News of the Association

Acquisition Editor’s Pen

Visty Dalal, AEG News Acquisitions Editor

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages. – William Shakespeare

With my transition to working with the Strategic Initiative Committee (SIC), I will continue to interact with a lot of you on several committees that the SIC members “sit-in.” This gives us a holistic view of what is going on several AEG committees and his quote appropriately describes my feelings about my tenure as the Acquisitions Editor with AEG News since October 2019. All good things must T how we can assist the committees as well as be their proponents to the upper management. I am still learning about the functions of the SIC from Renee Wawczak. Martha Whitney, a fellow AEG member residing in France, come to an end and so this is my final post as a member of has kindly agreed to volunteer as the new Acquisitions Editor the AEG News editorial board. and is looking forward to interacting with fellow AEG peers. I thoroughly enjoyed making new contacts and learning With Bill Roman and Martha at the helm of the AEG News, I feel from you about your areas of research and the projects that confident that they will take this magazine to new heights and you were affiliated with. AEG is bestowed with great talent and bring in a lot of changes. Please welcome Martha whenever knowledgeable professionals who are eager to share their expe- you interact with her. I wish her the best in this new endeavor! riences and expertise with others. It is this quality that makes So long my AEG friends and family! Please keep in touch the AEG family so unique and desirable. and I hope to see you in San Antonio, Texas, in September. Ever grateful for the opportunity to serve you!

In this issue…

Bill Roman, Content Editor

he editors welcome you to the Spring 2021 issue of AEG News, which is chock-full of the optimism and opportunity the new year T from his fantastic journey through 2020 and offers us an optimistic student perspective on the value of seizing opportunities. brings us. On our cover, we are delighted to share In this issue, we are also pleased to feature a a photo from AEG’s Southern Nevada Chapter’s reflection by Rebekah Bieber (Member Profile), intro-

January 2021 field trip—one of the first field trip duce Martha Whitney, who has generously seized photos received by AEG News since the advent of the opportunity to succeed Visty Dalal as AEG News’

COVID-19. Ann Backstrom provides details of the Acquisitions Editor, and pay homage to AEG member

Southern Nevada Chapter’s field trip to Sand Dike near Roy Spitzer, who passed in January.

Anniversary Narrows in her story on page 31. In our technical contributions, we celebrate 2021 as the AEG’s officers optimistically explore a variety of AEG and International Year of Caves and Karst by offering two cave geoscience tangents in their reports. President Bill Godwin and karst-related papers. Isaac Pope discusses the intershares the results of some geoscience web surfing while also esting geological and archeological aspects of Washington’s imploring us to get outside with others to explore the real Layser Cave, and Bill Roman describes the repair of a world. Vice President Maddie German envisions a soap opera Pennsylvania roadway so notorious for sinkholes that an (As AEG Turns), which all AEG members have the opportunity adjacent watering hole calls itself the Sinkhole Saloon & Grille. to help script. Treasurer Nate Saraceno summarizes AEG’s Visty Dalal rounds out our technical contributions with his 2020 year-end financial condition, which can be improved by paper on the rehabilitation of historic Lake Roland Water increasing membership. Secretary Sarah Kalika reflects on Supply Dam in Baltimore, Maryland. the successes of 2020 and shares her optimism for the In addition to the Southern Nevada Chapter report, our opportunities 2021 offers us, especially for AEG becoming HomeFront section presents reports from the Oregon, St. more diverse and inclusive. Louis, San Francisco Bay Area, and Texas Chapters. So, while Deb Green’s column (Field Notes) echoes Sarah’s optimism we hope you enjoy this issue, we also hope that you seize the as Deb provides a personal reflection on her odyssey and opportunity to submit your own and/or your group’s news and invites us to join her on the path to conquering all forms of experiences to share in the Summer issue of AEG News. discrimination and oppression. Isaac Pope shares experiences

There Is a Wealth of Geoscience Information Out There

William Godwin, 2020–21 AEG President

s I am sure a lot of you can relate, I have been reflecting on how my day-to-day life has been impacted by the pandemic. A Applied Technology. This is a wonderful resource. I encourage you to make a contribution on behalf of the AEG Foundation.

By the time you read this column and this issue of https://glat.aegfoundation.org/the-geoscience-

AEG News, it will have been well over a year since library-of-applied-technology/ the initial shelter-in-place directives were issued. Our Webinar Series has been successful on

And closer to AEG, we had to curtail our Chapter many levels. A variety of topics from engineering meetings, field trips and short courses. My column geology, groundwater contamination, geologic today focuses on how I am dealing with this and how I’ve hazards and case studies, prepping for the ASBOG® come to realize there is an abundance of topics and interests exam, and landscape photography. I encourage you to regavailable to share. Talk about all things geologic. ister for these bi-monthly webinars, which are free if you are My eldest daughter turned me on to a town hall meeting to a member. Please contact me if you have a topic you would discuss Earth Source Heating at Cornell University. This plan is like to share. If not on the national level, many of our to harness geothermal heat at depth in Central New York using Chapters have been hosting webinars. injection and extraction wells to heat the Ithaca, New York, https://www.aegweb.org/webinars campus. While ambitious, there are a number of issues to Lastly, if not inside doing research, managing projects, resolve. https://www.cornell.edu/video/earth-source-heat- or conducting online conferences, please get outside and community-forum-january-2020 explore. Geology is an observational applied science. EvaluMy youngest daughter, who will be returning home after ating landforms, especially those in dynamic environments, four years in Japan, alerted me to the recent M7.3 earth- is key to our understanding of the world we live in. Take quake off the east coast of the island of Honshu. I told her someone else (provided they are in your pod) with you to that the epicenter was offshore and very close to the one of share in the experience. Being outside is one of the healthiest the Great Tohoko Earthquake of March, 2011. It turns out the things we can do in this pandemic. latter event is an aftershock of the former temblor. This is fascinating, and a bit frightening. I also learned that Japan has a different intensity scale than that used in the United States. https://bit.ly/3wvAnf1 My wife pointed me in the direction of an LA Times article on the 50th anniversary of the Sylmar

Earthquake. While practicing geologists refer to it as the San Fernando earthquake, the damage it inflicted in urban Los Angeles led to the enactment of some significant laws. These include the

