am projecting that AEG will likely see a surplus for 2016. So what about next year? The Board of Directors approved the 2017 budget while in Kona. The 2017 budget anticipates similar revenue and expense streams as budgeted for 2016, with the exception of income from the 3rd North American Symposium on Landslides (NASL) professional forum in 2017. Total projected association revenue for 2017 is $343,500, which includes $10,000 in net income from the NASL conference and $25,000 in net income from the 2017 annual meeting. Membership enrollments are budgeted to remain flat. Total operations association expenses are projected to be $317,672 for 2017, which includes a decrease in periodicals expenses due to a planned reduction in cost for AEG News. No expenditures are anticipated in 2017 from the Legislative Fund (our stand-alone fund for supporting challenges to licensure). The Legislative Fund is continuing to grow; it was up to $67,145 by the end of the 3rd quarter 2016. Assuming no major market corrections, the balance of the Treasurer’s Reserve Fund (our stand-alone rainy day fund) is expected to exceed $300,000 by the end of 2017, and is getting close to being fully funded as per policy. Once the Treasurer’s Reserve Fund is fully funded, any annual surpluses will need to be repurposed in the future, which is a nice problem to contemplate. Thank you for electing me as your Treasurer for 2016–17. I will work hard to ensure AEG remains on sound financial footing throughout my tenure and in future years. I hope to see you at the Annual Meeting in Colorado in September 2017. Final planning is underway and it is looking like we have another fall treat in store!
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
5
NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – SECRETARY’S REPORT
Partnering for Effective Volunteerism
A
Cynthia Palomares, AEG 2016–17 Secretary
s current Secretary of AEG, I have been given the privilege of accurately documenting the AEG Board of Director’s (BOD) meeting activities, motions, and votes. As I recorded the meeting minutes at the 2016 Annual BOD meeting, I couldn’t help but reflect on the level of AEG experience and dedication that was shown in the room. Many of the current board members have been active volunteers in AEG for many years, which displayed their historical knowledge of AEG’s mission and goals. As a contrast, there were also a number of newer volunteers who reflected an input of new ideas and lively discussion. I feel that the level of dedication and varied experience displayed by the BOD will help move the Association forward successfully. As recent past Co-Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC), I have had the privilege of being involved in most of AEG’s operational committees. On a monthly basis, I sat in on at least a half-dozen calls full of AEG members like you who enjoy volunteering their time to better the Association with issues they are passionate about. One of the things I find most exciting about AEG is that these volunteers are very ambitious! They are constantly working to bring you the best they have to offer—from informative articles, to new grant opportunities, to better ways to advocate for our profession of environmental and engineering geology.
Volunteers are the life of this Association. They constitute everyone from our Student Chapter officers to the Association’s Executive Council, from the members and chairs of all our operational committees to the leaders of your local Sections and Chapters. Volunteers plan and execute our Annual Meetings and edit our publications. We appreciate every one of our volunteers, and as a volunteer myself, I find the time and effort I contribute to AEG to be extremely rewarding. My involvement helps me grow professionally and personally through honing my leadership and teamwork skills as well as building lasting friendships. If you’re not already volunteering…Why not!? There’s room for everyone! We take pride in having volunteers ranging from students to retired professionals. There are volunteers who sit on three different committees and can make every meeting and others whose schedules don’t allow them to make their committee calls, but who contribute via email. We value each and every one of you. So take five minutes to find a volunteer role that speaks to your interests and get involved. You’ll be glad you did!
Call for Submissions for the Special 60th Anniversary Issue of AEG News Our April issue will be a special edition to celebrate AEG’s 60 years of a strong and vibrant association. We encourage members to submit stories and photos in the following areas: ■ Human interest stories from AEG Members, including memories, how AEG has affected their profession, etc. ■ AEG will be celebrating 60 years and would like to acknowledge our long-term members. We would like to include some throwback stories to highlight AEG history from the member-perspective. ■ Favorite Memories–submit photos with detailed captions capturing some of your favorite moments with AEG. ■ We would like hear from the professors and Student Chapters and their stories regarding how AEG has helped students. If possible it would be great to get photos of Student Chapters—past and present—to incorporate throughout the anniversary issue.
Please see our submission guidelines: http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.aegweb.org/resource/resm gr/AEG_News/aeg_news_style_guide_0713.pdf
6
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – AEG FOUNDATION
What Are Our Scholarship Recipients up to Now?
W
Jane Gill-Shaler, Director, AEG Foundation
here are they now? I am always amazed and humbled at how much our AEG Foundation scholarships are valued and appreciated. The grants and scholarships we provide our scholars can make such a difference in their lives and educational careers, and we are very proud of their accomplishments! In this continuing series of stories, we pick up the threads of the lives of just a few of the 2015 winners. I hope you enjoy their stories, and if you run across any one of our scholars, congratulate them again, and encourage them to follow their dreams!
Patrick Beaudry, CUNY – Queens College 2015 West-Gray Scholarship Fund Patrick Beaudry graduated from Queens College in January 2016, and returned home to Canada for the winter and spring. Patrick was awarded the West-Gray Scholarship in 2015, and was the first graduate-level awardee from this fund, which supports geologic studies by students at the undergraduate and graduate level who are enrolled in an accredited university in the eastern half of the U.S. or graduate students enrolled in an accredited university located anywhere in the U.S. but conducting field studies in the eastern half of the U.S. Patrick emailed that the West-Gray Scholarship had a very positive impact on his Master’s project, entitled Sulphur Isotopes in Canary Island Magmas; Investigation of Degassing, Contamination and Volatile Recycling at Hotspots. The scholarship funding came at a critical time during the second and Patrick Beaudry, 2015 West-Gray Scholarship recipient, in the Canary Islands.
December 2016
last year of his studies, and helped him participate in several international meetings over the summer, both in Montreal (AGU) and in Prague, Austria (Goldschmidt Conference). Thanks to the scholarship, Patrick presented his study results, and received feedback from experts in the field. He plans to publish two articles, which are in the final stages of comments/edits by co-authors, soon. He was also able to see and hear of the current professional work being done related to his own Masters project, enabling him to develop ideas for his future studies. He has just started a PhD program this fall at MIT, where he writes that he “plans to keep investigating mantle geochemistry, redox and the sulphur cycle, and how they relate to the evolution of Earth’s atmosphere and tectonics.” Congratulations again, Patrick! More stories of grateful and happy scholarship and grant awardees will be in subsequent AEG News columns, and in the stand-alone publication, the AEG Foundation Scholar, available online soon. Let’s keep these students and researchers working towards their goals. It is easy to support them. Go to https://www.aegfoundation.org:16450/donate/ and sign up for a small recurring donation (even $5 per month helps). THANK YOU!
David Korte, Kent State University 2015 Norman R. Tilford Field Study Scholarship, PhD Division David Korte is not your typical postgraduate student, but who is? David was in his late 40s when he started the PhD program at Kent State University. He had been to several AEG and GSA conferences, and thought that his project wasn’t interesting enough to others to justify funding by anyone other than himself. Surprise! Dr. Abdul Shakoor, his advisor and an AEG Honorary Member, encouraged David to submit his application. He did, and was quite surprised and honored to receive the Tilford Field Study Scholarship. Grants from the Tilford Fund are intended to recognize and support the fieldwork of deserving undergraduate or graduate geology students who are Student Members of AEG. Although he self-funded most of his education, the scholarship was very helpful toward his fieldwork in Oregon. As David recounts in his email, “I’m studying slope stability on a watershed scale and trying to estimate delivery of landslide sediments to streams. The idea is to take a first step in quantifying how much sediment potentially
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
7
NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – AEG FOUNDATION enters streams in this area via landsliding.” David’s plan is to teach and be a consultant when he finishes defending his dissertation in May 2017. His answer to the question, What have you learned about yourself from your studies?, tells us much about his character. “I began this degree and project to satisfy my interests in personal and intellectual development. I learned that my project is not about what it can do for me. It’s about what it can do for others.” Bravo, David. And for his other job, David is a member of an underwater film crew that works on documentaries for PBS. Congratulations, David!
Sara Lindsay Poluga, Kent State University 2015 Martin L. Stout Scholarship Fund, Graduate Division, 1st Place Sara Lindsay Poluga (she signs her name Lindsay) was both thrilled and honored to receive the Stout Scholarship. This award is in honor of Martin L. Stout, Professor of Geology at California State University, Los Angeles from 1960–90. He is remembered by all for his passionate and insightful instruction in engineering geology. Dr. Stout guided his students through and beyond the fundamentals of engineering geology, and emphasized hands-on experience and critical thought. He was well known for his expertise on mega landslides, his worldly travels, his good humor, and his gracious manner. This scholarship supports his legacy.
Sara Lindsey Poluga in the field at Mt. Rushmore with Dr. Abdul Shakoor.
Lindsay had many expenses associated with her thesis project, including traveling and spending two weeks in South Dakota to complete her engineering geology field research at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone. “If it were not for this generous award and the other scholarships I was so lucky to have received, this research project would not have been possible,” she writes. Her advisor is Dr. Abdul Shakoor, one of the best friends a student can have! Lindsay plans to graduate in May 2017, and has found out about herself that she enjoys the diversity of work between the field and the lab. Congratulations again, Lindsay!
AEG News 2017 Submission Deadlines Please note, the following are the new deadlines for AEG News starting with the 2016 Annual Report and Directory. January 15
Annual Report and Directory
February 15 April AEG News – 60th Anniversary May 31
July AEG News Issue – Annual Mtg. insert
July 19
Program with Abstracts
October 31
December AEG News – Annual Meeting Photo Collage
Your new AEG News Co-Editors are: Chrissey Frattali – Soliciting and receiving submissions (cfrattali@gri.com) Ashley Wachhaus – Editing and final reviews (aswachhaus@gmail.com) Or, as always, you can email news@aegweb.org and it will reach all the parties involved in the AEG News. Ideas and submissions are always welcome. See our guidelines here: http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.aegweb.org/resource/res mgr/AEG_News/aeg_news_style_guide_0713.pdf
8
ATTENTION COMMITTEE CHAIRS! Update Our Members… AEG has nearly two dozen committees and technical working groups. AEG News welcomes submissions from these groups to keep our members updated on their progress. A complete list is available on our website at www.aegweb.org/?page=OperationalComms.
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
NEWS OF THEHEADER ASSOCIATION HERE
AEG and IAEG Prepare for Big International Congress in San Francisco in 2018 Scott Burns, IAEG President and AEG Past President
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO TOURISM DEPARTMENT
Something new is going to happen in 2018 with our Annual Meeting of AEG! It will be a combined meeting with IAEG (International Association of Engineering Geologists and the Environment), and it will have some new approaches combined with our traditional Annual Meeting happenings! IAEG has a congress every four years, and this will be the first one ever in the United States in the 54-year history of the organization. A committee, led by Sarah Kalika, Coralie Wilhite, and Gary Luce of AEG, has been planning this meeting for almost two years. Recent meetings in Hawaii and South Africa brought a lot of ideas into line, and I want to report their progress. We will have eight keynote speakers from around the world who will address the whole group each morning in the 8:00–9:30 AM plenary session. The keynote speakers are receiving an honorarium provided by the AEG Foundation. A U-40 group has been formed and given a budget to have special activities for our members who are under 40 in the great city of San Francisco. The meeting, set for September 17–21, 2018, will have a five-day rather than the traditional three-day format to accommodate the many international visitors who will be joining us. Talks and poster sessions will happen on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Included in the full registration will be a special field trip day on Wednesday; everyone—including guests—will go on a field trip. At the end of the day on
December 2016
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday there will be a large poster session with a “happy hour” of beverages and no competing talks so everyone can enjoy the posters. At the same time, there will be meeting rooms for IAEG commissions and AEG committees to also meet. Lunches are included in the registration costs for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Speaker breakfasts will happen every day except Wednesday. Tuesday night’s Special Event will be a scenic, dinner cruise on San Francisco Bay. Thursday night will be a combined banquet for AEG and IAEG using the AEG format. AEG will have its traditional business meeting luncheon on Thursday. Talks will be 20 minutes long, and we will have up to eight concurrent sessions to accommodate the expected 1,000+ registrants from all over the world. Presenters will have two options of oral or poster. They will also have the option of writing the talk up for publication in a meeting proceedings published by Springer in addition to having a published abstract in the registration packet. Because of the published reports, the website will go live in January 2017, inviting authors to submit papers so they can be reviewed. All presenters at the last congress in Italy wrote papers, and they filled seven volumes! Our meeting will likely have fewer published papers. The list of topics/theme sessions will come out soon on both of our websites. In addition to the Wednesday field trips, there will be preand post-conference field trips to see many of the interesting geological sites California has to offer. We will also have guest tours every day of the meeting. Our hotel, the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, is located steps from public transit and within easy walking distance to many San Francisco’s attractions including Fishermen’s Wharf, the boat dock for trips to Alcatraz, the Ferry Building marketplace, and shopping at Union Square. If you have any questions, please contact me (burnss@pdx.edu) or Sarah (sarah@georx.net). It will be an awesome meeting bringing together top notch engineering geologists from all over world!
