February 2022 Outcrop by The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Volume 71 • No. 2 • February 2022

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OUTCROP The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

1999 Broadway • Suite 730 • Denver, CO 80202 • 720-672-9898 The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG) is a nonprofit organization whose purposes are to promote interest in geology and allied sciences and their practical application, to foster scientific research and to encourage fellowship and cooperation among its members. The Outcrop is a monthly publication of the RMAG.

2022 OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT

2nd VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT

Rob Diedrich rdiedrich75@gmail.com

Matt Bauer matthew.w.bauer.pg@gmail.com

PRESIDENT-ELECT

SECRETARY

Ben Burke bburke158@gmail.com

Sandra Labrum slabrum@slb.com

1st VICE PRESIDENT

TREASURER

Courtney Beck Antolik courtneyantolik14@gmail.com

Mike Tischer mtischer@gmail.com

1st VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT

TREASURER ELECT

Ron Parker parkero@gmail.com

Anna Phelps aphelps@sm-energy.com

2nd VICE PRESIDENT

COUNSELOR

Mark Millard millardm@gmail.com

Jeff May jmay.kcrossen@gmail.com

RMAG STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Bridget Crowther bcrowther@rmag.org OPERATIONS MANAGER

Kathy Mitchell-Garton kmitchellgarton@rmag.org CO-EDITORS

Courtney Beck Antolik courtneyantolik14@gmail.com Nate LaFontaine nlafontaine@sm-energy.com Wylie Walker wylie.walker@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

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Outcrop | February 2022 OUTCROP

Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Powder River Basin Symposium & Core Workshop Sept. 14-15, 2022 • Sheraton Denver West

Call for Papers The RMAG is soliciting papers for presentation at their Fall Symposium, which will focus on the geology and petroleum development of the Powder River Basin. Talks will be 20 minutes long, with 10 minutes for questions. We will consider papers on any producing formation in the basin but with an intention to focus on the Niobrara, Turner, Frontier, and Mowry. We are also looking for companies and organizations that would be willing to exhibit core from the basin. Cores will be exhibited on the afternoon of the 15th, and core presenters will be given the opportunity to present a paper on their evaluation of the core during the morning oral session. Please submit your abstract and a short biographical sketch through the RMAG website or send them to the RMAG Office at staff@rmag.org.

Abstract submission deadline: May 1, 2022 Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists 4 Vol. 71, No. 2 e: staff@rmag.org | p: 720.672.9898 | w: www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | February 2022

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OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

CONTENTS FEATURES 6 2022 RMAG Summit Sponsorship Packet

ASSOCIATION NEWS 2 RMAG Summit Sponsors 4 RMAG Powder River Basin symposium

14 Lead Story: Colorado’s Sackungen–The supposedly solid mountains are falling apart.

11 2022 RMAG Mentorship Program

22 Celebrating nearly 70 years of the RMAGA

27 Publish with The Mountain Geologist 34 The Mountain Geologist Best Paper Award for 2021

DEPARTMENTS 10 RMAG January 2022 Board of Directors meeting 12 President’s Letter 28 Hybrid Lunch Talk: Paul E. Devine 30 Hybrid Lunch Talk: Clayton Schultz

34 The Outcrop Best Paper and Best Cover Photo, 2021 38 News and Opportunities at Dinosaur Ridge 41 Thank You From The RMAG Foundation

32 In The Pipeline 35 Welcome New RMAG Members!

COVER PHOTO Avery Peak as seen from Gothic Campground, north of Crested Butte, CO. Here, sedimentary beds of the Upper Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone through the Lower Permian Maroon Formation are tilted 40-45° to the southwest. The bedding planes of red sandstones and white conglomerates of the Maroon Formation are spectacularly exposed as slabs on the distinctive face of Avery Peak. Photo by Ryan Frazer

35 Outcrop Advertising Rates 36 Member Corner 42 Advertiser Index 42 Calendar

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OUTCROP | February 2022

RMAG Summit Sponsorship

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Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists 1999 Broadway, Suite 730 Denver, CO 80202 Phone: 800.970.7624 | email: staff@rmag.org

November 30, 2021 Geoscience Community: RMAG could not exist without the very generous support of our Summit Sponsors, and we greatly appreciate all the companies that contributed as Summit Sponsors in 2021. The second year of a pandemic was not what any of us hoped for but, as we learn to live with the new reality, RMAG has continued to meet both the needs of our members and the greater geoscience community as well as honor our sponsors’ commitment to RMAG. We have hosted dozens of virtual events which included short courses, workshops, Members in Transition talks, monthly online luncheons, virtual trivia, and a virtual field trip. Slowly over the course of the year, we have been able to add back so many of our outdoor events, from the Annual Golf Tournament to six On the Rocks field trips across the region. With the assistance of the RMAG Foundation, we provided student memberships and professional development reimbursements to assist our geologic community. Your sponsorship dollars also supported our excellent publications including the monthly Outcrop newsletter, the quarterly Mountain Geologist journal, and special publications such as Subsurface Cross Sections of Southern Rocky Mountain Basins. We recognized your financial commitment with website and publication advertising as well as through social media before each online event. With a LinkedIn group of over 2600 members, we made our sponsors visible to the geoscience community for both virtual and in person events. We are in the process of planning for our upcoming year, and we need your help to continue our programs. 2022 will be an exciting year for RMAG as we celebrate our 100th anniversary with special events and publications to honor our association’s rich history. Summit Sponsor company names and logos will be prominently featured at all RMAG events, and while we plan to host more in person gatherings, we also will continue to hold online events which have been very popular with our membership. If you are already a Summit Sponsor, we look forward to your continued support in 2022. If you are not a sponsor, please look at the many free benefits included with the sponsorship levels. Please feel free to contact our staff with questions about sponsorship by email: staff@rmag.org or by phone at 800-970-7624. We and the staff of RMAG wish you all a successful and prosperous 2022 and look forward to seeing you at our events.

Rob Diedrich

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2022 RMAG President

RMAG Executive Director

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OUTCROP | February 2022

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2022 RMAG Summit Sponsorship All sponsor benefit event tickets follow RMAG event registration deadlines. All benefits end 12 months after registration.

RMAG 2022 2 Summit Sponsorship Opportunities Platinum Sponsor Gold Sponsor Silver Sponsor

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1999 Suite 730 Denver, CO, 80202 Vol. 71,Broadway, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

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follow: @rmagdenver OUTCROP | February 2022

RMAG JANUARY 2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING By Sandra Labrum, Secretary slabrum@slb.com

gain due to investments. RMAG is actively seeking Summit Sponsors at all levels for 2022, so please consider participating. The Continuing Education Committee as always has a very exciting line up planned for 2022, with a return to in person lunches in the works. The Membership Committee is actively looking for more volunteers to join the committee to help support our current members and recruit new. They are also still accepting applications to be a part of the Mentorship program. The Publications Committee is continuing to do great work bringing us a full slate of articles to celebrate the 100th anniversary of RMAG (January 26th!). Educational Outreach is supporting our local educators and student by making geoscience accessible through the assembly of fossil and sample kits. On the Rocks is kicking off 2022 by planning a full slate of exciting field trips, make sure to watch your email and the website for those exciting announcements. Finally, the Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity and Inclusion will become a standing RMAG Committee. We are all looking forward to seeing the great work they are doing continue. I truly look forward to spending the next two years bringing you updates from the Board meetings and being your Secretary. Until next time!

