Geoscientists from the southeastern United States and beyond will convene in Chattanooga, Tennessee on March 19 and 20 to discuss new and hot-topic science, expand on current studies, and explore the Chattanooga region’s unique geologic features. The meeting will be held at at the Chattanoogan Hotel and Conference Center.
Topics include the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone, teaching evolution in the southeastern U.S., energy geology, and geology’s role in protecting infrastructure. Meeting conveners are anticipating 389 oral and poster presentations and nine field trips.
Widely known as “The Scenic City,” Chattanooga owes this distinction to its geologic setting. Its name derives from “cató,” the Muskogean word for “rock,” giving due emphasis to the geology of the area and the ideal setting it provides for this meeting.
Considering that Chattanooga is prone to rockslides, sinkholes, and flooding, the keynote address for this meeting should be of particular interest: “Rockslides, Sinkholes and Flooding, Oh My! The Geologist’s Role in Protecting Infrastructure” will be delivered by Vanessa Bateman, Chief, Geology Section, Nashville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
A dedicated field guide has been written for this meeting: Diverse Excursions in the Southeast: Paleozoic to Present, edited by Dr. Ann E. Holmes of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. This volume’s nine field trips explore geological history and visit four regional geologic provinces—Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, Cumberland Plateau, and the Nashville dome.
64th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Section, Geological Association of America
Selected Highlights of the Scientific Program
The scientific program is composed of oral and poster presentations organized into three symposia and 14 themed sessions plus an array of research in general discipline areas. Go to http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/se/2015mtg/techprog.htm to learn more.
THURSDAY, MARCH 19
Session: Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone and Paleoseismology in the Southeastern United States
Abstracts: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2015SE/webprogram/Session36812.html
Presentation of interest: The Mw 4.2 Perry County earthquake of 10 November 2012: Evidence of the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone in southeastern Kentucky: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2015SE/webprogram/Paper252585.html. Lead author: Seth N. Carpenter, Kentucky Geological Survey, seth.carpenter at uky.edu
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
Sessions: Teaching Evolution in the Southeast I and II
Abstracts: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2015SE/webprogram/Session36813.html and https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2015SE/webprogram/Session37258.html
Presentation of interest: Lessons of the Scopes trial in the fight for science education: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2015SE/webprogram/Paper252992.html. Lead author: William D. Witherspoon, georgiarocks.us, billspoon1 at gmail.com
Session: Gas Shale and Oil Sands Resources of the Southeastern United States
Abstracts: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2015SE/webprogram/Session36802.html
Presentation of interest: The oil sands of Alabama: An untapped resource: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2015SE/webprogram/Paper252172.html. Lead author: Christopher H. Hooks, Geological Survey of Alabama, chooks at gsa.state.al.us
View the complete session schedule by day or search the program by keywords at https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2015SE/webprogram/start.html. Click on session titles for a list of presentations, and click on presentations for the individual abstracts.
Complete meeting information at http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/se/2015mtg/index.htm.
Local contact information at http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/se/2015mtg/contact.htm.
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The Geological Society of America, founded in 1888, is a scientific society with more than 26,000 members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100 countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the geosciences in the service of humankind. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, GSA encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth science education.
