Southwest Wildfire Hydrology and Hazards Workshop

AZGS is co-sponsoring the Southwest Wildfire Hydrology and Hazards Workshop to share recent advances to assess damage, provide hazard warning, attempt to mitigate hazards, and to study the wide-ranging effects of wildfire, and coordinate response to future fires in the Southwest. The call for abstracts is now open for the event to be held at Biosphere 2, April 2-5, 2012.

The field trip to the Huachuca Mountains will examine the 2011 Monument fire area (see video below)



This workshop is arranged around 4 broad themes:

1. Post-fire Research. What are the latest results from post-fire research, including, but not limited to: hydrological impacts (inc. flooding, debris flows), sedimentation, ecological impacts, water quality impacts, etc.? How can academic researchers better coordinate with government agency researchers? What avenues exist for funding post-fire research?

2. Models. What post-fire hydrological and hazard assessment models are available or in development? How have these been implemented and tested? What models work best and where? How might models be used to prioritize pre-fire treatments to reduce burn severity? How can post-fire assessment models be improved for use by response teams?

3. BAER Process. Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams rapidly assess impacts from a wildfire. What is the BAER process and how does it function? What roles might other agencies and researchers play in the BAER process? How might BAER teams assist researchers select study sites and/or implement research projects?

4. Warning Systems. What decision support is required to properly deploy hazard warning systems? What are the roles of researchers, agencies and the BAER team in warning system site selection and deployment? What kinds of warning systems have been deployed? How have they worked and what are the lessons learned?

Black Mesa coal mining permit renewed

http://www.wrcc.osmre.gov/Current_Initiatives/Kayenta_Mine/Renewal.shtm

The federal Office of Surface Mining has approved the renewal of Peabody Energy's operating permit for the Kayenta mine in the Black Mesa coal field on the Navajo and Hopi reservations in northeast Arizona. The company says they produce about 7.8 million tons of coal per year, which goes to fuel the Navajo Generating Station power plant near Page. The new permit runs to July 6, 2015. [Right, permit area map. Credit Peabody Energy]

News reports say "Environmentalists had urged the federal government to deny the permit and now are considering an appeal. They say the mining operation has been depleting water supplies at rates far higher than what Peabody predicted, a claim that Peabody says is light on fact."

Peabody writes that "Mining at Kayenta occurs under complex geological conditions, with coal extracted from multiple seams and splits of seams ranging in thickness from 3 to 15 feet. Coal is crushed then carried via conveyor approximately 17 miles to storage silos, where it is loaded on a closed loop electric train and transported approximately 80 miles to an electrical generating station that generates more than 2,250 megawatts..."

The company reports that "native people comprise more than 90 percent of Kayenta Mine’s more than 425-person workforce"

ASU & NASA put Project Gemini digital photo archive online

Arizona State University's School of Earth & Space Exploration and the NASA Johnson Space Center unveiled the Project Gemini Online Digital Archive on Friday. The archive contains the first high-resolution digital scans of the original Gemini flight films, now available in several formats.

Project Gemini (1964-1966) was the second United States human spaceflight program, after Project Mercury (1960-1963). The overarching goal was to test systems and operations critical to the Apollo program (1961-1975), conceived with the purpose of "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth". The LROC Featured Image discusses Gemini's specific goals and "firsts" from the mission.

In May of 2011, a team of scientists led by professor Mark Robinson commemorated Project Mercury with digital image archive. You can read the details of the process here. Also visit the ASU Project Mercury digital scan archive, and the Apollo archive.

[excerpted from the ASU announcement]

Aristarchus panorama from ASU lunar camera

Wired magazine is showcasing amazing images of the Moon's Aristarchus crater, taken by ASU's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter camera. The panorama at right [credit, NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University] covers an area 15 miles across and 2 miles deep. Zooming in on the original gets you down to 15 inch resolution.

Moderate quake felt across central Arizona

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake just after noon today was reported felt in Payson, Mesa, and Prescott. The quake was 21 miles southwest of Winslow and 113 miles northeast of Phoenix. [Right, location map from USGS]

The USGS map of historical seismicity back to 1990 shows a handful of other earthquakes occurring in the same area.