Alquist-Priolo Act, a California law that limits construction near fault traces and the Federal Earthquake

Hazards Reduction Act, which is now a well-respected program led by the USGS. https://www.usgs.gov/news/50thanniversary-san-fernando I later stumbled upon the AEG

Foundation website and found the link to The Geoscience Library of Bill Godwin pointing to seismite exposure in the Dead Sea

As AEG Turns…

oday we travel across the United States as various Committee Chairs contemplate what needs to happen for a successful year on this him well. The committee had grown so rapidly and covered so many aspects, that now there were just not enough committee members to continue to get Maddie German, 2020–21 AEG Vice President T episode of… As AEG Turns. (cue dramatic music) the work done. This was something that needed his Greg set down his phone beside his cold attention, and he would get to it soon. coffee; it had not been his intention to talk with Deb smiled as she closed her email for the day. Duane about the legislative tracking system for over Just this week there were two more requests to join an hour. Being respectful of everyone’s time was the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. The comimportant, and Greg was diligent about his time and to- mittee was new this year and to her excitement was do list. Now that all 50 state legislatures were in session, he growing rapidly. Their monthly calls were productive; everyone was spending significantly more time managing bills than was active, motivated and engaged. It was as if the stars had expected and, evident from the talk with Duane, this was typical aligned to provide her with exactly the people and tools she across the board. This could have been positive had many needed to help her be successful. Years of writing allowed Deb states been promoting licensure for professionals, but in reality, the ease to be precise with words, giving her space to discuss it seemed things were heading the other way. His mind was a difficult issues without entering the political arena. Since her tour battleground with questions and ideas competing for his attention: How can we reach legislators in states without chapters? If we get more information on social media, we can reach geoscientists in all 50 states. He stepped away from his desk and headed towards the fragrant aromas wafting from the kitchen down the hall; his priorities, for the moment, were redirected. Curt was excited. The Chapter Support calls were much improved from where they were this time last year. Most Chapters were calling in and sharing information, even using the tips and lessons learned each month to make their individual Chapters stronger. These calls seemed be providing improved benefits to local members and to strengthen the bond among geologists. Curt began to review the list of struggling Chapters. He had not heard from several in months, and for a couple, it was going on a year. A long sigh escaped his lips; Curt was out of ideas on how to reach those groups. His calls and emails went unanswered and requests to join the ” as Jahns lecturer, Deb had become passionate about the cause. She knew with so many people involved and wanting to help, more children would learn about the geosciences and more young adults would realize how many career options were available. Morley rubbed her eyes as she reviewed her notes to send to Rebekah. The task list was long, but their small group of committed members were awesome. She had the utmost confidence they would succeed at any task they set out to do. This year’s Annual Meeting was going to have multiple events each day for the student and young professionals to attend for networking and education. There would be practice interviews, tips for job hunting, networking opportuniA long sigh escaped his lips; Curt was out of ideas on how to reach those groups. His calls and emails went unanswered… “ monthly Committee Meeting were ignored. There wasn’t going ties, and low-cost fun events and social outings designed to be an opportunity to interact personally with these Chapters specifically for students and recent graduates. The meeting until September at the Annual Meeting. He had unsettlingly low would also provide numerous opportunities to meet and rubexpectations even for that circumstance. With his Co-chair elbows with AEG’s past leadership. This year they had re-invigohaving recently resigned due to good fortune, added responsi- rated the mentor program and, despite its slow start, it was bility in his personal life, and in the local AEG Chapter, Curt was rolling full steam ahead. Still, the uncertainty from last year was left alone to ponder. lingering. As she clicked send, Morley thought, how many times Isaac was young but that had not stopped him from step- can people recalibrate? ping up to become one of the most highly effective and moti- Across the country the sun was setting over the Pacific. vated Co-chairs AEG had seen in many years. The Eldon sipped a 2016 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet SauviCommunications Committee seemed to have their fingers in gnon from the Napa Valley, staring out from his patio at the seteverything AEG: from the publications, social media outreach ting sun over the ocean. He felt the tannins on his tongue and and webinars, to ensuring the website was streamlined and up pondered the next steps for the Advocacy Committee. Leading to date. This Committee assists the Chapters and other Com- was something Eldon had done in AEG for a long time; he had mittee Chairs in communicating effectively between them- seen his share of challenges and success. Times were selves. He enjoys working with his Co-chair Bill, who is quick to changing and so was the membership. He and Dave had comshare sound advice for both AEG and life. The committee has pleted their current task list but needed new energies to help built itself up, from nothing only two years ago, to one of the direct their next intentions. strongest in AEG; Isaac felt a tinge of pride. His years plowing Want to know what happens next. Join us next issue to find through page after page, writing, and publishing had served out…. OR join one of AEG’s committees and help write the story.

Holding Strong

ith this issue of AEG News, I am able to report the 2020 year-end finances. Overall, it was a good year despite the unexpected events that took place. As many of you are aware, AEG’s revenue is based primarily on membership dues and our Annual Meeting and, to a lesser extent, association-level technical forums, sponsorships, the licensure fund, advertising (website & publications), and publications. The flexibility Membership The second primary income source for AEG is membership dues. Overall, membership revenue for 2020 was $191,888, down from $193,843 in 2019. This is reflective of continued declines in membership for many professional associations, and a trend which has continued over the past five to seven years. Nathan Saraceno, 2020–21 AEG TreasurerW and ability to adapt to circumstances exhibited by AEG’s leadership and volunteers—from Headquarters through our Board 2020–21 AEG Membership Statistics of Directors, Chapter officers, and Committee volunteers—has really helped to maintain AEG’s ability to continue providing Jan 2020 Dec 2020 Jan 2021 excellent member benefits and to do so while reaching new Total* 1,181 1,715 1,476 people and in new ways. Full 813 1,223 1,040

Finances Post Graduate 41 88 62 Teacher 33 55 45 Honorary 19 20 20 Emeritus 22 27 22 Sr. Emeritus 128 133 138 Life 53 52 52 Affiliate 30 43 35 International 42 74 62 *Student, International Student, and Subscription-only membership not included. The following table compares the January 2021 membership numbers to the January 2020 numbers. The numbers in these two columns are indicators of membership renewals and new memberships for the respective years. I’ve also included a column for December 2020 membership numbers. As you can see, we still have work to do in order to increase membership to surpass last year’s total. However, it is extremely encouraging to see an increase in renewal rates of all paying member categories since last year. This undoubtedly illustrates that our members find value in being a part of the AEG community. Thank you for being a member of our AEG family. As we continue to provide new opportunities for professional development, leadership, and camaraderie, please help us by continuing to share your ideas and experiences with us and your colleagues.