Hello! I am your new secretary for the next two years. I am truly looking forward to serving you all and would like to thank you for your confidence in choosing me. I also want to extend my deepest thanks to Jessica Davey for her dedicated service over the last two years and doing such a complete handover with me. I am personally looking forward to 2022 and hope that it is a much better year than the ones we have had previously. The January Board of Directors meeting took place January 19th, 2022 at 4pm via Microsoft Teams. That means that the meeting was accompanied by the chaos of my children (that work from home life…). All board members were present. Mike Tisher, our treasurer, started us off by providing an overview of the financials for both December and for the year 2021 holistically. 2021 ended with a net operating loss but a net revenue

Well Log Digitizing • Petrophysics Petra® Projects • Mud Log Evaluation Bill Donovan

Geologist • Petroleum Engineer • PE

(720) 351-7470 donovan@petroleum-eng.com OUTCROP | February 2022

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2022 RMAG

Mentorship Program March 2022 December 2022 Deadline Extended! Applications due February 28, 2022

About RMAG pairs young professionals with senior professional mentors who can offer career path and technical mentorship. During the 11 month program, RMAG provides participants with multiple opportunities to get together, and encourages mentor/mentee pairs to arrange informal meetings as well.

Apply Accepting applications through February 28, 2022. Visit www.rmag.org for more information and to apply.

Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists e: staff@rmag.org | p: 720.672.9898 | w: www.rmag.org

PRESIDENT’S LETTER By Rob Diedrich

Catalyst for Change

Every year around now I try to carve out some time to rewatch one of my favorite movies, Groundhog Day. The film came out in 1993 and stars Bill Murray as a self-centered TV weatherman named Phil Connors who gets trapped in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania during the annual Groundhog Festival, reliving the same day over and over again. He wakes up each morning to the same Sonny and Cher song playing on the radio and goes through the rest of the day seeing the same people, repeating nearly the same conversation with each of them. Day after day after day. I cannot help thinking of Phil Connors as we head into yet another year of navigating life with Covid-19. It seems that every morning we wake up to the same news headlines. Just when infection transmission rates begin to improve, another variant comes along and forces us to rethink what activities are safe and what activities should be avoided. Large companies such as Meta, Ford and Lyft continue to push back their return-to-office dates, most recently due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant. In Denver, some companies have returned to office work fulltime while others still have their employees working remotely or have adopted hybrid work schedules. Thirty percent of those who responded to our recent RMAG member survey indicated that they work for companies who do not have a return to office plan in

place, and that was pre-Omicron! As we approach the third year of the pandemic, it is a good time to reflect on how the pandemic has impacted the way RMAG serves our members. Our staff and leadership team were exceptionally adept in pivoting to online meetings. Our first virtual event was the April 2020 luncheon meeting. Since then, RMAG has hosted well over 100 online sessions including luncheon meetings, short courses, virtual field trips, Members-in-Transition presentations, and fun events such as trivia night. It has been great to see so many out-of-state members dialing into our virtual gatherings. RMAG has even expanded international membership over the last two years due in large part to our online offerings. Our Continuing Education Committee continues

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

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when the groundhog appears on February 2nd there won’t be a new Covid to assess the best timing to return to virus variant to greet him! in person luncheon meetings. While This month’s RMAG Centennial we are anxious to meet again face to anecdote is about one of the associaface, 80% of RMAG members who retion’s seven founders and first pressponded to our survey indicated they ident, Max Waite Ball (pictured on prefer to have the option of attending left). Max began his career in Denver luncheon meetings both virtually and with the USGS and served as the oil in person. Thanks to a generous grant division chair for the US Land Classifrom the RMAG Foundation, when we fication Board from 1910-16. In 1917 return to in person luncheon meethe joined the private oil and gas secings, they will be in a ‘hybrid’ format. tor and was one of the early leaders That is, we will livestream the techniin the development of the Athabasca cal presentation for those who wish to MAX WAITE BALL oil sands. Max returned to public serparticipate online. The RMAG Founvice as a Special Assistant in the Petroleum Adminisdation grant will cover the cost of the audio and vidtration for War in 1944 and as the director of the Oil eo equipment needed to provide this new service along with upgraded video conferencing software and Gas Division for the Department of the Interior which will provide a more stable interface for our onin President Harry S. Truman’s administration from line participants. 1946-1948. That’s an amazing legacy for RMAG’s first So Happy Groundhog Day and let’s hope that president!

Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | February 2022

LEAD STORY

COLORADO’S

SACKUNGEN The supposedly solid mountains are falling apart. By Vincent Matthews

ACKUNGEN ARE WEIRD,

wonderful and little-known post-glacial landforms of Colorado’s landscape. These paraglacial features (those that result from glaciers preconditioning the post-glacial landscape) are a result of body forces within narrow ridges bounded by glacially over-steepened walls. Colorado’s rugged mountains are a premier natural laboratory for observing and studying these intriguing phenomena. Repeated measurements over four decades at Bald Eagle Mountain provide insights into how sackungen form in response to gravitational forces and are slowly tearing apart the ridge. Sackung is a German term meaning “sagging” (Zischinsky, 1966). Quaternary geologists use the term to refer to slope deformation that results from deep-seated creep caused by large-scale gravitational spreading (and sagging) of a ridge top (Figure 1). American scientists generally refer to it as “ridge-top spreading.” Sackung has also been used incorrectly as the singular of sackungen (including me). Sackungen is the German term for “sags” and is used to refer to the surface features formed by ridgetop spreading. Varnes, et al.(1989), describe the following characteristics of sackungen: • “1. Uphill-facing scarps on the slope, one to a few

OUTCROP | February 2022

meters high, trending approximately parallel with topographic contours and commonly somewhat convex downslope in plan (Figure 2). The trenches so produced are asymmetric in profile: The steep, upward-facing scarps on the downhill side of the trench; the gentler, uphill side appears often to be an unmodified hill-slope • 2. A graben or grabens along the ridge crest, commonly with closed contours and ephemeral ponds. • 3. Double-crested ridges. • 4. Bulging of the lower parts of the slopes.”

Figure 3 shows locations where sackungen are well displayed in Colorado. They develop on the gentle part of a narrow ridge whose flanks were over-steepened by glaciers. The ridge might remain between U-shaped valleys, between cirques, or between a cirque(s) and a U-shaped valley. Except for Aspen Highlands, the sackungen in Figure 3 are all developed in crystalline rocks. More than half the sackungen are in locales where crystalline rocks overlie Cretaceous shale (yellow labels). This provides a weaker surface upon which the crystalline rocks can more easily spread. Sackungen locales where the Williams Range thrust fault (dotted red line in Figure 3) placed crystalline rocks over shales are Keystone Mountain (Matthews, et al., 1979), Bear Mountain (Widmann, et

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FIGURE 1: Ridgetop Spreading and

Sackungen. Idealized cross section through a ridge that is gravitationally unstable because the glacier that over-steepened the valley walls has melted and no longer buttresses the bedrock walls. Gravitational forces within the ridge cause it to want to sag and bulge outward into the valley. This also causes the ridge top to extend and may even form a ridgetop depression. The mechanism for the ridgetop to extend is through the creation of small faults. The upslope side drops downward along the fault, leaving an uphill-facing escarpment on the downhill side of the fault. The height of the escarpment increases with continued movement. Modified from Varnes, D.J., et al, 1989.

