August 2020 Outcrop by The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Volume 69 • No. 8 • August 2020

OUTCROP | August 2020

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

1999 Broadway • Suite 730 • Denver, CO 80202 • 800-970-7624 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.

2020 OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT

2nd VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT

Jane Estes-Jackson janeestesjackson@gmail.com

Peter Kubik pkubik@mallardexploration.com

PRESIDENT-ELECT

SECRETARY

Cat Campbell ccampbell@caminoresources.com

Jessica Davey jessica.davey@sproule.com

1st VICE PRESIDENT

TREASURER

Ben Burke bburke@hpres.com

Chris Eisinger chris.eisinger@state.co.us

1st VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT

TREASURER ELECT

Nathan Rogers nathantrogers@gmail.com

Rebecca Johnson Scrable rebecca.johnson@bpx.com

2nd VICE PRESIDENT

COUNSELOR

Dan Bassett dbassett@sm-energy.com

Donna Anderson danderso@rmi.net

RMAG STAFF DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Kathy Mitchell-Garton kmitchellgarton@rmag.org DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES

Debby Watkins dwatkins@rmag.org CO-EDITORS

Courtney Beck clbeck14@gmail.com Nate LaFontaine nlafontaine@sm-energy.com Jesse Melick jesse.melick@bpx.com Wylie Walker wylie.walker@gmail.com

ADVERTISING INFORMATION

DESIGN/LAYOUT

Rates and sizes can be found on page 3. Advertising rates apply to either black and white or color ads. Submit color ads in RGB color to be compatible with web format. Borders are recommended for advertisements that comprise less than one half page. Digital files must be PC compatible submitted in png, jpg, tif, pdf or eps formats at a minimum of 300 dpi. If you have any questions, please call the RMAG office at 800-970-7624.

Nate Silva nate@nate-silva.com

Ad copy, signed contract and payment must be received before advertising insertion. Contact the RMAG office for details. DEADLINES: Ad submissions are the 1st of every month for the following month’s publication. The Outcrop is a monthly publication of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

3 3

WEDNESDAY NOON LUNCHEON RESERVATIONS

RMAG Office: 800-970-7624 Fax: 323-352-0046 staff@rmag.org or www.rmag.org

Outcrop | August 2020 OUTCROP

RMAG 2020 ON THE ROCKS F IE L D T R I P S The RMAG On the Rocks Field Trip Committee has made the difficult decision to cancel or postpone until next year all field trips for 2020. While we had instituted precautionary measures, the nature of field trips makes it difficult to maintain social distancing, and with infection rates rising and the pandemic continuing to evolve, we feel it is our responsibility and obligation to do all we can to minimize potential health risks to our participants. We are contacting registrants directly regarding cancellations and refunds. If you registered for a field trip and have not heard from us, please contact the RMAG office at staff@rmag. org. This is not a decision we made lightly, and we are heartbroken that we will not be able to enjoy the outdoors together this year. We look forward to exploring geology outdoors with you next year. Until then, please stay safe!

email: staff@rmag.org | phone: 800.970.7624 OUTCROP | August 2020

1999 Broadway, Suite 730, Denver CO 80202

fax: 323.352.0046 | web: www.rmag.org

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

follow: @rmagdenver

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

CONTENTS FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

12 Lead Story: The Rim Rocks of Billings, Montana, and the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Formation

6 RMAG July 2020 Board of Directors Meeting

ASSOCIATION NEWS

8 President’s Letter 24 Online Lunch Talk: Gary Curtiss

2 RMAG Summit Sponsors

26 Online Lunch Talk: Rachel Aisner-Williams

4 RMAG On The Rocks Field Trips

29 In The Pipeline

7 MiT Webinar Series: “The Value of Leadership in Your Geoscience Career”

34 Welcome New RMAG Members!

COVER PHOTO

34 Outcrop Advertising Rates

9 MiT Webinar Series: “Pivoting from Petroleum to Environmental Geology: What to Expect and How to Prepare”

35 Advertiser Index

Jones Hole: The Pennsylvanian Morgan Formation (top center) and the Mississippian Madison Limestone (lower left) are exposed at Jones Hole on the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument.

35 Calendar

11 MiT Webinar Series: Upcoming Events

Photo by Todd Jackson.

25 RMAG/Mines Practical Python Short Course 27 RMAG Sponsored Content Advertising 30 2020 Earth Science Teacher of the Year Awards

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | August 2020

RMAG JULY 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING By Jessica Davey, Secretary jessica.davey@sproule.com

the Rocks Committee announced cancellations and postponements for the summer field trips. Updates to the schedule are available on the RMAG website. The Committee is working on ideas to create “virtual” field trips, so stay tuned for some creative solutions during these challenging times. The Educational Outreach Committee announced two winners for the Teacher of the Year Award! The group is also finishing up an effort to catalog teacher resources, which will be available on the RMAG website. I know I’m going to be perusing the resources for fresh ideas to integrate more earth science topics into my daughter’s third-grade curriculum as we continue with virtual learning this fall. Have you been fortunate enough to see the Comet NEOWISE this month? According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, the comet will be most visible on July 22nd while it is closest to Earth in its elliptical orbit through the solar system. The comet will not be visible to Earth for another 6,800 years! Check out the Earth Observatory article on Comet NEOWISE for some impressive videos of the comet from space: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/ images/146996/comet-neowise-brightens-the-night Back-to-school is fast approaching, and this year will look very different than in the past. I truly hope you are enjoying the remaining few weeks of summer break, and I look forward to seeing you all in person at future RMAG events.

I hope you all had a safe and happy Fourth of July! The RMAG Board of Directors has settled into a nice routine of online meetings and met at 4 pm on July 15th for the July meeting. Everyone was present except Pete Kubik. Treasurer, Chris Eisinger, and Treasurer-Elect, Rebecca Johnson Scrable, report that RMAG financials are still looking good despite the pandemic. Debby and Kathy are still fully managing the RMAG office remotely. There are several changes to RMAG events; please check out the RMAG website for updates to the current schedule. The Continuing Education Committee reported that attendance for the virtual luncheons has been great! There has been an excellent variety of topics and amazing speakers who have graciously stepped up to the challenge of giving virtual talks. Check out the RMAG website to make sure you’re staying on top of the luncheon schedule and register for the upcoming talks. The Membership Committee has been hard at work developing a virtual scavenger hunt event: The Geohike Challenge! Stay tuned for details on how you can participate. In addition to this new event, RMAG will be hosting more trivia events, and the group has some exciting ideas on potential new virtual events as well. The Publications Committee continues to make progress on adding DOIs to back issues of the Mountain Geologist. The upcoming editions of the Mountain Geologist have a full lineup of articles, so prepare for some good reading. The On

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

Geologist • Petroleum Engineer • PE

(720) 351-7470 donovan@petroleum-eng.com OUTCROP | August 2020

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

Webinar Series Members in Transition

Stay after the talk for breakout room networking!