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
9
HEADER NEWS OFHERE THE ASSOCIATION
Get to Know Our New AEG News Editors: Ashley Wachhaus and Chrissey Frattali Ashley at the summit of Crow Peak in South Dakota
Chrissey at the Big Obsidian Flow in the Deschutes National Forest
When did you become a member of AEG? Ashley: I was introduced to AEG as an undergraduate at Kent State University. I took Introduction to Engineering Geology with Dr. Shakoor. He was so passionate about AEG and what they do! After a couple trips out to the Allegheny–Ohio meetings in Pittsburgh, I joined as a student member in 2011. Chrissey: I became a member of AEG in December 2015 after attending several Oregon meetings. I enjoyed the community of geoscientists brought together by AEG and wanted a bigger part. I met Matt Brunengo at one of the meetings and asked to volunteer for the Communications Committee. Soon after joining the committee I learned of the openings for the AEG News Editor positions and here I am.
What’s your favorite aspect of geology? Ashley: I love standing at a lookout point and seeing the landscape and envisioning how that landscape came to be. I also really like tectonics and igneous petrology. One day, I want to visit Iceland and immerse myself in the awesome geology there! Chrissey: I love the mystery! Discovering the geologic history behind each project is very fascinating. I was interested in geology beginning in high school and when I entered college but my interest didn’t really develop until my undergraduate class in mineralogy, one of my favorite classes.
What do you like to do for fun? Ashley: My husband and I enjoy traveling and seeing new places, but we also like spending time with friends and family at home. One of my favorite things is camping! I love being outside and the atmosphere of the campfire, s’mores, and the crisp morning air! Chrissey: I pretty much love everything and will try anything once! So I have multiple things I like to do for fun. I actually enjoy working out…yeah I am that kind of a weirdo. I like hiking, 10
camping, yoga, jogging, and I plan on taking up climbing in the near future. But I do live in the Pacific Northwest so we have some nasty days, which are perfect for a Harry Potter Marathon or a new book series!
What got you interested in writing/editing? Ashley: I’ve been reading for as long as I can remember and I started editing articles when I was on the middle school newspaper. I like helping people organize their thoughts on paper. Sometimes it takes a third party to see things that were overlooked. One thing I had to learn as a kid: don’t correct people who didn’t ask for help. It definitely got me into trouble! Chrissey: After I graduated in 2012, I spent some time working for gold exploration companies, gas logging in Texas, and took part in two Statemap projects for the Washington Department of Natural Resources. My husband took a job in the Portland area and I followed. I was on the job hunt for a couple of months before I received the opportunity to be a Technical Editor at GRI, a geotechnical engineering firm. A year later and I am enjoying learning and utilizing this new skill set.
What is your plan for AEG News as the new editors? Ashley: I’d like to keep the student chapters engaged in the News. It’s how I started in AEG and it’s important to let the students know that they can make a difference in our organization! I would also like to preserve Anna’s goal to keep the articles diverse and bring new topics as often as possible. Chrissey: My plan is to continue down the successful path cultivated by Anna Saindon. I love color and photos and the more the better. My goal is to make sure every page has both elements. Another goal is bringing in content variety to spice things up! I plan on soliciting for articles that focus mainly on environmental and engineering geology but I plan on throwing a splash of new content with a focus on other geologic specialties.
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
NEWS OF THEHEADER ASSOCIATION HERE
2016–17 Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer
T
Scott A. Anderson
he Jahns lectureship was jointly established in 1988 by the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists (AEG) and the Environmental and Engineering Division of the Geological Society of America (GSA) to increase student awareness about applied geology. Dr. Anderson recently joined BGC Engineering as the Principal Geotechnical Engineer. Prior to joining BGC he worked as the Geotechnical Engineering Technical Services Team Manager for the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Resource Center where he led a national team of geotechnical engineers that assisted state and local transportation agencies through technical assistance, training and deployment of new technologies. Dr. Anderson has also previously worked in positions from Staff Geologist to Senior Consulting Engineer and Landslide Technology Leader for a major A/E design firm and spent four years as an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Hawaii. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in engineering geology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and Colorado State University, and Master’s and Doctorate degrees in civil engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a licensed engineer and practicing engineering geologist with over 30 years of experience and approximately 100 publications and invited presentations. He has grown and lived in many places along a general path from Boston to Honolulu and now makes his home in Colorado, where he enjoys all of the outdoor time he can get. Interested AEG Chapters or other institutions can contact Scott via email at ScAnderson@bgcengineering.ca to give one or more of the following lectures:
Natural Hazards, Risk, and the Resilience of Transportation Infrastructure Natural hazards pose a risk to transportation infrastructure that is often tied to geology. Whether the hazard is from weather and climate, gravity and slopes, or seismic activity, for example, the expression of the hazard in terms of its potential consequence is a function of geologic setting. Not surprisingly, the practice of engineering geology has long had a focus on hazard characterization. This is good because hazard is an important input to risk, and risk is what needs to be measured and managed for the emerging need to optimize performance of transportation infrastructure. One way of managing risk is through building in resilience to natural hazards. How to do this, and to what extent it should be done, are important questions that open up newer areas of practice for the engineering geologist. December 2016
Solid as a Rock: How Engineering Geology Relates to Transportation Asset Management Highway systems were built over a short period of time and to an envisioned design life that is expiring. Owners of transportation infrastructure are finding a pressing need to get the most of what they have and to build new inventory with this kind of thought in mind. This requires strategies for management but it also requires a clear look at what type of performance is expected, and what is actually needed. Settlement, heave, slope movements, longevity under the influence of scour and corrosion are some of the ways this performance can be measured for structures of soil and rock. The engineering geologist can explain that change happens and relatively few things are “solid as a rock.”
Future Opportunities for Site and Event Characterization Using Remote Sensing and Social Media Once, the stereoscope and planimeter were the office tools of the engineering geologist, just as the Brunton compass and hand level were in the field. The planimeter, Brunton and hand level all allowed for measurements to be made, which was good, but the stereoscope allowed visualizing more than could be seen with the naked eye, and that was great. Today, remote sensing technologies help with all of this, and the engineering geologist needs to be as versed in them as they once were with stereoscopes and Bruntons. Platforms are well established and yet still have tremendous untapped potential. Additionally, skills for back calculating what must have happened based on evidence left after an event will always be valuable, but so will skills for back calculating based on comments, images and videos posted by the public. Where once we could only imagine what happened, now we can often see it. Beyond the excitement of this, there is the potential to learn even more about earth processes.
Technical Observations from the 2014 Oso (SR 530) Landslide Reconnaissance The Oso Landslide struck the community of Oso, WA, on Saturday, March 22, 2014, at approximately 10:37 a.m. on a clear, sunny day. It initiated within an approximately 200-m-high (650 ft) hillslope comprised of unconsolidated glacial and colluvial deposits and transitioned to a catastrophic debris flow and rapidly inundated a neighborhood and, traveling more than a kilometer (0.6 mi), crossed a state highway (SR 530). Fortythree people in the neighborhood and on the highway lost their lives. There are lessons of all types to be learned from this disaster and these lessons will be explored—with special emphasis on the technical ones.
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
11
HEADER NEWS OFHERE THE ASSOCIATION
The Life and Times of Jim Williams PhD Stefanie Voss Contributors: Duane Krueger, Stephanie Kline-Tissi, and Greg Hempen Jim Williams, celebrated by the St. Louis Chapter in October, has been a member of AEG for 51 years, joining AEG–Kansas City in 1965. Jim studied geology at the University of Missouri–Columbia, earning a BA in 1951 and an MA in 1952. He attended the Soils Institute at Cornell University in 1964 and received PhD in Geology from the University of Missouri–Rolla in 1975. Jim served in the U.S. Air Force (USAF) as a Second Lieutenant from 1954–59, where he served as Party Chief for the Geodetic Surveys and Missile Guidance Computations in West Germany, Libya, and the U.S. His career with the Missouri Geological Survey began as a field geologist in Water Resource in eastern Missouri in the iron mine and lead belt areas, the Viburnum Trend, dam site investigations, and limestone resources. In 1968, he received his private pilot license. With Marilyn, his wife, as copilot, they flew over a high-hazard dam in St. Genevieve, MO, and photographed the 70-foot-high embankment, which helped pass the dam safety law. He has flown over more than 4,000 dams. Jim, Marilyn, and their daughter, Lynn, attended the International Geology Association in Prague in August 1968, when the Soviets invaded and the Iron Curtain fell. The family sought help from the Canadian Embassy. Two days later, they escaped by sealed trains to Vienna, Austria. Jim’s expertise in environmental geology allowed him to assist the Superfund Program as the expert witness at the first Superfund trial in U.S. District Court against the Northeastern Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company (NEPACCO) in 1970s. NEPACCO’s waste lagoons were leaking and discharge included dioxin. In January 1984, NEPACCO was found liable—the first Superfund trial won. In 1986, Jim became the Director of the USGS. He initiated efforts for financial support for the Mary McCracken Core Repository and secured start-up funds for the state water plan. On a national level, Jim
Jim and Marilyn Williams with daughter Lynn
established procedures to unify geologic mapping, which became a requirement of the USGS in 1992. He was chair of the Missouri Boundary Commission, which solved land boundary disputes with Nebraska. The dispute resolution was signed by President Bill Clinton on November 11, 1999. He and Jerry Vineyard led the effort in Missouri to establish the definition of geologic practice; legislation passed in 1980. He worked to bring professional geology registration and licensure to Missouri, which was achieved in 1993. Jim was among 15 geologists who formulated questions for the licensure exam. Yes, he passed.
Jim thanking the crowd
12
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION
Rich Steckel and Jim Williams looking over memories Dr. Allen Hatheway recounts stories about Jim.
Jim “retired” in 2000, but stays busy consulting on dam permitting and legislative efforts of high-hazard dams, advising the Survey about private well construction and karst landform risks, and reviewing standards and guides for ASTM. He is an active geology advocate, currently testifying at state government committees on proposed legislation related to geology. The only thing that he’s stopped is buzzing dams for photographs.
Dr. Greg Hempen gives tribute to Jim.
AEG’s history is full of amazing professionals like Jim Williams. The April issue of AEG News will celebrate 60 years of that history and the people who have made and continue to make our association both vibrant and relevant to our industry. See page 6 for full details on how to contribute to this very special issue. Attendees end the evening with a standing ovation for Jim and his illustrious career.
December 2016
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
13
HEADER 2016 ANNUAL HERE MEETING
AEG Celebrates an Outstanding 59th Annual Meeting Luxurious Accommodations
A
EG welcomed over 400 attendees and guests to the Waikoloa Beach Marriott on the beautiful Kona coast of Hawai’i Island for our Annual Meeting, Engineering and Environmental Geology in the New Land, from September 18–24. The meeting started with four field trips. The first, a two-day trip on Sunday and Monday, examined the hazardous geologic conditions in an environment characterized by active volcanism, seismicity, and associated slope instability. The second, a stargazing trip on Monday, visited the summit of Mauna Kea at 13,976 feet. The third, on Tuesday, visited the Green Sand Beach and South Point, the southernmost point in the U.S. The fourth, also on Tuesday, examined the large submarine landslides along the Kona coast, and reviewed the potential tsunami hazards they present. Tuesday concluded with a student/professional networking reception, followed by the traditional ice-breaker, where attendees were greeted by 19 exhibitors. On Wednesday morning, the opening session featured two keynote speakers. Gary Kitkowski, from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, spoke on the long-time contribution of engineering geology and AEG to the Corps’ projects and program. Christina Neal, from the Hawai’i Volcanic Observatory, spoke on recent and current volcanic activity and the effects of that activity on nearby development. Following the mid-morning break, the AEG’s Outstanding Environmental and Engineering Geology award was presented to the US-89 Bitter Springs Landslide Repair Project. The 2015–16 Jahns Lecturer, Jerome DeGraff PhD, talked about hazardous mine-opening blasting, followed by the introduction of Dr. Scott A. Anderson, 2016–17 Jahns Lecturer. 14
Informative Field Trips
The three-day technical program consisted of 150 papers presented during eight symposia, sixteen technical sessions, and fifteen poster presentations. Communication of geologic hazards to at-risk populations proved to be an on-going theme in the sessions, especially the landslide sessions. The sessions represented the range of engineering geology practice, from dams to landslides to tunnels. The meeting concluded with three field trips on Saturday. These included a trip to view tsunami and landslide hazards along the north portion of Hawai’i Island and Hamakua Coast,
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
2016 ANNUAL HEADER MEETING HERE For the second year, a mobile app was available to enable attendees to plan, schedule, and locate various events and local features. This app was widely used by attendees. This was a truly great meeting. A special thanks to the many sponsors, exhibitors, and volunteers, as well as the staff of the Waikoloa Marriott, for making this meeting a success.