FIGURE 2: Examples of

Sackungen. Uphill facing scarps (Figure 1) are the most common expressions of sackungen in Colorado. A. Keystone Mountain. The small fault displaced the slope of the ridge upward on the downhill side, thus creating an uphill-facing scarp (arrows). Jack Stanesco photo (Author for scale). B. Bald Eagle Mountain. The displacement by repeated small movements on the sackung resulted in a 15-foot-high, uphillfacing scarp (arrow). Jeff Coe photo (Author for scale). C. Trail Ridge Road. This half–mile-long sackung (between the red arrows) below Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is one of many in this area. The uphillfacing-scarp blocks the flow of surface water and gives rise to more lush vegetation than the normal tundra. Black arrows point to two groups of elk taking advantage of the vegetation. Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

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LEAD STORY

FIGURE 3: Locations of known sackungen in Colorado (stars). Keep your eye out for more. Ridgetop spreading

in more than half these locations (yellow stars and labels) is aided by the presence of a weak shale layer underlying the crystalline-bedrock ridgetops. Red dotted line is the approximate location of the westward verging Williams Range thrust fault. Note: Dolores Peak is actually 40 miles off the map to the south.

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LEAD STORY

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HOW IT HAPPENED

al, 2003), Ute Peak (Varnes, 1989), and Old Baldy (Varnes, 1989). Granitic plutons intruded into Cretaceous shales at Crested Butte (Figure 7) and the Dolores massif and their sackungen are pronounced. The Aspen Highlands sackungen developed in ridges composed of Maroon formation (McCalpin and Irvine, 1995). The Trail Ridge sackungen (Figures 2C, 3, and 6; Matthews, 2009) are the only ones accessible by vehicle.

Colorado’s glaciers carved deep valleys with over-steepened walls and packed them with ice. During glacial periods the ice buttressed the over-steepened walls. Once the glaciers disappeared, there was nothing left behind to hold back the over-steepened sides of the valleys. Where conditions were just right—the sides of a ridge bulged out into the valleys under their own weight. This

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FIGURE 4: Rate of Spreading. Northeast view along a ridgetop trending southwestward from Bald Eagle Mountain in the Mount

Massive Wilderness (39°14’33.57” N, 106°27’22.55” W). The ridge is bounded by the U-shaped valley of Busk Creek on the west and a cirque complex on the east. Post-glacial, gravitational instability here is manifested by ridgetop spreading. Repeated surveys for decades across these sackungen (red arrows) are excellent documentation that this ridgetop is actively spreading today. A set of permanent monuments were installed in 1975 along the white dashed line. Nine surveys were conducted between 1975 and 2013. The periodic surveys showed that the ridgetop was actively widening. Total extensional movement over the 36-year period was 6½ inches. Cosmogenic-nuclide data indicate that the Pinedale glaciers along the eastern Sawatch Range had vacated the valleys by at least 13,000 years ago. If we assume that the spreading began about that time—and was continuous and uniform —then the total extension since deglaciation would have been about 200 feet at the measured rate of 6.5 inches per 36 years. This amount is consistent with the size of the sackungen. The bulging of the glacial wall shatters the bedrock (Figure 5) which eventually falls to the talus piles below (yellow arrows). Base Image from Google Earth (Landsat/Copernicus), annotation by V. Matthews. Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

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LEAD STORY

FIGURE 5: Bulging of the oversteepened wall. A. View of the bulging, over-steepened wall at the left point of the white, double

headed arrow in Figure 4. The granitic bedrock shatters in place and then slowly topples and falls to the talus pile below (Figure 4). B and C. Enlargements of the areas around the arrows in A that show fractured bedrock that has undergone various amounts of movement but are still somewhat in place. Jeff Coe image (author for scale).

FIGURE 6: Trail Ridge Road Sackungen. Westward aerial view of Trail Ridge Road as it follows a ridgetop through Iceberg Pass

in Rocky Mountain National Park (40°25’05.04” N, 105°44’50.29” W) . Sackungen disrupt the rounded slopes of tundra (Matthews, 2009). A set of two arrows pointing toward each other highlight the intervening scarps. The Forest Canyon glacier oversteepened the ridge flanks on the south. Headward erosion of cirque headwalls (H) narrowed and steepened the ridge flank on the north. Deglaciation on both sides of the ridge created gravitational instability within the ridge and triggered ridgetop spreading. The sackungen are the surface expression of the normal faults resulting from the extension. Base Image from Google Earth (Landsat/ Copernicus), annotation by V. Matthews. OUTCROP | February 2022

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LEAD STORY

FIGURE 7: Crested Butte sackungen. Crested Butte is an exhumed laccolith that intruded Cretaceous Mancos shale. The edifice was

surrounded by glaciers in the East River And Slate River valleys. The glaciers over-steepened their valley walls. Deglaciation caused the granitic laccolith to begin spreading on the weak shales into the glacial valleys and creating pronounced uphill facing scarps, two of which are noted with arrows. Base Image from Google Earth (Landsat/Copernicus), annotation by V. Matthews. Cross section from Gaskill, D.L. et al, (1991). faults, they are not a result of tectonic activity (except where movement on the sackungen is triggered by an earthquake on a nearby tectonic fault). Sackungen result from internal body forces in narrow ridges with over-steepened flanks and therefore don’t present an earthquake hazard. It is important to differentiate them from tectonic faults.

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caused the ridge top to stretch, spread, or expand (Figure 1).

NOT TECTONIC FAULTS Minor normal faults were the mechanism that allowed the ridge top to spread in response to the extension. A fault commonly displaces the slope of the ridge upward on the downhill side of the fault. This displacement creates an uphill-facing scarp (Figures 1 and 2). Sackungen are the surface expressions of the faults that displace the slope in response to ridge-top spreading. The spreading and sackungen are responses to the gravitational instability of the whole ridge. Because these are scarps that disrupt the land surface, one might mistakenly classify them as tectonic faults that could pose an earthquake hazard. Although they disrupt the surface and are technically Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

MEASURING THE CREEP

Sackungen that disturb a ridge near Bald Eagle Mountain are remarkable (Figures 4 and 5). In 1975, USGS geologists installed permanent markers on the ridge. Then, they surveyed the markers and followed up with re-surveys every decade thereafter. Results of these surveys show the markers moved during each decade (Varnes, et al, 2000). This documented that the ridge is steadily expanding. The current rate of spreading and size of the scarps suggest

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LEAD STORY Colorful Geology (2nd ed).: Colorado Geological Survey, Golden Colorado, 163 p. Matthews, V. (with Stanesco, J.D., Patterson, C.D.), 1979, Sackung Features on Keystone Mountain, Colorado (abs): Prog. Ann. Mtg. Geol. Soc. Amer. (Rocky Mtn Sect), Fort Collins, CO, p. 303. McCalpin, J. P. and Hart, E.W., 2002, Ridge-top spreading features and relationship to earthquakes, san gabriel mountains region, southern california -- part b: paleoseismic investigations of ridge-top depressions: https://www. researchgate.net/publication/255497297_ RIDGETOP_SPREADING_FEATURES_AND_RELATIONSHIP_TO_EARTHQUAKES_SAN_GABRIEL_MOUNTAINS_REGION_SOUTHERN_CALIFORNIA_--_PART_B_PALEOSEISMIC_INVESTIGATIONS_OF_RIDGE-TOP_DEPRESSIONS McCalpin, J.P. and Irvine, J.R., 1995, Sackungen at the Aspen Highlands Ski Area, Pitkin County, Colorado: v. 1, no. 3, pp. 277-290. Varnes, D.J., Coe, J.A., Godt, J.W., Savage, W.Z., and Savage, J.E., 2000, Measurement of ridge-spreading movements (Sackungen) at Bald Eagle Mountain, Lake County, Colorado, II: continuation of the 1975-1989 measurements using a Global Positioning System in 1997 and 1999: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 00-205, 23 p. https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2000/ ofr-00-0205 Varnes, D.J., Radbruch-Hall, D.H., and Savage, W.Z., 1989, Topographic and structural conditions in areas of gravitational spreading of ridges in the western United States, US Geological Survey Professional Paper 1496, 28p. Widmann, B.L., Morgan, M.L., Bartos, P.J., Shaver, K.C., Gutierrez, F., and Lochman, A., 2003, Geologic Map of the Keystone Quadrangle, Summit County, Colorado, Colorado Geological Survey, Open-File Report OF02-03, 1:24,000 Zischinsky, U., 1966, On the deformation of high slopes. Proc. 1st Conf. Int. Soc. Rock Mech., Lisbon, 2: 179--185.