Rocky Mountain Members in Transition (MiT) is a joint effort of members of AAPG, SPE, WOGA, COGA, DWLS, and RMAG in the Rocky Mountain region to help association members in the midst of a career transition.

August 6 12pm-1pm

Webinars are free and open to all

“The Value of Leadership in Your Geoscience Career” Register at www.rmag.org

Denise Cox, Past-President, AAPG

Rockies MiT Members in Transition

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | August 2020

PRESIDENT’S LETTER By Jane Estes-Jackson

Take Me to the River worry about the future when all of your attention is focused on the next rapid. The Yampa is special because it is the last free-flowing major tributary of the Colorado River system. Its flow is still seasonal, and so the window for rafting it is limited to the late spring and early summer. Our trip in late June was one of the last commercial trips for the season. This was our second trip down the Yampa, and our fourth time down the Green on the stretch from Echo Park to the takeout not far from the quarry visitor center, and the geology never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Dinosaur has one of the most complete stratigraphic sections within the National Park System. The trip begins at the eastern edge of the monument in Deerlodge Park, on the Cretaceous Mancos Shale. Within the first mile you pass through the east-dipping Frontier, Mowry, Dakota, Cedar Mountain, Morrison, Entrada, and Glen Canyon formations to the Weber Sandstone. The Pennsylvanian-age Weber dominates the canyon for 21 miles, from Harding Hole to Echo Park, rising up to 1100’ above the river in many places, including the Grand Overhang. To my mind it is the rounded, buff-colored cliffs of the Weber that make the Yampa Canyon landscapes so unique. Many of the rapids on the Yampa and other western rivers form

My husband and I spent our recent summer vacation rafting the Yampa and Green rivers through Dinosaur National Monument. I’m the kind of person who needs to get off the grid for a few days every so often to feed my soul and restore my mental health, and I have found that multiday river rafting trips are a great way to accomplish that. One of the things that I love about rafting is that it forces you to live in the moment. It’s hard to obsess over the past or

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

OUTCROP | August 2020

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

Webinar Series 2020 Members in Transition

Stay after the talk for breakout room networking!

August 13 12pm-1pm

Webinars are free and open to all

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pivoting from Petroleum to Environmental Geology: What to Expect and How to Prepareâ&#x20AC;? Cathryn Stewart, Environmental Geologist

Rockies MiT Members in Transition

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | August 2020

PRESIDENTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LETTER

Âť CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

where tributary streams flow into the main channel and deposit debris flows there. The biggest and most technical rapid on this stretch of the Yampa is at Warm Springs. It formed in June of 1965 when unusually heavy rains in the Warm Springs drainage triggered a flash flood and massive debris flow into and across the river. Recent rockfalls have added to the complexity, and this, combined with fluctuating river flows, continuously rearrange this rapid so that prudent paddlers pull over to scout it prior to their run. The guide in our boat was running it for only the second time in her career. We all cheered when she found the perfect line and navigated it flawlessly. At Echo Park, the Yampa converges with the (generally) larger Green River. Dinosaur is situated along the eastern portion of the Uinta Arch, and the structural geology is every bit as impressive as the stratigraphy, if not more so. Two miles downstream from the confluence, not far past Steamboat Rock, the river crosses the Mitten Park Fault and its dramatic drag folds. This marks the beginning of Whirlpool Canyon, where the vertical walls reveal outcrops of the Madison Limestone (Mississppian), Lodore Formation (Cambrian), and the Uinta Mountain Group (Precambrian). The Island Park Fault marks the end of Whirlpool Canyon. The river cuts through this fault again six miles downstream at the entrance to Split Mountain Canyon, which is highlighted by the steeply dipping limbs of the Split Mountain anticline. Downcutting has exposed the core of the anticline and the river flows along its longitudinal axis right up to the takeout at the boat ramp. In addition to the stunning geology, there are also several Fremont age archaeological sites, including pictographs and petroglyphs, as well as abundant wildlife, particularly bighorn sheep. Last year Dinosaur National Monument was certified as an International Dark Sky Park because of its exceptionally dark, clear night skies. It was a new moon during our trip, and the stargazing was spectacular. It is always a treat for me to see the Milky Way in its full glory. All in all it was a memorable vacation. We returned home relaxed, refreshed, and rejuvenated, and ready to face whatever challenges the rest of this year holds. We have also started thinking about which river to run next year.

OUTCROP | August 2020

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

Webinar Series 2020 Members in Transition

All times 12pm-1pm MDT

Webinars are free and open to all Register at www.rmag.org

August 6, 2020

Denise Cox, Past AAPG President  The Value of Leadership in Your Geoscience Career

August 13, 2020

Cathryn Stewart, Environmental Geologist  Pivoting from Petroleum to Environmental Geology: What to Expect and How to Prepare

August 27, 2020

Mark Friedman, Ph.D.  Creating a Winning Resume

Visit our partner website Petroleum Pivoters!

Rockies MiT Members in Transition

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | August 2020

Photo by KPV89 (shutterstock)

OUTCROP | August 2020

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

LEAD STORY

THE RIM ROCKS

OF BILLINGS, MONTANA, AND THE UPPER CRETACEOUS EAGLE FORMATION

BY MARC. S. HENDRIX | DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES: THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, MISSOULA, MT 59812 | MARC.HENDRIX@UMT.EDU INTRODUCTION The Yellowstone River flows from the continental divide region of southeastern Yellowstone Park northward before turning east and flowing across the length of Montana and joining the Missouri River just across the North Dakota border. As it passes eastward across south-central Montana, the river flows over sandstone and mudstone facies resulting from deposition within the Cretaceous Interior Seaway. At Billings, Montana, the Yellowstone River cuts through exposures of the Campanian Eagle Formation, producing formidable, sheer cliffs of stratified sandstone that cannot help but be noticed. The cliffs of Eagle Formation cross to the north side of the valley at Billings, then curve to the west, forming an arc-like set of cliffs that continues nearly uninterrupted for ~40km before curving southward again and re-crossing the Yellowstone River. Locals to the area call these cliffs ‘The Rim Rocks’ or simply ‘The Rims’ (Figure 1 and 2). The section of the Yellowstone River

