New issue of electronic "Arizona Geology"magazine

We converted our quarterly magazine Arizona Geology to electronic online format nearly two years ago, initially as a cost savings measure, but we also were excited about opportunities offered by the new approach to use more photos and color, include videos, and have as much space as a story needed.

The Summer 2010 issue of Arizona Geology went live yesterday. Editor Mike Conway has compiled a wonderful set of articles including the origin of the Grand Canyon, geologic mapping of the Verde River, small earthquakes in Arizona, and how lidar is being used here.

We have guest pieces from Flagstaff geologist and author par excellence Wayne Ranney and one of ASU's sharpest grad students, David Haddad.

I've heard from some of our readers around the state and country who miss the paper copy of the mag they used to get in the mail, but many didn't realize it is now online and more robust than ever. We invite you to rediscover Arizona Geology.

Piranha 3-D - 10 minute 'splatterfest' preview

This preview of the Lake Havasu-based film about prehistoric piranha turned loose on spring breakers, was supposed to be previewed at Comic-Con in San Diego, but it was considered too gory. I understand why. Be warned - this really is bloody and graphic. And that's just in 2-D.

Piranha 3D NSFW Sizzle Reel - Insane SplatterfestVing Rhames, Jerry O'Connell

New core complexes found with Shuttle radar

AZGS Senior Geologist Jon Spencer published the cover article in the August issue of GSA Today, on metapmorphic core complexes and detachment faults in Indonesia, interpreted from Shuttle radar.

Here is a short history of Jon's work on core complexes and the new discoveries just published:

In 1977 Tucson was host to a Geological Society of America Penrose conference on “metamorphic core complexes”. This was a new name to the tectonics community, and a new feature that was not well understood at the time. These tectonic features are characterized by gently to moderately dipping shear zones that formed at sufficient temperature for quartz to shear plastically. The resulting sheared rocks, known as “mylonites”, are on display in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson and South Mountains south of Phoenix. It is now known that they were produced when the sheared rocks were uplifted from great depth in the Earth (~10-15 km) due to displacement below moderately to gently dipping normal faults known as “detachment” faults.

AZGS geologist Jon Spencer began working at the Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology (now the Arizona Geological Survey) in 1982, and with co-worker Steve Reynolds did an extensive study of the Buckskin-Harcuvar core complex in western Arizona. This led to production of Arizona Geological Survey Bulletin 198, published in 1989, and described in detail what turned out to be the largest terrestrial core complex on Earth. First identified in western North America, core complexes are now known in many parts of the world, including Spain, Switzerland, Norway, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Tibet, northern China, Mongolia, Thailand, Vietnam, New Guinea, and New Zealand. Furthermore, large numbers of them have been identified on the sea floor associated with sea-floor spreading at moderate rates, and a feature that may be the largest core complex in the solar system has been identified on Venus due to its distinctive grooved form.

In 2000 the space shuttle Endeavour surveyed much of the Earth with synthetic-aperture radar, yielding a detailed digital elevation model of most land on Earth. The resulting data have been placed on-line by Columbia University, with tools to display and study Earth’s topography (www.GeoMapApp.org). Spencer studied this data set (for fun he says, and at home during weekends) and identified two previously unidentified core complexes on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. One of these was described in an article in recently published AGS Digest 22 . The other, and two previously identified core complexes in Tibet and New Guinea, are described and analyzed in the August issue of GSA Today.

Ref: Structural analysis of three extensional detachment faults with data from the 2000 Space-Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, Jon E. Spencer, GSA Today, August, 2010, pp4-10, DOI: 10.1130/GSATG59A.1

How do we use 99 quadrillion Btu's of energy?

The US consumed over 99 Quads of energy in 2008. Where did it go? Over 57 Quads were unused, leaving less than half of the total to be useful energy.

The National Academies have posted an interactive diagram of energy systems as part of a feature on What You Need to Know about Energy. The flow diagram is based on work done at Lawrence Livermore National Lab.