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that the crest of the ridge widened by about 200 feet since the end of Pinedale glaciation (~13,000 years ago).

WHAT’S NEXT?

Apart from the studies at Aspen Highlands and Bald Eagle Mountain, sackungen in Colorado receive very little scientific attention. No seismicity is reported to accompany their gradual movements. However, trenching of sediments accumulated at the base of sackung scarps in southern California (McCalpin and Hart, 2002) reveal that major earthquakes on nearby faults (e.g. the San Andreas fault) triggered sudden and significant movement on the sackungen. Future paleoseismic studies of Colorado sackungen hold the potential to reveal unknown major earthquakes during the Holocene. Moreover, sackungen may be just one end-member of a continuum of post-glacial, gravity-driven deformation that possibly includes entire mountain tops failing into glacially over-steepened valleys. Further work remains to be done!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am grateful to Jeffry Coe (USGS), James McCalpin (Creston Science Center), Francisco Gutiérrez Santolalla (University of Zaragosa), and Jack Stanesco (Red Rocks Community College) for sharing their knowledge of sackungen with me over the decades. Jeff Coe reviewed the manuscript.

REFERENCES

Coe, Jeffrey a., Ruleman, Chester A., Goot, Jonathan W., Matthews Ill, Vincent, Goehring, Brent M., Lucha, Pedro, Deuell, Amelia E. and Reeves, Ryan R., 2013, Long-term measurement of ridge-spreading movements (sackungen) at Bald Eagle Mountain, Central Colorado: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. vol. 45, no. 7, p.643 Gaskill, D.L., Mutschler, F.E., Kramer, J.H., Thomas, J.A., and Zahony, S.G., 1991, Geologic map of the Gothic quadrangle, Gunnison County, Colorado, Geologic Quadrangle Map GQ-1689, 1:24,000 Matthews, V., 2009, Messages in Stone: Colorado’s

OUTCROP | February 2022

Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

CALL FOR PAPERS PETROLEUM HISTORY INSTITUTE

2022 ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM AND FIELD TRIP

The World of West Coast Petroleum

May 17-19, 2022

REGISTRATION AND EVENING RECEPTION Tuesday, May 17, 2022

PRESENTATIONS-ORAL AND POSTER – Wednesday, May 18, 2022 Proceedings to be published in the 2022 Volume of Oil-Industry History

FIELD TRIP – Thursday, May 19, 2022 HEADQUARTERS HOTEL – Montecito Inn, Santa Barbara, California www.montecitoinn.com or (800)-843-2017 or (805) 969-7854 For group Rate mention “Petroleum History Institute” REGISTRATION DETAILS TO FOLLOW ABSTRACTS BEING ACCEPTED Please send abstracts to: Dr. William Brice - wbrice@pitt.edu or call Marilyn Black – 814-677-3152 ext. 105; mblack@oilregion.org Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

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Celebrating nearly 70 years of the RMAGA By Donna Anderson, Jane Estes-Jackson, and Matt Silverman

Early RMAGA Presidents 1953-1961. From left to right: Standing are Pat Tully, Tim Keller, Eileen Griffith, Ailene Mitchell. Seated are Jane Kuehnert, Beverly Sloan, Louise Wellman. Why did something “need to be done” for the wives of RMAG petroleum geologists? The answer harkens back to the way the oil business was conducted in the 1950s. Women of that time, many then 20- and 30-somethings, were not expected to have careers. Only 30% of women were in the U.S. workforce then. In fact, as Robbie Gries wrote in her book, Anomalies, married women could not be hired for some jobs, and pregnancy was a sure way to lose one’s job. Many women of that time, then, were stayat-home moms who raised the Baby Boomer generation. Their oil-patch husbands were out on well-sites for days to weeks at a time, leaving their wives and children to fend for themselves. In addition, families moved a lot. One charter member mentioned that her family lived in 18 different places in 18 months.

In the early 1950s, several wives of RMAG members got together and formed the RMAG Auxiliary (RMAGA). Some of you might remember that the RMAGA provided the hospitality rooms along with spouse activities at AAPG annual conventions and at the regional Rocky Mountain Section AAPG meetings when held in Denver. For example, at the 1980 ACE in Denver, the RMAGA had about 250 women volunteers working on classes, field trips, sport events, a fashion show, and an arts and crafts show for the 2345 spouses who attended the convention among the 10,000 AAPG registrants. The RMAGA had always been renowned for “getting it done,” and the 1980 annual convention was no exception.

RAISON D’ÊTRE

The RMAGA held its first luncheon meeting on March 13, 1953. Earlier, as written by Grace Shearer, a Charter Member: In the fall of 1952, the oil population of Denver was growing daily. N. Wood Bass, then of the USGS and the President of the RMAG, contacted Louise Wellman and asked what could be done for the wives. Louise called Pat Tully, and they met and started an outline for a social group of women. Pat worked on committee names, and Louise wrote to other groups in various organizations in oil cities to get copies of their bylaws. The first committee meeting was held at the home of Bea Branerd in Park Hill.

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Mallard Exploration is a Denver-based upstream Oil & Gas Exploration and Production company focused on the DJ Basin of Colorado. We are building a successful business with strong ethics, hard work and industry-leading technology.

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Another woman’s husband was kidnapped and held for 38 days while working in Colombia: no stress there! Jackie Meissner (1934-2017) recalled being transferred from Shell’s offices in Houston to Roswell, New Mexico a week before giving birth to her last child, also saying something about needing to be “resilient,” a word that has renewed meaning to us in the current pandemic. Masthead from “The Scoop” December 2021. Co-presidents Pat Tully and Jo Gray, ViceMany of the families had just President Peach Albertus, Secretary Kay Waller, Treasurer Marion Bolyard, Parliamentarian moved to metro Denver, then Merrily Tohill. Editors LaFawn Biddle and Abbe Mitchell. basically a cow-town (population of about 500,000, now grown to 2.8 million), with perfoming on his pogo stick and singing.” Over the no extended family or network of friends. As Pat Tulyears talks included the Arab oil embargos of the ly (Charter Member & President 1959-1960) wrote 1970s; the history of Colorado (including one titled in 2003: “Denver Madams and Brothels”); women’s issues from the start, the new arrivals in town and fashion; travel; computers; the FBI; and art-hiswere our main interest, feeling that they estory exhibits: far-ranging topics, with some famous pecially needed a welcoming hand and the guest speakers such as astronaut Jack Swigert. The friendship offered by the organization. AcRMAGA monthly newsletter, The Scoop, features tivity groups were formed such as bridge, news of members and their families as well as activiice skating, bowling, art, etc. so that we ties; it is still going strong. might enjoy these interests together. From the beginning, RMAGA organized up to 27 Reflecting on the stress of “resiliency,” Grace activity groups, including antiques, bridge, ColoraShearer said, “With this group, you don’t need a psydo history, gourmet cooking, potluck, floral arrangechologist.” The RMAGA was a social, support netment, golf, health, needlework, RMAGA history, stock work of women with one thing in common: absent market, tennis, and tap dancing. The RMAGA initiand transient geologist-husbands. ated an annual dinner dance in the mid-1950s that became the RockBusters Ball in the 1980s. In 1961, ACTIVITIES a ski trip to A-Basin was organized by RMAGA memThe RMAGA objectives have always been “to enber Dale Blaha (1928-2021) and her husband and courage the social relations of members…and furRMAG member, Bob (1927-2014) for the national ther the understanding of the geological profession.” AAPG convention in Denver. It morphed into the anMonthly luncheon meetings, usually held at a counnual RMAG GeoSki day run by RMAGA for 27 years, try club, were paired with a program of talks or acafter which the RMAG took charge. Begun in the midtivities, not limited to geology. The first luncheon 1950s, an annual fashion show was a Denver-society meeting, attended by 141 women from 27 states, item. RMAGA members modeled their self-designed featured a “lively program of Harold (Mac) McCauley CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