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | August 2020

LEAD STORY Fort Laramie, which established the Black Hills as the Great Sioux Reservation. With the discovery of gold in the Black Hills, however, the treaty soon was disregarded, leading to the Great Sioux War of 1876-77. In this conflict, the Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Tribes defeated George Armstrong Custer’s 7th U.S. Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn about 55 miles southeast of Billings. Despite Custer’s infamous defeat at Little Bighorn in 1876, within a year of the battle, homesteaders began to settle along the Yellowstone River Valley at Billings. By 1882 – only five years later - the city itself was founded, being named after Frederick H. Billings, president of the Northern Pacific Railway which used the site as a staging ground for expansion of the railroad further west. Billings is nicknamed ‘The Magic City’ because its early growth was so rapid that it seemingly sprouted into existence overnight. The Rim Rocks for which Billings is known are exposures of the Campanian Eagle Formation, a complex siliciclastic system of deposits associated with

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

Valley containing the Rim Rocks has long been a hub of human activity. For at least 3000 years before the arrival of European settlers, the region was a favored hunting ground for native peoples because of its open prairies, deep coulees, and abundance of wild game. One particularly rich archeological site just outside of Billings is a set of caves within the Eagle Formation that has yielded roughly 30,000 artifacts, including paintings, weapons, stone tools, and instruments. Following the U.S. Civil War, westward pressure by miners and settlers eager to access gold fields in Montana via the Bozeman Trail resulted in the1868 Treaty of

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

FIGURE 1: Billings, Montana

is located in a section of the Yellowstone River valley just upstream of an erosional nickpoint where the channel has incised through resistant sandstone of the SantonianCampanian Eagle Formation. North of the river, the Eagle Formation forms a set of prominent cliffs that overlook the City of Billings. The cliffs, locally called the ‘Rim Rocks’ are the focus of this article. Shown on this map are outcrop belts corresponding to the Telegraph Creek, Eagle, and Claggett Formations, along with mapped faults in the area. OUTCROP | August 2020

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

LEAD STORY

FIGURE 2:

The Rim Rocks, looking east towards Billings.

lithology, and ammonite biostratigraphy (Reeside, 1927; Figure 1). Although regional lithostratigraphy and invertebrate biostratigraphy permit this correlation within the resolution of the techniques, subsequent detailed investigations in specific areas have demonstrated that the Eagle Formation is considerably more complex stratigraphically than the initial correlations suggested, with an amalgamation of siliciclastic deposits associated with the lower coastal plain, shoreline, and shallow marine environments. Regional deposition was time-transgressive and occurred across multiple baselevel cycles, resulting in a complicated stratigraphy that remains poorly resolved. Figure 3 shows the stratigraphic subdivisions in south-central Montana based on geochronologic constraints published by Hicks et al., 1995. Where well density and exposure quality are high enough, as around Billings, the geologic history of deposition and erosion is preserved to yield detailed paleoenvironmental information as to the evolution of the western of the Interior Seaway during Late Cretaceous time.

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

the western margin of the western Interior Seaway. Although the cliffs of Eagle sandstone overlook the city of Billings and have been viewed by thousands of geologists over the past century, it is only recently that the overall depositional history and sequence stratigraphic framework of these rocks has been documented in some detail. This article highlights some of the intriguing stratigraphic history represented by these deposits, and discusses the geologic history that has made the Billings ‘Rim Rocks’ the spectacular features they are today.

SETTING THE STAGE

The Eagle Formation in Montana is a sandstone-dominated Upper Cretaceous stratigraphic unit that was named and first described by Weed, 1899 for exposures at Eagle Creek, a tributary to the Missouri River in north-central Montana. Early twentieth century geologists correlated these exposures south to the Billings area, a distance of ~170 miles, on the basis of its stratigraphic position, sandstone Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

OUTCROP | August 2020

LEAD STORY

FIGURE 3:

Stratigraphy and age control for Santonian and Campanian rocks of southcentral Montana. In this region, the Eagle Formation is entirely Campanian.

90 – that is perhaps most noticeable. Particularly on the eastern end of the valley where the Eagle Formation crosses the Yellowstone River, visitors cannot help but notice several thick sandstone bodies, each with its own outcrop style and with prominent stratigraphic surfaces separating the various layers. Visitors who leave the interstate and drive closer to the Rim Rocks may notice that several of the most obvious stratigraphic surfaces are clearly dipping to the west (Figure 4). To more than a few geologists, these westward-dipping surfaces have been confusing, because they seem to indicate progradation of the Eagle Formation from east to west – in other words, towards the paleosource of sediment in the Cretaceous foldthrust belt to the west. Until recently, the sedimentologic and stratigraphic analysis of the Billings Rim Rocks region was the 1989 University of Colorado M.S. thesis by Hanson, who interpreted the Eagle Rim Rocks as a set of eight westward-backstepping, upward-shoaling ‘genetic sequences’ bounded by flooding surfaces. Hanson (1989) was first to propose that Eagle deposits in

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 THE BILLINGS RIM ROCKS In the Yellowstone River Valley between Park City and Billings, the Eagle Formation forms a broadly arcuate outcrop belt over a distance of 40km on the north side of the river. The Eagle Formation is stratigraphically underlain by silty mudstone of the Telegraph Creek Formation and overlain by silty mudstone of the Claggett Formation. In the Billings region all three formations are located on the distal flanks of the Pryor Mountains to the south and as a result are tilted up a few degrees northward. The arcuate outcrop belt north of the Yellowstone River is the result of deformation of the unit into a north-plunging anticline with structural dips consistently under 4 degrees. The anticline likely formed due to strain partitioning among the Nye-Bowler, Fromberg, and Lake Valley Fault systems (Figure 1). To most visitors, it is the well-developed stratification of the Eagle Formation ‘Rim Rocks’ as viewed from the valley floor – including along Interstate

OUTCROP | August 2020

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

LEAD STORY

FIGURE 4: View looking to the north at exposures of the lower Eagle Formation overlooking the east end of Billings.