The Academies says that for this analysis,

Hydro, wind, and solar electricity inputs are expressed using fossil-fuel plants’ heat rate to more easily account for differences between the conversion efficiency of renewables and the fuel utilization for combustion- and nuclear-driven systems. This enables hydro, wind, and solar to be counted on a similar basis as coal, natural gas, and oil. For this reason, the sum of the inputs for electricity differs slightly from the displayed total electricity output. Distributed electricity represents only retail electricity sales and does not include self-generation. The efficiency of electricity production is calculated as the total retail electricity delivered divided by the primary energy input into electricity generation. End use efficiency is estimated as 80% for residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, and as 25% for the transportation sector. Totals may not equal the sum of components due to independent rounding.

Presentations like this are crucial to rational discussions of energy policy in this country. There is widespread misunderstanding of where our energy comes from, with large parts of the public believing that renewable energy supplies vastly greater amounts of energy than it does and with little recognition of how most of our electricity is generated.

And think about the impacts of not producing the 57 Quads of energy that were not useful - on the economy, on business, the environment, on our checkbooks.


thanks to Sheril Kirstenbaum who blogs at Discovery Magazine's The Intersection, for spotting this.

Barb Murphy elected president of AIPG

Barbara Murphy, Senior Geologist with Clear Creek Associates in Scottsdale, has been voted in as President-Elect of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG). She assumes that office in 2011.

Barb is one of the most upbeat and energetic people I know. She is tireless in supporting the local, state, and national geologic communities. Congrats Barb!

UA professional development in mining short courses and webcasts

EduMine has released its fall schedule of webcast videos that offer credit towards a Certificate in Mining Studies offered by the University of British Columbias and the University of Arizona (see UAz Master of Engineering and Professional Certificates).

The courses listed above also qualify for the Master of Engineering and Professional Certificates from the University of Arizona. [right, credit Mining & Geologic Engineering, UA]

Vote to select NASA Desert RATS site in Arizona

NASA is inviting the public to help decide where in Arizona astronauts should drive the "Space Exploration Vehicle" (SEV) in September 2010 to explore and do geology field work as part of simulating a lunar mission.





NASA has taken two GigaPan panoramic images of the Desert RATS test site. You can look at these images and vote to help NASA decide which location to visit. The location that receives the most votes will be incorporated into the mission plan and the crew will go there in the SEV to perform field geology and collect rock samples. How to vote.

The Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS) is a NASA-led team of engineers, researchers, and scientists working together to prepare for future human and robotic exploration. The D-RATS 2010 mission involves field testing two "Space Exploration Vehicles" (SEV), which allow astronauts to spend two weeks (or more) living, working, and traveling across different planets. During D-RATS 2010, astronauts will use two SEV's to explore a lava flow and test science data collection, communications protocols, mission operations, and advanced technology.

Interactive map to track potash drilling

AZGS is releasing a new web service as an interactive map showing core holes permitted and drilled in the Holbrook basin of Arizona for potash exploration. The map shows potash isopach (thickness) contours, land ownership, and permitted wells with links to the permits on the Arizona Oil and Gas Conservation Commission web site.


http://services.azgs.az.gov/OnlineMaps/holbrookPotash.html

Carbon Capture & Storage Legislation

An AAAS policy alert reports that "Coal state Senators Rockefeller (D-WV) and Voinovich (R-OH) have introduced the Carbon Capture and Storage Deployment Act of 2010 (S. 3589), which would invest $20 billion over the next ten years to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The bill would support large-scale CCS pilot projects and establish a regulatory framework to monitor and govern long-term geological storage of carbon. The bill may be included in the Senate's climate and energy package."