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RMAGA

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re-marriage,” reflecting the passings of RMAG-member husbands. In 1986-1989, RMAGA membership took a sharp drop in conjunction with the massive layoffs affecting RMAG membership during the same time. Membership declined steadily after 1986. From 1998 onward, RMAGA membership continued declining, even as RMAG membership stabilized. Several factors were at work. By 2001, the percentage of women in the U.S. labor force reached 59%, stabilizing between 59% and 57% until 2020, when the pandemic began. Many wives of RMAG members likely had careers outside the home while maintaining family responsibilities. These endeavors took time away from extracurricular activities like those of the RMAGA. In addition, coupled with social changes, the core group of the RMAGA was aging and began passing away. Faced with declining member numbers, the RMAGA expanded membership to be more inclusive and streamlined its governance. In 2008, RMAGA changed the bylaws to include “female geologists and present or former wives of present or former members of the RMAG or related associations of geologists,” a reversal of the 1964 bylaw-change. In 2010, the group

and sewn clothing. Pat Tully, a former professional model, coached RMAGA “models” on the runway. Elaborate fashion shows ended by 1988, but smaller fashion and talent shows were part of meetings through the 2000s. It’s fair to say that the RMAGA put the RMAG to shame when it came to planning and holding social events, all of which relied on RMAGA members’ far-reaching organizational talents. It wasn’t all social events though. The RMAGA had expertise when it came to finances. A Stock Market activity group formed in 1957. By 1983, the Stock group was so large that it split into three subgroups. In 1980 when the RMAG office manager was terminated for cause, leaving RMAG finances in a mess, the RMAGA, at the request of then-President Jack Parker and then-Treasurer, Robbie Gries and leveraging their financial and organizational acumen, came into the office and spent weeks of volunteer time going through boxes and boxes of paper files, straightening out the mess. No wonder the RMAGA was known for “getting it done.”

MEMBERSHIP

Since 1953, RMAGA membership waxed and waned mostly in parallel with RMAG membership. The first bylaws defined membership for “wives of RMAG members in good standing, a female RMAG member in good standing, or the widow of a former member of any association of geologists.” In 1964 as the U.S. divorce rate increased, the RMAGA bylaws were amended to exclude divorced wives of RMAG members. Starting at 225 in 1953, RMAGA membership grew to a peak of 408 in 1983, as RMAG membership also hit its highest point. At the 1983 peak, RMAGA membership was expanded to include “the widow of a former RMAG member even after Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

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RMAGA

RMAGA 60th Anniversary committee and co-presidents. From left to right: Jubilee organizing committee Pat Winger, Joyce Near, and Sandy Hatch. 2013 co-presidents Alys Veal and Jackie Meissner. “The Way We Were,” in reminiscence of the organization. At that time, several members had reached 90 years of age and most had daughters and/or granddaughters that attended the banquet and participated in a fashion show. The dedication from the Jubilee organizing committee encapsules the essence of the RMAGA:

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reduced the number of board members and established co-presidents to share the governance workload. In 2014, co-presidents began serving two-year consecutive terms. In 2019, the group again expanded membership by extending “non-voting membership to husbands of deceased RMAGA members and daughters and daughters-in-law of RMAGA members.” Today, the RMAGA has about 80 members and holds luncheon programs during non-summer months. Regarding “female geologist” membership in the RMAGA, there were one or two in the 1970s through 1980s, including Esther Magathan. Robbie Gries gave several RMAGA luncheon presentations, and she became an honorary RMAGA member in 1981. In 1984 the RMAGA begain inviting the current RMAG president to its first luncheon of the year. As the second woman President of RMAG since 1941, Susan Landon attended an RMAGA luncheon in 2001. Susan greatly supported the RMAGA, so much so that the RMAGA also awarded her an honorary membership in 2009.

This celebration is dedicated to the members of RMAGA, both living and deceased… This amazing group of ladies has opened their arms and hearts to each and every woman connected to the oil industry…they are women of great flexibility and character. As a group we have aged, but the commitment to caring for one another is still strong and will continue on through future years.

The Diamond Jubilee program booklet includes remembrances by past-presidents from Eileen Griffith in 1956-57 to Pat Tully and Pat Wingert in 20112012. Many of those memories highlight the close and long-lasting friendships made through the years. They also provide a look-back to the social and political circumstances of the day, including “Big Hair” from president Jackie Meissner (1980-81); change to the digital era with email with co-presidents Janet Foster and Jo Gray (2009-2010); a memorable

60TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 2013 AND BEYOND

Nearly a decade ago, in 2013, the RMAGA held a memorable 60th anniversary banquet, themed, OUTCROP | February 2022

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RMAGA Bea Pomeroy, Helen Pustmueller, Grace Shearer, and Pat Tully.] The RMAGA will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2023! During this (2022) year of the RMAG Centennial Anniversary, we recognize the women of the RMAGA organization for their vital role in the geology community of the Rockies. We wish this amazing group of women the best.

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luncheon prepared by Hmong women during Peach Albertus’ presidency (1989-1990); Liz McKenna (president 1984-1985) recalling the first time a President of RMAGA was publicly kissed by a President of RMAG, which was her husband, Phil McKenna; Germaine Gregg (president 1974-75) planning for the 1976 Winter Olympics in Colorado, which never happened; the bane of Jo Gray’s first presidency (1975-76) of meeting the bar minimum at monthly luncheons, a condition quickly remedied by the members; and Dale Blaha (president 1973-74) recalling the first ski trip to A-Basin on buses along with commentary on the geology and history of the area, and lots of beer (is that common with geologists, or what?). In November 2021, the RMAGA made current co-President Pat Tully their first Honorary Lifetime Member. Pat has been an active member for 68 years, including 3 terms as president or co-president! She and Grace Shearer share the distinction of being the last two living RMAGA charter members. [RMAGA Charter members were Jean Clough, Mary Lou Fellet, Eileen Griffith, Jean Knox, Pat Landis, June Mallory,

SOURCES

The First Forty Years [of the RMAG] 1921-1961. “75 Years of the RMAG” by Hall Kellogg in the Mountain Geologist, October 1997 “RMAGA – 60 Year Celebration” in The Outcrop, v. 62, no. 7, 2013 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics RMAGA Archives, including: Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists Auxiliary, Golden Jubilee 1953-2003 Sixtieth Anniversary Celebration 1953-2013: A Diamond Jubilee for Members 1983-84 Membership Directory Correspondence with and reviews by Robbie Gries and Jo Gray.