Incredible Scenery
Social Events
Technical Sessions
a trip to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, and a second stargazing trip to the summit of Mauna Kea. Also on Saturday, Dr. Richard S. Olsen presented a short course entitled Geotechnical Site Characterization for Engineering Geologists. In addition to all the technical sessions, there were fun activities also. Guest tours included a trip to Volcanoes National Park and the south end of the island, a trip to the Macadamia Nut Company and the historic Parker Ranch, and a historic walking tour through downtown Kona. Our special event featured a Hawai’ian luau, during which three current and past members of the Executive Council were selected to learn dancing techniques and native culture. The Annual Banquet was an outstanding social gathering and a setting to award and congratulate several of our outstanding members, including our most prestigious award—Honorary Member—to Dr. Richard E. Goodman. For those who required more quiet time and relaxation, there were also a beautiful swimming pool and beach. December 2016
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
Networking Opportunities
15
HEADER 2016 ANNUAL HERE MEETING – FIELD TRIPS
16
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
2016 ANNUAL MEETING HEADER – FIELD TRIPS HERE
December 2016
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
17
HEADER 2016 ANNUAL HERE MEETING – AEG PRESIDENTS: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
AEG Past Presidents and 2016–17 President Dale Andrews
AEG’s 2016–17 Executive Council
18
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
2016 ANNUAL MEETING – SPECIAL EVENT
A trip to Hawai‘i would not be complete without experiencing a traditional luau. Attendees of the Annual Meeting were not disappointed—especially when some brave members stepped up to learn the hula.
December 2016
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
19
2016 ANNUAL MEETING – NETWORKING & SOCIALIZING
In addition to Field Trips and Technical Session, the AEG Annual Meeting offers opportunities to socialize and to acknowledge outstanding Members and Chapters. Our thanks to contributing photographers: Jared Nadzel, Anna Saindon, Jenn Bauer and Chris Mathewson.
20
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
2016 ANNUAL MEETING – NETWORKING & SOCIALIZING
AEG’s Annual Meeting Management Team
Donors to the AEG Foundation were honored with a seaside reception.
December 2016
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
21
2016 ANNUAL MEETING – MEETINGS
AEG’s 2016–17 Board of Directors (President Dale Andrews not pictured)
22
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
NEWS OF THE PROFESSION
Grandparenting Opportunity in New York for Geologist Licensure Act before November 20, 2017 The State of New York has opened registration for Professional Geologists. The notice copied from their website http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/geo/ is posted below. The grandparenting period (licensure without examination) will end on November 20, 2017.
Advisory Notice: New York State Professional Geology Licensure At this time, the New York State Education Department is accepting applications for licensure under the grandparent provision or through endorsement for applicants who are licensed in another jurisdiction. Applications will be accepted immediately and licenses will be issued to those applicants meeting the qualifications for licensure through the grandparent provision or endorsement starting November 21, 2016. The grandparent provision of the law expires on November 20, 2017. Therefore, all applications made under the grandparent provision of the law must be postmarked by the expiration date of November 20, 2017.
Notes Information on applying for licensure under the grandparent provision may be found on our website at http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/geo/geolic.htm. Information on applying for licensure through the endorsement process when the applicant is licensed in another jurisdiction and has completed both the National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) Fundamentals of Geology and Practice of Geology licensure examinations may be found on our website at http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/geo/geolic.htm. IMPORTANT: Applications for the ASBOG Fundamentals of Geology examination and/or Practice of Geology examination are NOT being accepted at this time. Please return to our website periodically to check on when those types of applications will begin being accepted.
Call for Papers: AEG Members are encouraged to submit papers on interesting case histories, original research or other projects to its journal on the following topics: • Environmental geology • Engineering geology • Feasibility studies • Geotechnical engineering • Geomorphology • Low-temperature geochemistry • Applied hydrogeology • Near-surface processes • Review papers in applied geosciences and technical notes (< 6 pages)
Benefits Include: • 4 Issues Per Year • Papers Are Peer Reviewed • Best Student Paper Award • Best Paper Award
Instructions for Authors: http://eeg.allentrack.net/ December 2016
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
23
HEADER HERE CONTRIBUTIONS PROFESSIONAL
Drone Operations and Pilot Certification under the New FAA Part 107 The FAA Simplifies the Requirements to Fly Drones Commercially Richard Steckel, PhD
Introduction After years of delay, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems on June 21, 2016 and became effective August 29, 2016. These new regulations allow easier access to the National Airspace System to operate commercial or non-hobbyist drones within the United States. Prior to the release of these regulations, commercial drone operators were required to either obtain a Certificate of Authorization for non-public agencies or an exemption to Section 333 of the Public Law 112-95 for public agencies. Both methods were time consuming to submit and could take 3-6 months to get approved. Pilot requirements included the pilot having a current manned pilotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license as well as a current FAA medical certificate, which reduced the pool of pilots available in non-aviation organizations wishing to fly drones. This article will summarize the requirements to obtain an FAA remote pilot certificate and operate safely in the National Airspace System.
Part 107 Requirements Aircraft While Part 107 allows commercial operations, it only applies to aircraft that are registered with the FAA and weigh more than .5 lbs. or less than 55 lbs.
Operations Maximum flight altitude is 400 feet above ground level and the aircraft must stay within visual line of sight, cannot
24
exceed 100 miles per hour, be operated in daylight conditions and not be operated over people or from a moving vehicle. Aircraft operations are limited to flying one aircraft at a time, in daytime with a minimum of three miles visibility and clear of clouds. The most complex requirements pertain to which kinds of airspace are open to flight. Airspace is defined by class, consisting of class A, B, C, D, E, and G. Class A airspace is the most restrictive, with Class G the most accessible and the most prevalent airspace most operators will use. Remote pilots will deal with all airspace except Class A. The general physical shapes and limits of airspace are shown in Figure 1 below. Another important airspace restriction is Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs). It is imperative that a pilot check with the TFR page on the FAA website prior to flight. TFRs are issued to limit flight over sporting events, natural disasters and government officials or candidates. During the recent presidential campaigns, candidate locations would have a TFR in place up to 3,000 feet above ground level and up to a 3-mile radius with little notice depending on the schedule of the candidate. Instead of just local law enforcement paying a visit for an airspace violation, it might have included the Secret Service! In addition, the regulations require that the operator file a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) with the FAA to alert manned aircraft of unmanned aircraft operations that describe the physical location of the flight with a radius and altitude of operations. Unlike TFRs, pilots are not prohibited from flying in airspace designated by a NOTAM.
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
FIELD TRIPS
PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS HEADER HERE
Pilot Certification Pilot certification under FAA Part 107 more nearly conforms to the process manned pilots use to become certificated. If you possess a current FAA pilot certificate, you may take the online written exam at the FAA website to add a small UAS rating to your certificate. You will need to keep your manned license current to keep the UAS rating current. Those who are not current pilots applying for a remote pilot certificate must be at least 16 years old, pass a 60-question, multiple choice written exam at an FAA designated testing site, submit an online application with test results at iacra.faa.gov, and be vetted by the TSA. There is no requirement for an FAA medical certificate. Minimum passing grade is 70% (42 correct answers). Test sites may be found on the FAA website. Cost of the exam is $150. In addition, the pilot will have to retake the exam every two years to keep the certificate valid. The written exam may be the most difficult part of the process if the applicant is not already an FAA certificated pilot. The exam is very similar to the Private Pilot exam and covers aviation weather, airspace, aeronautical decision making, crew resource management, regulations, aeronautical charts, special use airspace, the Notice to Airmen system and interpreting weather reports. I suggest anyone who intends to self-study and take the written exam download the following pdf documents from the FAA website: CFR FAR Part 107, The Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-8082-25B), Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement (FAA-CT-8080-2G), Remote Pilot Study Guide (FAA H-8082-22), Remote Pilots UAS Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-10), and the Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Advisory Circular (FAA AC-107-2). Additionally, by the time this article is published, I anticipate that there will be numerous self-study guides available at pilot supply stores such as Sportyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pilot Shop (www.sportys.com), Amazon, as well as online or brick and mortar ground schools. I would be wary of any ground school that claims they can prepare a non-pilot in less than 24 hours of classroom training. The four most difficult areas for the non-pilot will be weather theory, airport operations, interpreting weather reports, interpreting aeronautical charts and the National Airspace System.
Questions on the written exam may include the following: (Answers at the end of this article) What are the current conditions for Chicago Midway Airport (KMDW)? SPECI KMDW 121856Z 32005KT 1 1/2SM RA OVC007 17/16 A2980 RMK RAB35 A. Sky 700 feet overcast, visibility 1-1/2SM, rain.
A. The aircraft is east. B. The aircraft is south. C. The aircraft is west.
Additional Resources There are many third-party and FAA apps for Apple and Android that may be used to find information regarding weather, airspace and manned aircraft operations and provide for safer drone operations.
FAA B4UFly This is the most useful app to determine what airspace restrictions might apply for your planned flight location. Using the GPS on your smart device, it will flag any conflicting airspace that may not allow flight or will require permission from an airport operator. A typical display is shown on the next page.
AeroWeather This app allows real time access to Terminal Airport Forecasts (TAF) and weather reporting (METAR). As well as having the weather in teletype format, it will translate it to plain English.
MyRadar
B. Sky 7000 feet overcast, visibility 1-1/2SM, heavy rain. C. Sky 700 feet overcast, visibility 11, occasionally 2SM, with rain.
December 2016
While monitoring the Cooperstown CTAF you hear an aircraft announce that they are midfield left downwind to RWY 13. Where would the aircraft be relative to the runway?
This is another free app that provides almost real time Doppler radar images. This app will provide sufficient warning when precipitation is approaching.
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
25
HEADER HERE CONTRIBUTIONS PROFESSIONAL more stringent than the FAA requirements. Insurance carriers may require UAS pilots to attend factory training for their UAS or could mandate other restrictions above and beyond FAA regulations such as minimum hours of experience for certain types of UAS.
In Conclusion The release of FAA Part 107 has greatly improved and simplified the access to the National Airspace System for commercial drone operations. But with the improved access, remote pilot applicants who have not previously been FAA certificated manned pilots will find that while the knowledge itself is not highly complex, they will find the quantity and diversity of the required knowledge will require dedicated studying or participation in a ground school.
About the Author Richard Steckel is with the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)
Answers to the sample questions: The correct answer to both is letter A.
REG REVIEW, Inc. STUDY AIDS and COURSES for the NATIONAL (ASBOG®) GEOLOGY LICENSING EXAMS
Looking for help to get focus and direction for the ASBOG® exams?
REG REVIEW, Inc. has the class for you! One-day courses are taught regionally nationwide. Increase your likelihood to pass by 25% over the national average.
Sample image from the B4UFLY app
DUATS (FAA Direct User Access Terminal) This app allows the user to obtain an FAA approved weather briefing without having to phone a Flight Service Station. The user may obtain forecasts, NOTAMs, weather radar and current weather. The user does not have to be a licensed pilot to register.
Insurance If your organization intends to operate commercial UAS under the organization’s name and/or ownership, contact your insurance carrier to discuss what will be required to insure the UAS. If UAS insurance is similar to flying small general aviation aircraft, pilot requirements and operational limitations may be 26
REG REVIEW, Inc. is the leader in providing study aids and courses for geological professionals preparing for the geology licensing exams. Instructors are professionals with direct ASBOG® and California exam experience.
Study Aids REG REVIEW, Inc. provides the only professional-quality Study Manuals and Flash Cards available for the ASBOG® Geology Licensing Exams, the California Supplemental exam, and the Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology Certification Exams.
