NEIGC 2017 FORMALANNOUNCEMENT AND REGISTRATION
REGISTRATION DEADLINE SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH.
Mark your calendars for the 2017 New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference or NEIGC! This year the dates are Friday Sept. 29 to Sun Oct. 1, 2017 and the location is in Bethel, Maine. The "footprint" of the field trips will be the foothills and mountains of western Maine and the adjacent White Mountains of New Hampshire. Think of an area including Bethel, Farmington, Rumford, and Rangeley, Maine, and Gorham, Lancaster, and Berlin, New Hampshire. Your host this year is Department of Geology, Bates College with special help from the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum and Gould Academy.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Each day of the conference there will be 6 spectacular fieldtrips covering different aspects of bedrock and/or surficial geology. A total of 18 trips will be offered this year!Field trips will begin at different times and at different placeson Friday,SaturdayandSunday. Please consult each field trip description (below) for this information.
Friday night from 5-7 pm (hors d'oeuvres and cash bar) there will be an open house at the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum. See worldclass Maine minerals and discover the otherworldly Stifler Collection of Meteorites. Led by the MMGM staff.
Saturday night is the banquet at Gould Academy's Ordway Hall featuring fine food at a reasonable cost and in a wonderful venue.The social hour goes from 5-6 pm (hors d'oeuvres and cash bar) and the buffet dinner starts at6 pm.
ON-LINE REGISTRATION...... NEW THIS YEAR FOR NEIGC!
Yes, NEIGC has upgraded to the digital world! To register, select your trips,and pay for the meeting, guidebook, and banquet, please click on this link:
REGISTRATION DEADLINE SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH
Visit the NEIGC web site for up to date informationabout the conference.
GUIDEBOOKS. This year the guidebook will be in color, a slightly more expensive option, but a much better product. In addition,the entire guidebook as well as individual field guides for each of the tripsare available on-linefor free download at this web site:
ACCOMODATIONS: Reserve early as it will be peak leaf-peeping season! For camping try Bethel Outdoor Adventure and Campground, otherwise the Bethel region Chamber of Commerce web site has many other roofed options.
STUDENTS: NEIGC 2017 costs for students have been kept as low as possible to encourage their attendance (Student with/without Guidebook $35/$15; Student banquet $15).
FORMAL TRIP DESCRIPTIONS BY DAY
FRIDAY TRIPS
A1:LITHIUM-BORON-BERYLLIUM GEM PEGMATITES, OXFORD CO., MAINE: HAVEY AND MOUNT MICA PEGMATITES.
LEADERS: William Simmons, Karen Webber, Alexander Falster, Myles Felch, Dwight Bradley. Contact information: (504) 220-5260
DESCRIPTION: This fieldtrip will visit two world renowned gem-producing pegmatites, in the Oxford County pegmatite field of western Maine: Havey and Mount Mica pegmatites. This is intended to be primarily an instructional fieldtrip lead by pegmatite experts from the MMGM MP2 research group. This is an opportunity to learn about the latest research and advances in the field of pegmatology in Maine.
TIME, PLACE, LOGISTICS: Friday September 29th at 8:30 am meet in the back parking lot of the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum located at 99 Main Street in Bethel, Maine (357595.99 m E, 4918691.40 m N). The field trip will begin with a brief discussion in the parking lot. We encourage carpooling to limit the number of vehicles entering the mines. A convoy of vehicles will travel approximately one hour to the Havey Quarry located off of Levine Road in Poland (395997.39 m E, 4880613.82 m N). Plan to spend approximately 2hrs at this location, starting with a discussion and later an opportunity to collect. Departing the Havey Quarry, the convoy will travel north approximately 40 minutes to the Mt. Mica Quarry located off of Mt. Mica road in Paris (382422.66 m E, 4902813.15 m N). Plan to spend approximately 2 hrs. at this site, which will begin with a discussion and end with an opportunity to collect on the dumps afterwards. There will not be an opportunity to go underground. At 4:00 pm, participants will leave the mine and travel north approximately 40 minutes back to Bethel. We encourage all participants to attend the Friday night reception at the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum.For this field trip, be prepared with a lunch as we will not be stopping along the way. There will be bathroom facilities available at each of the mine sites. Enrollment will be limited to 25 participants. Expect cold and unpredictable weather and dress accordingly.Please note: both quarries we are visiting are not open to the public except via previous arrangement.