We ended 2020 with a total surplus of $45,194, which is great news considering the budgeted deficit for the year. A big shoutout to all our volunteers that make AEG run, and most especially to the Annual Meeting Contingency Committee that was able to plan and successfully run our first-ever Virtual Annual Meeting, which brought in a surplus of about $7,000!

The Treasurer’s Reserve remains fully funded, with a balance of $424,274 as of December 2020. Our Operations and Licensure accounts also remain stable at $149,523 and $100,035, respectively, as of December 2020.

As has been communicated in previous Treasurer’s reports, the Board of Directors (BOD) has approved the 2021 budget with a $27,845 deficit. While we are happy to have tackled 2020 head on and come out ahead, we are remaining cautiously optimistic about 2021. Our Annual Meeting in Our Annual Meeting in San Antonio remains planned as an in-person meeting, and we hope that circumstances “ San Antonio remains around the ongoing planned as an in- pandemic improve so ” person meeting, and we hope that circumstances around the ongoing pandemic improve so that we can see all of you there this year! We’re also exploring new revenue sources, such as sponsorship opportunities on our now-regular webinars. that we can see all of you there this year!

AEG News Disclaimer

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.

Check Out the AEG Job Board!

The AEG Job Board is a terrific resource for employers and job seekers. Discounted rates for AEG members to list opportunities for internships, contract positions, part-time and full-time positions. Ability for job seekers to search positions and post their resume. https://aegweb.mcjobboard.net/jobs

Optimism and Opportunities Abound in 2021

his past year was a tough one for us. If you’re anything like me, I felt incredibly hemmed-in, forced to shift gears, avoided Documenting and summarizing each meeting of the Executive Council and the Board of Directors. Since the beginning of my term in September, I T Sarah Kalika, 2020–21 AEG Secretary extended family and friends, and stayed close to have documented one BOD meeting and two home. This year AEG members found new ways to Executive Council meetings and am maintaining a communicate, new methods to meet, gather virtu- running list of Action Items that are generated and ally, and share information while keeping a safe updated during each meeting. distance. As geoscientists, we have continued to work outdoors while implementing increased distancing and wearing new PPE. We have supported science while leading by example. We have embraced creativity and mentored young professionals while working from the safety of our home offices. We became appreciative of the ways we learned geology—in the field, gathered among classmates and colleagues, building community—and we found creative ways to educate students remotely using technology, or by simply mailing each student a box of rocks! What has AEG done for you? From implementing an online Webinar Series (free for AEG members) to transitioning our Annual Meeting completely online to keep our members safe, we shifted our focus and adapted to limitations imposed by this unprecedented global pandemic. Overnight, meetings and events were instantly available for participation from distant locations and many Chapters invited guest speakers from hundreds of miles away. For members typically unable to attend Chapter or Annual Meetings due to travel distance, financial concerns, or physical limitations, our online approach resulted Improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the Association Secretary role. By developing a thorough description of my monthly responsibilities, the goal is to more transparently relay the specific duties of the position to future incoming Secretaries. I’ve also brought tracking spreadsheets into Google Sheets so the most current version is always accessible to members of the EC and the Association Manager. Continuing my involvement in AEG’s Meetings Advisory Committee (MAC), Communications Committee, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DEIC). I recognize that the work of AEG volunteers on individual committees is interconnected. A fantastic example of this is the committee teamwork beginning with a DEIC goal to recognize and encourage inclusiveness at our Annual Meeting by including badge-based personal pronoun identifiers. This is an example of a simple suggestion that began as a DEIC idea, will be implemented by MAC, and amplified to membership by the Communications Committee. in an effort toward greater inclusion of those with physical or locational limitations. Our next step is to ensure that all of our In Closing members and potential members feel welcome! Along with chal- AEG has remained strong, with a clear path forward to be more lenges came outstanding opportunities to participate and reach inclusive and representative of our current and future members out across the country. AEG is working on ways to expand and as we move into the post-COVID renaissance of the next improve upon these options in the future. “roaring 20s.” When it is safer to meet again, I look forward to sharing stories with you—my AEG friends and colleagues.

Things I’m Working on as Secretary:

Following developments on the Legislative and Licensure

fronts. In early 2021, AEG was informed of a proposal to deeply cut the budget of—with potential for elimination within two years—the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), a state agency that prepares geologic hazard maps, risk analyses, lidar maps, issues and regulates mine permits, and employs the State Geologist. AEG membership in the Pacific Northwest is working hard to publicize this proposed budget cut and continues to send messages to the Governor of Oregon and State representatives to clarify that geologists do not support the drastic downsize and potential removal of this important geologic agency. We must continue to be aware of these types of efforts and be ready to respond quickly. One method to get ahead of these situations is to join us as a State Legislative Tracker, let me know if you’d like to join us.

AEG Executive Council Statement on Diversity

AEG supports diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Geosciences profession and in our organization. AEG leadership plans to further our efforts in promoting these values by challenging ourselves on what we can do better to encourage underrepresented populations to consider and obtain careers in the Geosciences and to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment within our Association and the Geosciences profession. We welcome and encourage you to join us as we strive to take meaningful, positive action. Please contact Bill Godwin AEG President, at president@aegweb.org if you would like to help further develop these efforts.

AEG Welcomes New Acquisitions Editor

he Association is pleased to announce that Martha Whitney is assuming the position of Acquisitions Editor for AEG News. As Acquisitions Editor, Martha will T solicit and receive submissions, review submissions to confirm they are timely and include all the pertinent pieces (e.g., headlines, bylines, photos, captions, etc.), and follow up with contributors to remedy deficiencies. Martha will collaborate with AEG News Content Editor Bill Roman and Managing

Editor/Production Andrea Ptak. Martha is replacing Visty Dalal, who has served as Acquisitions Editor since October 2019 and received a 2020 AEG

Outstanding Volunteer Award during the 2020 Virtual Annual

Meeting for his vision and work as Acquisitions Editor and for striving to make AEG News more beneficial to AEG members.