A) Uninterpreted telephoto pan of lower Eagle Formation; B) Interpreted telephoto pan. The WRS highlighted in orange is truncating underlying beds which include west-dipping surfaces that Spangler (2012) interpreted to be transgressive washover fan deposits. The blue surfaces overlying the WRS are within the middle Eagle Formation.

the eastern portion of the Billings valley reflected the southward progradation of a ‘plume’ of coarse clastics which, combined with a rising base-level, was interpreted to have produced the west-dipping stratigraphic surfaces at Billings. By mapping major stratigraphic surfaces and facies exposed in the Billings Rim Rocks, Hauer et al. (2010) concluded that the Eagle Formation in the Billings region consists of two depositional sequences that each are bounded by sequence boundaries. The lower sequence includes the cliff-forming tabular beds of sandstone exposed in east Billings, including the spectacular cliffs through which the interstate passes, as well as glauconite-rich transgressive

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

phase deposits which fine upward into silty mudstone with interstratified HCS sandstone. Focusing on the lowermost Eagle exposed at the eastern end of the valley, Spangler (2012) showed that initial basinward progradation resulted in deposition of pro-delta and delta front deposits that were subsequently truncated by a trangressive ravinement surface (Figure 5). Subsequent transgression of the abandoned delta lobe resulted in the landward migration of glauconite-rich sand shoals that developed as the coarse-grained deposits were reworked from the deltaic deposits. Hauer et al., (2010) mapped a sharp, local erosional surface at the top of this section that is overlain by swaley

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

OUTCROP | August 2020

LEAD STORY

FIGURE 5: Depositional evolution of the lower Eagle Formation, after Spangler, 2012. A) Basinward delta progradation resulted

in deposition of pro-delta and delta front deposits; B) Delta is abandoned due to a reduction in fluvial input, resulting in delta top subsidence and an increase in erosion which reworked deltaic headlands and delta front sediments. A maximum regressive surface separates underlying regressive deposits from overlying wave-reworked deposits. C) The transgressive phase occurs as wave scour generates a trangressive ravinement surface (WRS) on the basinward side of shoal deposits. Transgression results in the landward progradation and migration of shoals that developed after delta abandonment. As transgression continues, the WRS also migrates landward and truncates the underlying deposits. The red star represents Billings, and the cross-hatched pattern represents the extent of the WRS.

to trough cross-bedded sandstone associated with the middle to upper shoreface (Figure 6). The abrupt decrease in water depth across this surface was interpreted by Hauer et al. (2010) as a regressive surface of marine erosion and this part of the Eagle was interpreted as a falling-stage systems tract (FSST), indicative of a forced regression. The FSST reported by Hauer et al. (2010) is sharply overlain by a locally channelized fluvial incision surface that Brekke (2014) mapped as >25 km wide in the Billings area, >15km wide to the north of Billings in the Hailstone Dome region, and approximately 90 km in length along the Lake Basin Fault Zone (Figures 7 and 8). This erosional surface represents a sequence boundary separating the lower and middle Eagle. Auchter (2012) focused his M.S. thesis on mapping this sequence boundary and characterizing the sedimentology of the overlying sequence. Auchter documented a three-phase depositional history associated with the incised valley fill complex: 1) fluvial incision during decreasing accommodation, along with minor fluvial deposition and sediment storage on abandoned terraces within the valley, 2) rapid increase in accommodation resulting in landward migration of

OUTCROP | August 2020

the turbidity maximum, producing a flood-dominated mud-rich central valley deposit, and 3) deceleration in the rate of accommodation resulting in tidally influenced fluvial deposition, extensive valley widening, and coal development. Thus, as characterized by Auchter (2012) the basal incision surface forming the sequence boundary is a highly diachronous composite surface. The transgressive valley fill deposits reflect a mud-rich valley center flanked by sand-rich fluvial and tidal-fluvial deposits toward the valley margins. The top of the Eagle formation overlies the incised valley complex documented by Auchter (2012) and consists of an upward-coarsening succession of silty sandstone and sandstone interpreted by Staub (2017) to reflect basinward progradation during normal regression. The uppermost sandstone is capped by a sharp, transgressive ravinement surface that is conspicuously mantled by black chert pebbles (Figure 9). This surface marks the stratigraphic boundary between the Eagle Formation and transgressive deposits of the overlying Claggett Formation. Based on comparison of radiometric dates between a bentonite in the uppermost Eagle and the Ardmore bentonite within the overlying basal Claggett Formation, Hicks

Âť CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

Âť CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

FIGURE 6: Outcrop photo showing sharp surface separating offshore silty mud from overlying sandstone. The surface is interpreted

to be a regressive surface of marine erosion in which sandy middle shoreface deposits with hummocky cross-stratification eroded into offshore silty muds during a forced regression. during Late Cretaceous time is favored in most interpretations (e.g., Liu et al., 2010). In this model, shallowing of the angle of subduction beginning roughly 90Ma caused arc magmatism to move inland to include the Boulder Batholith in southwestern Montana (Coney & Reynolds, 1977). Slab shallowing also caused the transfer of horizontal (compressive) stresses from the subducting flat slab to the overlying North American Plate (Bird, 1984; Behr & Smith, 2016). Although important new thermochronologic information about the Upper Cretaceous tectonics of Montana recently has come to light (e.g., Carrapa et al., 2019), new

Âť CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

et al., 1995 estimated that up to half a million years may be missing at the Eagle/Claggett contact within the northern Bighorn basin, roughly 50 miles (80km) southwest of the Billings Rim Rocks.

FROM SEA-LEVEL TO BIG SKY

Much research has yet to be conducted to fully unravel the style and history of uplift in south-central Montana during Late Cretaceous time. In particular, the controls on the initial phases of uplift remain murky, although the shallowing subduction angle of the Farallon Plate beneath western North America

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

Âť CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

OUTCROP | August 2020

LEAD STORY

FIGURE 7: Isopach map of incised valley fill to marine shelf strata within the middle Eagle Formation as mapped

by Brekke, 2014 based on outcrop measurements and well log analysis. Contour interval is 4m. The red box corresponds to the area shown on the map in Figure 1.

questions are raised. For example, did a deformation front propagate through the northern Rockies region ahead of the arrival of the flat, subducting Farallon Plate? What role did mapped bedrock fault networks in central Montana play in controlling local rates of uplift or subsidence during Late Cretaceous time? How can information gleaned from analysis of source-tosink pathways along the former western margin of the Cretaceous Interior Seaway be used to predict the dispersal pathways of coarse clastics from ancient analogous settings? Closer analysis of classic stratigraphic units such as Eagle Formation of south-western Montana will help answer these questions and better illuminate the history of initial uplift in central Montana’s

OUTCROP | August 2020

Big Sky Country. In the meantime, consider the fact that the deposits represented by the Eagle Rim Rocks in Billings were at or slightly below sea-level 82 million years ago and that they presently sit at an elevation of 3100’. Moreover, 250-450 meters of additional Upper Cretaceous marine stratigraphy associated with the Claggett, Judith River, and Bearpaw Formations was deposited on top of the Eagle prior to final regression of the interior seaway from south-central Montana (Lopez, 2000). The youngest marine deposition in the region is presently dated by the occurrence of Baculites reesidei within the Bearpaw Shale of the northern Bighorn basin, about 50km southwest