A2:SMALLS FALLS REVISITED: A JOURNEY THROUGH A PALEOZOIC SEDIMENTARY BASIN
LEADERS: Mark Van Baalen, EPS Dept., Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, email: ; Douglas N. Reusch, UMF Division of Natural Sciences, Farmington, ME 04938, email: ; John F. Slack, U.S. Geological Survey (Emeritus), Farmington, ME 04938, email:
DESCRIPTION: The Smalls Falls Formation, a critical unit within the extensive and problematic Central Maine Basin, records a spectacular abrupt change from oxygenated to oxygen-poor conditions. It is the youngest of the inboard-derived formations with a northwestern provenance, confirmed by recent geochemical and detrital zircon studies. The northwestern source area, following a post-Taconic subduction flip, had become the site of a southeast-facing Salinic continental arc system that collided with the Gander margin in the Silurian just before the bottom waters became oxygen-poor. The termination of oxygen-poor conditions coincides with the onset of Acadian foreland deposition in the conformably overlying Madrid Formation. On this trip, we will visit key sites, including several type localities, to examine protolith, metamorphic, metallogenic, deformational, and contact relationships of the Smalls Falls and enclosing formations that bear on the middle Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the Appalachian orogen. New thinking about Silurian tectonics and the geochemistry of metamorphosed black shales will be presented. All of the stops on this trip are covered by USGS map I-1692, Geological Map of Western Interior Maine (Moench & Pankiwskyj, 1988).
TIME, PLACE, LOGISTICS: Meet on Friday, September 29, 8:30 AM in Coburn Park, a public park along the Kennebec River in Skowhegan. 44°46.3 N, 69°42.6 W. The park is about 0.5 miles east of the center of town along US 2 (Water St.); it has a gazebo and a Porta Potty. Muffin alert: there is a fine bakery on Water St. called The Bankery! Dunkin Donuts also stands nearby on Water St. Skowhegan is about 75 miles east of Bethel; figure on 90 minutes of driving if departing from Bethel. Car pool if possible. Be prepared with normal outdoor clothing, including rain gear. The longest hike planned is a half mile. Bring your lunch, water and your camera, as there are some incredibly scenic stops. The trip will end near Bethel in late afternoon on Friday. Note that we will not return to our starting point, so plan accordingly.
A3:HYDROGEOLOGY OF THE FORMER CHLOR-ALKALI FACILITY SUPERFUND SITE AND DOWNSTREAM BED SEDIMENT MERCURY CONTAMINATION IN THE ANDROSCOGGIN RIVER, BERLIN NEW HAMPSHIRE
LEADERS and COAUTHORS: James Degnan, USGS, New England Water Science Center, Pembroke, New Hampshire, email: , cell: (603) 568-8917, Darryl Luce, USEPA Region 1, Boston, Massachusetts, email: , voice: (617) 918-1336, Andrew Hoffman, NHDES, Hazardous Waste Remediation Bureau, Concord, New Hampshire, email: , voice: (603) 271-6778 and Ann Chalmers, USGS, New England Water Science Center, Montpellier, Vermont, email: , voice: (802) 828-4479
DESCRIPTION: Field trip stops will illustrate the hydrologic and geologic setting in the vicinity of Berlin, NH and how it affects a Superfund site. The trip will include a visit to the former Chlor-Alkali Facility Superfund Site, bedrock outcrops, and river reaches. The site industrial history, current environmental and regulatory issues, as well as how the geology and groundwater hydrology bear on the site cleanup will be discussed. Nearby outcrops of the Ordovician Oliverian Plutonic Suite and Ordovician Ammonoosuc Volcanics, representative of the site and regional geology, will be visited. Stops at several river reaches, with varying settings, will include descriptions of hydraulics, surface water and sediment chemistry.
TIME, PLACE, LOGISTICS: Friday September 29th, 10:00 AM in the parking lot on the south side of Mason St. on an unnamed island adjacent to the Smith Dam and Hydrostation water intake canal in the Androscoggin River (326596.00 m E, 4926285.00 m N). The Smith Dam is about 30 miles (40 minutes) west of Bethel, ME. From Bethel follow Rte. U.S. 2 west to Gorham, NH then take Rte. NH 16 north to Berlin. In Berlin, turn right onto Unity St. (truck Rte. 16 N) at the James Cleveland Bridge, then left onto Mason St. The parking lot will be on your left after crossing the first bridge over the Androscoggin River on Mason St.. Be prepared with field clothing, snacks, water and good footwear for rocky, uneven terrain. Total walking distance will be one to two miles with minor elevation loss and gain (max +/- 100 feet). It will be most convenient to bring your lunch, but our lunch stop will be near town so if you need to get something, you can go on your own and rejoin the group. Carpooling is encouraged.