Order study aids or register for courses at regreview.com e-mail: regreview@aol.com 178 Bowles Road Newbury, NH 03255 (603) 763-3272 fax: (603) 763-3341 (916) 456-4870
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS HEADER HERE
Correcting the Record…
The Solution to Dissolution is Temporary
l
Greg Hempen, PhD, RG, AEG Region 7 Director
made the statement “The Solution to Dissolution is Temporary” with an added comment and question during the short period at the end of a Technical Session talk on Dam & Dam Foundation Design, Repair & Rehabilitation at our recent 2016 AEG Annual Meeting. I wish to correct the record, if the statement or my added comment suggested, in any way, that the reported work in the session was poorly considered or accomplished. There was insufficient time to have a meaningful discussion in the open forum. The assertion that “The Solution to Dissolution is Temporary” remains my belief. Many structures need to prevent water movement through and around their foundations in karst, evaporitic, or other complex terrains. [I claim no expertise in remedies to such potential flows with the change of pressure head about these structures.] Grouting and varied types of “cut-off” walls diminish water movement near the structure of concern temporarily. Temporarily could be defined as short in geologic time (yet tens of years in a project’s design life) or a time period insufficiently brief relative to a project’s design life. Several dams around the world have required significant additional tasks to lessen water movement after the project was constructed. Some projects have required multiple investigations during those projects’ lives, if not multiple remedial corrections for potentially damaging subsurface water flows. My added comment, while crediting the work of varied remedial actions, recognized the necessity of multiple
remedial corrections for some dams. My question inquired whether there was a determination of the potential remedial correction’s effectiveness for some duration in terms of the structure’s design life. Some projects are so important that a specific site is required or its continued use necessitates correcting adverse subsurface flows. I do presume that these remedial actions are accomplished well and cost-effectively. I am still uncertain that the temporal period for the remediation’s effectiveness has been approximated for these corrective measures. An audience member suggested that the corrective measure would be effective “indefinitely.” That would be reassuring, if by “indefinitely,” the meaning was that the effectiveness period for the remedial action was specifically assessed and should be much longer than the project’s design life. The quick response of “indefinitely” is unacceptable, if the term portends to assume that no assessment of a remedial action’s temporal efficacy is required. My suggestion is the assessment of remedial actions effective duration is very important for new structures being designed in susceptible terrains or for existing projects that have now been evaluated to need such additional remedial actions. There are methodologies to make such assessments. These assessments of effective duration should be considered for those structures where a failure due to subsurface flows could cause the loss of life, or for very important structures, or for very expensive, complex remediation of adverse water movement.
There was insufficient time to have a meaningful discussion in the open forum.
December 2016
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
27
HEADER HERE CONTRIBUTIONS PROFESSIONAL
Engineering Challenges for Rivers and Creeks in the St. Louis Region Robert E. Criss and Mingming Luo
Abstract In 2015 and 2016, record high water levels were set along the middle Mississippi River, the lower Illinois River, and the lower Meramec River. Some water levels on the Illinois bested records that had just been set in 2013. This succession of progressively higher water levels is largely due to human activities and rendered the regulatory FEMA “base flood” levels obsolete as they are typically underestimated by 3 to 6 ft. Rising floodwater levels along rivers are primarily due to constriction by in-channel structures, floodway encroachments, levees and floodplain developments, while problems along creeks are mostly due to channelization, stormwater diversions, and watershed urbanization. Constriction of the lower Meramec River has greatly elevated and flattened the floodwater surface near and above Valley Park and caused anomalously high water velocities downstream. Engineering and regulatory challenges for the region include zoning that recognizes immutable geologic hazards and preserves bottomlands, significant increases in “base flood” elevations and flood insurance rates, and implementation of construction standards that foster reduction and deceleration of runoff and the protection of riparian borders.
Introduction Belt (1975) noted that the record high water level set in 1973 on the middle Mississippi River at St. Louis corresponded to a much smaller discharge than that calculated for prior record floods. Belt attributed this anomalously high river stage to constriction of the river by wing dikes and levees, and although his paper was attacked in several rebuttals, the much higher water level set during the 1993 flood provided stunning confirmation of his analysis. Criss and Shock (2001) analyzed multiple sites to establish that anomalously high river stages were occurring regionally along the upper and middle Mississippi, lower Missouri and Ohio Rivers, and showed that river constriction, not climate change, was the principal cause. Subsequently, a succession of record and near record floods has afflicted the Midwest, in a broad zone roughly centered on St. Louis (Fig. 1). At various sites along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, the 1993 record water levels were nearly matched in 2008 and 2010, or topped during 2011 and 2015–16. The latter event caused great damage to the greater St. Louis region, set the third-highest water level on the Mississippi River at St. Louis, broke several records downstream, and demolished all previous records along the lower Meramec River in St. Louis County. Statistical methods easily establish that official estimates of flood risk cannot explain the rapid succession of severe Midwestern floods (Criss, 2008; Criss and Winston, 2008). A more difficult task undertaken by Criss (2016) was to develop a 28
Fig. 1. Graphs showing the progressive rise of peak annual water levels for several sites within about 100 miles of St. Louis, each in feet above its local flood stage (0 ft. on these graphs). All graphs depict the interval 1860-2020, but only St. Louis has data back to 1861; also, all data at Cape Girardeau from 1896 to 1902 were below flood stage and so are not shown. Vertical scales differ for each site; left plots, left scales; right plots, right scales.
methodology to compute flood risk that accommodates the effects of progressive environmental changes on flood populations, while avoiding the use of discharge calculations. This new methodology shows that the regulatory “100-year” flood levels are underestimated by 3–6 feet at most sites in the St Louis region, and that Midwestern floodwater levels are rising at a rate that is 10 times faster than the rise of sea level. This article provides estimates for “100-year” flood levels for numerous sites near St. Louis, using the Criss (2016) methodology and updated data, and compares these levels to regulatory values. We also demonstrate that floodwater levels have increased on the lower Meramec River at Valley Park by several feet relative to proximal sites, and link this increase to flattening of the water surface caused by floodway constriction, floodplain development and fill, and a new oversized levee. Floods on local creeks are also increasing because of urbanization, destruction of riparian borders, and acceleration of stormwater to stream channels by impervious surfaces and
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS HEADER HERE Table 1. Record Water Elevations (NAVD 88) vs. “100-year” Flood Estimates by FEMA (2016), USACE (2004), and This Paper Site Name,(River Mile)#
Data Since
FEMA Base Flood
USACE 100-yr
This Paper 100-yr flood
Record Level, year
∂S/∂t*, in/y
Mississippi R. at Hannibal (309.0)
1879
477
476.9
481.4
480.8, 1993
0.92
Mississippi R. at St. Louis (179.6)
1861
426
425.6
431.3
429.2, 1993
1.37
Mississippi R. at Cape Girardeau (52.1)
1896
352
351.7
358.3
353.1, 2016
1.28
Missouri R. at Hermann (97.9)
1873
519
518.5
523.5
518.5, 1993
1.43
Illinois R. at Valley City (61.3)
1883
445
445.3
449.0
444.7, 1943
0.77
Meramec R. at Valley Park (21.4)
1915
430
432.9
435.2, 2015
0.65
# River Mile indicates miles above a variable confluence of reference. * Rate of rise of the “100-year” flood, This Paper
storm sewers. Revised engineering practices and thoughtful land use could significantly ameliorate these effects. Methods Long-term data (100 to 154 year) data are available from USACE (2016a, b) or NOAA (2016a) for several sites in the St Louis region, representing streams that drain basins that range from 4,000 to 710,000 square miles. Criss’ (2016) new statistical method was applied to these sites to determine present-day values for the “100-year” flood, which is actually the flood with a 1 percent chance of occurrence in any given year. These values are compared to official values for such a flood, provided by USACE (2004) or by the “base flood” contours on flood insurance rate maps (FEMA, 2016); see Table 1. Given the record flooding in the lower Meramec basin in St. Louis County in December 2015, a special comparative study was made of the largest floods at Eureka and Valley Park, using data from NOAA (2016a). For smaller creeks, long term data on water levels are not available, so our analysis is based on field observations and photographs. Water elevations in this paper are all reported relative to the NAVD 88 datum. Literature data reported relative to local site datums or to the old NVGD 29 datum were all converted to the 1988 datum using VERTCON (NOAA 2016b) to establish gauge zero for each site. Differences between the 1929 and 1988 datums are mostly small (-0.11 to +0.39 feet), with 1929 elevations generally being higher. However, we found a large disparity between the FEMA and USACE datums at Hannibal, and the wildly incorrect value of 463 ft. reported for gauge zero by USGS (2016), that probably instead represent normal pool level; we assumed a value of 449.0 ft. for gauge zero to report the Hannibal results in Table 1. As an aside, we also note that the oft reported “gauge zero” of 392.92 ft. (NVGD29) for the Valley Park gauging station is too high by 1.4 ft. to be consistent with newer data and with the accurate NAVD 88 value of 391.1 ft. for this site.
Regional Rivers and Streams Middle Mississippi River Just 15 miles above St. Louis, the Mississippi and Missouri rivers merge to form the middle Mississippi River, which at St. Louis drains a 697,000 square mile basin and has an average flow of 195 kcfs. Only 42% of this mean flow is derived from the huge but predominantly semiarid Missouri River basin, even though it December 2016
represents more than 75% of the drainage area above St. Louis. However, for major floods (>750 kcfs) at St. Louis, an average of 65% of the water originates in the Missouri basin. In other words, large floods at St. Louis are Missouri River floods. Flooding is a serious and growing problem at St. Louis. As pointed out by Belt (1975), water levels have greatly increased for the same flows due to channel constriction and levees. For example, the flows of the 1903 and 1993 floods were very similar at just above 1Mcfs, yet the peak water elevation was only 417.6 ft. in 1903 but 429.2 feet in 1993 (Criss and Shock, 2001). Progressively higher water levels for moderate flows have been demonstrated at many sites by the “specific gauge” technique (e.g., Pinter, 2001; USACE 2012), and for low, moderate and very high annual flows by Criss and Shock (2001). Progressively higher floodwater levels have rendered the regulatory “base flood” levels obsolete at many sites (Criss 2016; Table 1). Data for Cape Girardeau (Table 1) confirm that rising flood levels are severe along the Middle Mississippi River, and are smaller yet serious in the lock and dam reaches of the Upper Mississippi River (e.g., Hannibal, Table 1). Whether our predicted heights for “100-year” levels will soon be realized is questionable, because before such levels would be attained, all flood defenses would be overwhelmed and the river would spread out everywhere to recapture its natural floodplain.
Lower Missouri River The Lower Missouri River is managed much like the Middle Mississippi River, with a combination of thousands of wing dams and dredging. Problems of rising flood water levels are also similar. Long term data for river stages on the lower Missouri River were evaluated for Hermann, the closest site to St. Louis where a lengthy record is available. Calculations based on the Criss (2016) methodology show that the base flood levels are underestimated by >4 ft. at this site. A similar underestimation was found for Boonville (not shown). Specific gauge data (USACE, 2012) show that rising water levels for moderate floods are ubiquitous from Omaha to St. Louis, along the entire, >600-mile-long channelized reach.
Lower Illinois River Incredibly, at several sites along the lower Illinois River, all-time record high stages were set in 2013, only to be nearly
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
29
HEADER HERE CONTRIBUTIONS PROFESSIONAL matched or bested by those set in July 2015. Even those levels were almost matched by stages in January 2016. Long term data are available for the lower Illinois River at Valley City. Here the 1943 flood is still highest, but listed in descending order, the next highest floods at Valley City occurred in 2015, 2013, 1995, 1993 and 2016, all of which had peak water levels within 2 to 16 inches of the 1943 level (Fig. 1). Calculations using the Criss (2016) methodology show that the base flood level is underestimated by > 3 ft. at this site.
Lower Meramec River The 3,980-sq mile Meramec basin is one of the very few remaining, unimpounded river basins in the USA. Upstream of St. Louis, the basin has a low population density. These conditions explain the extraordinary diverse aquatic fauna in this spring fed river. Because of its relatively small size, the river has a short time constant, so flood peaks in the lower basin arrive only ~2 days after heavy rainfall, and within a day upstream. The unusual storm of late December 2015 caused record stages all along the lower Meramec River, from Pacific MO to the Mississippi confluence nearly 50 miles downstream. Criss and Luo (2016) showed that, relative to previous high floods, water levels were highest at Valley Park, where they exceeded the prior record flood of 1982 by 4.4 feet. Criss and Luo attributed this relative magnification to floodway constriction, floodplain developments and fill, the construction of a large levee in 2005, and to continued development of proximal suburban watersheds. The impact of these developments on the flooding in the lower Meramec Valley can be quantified with the historical records at Eureka and Valley Park. Since 1945, eight large floods at Eureka attained water levels above 439.6 ft.; these were also the eight largest floods at Valley Park. However, the difference between the water levels at Eureka and at Valley Park have become greatly reduced over time, indicating that the slope of the water surface between these sites has become much flatter (Fig. 2). In fact, this slope has become much flatter than suggested by the FEMA (1995) calculations and diagrams, which depict the expected slope of the water surface for 10, 50, 100 and 500 year floods. Clearly, progressive constriction of the river at Valley Park has caused this profound flattening, and this effect extends far upstream. The base flood level is underestimated by nearly 3 ft. at Valley Park (Table 1).