Visty will be continuing his efforts to improve the AEG member experience by joining Renee Wawczak and Curt Schmidt as an

AEG Strategic Initiative Coordinator. Martha studied geology at Humboldt State University. She has over twenty years of geological consulting experience that has taken her from the Franciscan mélange along the

Cascadia Subduction Zone through the ferricrete of Western

Australia’s Pilbara to the divergent plate boundary of the East

African Rift. She is Principal Engineering Geologist at Whitney

Geologic, an international geo-consultancy focused on providing geotechnical and geohazard desktop studies, site

Environmental & Engineering Geoscience

MAY 2020 VOLUME XXVI, NUMBER 2

CALL FOR PAPERS

AEG’s journal Environmental & Engineering Geoscience (E&EG) is currently seeking articles for review and possible publication. THE JOINT PUBLICATION OF THE E&EG is dedicated to publishing peer-

ASSOCIATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENGINEERING GEOLOGISTS AND THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

SERVING PROFESSIONALS IN ENGINEERING GEOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY, AND HYDROGEOLOGY reviewed, high quality, original research and case studies on environmental geology, engineering geology, geotechnical engineering, geomorphology, low-temperature geochemistry, applied hydrogeology, and near-surface processes. Visit https://www.editorialmanager.com/eeg, the Peer Track on-line submission platform, for Instructions for Authors, the Style Guide, and to login. Published quarterly and hosted at GeoScienceWorld (http://eeg .geoscienceworld.org/), E&EG publishes articles ahead-of-issue, as soon as they are ready. Current and past issues are available to GSA members who select the journal as part of their annual dues and subscriptions options and to AEG members as a benefit of membership. For more information or to discuss possible special issue topics, please contact a co-editor: Abdul Shakoor (ashakoor@kent.edu) or Eric Peterson (ewpeter@ilstu.edu).

Martha makes an equatorial stop on her way to work in Uganda.

investigations, construction supervision, and technical support to the oil and gas, mining, and civil engineering sectors.

Martha enjoys geology-based road trips, hiking, cycling, field work, attending conferences, and gathering with the Friends of the Pleistocene (FOP) Pacific Cell. She currently lives with her husband (and favorite paleoseismologist) in Montpellier, France.

A Note from Martha…

We hope members enjoy this edition's professional contributions which focus on highway engineering design for karst subsidence in Pennsylvania, pseudokarst features and archeology in the Cascade Mountains, and the fascinating history of the tribulations and rehabilitations of the historic Lake Roland Dam in Maryland.

We would like to propose a paleoseismology/active tectonics theme for the Summer Edition’s Professional (Technical) Contributions. Please contact Martha at news@aegweb.org. if you would like to submit an article on this (or any other) topic.

Members are reminded that items for AEG News should be sent to news@aegweb.org, and that submissions should be prepared in accordance with the AEG News Style Guide, which can be accessed at www.aegweb.org/assets/docs/aeg_news_style_guide_0713.pdf.

Growing Up with Geology

Rebekah Bieber

lcome from a family of geologists and am the third generation of my family to choose it as a profession. My grandfather started out as a petroleum geologist but ended up as an 2011. After I received my degree, I joined the Mile-High Chapter as a Post-Graduate Member, and then as a Professional Member of AEG. At the Ashville Annual Meeting I saw that engineering geophysicist before he retired. Along the way he there was a need in the organization for young professionals to traveled the world as a consultant for various entities, including become involved to help develop and pursue new membership the United States government. Many of you know my father, opportunities for students and young professionals. With that in

David Bieber, who has worked as a petroleum geologist, envi- mind I joined the Students and Young Professionals Committee ronmental and engineering geologist, hydrogeologist, and most and have since become one of its Co-chairs. recently as a mining geologist. Watching my grandfather’s and I believe that AEG can benefit from the thoughts and opinfather’s curiosity for geology and the world around them encour- ions of young professionals like myself. I was fortunate to have aged me to choose geology as my profession. I say “choose” the professional example and encouragement of geologists like it was a choice, for most of my life I chased around after my such as my grandfather and my dad. Unfortunately, most father up and down mountains looking at cool rocks and finding aspiring or new geologists don’t have the family background in my own curiosity for geology. I usually blame my being a geolo- our profession that I had. Therefore, it is our job as geological gist on him, but honestly, I am so glad that I was able to find a professionals to provide that encouragement to support the profession that I love and nurtures my curiosity. This profession growth and development of our successors, and to ensure the has taken me all over the place and has introduced me to many quality of future geologists. I look forward to continuing to be a amazing individuals and fascinating ideas. part of AEG and empowering other professionals. Young profesFrom the time I was young, I have always viewed being a sionals are among those at the forefront of new learning and member of AEG as an honor and something that one does for may have something new to share with those already well the good of one’s career as well as the good of the profession. established in their career. Yong professionals help to remind

My father was an AEG officer as I grew up, and I have been us that we are never too old to learn. coming to meetings and events with him ever since I first became interested in geology and decided to pursue it as a career. The meetings and presentations I experienced through

AEG have done much to help me in my choices in career as well as drive home my enjoyment of this profession. When it came time for me to go to college, it was a tough choice between Montana and Alaska. Montana was lovely, but the rugged beauty of Alaska stole my breath and my heart.

Alaska won out and away I went up to “the great white north” for six years. While my road through school was not always smooth sailing, I feel that the way had been at least made smoother by the women who came before me. Those women had to fight to go to field camp and to be taken seriously in this profession. To them I will always be thankful, for I realize the struggle they must have been through. I worked full-time through the last few years of pursuing my degree as a materials tester and a geotechnical laboratory manager, something that would likely not have been possible for a woman twenty years earlier. Once I finally graduated, I found a job at a geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing firm in Colorado.