A4:POSSIBLE POST-LAURENTIDE CIRQUE GLACIATION IN THE GREAT GULF,
PRESIDENTIAL RANGE, NEW HAMPSHIRE
LEADERS: Brian Fowler, NH Geologic Resources Advisory Committee, P.O. Box 1829, Conway, NH 03818, Email: AND Ian Dulin, Dept. of Geology, Bates, College, Lewiston, ME 04240, Email: .
DESCRIPTION: This trip explores recent contributions to a continuing question. Did active alpine glaciation occur in the glacial cirques on the Presidential Range after the departure of the last Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS)? This trip examines the possibility that it did in one of these cirques. During the past 145 years, the absence of identified moraines within and near the cirques suggested only activity that pre-dated the arrival of the LIS. At the same time, however, the freshness of their morphology suggested activity that post-dated its departure. New surficial mapping, laboratory petrographic study, and recently documented post-LIS regional climate indications have combined to permit tentative identification of landforms in and below the Great Gulf that may be moraines. If confirmed by further study, these features will be evidence that active alpine glaciation occurred in at least some of the region’s cirques after the departure of the LIS. This trip consists of an easy to occasionally moderate ~ 4.5 -mile roundtrip hike to the Great Angel Station Lookout on the Great Glen Trails System to examine surficial features traversed by the hike and visible from the Lookout (weather-permitting) that may represent terminal and recessional moraines.
TIME, PLACE, LOGISTICS: Friday, September 29th, 1:00 PM SHARP from the North Parking Lot at the Mt. Washington Auto Road Base Lodge (east side of NH 16, 8 miles south of Gorham, NH / 322363 m E, 4906302 m N). Trip will return to the parking lot by ~ 4:00 PM. Sturdy footwear and a backpack with water, snack items, and clothing appropriate for the day and potential seasonal weather are required.
A5:GRAFTON NOTCH STATE PARK: GLACIAL GORGES AND STREAMS UNDER PRESSURE IN THE MAHOOSIC RANGE, ME
LEADERS: Alice M. Doughty, Dept. of Geology, Bates College, Lewiston, ME 04240;
Woodrow B. Thompson, Maine Geological Survey (retired), Augusta, ME 04333.
Email address: ell: (207) 318-8220
DESCRIPTION: We will drive as a caravan in our own vehicles (please carpool because parking is limited) along the scenic Route 26 into Grafton Notch State Park, northwest of Bethel, Maine. The field stops are at five designated park landmarks and one sand pit just north of the park. There is an optional strenuous hike with a 1000 ft elevation gain to Table Rock over a 1.9-mile distance. This hike is best for experienced and adventurous hikers who enjoy lots of rock steps, bolted rebar steps, boulder scrabbles, and stunning views (not available in bad weather). The focus of this field trip will be the glacial geology of the park (U-shaped valley, gorges, and an esker) but the exposed bedrock offers glimpses of Devonian granite with pegmatite intrusions.
TIME, PLACE, LOGISTICS: We will meet Friday September 29th, 9:00 AM in the Androscoggin Rest Area opposite Sunday River Brewing Company on U. S. Route 2 (UTM 356200 m E, 4923600 m N). The Rest Area is about 3 mi north of Bethel town center and we can carpool from here. Warning: Grafton Notch is primarily a boreal forest, so expect a colder climate than Bethel; and if it is raining, rocks may be very slippery near the gorges. Be prepared with proper clothing, including warm and waterproof layers and good hiking boots. Large mammals are very common in this park, so please take caution as you are driving these roads. Bring your lunch, water, snacks, bug spray, sunscreen, and cameras because there will not be any shops in the park. There are toilet facilities available at some but not all stops. There is a $3 fee per vehicle for the park; please pay this at the first stop (Screw Auger Falls).
