ASU Earth & Space Exploration Day

- Earth & Space Exploration Day - Saturday, November 7, 2015 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ISTB 4 ASU Tempe Campus LEARN MORE! Join us for special science-related activities for students age five and up, families, educators and anyone interested in exploring Earth and space alongside real scientists. Explore ISTB 4's Gallery of Scientific Exploration with its variety of interactive exhibits and enjoy a 3-D astronomy show in the Marston Exploration Theater. Visitors can also see a replica of Curiosity rover, explore Tempe Butte on a guided field trip, pan for gold, dig for meteorites, bring rock samples for Dr. Rock to examine and so much more!

Field trip guide posted online: "Geologic Diversity of Arizona and its Margins"

AZGS has posted a geologic classic online for free viewing and downloading.    Special Paper #5, "Geologic Diversity of Arizona and its Margins: Excursions to Choice Areas," was published in 1987 as part of 100th annual meeting of the Geological Society of America which was held in Phoenix.  As part of the online release, we are marking down printed copies from $20 to $10 in our store, "Arizona Experience."

"The occasion presented an opportunity for the organizing committee to provide, through 34 field trips, a comprehensive expose of the geology of Arizona. Thirty-three of the field guides to these trips are included herein. Field-trip plans were made with two chief goals in mind: to provide to participants a sense of the discovery and momentum that attend geologic research and exploration in the Southwest during this, the close of the first century of GSA; and to underscore the quality of geologic exposures and the natural aesthetic appeal of the Southwest in general and Arizona in particular. It seemed very appropriate that the 100th meeting of GSA be held in the Grand canyon State"

CITATION: Davis, G.H. and VandenDolder, E.M., 1987, Geologic Diversity of Arizona and its Margins: Excursions to Choice Areas. Field-Trip Guidebook, Geological Society of America, Arizona Bureau of Mineral Technology, Special Paper 5, 422 p.

State General Counsel Bret Parke Named ADEQ Deputy Director

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality announced today the appointment of Bret Parke, currently General Counsel for the state’s Department of Administration, as the agency’s deputy director. In his new capacity, Mr. Parke will serve as chief of staff to ADEQ Director Misael Cabrera and oversee the agency’s operations, including its budget and administrative support functions.

The appointment, effective Oct. 26, 2015, marks a return to ADEQ for Mr. Parke, who began his legal career as a staff attorney for the agency before eventually becoming its Administrative Counsel in 2010. He held that post until April 2012 when he was named ADOA General Counsel, where he provided legal advice on the state’s myriad administrative practices – everything from procurement and risk management to government accounting and finance, state facilities construction, IT security, and employment and personnel services. As General Counsel, Mr. Parke also chaired the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council, which oversees and approves adoption of state agency rules.

As Administrative Counsel at ADEQ, Mr. Parke served as the top legal advisor to the agency director. He also chaired five internal committees, managed ADEQ’s Strategic Enforcement Unit and was the agency’s representative on the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee.

About ADEQ

Established by the Arizona Legislature under the Environmental Quality Act of 1986, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is the state agency responsible for protecting and enhancing public health and the environment of Arizona.

[excerpted from the ADEQ news release]

Erroneous earthquake report in Sedona area

Tucson News Now has published a report of a magnitude 4.7 earthquake near Sedona on Sunday night saying they got it from the Associated Press, and quoting the Arizona Geological Survey as the source of information.    However, no such earthquake occurred.

The information and quotes in the release are taken entirely from the news story of the November 30, 2014 earthquake of that magnitude at the location.

We've alerted AP and Tucson News Now of the error and presume they will remove the story from their site.

Here's today's report as published by Tucson News Now -

Oct. 6, 2015 report - http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/30201608/earthquake-rocks-sedona-flagstaff-areas

And the original Dec. 2, 2014 report – http://verdenews.com/Main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=63471

Rock slab stabilized at Glen Canyon Dam

The 250-ton slab of Navajo Sandstone peeling off the south wall of the canyon at Glen Canyon dam has been bolted into place to prevent it from falling on to power plant facilities immediately below (bottom photo).   The photo below shows the slab in the lower left area of the circle below with dozens of dark circles marking the rock bolts.  [my photo, 10-5-15]

An official at the dam said plans are to remove small pieces of the slab over time to eliminate the threat.