Geoscientists from the across the Rocky Mountain region and beyond will convene in Casper, Wyoming, on May 21st-23rd to discuss hot-topics in the science, expand on current findings and explore the region's unique geologic features. The Casper College Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, the University of Wyoming, and the Wyoming Geological Association (WGA) will host the meeting.

Organizers have developed a technical program covering a broad scope of topics, including the fields of Cenozoic volcanism; structural geology; paleontology; paleobiology and sedimentology; geomorphology; geophysics and hydrology; applications in GIS; and mining and industry. The meeting's location at the base of Casper Mountain along the North Platte River and the southern margin of the Powder River Basin provides a world-class energy resource and geologic setting and for the conference field trips.

Proposed field trips for this event include one for geoscience educators to Alcova Reservoir, Fremont Canyon, and the Cottonwood Creek Dinosaur Trail; volcanic and tectonic features of Yellowstone and northwest Wyoming; and "Powder River Basin: From Outcrop to Oilfield."

The meeting’s Keynote Address will be delivered by Robert B. Smith of the University of Utah titled, "A Career of Yellowstone Research and Discoveries," describing his 57 years of Yellowstone research, including co-authoring Windows into the Earth with Lee J. Siegel.

Selected Highlights of the Scientific Program
The scientific program is composed of oral and poster presentations organized into four symposia and 12 themed sessions plus an array of research in general discipline areas. Learn more.

Thursday, May 21st
Applications for GIS and Geospatial Data in the Geosciences
Sample presentation: Preliminary GIS Evaluation of Ground Movement at Cook Lake, Wyoming: Cook Lake is a recreation area located approximately 15 miles north of Sundance, Wyoming, in the Black Hills National Forest. Massive landslide activity has been documented at Cook Lake multiple years, including 1957, 1963/1964, and most recently in 1997/1998, the latter of which coincided with a record high precipitation year: Learn more. Lead author: Alyssa Biel, South Dakota School of Mines, alyssa.biel@mines.sdsmt.edu.

Friday, May 22nd
Mineralogy, Petrology, and Mining
Sample presentation: Application of High Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography in Economic Geology: High resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT), the industrial equivalent of medical CAT scanning, provides a means for non-destructive studies of the three-dimensional nature of geological materials. Although CT has applications to diverse natural and synthetic materials, it is particularly effective in the study of metallic ores that commonly contain minerals spanning the range of densities of natural materials: Learn more. Lead author: J. Richard Kyle, The University of Texas at Austin, rkyle@jsg.utexas.edu.

Saturday, May 23rd
The Continental Triassic: Sedimentary and Paleobiologic Records throughout the Rocky Mountain Region
Sample presentation: The "Hidden" Biodiversity and Ecology of Early Triassic Organisms Revealed by Trace Fossils from the Moenkopi Formation of Central Utah: The Lower-Middle Triassic Moenkopi Formation in central Utah is devoid of body fossils. However, tracks attributed to reptiles have long been known from the Torrey Member, which was deposited by a large, prograding delta during the Early Triassic. Recently discovered vertebrate track sites from this unit and the invertebrate trace fossils associated with them are beginning to reveal the "hidden" biodiversity of this ancient deltaic ecosystem: Learn more. Lead author: Tracy J. Thomson, University of California, Davis, tjthomson@ucdavis.edu.

View the complete session schedule by day or search the program. Click on session titles for a list of presentations, and click on presentations for the individual abstracts.
Local contact information
Meeting website

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