Publish with… Why contribute? • Reach a broad industry and academic audience • Quarterly peer-reviewed journal • Permanent archiving includes AAPG Datapages • Quick turn-around time • Every subdiscipline in the geosciences Expanded geologic focus: • Entire greater Rocky Mountain area of North America • West Texas and New Mexico to northern British Columbia • Great Plains and Mid-Continent region

Email: mgeditor@rmag.org https://www.rmag.org/publications/the-mountain-geologist/

Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | February 2022

HYBRID LUNCH TALK Speaker: Paul E. Devine Date: February 2, 2022 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Sweet-Spot Delineation Using Information Theory as a Guide to Wireline Log Evaluation in Unconventional Reservoirs Middle Bakken, Williston Basin Paul E. Devine, Manager/Founder, Resource Analytics, LLC in relation to their distance from the baseline with the most substantive data --our reservoir targets-- lying farthest away. For interpretation, the unconventional reservoir is evaluated based on two higher-level components: deliverability and fracability. Deliverable HC Pore Volume includes a Resistivity Anomaly (HCSAT), a Porosity Anomaly (PHIe), and a scaling factor (RQ) for pore connectivity. Fracable Thickness includes the nominal target interval (H) and a fracability value (F2) derived from a VSH Index to account for the deleterious effects of clays in fracture stimulations. These 5 parameters are necessary and sufficient elements that fully characterize reservoir matrix using a calculation of Deliverable/Fracable Hydrocarbon Pore Volume = [PHIe*RQ*HCSAT]*[H*(F2)]. This location-specific volumetric quantification of the reservoir is built for every well with each model indexed so that parameters are comparable for mapping across a basin-scale area. The Middle Bakken (Williston Basin) is presented as a case study of the method using a

ABSTRACT: Log evaluation based on Information Theory gives us a new tool for basin-wide assessment of reservoir variability in unconventional resource plays. Using a Big Data approach, all wells with triple-combo LAS data can be evaluated individually using computer algorithms to generate an appropriate reservoir model at every location in the play as a key to sweet-spot identification. The chief insight is recognizing that sweet spots in unconventional reservoirs are not pervasive; they are anomalies. It follows that detection of anomalous log responses offers an efficient method for characterizing the reservoir matrix and locating sweet spots. For log evaluations I apply Information Theory through an innovative series of cross-plots to build a probabilistic reservoir model. A baseline trend is located in the low-response data of the scatter which represents a predicted relationship between independent and dependent variables. Data that fall along the baseline are superfluous and carry no information. Anomalous data convey information OUTCROP | February 2022

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HYBRID LUNCH TALK operations to produce the final interpretation of sweet spots in the targeted play based on a summation of Deliverable/Fracable HC Pore Volume. For an optimal development strategy, an operator ideally should know where their property lies in the full spectrum of a play’s reservoir variability. Automated mining of wireline log data using concepts from Information Theory provides a high-volume, high-velocity approach to basin-scale play assessment perfectly suited to this purpose.

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database of more than 2000 vertical wells. I will review dashboards for a select cross-section of wells to demonstrate how data are processed and how the information is interpreted. For mapping, an average value for each reservoir parameter is computed for the target interval in every well analyzed. Being independent geologic elements, each parameter is mapped separately. These maps describe how the defining characteristics of the reservoir vary across the play. Ultimately the components are combined using grid-to-grid

PAUL DEVINE is Founder and Manager of Resource Analytics, LLC, a Denver-based startup. Paul began his petroleum industry career in Houston with Shell Oil in 1980. He moved to Denver in 1982 working in various roles as an exploration geoscientist for small and mid-sized independents. In 2015 Paul started Resource Analytics as a service company using Information Theory in welllog evaluations for basin-scale reservoir characterization and sweet-spot delineation in unconventional resource plays. Paul has a BS in Geology from Washington & Lee University (1975) and an MA in Geology from the University of Texas, Austin (1980).

Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | February 2022

HYBRID LUNCH TALK Speaker: Clayton Schultz Date: March 2, 2022 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Controls on diagenesis of the Sappington Formation, Bridger Range, southwestern Montana Understanding the significance of facies, stratigraphic architecture, and faults on cement distribution Clayton Schultz, SM Energy architecture plays a secondary role as clinoform boundaries and stratigraphic surfaces compartmentalized fluid flow. Structural features are of local importance and depositional facies display little effect on the distribution of diagenetic minerals. Six dominant cement types were recognized in the Sappington Formation. Quartz and clay cements are the earliest recognized cements and formed on the surfaces of detrital grains during early diagenesis and are relatively minor phases (<5%vol). These are postdated by a series of carbonate cements that dominate the diagenetic mineral assemblage (upwards of >60% vol) and include two forms of dolomite, and two forms of calcite. Dolomite is the most abundant diagenetic

ABSTRACT: Diagenesis has a profound effect on the porosity and permeability of sediments, and it is necessary to integrate the depositional, stratigraphic, and structural frameworks together with the burial history to unravel the diagenetic history. This outcrop study from the late Devonian to early Mississippian Sappington Formation of southwestern Montana, USA, investigates the complex interplay of these different geologic factors and their controls on the distribution of diagenetic alterations. Our results suggest that the principal control on the distribution of diagenetic minerals is the thickness of the lower, middle, and upper Sappington shale members. The sedimentary

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CLAYTON SCHULTZ is a Sr. Geologist at SM Energy in Denver, Colorado. He is currently a member of the Reservoir Characterization Team focused on the Midland Basin and has previously worked in an exploration role in the Gulf Coast and Mid-Continent. His research interests include clastic depositional systems, sequence stratigraphy, diagenesis, reservoir characterization, and the interplay between tectonics and sedimentation. Additionally, he is an associate editor of the Mountain Geologist, a co-coordinator of the Rocky Mountain Section IBA, and the treasurer-elect of the Rocky Mountain Section of AAPG. Clayton received a B.S. in Geological Science from the University of Idaho and a M.S. from the University of Montana. OUTCROP | February 2022

Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

2019.3.2 Available for Download Peter Batdorf

CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT MANAGER Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

Senior Account Manager (GeoGraphix by LMKR) C : + 1 724 919 2506 | P : + 1 412 795 1271 pbatdorf@lmkr.com 31

OUTCROP | February 2022

HYBRID LUNCH TALK here – the first comprehensive diagenetic mod-

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mineral and is observed as zoned, euhedral to subhedral rhombs with a nearly stoichiometric core and a series of ferroan rims and as subhedral to anhedral ferroan rhombs without zonation. Calcite cements are most common as a rim on the outer extents of dolomite rhombs but also occur as a replacement of dolomite or detrital feldspar. The outcrop-based model presented

el of the Sappington Formation in SW-Montana, USA – can be used to guide hydrocarbon devel-

opment in tight hybrid plays, such as the Bakken

Formation in the Williston Basin, USA, and allows for the relationship between the depositional ar-

chitecture and the diagenetic alterations to be extended into the second and third dimensions.

IN THE PIPELINE FEBRUARY 10, 2022

FEBRUARY 2, 2022 RMAG Online Luncheon. Speaker: Paul Devine. “Sweet-Spot Delineation Using Information Theory as a Guide to Wireline Log Evaluation in Unconventional Reservoirs: Middle Bakken, Williston Basin.” Online via RMAG Zoom. 12:00 PM-1:00 PM.

WOGA Virtual Lean-In. Speaker: Ex-Mayor of Thornton and Professional Engineer Jan Kulmann. Zoom meeting starting or in person at DERL, 11:00 AM-12:30 PM. Register at www. wogacolorado.org/event-listing.

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

DWLS Luncheon. Speaker: Gama Firdaus, CSM. “Anisotropy Template for Transversely Isotropic Rocks.”

FEBRUARY 15, 2022

COGA New Membership Orientation Webinar. 10 AM-11 AM.

FEBRUARY 22, 2022

DGS Employment Law Update. Speakers: Davis Graham and Stubbs LLP. “All Things Covid.” 1550 17th Street, Ste. 500, Denver. 7:30 AM- 9:00 AM.

RMS-SEPM 2022 Student Research Symposium Webinar. 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM. Email questions to information@rmssepm.org

DPC In-Person or Online Talk. Speaker: Doug Sandridge, Fulcrum Energy Capital Funds. “Hurdles to Net-Zero Carbon Emissions.” 4:00 PM- 7:00 PM.