As is so common in our profession, I moved from that firm due to changes in the industry and the economy, and eventually landed in my current role as an environmental consultant with

ERM Consultants. I have enjoyed the challenges posed by the different aspects of environmental work. The different aspects of environmental geology have also highlighted for me just how important our profession is to the world at large. I was a student member of AEG while in college, and the first Annual Meeting I attended was the Anchorage meeting in

Taking Hold of Opportunities: A Student Perspective

Isaac E. Pope, Communications Committee Co-Chair and E&EG Book Review

his past year has seen some astounding transformations. With the onslaught of a global pandemic, students and professionals alike have been challenged by the cancelling of internships and field camps and the T a whirlwind of activity, but my attention was once again brought to job plummet during the economic gridlock. Despite what may the upcoming AEG be happening in the world, however, there is always the exciting meeting as prospect of opportunity, and geologists have always been in September the midst of it. From peering over the chasms of deep time to approached. mitigating hazards, geoscience is a field ripe with opportunity Though virtual, the built by intrepid adventurers, both figuratively and realistically. meeting offered a

As I reflect on my short time in geoscience as a student, I see fantastic opportuthat the flame of opportunity flickers as readily as it ever has. nity to meet pracI have always been drawn to science, and my thirst for ticing scientists understanding Earth was unslakable. By fourteen I was reading from across the graduate-level and took my first higher-ed course at Centralia country, but like

College, a small community college in western Washington. many students, I

Having been raised in the Cascade foothills, I enjoyed every was nervous about opportunity to explore with family or my mentors. It was not presenting at my long before my knowledge could match my passion, and I first conference. began guiding tours to the Cascade Volcanoes for interested After all, it is no groups. As I gained experience, I began to take greater note of light thing to address the leaders in your own field! I would the area I was using as a classroom, and how each geo-disci- soon find, however, that such concerns were unnecessary. pline was intricately incorporated into a fascinating panorama The meeting was a smashing success! Scientists from of geoscience. On one particular tour in 2019, a participant across the nation and, yes, across the world gathered for the asked what fueled my passion for geoscience. Indeed, what opportunity to exchange information and revel in the latest was special about the Cascade Volcanoes that drew me deeper research. My own presentation was readily accepted by the into their history? Though I knew the answer, I was about to participants, and my poster tied for second place in the student uncover another layer. competition. The interaction with and constructive comments Less than a month later, I had the pleasure of shadowing from fellow attendees was a marvelous benefit, and the occageomorphologist and park ranger Taylor Kenyon in the field at sion to meet fellow students of geoscience (both young and

Mount Rainier. There I saw a deeper complexity to under- old!) was exhilarating. My presentation became the foundation standing Earth and the variety in volcanic landscapes, showing for my article in the winter issue of AEG News elaborating on a me further instances of how each field of geology is repre- few of the many disciplines to be advanced from study of volsented in such an environment. After the exhilarating adventure, canic landscapes, which afforded me the pleasure of working

I wrote an essay to share with my mentors what I had learned, with our editors Visty Dalal and Bill Roman. one of whom suggested I publish my report. I soon submitted it Though an opportunity in itself, attending AEG’s Annual to the student issue of The Professional Geologist, a publication Meeting led to further occasions for service and learning. I was of the American Institute of Professional Geologists. To my asked to serve with Bill Roman as a co-chair of the Communicadelight, the essay was happily received by the editor, John tions Committee and was recently appointed Book Review

Berry, who quickly became one of my closest mentors while Editor by the editors of Environmental and Engineering Geoguiding me through the submission process. In my essay, I con- science, a joint publication of AEG and the Geological Society tinued to note the many relations between geoscience fields at of America—all before the age of eighteen! the Cascade Volcanoes. As I review the past year, I see that the prospect of opporNot long afterward, I learned of AEG’s upcoming 2020 tunity is indeed strong. Fueled by my passion, I have followed a

Annual Meeting then scheduled for Portland, Oregon, only two fascinating journey of learning in the field, writing, presenting, hours from my residence. After consulting with my mentors, I and meeting some excellent scientists along the way. By taking decided to expand upon my burgeoning ideas on the Cascade hold of available opportunities, I have been privileged to better

Volcanoes in an abstract for AEG, which would later be fol- myself both personally and professionally under the guidance of lowed by another abstract on deposits potentially resulting some of the best mentors. With passion to drive us and menfrom a Mount Adams lahar. The summer months soon brought tors to guide us, what discoveries await us?

In Memory of Roy H. Spitzer

oy Henry Spitzer passed on February 3, 2021, of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He leaves behind his beloved wife Debbie and three very successful in Idaho and longtime AEG member. He authored multiple technical publications on both his project experiences as well as the engineering problems of clay shales. 1948–2021R grown children: Holly, Maggie, and Tom. His professional career began in Billings, Montana, with Roy was the consummate consulting engineering geolo- Northern Testing Services in 1971. His experience there gave gist. He received a BS in geology from the University of Illinois him extensive knowledge in the practical aspects of soil, con(U of I) in 1971 and a MS in engineering geology, also from crete, and asphalt testing, as well as drilling techniques. He the U of I in 1977. His expertise included soil and rock was always enthusiastic to share this knowledge with young mechanics. Roy’s forty-six-year career included several hun- staff throughout his career. dred projects throughout the Rocky Mountain West as well as After going back to the U of I, he moved to the Denver the continental United States with international ventures in metropolitan area where he spent over 20 years of his career

Africa and Canada. Roy was a registered engineering geologist with several prominent firms in the area including Woodward Clyde Consultants, Chen and Associates, and Rocky Mountain Consultants/Tetra Tech. He closed the last twelve years as an owner and principal of Deere and Ault Consultants, Inc., of Longmont, Colorado, where he retired in December 2018. Roy’s expertise spanned investigation and design of dams, tunnels, rock and soil slopes, and foundations. Some of Roy’s favorite projects included investigation and stabilization of landslides at Aspen Mountain Ski Area and the rehabilitation of Standley Lake Reservoir, a major water supply reservoir for the Denver area suburbs. Roy’s favorite hobbies included basketball, farming, ranching, fishing, hunting, and spending quality time with his family. He frequently took opportunities to fly-fish near Rio Grande Reservoir or visit other interesting places while traveling for work. His positive and unique perspective on the world made everyone’s day better. Roy had a grounded spirit that will keep those who knew him motivated for a long time. Perhaps Roy’s greatest contribution to the profession was his mentoring and teaching of both staff and clients. He brought a calming assertive professional scientific approach to all his work. He shared his knowledge with everyone, and his honesty and integrity were a refreshing addition to the solution of any technical problem or technical team.