Small Basins More than 40 different sites along small streams with watersheds of <83 sq. miles are monitored in the St. Louis area. Analysis of hydrographs shows that the associated time constants are very short for these streams, generally ranging from 0.5 to 4 hours, so flood peaks arrive very soon after rainfall. Flood flows on many of these small creeks are >1000 times greater than mean flows, so flash floods are a serious problem in the metro area. High flows on small streams in St. Louis County have had many unfortunate consequences in our region (Fig. 3). These include channel widening and incision that has isolated the channel from the floodplain, while causing erosion that has destroyed bridges, damaged roads and consumed
30
Fig. 2. Progressive flattening of the water surface for large floods in the lower Meramec basin is indicated by the decreasing difference in peak water levels at Eureka and Valley Park. Left vertical axis shows the difference in elevation of the water surface relative to NAVD 88; as shown by FEMA, the expected difference should be ~ 16 ft., or a drop of 1.3 ft. per mile. The right scale depicts the difference between the stages as reported relative to their arbitrary, local site datums.
lawns. High water velocities have removed all fine sediments from the channels of many local streams, leaving their bottoms choked with coarse gravel. Many streams have lost their perennial flow, so they are now dry gulches that contain water only during flash floods. As a result, area streams have very low species diversity. Hasenmueller et al. (2016) document correlations in local creeks between reduced base flow, increased peak flows, and poor water quality including high dissolved solids, high chloride (from road salt), low dissolved oxygen, and high E. coli counts. Monitoring of small rural streams in advance of development should be prioritized, so that problematical changes caused by urbanization can be better understood and documented.
Conclusions Flooding is a serious and growing threat in the St. Louis region. Floodwater levels are progressively rising in this area, primarily because of mismanagement of lands and rivers, causing regional flood risk to be underestimated by 3 to 6 feet. Understated flood risk and faulty tax schemes have promoted the development of low lying areas, perversely magnifying potential damages while further increasing water levels. Constriction of our rivers has continued as new levees and navigation structures have been added. Inadequate management of stormwater has caused damaging, high peak flows in local creeks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Flood controlâ&#x20AC;? by massive constructed works is a demonstrable failure- what is needed is flood prevention. Environmental and engineering geologists have unique skills that are desperately needed, as their training
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS HEADER HERE
May 2007
Fig. 3. Effects of urban sprawl on streams. Top: Lower Fox Creek in southwestern St. Louis County, May 8, 2007 near Business 44 east of Pacific. This small, ~15 sq. mi. watershed is in an early stage of suburban development, but in 2007 the creek had high base flow, vegetated banks, and high wildlife diversity. Middle: Lower Fox Creek on Sept. 4, 2016. Increased flash flooding is indicated by bending of vegetation and debris, and by the growth of gravel bars. Large gravel bars and channel widening are far more obvious upstream, where much perennial flow has been lost, and the stream bottom contains abundant algae due to increased sunlight and nutrient loads. Bottom. Lower: Fishpot Creek near Valley Park in October 2008. Dense suburban development of this 9.6 sq. mi. basin has greatly magnified stormwater runoff, causing frequent, destructive flash floods. The associated erosion has greatly deepened and widened the channel and completely removed fine sediments. Perennial flow is gone. Note the huge dune forms in coarse gravel, and the tons of riprap dumped to save properties. This is the end result of irresponsible development.
enables them to recognize geologic processes and their associated hazards. Geologists can greatly aid our region by advocating thoughtful zoning that preserves bottomlands, promoting construction standards that prioritize stormwater reduction and deceleration, and providing realistic risk assessment.
September 2016
October 2008
References Belt, C. B. (1975) The 1973 Flood and Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Constriction of the Mississippi River. Science, 189: 681â&#x20AC;&#x201C;684 Criss, R.E. and Shock, E.L. (2001) Flood enhancement through flood control. Geology, 29: 875-878 Criss, R.E. and Winston, W.E. (2008) Public Safety and faulty flood statistics. Environmental Health Perspectives, 116(12): A516 Criss, R.E., (2008) Flooding risk calculations dangerously underestimated. Emergency Management Magazine, 4 (3): 33 Criss, R.E. (2016) Statistics of Flood Populations in a Changing World. Journal of Earth Science, 27 (1): 2-8 Criss, R.E. and Luo, M. (2016) River management and flooding: The lesson of December 2015-January 2016, central USA, Journal of Earth Science, 27 (1): 117-122 FEMA (1995) Flood Insurance Study, St. Louis County and Incorporated Areas. Vol 3 FEMA (2016) Flood Maps. http://msc.fema.gov/portal Hasenmueller, E.A., Criss, R.E., Winston, W.E., and Shaughnessy, A.R. (2016) Stream geochemistry and hydrology along an urban to rural land use gradient. Applied Geochemistry (in review) NOAA (2016a) Record of Climatological Observations. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/IPS/coop/coop.html NOAA (2016b) Orthometric Height Conversion. http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgibin/VERTCON/vert_con.prl Pinter, N (2001) Assessing flood hazards on dybamic rivers. EOS, 82 (31): 3p USACE, 2004. Upper Mississippi River System Flow Frequency Study: Final Report. http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/pdw/pdf/FlowFrequency/flowfreq.html USACE (2012) Missouri River stage trends, Technical Report. Aug. 2012, 42p USACE (2016a) Mississippi River Basin-Historic Data Archive. http://mvswc.mvs.usace.army.mil/archive/mi.html USACE. (2016b). Water Levels of Rivers and Lakes. http://rivergages.mvr.usace.army.mil/WaterControl/datamining2.cfm USGS (2016) Peak Streamflow for the Nation. http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/peak
About the Authors Robert E. Criss and Mingming Luo are both with the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis.
December 2016
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
31
HEADER FIELD TRIPS HERE
AEG-Mile High Chapter Summer Field Trip
Tour of Colorado Springs Landslides and Debris Flow Hazards and Mitigation
O
n Saturday, August 28, members of the AEG Mile High Chapter took a tour of the various landslides and debris flow hazards and mitigation efforts around Colorado Springs. Our field trip leaders included Jonathan Lovekin of the Colorado Geological Survey, Timothy Mitros of the City of the Colorado Springs Office of Emergency Management, and David Noe formerly of the Colorado Geological Survey. The group spent the morning observing active landslides in and around the Broadmoor area and nearby neighborhoods. In the afternoon, they observed debris flow mitigation measures around the city, including ring nets installed at Glen Eyrie and sediment catchment basins near the Flying W Ranch and the Waldo Canyon burn scar. This field trip was a smaller version of the field trip planned for next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs.
32
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
HEADER FIELD TRIPS HERE
San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Field Trip
Chabot Dam Seismic Upgrade Project
O
E. Morley Beckman, Chapter Chair Builders (the project general contractor) presented on the Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) history and safety controls at the site. After the presentations, we piled into two project pickup trucks and viewed the site from an overlook on the left abutment of the dam, and from the base of the spillway at the dam’s downstream right toe. We were able to see the existing Outlet Tower, which will be dismantled this winter as part of an outlet works upgrade sub-project, as well as beautiful Lake Chabot itself. From the base of the spillway, we observed existing construction activities at the downstream outlet of the new seepage collection system, which has been partially installed as of October 2016. Our group was then able to get “up close and personal” with the towering Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM)
RIG HOTOS BY AL BUCHANAN OF CPM, INC., © COURTESY OF JAFEC USA
n Friday, October 21, 2016, a group of six members and friends of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of AEG visited Chabot Dam for a presentation and a site tour. With the small group size, we were able to hold robust technical discussion of the dam’s history and the details of the seismic upgrade project currently underway. The dam is owned by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and is located in Oakland, California at the western end of Lake Chabot. We met at the field trailers for introductions and presentations. Morley Beckman of Kleinfelder, Inc. (the author!) is the Field Engineer for the Construction Management team on the project, and she presented on the dam’s history, the overall goals of the project, and challenges and milestones on the project since it began earlier this year. Following Beckman’s presentation, Vishnu Damala of DMZ
Cement silos at the cement deep soil mixing batch plant
December 2016
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
33
HEADER FIELD TRIPS HERE
JAFECâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cement deep soil mixing rig in place at the toe of Chabot Dam
construction crane, on site for specialty subcontractor JAFECâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CDSM operations which are currently underway. The crane was undergoing repairs at the time of our visit, which provided a unique opportunity to see the equipment from a closer vantage point than would be feasible during active CDSM operations. Morley and Vishnu accompanied our group to both sites and continued to answer questions about construction methods, geologic investigation results, CDSM design and testing, and everything in between. Thoroughly educated and a bit sun-kissed, we returned to the field trailers and enjoyed a tasty lunch while getting to know each other better. Our visit to Chabot Dam was thoroughly educational and enjoyable! Many thanks to all who attended. AEGSF especially thanks DMZ Builders and EBMUD for their on-site education and assistance in arranging this unique, behind-the-scenes opportunity to visit such a technically complex dam improvement project. GROUP PHOTO BY E. MORLEY BECKMAN
34
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
ISSUES IN PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE FOR HEADER GEOLOGISTS HERE
Editor’s Note: In this series, we present the opinions of the author as he explores the issues that are important in the implementation and operation of statutory licensure for geologists. The author’s opinions are not necessarily those of the Association of Engineering Geologists or any other organization or entity.
LXXVIII: Finding a Source for Questions about Professional Ethics on the ASBOG Licensure Examination Robert E. Tepel, PG, past president AEG
Introduction For almost as long as the ASBOG® national licensure examination in geology has existed, the subject matter experts who write and grade the exam have pondered the issue of including items (questions, problems) that require the candidate to have knowledge of professional ethics. There is support for including exam items about professional ethics from respondents to ASBOG’s semi-decadal Task Analysis Surveys, and among the subject matter experts. The rules, regulations, or enabling legislation of licensure boards commonly include a Code of Ethics, or a similarly purposed document with a different name, so the regulators of professional practice indicate that moral behavioral considerations are important to them. There are challenges in writing and grading exam items about ethics. These include: 1) Succinct scenario-based exam items that test a candidate’s knowledge of ethics are difficult to write in a way that provides only one clearly correct answer among the four options and yet meets the criterion that all options be plausible to the uninformed candidate (i.e., the item is not a “give-away”). 2) There is currently no recognized single ethics source document to use as a reference for creating ethics-based exam items, or for candidates to study. 3) Existing state licensure board ethics documents vary widely in scope, organization, degree of detail, and, even in name. This article is a first, shallow dive into the sea of state geology licensure board ethics documents. It sets the stage for a deeper exploration of state licensure board ethics documents as a source of ethics items on the ASBOG examination.
Method I reviewed the ethics documents available on the websites of the 30 state boards that license geologists. (Links to member board websites may be found by clicking on “Member Boards” at www.asbog.org.) I printed the ethics documents for ease of comparison and study, and developed simple groupings of the documents according to name (Table 1) and structure (Table 2). Finding ethics documents is a complicated process on many state board websites; they are rarely given top billing. Ethics December 2016
documents are usually found under “Rules” or a topic that includes “Rules.”
Characterizing State Board Ethics Documents – Initial Data Compilation and Analysis Nomenclature The term “code of ethics” or “code” is used here to describe any document promulgated by a statutory licensure board or its host agency that describes required moral behavior or unacceptable moral behavior, regardless of its name or titling. Where the term “Code of Ethics” is used, it refers to a document with those words in the title. The actual titles of these documents vary; see Table 1.
Discussion and Analysis The range of titles for moral behavioral standards in Table 1, and the lack of a specifically titled set of moral behavioral standards in six states (bottom of Table 1) suggests that a variety of legislative and regulatory philosophies are at work. Noting that several boards have codes with similar titles, one might wonder how much “borrowing” occurred among the authors, or if some sets of codes spring from a common source. In some instances the title, structure, and content of a code is dictated by the requirements of the host agency for a licensure board, or a uniform code might be imposed on all boards by the host agency, not allowing for customization. For the seven boards (italicized in Table One) that license geology and other design professions, the ethical standards for geologists and the other professionals are the same.
Conclusions Drawn from Table 1 Overall, nine states use the term “Ethics” alone in the title of their moral behavior documents. Two states use both “Conduct” and “Ethics” in their document titles. Twelve states do not use the term “Ethics” but use the term “Conduct” (in some cases in combination with “Professional” or “Standards”) to title their documents. In summary, more states use the words “Professional,” “Conduct,” “Standards,” and “Practice” in various combinations to describe their moral behavior documents than use the word “Ethics.” Based on described practice among the licensure boards noted in Table 1, a formally stated, self-standing, document that
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
35
HEADERIN ISSUES HERE PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE FOR GEOLOGISTS Table 1. Titles of State Licensure Board Ethics Documents. Title of Document
States Using This Title (State names in italics have boards that license geologists and other design professions.)
