Winter 2014 - Geological Association of Canada
Transcription
Winter 2014 - Geological Association of Canada
GEOLOG Presidential Preamble I have thousands upon thousands of geology photographs: close-ups of outcrops, polished slabs, cores and dimension stones, outdoor panoramas, views out of airplane windows, of road cuts and cliff faces, thin section photomicrographs, pictures of fossils, snaps of friends in geo-action. Of course most of them are slides locked away in dozens of binders, but even some binders of negatives and contact sheets from when I was a student and too poor to afford Kodachrome film. Since 2006 my photographs are all digital. These are my most cherished possessions, vital for my research activities, as well as teaching in these copyright-blighted days. On the other hand, now that my recent photographs are stored electronically, you can imagine how diligent I am in terms of labelling and cataloguing… Still, I go back to those slides and negatives all the time. Now that slide projectors are almost an extinct species, I find myself using my handlens or microscope to view them, and I do scan some of them especially for unfinished research projects. Naturally the time and effort involved in scanning slides means that for teaching I tend to use more recent digital images in my PowerPoints. Like all GAC® members, no matter where we go, geology comes first, so that means most pictures from a Caribbean vacation were actually taken for their geological content, isn't that right? Last year after my introductory earth history course, several Volume 43 Issue 4 43 Volume Number2014 / Numéro 4 Winter / Hiver 2014 students wrote nasty teaching evaluations and accused me of just showing off holiday snaps in my lectures. They missed the point. Typically assumed to be limited to geochemical analyses, in fact our photographs, not to mention notebooks and specimens, are part of the data we have amassed. There are policies or legislation for government agencies to archive geological and geophysical data. In Canada that includes organizations like subsurface core and sample warehouses and geological surveys. With palaeontology, publication requires that the fossils be archived (continued on p. 4) These ripples are irresistible! They are in fluvial floodplain deposits of the Boss Point Formation (Cumberland Group, Upper Carboniferous), Dorchester Cape, New Brunswick. 2 GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA GAC® Corporate Members / The MISSION of the Geological Association of Canada is to facilitate the scientific well-being and professional development of its members, the learned discussion of geoscience in Canada, and the advancement, dissemination and wise use of geoscience in public, professional and academic life. The VISION of the GAC® is to be a multidisciplinary scientific society supportive of the entire scope of the geosciences in Canada. The GAC® aims to be a geoscience community that is knowledgeable, professionally competent and respected, whose input and advice is relevant, widely sought and utilized, and whose vital contribution to the economic prosperity and social well-being of the nation is widely acknowledged. La MISSION de l’Association géologique du Canada est d’aider au développement scientifique et professionnel de ses membres, de favoriser les échanges géoscientifiques au Canada ainsi que de promouvoir et de diffuser l’utilisation éclairée des géosciences dans un contexte public, professionnel et académique. La VISION de l’AGC® est de faire connaître une communauté géoscientifique de grand savoir, dont les compétences professionnelles sont respectées, dont les suggestions et les avis sont pertinents, recherchés et utiles, et dont la contribution largement reconnue est considérée comme vitale pour la prospérité économique et le bienêtre de la nation. Membres corporatifs de l’AGC® 2014-2015 Patrons / Patrons Alberta Geological Survey Anglo American Exploration (Canada) Ltd Memorial University of Newfoundland Department of Natural Resources - Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Northwest Territories Geoscience Office Yukon Department of Energy Mines & Resources Sponsors / Commanditaires British Columbia Geological Survey Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology Saskatchewan Geological Survey GAC® Executive / Comité exécutif de l'AGC® 2014-2015 President / Président Brian Pratt, Saskatoon, SK Vice President / Vice Président Victoria Yehl, Vancouver, BC Past President / Président sortant Richard Wardle, St. John’s, NL Secretary/Treasurer / Secrétaire/Trésorier Toby Rivers, St. John’s, NL Finance Chair / Responsable des finaces Francine McCarthy, St. Catharines, ON Science Program Chair / Responsable du programme scientifique David Corrigan, Ottawa, ON Communications Chair / Responsable des communications Mike Villeneuve, Ottawa, ON Publications Chair / Responsable des publications Chris White, Halifax, NS Supporters / Supporteurs Activation Laboratories Ltd Elemental Controls Ltd Franklin Geosciences Ltd Geoscience Laboratories IBK Capital Corp. Isomass Scientific Ltd Living Sky Geophysics Inc. Universities / Universités Acadia University GAC® Councillors / Conseillers de I'AGC® 2014/2015 Section and /et Division Liaison Oliver Bonham, Burnaby, BC Short Courses / Programmes courts Brad McKinley, Sudbury, ON Campus Liaison Lori Kennedy, Vancouver, BC GAC® Lecture Tours / Tournées de conferences de I'AGC® Alwynne B. Beaudoin, Edmonton, AB Geoscience Canada Editor / Éditeur du Geoscience Canada Brendan Murphy, Antigonish, NS Geolog Editor / Éditeur du Geolog Alwynne B. Beaudoin, Edmonton, AB Councillor without Portfolio / Conseiller sans portefeuille Ray Lett, Victoria, BC GEOLOG Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) Laurentian University McGill University Université de Genève Université du Québec à Montréal University of New Brunswick University of Toronto University of Waterloo Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 3 GEOLOG Contents / Table des matiéres Vol. 43; No. 4 Winter / Hiver 2014 President’s Preamble……………………………………………………...1, 4 Vice-President’s Update……………………………………………………...5 Coming soon to a lecture theatre near you………………………...7 Spotlight on Geoparks……………………………………………………......8 Global Geoparks in Canada……………………………………………….…8 6th International UNESCO Conference on Global Geoparks .10 Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark…………………………………………. 12 Tributes and Memories……………………………………………………..14 Memories of Dr. Bob Stevens .…………………………………………..14 Volkmar Schmidt 1932-2012……………………………………………...16 Professor G. E. G. Westermann 1927-2014………………………..17 2015 Joint Assembly…………………………………………………………..19 Events and Happenings……………………………………………………...20 L’AQUEST, dix ans à souligner l’excellence………………………...20 64th Annual Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference (AUGC) ……………………………...……………………………………………..22 Postscript on the GSA Meeting October 2014, Vancouver, Canada……………………………………………………………………………….23 Conference report: Geological Society of America Annual Meeting 2014 Vancouver, British Columbia ……………………….24 Vancouver Views………………………………………………………………..26 Julian Boldy Award……………………………………………………… ..….26 Summary of Queen’s Logan Student Chapter 2014 Activities…………………………………………………………………………... 27 Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences (CFES) Update….…...28 Four Billion Years and Counting: Canada’s Geological Heritage Launched on November 5 2014……………………….…..30 Announcements………………………………………………………… … ….31 GAC® announces the new “GAC®-PDAC Logan Student Prize”………………………………………………………………………… …… .31 DIG 2015…………………………………………………………………………….31 Strati 2015 ………………………………………………………………………...31 Annual CGF Invitation for Grant Applications……………………..32 Geoscience Canada …………………………………………………………...32 Howard Street Robinson Fund…………………………………………...34 Information for Contributors / Consignes aux auteurs ………...34 Publisher / Publié par GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA c/o Dept. of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s, NL A1B 3X5 Tel: 709-737-7660 Fax: 709-737-2532 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.gac.ca Editor / Éditeur ALWYNNE B. BEAUDOIN c/o Royal Alberta Museum 12845-102nd Avenue Edmonton, AB T5N 0M6 E-mail: [email protected] GEOLOG (ISSN 0227-3713; 1712-3747) is the quarterly newsmagazine of the Geological Association of Canada, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. GEOLOG is published for the benefit of GAC® members and its content reflects the diversity of the organization. News items and short articles on topics of potential interest to the membership including public geoscience awareness are encouraged. Also encouraged are communications promoting interaction among academic, industry and government sectors. GEOLOG accepts and publishes contributions in both of Canada’s official languages. Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the official positions of the GAC®. GEOLOG is one of several forums provided by the GAC® for scientists worldwide. SUBSCRIPTIONS: GEOLOG is one of the privileges of GAC® membership. To become a member, application forms are available by mail or fax from the Geological Association of Canada, or can be printed from the website. ADVERTISING: Paid advertising is accepted. Digital copy is preferred. Contact the Editor for more information or go to the GAC® website and click on Publications then GEOLOG and look for the Rate Card. GEOLOG (ISSN 0227-3713; 1712-3747) est le bulletin trimestriel de l’Association Géologique du Canada, à St. Jean, Terre-Neuve-etLabrador. GEOLOG s’adresse aux members de l’AGC® et son contenu reflète le caractère polyvalent de cette organisation. Nous invitons la soumission de nouvelles et articles courts pouvant intéresser les membres, incluant les thèmes de sensibilisation du public aux sciences de la Terre. Les articles suscitant des échanges d’opinions et d’informations entre les secteurs académique, industriel et ouvernementaux sont également la bienvenue. GEOLOG accepte et publie les articles dans les deux langues officielles du Canada. Les idées sont celles des auteurs et ne représentent pas nécessairement la position officielle de l’ AGC®. GEOLOG n’est qu’un des nombreux forums offerts par l’ AGC® aux scientifiques à travers le monde. ABONNEMENT: L’abonnement à GEOLOG est un des privilèges don’t bénéficient les membres de l’ AGC®. On peut se procurer un formulaire d’adhésion par courrier ou par fax en communiquant avec l’Association Géologique du Canada. PUBLICITÉ: Nous acceptons la publicité rémunérée. Une copie prête pour la reproduction est préférable. Veuillez communiquer avec le Rédacteur en chef pour des renseignements additionnels à ce sujet. GEOLOG Acknowledgements and Thanks This GEOLOG benefits from the contributions and assistance of / Nous voulons souligner la contribution et l’assistance de: Guillaume Allard, Andrea Amortegui, Jennifer Bates, Tony Berger, Peter T. Bobrowsky, Karen Dawe, Stan Finney, Rohanna Gibson, David R. Greenwood, Russell Hall, Charles Helm, Reinhard Hesse, Karen Johnston-Fowler, Lori Kennedy, Carlin Lentz, Ray Lett, David A. McDonald, Randy Miller, Abdelali Moukhsil, Cindy Murphy, Godfrey Nowlan, Colin Padget, Brian Pratt, Alberto Riccardi, Patrice Roy, Paul L. Smith, Fabien Solgadi, Peter Ward, Richard Wardle, Lucy Wilson, Jane Wynne, and Vicki Yehl. Apologies to any contributors that have been missed. This GEOLOG was produced with support from the Royal Alberta Museum. Your contributions for future editions are welcome / Désolé pour ceux qui auraient été involontairement oubliés. Cette copie de GEOLOG a été produite grâce à l’assistance du Royal Alberta Museum. Nous sollicitons vos contributions pour les publications à venir. Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 4 ammonite collection to the Royal Ontario Museum. Readers will see his obituary in this issue of GEOLOG. He taught my undergraduate palaeontology course. Although as an instructor, Gerd was, shall I say, of somewhat atypical style, we knew we were in the presence of a scholar of international stature. Venerable tomes lined his book shelves, specimens were carefully organized on counters and in drawers, his desk neat and tidy. His was the first rock saw I ever used. He always delighted in telling us about how ammonoid shell strength increased with the complexity of the septal suture which would have enabled the beast to withstand high pressures at depth. So, we learned that palaeontology isn’t stamp collecting after all but fertile ground for clever ideas. Once I became a bona fide palaeontologist myself, more than a dozen years later, I was admitted to the club, so to speak, and we stayed in touch. Thanks to Paul, Russ, Peter and Alberto for bringing back those memories. There may be true desiccation cracks in the lacustrine facies of the West Bay Formation (Mabou Group, Upper Carboniferous), near Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, but these crack networks are sedimentary dikes. Mud shrinkage and sand injection were triggered by syndepositional earthquakes. in a public museum or government collection that will be cared for permanently and accessible by other researchers. University faculty are expected to retain research data if they received government funding. This is easier said than done, especially in this day and age of limited storage space, curation support, and time. As all geology professors know, it doesn’t take much to make a mess of a once-organized collection of samples or thin sections. When McMaster University blended the remains of its geology department with the geography department in the latter 1990s, a lot of material wound up in the garbage—a friend of mine who makes decorations and such out of rocks and stones had a field day dumpster-diving. Renowned palaeontologist Gerd Westermann sent his GEOLOG It has been commonly said—although now I don’t know who made the claim—that the best geologist is the one who has seen the most rocks. Of course we need to differentiate between ‘seen’ and ‘observed’ as Sherlock Holmes would insist. This is taken for granted in our awareness of lifelong learning. A couple of years ago I attended the GSA Cordilleran Section meeting in Querétaro, Mexico and attended the pre-meeting field trip to the Sierra de Catorce. It was fabulous, not just for the geology and scenery but also for the good fellowship field trips always foster. I met a bunch of guys who worked for the mining company Fresnillo plc. It seemed to me that Benito Noguez has visited virtually every mineral deposit there is, including Saskatchewan, and he could wax lyrical about the geology of each of these places. I am a bit sad when I encounter students who think that their geological education has reached its zenith when they graduate. For me one of the best things about GAC®’s annual meeting is attending a field trip or two, organized selflessly by fellow members on our behalf. My involvement in GAC® Council has led to a slew of Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 5 informal field trips, geo-tourism if you will. After our Council meeting in Fredericton in October 2013, I drove over to Antigonish. Mike Melchin took me out to see seashore outcrops nearby, completely new exposures for me including the famous Arisaig Group. Naturally, I have a different perspective and my eyes land on different things, but that’s what it is all about. After the annual meeting in May, Dave Keighley and Adrian Park took a bunch of us to spectacular sections of Carboniferous non-marine facies in the Sussex– Moncton area, especially the outcrops along the coast from Dorchester. After that I drove to Halifax to visit Rob Fensome, he of Four Billion Years and Counting fame. Rob took me first to Mabou Group near Parrsboro and thence to the Meguma Group in Mahone Bay. The former was breathtaking. The Meguma was particularly special because although John Waldron and I published a paper on it two decades ago I had never visited any outcrops. The Meguma was also the inspiration for several influential papers by Derek Stow and David Piper on fine-grained turbidites. Another day I went to see the Horton Group by Horton Bluff, visiting vineyards by Wolfville during high tide. Dazzling! And the wine was good too. On my way back to Fredericton I viewed the Bay of Fundy tidal flats which I had last studied in the 1970s, before another brief stop at Joggins, making it two in a row at high tide. I am so envious of geology departments with access to rocks during the school year. Here, marooned on the bald prairie in the dead of winter, how do we introduce our students to geology in the field? It seems to me we must find a solution, for our students, the health of the discipline, and the economy. We have to get students into the mindset of enthusiastic lifelong learning. What we can do in the meantime is buy our friends a copy of Four Billion Years and Counting to get us excited for geologizing when the snow melts, and then we can take even more pictures! Brian Pratt GAC® President Saskatoon, Saskatchewan GEOLOG Vice-President’s Update It has been an exciting quarter around GAC® parts – with the GSA having their annual meeting in Vancouver this past October; it was a perfect time and venue to have a GAC® Council Meeting such that Council can provide you with as many benefits from your membership as possible. The future of the Geological Association Canada is always at the forefront of any Council meeting and this past October’s was no exception – we even held the meeting with three people on Skype (for almost two full days!) but even with the packed line-up of GSA events almost the entire Council was physically present in the room. I mention Skype specifically, as GAC® like any other organization needs to evolve over time - GAC® does many things that the organization is known and respected for - publications and the Annual GAC®-MAC conference to name just two. However, publications are becoming more and more a digital undertaking, and everyone’s schedules are becoming fuller and fuller, and costs of travel and registration often force us all to consider carefully what we can and cannot participate in. So one of the things GAC® is therefore focused on doing is – how do we reach all of you as members? How do we provide you with information that is relevant to you? And how do you get the biggest bang for your membership bucks from GAC®? So “Skypeing” in councillors to meetings, rather than sometimes necessary subsidized travel costs is one such way to manage funds better. I hope that this GEOLOG Vice-President’s report can share many of the things we are now doing to improve what you receive from GAC® and some things that we plan to implement shortly. One of the biggest things that GAC® has been trying to address is how to better reach students and instil in them that our geoscience world is a very small one, and that networking and relationships are very important. We have traditionally funded the GAC® Logan Student Chapters. These Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 6 For those folks who work in the oil sands – field work is just around the corner, brrrrr! Vicki is standing on an “ice bridge” over the Athabasca River in February 2014. required 10 students (who were already GAC® or PDAC members) and have a faculty representative/ supervisor submit an application for $500 grant to support student activities and promote student membership/participation in GAC®. One would think this is not a difficult thing as most schools with a department already have a geology club of some kind. But, astonishingly, GAC® only receives 10 to 12 applications annually, from the ~32 registered departments Canada-wide. So it is not clear that this has been a successful way to engage students. GAC® has also provided the “Book Prize” to an undergraduate student nominated by each geoscience department in Canada, a prize intended to help students realize that our disciplines are ones of lifelong learning and knowledge development. But, as with the Logan Chapter submissions, the GAC® Head-quarters (HQ) staff has to track down nominations from departmental reps and not all the recipients claim their book. If I had ever won this, I would have definitely snapped up my GAC® book! The book prize also seemed somewhat inadequate at recognizing engaged students and has not been well publicized. GEOLOG Consequently taking all of this into account, we have tried to create a way to reach more students (and actually might mean giving away more money to them!). We’re attempting to roll the book prize AND the Logan Chapters into one Award – the “GAC®-PDAC Logan Student Prize” to reach and engage more students as they leave their undergraduate programs and embark on whatever facet of geoscience they wish to pursue. This new award will be given at all the 32 registered departments and help students get a start at forming those networks that are so important to our professional development and careers. The award will have a monetary prize component, 1 year memberships to both GAC® and PDAC, and, of course, recognition (in the form of a certificate) that is to be awarded to a student who is a leader and participates in the advancing studies and application of geoscience. One of the other drivers for combining all of this into one simple prize was to reduce the administration associated with applications and approvals (both at the Universities and HQ) and we want more students to get something of value. We hope that this new prize will be prestigious both for the student recipients and for the GAC®. Further details of the new prize can be found in this issue of GEOLOG. One of the other big initiatives that Council and our Headquarters staff are working on is a re-vamp of our corporate membership and sponsorship programs. The aim of these updates is to streamline the process of how to be a member of GAC® as an organization and provide more to any organization that does sponsor a GAC® event. Therefore GAC® has developed four new levels of Corporate Sponsorship that each have unique associated Corporate Membership Benefits. As in the past, Corporate Sponsorship and Membership is renewable annually, and the level can be updated or changed as any organization requires. GAC® has created the following new levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Nickel to replace the former four-tiered Patrons, Sponsors, Supporters, and Universities categories. Each new level will have a corresponding package of Corporate Membership Benefits to maximize the return to an Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 7 organization – including continuing to recognize a special category for Universities (the Nickel level). We also recognize that no two Sponsor-Members are the same, and therefore at each new level, GAC® has the ability to tailor the Corporate Membership Benefits package to a specific organization’s needs. We will be rolling out the new benefits and levels in 2015, with our much appreciated current Corporate Members being moved to their new levels carefully, respecting their past support of the Association. We want to make Corporate Membership better for old and new members alike - please bear with us as we make these changes – and please do not hesitate to make sure your organization needs are met by contacting HQ or Council. All of the mentioned updates are part of GAC®’s attempt to better to serve individuals, organizations and the greater geoscience community. We have been trying to keep our website (www.gac.ca) more up to date, use a consistent email template for notices and to have a more active “electronic” presence – currently by way of Facebook (www.facebook.com/gac.agc). Our Facebook page includes posting notices for the Hutchison and Robinson lecture tour stops as our speakers have great talks coming somewhere near you soon. Please reach out and like us on Facebook. Over the next few months we hope to do more to serve you – please feel free, as always to direct any feedback or any other questions to HQ, any Councillor or myself. I look forward to reviewing a great batch of nominations for our medals that will have been put forward over the month of December and preparing for the Joint Assembly meeting with AGU in Montreal next May 3 rd to 7th, 2015. Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season! Victoria Yehl GAC® Vice-President Vancouver, British Columbia GEOLOG Coming soon to a lecture theatre near you... Two distinguished Canadian geoscientists are on Canada-wide tours this spring: Dr. Ali Polat (Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Windsor) and Dr. Jean Bédard (Geological Survey of Canada, Québec). Watch your departmental calendar for announcements about their visits. Dr. Polat is the Hutchison Lecturer for 2014-2015. This tour is undertaken by the recipient of the W. W. Hutchison Medal and is funded through the Canadian Geological Foundation (CGF). The award is given to an outstanding young geoscientist for exceptional advances in Canadian earth science. Dr. Polat has prepared two lectures for his tour: Convergent Plate Boundary Processes in the Early Earth: Evidence from West Greenland and Archean Anorthosite Petrogenesis: A Case Study on the 2.97 Ga Fiskenæsset Layered Intrusion, West Greenland. Dr. Polat will be travelling to western Canada in mid-February, the Prairies in mid-March, Newfoundland in late March, and two venues in Ontario in April. Other venues may be added. Dr. Bédard is the Howard Street Robinson Lecturer for 2014-2015 as selected by the Precambrian Division of GAC®. His tour is funded through the Howard Street Robinson Fund and is intended “for furtherance of scientific study of Precambrian Geology and Metal Mining”. Dr. Bédard has prepared a main lecture for his tour (Continental drift on subductionless stagnant lid planets, the Archaean Earth and Venus) and two other lectures (Magma chamber processes in Appalachian ophiolites and Unmixing of crystal-charged slurries in the Ferrar Dolerites of Antarctica). Dr. Bédard will be travelling to southern Ontario in early February, the Maritimes in late February, venues in Québec in February and March, and other Ontario localities in mid-March. Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 8 Spotlight on Geoparks Global Geoparks in Canada The Global Geoparks concept is being adopted by more and more countries in the world. Canada is a relative newcomer to the idea with just two of the 111 Global Geoparks that exist in the world. A Global Geopark is a defined area with geological heritage and geodiversity (Gray 2004) of international significance. An individual geopark uses its geoheritage to promote awareness of the origin and significance of their part of planet Earth and to educate people about the key issues facing society in the context of our evolving planet. Geoparks promote awareness through educational programs for residents and for tourists in order to improve Earth literacy and provide for local, sustainable economic development. The key aspects of the geoheritage are protected under appropriate local laws and regulations. On a global scale, geoparks address widely different aspects of geoheritage. Some promote awareness of geological hazards such as volcanoes and earthquakes and help to develop disaster mitigation strategies through a well-educated public. Others hold records of past climate change and use that geoheritage to relate to current climate change and the implementation of local green strategies. Still other geoparks hold records of the tectonic development of the planet and use the geoheritage to explain basic concepts such as plate tectonics. Every geopark relates its geoheritage to the nature of cultural development within the region both historically and in the modern world. Establishment of a geopark inevitably raises the awareness of the population about local geoheritage and cultural heritage and also provides for local economic development through interpretation of the local geoheritage. The main source of economic growth is through tourism GEOLOG based on the geoheritage, also known as geotourism (see Newsome and Dowling 2010). From the foregoing description you can see that geoparks have very little to do with what we, as Canadians, think of as parks. The idea of geoparks was first developed in China and it caught on early in that country and also in Europe. Other parts of Asia followed. The global distribution of Global Geoparks is: Asia (41) Europe (62), North America (2), and South America (2). You can see that the Americas are well behind and this is because the European settlement of the continents allowed for recognition and protection of natural heritage. The earliest national parks were established in the nineteenth century at a time when almost every part of Europe and Asia had been subject to substantial population and attendant development. A misunderstanding about the nature and intent of the geopark concept, led to complacency about them in the Americas. The first international conference on geoparks was held in Beijing in 2000 and the 6 th International Conference was recently held in Canada in September 2014 at Stonehammer Global Geopark in New Brunswick. This recent conference was a great opportunity for Canadians to learn about geoparks and nearly 10% of the 480 delegates were from Canada. The Canadian National Committee for Geoparks operates under the auspices of the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences. It provides guidelines for the development of geoparks in Canada. The Canadian guidelines closely mirror those in the United States because the long term goal is a North American Geoparks Network, similar to the Asian and European geopark networks. Canada (and North America’s) first geopark was established in southern New Brunswick in 2010. It recently underwent its four year review as all Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 9 Global Geoparks are required to do. It has been immensely successful and that is underlined by the acceptance of its bid to host the 2014 UNESCO conference on geoparks. The conference was a huge success and many delegates recognized it as the best conference ever held on geoparks. Stonehammer Global Geopark’s tag line is “A Billion Years of Stories” because its territory is host to rocks of all systems from Proterozoic to Tertiary with the exception of the Jurassic. In Stonehammer it is possible to take a kayak trip to the world’s first described and photographed stromatolites, or to view the Reversing Falls that result from the Bay of Fundy’s enormous tidal range. You might prefer to visit world class Devonian and Carboniferous plant fossil localities or examine the exhibits in the New Brunswick Museum that is the anchor facility for the geopark. Program run by Stonehammer’s tourist suppliers cater to 200,000 cruise ship visitors and local schools and institutions benefit from educational programs run by the geopark. Stonehammer has partnerships with other geoparks in the world located in northern places like Norway and Iceland that encourage visits from tourists. Stonehammer has been able to establish a foundation in order to ensure the long term sustainability of the geopark and is in the process of documenting the geopark’s economic impact on southern New Brunswick. Canada’s (and North America’s) second geopark is located in the region of Tumbler Ridge in northern British Columbia. It celebrates its location in the Rocky Mountains, a landscape that offers magnificent alpine environments for hiking and an abundance of beautiful waterfalls and glaciers. The primary geoheritage in the region comprises abundant and readily observable dinosaur trackways, including a remarkable group of three parallel tyrannosaur trackways, recently described. There is a museum in Tumbler Ridge that features dinosaur trackways and exhibits related to other fossils common in the region such as the famous Triassic fish. The museum has stirred tremendous community support that results in local people making new discoveries as they hike the back country. Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark was formally established in 2014, after several years of community work that led to an application to the Global Geoparks Network. The strong community involvement in both of Canada’s global geoparks is an essential ingredient of both of them. A geopark requires participation from all segments of a community in order to succeed. Each needs a champion in the early going, then a reliable governing board drawn from a broad spectrum of the community. In between is a huge amount of work conducted by community volunteers. Canada’s geoparks are noted for that strong community involvement. A whole host of Sea cliffs and caves cut in Triassic Honeycomb Point Formation at St. Martins in Stonehammer Geopark, New Brunswick, May 2014. GEOLOG Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 10 other communities are working on being able to submit an application to the Global Geopark Network. First they must submit an expression of interest (a substantial document detailed the geoheritage, the sites and plans for education and tourism) to the Canadian National Committee. The committee critiques the document and once it is thought to be an adequate document, a site visit is arranged. If this site visit reveals great geoheritage and great plans for site protection, interpretation, education and tourism, then the community is encouraged to submit a self-assessment document to the Global Geoparks Network (GGN). If GGN accepts the document following a desktop review, then a site visit is arranged and the community is on track to become a global geopark. From start to finish, this process takes a long time, typically three to five years. Two current expressions of interest have been submitted to the Canadian National Committee: one from the Bonavista Peninsula and one from the Percé area of the Gaspé Peninsula of Québec. These are currently in process. Many other communities across Canada are considering the possibility of becoming a geopark; some of these communities have established working groups, others are just in the preliminary stages. We expect to see additional expressions of interest in the coming years and a steady growth of geoparks in Canada. If you are interested in discussing the idea, please do not hesitate to contact the author. 6th International UNESCO Conference on Global Geoparks The 6th International UNESCO Conference on Global Geoparks was held at Stonehammer Geopark, September 19-22, 2014 at the Trade and Convention Centre in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The Global Geopark Network (GGN), assisted by UNESCO comprised 100 geoparks at the start of the meeting, located in Europe, Asia, North and South America. As the only member of the GGN in North America, Stonehammer Geopark was pleased to host the first international meeting of network outside of Europe and Asia. Previous meetings had been in China (2004), The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2006), Germany (2008); Malaysia (2010) and Japan (2012). On the last day of the meeting Tumbler Ridge Geopark in British Columbia was admitted to the Global Network, along with ten other new geoparks, bringing the global total to 111 global geoparks, and now including Africa. Tumbler Ridge Geopark is the second Canadian member and second North American Global Geopark. Godfrey Nowlan Chair of the Canadian National Committee for Geoparks References Gray, M. 2004. Geodiversity: Valuing and Conserving Abiotic Nature. John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 434 pp. Newsome, D., and R. K. Dowling (Editors) 2010. Geotourism: The Tourism of Geology and Landscape. Goodfellow Publishers Ltd, 246 pp. For more information on Global Geoparks visit: www.globalgeopark.org/ GEOLOG Delegates view the Triassic geology of the Fundy Trail Parkway Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 11 Getting ready to launch kayaks to paddle to a Precambrian stromatolite geosite The meeting, which celebrated the 10 th anniversary of the GGN, was attended by 480 delegates from more than 30 countries. Global Geoparks are about more than just rocks. While a Global Geopark must have exceptional geological heritage it includes sites with interesting archaeology, wildlife and habitats, history, folklore and culture, all of which are intricately linked with the underlying geology. Papers from 190 abstracts of oral and poster presentations were divided into seven themes: (1) Geoparks and sustainable use of natural resources; (2) Engaging Communities; (3) Education and Interpretation in Geoparks; (4) Aspiring Geoparks; (5) Mature Geoparks; (6) UNESCO Collaboration; (7) Intangible Cultural Heritage. A crowded poster session with delegates from more than 30 countries GEOLOG Rock climbing excursion at Rockwood Park in Saint John In addition to the traditional conference format the delegates were invited to attend networking breakfast session and all attendees were able to attend a full day of field trips to visit Stonehammer Geopark geosites and interact with the geoparks ‘Experience Providers’, tour operators who derive benefit from offering geo-themed tours. Delegates went rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, and cruising the Saint John harbour. It is important to point out that unlike most geology conferences, this event was coordinated largely by the community and Stonehammer Geopark, a non-profit organization comprised of community volunteers. Only two geologists were directly involved in the conference organization at the local level. I think this underscores the value of the global geoparks network, that it truly engages non-geologists to think about earth science and how it affects their lives. I also want to acknowledge the outstanding support from more than 60 community volunteers who, among other things, staffed the registration desk, welcomed delegates at the airport, and provided language assistance. Experience Providers and the local hospitality industry went well beyond what might be expected to welcome the world to Stonehammer Geopark. Randy Miller New Brunswick Museum St John, New Brunswick Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 12 Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark At a gala dinner at the sixth UNESCO International Conference for Global Geoparks on September 22nd, the Global Geoparks Network announced the designation of eleven new Global Geoparks. The conference was organized by the Stonehammer Global Geopark in Saint John, New Brunswick, and was attended by just under 500 delegates from 30 countries. The Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark was one of those that received this coveted designation. This was the culmination of twenty-three months of passionate volunteer-driven effort. It becomes the second Global Geopark in North America. There are now 111 Global Geoparks worldwide, supported by UNESCO. Thanks are due to the Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark committee and its scientific advisors, whose dedication made this possible, the Peace River Regional District for their funding support, the District of Tumbler Ridge, the Canadian National Committee for Geoparks, and Stonehammer Global Geopark for their support. Tumbler Ridge is a community of 3,000 in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in northeastern British Columbia. It was built in the 1980s as part Theropod track at Wolverine River of the development of the region’s metallurgical coal resources. The Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark is notable for its remote wilderness location, giving visitors the authentic feeling of a sparsely inhabited frontier region. Being the first Global Geopark in western North America, it is the first to represent the plate tectonics that have led to the formation of the Rocky Mountains. Mountain and foothill geology spans the Precambrian to Cretaceous time range, as well as Pleistocene deposits. It also preserves part of the Triassic Pangea shoreline, as well as the interchanging marine and terrestrial intervals of a fluctuating Western Interior Seaway. This is complemented by an abundance of palaeontological phenomena, which form the basis for ongoing scientific research, exhibits and programs. Cretaceous dinosaur tracks (many of which are of global significance), a Cretaceous dinosaur bonebed with unusual features, and Triassic fishes, marine reptiles and crustaceans are of particular importance. The Dinosaur Discovery Gallery and adjoining Peace Region Palaeontology Research Centre in Tumbler Ridge form a major attraction, while a network of 100 kilometres of hiking trails leads to forty-two Geosites, including an abundance of spectacular waterfalls, dinosaur trackways, mountain