Recorded Webinars Available for AEG Members

AEG is pleased to support our members by providing webinars on a variety of topics. Webinars are recorded and available on our website. https://www.aegweb.org/webinars.

In this series, we present ideas, opinions, and, sometimes, ramblings of the author. The opinions are not necessarily those of the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists or any other organization or entity.

Next Steps

Deborah Green

Deborah Green has 35 years of professional experience, and has been a self-employed consultant for 25 of those years. Now, semi-retired, she’s written a novel whose protagonist is an engineering geologist working on a dam with a problematic foundation. Her website, www.geologistwriter.com, is populated with short essays on geology, the natural world, and our interactions with them. She is a long-time, active member of AEG, joining in 1982 as a graduate student. Deborah was awarded the Floyd T. Johnston Service Award in 2005, and traveled the country meeting students as the 2018–19 Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer.

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. “ ”

James Baldwin

and inclusive environment within our Association and the Geosciences profession. It also led to the formation of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, a standing Operational Committee of the Association. And now I co-chair that committee. I must admit to feeling woefully inadequate in leading this effort, but I actually think that’s okay. I’d be deluding myself if I considered the undertaking an easy one. As I was stepping into the committee co-chair role, I decided to do some personal exploration on the matter of biases, to be as clear as I could with myself, before attempting to lead others. I enrolled in a four-week (via Zoom) program called Radical Inclusion©—Uncover and Harness Your Unconscious Biases. Eight White people concerned about racial justice enrolled in Radical Inclusion’s© pilot program. In the class, we delved into the beliefs embedded in our life stories. What behaviors were required of us to belong—in our families, at our schools, on our teams, in our communities, and in our country? How did our Whiteness, and the privileges that go with it, play out, or spend a lot of time putting one foot in front of the other, literally, on the trails in the Cibola National Forest. My daily hikes in the Sandia Mountain foothills are often like walking meditations, and help me find next steps in matters large and small—at work, in writing, and in life. But I feel almost paralyzed with respect to achieving equity, being more inclusive, and increasing diversity in the geosciences. This issue in our profession, as in our society, is just so big. How can I possibly make a difference? Not putting one foot in front of the other on the path toward an equitable future is one sure way not to make a difference, so I keep searching for a way forward. My first step was speaking about the lack of diversity in the geosciences as the Jahns Lecturer in 2018 and 2019, and in an AEG Webinar in 2020 (here’s the link if you would like to see the webinar: https://www.aegweb.org/webinars-public#diversity). Many people are eager to have the conversation, and most want to find ways to open doors in our profession. During the summer of 2020, I participated in the AEG Board of Directors’ workshop on the issue. Another step. That workshop led to adoption of the AEG Executive Council’s Statement on Diversity: AEG supports diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Geosciences profession and in our organization. AEG leadership plans to further our efforts in promoting these values by challenging ourselves on what we can do better to encourage underrepresented populations to consider and obtain careers in the Geosciences and to foster a welcoming l into, all that? During one of the course’s many excellent exercises, I made a profound connection—about my own sense of belonging and the conditions of life for Black people in our country that could preclude a feeling of belonging. We were invited to reflect on memories of belonging, and of not belonging. I recalled high school days, working as a young professional woman in a male-dominated field, and feelings from my young and foolish first marriage (that even my closest friends in AEG probably don’t know about)—reconnecting with how painful it is to try, and keep failing, to belong. I let myself be present with that pain, and realized that I now have a built-in sense of belonging—within myself. The feeling is internalized, and that moment was the most solidly I had ever felt it. As I stayed inside the work, I understood that solidity depended not only on my own wholeness, but also on my stability, security, and, indeed, safety—things I can take for granted at this point in my life. In that same moment, I understood that too often Black people are not safe in this country, and without safety, how can there possibly be internalized peace and a deep sense of belonging? Those two understandings became linked in my body awareness and in my consciousness. The connection is now visceral for me, as well as intellectual, and oh so powerful. For those of us in the dominant culture—in our Whiteness— we occupy a privileged position, and it is, both, our responsibility and in our power to provide safe spaces for all to flourish. As the creator of the work of Radical Inclusion©, Sara Eisenberg, says, “The inner work for a White person begins by seeing

ourselves as members of the dominant cultural group, not only as individuals. If we continue to avert our gaze from this truth, we deny others their humanity.” By accepting, usually without question, the unearned advantages of simply being born White, we are complicit in withholding opportunities from others.

We must open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts to that reality—to stop accepting, to start questioning, and to be willing to share the freedoms we enjoy. I invite Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and

LGBTQ individuals to share their experiences, to help me do this work better, but it’s an invitation I will understand if they decline; the work of righting wrongs is White people’s to do. Justice will not be served until those unaffected are as outraged as those who are. “ ”

Benjamin Franklin

But what to do? For me, a person who is used to moving meaningfully forward, an important point is to be at peace with not knowing for sure, and to begin anyway. To take steps like learning more by reading, so my pile of books grows higher.* Like journaling, letting myself struggle with despair or rip with rage or dare to hope in its pages. Like writing, in essays, but also in fiction, because my characters may uncover the essence of the truths I am seeking. Like volunteering for AEG’s effort to create true equity and inclusion in our profession, even if I’m uncertain how.

I will take steps—not letting the fear of doing something wrong stop me from doing anything at all. For me, courage does not mean not being afraid, it means facing fear and doing it anyway.

I hope to meet you on the path, as we take the next steps, whatever they may be for each of us, wherever they may lead, in conquering racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia (to name a few)—all discrimination and oppression—within ourselves, in our profession, and in the wider world with a sense of curiosity, determination, and courage.