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

LEAD STORY

FIGURE 8: Photopan showing the incision surface mapped by Brekke (2014) and studied in detail by Auchter (2012). The incision

surface separates eroded middle shoreface sandstone from overlying fluvial channel deposits with well-preserved lateral accretion sets (dotted lines). Overlying the fluvial deposits are transgressive bay-fill deposits (dashed line).

of Billings (Hicks et al., 1995). The upper boundary of the B. reesidei range was recently dated in southwestern Saskatchewan by Baadsgaard (2017) who used 206Pb/238U and 207Pb/235U dating of zircon, and laser 40Ar/39Ar dating of sanidine and biotite to yield an overall average age of 72.5 ± 0.4 Ma. In aggregate, these chronologic constraints suggest that uplift of the Eagle sandstone from its position at or below sea level to its present elevation occurred over the past ~72.5 Ma. This uplift has resulted in the landscapes and geology characteristic of the ‘Big Sky Country’ we see today in central Montana – deep coulees, wide buttes, and low ridges with sweeping views of an unobstructed horizon. The geologic history of central Montana following deposition of the Eagle Formation was dynamic. Following the terminal regression interior seaway from central Montana, uplift continued as the northern Rockies transitioned fully to basement-cored Laramide style deformation in the Paleocene- Eocene. In Montana, the partitioning of the former foreland basin during this time resulted in the inversion of the Central Montana Trough, forming the Central Montana Uplift that includes the basement-cored Little Belt

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

and Big Snowy Uplifts. Deposition of the Fort Union Formation, source of much of the economic coal produced today in the upper Powder River basin, occurred during Paleocene and Eocene time. Following were massive outpourings of volcanic debris associated with the Eocene Absaroka Volcanics Supergroup in the Yellowstone region and the Adels Volcanics in the Helena region, as well as the intrusion of alkalic magma in shallow crustal sections of the central Montana Alkalic Belt. The most recent contributor to ‘Big Sky’ landscapes is the arrival of tectonic influence from the Yellowstone Hot Spot. Each of these significant tectonic events likely contributed to uplift east of the main orogenic front in the central Montana. Clearly, much more work is needed to unravel the kinematics of this deformation and its sedimentary response. For now, however, we might regard the depositional character of the Eagle Formation in south-central Montana to reflect the beginnings of the long phase of uplift and erosion that continues to shape the landscape of the Big Sky Country we see today.

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

OUTCROP | August 2020

LEAD STORY

FIGURE 9:

A) Typical view of the Eagle Formation in the eastern part of the study area. The sharp surfaces are waveravinement surfaces cut as wave energy truncated shoreface deposits during transgression. B) The top of the Eagle Formation is a similar sharp, wave ravinement surface marked by a thin lag of black chert pebbles shown here.

OUTCROP | August 2020

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

LEAD STORY Hicks, J.F., Obradovich, J.D., and Tauxe, L. 1995. A new calibration point for the Late Cretaceous time scale: the 40Ar/39Ar isotopic age of the C33r/ C33n geomagnetic reversal from the Judith River Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Elk Basin, Wyoming, USA. Journal of Geology, 103: 243–256. Liu, L., Gurnis, M., Seton, M., Saleeby, J., Müller, R. D., & Jackson, J. M. (2010). The role of oceanic plateau subduction in the Laramide orogeny. Nature Geoscience, 3(5), 353–357 Lopez, D.A., 2000, Geologic map of the Billings 30’ x 60’ quadrangle, Montana: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Geologic Map 59, 1 sheet, scale 1:100,000. Reeside, J.B.Jr., 1927, The cepalopods of the Eagle Sandstone and related formations in the western interior of the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 151, 87p. Spangler, E.M., 2012, Internal facies architecture of a regressive to transgressive wave dominated delta in the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Formation, southcentral Montana: M.S. thesis, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA, 125p. Staub, J.R., 2017, Sandstone Composition Variation in Regressive to Transgressive Cycles in the Telegraph Creek and Eagle Formations in South-Central Montana: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Search and Discovery Article #51415, adapted from oral presentation given at AAPG Rocky Mountain Section Annual Meeting, Billings, Montana, June 25-28, 2017. Weed, W. H., 1899, Description of the Fort Benton quadrangle, [Montana]: U.S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas Folio 55, 9 p.

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 REFERENCES Auchter, N.C., 2012, Evolution and architecture of an incised valley in the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Formation in south-central Montana: M.S. thesis, the University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA, 129p. Behr, W. M., & Smith, D. (2016). Deformation in the mantle wedge associated with Laramide flat slab subduction. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 17, 2643–2660. Bird, P. (1984). Laramide crustal thickening event in the Rocky Mountain foreland and Great Plains. Tectonics, 3(7), 741–758 Baadsgaard, H., Lerbekmo, J.F., Wibrands, J.R., Swisher, C.C.III, and Fanning, M., 1993, Multimethod radiometric age for a bentonite near the top of the Baculites reesidei Zone of southwestern Saskatchewan (Campanian - Maastrichtian stage boundary?): Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 30, p. 769-775. Brekke, A.B., 2014, The sequence stratigraphy of tectonically influenced Upper Santonian to Lower Campanian strata: the Telegraph Creek and Eagle Formations in south-central Montana: M.S. thesis, the University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA, 122 p. Carrapa, B., DeCelles, P. G., & Romero, M. ( 2019). Early inception of the Laramide orogeny in southwestern Montana and northern Wyoming: Implications for models of flatslab subduction. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 124, 2102– 212. Coney, P. J., & Reynolds, S. J. (1977). Cordilleran benioff zones. Nature, 270(5636), 403–406 Hanson, M.H., 1989, Utilization of genetic sequence analysis in the prediction of Eagle Sandstone reservoir facies distributions, Montana: M.Sc. thesis, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, USA, 150 p. Hauer, J., Oswald, O., Hendrix, M.S., Staub, J.R., and Jarvis, D., 2010, Evidence for Forced Regression in the Santonian-Campanian Eagle Formation in South-Central Montana: AAPG International Convention and Exhibition, September 12-15, 2010 Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | August 2020

ONLINE LUNCH TALK

FREE!

Speaker: Gary Curtiss August 5, 2020 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

BERS MEM Y ONL

History and Geology of the Cripple Creek Mining District By Gary Curtiss

GARY CURTISS worked as an exploration geologist (coal and metals) and as a consulting geologist before working for the Abandoned Mine Reclamation and Permitting programs for the State of

OUTCROP | August 2020

gold and gold telluride occur in vein, diatreme, hydrothermal breccia, and bedded rock deposits. Current studies relate the origin of the Cripple Creek Complex to either the Rio Grande volcanism or the titanic Ignimbrite Flare-up of 37 to 24 million years ago. Between 1891 and the 1940s, virtually all gold in Cripple Creek was mined from deep shafts that followed deep seated veins averaging 1 to 2 ounces of gold per ton. Some of these are the deepest mines in Colorado, exceeding 3,000 feet in total depth. The gold was processed from the ore using a variety of milling techniques. Since 1995, high tonnage, low grade ore has been extracted in an open pit operation and treated with sodium cyanide in a zero-discharge valley leach system. Disseminated gold averaging 0.032 ounces per ton is mined and treated. In 2015, CC&V commissioned a rod, ball, and flotation mill which processes CC&V’s higher grade, non-oxidized ore.

