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Next Meeting

Please join us for the Michigan Basin Geological Society’s membership meetings for the 2022-2023 

MBGS Membership Meeting Wednesday, March 8th, 2023, 7:00PM

Zoom Meeting

Speaker: Evangelia (Evie) Murgia, Michigan Geological Survey

Topic: Michigan Geological Survey – Tools and Programs at Your Fingertips

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89053576903?pwd=T1NtM2tSaGxTN3pWdER1QitEbXpsUT09

Meeting ID: 890 5357 6903

Passcode: 100966

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+16469313860,,89053576903#,,,,*100966# US

Abstract: Michigan Geological Survey – Tools and Programs at Your Fingertips

The Michigan Geological Survey (MGS) collects, archives, and disseminates geological information to advance the understanding and responsible use of Michigan's geologic resources. As part of our mission, the MGS YouTube channel serves as a valuable tool
for education and outreach efforts to the general public, students, and other stakeholders. The MGS YouTube channel is designed to provide engaging, educational content that highlights the diverse geological features of Michigan and the important role they play in our daily lives. Our videos cover topics such as mineral resources, groundwater, geologic hazards, and
Michigan's unique geology and landscapes. The channel also features video tours of the Michigan core repository and laboratory facilities (Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education), as well as presentations by MGS scientists on their research and findings. In addition to our YouTube channel, MGS is dedicated to improving geoscience accessibility for all. One of our most recent efforts is a pilot program that displays state park and recreation trail maps as 3-dimensional topographic maps. This tool allows visitors to better plan their routes and moderate expectations based on personal limitations by more directly
seeing physical obstacles. This product is accomplished by 3-D rendering a georeferenced DNR park trail map to local lidar generated topography maps and is publicly available as an online web application, hosted through ArcGIS. This pilot program enhances accessibility by providing additional tools such as measuring ability, a transparency meter of the park trail map over
aerial imagery, and feature layers for potential physical obstacles. This product is available for popular destinations across Michigan, including but not limited to Porcupine Mountains State Wilderness Park, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Muskegon State Park, and the Pigeon River Country State Forest. Potential future developments of this project include the expansion of
state parks and recreation areas to be included in the service, and the addition of a public comment platform for personal sharing of service case usage. The MGS YouTube channel and our pilot program for enhanced accessibility park and recreation maps are two valuable tools for education and outreach. Our YouTube channel provides engaging and informative content,
while our pilot program empowers park visitors to better plan their trips with a greater level of knowledge and confidence in their abilities relative to the location. MGS is dedicated to improving geoscience accessibility for all, and we look forward to
future developments in this area. 

Biography: Evangelia (Evie) Murgia

Evangelia (Evie) Murgia is a hydrogeologist and project manager for the Michigan Geological Survey in Kalamazoo, MI. Her work with MGS over the last three years has involved managing multi-phase projects and bringing them to successful completion. Currently, she is overseeing a project that deals with Michigan’s statewide water well database. This project includes
automation of validation processes using ArcPython, hydrogeologic mapping, and production of educational and training content. Evie earned her Master of Science in Earth Science from Western Michigan University in 2022, studying fracture network modeling of contaminant transport in columnar jointed bedrock, as well as the effectiveness of varying methods for
early geoscience professional training. Prior to that, she received her Bachelor of Science in Geology from Western Michigan University in 2019, where her research focused on the fundamental controls of dessication cracks in clay-rich sediments. Through her academic and professional experiences, Evie has developed a strong foundation in hydrogeology, project
management, and geoscience education.

Below are links to recordings of the past (3) MBGS meetings

A 3-D Bedrock Geologic and Hydrostratigraphic Model of Southern Ontario

Date: April 13th, 2022

Meeting Recording:

https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/NSxlqWFWWpT3pJL9CRiKnhj7PXfyCr76VpIvMo8-bSNcGdS9M4E67BBP4BQGIN1m.jGh9-MLDuhx-Wu82

Below are the 2 original presentations that Terry presented:

 

A Revised 3-D Geologic Model of the Bedrock of Southern Ontario and Progress on Development of a 3-D Hydrostratigraphic Model

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0VZLNMxpKU&list=PLdapv5BeduhV3JoX6F4giIHGRgYI6Bkag&index=2