Fiction Options

If you, like me, sometimes feel overwhelmed by that pile of books I rely on to inform me, and just want to lose yourself in a good story for a while, here are some novels in which racial and social justice issues are woven into the tales:

Conjure Women/Afia Atakora

The Vanishing Half/Brit Bennett

The Water Dancer/Ta-Nehisi Coates

Washington Black/Esi Edugyan

Future Home of the Living God/Louise Erdrich

The Night Watchman/Louise Erdrich

Little Fires Everywhere/Celeste Ng

There There/Tommy Orange

Disappearing Earth/Julia Phillips

The House of Broken Angels/Luis Alberto Urrea

The Nickel Boys/Colson Whitehead

The Underground Railroad/Colson Whitehead

Interior Chinatown/Charles Yu And here are some titles for you Science Fiction/Fantasy fans:

Empire of the Wild/Cherie Dimaline

Pet/Akwaeke Emezi

The Peripheral & Agency/William Gibson

Dread Nation & Deathless Divide/Justina Ireland

The City We Became/NK Jemisin

How Long ‘til Black Future Month?/NK Jemisin

Mexican Gothic/Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A Study in Honor/Claire O’Dell

The Deep/Rivers Solomon

AEG Becomes a Signatory Organization to the AGI Framework for Addressing Racial and Ethnic Equity in Geosciences Professional Societies

In February 2021, AEG’s Executive Council notified the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) that AEG would sign their Framework for Addressing Racial and Ethnic Equity in Geosciences Professional Societies available on their website. (https://www.americangeosciences.org/community/diversityframework)

This is yet another step the Association is taking to make our organization, and our profession, more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Other steps have included the AEG Executive Council posting a Statement on Diversity in July 2020 (https://aeg.memberclicks.net/diversity) and forming the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in September 2020.

Stay tuned for updates as AEG implements projects to address this important and timely issue, or email DEIC@aegweb.org to join the committee and begin a project of your own.

Layser Cave: A Geological and Archeological Mystery of the Cispus River (WA)

Isaac E. Pope

Writing from western Washington, Isaac Pope is a freshman undergraduate fascinated by geoscience, sharing his passion through outdoor geoscience education and publishing his research. Isaac co-chairs AEG’s Communications Committee and is the Book Review Editor of “Environmental & Engineering Geoscience.”

eaving through the coniferous forests of southwestern Washington State, the Cispus River reveals an intriguing geologic history. From its source in the W

Pliocene Goat Rocks Volcanic Complex, the Cispus River flows southward towards Mount Adams before turning west where it exits the Cascade foothills. Exposed along the valley walls above Mount Adams lahar deposits and Mount St. Helens ash along the river’s banks (Pope, 2020), the incised Oligocene to

Miocene basaltic andesite records the volcanic turmoil that has dominated this landscape since the onset of Cascade volcanism. Located nearly 400 meters above Cispus River, Layser

Cave holds clues to this region’s intricate geologic history, one that has long intrigued humans (Figure 1).

An Archeological Wonder

Rediscovered in 1982 by Forest Service employee Tim Layser, Layser Cave quickly became an archeological sensation when stone tools and faunal remains were excavated (Urness, 2017). Amidst studies of Native American archeological sites along the Columbia River to the south (Strong, 1959) and hypotheses on Clovis migration following the Chehalis River to the west (Fladmark, 1979; Croes and Kucera, 2017), Layser Cave provides important clues to the mysterious archeological history of Washington. Containing “stratified deposits of tephra and angular basalt rich in mammal bone and hunting-associated artifacts dating to the middle Holocene” (Chatters et al., 2017), Daugerty et al. (1987a, 1987b) excavated nearly a dozen strata containing stone tools, charcoal, and bones, some of which was later used for radiocarbon dating (e.g., Chatters et al., 2017). The site was inhabited from approximately 7 ka until an eruption from Mount St. Helens around 3.9 ka, bridging the gap in Washington archeological history (Burtchard, 2003). Despite continued interest, Layser Cave was subsequently filled with aggregate to prevent concerns of looting of the Native American artifacts, though nothing has since been done to remedy the situation.

A Curious Geological History

The archeological significance of the site has also stimulated geologic conjecture. Based on the original investigation by Daugerty et al. (1987a, 1987b), many authors classify Layser Cave as a lava tube (Burtchard, 2003). Also known as vulcanokarsts or pyroducts, lava tubes are frequently formed at the toe of advancing basalt flows (for a review, see Kempe, 2013). Degassing of the lava results in continual production of vesicles that makes the front less dense than the replenishing lava. A subsequent advance of warm lava beneath this congealing lava will raft the previously formed lobe, thereby advancing the flow and adding another younger layer to the developing crust. After several pulses, the lava hardens into an insulating crust with youngest rock

Figure 1. Located in the Cascade foothills of southwestern Washington, Layser Cave formed in Oligocene to Miocene basaltic andesites and volcaniclastics incised by the Cispus River.

Figure 2. After its rediscovery in 1982, Layser Cave yielded one of the most fruitful archeological excavations in the Cascade Range, though much of the cave has since been filled with aggregate. Though many consider Layser Cave a lava tube, the deformational nature of the pseudokarst suggests it resulted from folding during the Miocene uplift of the Cascade Range (see Sisson et al., 2014).

at the base and oldest at the top, one of the only exceptions to the law of superposition. Insulated by the crust on the surface, the advancing lava beneath may eventually form a network of subsurface lava streams feeding the advancing lava flow (hence the name “pyroduct” or “fire conduit”). Due to its shear-thinning nature, lava can behave much like water at high velocities, often eroding canyons or terraces into the walls of the nascent lava tube and rafting blocks of hardened lava. After the eruption abates and the tubes have drained, what remains is an impressive network of lava tubes complete with canyons, terracing, pahoehoe lava, and even lava speleothems.

Due to its basaltic andesite composition and oblate geometry, a lava tube interpretation seemed natural to the early researchers of Layser Cave. Opening along an ellipsoidal entrance nearly two meters high, the remaining accessible portion of Layser Cave terminates at ten meters horizontal depth. The host rock accommodates an extensive fracture network that is occupied by calcareous veins ranging from a few millimeters to several centimeters in width. Unlike most lava tubes, however, Layser Cave is devoid of pahoehoe lava and lacks the intricate terracing and lava speleothems typical of lava tubes. As little as a meter of hardened crust may represent a lava tube’s ceiling, yet at Layser Cave there is no discernible break in the meters of basaltic andesite overlying the pseudokarst. Instead, the entrance of Layser Cave shows gentle warping inclined eastward in what appears to be the western leg of an antiform, indicating deformation uncharacteristic with the presumed lava tube setting (Figure 2). If Layser Cave’s oblate geometry resulted from folding, a lava tube interpretation is unwarranted.