Much of Colorado’s mineral wealth was discovered between 1859 and the 1870s along the Colorado Mineral Belt, a southwest trending zone of fracturing and igneous intrusions that stretches from Boulder to Durango. Metals including gold and silver were deposited along this belt during the Laramide Orogeny. The Cripple Creek District is, however, Colorado’s greatest and perhaps most unique gold producing district. It is located well outside the mineral belt and is at least 10 million years younger than the mineral deposits related to the Laramide Orogeny. Since the discovery of gold at Cripple Creek in 1891, the district has produced over 25 million ounces of gold, about half of Colorado’s total production of 45 million ounces. The Cripple Creek District is located within a 32-28 million-year-old alkalic intrusive diatreme complex surrounded by Proterozoic igneous and metamorphic rocks. Unlike many of the gold deposits in the Mineral Belt, the Cripple Creek complex consists of an unusual assemblage of alkaline igneous rocks. Free

Colorado. He safeguarded and reclaimed hundreds of abandoned mines across the state for over 20 years. He was on the State inspection team in 1993 when the Cripple Creek & Victor Mining Company

installed the heap leach liners for the valley leach system and developed and managed numerous abandoned mine projects in the Cripple Creek District over a period of 10 years.

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

RMAG/Mines Partnership Short Course

Practical Python for Earth Scientists Date: October 1 & 2, 2020 Location: Catalyst Health Tech Center (3513 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216); in-person with social distancing measures

2nd date added!

Instructors: Matthew Bauer, P.G., Zane Jobe & Thomas Martin Registration: csmspace.com/events/ practicalpython/registration.cpes Please note: Registration will be handled by Colorado School of Mines’ Continuing Education & Professional Development Department. Contact Learn@mines.edu with questions.

Oct. 2, 2020 Space available

Who is this course for? This course is tailored for geologists, geophysicists, petrophysicists, petroleum engineers, production engineers, landmen, and anyone else that would like to gain skills in practical python programming, data mining, and machine learning. While this course will use examples from the petroleum industry, any earth scientist will benefit from learning about geospatial and subsurface data analysis. Course Goals: •

Introduce the python programing language for the geoscientist.

•

Introduce python libraries that allow integration into other software programs through reading, manipulating, and writing LAS well logs and shapefiles.

•

Provide hands on examples of the application of Data Mining, Machine Learning, and Data Analytics to solve problems faced by a petroleum geologist.

•

By the end of the course students should be able to adapt the provided examples for use with their own data.

Price:

Course registration fee includes Continuing Education Credits through Colorado School of Mines.

email: staff@rmag.org | phone: 800.970.7624 Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

1999 Broadway, Suite 730, Denver CO 80202

$400 thru 9/14/2020 $450 after 9/14/2020

Regist- https://csmspace.com/ events/practicalpython/ ration: Closes Sept. 29, 2020 fax: 323.352.0046 | web: www.rmag.org OUTCROP | August 2020

follow: @rmagdenver

ONLINE LUNCH TALK

FREE!

Speaker: Rachel Aisner-Williams Sept. 2, 2020 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

BERS MEM Y ONL

Facies and Sequence Stratigraphic Architecture of the Mural Limestone (Early Albian), Arizona Carbonate Response to Global and Local Factors and Implications for Reservoir Characterization By Rachel Aisner-Williams

RACHEL AISNER-WILLIAMS is a geologist with Occidental Oil & Gas based out of Denver. In her 9 years at Oxy, she has worked a number of Development, Appraisal & Reservoir Characterization projects in the Permian Basin in siliciclastic, carbonate and unconventional reservoirs. Her current role OUTCROP | August 2020

m-long low-angle leeward margin comprised of reef debris rudstone and grainstone shoal facies. Similar reef geomorphology and orientation is documented across the Gulf of Mexico and reflects the shelf-wide north to northeast-trending prevailing wind and current energies. Controls affecting reef formation and growth patterns include changes in accommodation space associated with low-amplitude global sea-level rise and regional thermotectonic subsidence, local accommodation space and nutrient fluctuations associated with the inner shelf depositional setting within a humid and siliciclastic-rich environment. Four aggradational

During this talk, we will explore the facies and sequence stratigraphic architecture of a multi-cyclic patch-reef and its associated ramp interior facies that formed during OAE 1b in the Mural Limestone, Arizona, USA. Ramp interior facies are comprised of bedded wackestone/packstone, rudist build-up and coral-algal patch-reef facies located north of Bisbee, Arizona at the Grassy Hill locality. The larger multi-cyclic patch-reef that developed coevally ~5 km to the south of Grassy Hill consists of a high-angle windward margin with a narrow ~70 m-long reef frame containing vertically zonated Microsolena, Actinastrea, diverse branching coral, and rudist assemblages, and an 870

Âť CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

is with Oxyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rock, Fluid & Geomechanics properties team where she focuses on core acquisition, interpretation and data integration for projects. Before beginning her career with Oxy, she worked as a Geo Tech for 5 years with CrownQuest Operating in Midland. Rachel holds a B.A. in Math from Smith College and an M.S. 26

in Geology from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a member and volunteer for RMAG, AAPG, SEPM and WTGS. Today she will take a break from the Permian and take us forward in time to the early Cretaceous, where she has been expanding upon her 2010 thesis work on carbonate patch reefs in Arizona. Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

RMAG

Sponsored C ontent Advertising

NEW! The RMAG is excited to announce the availability of sponsored content opportunities on our website (www.rmag.org). Sponsored content is a great way to get in-depth information about new products and services in front of your target audience. What is Sponsored Content? Sponsored content is a form of “native advertising”—advertising that maintains the look and feel of the main website but is provided and paid for by the advertiser to accomplish the advertiser’s goals. Long-form articles about products and services are ideally suited to sponsored content. All sponsored content on the RMAG website is labeled as “Sponsored Content” but otherwise looks the same as other editorial content on the website. Unlike clickthrough ads, sponsored content allows you to reach your targeted audience with in-depth information, right on RMAG’s website.