summits, sedimentary rock formations, caves and canyons. Hiking along Albright Ridge GEOLOG Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 13 Elsewhere in the world, Global Geopark status has brought with it diversification, economic, cultural and educational benefits. There are also the intangible benefits that lie in reconnecting people with the Earth and their heritage. Current visitation at our Dinosaur Discovery Gallery is well over 4,000, and is increasing by 10% to 15% per year – this trend can now be expected to accelerate healthily. Global Geopark status enables us to take ownership of our uniquely precious geological and palaeontological heritage, to be proud of the achievements of our scientists and volunteers, and to be appreciative of our remarkable geography. It empowers us to take control of our destiny to some degree, in a time of economic uncertainty. It encourages us to strengthen the wonderful partnerships we have already developed, with various levels of government and First Nations, and with educational and scientific institutions, and industry. And it allows us the chance for reflection, to ask how we can be geo-ambassadors for our region, how we choose to tell our stories, create our crafts, design our exhibits, adorn our buildings, develop our business ventures and, perhaps most important of all, how we involve Tumbler Ridge’s younger generation in this process. The initial dinosaur trackway discovery was made in 2000 by two local boys aged 8 and 11, and kids have continued to play a vital role in the subsequent discoveries. A formal opening of the Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark, including a First Nations ceremony to Tunnel Cave welcome home a repatriated Pleistocene bison cranium, will be held early in 2015. In the meantime we continue to do what helps define us: to explore, and to discover, and to turn the fruits of these discoveries into museum exhibits and original research and accessible destinations as effectively as possible. The summer of 2014 saw a plethora of new discoveries: fossil bird trackways, more dinosaur trackways, the publication in the scientific literature of the only known tyrannosaurid trackways in the world, enormous sphenoceramid clams, previously undocumented caves, a splendid new waterfall, and, late in the season, the unexpected bonus of a beautifully sculpted fossil river channel with paleo-potholes. We are now presented with an amazing opportunity. Achieving Global Geopark status, supported by UNESCO, is an important milestone for Tumbler Ridge, the Peace Region, British Columbia and Canada. However, this is really just another step in the process of enhancing the visitor and resident experience, connecting positively with our environment, celebrating not just our magnificent rocks, but also how they have influenced our culture and heritage, and have helped make us who we are. For more information on the Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark, visit: www.trmf.ca Charles Helm Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia A marine reptile and its young discoverer GEOLOG Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 14 Tributes and Memories Memories of Dr. Bob Stevens One of the most respected contributors to the geology of Newfoundland and of the Appalachian mountain system, Dr. Robert K. Stevens, died in Nova Scotia this past August (2014). After graduating in geology from Exeter University, Bob taught geology at what was then Sunderland Technical College (now a university), before immigrating with his wife, Eileen, to Newfoundland in 1963. Here, at Memorial, he obtained his M.Sc. working under Dr. Hugh Lilly. After a year at the GSC with field work in Newfoundland, the Stevens moved to the University of Western Ontario where Bob obtained his doctorate in 1969, supervised by Bill Church. A two-year Post-doc at Erindale College with Tuzo Wilson led to a position at Memorial University from which he retired in 1994. Bob's Ph.D. work in western Newfoundland led to his documenting the allochthonous nature of the Bay of Islands ophiolitic complex and the Cow Head Group further north. His discovery of chromite grains in the clastic foredeep deposits and their dating were key contributions that helped to establish the mechanism of the Taconic orogeny – more than 15 years before geologists in New England re-invented his ideas. Chris Barnes notes that “The near continuous coastal outcrops in Newfoundland provided a key transect across the Appalachians, and the ongoing revolution of plate tectonics in the 1970s to 1990s found a multitude of researchers visiting the island, being led on field trips, and attending workshops and conferences there. Bob was a strong contributor to many of the lengthy field trips, guidebooks and to the scientific justification for establishing the Gros Morne National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage site. He was known for his care, patience and persistence, observational GEOLOG Bob Stevens in the field, 1990. Image courtesy Michael Burzynski powers, and creative and original interpretations in the extensive fieldwork he undertook in Newfoundland. While others would restudy wellknown or classic sections, Bob would walk out to more remote and unstudied sections to build a full regional picture. In working closely with others, he developed expert knowledge in fields that were not his initial specializations, including graptolites and conodonts, key palaeontological tools to unravel age, stratigraphic, and tectonic relationships. He openly discussed his findings but was too modest or reluctant to promptly publish them and eventually his ideas, by then in the public realm, were taken up by others.” As Barnes writes, “Bob was a most intelligent and thoughtful researcher with wide interests, a voracious reader of the scientific literature. He had a powerful memory and his knowledge of the Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 15 older publications made him a great contributor to discussions whether they were in the corridor, at seminars, in classes, or at the bar. They were always made with modesty, not to show up or to put down. Students were always made to feel comfortable in such chats, and Bob was in demand for appointment to supervisory committees of graduate students.” Indeed, he once shared his office with new grad student Jim Hibbard, who recalls that “Aside from the fact that his office was already cramped with geological clutter and saturated in cigarette smoke, I was astounded that a professor would offer to share his office with an unknown student. Although not on my committee, he took interest in my M.S. project and directed me to obscure, but pithy, references.” Mike Searle writes “He was a great colleague always full of interesting ideas and questions, always with a wry smile and chuckle, usually with a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other. He and Eileen made me so welcome in their house when I arrived in St. John's. I am grateful to him for implanting into my mind all those big ideas on geology and global tectonics.” Stevens had a mischievous sense of humour. Peter Cawood recalls that on one occasion near Corner Brook as they passed “one of those salt storage domes, Bob, with a twinkle in his eye, told a story of when he was taking of some Russian geologists on a tour past this same spot he told them that the dome was an experimental fast breeder reactor.“ Richard Fortey writes that “the wide compass of his interests coupled with a reluctance to push himself forward led to him not being recognized as widely as he should have been as one of the seminal Appalachian geologists. I named a trilobite (Calculites stevensi) for him, which was not enough.” Another trilobite from Western Newfoundland was named Bolbocephalus stevensi by Doug Boyce, who comments that though this means “Stevens' bulb-head, the species had about the least swelled head of all the species of that genus.” GEOLOG Fortey recalls that “As he shambled along the shore in battered rain gear where the Cow Head boulder beds tumbled into the sea, Bob’s gait resembled that of a somewhat superannuated bear. When his eye lit upon something of interest he would grunt meaningfully and crouch close to whatever-it-was before swivelling round and pronouncing to the world with pop-eyed enthusiasm. His preoccupied manner concealed a very acute observer. He would often light upon some detail others would pass by, and when he scored a point his crumpled visage would light up with delight. Noel James, Bob and I would spend the evenings with numerous beers discussing the day’s geology - or anything else that came up - hardly distracted by the steady drumming of the rain on the roof of our field vehicle stationed in some corner of the Gros Morne National Park. I had a photograph of him standing in a cloudburst when his perpetual cigarette acted as a kind of faucet to siphon off a copious stream of rainwater.” Bob was a “lateral thinker” who could always be counted on for a different way of looking at geological situations. He worked with me, Doug Grant, Andre Bouchard and Ian Brookes to produce a composite map for Park visitors, which is now something of a rarity for GSC maps, for the first printing sold out some years back and a second one is now in the stores. Brookes recalls first meeting Bob Stevens in the early ‘80s, camping at Shallow Bay in Gros More National Park, “Most subsequent summers, I sought to repeat the pleasure, hungry for the intellectual stimulus. He had noticed the bivalve borings in the breccias on Cow Head, which led to a short joint paper.“ As Chris Barnes says “Bob preferred to live an informal life, avoiding events with pomp and ceremony, and spent much time with Eileen raising their three adopted children. He had a strong sense of humour, a distinctive chuckle, and firm views on politics and social justice. He was kind, open and generous to a fault, and a great friend to so many who were fortunate to know him well.” Compiled by Tony Berger Woody Point, Newfoundland, and Wolfville, Nova Scotia Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 16 Volkmar Schmidt 1932-2012 Volkmar Schmidt, renowned petroleum geologist, passed away after a long illness on May 13, 2012 in Calgary at the age of 79. A native of Germany, born in Heidelberg, he spent most of his professional life in North America, first in the United States and subsequently in Canada. He received his Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) in 1961 from Kiel University, after having earned the equivalent of an M.Sc. from the same University. In his Ph.D. thesis, supervised by Prof. Eugen Seibold, he studied the diagenesis of Jurassic carbonates in the Lower Saxony Basin of Germany. Shortly afterwards he joined Mobil Oil in Dallas, Texas, as a petrologist, where he worked closely with Dr. Henry Nelson at their Field Research Lab. providing specialized carbonate studies and training programs for their worldwide operations. In 1968 Volkmar transferred from Mobil’s Dallas Research Centre to Mobil Oil Canada in Calgary to set up a geological laboratory in support of their domestic operations. Up until the late 1970s all of the large oil and gas companies in Canada were subsidiaries of major U.S. or international companies that had their own research and services centres in their home country and saw no need to carry on such activities at their local subsidiaries. When PetroCanada was formed in 1976 with a mandate to increase the Canadian presence in its own oil and gas development, Dr. Schmidt saw an opportunity to develop homegrown Canadian expertise in advanced geological research and services and joined PetroCanada as manager of Geological Research and Services. He planned and supervised the building of comprehensive geological research facilities in Calgary Research Park and organized the hiring of a team of industry-leading specialists in the fields of carbonate and clastic petrology, geochemistry GEOLOG and biostratigraphy to support the frontier exploration and oilsands development activities of the company. Volkmar Schmidt is best known for his contribution to the development of the concept of secondary porosity in sandstones that greatly extended the subsurface depth range of prospective reservoir sandstones. Until the mid-1970s diagenesis in clastic rocks had been considered to result simply from mechanical compaction and silica cementation processes, but more advanced petrographic techniques led to a re-evaluation of the complexity of clastic diagenesis in the deep subsurface. Through painstaking microscopic studies of textural relationships at Mobil, and later at PetroCanada, Dr. Schmidt established a set of criteria for recognition of secondary porosity that provided proof that new porosity could be generated at depth through the dissolution of framework grains or carbonate cements. Although possession of this concept provided a competitive advantage in land-bidding and Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 17 exploration drilling strategy, Volkmar managed to convince Mobil’s management to give their consent for publication of the results, which led to the 1977 landmark paper “Pore geometry and reservoir aspects of secondary porosity in sandstones” by Schmidt, McDonald and Platt in the Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, the first paper in the western-world geological literature on secondary porosity in sandstones. The contents of this seminal paper were augmented by further studies and refinement of textural criteria and classification concepts (with