Similar structures occur at the same elevation across the Cispus River on the southern valley wall and as far as 20 km west along Goat Creek. Up to three meters wide and a meter deep, these ellipsoidal pseudokarsts are generally confined to the core of antiforms and can be seen repeatedly along a single plane, all showing similar degrees of fracturing and deformation (Figure 3). Found across such a broad region, the pseudokarsts are closely associated with regional deformation features incompatible with a lava tube interpretation. Instead, the relation between pseudokarsts and regional geologic structures suggests that Layser Cave and associated features are possibly a byproduct of regional deformation associated with late Miocene uplift of the Cascade Range (see Sisson et al., 2014).

Conclusions

Exposed along the northern slopes of the Cispus River valley, Layser Cave holds important clues for the Neogene tectonic history of the region and offers unique insight into regional Holocene human migration. After the rediscovery of Layser Cave in 1982, archeological investigations of the preserved Native American artifacts led to conjecture on a lava tube origin of Layser Cave. Though the most well-known, Layser Cave is but

Figure 3. A. and B. Photographs of similar structures occurring at the same elevation across the Cispus River on the southern valley wall. Note the similar degrees of fracturing and deformation.

one of many pseudokarst features found across the valley and in adjoining drainages as far as 20 km west. Its relation to regional geologic structures indicates that, despite early suggestions of a lava tube origin, Layser Cave is just one of many pseudokarsts that may have resulted from folding associated with Miocene uplift of the Cascade Range (Sisson et al., 2014). Continued study of the Cispus River pseudokarsts can better relate the timing and kinematics of folding and potential hazards associated with the pseudokarsts.

References

Burtchard, G.C., 2003, Environment, Prehistory & Archaeology of Mount Rainier National Park, Washington: National Park Service, Seattle, WA. Chatters, J., Brown, J., Hackenberger, S., McCutcheon, P., and Adler, J., 2017, Calcined Bone as A Reliable Medium for Radiocarbon Dating: A Test Using Paired North American Samples: American Antiquity, v. 82, no. 3, p. 593608, doi:10.1017/aaq.2017.27. Croes, D.R. and Kucera, V.J., 2017, Entering the American Continent: The Chehalis River Hypothesis: Journal of Northwest Anthropology v. 51, no. 2, p. 164–183. Daugherty, R.D., Flenniken, J.J., and Welch, J.M., 1987a, A Data Recovery Study of Judd Peak Rockshelters (45-LE-222) in Lewis County, Washington. U.S.: Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region Studies in Cultural Resource Management No. 8. Daugherty, R.D., Flenniken, J.J., and Welch, J.M., 1987a, 1987b, A Data Recovery Study of Layser Cave (45-LE-223) in Lewis County, Washington. U.S.: Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region Studies in Cultural Resource Management No. 7. Fladmark, K.R., 1979, Alternate Migration Corridors for Early Man in North America: American Antiquity v. 44, p. 55–69. Kempe, S., 2013. Morphology of speleothems in primary (lava-) and secondary caves. In: Shroder, J. (Editor in Chief), Frumkin, A. (Ed.), Treatise on Geomorphology. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, vol. 6, Karst Geomorphology, pp. 267–285. Pope, I.E., 2020, Poorly Sorted Terrace Deposits of the Cispus Valley: Glacial Drift or Mount Adams Lahar? [abs]: AEG News, v. 63, no. 4, p. 46. Sisson, T.W., Salters, V.J.M., and Larson, P.B., 2014, Petrogenesis of Mount Rainier andesite: Magma flux and geologic controls on the contrasting differentiation styles at stratovolcanoes of the southern Washington Cascades: GSA Bulletin, v. 126, no. 1/2, p. 122–144, doi:10.1130/B30852.1. Strong, E., 1959, Stone Age on the Columbia River: Portland, OR, Binfords & Mort, 248 p. Urness, Z., 2017, This remarkable cave was a Pacific Northwest home 7,000 years ago: Statesman Journal: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/travel/outdoors/2017/11/29/lay ser-cave-hike-pacific-northwest-home-7-000-years-ago-mount-rainer-nationalpark/899995001/ (accessed February 2021).

Building a Bridge Spanning Karst Subsidence in Palmyra, Pennsylvania

Bill Roman

Bill is a consulting Professional Geologist residing in the Susquehanna Lowland Section of Pennsylvania's Ridge and Valley Province. He serves as Co-chair of AEG's Communications Committee and is Content Editor of AEG News.

ou know you are facing a unique and difficult challenge when you are summoned to repair a sinkhole affecting a busy thoroughfare and one of the adjacent Yestablishments is a watering hole known as the “Sinkhole

Saloon and Grille” (Figure 1). Such was the situation facing the

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and its consultant in early July 2019 when sinkhole activity yet again forced the closure of US Route 422 in the Borough of Palmyra.

The highway is a main thoroughfare and carries about 16,000 vehicles per day through Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. This article describes PennDOT’s rapid design and repair of a section of roadway plagued by chronic karst subsidence.

Geologic Setting

Figure 1. The long history of sinkholes affecting this portion of US 422 is reflected in the appellation of this adjacent restaurant.

Karst Development and Mining

In Pennsylvania, the Epler Formation is particularly prone to sinkhole development in the Great Valley section of the Ridge and Valley province (Wilshusen and Kochanov, 1999). About eight miles southwest of Palmyra (along bedrock strike), the Epler Formation hosts Indian Echo Caverns, a commercial cave whose mouth on a meander of Swatara Creek is entered by multitudes of visitors each year. The Palmyra area has a

Palmyra is situated in the Great Valley Section of Pennsylvania’s Ridge and Valley Province (Sevon, 2000). In the Palmyra area, the Great Valley, known locally as the Lebanon Valley, has a width of about 11 miles and trends about N30°E. The southern part of the Lebanon Valley, including the Palmyra area, consists of a low karst terrain underlain by Cambrian and Ordovician carbonate rocks (Sevon, 2000). Most of Palmyra, including the project location, is underlain by the Ordovician Epler Formation, which is characterized by thick bedded, strongly laminated, finely crystalline limestone interbedded with a medium to thick-bedded, laminated, grayishyellow weathering, crystalline dolomite (Geyer, 1970). Locally, thrusting from the southeast has so deformed the bedrock layers that they are overturned and dip about 40 degrees to the southeast (Figure 2). The overturned beds are part of the lower limb of a regional structure known as the Lebanon Valley nappe (Geyer, 1970).