Looking for more than a click-thru ad? Reach RMAG’s community of over 3000 geoscientists with content-rich technical information using sponsored content advertising. Pricing starts at $75/month per article. Discounts given for multiple articles and/or multiple months. Contact the RMAG office for more information and to get started.

email: staff@rmag.org | phone: 800.970.7624 Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

1999 Broadway, Suite 730, Denver CO 80202

How does it work? You supply the content of the sponsored content article, including text, photographs, graphs, maps, or other graphics, and one click-through URL (see below for details). You are responsible for all editing and proofreading of the content. RMAG will post the article to our website, working with you to place graphics appropriately. You can choose to have your content appear in the “Articles” section of the homepage or on the Support page. Pricing is based on articles posted for one-month increments.

fax: 323.352.0046 | web: www.rmag.org OUTCROP | August 2020

follow: @rmagdenver

ONLINE LUNCH TALK backstepping of reef facies followed by the final regression of shallow shelf carbonates that correlates to more robust patch-reef development in Sonora, Mexico. The patch-reef at Paul Spur is an excellent outcrop analog for productive patch-reefs in the Maverick Basin (Comanche Shelf) of Texas. Detailed facies mapping within these outcrop analogs highlights the greatest reservoir potential in leeward grainstones where primary porosity up to 15% is observed.

Âť CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

to retrogradational high-frequency sequences (HFS) are documented in Arizona: HFS 1 and 2 represent the first pulse of patch-reef development in an overall 2nd-order marine transgression over the Sonora/Bisbee Shelf. These sequences correlate to positive Î´13C excursions associated with OAE 1b across the Gulf of Mexico and suggest that carbonate reefs persisted on the ramp interior during this time. HFS 3 and 4 record a second brief transgression and

Reach: Further, higher. Advertise in The Outcrop

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists combines the industry's most advanced technology, precise targeting and a quality network to deliver results for advertisers & publishers. For more information on how you can advertise in upcoming issues of The Outcrop, including basic information, how to submit an ad, size options, advertising rates, and the agreement, click on the link below.

clickheretoLearnmore.

OUTCROP | August 2020

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

IN THE PIPELINE AUGUST 5, 2020

AUGUST 18-19, 2020

RMAG Online Luncheon. Speaker Gary Curtiss. “History and Geology of the Cripple Creek Mining District.” Online via RingCentral Meetings.

The Energy Summit 2020 Online Event. https://coloradoinassoc.wliinc18.com// events/The-Energy-Summit-2020-95/ register

AUGUST 7, 2020

AUGUST 19, 2020

COGA 11th Annual Golf Tournament of Hope for MDA. Highland Meadow Golf Course, Windsor, CO.

AAPG and Tulsa Geological Society Online Event. “Pivoting- Battery Tech and Critical Minerals.” https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ week-16-pivoting-battery-tech-and-criticalminerals-tickets-109568127218

AUGUST 17, 2020 The Energy Summit Annual Golf Tournament. Arrowhead Golf Course, Littleton, CO.

WE ARE GREAT WESTERN AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO:

PEOPLE

EXCELLENCE

TEAMWORK

GROWTH

STEWARDSHIP

RESILIENCE

WE ARE #CommittedtoColorado Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | August 2020

2020 Earth Science Teacher of the Year Awards By Donna Anderson, RMAG Foundation, and Sarah Compton, RMAG Educational Outreach Chair

OUTCROP | August 2020

honor. Being my first ever teaching award, it feels amazing to be acknowledged by colleagues and industry professionals for something that I have been passionate about for the past 20 years. I am excited to see how many more doors open to help my students and myself with more experiential and hands-on learning in the geosciences at Alameda International.” Merideth Sparks has a Bachelors in Applied Science Teaching and a Masters in Science Teaching. She gets students outside the classroom and dives into topics highly relevant to Colorado, including a field trip to an energy production facility. She also provides students with a diverse crop of STEM role models, including George Washington Carver, Admiral Grace Hopper, and Sally Ride. Students also get a taste of the science life through a Twitter wall with posts from scientists about their work and the challenges they face. She has been teaching for 14 years. Merideth states: “I’m incredibly honored to have been recognized by the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists. This recognition is a symbol of respect by industry professionals, but more importantly, this represents the greater responsibility to contribute and affect the community in which I live. I hope that this provides my students and myself

The RMAG and the RMAG Foundation are pleased to announce that TWO teachers were given the Earth Science Teacher of the Year Award this year! The Foundation was able to provide funds for two awards, as two finalists were exceptionally outstanding. The awardees are Matt Thomas, science teacher at Alameda International High School in Lakewood, Colorado and Merideth Sparks, science teacher at Craver Middle School in Colorado City, Colorado. The teachers personally receive $1000 each to further their professional activities, and each school receives $1000 to be used for Earth Science purposes, as directed by each Earth Science teacher awardee. Matt Thomas has a Bachelors in General Science and Earth Science and a Masters in Secondary Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education. He utilizes the excellent geology available in Colorado to get his students outside and learn about geology through experience was well as classroom studies augmented with web-based/digital experiences. He also exposes them to the next steps in their geology education and geology careers through the Mining for Talent program, a partnership between Jefferson County Public Schools and Colorado School of Mines. He has been teaching for 22 years. Matt says: “Receiving this award is a great

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

Proudly developing Coloradoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy potential through innovation, safety and a commitment to our community l e a r n m o r e at : w w w . c r e s t o n e p e a k r e s o u r c e s . c o m

Experience Experience truly truly integrated integrated 3D interpretation 3D interpretation with truly integrated truly integrated with industry's most industry's most advanced advanced 3D with 3D interpretation interpretation with geoscience geoscience system industry's most industry's system most advanced advanced geoscience system geoscience system GVERSE Geomodeling 2017 GeoGraphix 2017 GVERSE Geomodeling 2017 GeoGraphix 2017

GVERSE GVERSE

Anthony Ford Account Executive, LMKR GeoGraphix

R TM

Email: aford@lmkr.com P: +1 (303) 996-2153, C: +1 (720) 210-8889

Anthony Ford Account Executive, LMKR GeoGraphix

Email: aford@lmkr.com P: +1 (303) 996-2153, C: +1 (720) 210-8889

www.lmkr.com www.lmkr.com

2020 EARTH SCIENCE TEACHER OF THE YEAR education and the skills to attain greatness in all aspects of life through the maturation process. Merideth understands that teaching students is much more than a subject. It’s a lifelong endeavor that a subject, such as science, allows us to engage students in the preparation of life successes.” With the mission to inspire and educate current and future geoscientists, the RMAG Foundation recognizes the importance of these two dedicated teachers who provide earth science education to children of all ages. In honoring these two teachers, the RMAG is pleased to encourage and foster interest in STEM careers in general and particularly in earth science. All the applicants for the Award this year were highly qualified. To foster educational outreach and engagement, they each will be given complimentary one-year memberships to the RMAG, funded by the RMAG Foundation. Congratulations to all!