A 3-D Bedrock Hydrostratigraphic Model of Southern Ontario

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgJmOHYZtak&list=PLdapv5BeduhXJZedclmAYiccOCcSuYsMW&index=20

Articles referenced in the presentation:

A Hydrostratigraphic Framework for the Paleozoic Bedrock of Southern Ontario

https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/GC/article/view/31465/1882527052

A Three-Dimensional Geological Model of the Paleozoic Bedrock of Southern Ontario,  Groundwater Resources Study 19 Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 8618

http://www.geologyontario.mndm.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/pub/data/imaging/GRS019//GRS019_Report.pdf

Lake Michigan Shorelines, Catastrophic Failure or Stable, That is the Question, Date: Jan 12, 2022
Meeting Recording:
https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/-Gr3efOHXLqk_SSFJqsMG9VpAk8sbQc9WWZDroawji1DYfjnD84IfzTSsc3XYh78.zXGywtGcpy1j0c_B


Grand Canyon MBGS Field Excursions, Date: Feb 9, 2022 
Meeting Recording:

https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/tsuSxIgrJHVChOxJ_DNG93ORQWEHYy3QWyydUky3SNrZ350kolgUBVX1Ms_7ZWA2.-Lk0MwdVkDxLzXGz


MBGS ANNOUCES 2021-22 EZ MANOS SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Madeleline Tan, Undergrad Student, University of Michigan, Advisor: Jeroen Ritsema Title: Seismic Receiver function analysis of the Michigan Basin

The Michigan basin is an intracratonic basin approximately 400 km wide (Howell and Van der Pluijm, 1999). It is nearly circular, reaching the largest depth to the cratonic basin sequence in present day Saginaw Bay region. Previous receiver function analysis indicates Moho depth beneath the Michigan basin reaches 53 km, thinning out beneath its flanks (Moidaki et al., 2013; Shen et al., 2013). Stein et al., 2015 posit the Moho depth is on average 45 km beneath the Michigan basin, owing to the combined result of crustal thinning, post-rift volcanism, sediment loading, and basin inversion (Watts et al., 2018). My project focuses on new seismological constraints of the crustal structure beneath Michigan and the broader Great Lakes region using P-to-s receiver functions calculated from the recordings of distant (> 4,000 km) earthquakes at seismometers in Michigan. We will use USGS seismometers in the central US and U-M seismometers near Lake Erie (courtesy of Professor Yihe Huang) to measure variations of the thickness of the crust and sediments within and outside the Michigan Basin. New seismic analyses of the structure of the crust beneath Michigan and surrounding states will help place the Michigan Basin in a broader tectonic context and to constrain dynamic scenarios of its origin. 

Mathew Bell, Graduate Student, Western Michigan University, Advisor: Dr. Peter Voice Title: Dam Failure – Hydrogeologic Consequences and Effects on the Tittabawassee and Tobacco Rivers and the groundwater systems in Southern Gladwin County, Michigan

In May 2020, a reservoir dam at the intersection of the Tittabawassee and the Tobacco Rivers collapsed resulting in a cascade of hydrogeologic and hydrologic changes in southern Gladwin County, Michigan. Along the two rivers, replacement water wells drilled since the event have shown that the water table has dropped up to 6 meters. Recent LiDAR imagery shows the water surface along the two rivers and the reservoir lake also exhibit a 6-meter drop compared to records prior to the event. A combination of water well records (Wellogic Database and more recent drillers reports) and integrating validated oil and gas well records were used to construct sections and maps of the bedrock and glacial surface and water table elevations (prior to- and post-event), for bedrock, and glacial geologic units. In order to better define the county bedrock surface, Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) passive seismic data was collected across the county study area to develop a regional contact. Well records and HVSR data better defines the bedrock surface in this region and will allow a better understanding of hydrogeologic connections between the glacial sediment cover and the underlying Paleozoic bedrock. Using calibrated passive seismic measurements, the bedrock surface is analyzed to determine the complexity of the bedrock surface and interaction with the glacial drift, which can determine if there are
separate glacial and bedrock aquifer systems. The bedrock surface mapping and cross sections can provide a context for how the groundwater from the glacial material interacts with the bedrock material below.
Geology in the News

New Survey Publication – An Updated Bibliography of Michigan Geology

John Yellich and Peter Voice, Western Michigan University Department of Geological Sciences and Michigan Geological Survey


The Michigan Geological Survey is proud to announce a new publication: Michigan Geology: A Bibliography, the second volume in the Michigan Geological Survey Data Compilation Series. This updated compilation lists over 7,700 references from all known Michigan sources, including industry, professional associations and universities and includes publications from 1818 to present. This report documents 200 years of Geological Research in Michigan. The Bibliography is sorted into four general categories – Precambrian, Basin, Quaternary, and Other.
This updated version of the bibliography also includes a short section on Michigan Stratigraphic Nomenclature, as well as brief discussion of historical trends in publication frequency in Michigan.