Code of Ethics (8 States)
Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina
Code of Practice (1 State)
Nebraska
Code of Professional Conduct (6 States)
Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming
Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics (1 State)
Illinois
Ethics Standards (1 State)
New Hampshire
Professional Conduct (1 State)
Kansas
Professional Conduct (Code of Ethics) (1 State)
Alabama
Rules of Professional Conduct (3 States)
Arizona, Minnesota, North Carolina
Professional Standards and Code of Professional Conduct (1 State)
California
Standards of Practice and Conduct (1 State)
Virginia
No specific, self-standing, code of ethics, conduct, or practice document, but the law, regulations, or rules describe or list violations or offences by licensees that are subject to board action under headings such as “Professional Conduct,” “Unprofessional Conduct,” “Grounds for Discipline,” “Disciplinary Guidelines,” or “Disciplinary Proceedings.” (6 States)
Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin
Table 2. Document Structure and Length (for States with Codified Ethics Documents) Number of First Order Headings or Sections
State Codes. (Approximate word count is shown in parentheses for selected states.)
0
Arizona, Idaho (230 words), Pennsylvania (260 words), Tennessee
2
Georgia (430 words), Illinois (410 words)
3
Delaware (1,280 words), Nebraska (850 words)
4
Maine, Missouri, South Carolina
5
Arkansas, Kentucky
6
California (1,440 words)
8
Alabama
9
North Carolina
11
Indiana (1,150 words), Minnesota (1,490 words)
12
Texas (3,170 words)
13
New Hampshire (1,330 words)
31
Kansas (1,000 words)
describes required or prohibited moral behavior by licensees is not essential to protect the public interest in the practice of geology, at least under six state laws (Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin).
Structure of Codified Ethics Documents Basis of Classification Table 2. is an initial classification of the structure of the codified documents of Table 1. Some codes (or their equivalents if not so titled) are simple enumerated lists of “dos” and/or “don’ts.” Some have four to six major headings with enumerated or 36
bulleted lists for each, and some are presented in formal legal code fashion. The variation in structure makes comparison among the codes difficult. Traditions familiar to their authors or requirements of the agency hosting the board are probably the reasons for the great variety in the content and organizations of the codes. In states with multi-profession boards, their existing ethical standards were imposed on geologists when geology was added to the board. This study does not compare statutory codes of ethics (by whatever name) to professional association or multiorganization or institute codes of ethics.
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
ISSUES IN PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE FOR HEADER GEOLOGISTS HERE
Discussion of Table 2 All states with more than zero headings in their ethics documents use a heading and subheading structure—some with multiple layers of subheadings. Among those states for which word counts were determined, the word count range is from a low of 230 (Idaho) to a high of 3,170 (Texas). Ethics documents are state-specific and dependent on the values of the time in which they were written, the personal interests of their authors, and the need (or lack thereof) for conformity to some accepted practice in the state’s political/administrative system. A more detailed study would be necessary to find any commonalities in the structure and content of these ethics documents.
Conclusions At this level of review, a choice of one or more state ethics documents to put forth confidently as the basis for ethics questions on the ASBOG licensure examination is not clear.
T
By analyzing existing state licensure board ethics documents, and comparing them with: 1) professional association ethics documents, 2) group efforts at national and international ethics models in the geosciences, 3) the ethics documents of Canadian licensure boards, and 4) the ethics documents of engineering licensure boards. ASBOG could develop a guidance document that will serve its Council of Examiners, its member boards, and its exam candidates. Many geology licensure boards have ethics documents that define the obligations of the professional licensee to the public by way of detailed and structured lists. While some ethics documents have preambles, only two states—Georgia and New Hampshire—include in their ethics documents the broad, overarching, concept that the licensed geologist shall hold paramount the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
New Governance Structure Means Changes to The HomeFront
he format of The HomeFront Section of AEG News will now reflect AEG’s new governance structure, which has been fully implemented as of September 2016. Shown at right are AEG’s current Chapters (formerly Sections) and their revised names. *Please note that several Chapters rotate their actual meeting locations with nearby cities to best accommodate their members. To view a map of AEG’s Chapters go to: www.aegweb.org/Chapters. Each member’s Region will be assigned by the state (or location within the state for California) in which they work or reside. Region assignment is used to divide the membership into eleven regions for the purpose of Regional Director Elections only. To view a list of AEG’s Regions go to: www.aegweb.org/Regions. As a reminder, submissions to the HomeFront section should reflect the new Chapter names and, as always, include the name of the person who wrote the article and their title within the Chapter (i.e., Newsletter Editor, Chair, etc.). HomeFront photos are always appreciated. When possible, group people in squarish formats, and fill the frame to avoid an excess of floor/ceiling. Shoot at your camera’s highest resolution. Files need to be a minimum of 1MB for quality reproduction at a single column width. Some good tips for photographing meetings and events can be found at http://ucm.rutgers.edu/photography/tips.
December 2016
Chapter Name (Chapter’s primary location for meetings) Alaska Chapter (*rotates) Atlanta Chapter (Atlanta) Carolinas Chapter (*rotates) Chicago Chapter (Chicago) DC/Maryland/Virginia Chapter (D.C.) Great Basin Chapter (Reno) Greater Pittsburgh Chapter (Pittsburgh) Kansas City/Omaha Chapter (Kansas City) Lower Mississippi Chapter (Starkville) Mile High Chapter (Denver) New England Chapter (Boston) New York/Philadelphia Chapter (Somerset) Oregon Chapter (Portland) Phoenix Chapter (Phoenix) Puget Sound Chapter (Seattle) Sacramento Chapter (Sacramento) San Francisco Bay Area Chapter (San Francisco) South Africa Chapter (Midrand) Southern California Chapter (Los Angeles) Southern Nevada Chapter (Las Vegas) St Louis Chapter (St. Louis) Texas Chapter (*rotates) Utah Chapter (Salt Lake City)
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
37
HEADER HERE
Atlanta Chapter
t n o r f e m o The H
Stay tuned for announcements about talks from the 2016–17 AEG President Dale Andrews, tentatively scheduled for late January 2017.
Matthew Howe, Treasurer/Past Chair The AEG Atlanta Chapter hosted the 2015–16 Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer, Jerry De Graff, from October 10–14. On October 10 and 11, he visited several schools outside the former Southeastern Section in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. On Tuesday evening, he presented at a joint meeting of AEG and AIPG in Nashville, TN, where his talk was entitled What Does It Take to Effectively Monitor for Environmental and Engineering Geology Projects? Jerry then traveled east to Murfreesboro, TN, where he spoke to students at Middle Tennessee State University on Wednesday morning. In the afternoon, he spoke at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. On Thursday afternoon, Jerry visited the Atlanta metropolitan area and he presented a talk entitled Dealing with Hazardous Mine Openings – Blasting Is Not Always a Good Option, at the University of West Georgia (UWG), hosted by the AEG UWG Student Chapter. Later that evening, he presented a talk entitled Fire, Earth & Rain: Emergency Response for Induced Landslide Hazards, at the University of Georgia and hosted by the new AEG UGA Student Chapter. Friday—the final day of Jerry’s trip—ended with a presentation—What Does It Take to Effectively Monitor for Environmental and Engineering Geology Projects?—at Georgia State University.
PHOTO BY TONY MORAES
2015–16 Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer Jerry De Graff talking to students at the University of Georgia.
As a reminder, I would encourage our Chapter members to check out the Atlanta Chapter’s webpage that can be found on the AEG website under the Chapters tab. They should also make sure they have their email updated with AEG HQ for information on upcoming meetings and events. Our Chapter is always looking for energetic volunteers, so if you are interested or know of someone that might be interested, please contact Chapter Chair Steve Stokowski (sstokowski@tecservices.com) or Chapter Treasurer Matthew Howe (matthew.r.howe@gmail.com).
38
Carolinas Chapter Maddie German, Chair The Carolinas Chapter has been keeping our members engaged throughout the summer and into fall. Our second combined meeting and field trip for 2016 was held in Boone, NC, on August 26–27, with 40 professionals, professors, and students attending. The networking social began with a viewing of the amazing geology collection at the McKinney Geology Teaching Museum then moved to a BBQ picnic outside in the Rankin Rock Garden. Dr. Arthur Merschat (USGS), Jessie Hill (UNC Chapel Hill PhD candidate), and Keith Seramur, PG (consultant) presented talks on the Evolution of the Linville Falls Fault Zone and Its Influence on Topographic Relief and Slope Stability Today. On Saturday, we enjoyed a full day including rock collecting at the newest Highway 321 outcrop, where we examined and discussed not only Paleozoic deformation and mountain building but also over-printing brittle structures and geomorphic evidence for later reactivation of the Linville Falls fault, and made several landslide-related stops. A huge “thank you” to Crystal Wilson and the geology department at Appalachian State University for their hard work in organizing a fantastic meeting and field trip. Attendees of the meeting earned 3 education credits toward their geology license, and field trip attendees earned 10 education credits. Also at the Boone meeting, we held another 50/50 raffle for the Carolinas Scholarship Fund and raised $130 towards the scholarship. To keep the membership networking opportunities available over the summer months, the Carolinas Chapter held a social event on Thursday, August 4, at Tobacco Road Café, overlooking the Durham Bulls baseball field. The event was free and was well attended by about a dozen members and students. In July, the membership voted in the following to the Carolinas Chapter board: Chair Madeline German, Vice Chair Susan Kelly, Treasurer Eric Cross, and, Secretary Rebecca Tinnel. The North Carolina Science Teachers Association meeting was held in Greensboro on October 20–21. The Carolinas Chapter sponsored an Earth Science Room, so the earth science-related classes could be held together at nonconflicting times. Additionally, we sponsored the Outstanding Educator and the Outstanding Teacher of the year awards for two amazing North Carolina Science educators. We handed out the AGI Earth Science Week Kits to science teachers from across the state to help support science education in our schools. In October, the Carolinas Chapter hosted the 2015–16 Jahns Lecture Tour with Jerry DeGraff. He had a busy schedule visiting nine colleges and universities across North and South Carolina, as well as a quarterly Chapter dinner meeting and brewpub social event, all in one week.
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
THEHEADER HOMEFRONT HERE
Attendees at the Carolinas Chapter’s combined meeting and field trip to the McKinney Geology Teaching Museum in Boone, NC
Jennifer Thomas is producing our quarterly Chapter newsletter, GeoNews. The latest issue was published in September 2016, and provides our members with Chapter and national AEG news updates, a summary of our Chapter financials, geology-related articles, and a place to advertise for our sponsors. We currently have 24 sponsors for the Carolinas Chapter for 2016. Walt Plekan, our Sponsorship Chair, has been busy getting our existing sponsors renewed and recruiting new ones. The generosity of our sponsors allows AEG Carolinas to fund education outreach programs for students, our profession, and the general public.
Great Basin Chapter Merrily Graham, Vice Chair We started off the new chapter year with a September social at Pignic Pub and Patio. New Chapter officers were introduced and in turn they graciously barbecued tri-tip and chicken for the group. We were very fortunate to host about a dozen students—several first time attendees—and we look forward to seeing those students at a future Chapter event.
December 2016
On October 21, Great Basin Chapter members and guests were treated to an outstanding presentation of Flood Hazards in the Urban-Wildland Interface: Insights from the Johnson Lane Floods, 2014 and 2015 by Matthew McMackin PhD. McMackin’s academic background in arid lands geomorphology, structural geology and Neoproterozoic stratigraphy came into use when his densely populated, rural subdivision—Johnson Lane in Douglas County, approximately thirty-five miles south of Reno—experienced back-to-back microburst monsoonal flooding in the summers of 2014 and 2015. In fact, McMackin was able to photograph and video the 2015 flash flood as it developed, and alerted two teenagers who were wading in low flow headwaters, which helped them get to safety before the waters came in. Just minutes later, the calm, ponded water turned into a turbulent sediment laden flood flow, which significantly damaged 147 homes and impacted many other structures. Following the 2015 flood, McMackin joined other qualified earth scientists who also resided in the subdivision to
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
39
THE HOMEFRONT HEADER HERE produce a report that local lawmakers could consider for flood mitigation purposes. Since they experienced the events firsthand, some with personal loss and concern for the welfare of their neighbors, they produced a professional report that could serve as a model for rural arid subdivisions impacted by flash floods. It covered atmospheric conditions combined with a complex and complete topographic analysis. Flood velocities and flow characteristics were expertly measured. The report was presented to local county officials who applied for a FEMA grant. Subsequently, the county was awarded $285,000 that will begin the planning process to include both soft and hard solutions. Project and maintenance costs will be proposed that are both affordable and effective for the residents. It is anticipated that a flood control district will be in place to accomplish those goals. The public is ready and willing to support this effort with the help of their proactive and highly qualified neighbors in the years to come.