OUTCROP | February 2022

FEBRUARY 25, 2022 COGA Mardi Gras Ball. 5:30 PM- 10:00 PM.

Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

WE ARE GREAT WESTERN AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO:

PEOPLE

TEAMWORK

EXCELLENCE

GROWTH

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WE ARE #CommittedtoColorado

Confluence Resources is an upstream exploration and production company Confluence Resources is an confluenceresources.com upstream exploration and production company confluenceresources.com Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | February 2022

The Mountain Geologist Best Paper Award for 2021 make up the Codell were derived from a delta complex in northwestern Wyoming and were reworked in the Western Interior Seaway by shelf and storm currents. The sediments that make up the resulting Codell Sandstone covered an epeiric shelf across what is now eastern Colorado, south eastern Wyoming, western Kansas and parts of Nebraska. Thanks to all the authors and editors for your contributions to the journal in 2021. Congratulations Mark, Virginia, and James. —The Best Paper Selection Committee

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists is pleased to announce the winner of The Mountain Geologist Best Paper Award for 2021. The winning paper is “Sedimentology, petrography, and deposition of the Upper Cretaceous Codell Sandstone in the Denver Basin” by Mark W. Longman, Virginia A. Gent, and James W. Hagadorn. The authors integrate X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and thin sections from cores with well logs, isopach maps, and outcrops to support their conclusions that the sediments that

The Outcrop Best Paper and Best Cover Photo, 2021 The RMAG Outcrop editors reviewed the 2021 publications and voted on the Best Lead Article and Best Cover Photo awards. As always, the decision was difficult, with a variety of interesting, unique and impactful articles and photos published. We greatly appreciate all of the efforts to contribute to The Outcrop over the past year. The winner for the Best Lead Article of 2021 takes us north of the border to the Canadian Rockies, with David Moore’s “A Trip to the Burgess Shale” published in the February issue. The Outcrop committee found this article to be an intriguing combination of paleontology, stratigraphy, and geo-history, written from a unique storytelling perspective and with images that capture the wonder of the hike to this world-famous fossil quarry. We additionally would like to recognize Emily Erz’s May article “Geologic Outcrop Studies Using Drones: A Case Study on the Shannon Sandstone”, as well as Riley Brinkerhoff’s March submission, “Uinta Enigma: The Duchesne Fault Zone

and its Impact on the Development of the Uinta Basin”, as honorable mentions. As it would turn out, there was a theme in our winning votes for awards this year. For the Best Cover Photo award, the Outcrop Committee selected Sara Stotter’s February submission from the Burgess Shale quarry (taken on a field trip led by David Moore) as the 2021 cover photo winner. We appreciate the eclectic mix of cover photos submitted over the last year, which ranged from the Northern Rockies to the Utah desert, and even to the surface of Mars! The RMAG Outcrop editors would again like to thank all of our 2021 article authors and photographers. We encourage all of our readers to review the interesting articles from this last year, and to reach out if interested in submitting a future article or cover photo! —The Outcrop Editors

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Volume 70 • No. 2 • February 2021

OUTCROP | February 2022

Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

WELCOME NEW RMAG MEMBERS!

James Baughman

is a Consulting Geologist Uranium & Metals and lives in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Tatiana Davila

is a Hydrogeologist at Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy and lives in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Steven Jones

is Owner and Geologist at Pioneer Environmental Group LLC and lives in Loveland, Colorado.

Keith Laskowski

Nordine Sabaou

Jordan Noret

lives in Littleton, Colorado.

is President/Owner at Yellowstone Geological Services Inc. and lives in Bozeman, Montana. works for Scout Energy and lives in Richardson, Texas.

works for BHP and lives in Houston, Texas.

Kent Swartz Vicky Yeap

is a Geologist at LRE Water and lives in Golden, Colorado.

Cheryl Oxsheer

works for CGG and lives in Rosharon, Texas.

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MEMBER CORNER

Meet Ginny Gent Retired Geologist, MS early jobs in computer science and data base administration provided me with a varied knowledge base that proved valuable in my later jobs in teaching and geology. I like to think of my career choices as a basis for being a “Jack of all Trades”, and for the tenacity to take on new challenges.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN GEOSCIENCES? My introduction to geology was a high school freshman science class. I had a choice between biology and geology, and since I didn’t want to memorize all the biological terms, I chose geology. Our teacher, Al Goldstein, had a degree in geology and was very passionate about the subject. His lesson on plasticity using a large block of Silly Putty set on top of the lab bench gas nozzles is a visual memory that remains with me today. Upon graduating high school I came to Colorado from New Jersey to study Chemical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. After a year of ChemE and an internship making toothpaste, I realized I did not enjoy the degree path and switched to Geological Engineering, a passion that was sparked during that high school class.

WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR MORE REWARDING PARTS OF YOUR CAREER?

Looking back on my 35 plus years of working, I did many things that were rewarding. One that stands out was helping high school students find that they can do math after years of being told otherwise. My proudest moments during my teaching years were seeing students’ faces when they passed a state mandated test for the first time ever.

WHAT DOES RETIREMENT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU IN TERMS OF GEOSCIENCE?

WHAT JOBS DID YOU DO DURING YOUR CAREER?

I have been very fortunate to find the best post-career “job”. I volunteer as a Research Associate for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science under the guidance of James Hagadorn, PhD, the Tim & Kathryn Ryan Curator of Geology. My job is to help bridge the museum geologists’ surficial work with the subsurface, using a Kingdom

I have held many jobs during my career: a tech for Mineral Management Services, Systems Analyst for Amoco Production Company, stay home mom, substitute Teacher, High School Math Teacher, and Geologist for an E&P Company. My

RMAG’s Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity and Inclusion is initiating a new feature in the Outcrop, a monthly Member Corner. We hope you’ll enjoy learning about the diverse community of Earth scientists and wide variety of geoscience disciplines that comprise our membership. If you would like to be featured in a future Member Corner, contact staff@rmag.org.

OUTCROP | February 2022

Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org

WHO INSPIRES YOU?

software license donated to the museum. This work involves building the well and well-log database using publicly available data, creating maps and cross sections, and aiding with fieldwork to further the understanding of Colorado geology. All the fun parts of what my career in geology entailed.

Young women working in the technical and scientific fields, becoming leaders and succeeding by challenging the gender biases that still exist in the workplace. They are tenacious, determined, relentless, and supportive of each other. These young women are a force and I am inspired by their passion to make a difference.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES OR PASSIONS OUTSIDE OF GEOLOGY?

I have several hobbies that I have pursued in retirement. Quilting, hiking, skiing, baking sourdough bread, and gardening all keep me busy when I’m not picking tops in Kingdom. Quilting has become a passion that encompasses my analytical side as well as the artistic part of my brain. I enjoy the exploration of color in the quilt patterns and the free motion quilting that is used to stitch the quilt “sandwich” (quilt top, batting and back) together.

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WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE ENTERING INTO THE GEOSCIENCES?

Be open minded. You have no idea how your career will unfold in front of you. Continue to learn new skills and don’t be afraid to take on new challenges. I graduated when the petroleum industry was in a slump and took a chance with Amoco and being a System Analyst. It proved to be a great opportunity to learn computer programming and database administration, skills I used throughout my multifaceted career.