The report is free to download at the Michigan Geological Survey’s webpage: https://wmich.edu/geologysurvey/research/publications.

MI_GEOL_BIBLIO_VOL2_COVER.jpg
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON MEMORIAL

Douglass Houghton, Michigan’s first State Geologist, was honored on September 10, 2016 by
the placement of a State of Michigan Historical Marker commemorating his accomplishments. The
effort was led by Arlene Anderson‐Vincent, members of the Michigan Basin Geological Society,
Keweenaw County Historical Society and faculty at Western Michigan University and Michigan
Technological University. The dedication was incorporated into a MBGS field excursion led by
Professor Ted Bornhorst of Michigan Technological University and Lawrence Molloy, President of the Keweenaw County Historical Society. The two led a field excursion that covered the geology and history of sites from Houghton to Copper Harbor and wove a tale of the rise and fall of mining in the copper range. The field excursion included the dedication of the marker, which is located in Eagle River, Michigan at the Keweenaw County Historical Museum. The dedication had many speakers and a special appearance from Kyle Bagnall, who portrayed Bela Hubbard who told the story of Douglass Houghton’s 1840 expedition along Lake Superior. Douglass Houghton died in 1845 when the boat carrying himself and his crew capsized during a storm on Lake Superior near Eagle River.

     

  Michigan Basin Geological Society

The Michigan Basin Geological Society (MBGS) was founded in 1936 as an affiliated non-profit organization of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas relating to the field of petroleum geology through field excursions and meetings.

Throughout the years, the role of the society has changed, and both meetings and field excursions now address a wide range of topics pertaining to the study of geology of Michigan and the great lakes area, and is open to anyone interested in geology.

MBGS has monthly meetings typically on the second Wednesday of each month from September through May. These meeting consist of a lecture on a wide variety of Michigan geology related topics. The meetings are open to all. The Executive Committee Officers meet prior to the meeting to discuss Society issues and is open to anyone interested in attending. The society has 1-3 geological field trips per year.

MBGS members are geologists, work in a geology related field, or are a geology student or hobbyist. The Society is dedicated to the advancement of the science of geology and related fields, disseminating knowledge of geology or related fields for the benefit of its members, and promoting the education of geology in Michigan. Annual dues are $35 per person and $10 per student.

Upcoming Events

March 8, 2023: MBGS Meeting 

April 12, 2023: MBGS Meeting 

April 11-12, 2023: EGLE MI Healthy Climate Conference, MI Healthy Climate Conference - Michigan Department of
Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (idloom.events)

April 23-26, 2023, Institute on Lake Superior Geology, Eau Claire, Wisconsin,

 

May 4-5th, 2023, GSA 2023 North-Central Section 57th Annual Meeting  Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, 

https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/Events/Section_Meetings/GSA/Sections/nc/2023mtg/home.aspx

May 10, 2022: MBGS Meeting- tentative

May 19-21, 2023, 58th Midwest Friends of the Pleistocene field conference :The Glacial and Geomorphic Evolution of the Houghton Lake Basin Roscommon, Mi.

June 13-14, 2023, AIPG Environmental Risk Management Workshop, Roscommon, Mi

June 21-22, 2023: Michigan Environmental Justice Conference Michigan Environmental Justice Conference - Michigan
Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (idloom.events)

EGLE Calendar of Training and Workshops
https://www.michigan.gov/egle/0,9429,7-135-3308_3333---,00.html

Michigan State University, College of Natural Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Science,
Events https://ees.natsci.msu.edu/events/


Michigan Tech – Geoseminars ‐ http://pages.mtu.edu/~raman/SilverI/Geoseminar/Welcome.html


University of Michigan Earth and Environmental Science
Events https://lsa.umich.edu/earth


Western Michigan University, Geological and Environmental Sciences
Events https://wmich.edu/geology/events

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