Arizona gets a reported 36.4% of our electricity from burning coal (33.9% from natural gas, 23.6% from nuclear, and 5.8% from hydroelectric) as of last year [ref. America's Power] [right, coal-burning Navajo Generating Station near Page]

AZGS is participating in three projects to assess and characterize the potential for geologic sequestration of CO2 in Arizona.

Southern Arizona Centennial Summit set for Aug 10

I'm posting the announcement we received, in it entirety:

The Arizona Centennial Commission is holding its Southern Arizona Centennial Summit, Tuesday, August 10 in Tucson.

In attendance will be Southern Arizona’s Congressional Delegation, Tribal Councils, State Officials & Legislators, County Board of Supervisors, Mayors and Councils, Business and Community Leaders. The Centennial Summit offers a great opportunity to hear first-hand about Arizona’s Centennial signature projects, signature events and official sanctioned events being planned by the Arizona Centennial Commission, in collaboration with the Arizona Historical Advisory Commission and its Centennial Legacy Projects.

In addition to these great projects, the commission will provide information about statewide communities that are already making plans and how southern Arizona communities and organizations can participate in this once in a lifetime opportunity to reflect on Arizona’s past, present and future.

The presenters for the event will be Secretary of State Ken Bennett, Tucson Mayor Robert Walkup, and Arizona Centennial Commission Director Karen Churchard.

If you are interested in attending the Southern Arizona Centennial Summit, RSVP to cronan@arizona100.org or call 602-364-3697 by *August 3*.

Work plans for AASG geothermal data project

The AASG Geothermal Data Project's Science Advisory Board met in Tucson last Tuesday and Wednesday to review work plans for 33 of the states represented in populating the National Geothermal Data System. AZGS is managing the project for AASG.

The SAB is making recommendations to project managers on data priorities, quality assurance, and efforts to avoid duplication.

[right, from left to right: sitting, Arlene Anderson, DOE; Steve Richard, AZGS; Ed Deal, MT; Lisa Shevenell, NV; Catherine Martinez-Wells, AZGS; Lee Allison, AZGS; Chacko John, LA; and Rick Allis, UT. Not pictured, John Costain, VA]

cross-posted at www.stategeologists.blogspot.com

Carbonates support warm, wet Mars

ASU researcher Steven W. Ruff, is co-author of a new report published in Science, that concludes Mars had a warmer, wetter climate during its first billion years resulting from a denser CO2-rich atmosphere.

"Such an atmosphere should have led to the formation of outcrops rich in carbonate minerals, for which evidence has been sparse. Using the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, we have now identified outcrops rich in magnesium-iron carbonate (16 to 34 weight percent) in the Columbia Hills of Gusev crater. Its composition approximates the average composition of the carbonate globules in martian meteorite ALH 84001. The Gusev carbonate probably precipitated from carbonate-bearing solutions under hydrothermal conditions at near-neutral pH in association with volcanic activity..."

[right, "false-color Pancam image (Sol689_P2571) looking downslope over Algonquin and Comanche outcrops. Strike and dip are indicated by black lines and black arrow. The location of the MB and APXS workspace is indicated by the white circle. The inset locates from high to low elevation the olivine-rich outcrops Larry’s Bench (LB), Seminole (S), Algonquin (A), and Comanche (C) on Spirit’s traverse across Haskin Ridge down the southeast slope of Husband Hill. The distance between Algonquin and Comanche outcrops is ~85 m." Credits: NASA/JPL/Pancam and NASA/UA/HiRISE]

Potash forecast

Exploration is picking up on Arizona's potash resources in the Holbrook basin, so what's the market like for this key component of fertilizers?

Goldman's put out price expectations that are reported at Potash Investing News: "In 2010, they have potash sitting at $369, in 2011 $364, and in 2012 $365. In the short term, potash prices should recover from an average of $358 per tonne for the July-to-September period, the lowest since the first quarter of 2008, to $362 per tonne."

This is way above average prices of $50 per tonne just a few years ago, but way down from peaks of $600+, that reached nearly $1,000 on the spot market briefly.