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

with the opportunity to collaborate with even more people wanting to continue to make a difference in future generations.” Both awardees received high praise from their respective schools. Andrea Sabadosh, Assistant Principal at Alameda High, said, “The Alameda International family is proud to have Matt Thomas as a member of our teaching community. His love of the Earth, the science that makes it thrive, and teaching to develop that love in his students is evident in everything he does. He has a tremendous spirit, and it is infused in every lesson he teaches! We cannot think of a more deserving educator to receive this honor.” Brian Schipper, Principal at Craver Middle School, said, “Merideth Sparks is well deserving of this award. In all my years in education, rarely have I witnessed an educator so willing to go wherever she has to go to provide her students with a quality

Providing geoscience expertise and technology to the field and office since 1981

Well Site Geology Geosteering - On site & Remote Rock Analytics Geologic Prognosis/Mapping Oil Field Safety Training - PEC Regulatory Representation

sunburstconsulting.com

406.259.4124 OUTCROP | August 2020

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

RPS

NAUTILUS RPS Nautilus offers a suite of training solutions, from exploration through production, focusing on lowering cost and improving recovery. Our courses represent “Best in Class” training and are accredited. Learning objectives emphasize relevance to technical and commercial challenges facing the E&P industry.

Geology Geophysics & Engineering Training for the E&P Industry We continually develop new courses to address leading edge technical challenges. Provision of customized training solutions is a hallmark of RPS.

RPS delivers training in a variety of formats: classroom, ﬁeld and instructor led Distance Learning. Distance Learning courses are taught in 2-3 hour sessions over multiple days. RPS instructors are recognized as world class consultants With Distance Learning, professionals early in their career in their ﬁeld. Focus areas include geology, geophysics, have access to training on a schedule with less impact on engineering and data science. With emphasis on adaptability, operational responsibilities. RPS training is designed to be multi-discipline in nature.

HIGHLIGHTED COURSES FOR RMAG

N471 The Petroleum System in Unconventional Aug 24 - 27 Exploration & Production: Geology, Geochemistry and Basin Modeling Andy Pepper D517 Well Log Sequence Stratigraphy for Exploration Sept 1 - 4 and Production Vitor Abreu D518 Seismic Sequence Stratigraphy for Exploration and

Sept 8 - 11 Production Vitor Abreu

N011 High Resolution Sequence Stratigraphy: Reservoir

Sept 12 - 17 Applications (Utah, USA) Andy Pulham and Lee Krystinik

N463 Geological Drivers for Tight-Oil and Sep 29 - Unconventional Plays in the Powder River Basin Oct 4 and Applications to Other Basins (Wyoming, USA) Randi Martinsen and Lee Krystinik D425 Play Analysis for Targeted Prospect Identiﬁcation Oct 5 - 16 Mark Thompson D250 Evaluation Methods for Shale Reservoirs

Oct 19 - 30 Jeff May, Rick Lewis, Dan Jarvie, Neal Nagel and John Randolph

D013 Overpressure in Petroleum Systems and Nov 9 - 19 Geopressure Prediction Jakob Heller and Niven Shumaker

N302 Deepwater Reservoir Presence and Architecture:

Sept 25 - 30 Permian Brushy Canyon Formation, Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains (West Texas, USA) Mike Gardner

D411 Mechanical Stratigraphy, Stress and Geomechanics Nov 16 - 20 Kevin Smart, Alan Morris N508 Optimizing Development of Unconventional Dec 1 - 3 Reservoirs: Well Spacing, Stacking and Sequencing Robert Hull and Paul Leonard

To see a full course catalog visit

Nautilus

www.training.rpsgroup.com

Training Alliance

Click here to view the NTA Global Training Programme

WELCOME NEW RMAG MEMBERS!

Carlos Arenas

Daniel Martinez

L. Shelton

works for Schlumberger and lives in Santa Cruz.

is a Petrophysicist at Diamondback Energy and lives in Midland, Texas.

is President of Shelton Drilling Corp. and lives in Basalt, Colorado.

is a Petrophysical Advisor at EOG Resources, Inc. and lives in Centennial, Colorado.

works in Business Development at CGG-Reservoir Americas and lives in Katy, Texas.

lives in Pueblo, Colorado.

is President of Tom Bratton LLC and lives in Littleton, Colorado.

lives in Centennial, Colorado.

Steven Bailey Tom Bratton Sam Ely

works for Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation.

Jennifer Gifford

is an Assistant Professor of Geology at University of Mississippi and lives in Oxford, Mississippi.

Brian Maxson

Alison Meininger Julie Ogren

Merideth Sparks

Matthew Thomas

is a High School Science Teacher at Alameda International High School and lives in Centennial, Colorado.

is a Senior Geoscience Associate at EOG Resources and lives in Lakewood, Colorado.

John Omovie

is a Petrophysicist at EOG Resources and lives in Parker, Colorado.

OUTCROP ADVERTISING RATES 1 Time

2 Times

6 Times

12 Times

Full page (7-1/2” x 9-1/4”)

$330

$620

$1,710

$3,240

2/3 page (4-7/8” x 9-1/4”)

$220

$400

$1,110

$2,100

1/2 page (7-1/2” x 4-5/8”)

$175

$330

$930

$1,740

1/3 page horizontal (4-7/8” x 4-7/8”)

$165

$250

$690

$1,200

1/3 page vertical (2-3/8” x 9-1/4”)

$165

$250

$690

$1,200

1/6 page (2-3/8” x 4-7/8”)

$75

$120

$330

$600

Professional Card (2-5/8” x 1-1/2”)

$20

$34

$84

$144

OUTCROP | August 2020

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

ADVERTISER INDEX

• Crestone Peak Resources �� 31 • Daub & Associates �� 23 • Donovan Brothers Inc. �� 6 • GeoMark Research �� 10 • Great Western �� 29 • Hollowtop Geological Services �� 6 • LMKR �� 31 • RPS Training �� 33 • Sunburst Consulting �� 32 • Tracker Resource Development �� 8 CALENDAR – AUGUST 2020 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

RMAG Online Luncheon. Speaker Gary Curtiss.

The Energy Summit Annual Golf Tournament.

Vol. 69, No. 8 | www.rmag.org

The Energy Summit 2020 Online Event.

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

COGA 11th Annual Golf – Tournament of Hope for MDA.

AAPG and Tulsa Geological Society Online Event.

OUTCROP | August 2020