close colleague Dr. D. A. McDonald) in two contributions to the influential Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists 1979 Symposium and Special Publication “Aspects of Diagenesis”. These publications opened up a new field of research in sedimentary petrology that produced scores of studies and published results in the following years. Dr. Schmidt contributed lectures and workshops on sandstone diagenesis at many American Association of Petroleum Geologists Continuing Education Courses in the period from 1979 to 1984. In later years he founded his consultancy company PetroScan and advised oil exploration companies the world over, from oilfields in Algeria, the Vienna Basin, offshore Libya to China and Venezuela. He lectured extensively, being involved for more than a decade in short courses on clastic diagenesis in Munich, Germany. In addition he taught reservoir geology seminars in Canada, Austria, Libya, Pakistan and China. He is survived by his wife Sylvia, daughters Carmen and Fiona, grandchildren Chiara-Noelle and Milo and siblings Waltraud and Bernhardt. David A. McDonald and Reinhard Hesse GEOLOG Professor G. E. G. Westermann 1927-2014 Image courtesy the Westermann family Gerd Westermann, who had a long and productive career in the Geology Department at McMaster University, passed away peacefully on November 5th, 2014 with his wife Jean and daughter Carey at his bedside. Gerd was born in Berlin on May 11th, 1927 and his childhood years were swept into the maelstrom of the Second World War. After the war, he finished high school in Goslar and went on to study geology at the Technical University in Braunschweig. He took a Masters and then a PhD at the world famous University of Tübingen where he studied under the tutelage of the eminent palaeontologist Otto Schindewolf. Tübingen has an impressive pedigree as a source of giants in the world of palaeontology. It began in the 19th century with Friedrich Quenstedt and his student Albert Oppel using their zonal concept to help lay the foundation of the modern geological time scale. Their Jurassic zones were based on the overlapping ranges of ammonoids and Otto Schindewolf used the ammonoids to address Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 18 Gerd Westermann, McMaster University, working on ammonite collections from Nepal Image used with permission of The Hamilton Spectator broad questions of extinction and adaptation. These two traditions that today we would label ‘biochronology’ and ‘palaeobiology’ were consequently melded into Gerd’s make-up from a young age. His Ph.D. thesis on Bajocian stephanoceratids, published in 1954, and his subsequent work with the Geological Survey of Lower Saxony, ignited a love affair with ammonites and the Jurassic System that was to last his entire life. In 1957 he left his homeland and took a lecturer position at McMaster where he rose through the ranks to become a full professor in 1969. Gerd’s field work took him to every continent and into some particularly challenging areas such as Tibet, the Andes, and islands of Indonesia. He applied ammonoid evolution as a measure of time, making contributions to the understanding of local geology and palaeontology while at the same time gathering data to address broader questions related to palaeobiogeography on a global scale. Gerd was an effective leader. In 1979 he initiated a project which brought together 150 researchers supported by IGCP Project 171 that ultimately led GEOLOG to the book titled The Jurassic of the Circum-Pacific published in 1992 and edited by Gerd. This magnum opus surely takes its rightful place as one of only three comprehensive and truly classic books on Jurassic geology, in company with those published much earlier by W. J. Arkell (Jurassic Geology of Great Britain; Jurassic Geology of the World). Most would consider this an exceptional lifetime achievement in itself, and it certainly contributed to his being awarded the GAC Billings Medal in 1995, but this is only part of his story. Gerd was fascinated by the hydrodynamics and hydrostatics of the chambered cephalopod shell, both modern and extinct. If chambered cephalopods contained samples of the atmosphere at almost atmospheric pressure, how did shell architecture prevent implosion as individuals moved to greater bathymetric depths? How did constraints imposed by hydrostatics and hydrodynamics affect shell geometry and ornamentation? What was the evolving complexity of the ammonoid suture line telling us? Decades ahead of his time, Gerd adopted engineering principles to tackle these questions, often Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 19 enthusiastically teaming up with engineers who could help shed new light on these complex problems. This produced a string of seminal papers that stand out as jewels amongst the more than 170 he published during the course of his career. But what of Gerd the person and the influence he had on others? Those who knew him over many decades sometimes spoke of the early hard cover version of Gerd being replaced by the soft cover version and it is true that he did mellow over the years. During the course of his long career, it is certain that he dramatically affected the course of many people’s lives through his strength of character, encouragement and support. McMaster undergraduates wanted to be in his classroom because they recognized his talent as one of the world’s leading palaeontologists. Graduate students came from across the globe to work with him. Those fortunate enough to receive his mentorship absorbed some of Gerd’s unique approach to palaeontological research which provided a springboard to many a successful career. Over the years, his teaching and supervision helped inspire palaeontologists who subsequently held professorial positions at the universities of British Columbia, Washington, Alberta, Calgary, Saskatchewan, Toronto and Western. Innovation in his laboratory was encouraged and a steady stream of post-doctoral fellows and visiting scientists created an atmosphere that was at times electric. He regarded all his colleagues and former students with a great fondness. Their fondness towards him can be measured, in part, by the seven species named after him (including ammonites, bivalves, radiolarians and vertebrates) and two genera of ammonites (Westermanniceras and Westermannites). This may be immortality of a sort but there is no detracting from the fact that the world has lost an eminent palaeontologist and we have lost a dear friend. We shall miss him greatly. Paul L. Smith (Vancouver), Russell Hall (Perth, Australia), Alberto Riccardi (Buenos Aires) and Peter Ward (Adelaide) The 2015 Joint Assembly will be held May 3-7 2015 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, in downtown Montréal, Québec. The meeting is cosponsored by the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the Canadian Geophysical Union (CGU), the Geological Association of Canada (GAC), and the Mineralogical Association of Canada (MAC). The Joint Assembly will consist of a diverse program covering topics in all areas of the geophysical sciences. Besides Technical Sessions, the Assembly will include Short Courses, Workshops, Town Halls, and Fieldtrips. To date, five Workshops and seven Fieldtrips are planned, as well as numerous sessions. Attendance is expected to exceed 2,500 people, including earth scientists, space scientists, educators, students and other leaders. For more information about the conference, including registration, please visit: ja.agu.org/2015/ GeoFact: Mar 16 1834: Sir James Hector, geologist on the Palliser Expedition through western Canada, born in Edinburgh, Scotland. GeoFact: Mar 27 1827: Charles Darwin's first scientific discovery, in marine biology, is announced at a Plinian Society meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland. GeoFact: Mar 31 1850: Charles Doolittle Walcott, invertebrate palaeontologist associated with discovery of the fossils of the Burgess Shale, born in New York Mills, New York, USA. GEOLOG Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 20 Events and Happenings L’AQUEST, dix ans à souligner l’excellence Depuis maintenant dix ans, l’AQUEST organise des activités géoscientifiques attrayantes pour des organisations et des individus intéressés par la qualité de la formation et de la recherche au Québec. Elle encourage notamment les étudiants de niveau collégial et universitaire dans les domaines connexes (Sciences de la Terre et génie minier) à présenter les résultats de leurs travaux de recherche. aux meilleures affiches présentées par des étudiants dans le cadre de l’exposition géo-scientifique. Au fil des années, le taux de participation de ce concours a augmenté de façon tangible, passant de 10 participants en 2010 à 30 en 2013. Les prix remis permettent de reconnaître la qualité de la formation académique en géosciences offerte au Québec et facilitent les échanges entre les étudiants gradués et les industriels. Pour l’édition 2014 du concours AQUEST - Québec Mines, cinq bourses universitaires ont été remises: une à un étudiant au doctorat, deux à des étudiants à la maîtrise, une à un étudiant au baccalauréat et une au niveau collégiale. Voici les gagnants de l’édition 2014: Niveau doctorat La mission et les activités de l’AQUEST s’inscrivent parfaitement dans le principe du développement durable concernant l’accès au savoir: « les mesures favorisant l’éducation, l’accès à l’information et la recherche doivent être encouragés de manière à stimuler l’innovation ainsi qu’à améliorer la sensibilisation et la participation effective du public à la mise en oeuvre du développement durable. En raison de son statut de section de l’Association géologique du Canada, l’AQUEST fait partie d’un réseau dépassant largement les frontières du Québec. Étant francophone, elle est de plus la porte d’entrée de l’Association géologique du Canada auprès de toute la francophonie. De gauche à droite: Line Drouin, sous-ministre associée aux mines; Arnaud Fontaine, gagnant du premier prix (bourse), niveau doctorat; Morgann Perrot, gagnante du deuxième prix (livre); Luc Blanchette, ministre délégué aux mines et Andrea Amortegui, présidente de l’AQUEST Lauréats des bourses de l’AQUEST 2014 Depuis 2005, l’AQUEST organise un concours pour les étudiants dans le cadre du congrès annuel du ministère de l’Énergie et des Ressources naturelles, Québec Mines . Elle décerne des bourses d’études GEOLOG Premier prix – bourse de 2 000 $ Arnaud Fontaine (INRS-ETE): Géologie et caractéristiques structurales du gisement aurifère Roberto, propriété Éléonore, Province du Supérieur, Baie-James, Québec, Canada Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 21 Deuxième prix – livre « 4 milliards d’année d’histoire – Le patrimoine géologique du Canada » Morgann Perrot (UQAM): Compilation géologique des roches siluro-dévoniennes du Synclinorium de Connecticut Valley-Gaspé, Appalaches du sud du Québec. Niveau baccalauréat – 1 200 $ Niveau maîtrise: De gauche à droite: Line Drouin, sous-ministre associée aux mines; Stéphane Tremblay, gagnant du deuxième prix (livre); Pierre Hugues Lamirande, gagnant du premier prix (bourse); Luc Blanchette, ministre délégué aux mines et Andrea Amortegui, présidente de l’AQUEST De gauche à droite: Line Drouin, sous-ministre associée aux mines; Nicolas Piette-Lauzière, gagnant du troisième prix (livre); Martin Beaudoin-Nadeau, gagnant du premier prix (bourse), niveau maîtrise Christophe Azevedo, gagnante du deuxième prix (bourse); Luc Blanchette, ministre délégué aux mines et Andrea Amortegui, présidente de l’AQUEST Premier prix: bourse de 1 500 $ Martin Beaudoin Nadeau (Université Laval): Développement d’une nouvelle technologie verte pour la révégétalisation de rejets miniers de mines d’or en utilisant des microorganismes symbiotiques spécifiques associés à l’épinette blanche Deuxième prix: bourse de 500 $ Christophe Azevedo (UQAM): La première croûte continentale du Canada Troisième prix: livre « 4 milliards d’année d’histoire – Le patrimoine géologique du Canada » Nicolas Piette-Lauzlière (Université Laval): Évolution de la Sous-province du Pontiac dans la région de Val-d'Or–Malartic: métamorphisme, déformation et minéralisation aurifère GEOLOG Pierre-Hugues Lamirande (Université Laval): Caractérisation d'une zone d'altération hydrothermale dans le Batholite de De Pas, Province de Churchill, Québec Deuxième prix – livre « 4 milliards d’année d’histoire – Le patrimoine géologique du Canada » Stéphane Tremblay (Université Laval): Méthode d'exploitation par bloc foudroyé Niveau collégial – 800 $ Fanny Chapelle - CEGEP de Rouyn-Noranda: Le diamant, précieuse ressource québécoise. De plus, l’AQUEST collabore à l’organisation du Défi EXPLO Québec Mines. Dans le cadre de ce concours, plusieurs équipes de trois étudiants, représentant différentes universités, ont à produire un projet d’exploration en 12 heures. Chaque équipe se voit attribuer un secteur de prospection et doit, à l’aide d’un ordinateur muni de tous les outils de ArcGIS nécessaires et de toutes les données géologiques et géophysiques disponibles dans la base de données géominières du Québec (SIGÉOM), cibler une propriété minière, élaborer un programme d’exploration détaillé selon la géologie de la propriété et les substances favorables et, Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 22 64th Annual Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference (AUGC) October 23-25 2014 De gauche à droite: Line Drouin, sous-ministre associée aux mines; Fanny Chapelle, gagnante du premier prix (bourse), niveau collégiale; Luc Blanchette, ministre