No new potash mines have been developed anywhere in the world in the past 3 decades but Goldman noted that two significant projects are underway in Canada and Saudi Arabia, that could impact global supply and prices.

In other words, business as usual in the mining business.

What's the take on the Asarco - Southern Copper merger?

Grupo Mexico proposed combining their Southern Copper and Asarco subsidiaries into a one publicly traded unit. I've read a number of market analysts comments. One described the benefits of putting Grupo's mining assets into a company that can be valued separately from the company's railroad and oil-drilling operations.

Another raised questions as to whether shareholders would get their value by trading their Southern Copper shares for shares in the Americas Mining Corp, the Grupo subsidiary that controls Asarco. [right, credit Asarco]

Asarco is Tucson based. Southern Copper is Phoenix based with copper mining operations in Peru and Mexico. The Arizona Star lists Asarco's southern Arizona employment at 2,200.

Assessing the Flagstaff flood

We hear from Flagstaff Water that the flood and possible debris flows earlier this week took out two sections, 40 ft, of the pipe along Waterline Road that supplies 20% of Flagstaff's summer water. Continued rains and damage to the road have prevented crews from getting to the line from the bottom of the hill. AZGS geologists Ann Youberg and Jeri Young are working with federal and local officials to evaluate the possible role of debris flows in the events and evaluate the hazards on the recently burned hillsides above the community.

Most of the news media coverage has been on flooding in the Timberline [corrected 7-24-10, 17:44] and Doney Park subdivisions. Here are a couple photos Jeri took on July 22.

Proterozoic mantle source of western US porhyry ore deposits

A research article in the August issue of Earth & Planetary Science Letters offers a new view on the origin of giant porphyry ore deposits in the western US. Thomas Pettke and co-authors "propose that Cenozoic melting of subcontinental lithospheric mantle metasomatized by subduction fluids during early Proterozoic amalgamation of terranes to the Wyoming Craton provides the metal endowment and subduction flavour to the giant magmatic-hydrothermal Cu–Mo–Au ore deposits in western North America, which together constitute the world's major molybdenum ore province." [right, porphyry deposit model. Credit, USGS]

The abstract is available online.

Ref: "The magma and metal source of giant porphyry-type ore deposits, based on lead isotope microanalysis of individual fluid inclusions," Thomas Pettke, Felix Oberlia, and Christoph A. Heinricha, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 296, Issues 3-4, 1 August 2010, Pages 267-277, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.05.007

Really bad video of Tempe Town Lake dam burst

Tempe officials released terrible quality surveillance video of Tuesday night's dam failure at Tempe Town Lake. There is a bright flash, that reportedly is the bursting of the rubber structure. But I'm hard pressed to confirm that. However, after that section, there is a Wednesday flyover, showing the mostly dry riverbed.



Thanks to the Phoenix New Times for posting the video.

Freeport could boost copper production 50% in next decade

Following on Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold's 2nd quarter financial report this week, the Arizona Republic reports that the company could see a 50% increase in copper production at its properties in the next 5 -10 years.

Reporter Ryan Randazzo writes that "Phoenix-based Freeport has hired 431 people for a total of 5,386 working at its five mines in Arizona in the past year as it expands its Morenci mine [right, my photo, May 2008] and restarts its Miami project."

Ryan reports that Freeport:

• Will mine 635,000 metric tons of ore per day at the Morenci mine, up 41% from the current mining rate
  
• Is investing $40 million to restart mining in Miami
  
• Is investing $150 million in Safford to build a sulfur burner to cut the company's transportation expenses

More Havasupai flood videos

Two short videos of the flood waters over Mooney Falls and coming through the campground at the bottom of the canyon.

Video of flooding at Havasupai

Video and photos of Monday's flash flood on Havasu Creek in the Havasupai Reservation are appearing online. Phoenix tv station KPHO posted 10 photos including famed Havasu Falls.