New York–Philadelphia Chapter Brionna O’Connor, Newsletter Editor This fall brought about new chapter leadership with the end of a very successful two-year term. We are pleased to announce our new slate for 2016–18: Chair Rose DeLorenzo (former Treasurer, and prior Secretary), Vice Chair Curt Schmidt (2014–16 Chair), and Treasurer and Field Trip Chair Niall Henshaw. Amanda Forsburg will continue as Secretary. The Chapter also elected new board and committee members Theodoros (Ted) Toskos (Bylaws Chair), Jim Peterson (Programming Chair), Rami Abousleiman (Social Media Co-Chair and Student Outreach Co-Chair), Jennifer Cherlin (Social Media Co-Chair), and Alexander Gates (Student Outreach Co-Chair) to work with the Chapter officers. The Social Media Chair position is new to our Chapter this year and is quickly bringing AEG NY–P to the forefront of several different social media platforms. Please find us on LinkedIn as AEG New York - Philadelphia Chapter, or check us out on Twitter, Instagram, or Reddit—@aeg_nyp and Facebook—@aegnyp!
Kansas City–Omaha Chapter
New NY–P Chapter officers Niall Henshaw, Curt Schmidt, Amanda Forsburg, and Rose DeLorenzo
Jeremy Strohmeyer, Chair
PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER CHERLIN
Over the summer the Kansas City–Omaha Chapter updated our bylaws, with the biggest change being reducing the officer terms from two years to one. After holding elections, the new officers came into their roles at our meeting at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) Student Union Building on September 13. The Jahns Lecturer, Dr. Jerome De Graff, gave his presentation: What Does It Take to Effectively Monitor for Environmental and Engineering Geology Projects? We had an excellent turnout of UMKC Student Chapter members, and everyone was pleased with the venue and the food. Jahns Lecturer Jerome De Graff speaks at the September meeting of the Kansas City–Omaha Chapter
Our Chapter representation at this year’s Annual Meeting was strong and included Vice Chair and Northeast Regional Director Curt Schmidt, Treasurer Niall Henshaw, former Chair Loren Lasky, and Matt McMillen. On October 6, 2016 the chapter held its first dinner meeting since the summer break in Somerset, NJ. The meeting was a joint presentation by Bob Casselberry and Jim Occhialini entitled 1, 4-dioxane – A Review and Evaluation of the Available Analytical Methodologies Used In Support of the Latest State and Federal Standards. Bob Casselberry from the Dow Chemical Company shared the results of multi-laboratory QA studies on 1,4-dioxane conducted by Dow’s Analytical Services Department. Judging
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOREN LASKY
NY–P’s Rose DeLorenzo Officially Gaveling in as the 2016–18 Chair
Our next sponsored activity was not until November 18th with the 25th Annual Kansas Hydrology Seminar at the Kansas History Museum in Topeka. We had a very interesting lineup of presentations this year with topics coming from government, academia, and industry. This was also an opportunity to earn up to 6 professional development hours (PDHs). 40
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
THEHEADER HOMEFRONT HERE
Members of AEG’s New York–Pennsylvania Chapter on its fall field trip standing at the base of the Great Falls of the Passaic in Paterson, NJ
by the seemingly endless questions from those in attendance, the issue of 1,4-dioxane is a serious concern for many Chapter members. Jim Occhialini of Alpha Analytical shared his 35 years of environmental analytical and consulting experience as he elaborated on the intricacies of the three most commonly used analytical methods for low level 1,4-dioxane analysis – U.S. EPA Methods 8260 SIM, 8270 SIM, and 522. The attendance at the meeting was excellent, and we look forward to many more meetings ahead under the direction of our new Programming Chair Jim Peterson. The Chapter took its fall field trip this November to the historic Paterson area and the Great Falls National Park in northern New Jersey. Paterson is currently undergoing a postindustrial revitalization aided by the creation of the Great Falls National Park in 2006. The city got its historic start in manufacturing back in 1791 when Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, created the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures (SUM) with the purpose of establishing a manufacturing town specifically to advance the economic base of the country. Our very own treasurer, Niall Henshaw, led the Chapter through the history of the creation of the Falls, the role geology and power delivery played in the development of Paterson as an industrial hub, current contaminant cleanup associated with New Jersey’s industrial past, and past and present flood concerns associated with the upstream Passaic and Ramapo River systems at Two Bridges. December 2016
Oregon Chapter Benjamin George, Secretary The 2016–17 season started with a great talk on The Holocene History of Deep-Seated Landsliding in the North Fork Stillaguamish River Valley from Surface Roughness Analysis, Radiocarbon Dating, and Numerical Landscape Evolution Modeling by Adam Booth PhD. Dr. Booth is an assistant professor of geology at Portland State University. Our Chapter supported the Annual Meeting with 19 attendees. Many of them delivered technical presentations, prepared posters, and moderated technical sessions. We would like to congratulate the Portland State University Student Chapter for receiving the Student Chapter of the Year award during the conference. After a wonderful attendance in Hawai‘i, the Chapter heard a joint talk given by Mike Meyer and Sunny Simpkins on The History, Challenges, and Future of Portland Metropolitan’s Levee System. Meyer is a Senior Associate Geotechnical Engineer and Vice President at Cornforth Consultants, Inc., and Simpkins is the Planning Director at Multnomah County Drainage District. Pacific Region 3 is off to a great start with new communication and more open interaction between the Oregon, Puget Sound, and Alaska Chapters. Thanks to the recently elected Regional Director, Linda Mark, for her energetic efforts to learn the new system, educate the Region about Chapter roles, and
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
41
PHOTO BY SCOTT BURNS
HEADER THE HOMEFRONT HERE
Angela Pillers and Max Bordal from Portland State University accepting the outstanding student chapter award from Past President Paul Santi at the Annual AEG Conference.
promote growth in AEG. Linda will be coordinating quarterly meetings for the Region 3 Chapters. The initial meeting was productive with shared ideas for chapter collaboration, membership growth, and the creation of new Chapters within the Region. The Oregon Chapter would like to recognize the continued support and diligent coordination by our Program Chair Mike Marshall, Newsletter Editor Scott Braunsten, and Webmaster Keith Olsen. They continue to show their dedication to AEG by finding interesting presentations and keeping our Chapter membership and professional community informed about local and national AEG news. In the coming months we look forward to hearing from Bill Gates of McMillen Jacobs Associates, having our members attend a joint meeting with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Oregon Section Geotechnical Group featuring a presentation by the 2016–17 Jahns Distinguished Lecturer Scott Anderson, Andrea Goodwin of the USGS, and a joint student poster night with AEG President Dale Andrews.
Puget Sound Chapter Kristina Sumner, Treasurer “Bertha” is a 57-foot-diameter tunnel-boring machine, making it the world’s largest. Bertha has been slowly burrowing forward beneath downtown Seattle, making progress toward a replacement tunnel for Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct. After nearly a two-year delay, On September 30, Bertha reached a significant milestone—passing the halfway point. The halfway mark of 4,635-feet puts Bertha just south of Seattle’s iconic Pike Place Market. Presently, tunneling has been temporarily suspended for planned maintenance that involves routine inspection of Bertha’s machine components and to replace cutterhead tools while in hyperbaric conditions. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) estimates that 42
the replacement tunnel will be completed and open to vehicle traffic in early 2018. You can follow Bertha here: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/About/FollowBertha Washington’s King County has new and detailed mapping of landslides. Executive Dow Constantine and the King County Flood Control District called for modernizing 1990s-era landslide hazard maps. Lidar imaging was used, with recent geologic mapping from state and federal agencies, to create maps of potential landslide hazards. The Flood Control District focused on identifying potential hazards within river corridors, and included portions of some cities as well as unincorporated King County within those corridors. Landslide hazard information will be used in River Corridor Planning to address floodrelated hazards and reduce flood risks. In light of the updated landslide maps, land-use regulatory code revisions could be considered at some point in the future for King County. However, no changes in these codes are proposed at this time. Additionally, the King County Department of Permitting and Environmental Review completed a companion effort to update landslide hazard mapping in the unincorporated areas within and beyond the river corridor areas. This mapping, which includes Vashon-Maury islands, resulted in an improved screening tool that allows people to view an area or zoom to a specific parcel to check if there are any indications of potential hazard. If there are, additional geotechnical evaluation could be required as part of any future development or redevelopment proposal. King County’s new landslide mapping effort will be the topic of the Puget Sound Chapter’s, January 2017 dinner lecture. The new maps are available at www.kingcounty.gov/landslides. Washington Geological Survey’s Landslide Hazard Program (LHP) was created in early 2016 as a result of legislative funding following the 2014 SR-530 Oso landslide. The LHP has commenced a lidar-based, landslide mapping program for the state of Washington. The primary goal is to help Washington communities reduce losses from landslides by mapping landslides, producing hazard and vulnerability maps, and assisting at-risk communities. In March 2016, the LHP collaborated with Pierce County to improve and expand the existing landslide inventory in order to highlight assets at risk to landslide hazards. Following protocols developed by Oregon’s Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, the LHP used 1-meter lidar to produce landslide inventory maps, and deep and shallow landslide susceptibility maps. At the onset of this project, the LHP collaborated with county stakeholders including planners, GIS specialists, emergency managers, and engineers to identify areas to map and assets to include in a vulnerability/exposure analysis. This analysis spatially identifies the intersection of public and private assets at risk either due to reactivation of an existing landslide or in areas identified as susceptible to future landslides. By collaborating, the LHP delivered products that were applicable and informative to users, including the public. The LHP will further assist the county by conducting outreach at public meetings, distributing a homeowner’s guide to landslides, and by providing spatial and tabular data online at the Washington Geological Survey’s Geologic Information Portal. The data created from this project will allow Pierce County to evaluate the threat of landslides to people and property when considering
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
THEHEADER HOMEFRONT HERE future development and will provide the public with information on how to reduce their risk to landslide hazards. Through public outreach and the publication of maps and data, the LHP provides tools and assistance to inform public and private entities of landslide hazards across Washington State. The newly established LHP team of five geologists is currently developing new protocols for mapping landslides and landslide susceptibility from high-resolution lidar topographic data. The pilot project for Pierce County is currently underway, mapping all landslide deposits for the county using high-quality lidar with the ultimate goal of assessing landslide hazard and risk to county residents. The Washington State hazard program was the lecture topic for our Chapter dinner meeting held in Tacoma, WA.
Meetings In September, we held a joint meeting with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE-Geotech) in Seattle and featured Michael Marasa, PE, from Hayward Baker. Michael gave a well-attended talk on the sinkhole remediation at the National Corvette Museum. Marasa is an incredibly entertaining speaker with a lot of geotechnical insights; we definitely wanted to hear more! Thank you to Michael! The speakers for the October meeting were Eliya Gangar, CESCL, GIT, from GeoEngineers and Dave Cook from Aeigis. The collaborative talk reflected their recent volunteer efforts with Engineers without Borders USA to evaluate geohazards at 14 locations within Nepal after the devastating 2015 earthquake. Thank you to both Eliya and Dave for sharing this unique volunteer experience with us!
St. Louis Chapter Stefanie Voss, Chapter Editor The St. Louis Chapter closed out its section status with a Cardinals game on August 25. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a winner, but a good time was had by all. We also enjoyed the excitement of dodging fly balls that came our way. AEG St. Louis Chapter members Vince Epps, Duane Kreuger, Stephanie Kline-Tissi, Doug Lambert, Mike Roark, Phyllis Steckel, and Jon Truesdale along with volunteers Richard Steckel, Matt Masterson, Brian Sanders, Erin Grimes, Steve Graham, Steve Tepatti, Nick Gonzalez, Jill James, and Buffy Fleming showed students “the life of a geologist” at the Biennial Student Workshop on September 10. Geotechnology, Inc., hosted the event at their headquarters. The workshop showed students the operations of an active soils and materials testing laboratory, drill rigs and sampling techniques, and introduced them to the practical experiences of environmental and engineering geologists. The first meeting back from summer break was held on September 15. Our speaker was the 2015–16 Jahn’s Lecturer, Dr. Jerome DeGraff of Fresno State University. He spoke on Fire, Earth and Rain, which discussed how wildfires cause geologic hazards such as rock falls, debris flows, and flash floods. He explained that as trees fall, they carry dry ravel with them. December 2016
PHOTO BY STEFANIE VOSS
AEG St. Louis goes to the Redbirds-Cardinals game.