A6: STRATIGRAPHIC AND STRUCTURAL TRAVERSE OF MOUNT MORIAH AND THE WILD RIVER WILDERNESS AREA
LEADER: Tim Allen, Department of Environmental Studies, Keene State College, Keene, NH 03435-2001, e-mail: , cell: 603-209-9222
DESCRIPTION: This trip will be an extended hike from the Androscoggin River over Mount Moriah to the Wild River, crossing the center of a large area of migmatized metasedimentary rocks of the Central Maine Terrane. The geologic problems to be examined include the stratigraphic assignments of these highly metamorphosed rocks; the structural interpretation within the migmatite zone, which necessarily depends on the stratigraphy; and speculation as to the causes and mechanisms for producing large localized migmatite zones and metamorphic "hot spots" (see also Trip C6). A version of this trip was previously run in 1996.
Maps (USGS 7.5 minute 1:24,000 quadrangles): Shelburne, NH-ME; Wild River, NH-ME; Carter Dome, NH. The AMC Carter-Moriah Range Trail Map and the AMC White Mountain Trail Guide are also useful. The best map for the Pinkham Notch area is Washburn's "Mount Washington and the Heart of the Presidential Range" (1988, 1:20,000).
Limited to 9 participants since we will spend much of the day within a federally designated Wilderness Area.
TIME, PLACE, LOGISTICS: Friday, September 30, 7:00 AM at the Wild River Campground (335380.00E 4907945.00N) at the end of the Wild River Road off of the Evans Notch Road (ME/NH 113) south off of US 2 from Gilead, Maine. We will consolidate into as few vehicles as possible--leaving as many as possible at Wild River (WMNF Recreation Passes required for all vehicles) -- and drive to the Rattle River Trailhead (Appalachian Trail) on US 2 three miles east of Gorham (332020.00E 4918560.00N). The entire trip will be on foot, over the Rattle River, Moriah Brook, and connecting trails (approximately 13 miles, with 3300 feet of vertical relief, "book time" of almost 9 hours). Be prepared to spend a full day hiking in the mountains--wear appropriate boots and clothing, and bring plenty of food, water, and extra clothing. At the end of the hike, we will consolidate into the vehicles we left at Wild River and return to the Rattle River trailhead to retrieve the vehicles left there.
SATURDAY TRIPS
B1:BEDROCK GEOLOGY OF THE BALD MOUNTAIN-SADDLEBACK WIND RANGE, ME
LEADER: Doug Reusch, Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine at Farmington, Farmington, Maine 04938. email:
office: (207) 778-7463
DESCRIPTION: In west-central Maine, Bald Mountain and adjacent Saddleback Wind host some of the most extensive bedrock exposures within the contentious Rumford outlier of “Seboomook Group” (e.g., Bradley and O’Sullivan, 2016). This trip will consist of a long, all-day traverse from the Bald Mountain trailhead on Route 156 to the Saddleback Ridge wind farm in Carthage, via the recently opened trail. The outcrops are comparable to ones in the Presidential Range, Mount Kearsarge, and Mount Monadnock along strike in the New Hampshire segment of the Central Maine Basin. Several marker beds are repeated on early cryptic thrusts, and sedimentary features well preserved at a high grade of metamorphism along with variably deformed leucogranites. Graphitic schists and calc-silicate rocks serve to illustrate, respectively, important CO2 sinks and sources in the carbon cycle. If time permits, we will also examine some of the excellent new exposures on the wind farm access road.
TIME, PLACE, LOGISTICS: Saturday September 30th, 8:00 AM in the gravel parking area behind the Saddleback Ridge Wind office building (390373.00 m E, 4938625.00 m N). Driving east on Route 2, around 50 minutes from Bethel and near the crest of a long hill, turn left on Winter Hill Road (easily missed, look for signs “Winter Hill Antiques” and “Rocky Mountain Terrain Park”). Proceed 0.9 miles west to the office site. Bathroom facilities will be available. Following introductory remarks, two UMF vans will deliver 20 participants to the Bald Mountain trailhead on Route 156 ( 393477 m E, 4945902 m N), a 20-minute drive. (Vans will return to the starting point, continue to the end of the wind farm access road, and drivers then hike northeast to re-join the group.) Note that while the UMF vans can accommodate 20, others are welcome to participate should they be willing to make similar travel arrangements (preferably in advance). Bring lunch, lots of water, and appropriate clothing for a long, all-day hike with significant portions exposed to the elements. Trail conditions vary considerably. The initial steep ascent has suffered from erosion. The top half of Bald is ledge that under some conditions can be dangerously slippery. If weather is atrocious, the contingency plan is to repeat our 2010 NEIGC trip.