délégué aux mines et Andrea Amortegui, présidente de l’AQUEST The University of New Brunswick (UNB) hosted the 64th annual Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference (AUGC) from October 23 to 25, 2014. Nearly 100 delegates from Acadia University, Dalhousie University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Cape Breton University, St. Mary’s University, St. Francis Xavier University, and UNB were in attendance. This year’s AUGC provided students the opportunity to present their undergraduate thesis research and participate in field trips focused on New Brunswick geology. enfin, produire un rapport détaillé de ce programme. Le tout se fait dans une course effrénée contre la montre. L’équipe gagnante, celle dont le projet d’exploration est jugé le plus prometteur, se mérite un prix. Depuis sa fondation, l’AQUEST a remis plus de 32 000 $ en bourse et en commandite. Cette année encore, c’est 6000 $ qui ont été remis en bourses dans le cadre du concours AQUEST – Québec Mines. Group photo of all oral and poster presenters at AUGC 2014 L’AQUEST est fière d’encourager les jeunes étudiants à persévérer dans leurs études en sciences de la terre et de stimuler la performance et l’excellence dans le cadre de leurs recherches. Par ailleurs, cela permet aussi de consolider le réseau existant de jeunes scientifiques dédiés à la promotion des géosciences au Québec. On Thursday the 23rd, student delegates competed in a preliminary round of the CSEG Challenge Bowl; a Jeopardy-style competition with questions from geology and geophysics. UNB won the competition and will have two students sent to Calgary this coming May to compete at the national level of the competition. Andrea Amortegui, Abdelali Moukhsil, Fabien Solgadi, Guillaume Allard et Patrice Roy Ministère de l’Énergie et des Ressources naturelles, Québec Friday offered four field trip choices to delegates: Remember to wish Charles Darwin Happy 206th Birthday on February 12 GEOLOG Drs. David Lentz (UNB) and Kay Thorne (NBDEM), led a trip to Mount Pleasant Sn-ZnCu-In and W-Mo-Bi deposits in south-west NB Dr. David Keighley (UNB) led a trip exploring the geology of the McCully Gas Field near Sussex Dr. Adrian Park (UNB) led a trip to the Saint John area and the Partridge Island Block Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 23 Drs. Douglas Hall (UNB), John Spray (UNB), Lucy Thompson (UNB), Suporn Boonsue (UNB), and Cliff Shaw (UNB) offered students a tour of the various analytical facilities in Earth Sciences at UNB Twenty-one students presented either talks or posters on the research of their theses from a broad range of geoscience topics. The CSEG Award for best geophysical presentation was awarded to Andrew Blagdon from Memorial University of Newfoundland. The Imperial Oil Award for best poster was awarded to Haley Leblanc from St. Mary’s University. The Frank Shea Memorial Award for the best presentation in Economic Geology was awarded to Nikolett Kovacs from Memorial University of Newfoundland. The CSPG Award for best oral presentation was awarded to Dillon White from St. Mary’s University. The AUGC Paper Award for best overall presentation was award to Jillian Kendrick from Dr. Sandra Barr presenting Jillian Dalhousie Kendrick with the AUGC Paper Award for University. best overall presentation An awards banquet concluded the conference and Peter Cashin, President and CEO at Quest Rare Minerals Limited (UNB alumnus) gave an excellent keynote talk sharing his insight on the mineral exploration and mining industry. This offered students, many of whom will be graduating and entering the job market, a chance to ask plenty of questions. Colin Padget AUGC 2014 Chair GEOLOG Postscript on the GSA Meeting October 2014, Vancouver, Canada The Geological Society of America Annual Meeting in Vancouver this past October was a big hit for GSA, geologists, the Geological Association of Canada and Canada itself. GSA reports near record -breaking participation of some 6700 attendees, of which 2500 were students, all coming from 52 countries and nearly 4500 abstracts (oral and poster presentations) scattered through 346 sessions. This is indeed good news for GSA, which has long been a close partner and kindred spirit to the GAC® and of sister geological associations in North America. Geologists who attended the meeting had the most to gain with such a range of technical contributions and from such a diverse international background. The science presented was good quality and good geoscience information was given in most of the talks I attended. It speaks well for Canadians when so many geologists from Canada participate. Even with so many individuals it was hard not to bump into dozens of fellow geoscientists in the spectacular Vancouver Conference Centre. GAC® sponsored several sessions, as did other Canadian geoscience bodies, and a great number of GAC® members were in attendance. Some of our members were honored for their contributions to geology in special sessions (for example Jim Monger), several others organized and chaired sessions and a great many others participated through technical presentations. Our reliable GAC® staff from HQ put on a great show at the GAC® booth promoting Canadian publications and journals, our association and the benefits of Canadian membership. GAC® benefits in the long term by riding on the coat tails of public exposure. With 7000 geologists in Vancouver, the positive PR rubs off on all geosciences including our own national learned society the GAC®. The benefits to Canada are obvious, from the revenue generated by tourism to the enhanced upgrading in geological knowledge retained within our professional Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 24 community. Unquestionably the biggest success was the involvement and participation of students. So many young geologists were there, many of whom stood for hours at their posters eager to discuss their accomplishments with others interested in the topics. For those of us that are long in the tooth, this was a positive take-home message from meeting - we see that the future of geology is quite alive and in good hands. GAC® must continue to focus on students and recent graduates of geosciences to sustain the discipline in Canada. What does this say about the future? First, a predominantly US based organization was able to attract almost 7000 professionals to a geoscience meeting in Canada. This speaks well for both Canada and Vancouver when hosting future geological meetings. Second, Canadian geoscientists are willing to attend GAC®-MAC and other geological conferences in the same year in Canada without diminishing the impact and success of any individual meeting. Third, Canada will be hosting the first inter-congress IUGSsponsored meeting in Vancouver in 2018. GAC® and others are playing a key role in organizing and running this international event. The topic of the meeting is “Resources for Future Generations” (RFG2018) which ably addresses one of Canada’s primary positive attributes – resources. From minerals to energy and from water to sustainable development, this event covers themes of global concern. With the recent success of GSA in Vancouver we should feel confident that attendance in the 5,000 to 10,000 range is realistic, and global participation from the 120 member countries of IUGS will likely be high in 2018. An inter-congress meeting is a great idea, since not all will be going to South Africa in 2016 or India in 2020. We will all benefit and profit from this pending meeting. Stay tuned as more information is released about RFG2018. Peter T. Bobrowsky GSC-Victoria, British Columbia GEOLOG Conference report: Geological Society of America Annual Meeting 2014 Vancouver, British Columbia Approximately 6000 geoscientists from across North America and internationally attended the GSA 2014 conference held in Vancouver, October 18-23, at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The weather was moderately kind with rain managing to hold off long enough each day to allow delegates to reach their hotels and various bars, restaurants and cafes for off-site meetings and socializing. Topical Session T201. Eocene Northern North America: Biotic Change and Environmental Context was co-organized by David Greenwood (Brandon University, Manitoba), Bruce Archibald (Simon Fraser University, BC), Melanie DeVore (Georgia State University, GA), and Kathleen Pigg (Arizona State University, AZ). See gsa.confex.com/gsa/ 2014AM/webprogram/Session35299.html This session was well attended and featured 14 talks focused on palaeontological studies of Eocene fossil-rich sites in British Columbia such as the McAbee heritage site near Kamloops, as well as the Princeton Chert and Horsefly Lake. The keynote speaker was Selena Smith (University of Michigan, MI), a University of Alberta alumna, who presented an overview of our knowledge of the British Columbia Eocene record of monocot plants, the plant group that includes palms, gingers, grasses and lilies. Also presented were talks on the geology of the McAbee site (Richard Hebda, Royal BC Museum), and the palaeoecology and palaeoclimatology of Eocene fossil sites from the Chickaloon Formation of Alaska (David Sunderlin, Lafayette College, PA), Ellesmere Island in Nunavut (Christopher West, University of Saskatchewan), and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Colorado (Kyrie Baumgartner and Herb Meyer, National Park Service, CO; Bret Buskirk, University of Washington, WA). David Greenwood and Patrick Moss (University of Queensland, Australia) Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 25 Above: Kitsilano beach with Vancouver downtown in distance. Boulder on right of view is from adjacent in-place Kitsilano Member (Huntingdon Formation), and contains leaf fossils Right: Leaf fossil from Kitsilano Member, from boulder shown in beach scene presented new palynological analyses of varvescale sampling from the Falkland and Horsefly early Eocene lake shales. Kathleen Pigg and coauthors presented an historical overview of the palaeobotanical study of the central British Columbia early to middle Eocene fossil sites, coined the Okanagan Highlands, spanning research from C. M. and J. W. Dawson, Glenn Rouse and Len Hills, to more recent researchers such as Ruth Stockey and some of the presenters at the session. Several talks were presented by current graduate students. Bruce Archibald presented an overview of the diverse and well preserved insect fauna that are a feature of BC Eocene sites such as Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park near Smithers, Horsefly and McAbee which are considered konservat lagerstätte. Edward Greenwalt (Smithsonian Institution, DC) extended this theme, showing the wide variety of insects being described from the middle to late Eocene Kishenehn Formation, which is in outcrop from northern Montana to near Fernie, British Columbia. An overview of the early Eocene konservat lagerstätte of British Columbia was provided in a previous issue of Geoscience Canada (Archibald et al., Volume 38 Number 4, December 2011). A newly described fossil hedgehog and tapir from GEOLOG Driftwood Canyon was published in July 2014 (Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Vol. 34 Number 4, pp. 739 – 746), and Archibald et al. 2014 published on palm beetles from these Eocene lagerstätte (PNAS, Vol. 111, Number 22, pp. 8095-8100), highlighting the remaining enormous potential for palaeontology in the Eocene of British Columbia as evidenced at the GSA Topical Session in Vancouver. The symposium organizers are planning to publish papers from the session as a special volume. A related highlight from the meeting was an impromptu field trip by Archibald and Greenwood to locate some classic Eocene Huntingdon Formation Kitsilano Member sites on metropolitan Vancouver beaches. Two sites were found with abundant leaf fossils at Kitsilano Beach. Older reports on the palynology of these sites will be reassessed by David Greenwood and his students at Brandon University. David R. Greenwood Department of Biology, Brandon University Brandon, Manitoba Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 26 Vancouver Views Julian Boldy Award 2014 The west building of the Vancouver Convention Centre, venue for the Geological Society of America 2014 Annual Meeting. Despite the rain and cloudy weather, the outdoor patios of main level restaurants were popular lunchtime and evening meeting places. During breaks between sessions, the lobby area outside the meeting rooms on the second level provided an ideal venue to check e-mail, figure out which paper to go listen to next, chat to colleagues, or just watch the float planes taking off and landing on the waters of Burrard Inlet. Carlin Lentz stands beside his thesis supervisor Dr Chris M. McFarlane. Carlin received the Julian Boldly Award at the Geological Association of Canada meeting in Fredericton in May 2014. The award comprises a certificate and a cheque for $1500. Carlin attends the University of New Brunswick and presented work from his undergraduate thesis entitled: “Petrogenesis of the Early Devonian Lake George auriferous polymetallic system, southwestern New Brunswick: Evidence from LA ICP-MS analyses and in situ sulphur isotopes”. Funding for his project was provided by the New Brunswick Department of Energy and Mines (NB DEM), through Dr. Kathleen Thorne, who also co-supervised the project. The Julian Boldy Certificate Award is sponsored by the Mineral Deposits Division of GAC® and is given for the most significant and creative papers presented at the MDD session at the annual meeting. The east building of the Convention Centre is Canada Place, famous for its distinctive sail-like roof-line. GEOLOG Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 27 Summary of Queen’s Logan Student Chapter 2014 Activities In the spring of 2014 nine members of the Queen’s Logan Student Chapter undertook a five day student-led geological field trip to the Abitibi district in northern Ontario and Quebec. The purpose of this trip was to learn about the local and regional geology, network with industry and government geologists, and see active mining and exploration techniques. In the Agnico-Eagle LaRonde mine Looking at a geologic map in the Agnico-Eagle LaRonde mine Trip participants on outcrop near Rouyn-Noranda All images courtesy Thomas Maguire Trip participants took part in active learning about local geology by contributing to the guidebook before the trip and engaging with local geologists on outcrop and mine tours. Each individual prepared an entry to the guidebook, focussing on an aspect of regional geology, a particular deposit type, or a specific mine. During the trip the group went on outcrop tours of the Kirkland Lake and Rouyn-Noranda areas, as well as seeing the classic exposures of the Pyke Hill komatiite flow. Stops and discussion focussed around regional tectonics and structures, volcanology, and economic mineralization. Opportunities were provided for trip participants to meet and learn from industry and government professionals during outcrop tours and mine visits. This gave participants a chance to see the types of GEOLOG Entering the Aurico Gold Young Davidson mine careers available in the region and engage with experienced geoscientists. Active participation was encouraged with each individual informally presenting and discussing the topic of their guidebook contribution. Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 28 Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences (CFES) Update Duelling hand lenses at a roadside outcrop near Kirkland Lake Group mapping exercise at Hecla Mining exploration site Participants also learned about economic geology, mine and exploration techniques, and characteristic deposits of the Abitibi region during mine and exploration site tours. The group toured the AuRico Young-Davidson orogenic gold underground mine and the Agnico-Eagle LaRonde volcanogenic massive sulphide underground mine. Through these tours, participants learned about the different deposit types in the area as well as underground mining techniques. Hecla Mining provided the group the opportunity to learn about exploration techniques, with core logging and mapping exercises on two of their local projects. The trip participants are grateful to the Geological Association of Canada, Society of Economic Geologists, and Queen’s Student Initiative Fund for the financial support that made this awesome field trip possible; faculty at Queen’s University for their logistical support; and the mining company and government geologists for their time and energy mentoring young geoscientists. Rohanna Gibson Queen’s Logan Chapter GEOLOG CFES is the umbrella organization for the earth sciences in Canada. GAC® is a founding member and a long time supporter of the organization, which held its annual meeting in Ottawa over the weekend of November 28-29. Last year CFES, under the leadership of President Scott Swinden and President-Elect Sandra Barr, undertook a major renewal effort and revised its strategic plan in terms of six strategic objectives, the foremost of which is to become the “coordinated voice of earth sciences in Canada”. This year has seen a focus on putting the plan into action, one of the most important accomplishments being the securing of Sarina Controneo as a volunteer communications director. Sarina is currently working on ways of promoting earth science interest through social media and will also be looking at ways of increasing awareness of CFES amongst earth science societies – which unfortunately is not as great as it should be. CFES is also engaged in a number of other activities that help promote earth science awareness and literacy to both a Canadian and international audience. Four Billion Years and Counting: Canada’s Geological Heritage This monumental publication, which has been in preparation for many years, has finally been printed in both English and French versions. The book, which is designed as an outreach publication, describes the geological Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 29 evolution of Canada in a beautifully illustrated format. It was prepared from the contributions of over 100 co-authors and edited by the volunteer team of Robert Fensome, Graham Williams, Aïcha Achab, John Clague, David Corrigan, Jim Monger and Godfrey Nowlan, and is co-published by CFES and Nimbus Publishing. Publication launches were held through November in Halifax, Calgary and Québec City. A website is in preparation and will be part of the earthsciences.com site, as is CFES (see below). The publication came just in time for Christmas and makes a great present for the geologically inclined. Copies can be obtained directly from Nimbus Publishing, or from the GAC® bookstore (www.gac.ca/wp/?page_id=2651). The book represents a huge achievement by the Canadian geoscience community and it is fitting that it be published by CFES. As such it will be an immensely valuable tool for conveying the grandeur of Canada’s geological heritage to professional and lay audiences alike. Vancouver 2018 – Resources for Future Generations meeting This meeting is sponsored by the IUGS as part of its international program on resourcing future generations, and will be held as an inter-IGC conference in Vancouver in May 2018. CFES is the Canadian host for the meeting but a national organizing committee under the leadership of Kendra Johnston is carrying out the bulk of the organization. Although still in its early stages, the meeting is starting to take shape and promises to be a major international event. GAC®, together with our colleagues in MAC, intend to be major partners in the event, although the details of that participation are still being worked out. science to the lay public but especially to students and school teachers. These activities continue unabated and form an integral part of GAC®’s annual science meetings. CFES also supervises the development of the CanGeoRef database, which is approaching completion on a first pass basis. International Affairs CFES continues to represent Canada at IUGS and other international forums. Of especial importance this year was the re-constitution of the Canadian National Committee (CNC) for the International Geological Correlation Project (IGCP), which had been threated by severe budget cuts within UNESCO. The CNC has been repopulated and is now once again active in responding to the needs of Canadian researchers involved in IGCP projects. CFES is also responsible for Canadian initiatives under UNESCO’s Geoparks program and this year was pleased to see the approval of Tumbler Ridge as Canada’s second Geopark. The CFES annual meeting also marked the retirement of Godfrey Nowlan from the CFES Board of Directors. As many of you know, Godfrey has been a tireless promoter of outreach activities in Canada, most recently as chair of the Canadian National Committee for Geoparks, and will be greatly missed at the CFES table. In closing, CFES is continuing to build its capacity to be the coordinated voice of the earth sciences in Canada, but to do so it needs the full support of the Canadian geoscience community. To learn more about CFES and its programs visit earthsciencescanada.com/cfes/ Outreach activities Many GAC® members will be aware of the outstanding work carried out by the Canadian Geoscience Education Network (CGEN) and EdGEO programs that promote awareness of earth GEOLOG Richard Wardle Past President GAC® and CFES representative Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 30 Four Billion Years and Counting: Canada’s Geological Heritage Launched on November 5 2014 Almost ten years’ work came to fruition in November 2014 with an event to mark the launch of Four Billion Years and Counting. Held at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic (MMA) in Halifax, the event was attended by about 75 people, including members of the editorial team and some of the book’s contributors. The book had been advertised and went on sale some time earlier—copies were available at the GSA meeting in Vancouver in October—and by the launch date some 1600 copies had already been sold. The French language volume became available in early 2015. The book sold well at the MMA store on the evening of the Halifax launch. By the end of the evening, attendees at the event had picked up 14 copies. All images from the launch courtesy Vic Fraser Rob Fensome and Graham Williams displaying smiles of relief. The project has been brought to a successful conclusion! Late in 2014, a companion website was launched. The website includes a rich array of information for readers and educators, including images and PowerPoint files. It can be reached at www.fbycbook.com/ The site also provides a link to the publishers’ websites where copies of the book can be purchased. Robert Giguère (director-general, Géologie Québec) and Aïcha Achab (lead, French language volume ) GEOLOG Jennifer Bates Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Additional details compiled by GEOLOG Editor Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 31 Announcements GAC® announces the new “GAC®-PDAC Logan Student Prize” The “GAC®-PDAC Logan Student Prize” will be awarded annually to one undergraduate student at each CCCESD-member department (~32 departments). The prize will consist of a monetary award, one-year memberships in both GAC® and PDAC, and an electronic certificate affirming that the student won the GAC® -PDAC Logan Student Prize. All CCCESD-member departments will receive the Prize Package and it is up to each department to award the prize and report to GAC® Headquarters ([email protected]) the successful candidate’s name and contact information, as well as a brief biography. That information will be used to promote the program as well as the winners. Criteria for the prize The intent is that undergraduate students who are selected for this prize should be academically sound, have good leadership skills (e.g., as they pertain to organizing field trips, geology club geoevents, etc.), and have done well at field school or otherwise show proficiency in field techniques. A student in his/her final (i.e., graduation) year is preferred. Selection of the student We suggest that students should be given the opportunity to nominate fellow undergraduate candidates for the award, but that faculty ultimately choose the winner from among those nominated. Having students involved in the award process will increase awareness of the award and hence of GAC® and PDAC who sponsor it. The onus for selecting a student will fall on the GAC® Campus Representative, the Department Head, and/or the departmental Awards Officer. The GAC® Councillor charged as Campus Liaison coordinator will be in charge of reminding departments of the award and ensuring that a student is selected annually. GEOLOG Deadline for submission of the selected student’s name and a short biography to GAC® Headquarters ([email protected]): February 15 Advertising the GAC-PDAC Logan Student Prize The student selected for the prize from each department will be publicized in GEOLOG and on departmental websites. GAC® and PDAC will also promote the Logan Student Prize through their respective social media channels, to raise awareness amongst students. The criteria for the Prize, in addition to a short paragraph outlining Logan’s accomplishments and impact on Canadian geoscience, will accompany the winners’ names. DIG 2015 The next Developing International Geoarchaeology meeting, DIG 2015, will be held in Sardinia, June 9-12 2015, immediately following the Micromorphology Workshop there June 5-8. Abstract submissions are now being accepted at [email protected] with a deadline of February 28. See the DIG website for more details: www.developinginternationalgeoarchaeology.org STRATI 2015 The 2nd International Congress on Stratigraphy will be held July 19-23 2015 in Graz, Austria. The technical program will range from the Archean to the Holocene, across all techniques and applications of stratigraphy and the discoveries that the stratigraphic record reveals about the Earth system. It will also serve as the primary venue for the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS ) business, for ICS subcommissions to meet and awarding the ICS stratigraphy prizes. The Congress is co-sponsored by SEPM and STEPPE. For more details, please see strati2015.uni-graz.at/ Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 32 Geoscience Canada Annual CGF Invitation for Grant Applications The Canadian Geological Foundation invites all interested parties to submit grant proposals for the next round of grants selection. The Secretary must receive your application by March 31, 2015. The Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to assist in the development of geological sciences in Canada. In principle, grants are made only in support of activities of national interest and broad significance, with emphasis on those of long-term importance. Grants are made only on the basis of written applications giving a summary and detailed budget of the proposed project. The Foundation disburses more than $150,000 annually. Note that grants are paid