By finding the extend and severity of the burned areas and scared lands, maps could be generated and provided to emergency responders for early warning systems and construction of mitigation systems. Many of our members attended the AEG Annual Meeting in Kona, Hawai’i. Anna Saindon wrapped up her role as AEG News Editor, covering her last Annual Meeting. Phyllis Steckel attended as the Chapter’s St. Louis representative and as Chair of the Advocacy Committee. Two of our members received awards at the Annual Meeting. Duane Kreuger was awarded the Floyd T. Johnston Service Award, and Dr. J. David Rogers was awarded the Karl and Ruth Terzaghi Mentor Award. Please congratulate them for all their hard work and volunteerism for this wonderful professional organization. Finally, in October we capped off our first meeting as a Chapter with The Life and Times of Jim Williams to recognize Dr. Williams for his 51 years of AEG membership (see tribute on page 12). Stephanie Kline-Tissi began the program with a brief overview of Jim’s many professional contributions to the field of geology and the breadth of his research and public policy interests. After hearing about Jim’s illustrious life, we concluded the evening with presentation of personal letters of congratulations and recognition from U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill and Missouri Governor Jay Nixon.
San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Maggie Parks, Secretary In August, we closed out the summer with a joint meeting at HS Lordship’s in Berkeley with the Groundwater Resources Association of California (GRA), where we heard a talk from Joel Pomerantz. He discussed his recent book, Seep City Water Log, and engaged us in a fascinating discussion of our local water history. The Chapter held a field trip in October to the Chabot Dam Seismic Upgrade Project in Oakland. A full report of the field trip is included on page 30 in this issue. In early November, we participated in the Bay Area Science Festival Discovery Day held at AT&T Park in San Francisco. This was a large event with hundreds of science exhibits and activities geared towards children under the age of 14 to encourage interest in the STEM fields. Our booth included a plate tectonics
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
43
HEADER THE HOMEFRONT HERE puzzle and hundreds of rock and mineral samples from northern California provided by our booth partner Northern California Geological Society. Later in November, we held a South Bay meeting at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Redwood City. Our speaker was Mark Bailey, of Asbestos TEM Laboratories, and he presented his talk entitled Silica and Other Mineral Dust Hazards: New Regulations, Sampling and Identification by X-Ray Diffraction. We would like to congratulate Morley Beckman, who we re-elected as Chapter Chair for 2016–17 in an out-of-cycle election in order to adhere to the new AEG bylaws. We are excited to continue under the leadership of Morley. All of our other Chapter Officers remain unchanged. We would also like to congratulate Sarah Kalika, former SF Chapter Chair, on her election as the Region 1: Northern California Regional Director in August. We are very happy to have her represent us on the AEG Board. We’re still looking for a new meeting venue to replace Sinbad’s and Pyramid Brewing, which have both recently closed. If anyone has a great idea, please forward it along! As always, check our Section website at www.aegsf.org for a copy of our latest newsletter, up to the minute news, meeting information, local job postings, and events.
Southern California Chapter Darrin Hasham, Incoming Chair The Southern California Chapter took a brief hiatus from meeting activity in July following our well-attended and informative field trip in June along the Hollywood/Santa Monica Fault zone, which was covered in the September edition of AEG News. The leadership of our Chapter is evolving! Eldon Gath was elected as the Regional Director to represent the Southern California Chapter. Eldon has been a prominent member of AEG on a local and national level for many years. Former Chair Shant Minas passed the role of Chair to Vice Chair Darrin Hasham, and Edmund Lee has resumed the Treasurer position on an interim basis to fill in for Pedram Rahimikian who is stepping down to focus on furthering his education. Shant will continue his involvement as Field Trip Coordinator, a task he has embraced for the past two years organizing tremendous field trips in the Los Angeles basin. Student participation at the monthly meetings has been strong throughout the year and we anticipate student participation on our board next year. We hosted a Student Night in November where several speakers and a round table discussion focused on helping assist students in planning and navigating careers in engineering and environmental geosciences. At our August meeting, Paul Santi presented on Debris Flows Following Wild Fires. This is an especially relevant topic to Southern California practitioners because we have had several noteworthy wildfires that have affected the region. The Sand Fire (41,000 acres), Blue Cut Fire (36,000 acres), the Pilot Fire (8,000 acres), and the astounding Soberanes Fire, which is still active (132,000 acres and counting), have created a combined area of many thousands 44
of acres of mountainous terrain primed for debris flows. These fires include areas that are adjacent to developed areas and present a real risk to life and property as we enter the rainy season. In September, many of our members attended the AEG’s Annual Meeting in Hawai’i. Southern California Chapter members served as symposium co-conveners, session moderators, field trip leaders, and presenters. Dr. Phillip Hogan, provided a very informative presentation on a 2D high-resolution seismic survey at our October meeting. The presentation included elements of remote sensing, geomorphology, seismology, and of course, engineering geology. The study was performed to assess options for an offshore outfall for the Los Angeles sewer system that crossed the active Palos Verdes Fault zone.
Inland Empire Chapter (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties)
Shaun Wilkins, Secretary Southern California’s Inland Empire Chapter typically takes a hiatus during the late summer and early fall to allow for vacations and to encourage attendance at the annual national meeting. I’m sure all those who attended had a wonderful time in Hawai’i! Our solo Chapter meeting in the third quarter took place on October 19 at our usual hangout, Pinnacle Peak steakhouse in Colton. Andy Ridgwell PhD from University of California–Riverside enlightened a crowd of about 25 members and students with his discussion entitled Can the Past Inform the Future?. In his presentation, Dr. Ridgwell purported how the geological record reveals a fantastic range of climatic, geochemical, and ecological transitions and perturbations. Increasingly, advances in technology, together with widespread drilling efforts, are providing a detailed picture of the co-variance of life with an at times almost constantly changing physical and chemical environment. This information is potentially critical, because the links between climate and geochemistry (namely carbon-climate feedbacks) and environmental change and life (ecological disruption and extinction) are arguably the most uncertain facets associated with future anthropogenic global change. Dr. Ridgwell provided an overview and critical dissection of the degree of relevance (or not) and what ‘sort’ of past events need to be the focus of attention in attempting to use the past to inform the future. In addition to a full slate of monthly talks offered to our members throughout the year, and following our Officer’s meeting on October 27, plans were discussed for a field trip next year and possibly a short course next spring centered on changes to State surface mining and mine reclamation regulations and how they affect our profession.
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
THE HEADER HOMEFRONT HERE
Texas Chapter Christina Dance, Secretary, & Stephanie Coffman, Chair
2016 Fall Meeting– Geology of Palo Duro Canyon State Park Our Fall Meeting was held on October 22 at Palo Duro Canyon State Park near Amarillo in the Texas panhandle. Palo Duro Canyon is our nation’s second largest canyon and is formed by the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River. A total of 34 people attended the day-long meeting (26 members, 4 non-members, 4 student members), many of which utilized our new online registration and payment system. Many, many thanks go to the Palo Duro Canyon Start Park staff, especially Park Superintendent Shannon Blalock and Park Interpreter Jeff Davis, for making our meeting a huge success.
Their true West Texas hospitality was much appreciated. We held our Friday night Potluck Icebreaker at the brand new Tasajillo Pavillion, grilling, chilling, beside a crackling campfire under the west Texas stars, and sharing our excitement for the next day’s geology. Waking at the break of dawn from our tents in likewise new and improved Wolfberry Group Camping Area, we got coffee percolating and teapot boiling for the day ahead. The meeting began with Texas Chapter Chair Stephanie Coffman updating attendees with upcoming events and announcing Texas Chapter’s 2016 ‘Great Job’ Award to Cynthia Palomares for her election as Secretary on the AEG Executive Council, and Jeff Neathery as Regional Director for Region 6, South Central. Bill Flanigan, AEG Foundation Director, followed with an update on the Foundation and available scholarships. Then it was on to the field trip portion of the day.
Dr. Schultz presenting at the Palo Duro Canyon State Park
AEG Texas Chapter Officers with presenters–left to right: Christina Dance, Benson Chow, Eric Walston, Dr. Schultz, Mark Hassell, David Fischer, Stephanie Coffman, Rusty Branch.
December 2016
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
45
THE HOMEFROMT
THE HOMEFRONT
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) supplied two vans that employees, and fellow geologists, Mark Hassell and David Fischer used to host and guide our field trip. At our first stop at the canyon’s rim, Dr. Gerald E. Schultz PhD of West Texas A&M University, described the stratigraphic section exposed in the park including the Ogallala Group, Trujillo, Tecovas, Quartermaster Formations and multiple unconformities. Further down the canyon, Dr. Schultz described sandstone concretions with beautifully colored hoodoos in view, AEG Texas Chapter Members gathered for their fall meeting and field trip at Palo Duro Canyon State Park all while spiritual beats of drums from a Native American dance demonstration at the Mack Dick Group Outgoing Texas Pavilion reverberated through the Canyon. Chapter Chair After lunch, Stephanie Coffman thanked Outgoing Chair Eric Walston with current Eric Walston for his 2013–15 term by presenting him with a Chair plaque to commemorate his tenure and contributions to the Stephanie Chapter. Finally, we listened to David Fischer’s presentation, Coffman and Geologic Story of Palo Duro Canyon. the plaque to Many thanks go to Freese and Nichols, Inc. for sponsoring commemorate his 2013–15 our printed materials, and especially the TPWD staff at Palo term of service Duro Canyon. This meeting would not have been possible without their generosity and support. Our next meeting will be held January 20–21, 2017, at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, TX. During the two-day event, we will hold a fundraiser for the Christopher C. Mathewson Student Scholarship fund, a geophysics short course by Gehrig Geophysical, and a student poster session. Watch for a meeting announcement coming to your email inbox.
We Want to Hear from Your Chapter! One of the best ways AEG can recruit and retain members is to highlight the amazing things our Chapters do in the pages of AEG News. Please ask your Chair, Secretary, or Newsletter Editor to send us information and photos on your field trips, informative meeting presenters, participation at workshops and events in your community, and group social events. See page 34 for details. 46
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
December 2016
s r o s n o p S Corporate AEG is grateful to the corporations and individuals who contribute to our operating fund through their sponsorship.
titanium Kleinfelder, Inc. Chad Lukkarila 14710 NE 87th St, Ste 100 Redmond, WA 98052 425-636-7900 CLukkarila@kleinfelder.com www.kleinfelder.com
Silver Exponent Failure Analysis Associates Elizabeth Mathieson 475 14th St., Suite 400 Oakland, CA 94612 510-268-5011 emathieson@exponent.com www.exponent.com
Index of Advertisers AEG 2017 Annual Meeting...............2 AEG Corporate Sponsors ...............47 Geotechnology.................................6 NASL .............................................27 Penn Master of Science in Applied Geoscience ...................48 REG Review ...................................26
For information on supporting AEG through sponsorship and/or advertising in AEG News, contact AEG Headquarters: advertising@aegweb.org.
December 2016
Gregg Drilling & Testing, Inc.
Bronze
Patrick Keating 2726 Walnut Ave. Signal Hill, CA 90755 562-427-6899 Info@greggdrilling.com www.greggdrilling.com
Feffer Geological Consulting
Hoover Consulting Michael F. Hoover PO Box 30860 Santa Barbara, CA 93130 mfhoover@hoovergeo.com www.hoovergeo.com
SAGE Engineers, Inc. Ara Sanjideh 2251 Douglas Blvd., Suite 200 Roseville, CA 95661 916-677-4800 asanjideh@sageengineers.com www.sageengineers.com
Joshua Feffer 1990 S Bundy Dr, Suite 400 Los Angeles, CA 90025 310-207-5048 josh@feffergeo.com www.feffergeo.com
Geodynamics Consultant Group, Inc. Harry Audell 33282 Golden Lantern Street, Ste 117 Dana Point, CA 92629 949-493-1352 gcg@geodynamicsinc.com www.homegeo.com
SHN Engineers & Geologists Gary Simpson 812 W. Wabash Ave. Eureka, CA 95501 707-331-8855 gsimpson@shn-engr.com www.shn-engr.com
Become an AEG Corporate Sponsor today! We are applied geology! AEG is one of the very few organizations dedicated to supporting applied geology. Members of AEG include geologists specializing in engineering geology, environmental geology, and hydrogeology as well as other professionals in affiliated fields, such as civil and mining engineering, land-use planning, public policy and education.
Contact us at advertising@aegweb.org or 844-331-7867 to find out about available sponsorship opportunities.
AEG NEWS 59 (4)
47