OUTCROP | February 2022

NEWS AND OPPORTUNITIES AT

January). This tour is constantly evolving and feedback from RMAG members is welcomed. View the 360° Tour here. Dinosaur Ridge volunteer Herb Saperstone from Larimer County took the lead in developing this comprehensive resource that allows remote exploration of the geology and fossils of this unique site. Herb is an MS graduate of CSU Geology, a former USGS geologist, and retired TV video producer for the Poudre School District in Fort Collins, Colorado. He has written and produced hundreds of short films, video stories and animations over the years– many of which are connected to earth science, local history and the people in these fields. Herb continues to create media content for the City of Fort Collins and volunteers for Larimer County as a naturalist specializing in geologic walking tours at places like Red Mountain and Devil’s Backbone (and yes, he loves dinosaurs too)!

By Barbara Farley, Director of Volunteers & Program Growth, Friends of Dinosaur Ridge

Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison, Colorado is a National Natural Landmark— site of the world’s first named Stegosaurus excavated back in 1877. It’s ranked the #1 Dinosaur tracksite in the United States by paleontologists due to the more than 250 amazing Cretaceous dinosaur tracks, dozens of Jurassic dinosaur bones and many other trace fossils found at this easily accessible location. Exciting things are happening here this year, and we want to tell you about some of the news and opportunities at Dinosaur Ridge.

NEW ON EXHIBIT

A collection of fossils donated to Dinosaur Ridge by Chris Weege and David Schmude are now on display inside our Discovery Center located just inside Entrance One to Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre. A trio of large leg bones visitors can touch now complement our sauropod, ornithopod, and therapod egg fossils and other dinosaur displays.

VOLUNTEER WITH DINOSAUR RIDGE

VIRTUAL 360° TOUR

Visitors can now explore Dinosaur Ridge in depth from anywhere with wifi, through a new virtual 360° Tour introduced in December 2021. Panoramic 360°images, still photos, videos, audio files, and geology diagrams help inform viewers about the earth science of Dinosaur Ridge. Alameda High School students recently took advantage of this virtual resource to reinforce what they learned during their in-person school field trip when creating dioramas (currently on display at the Discovery Center through the end of OUTCROP | February 2022

Each year, more that 100 volunteers donate 8,000-10,000 hours of service to protect and preserve Dinosaur Ridge and educate the public about this National Natural Landmark. Interpretive Guides bring fossils and geology to life for school children and adult tour groups. Guides lead outdoor education programs and walking tours using interactive, science-based methods to observe, discover, and interpret the natural wonders found on Dinosaur Ridge. Exhibit Hall docents welcome and orient visitors and offer guidance and interpretation of the exhibit. Outreach volunteers serve as offsite ambassadors at community festivals, fairs and school events where Dinosaur Ridge can showcase replica fossils, dinosaur models and educational activities.

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Main trackway, Dinosaur Ridge.

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WHAT’S NEXT AT DINOSAUR RIDGE

Fossil Casters create plaster replica fossils used in educational programs at Dinosaur Ridge and for sale in our Gift Shops. Board of Directors volunteers provide direction, governance, and approve finances of the organization and also serve on advisory committees (finance, governance, education, preservation, development or marketing/outreach). Dinosaur Ridge is always open to considering collaborative, forward-thinking individuals to serve on its Board. Additional volunteers assist in a myriad of roles, from trail maintenance, rappelling down ropes to stain dinosaur tracks, gardening and landscaping projects, to assisting with special events and office tasks. To learn how you can volunteer with Dinosaur Ridge visit dinoridge.org/volunteer

A colorful Eolambia art sculpture will be installed on the Ridge near the Crocodile Creek area in early 2022. Much is in-the-works including installation of the long-awaited stairway and viewing platform that will allow visitors to get up close to the crocodile scratches and dinosaur tracks that are higher up on this slope. A new Augmented Reality (AR) experience is being created for the Ridge, and new audio tours for kids and Spanish-speaking visitors will join the already popular adult audio tour that was developed in response to the pandemic in 2020. Save the date for the return of the annual “Rock Out at the Ridge” fundraising gala for Dinosaur Ridge

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DINOSAUR RIDGE

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39

on April 23rd, and consider donating an auction item. Do you own a fossil or mineral worth more than $100 that you’d be willing to part with? Can you offer a guided geology tour or experience? Have some unique artwork featuring dinosaurs or fossils or a rental property for a weekend getaway? For more details on how to participate or donate, please contact our Events Coordinator LaShawn Randolph at LaShawn.Randolph@dinoridge.org. April is also the month to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Stegosaurus being named Colorado’s state fossil. It’s amazing to consider that the first-ever Stego fossils were excavated from Dino Ridge during the so-called Bone Wars of the late 1800s. The organization is working toward introducing a new Colorado license plate featuring a Stegosaurus, possibly by the end of 2022. This special plate would help raise awareness about the need to preserve fossils found in Colorado. To learn how you can support this effort, contact our Marketing Director Kristen Kidd at Kristen.Kidd@dinoridge.org It’s going to be a busy year for dinosaurs because Denver is hosting Jurassic World: The Exhibition which ties in with the movie series, and of course the latest Jurassic World movie comes out in June, so we are expecting a major resurgence in dinosaur excitement from these two big events. Dinosaur Ridge is looking forward to welcoming more people who are eager to learn about dinosaurs and see places where the evidence of their existence from millions of years ago still remains. It’s great fun to see visitors discovering the tracks and fossils and help tell the stories of Dinosaur Ridge. Keep up with Dinosaur Ridge at www.dinoridge.org and follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn!

Kids on the Rox Dino Ridge.

New Theropod egg exhibit.

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Thank You From The RMAG Foundation The RMAG Foundation Trustees wish to thank these 2021 donors. This year’s fundraising success will allow the Foundation to increase its scholarship giving, to provide additional funding to RMAG and its programs, and to support various geologic programs in our community. We extend our most sincere appreciation for the generosity of these contributors.

• Donna and Larry Anderson

• Debra Higley

• John Robinson

• Elmo and Kathy Brown

• Patricia Irwin In memory of Dennis Irwin

• J. Rick Sarg

• Dudley and Marion Bolyard • Roger Charbonneau • Suzanne Cluff • Bob Coskey

• Marshall Crouch • Jerry Cuzella

• Rob and Mary Ann Dietrich/Dyka

• Jane Estes-Jackson • Frank Ethridge

• Gibbet Hill Foundation • Ernest and Debra Gomez Gomez Family Charitable Fund • Robbie Gries

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• Tanya Inks

• Connie Knight • Bob Lamarre

• Mark Longman

• Randi Martinsen • Amy McKay • Phil Moffitt

• Jim and Leah Mullarkey • David Nelson • Terri Olson

• Ira Pasternack

• PayPal Giving Fund • Kurt Reisser

• Nate Rogers

• Tim Schowalter

• Steve Sonnenberg • William Stephens • Steve Strachan

• JoDana Swanson • David Taylor

• Bob and Barbara Tucker Robert and Barbara Tucker Family Fund • Lisa Wolfe

• WPX Energy Matching gift for Laura Wray • Laura Wray

OUTCROP | February 2022

ADVERTISER INDEX

•Confluence Resources �� 33

•LMKR �� 31

•Daub & Associates �� 10

•Mallard Exploration �� 23

•Devin Ovens Arts �� 10

•Petroleum History Institute �� 21

•Donovan Brothers Inc. �� 10

•Schlumberger �� 13

•GeoMark Research �� 31

•Seisware �� 29

•Great Western �� 33

•Tracerco �� 23

•Jane Estes-Jackson �� 12

CALENDAR – FEBRUARY 2022 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

COGA Webinar.

RMAG Online Luncheon

DGS Employment Law Update. DPC Talk.

10 WOGA Virtual Lean-In.

DWLS Luncheon.

22 RMS-SEPM 2022 Symposium Webinar.

COGA Mardi Gras Ball.

OUTCROP | February 2022

Vol. 71, No. 2 | www.rmag.org