upon completion of the project. The CGF uses a three-tiered grant system related to the size of the grants being requested: small grants (<$10,000), medium grants ($10,001 to $30,000) and one large grant per year of up to $45,000. In addition, the Foundation will consider the possibility of Multi-Year Grants (i.e., approval of a continuing grant for specific amounts to be paid in each of up to 4 years). Application forms and detailed instructions are available on the CGF website at www.canadiangeologicalfoundation.org. Please submit applications electronically as a PDF file to the Secretary. Applicants are urged to read the instructions carefully to ensure that their application meets the Foundation’s grant criteria and that it is complete. Incomplete applications will not be returned for correction. Queries about the Canadian Geological Foundation should be addressed to the Secretary: Jane Wynne B 9561 Canora Road Sidney, British Columbia, V8L 1P4 Email: [email protected] GEOLOG A journal published quarterly by the Geological Association of Canada. The current issue requires subscription or individual articles are available for purchase through the UNB website at the time of selection. Browse articles at journals.hil.unb.ca/ index.php/GC/issue/archive On-line archives are open access from 2004 to 2012. Subscriptions: GAC® members receive four issues of Geoscience Canada per year for $40; nonmembers ($50). To obtain institutional subscriptions, please contact Érudit at www.erudit.org. Volume 41 Number 1 Professional Affairs Legal and Ethical Responsibilities of Geoscientists in Environmental Geology by R. Reichelt, p. 1 Harold Williams Series Ediacaran–Middle Paleozoic Oceanic Voyage of Avalonia from Baltica via Gondwana to Laurentia: Paleomagnetic, Faunal and Geological Constraints by J.D. Keppie and D.F. Keppie, p. 5 The Timing of Strike-Slip Deformation Along the Storstrømmen Shear Zone, Greenland Caledonides: U–Pb Zircon and Titanite Geochronology by B.W. Hallett, W.C. McClelland, and J.A. Gilotti, p. 19 Series Igneous Rock Associations 12 A Geologist’s Look at Archaeological Ceramics and Glass by J.V. Owen and J.D. Greenough, p. 46 Igneous Rock Associations 13 Focusing on the Central American Subduction Zone by J.A. Walker and E. Gazel, p. 57 Modern Analytical Facilities 2 A Review of Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) Procedures for Lithogeochemical Data by S.J. Piercey, p. 75 Remote Predictive Mapping 5 Using a Lidar Derived DEM to Test the Influence of Variable Overburden Thickness and Bedrock on Drainage and Basin Morphology by T.L. Webster, J.C. Gosse, I. Spooner, and J.B. Murphy, p. 89 Volume 41, Number 2 Column The Tooth of Time: Conrad Gebelein by P. F. Hoffman, p. 105 Harold Williams Series Ode to Field Geology of Williams: Fleur de Lys Nectar Still Fermenting on Belle Isle by M.J. de Wit and R. Armstrong, p. 118 Time-Transgressive Salinic and Acadian Orogenesis, Magmatism and Old Red Sandstone Sedimentation in Newfoundland by C.R. van Staal, A. Zagorevski, V.J. McNicoll, and N. Rogers, p. 138 Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 33 The Ocean – Continent Transition Zones Along the Appalachian – Caledonian Margin of Laurentia: Examples of Large-Scale Hyperextension During the Opening of the Iapetus Ocean by D.M. Chew and C.R. van Staal, p. 165 Connecting Cape Breton Island and Newfoundland, Canada: Geophysical Modeling of pre-Carboniferous ‘Basement’ Rocks in the Cabot Strait Area by S. M. Barr, S.A. Dehler, and L. Zsámboki, p. 186 Geology, Mantle Tomography, and Inclination Corrected Paleogeographic Trajectories Support Westward Subduction During Cretaceous Orogenesis in the North American Cordillera by R.S. Hildebrand, p. 207 The Ayyubid Orogen: An Ophiolite Obduction-Driven Orogen in the Late Cretaceous of the Neo-Tethyan South Margin by A.M. Celâl Şengör and J. Stock, p. 225 Volume 41, Number 3 Paul F. Hoffman Series Arc and Slab-Failure Magmatism in Cordilleran Batholiths I – The Cretaceous Coastal Batholith of Peru and its Role in South American Orogenesis and Hemispheric Subduction Flip by R.S. Hildebrand and J.B. Whalen, p. 255 Memories of Pre-Jurassic Lost Oceans: How To Retrieve Them From Extant Lands by Y. Isozaki, p. 283 Harold Williams Series The Origin of Laurentia: Rae Craton as the Backstop for ProtoLaurentian Amalgamation by Slab Suction by P. F. Hoffman, p. 313 A Mechanism for Tectonic Inheritance at Transform Faults of the Iapetan Margin of Laurentia by W.A. Thomas, p. 321 Crustal Evolution of the Northeast Laurentian Margin and the Peri -Gondwanan Microcontinent Ganderia Prior to and During Closure of the Iapetus Ocean: Detrital Zircon U–Pb and Hf Isotope Evidence from Newfoundland by A.P. Willner, A. Gerdes, H.-J. Massonne, C.R. van Staal, and A. Zagorevski, p. 345 Series Igneous Rock Associations 14 The Volcanic Setting of VMS and SMS Deposits: A Review by P.-S. Ross and P. Mercier-Langevin, p. 365 Volume 41, Number 4 GAC Medallist Series Logan Medallist 1 Seeking the Suture: The Coast-Cascade Conundrum by J.W.H. Monger, p. 379 Paul F. Hoffman Series Arc and Slab-Failure Magmatism in Cordilleran Batholiths II – The Cretaceous Peninsular Ranges Batholith of Southern and Baja California by R.S. Hildebrand and J.B. Whalen, p. 399 Harold Williams Series Taconic Metamorphism Preserved in the Baie Verte Peninsula, Newfoundland Appalachians: Geochronological Evidence for Ophiolite Obduction and Subduction and Exhumation of the Leading Edge of the Laurentian (Humber) Margin During Closure GEOLOG of the Taconic Seaway by S. Castonguay, C.R. van Staal, N. Joyce, T. Skulski, and J.P. Hibbard, p. 459 The Grand Manan Terrane of New Brunswick: Tectonostratigraphy and Relationship to the Gondwanan Margin of the Iapetus Ocean by L.R. Fyffe, p. 283 Detrital Zircon Geochronology Across the Chopawamsic Fault, Western Piedmont of North-Central Virginia: Implications for the Main Iapetan Suture in the Southern Appalachian Orogen by K.S. Hughes, J. P. Hibbard, J.C. Pollock, D.J. Lewis, and B.V. Miller, p. 503 Lawrence Head Volcanics and Dunnage Mélange, Newfoundland Appalachians: Origin by Ordovician Ridge Subduction or in Back-Arc Rift? by A. Schoonmaker, W.S.F. Kidd, S.E. DeLong, and J.F. Bender, p. 523 Series Remote Predictive Mapping 6 A Comparison of Different Remotely Sensed Data for Classifying Bedrock Types in Canada’s Arctic: Application of the Robust Classification Method and Random Forests by J.R. Harris, J.X. He, R. Rainbird, and P. Behnia, p. 557 Forthcoming Articles GAC Medallist Series: Logan Medallist 2 Geophysics and Geology: An Essential Combination Illustrated by LITHOPROBE Interpretations –Part 1, Lithospheric Examples by R.M. Clowes Harold Williams Series Does the Meguma Terrane Extend into SW England? by R.D. Nance, E.R. Neace, J.A. Braid, J.B. Murphy, N. Dupuis, and R.K. Shail Tectonic setting and evolution of the Grenville Orogen: An assessment of progress over the last 40 years by Toby Rivers From Large Zones to Small Terranes to Detailed Reconstruction of an Early to Middle Ordovician Arc – Backarc System Preserved Along the Iapetus Suture Zone: A Legacy of Hank Williams by A. Zagorevski, V.J. McNicoll, C.R. van Staal, A. Kerr, and N. Joyce Series Igneous Rock Associations Advances in the Textural Quantification of Crystalline Rocks by M.D. Higgins The Columbia River Basalt Group: A Flood Basalt Province in the Pacific Northwest, USA by S.P. Reidel The Late Permian Emeishan Large Igneous Province by J.G. Shellnutt Articles “ALL THAT GLITTERS …”: The Scientific and Financial Ambitions of Robert Bell at the Geological Survey of Canada by I.A. Brookes An Integrated Stratigraphic Approach to Investigating Evidence of Paleoearthquakes in Lake Deposits of Eastern Canada by G.R. Brooks Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014 34 Howard Street Robinson Fund The Robinson Fund was established in 1977 by the Geological Association of Canada, using a bequest from the estate of Howard Street Robinson. The fund is dedicated to the furtherance of scientific study of Precambrian Geology and Metal Mining by: sponsoring an annual Distinguished Lecturer Tour whose focus alternates between Precambrian research and economic geology (lecturer alternately chosen by the GAC®’s Precambrian and Mineral Deposits divisions) supporting Special Projects including publications, symposia and conferences. Proposals for special projects on Precambrian Geology or Metal Mining should be submitted to the Robinson Fund Committee. Projects should be sponsored or organized through the GAC® or one of its Divisions or Sections. Proposals that have a wide appeal or degree of accessibility to the GAC® membership are preferred. For further information and proposal submissions, please contact: Patrick Mercier-Langevin, Chairman, Robinson Fund, c/o Geological Survey of Canada, 490 rue de la Couronne, Québec (Québec) G1K 9A9, Tel: 418 654-3101, E-mail: [email protected] The Last Word Putting together this first issue of GEOLOG has been an enjoyable learning experience. As contributions arrived and the design developed, I have gained a greater appreciation for the breadth and diversity of geoscience activities in Canada. I want to thank all contributors to this issue. I’m looking forward to meeting more GAC® colleagues, by e-mail at least, and receiving articles for future issues of the newsletter. If you attend a conference, participate in a workshop, undertake some fieldwork, prepare an intriguing fossil, spot an interesting outcrop, or visit a classic site, please consider taking an image or two and sharing your observations with your colleagues in geoscience. Alwynne B. Beaudoin, GEOLOG Editor Information for Contributors Consignes aux auteurs Contributions should be submitted by e-mail to [email protected], with GEOLOG in the subject line. Contributions are welcome in either of Canada’s two official languages. MS Word (.doc or .docx) is the preferred format for contribution but generic word processing (.rtf or .txt) files are also fine. Please do not submit PDF files. Up to four hi-res images may be submitted per contribution: preferred format is .jpg, RGB colour, with a minimum 300 dpi resolution at 5” x 3” size. Please ensure that images are cropped and colour-corrected, and provide a caption for each image, and an image credit line if needed. Contributors are responsible for securing permission to publish for any third-party images or images of living recognizable people. Diagrams (vector graphics) may also be submitted. Preferred format for graphics is Adobe Illustrator (.ai); make sure that the file is saved with “save text as lines” option enabled to ensure no font substitutions. Additional information on other file formats can be obtained from the Editor. Please do not embed images or graphics in your text document; images or graphics should be submitted as separate files. In your text, use a call-out in parentheses to indicate the approximate placement of each image and graphic. If files are larger than 10 mb, please contact the Editor for alternate delivery arrangements. Your contribution will be copy-edited to ensure consistent spelling and orthography and to correct any obvious typos or errors. Contributions may also be edited for clarity and length. If the Editor has questions about specific information in the text, she will contact contributors for clarification. Contribution deadlines are February 27, June 5, September 4 and November 30. Les contributions d’auteur doivent être soumises par courriel à [email protected], en indiquant GEOLOG à la rubrique Objet. Les articles seront acceptés dans l’une des deux langues officielles du Canada. Les fichiers de format MS Word (.doc ou .docx) sont préférables, mais les formats génériques (.rtf ou .txt) sont aussi acceptables. Veillez ne pas soumettre de fichiers au format PDF. Par article, jusqu'à quatre images haute résolution peuvent être soumises; format préféré est .jpg, couleurs RVB, avec un minimum de 300 PPP en taille 5 po x 3 po. Veillez vous assurez que les images sont recadrées et leurs couleurs corrigées, qu’elles sont accompagnées d’une légende ainsi que des informations de référence le cas échéant. Il est de la responsabilité des auteurs d’obtenir la permission de publier toute image de tiers ou de personne reconnaissable. Des diagrammes (graphiques vectoriels) peuvent également être soumis. Le format préféré pour les diagrammes est celui d’Adobe Illustrator (.ai); assurez-vous que le fichier est sauvegardé avec l’option « Sauvegarder le texte comme ligne » activée pour éviter toute substitution de police de caractère. On peut obtenir des informations sur d'autres formats de fichiers en communicant avec l’éditrice. S’il vous plaît ne pas incorporer d’images ou de graphiques dans votre texte; ces images ou graphiques doivent être soumis sous forme de fichiers distincts. Dans votre texte, veillez utiliser des notes numérotées entre parenthèses pour indiquer l'emplacement approximatif de chaque image et graphique. Dans le cas de fichiers dépassant 10 Mo, veuillez contacter l'éditrice pour convenir des modalités de téléchargement. Vos articles seront révisés afin d’en assurer la cohérence orthographique et corriger les fautes de frappe ou erreurs évidentes. Les articles pourront aussi être corrigés pour plus de clarté et éviter des longueurs. Dans les cas où l'éditrice aurait besoin d’informations particulières concernant le texte, elle communiquera avec les auteurs. Les dates limites pour soumettre des articles sont le 27 février, le 5 juin, le 4 septembre et le 30 novembre. GEOLOG Volume 43, Number / Numéro 4, Winter / Hiver 2014