Bill to assert sovereign authority over Arizona natural resources

There's an intriguing final paragraph in the Arizona Republic's preview of the Arizona Legislature session that begins tomorrow:

"A trio of northern Arizona Republicans will push a measure to give Arizona sovereign authority over the state's air, water, public lands, minerals, wildlife and other natural resources. It's an attempt to shun federal rules and regulations on natural resources."

We've heard some chatter about this since the summer but have not seen the details. Stay tuned...

Holbrook skills center would train for jobs in potash mining

The Holbrook area is taking seriously the potential for significant economic development from potash mining. The Arizona (Holbrook) Journal reports that Northland Pioneer College (NPC) in Holbrook "is making major capital investment plans in the coming year to accommodate industrial growth," identifying potash mining specifically.

NPC president Dr. Jeanne Swarthout is quoted as saying they will build a $3-4 million skills center in Holbrook that would "house the new construction trades program NPC will be rolling out in the coming year." The article says "the college will develop mining-related courses in cooperation with the mine developers that will be operating in the area. Those courses will also be housed in the new skills center."

The article states that "The construction trades program is being developed in partnership with the Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology (NAVIT) program and will offer a full range of courses related to construction skills, including electrical, heavy machinery operation and maintenance, and others."

American West Potash announced their intent to have an underground potash mine in operation in two years [right, AWP holdings in yellow. Holbrook is in the northwest part of the Holbrook salt basin], that would employ 400-500 in the Holbrook area with salaries much higher than the average pay in the region currently. Annual expenditures of $400-500 million were projected over the expected 50-year life of the mine. Two other companies are also carrying out exploration work on the potash deposit, Passport Potash and HNZ Legacy, but neither have announced their plans.

Minerals of Arizona theme of this year's Tucson Gem & Mineral Show

In recognition of the Arizona Centennial this year, the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show is focusing on "Minerals of Arizona" as the theme for the February 9-12 event. There will be around 50 separate shows going on around the city prior to the formal TGMS.

The TGMS video below offers shots of spectacular Arizona specimens.

Industry concerns over mineral scarcity

Senior executives in 7 major industry segments worldwide "expect their companies to be affected by minerals and metals supply scarcity in the next 5 years," according to a new report from PricewaterhouseCooper.

The key conclusions of the report are:

• Major manufacturing companies consider minerals and metals scarcity as an important issue for their business, but do not see sufficient awareness of this topic among all their stakeholders.
• The risk of scarcity is expected to rise significantly, leading to supply instability and potential disruptions in the next five years, but this also creates opportunities for competitive advantage.
• Because of the crucial nature of these minerals and metals, companies expect that the impact will be felt throughout the entire supply chain.
• Economic and political drivers of scarcity are generally seen as much more important than physical drivers.
• The renewable energy, automotive and high-tech industries have a high level of co-operation with their first-tier suppliers and customers.
• For a large majority of the companies we interviewed, efficiency and collaboration throughout the supply chain are seen as essential to responding to the risk.

Ref: Minerals and metals scarcity in manufacturing: the ticking timebomb - Sustainable Materials Management, 2011, PwC

[Thanks to Jamie Caswell at National Mining Association for bringing the report to our attention]

Catching up on Arizona copper mining activity

Nyal Niemuth, who runs our Phoenix office, joined AZGS last year from the Dept. of Mines & Mineral Resources, where he'd been evaluating mining and mineral resources in Arizona for 30 years. He briefed us last week on developments at southern Arizona copper mines.

Freeport McMoRan's drilling program at Twin Buttes is winding down. Freeport is continuing to review historic drill holes and creating a detailed deposit model. Speculation is that when the mine reopens it will feed the Sierrita mill. In the Fiscal 2011 10Q report, Freeport reported:

In December 2009, we purchased the Twin Buttes copper mine, which ceased operations in 1994 and is adjacent to our Sierrita mine. The purchase provides significant synergies in the Sierrita minerals district, including the potential for expanded mining activities and access to material that can be used for Sierrita tailings and stockpile reclamation purposes. We are conducting drilling on the property and metallurgical studies to support a feasibility study expected to commence in 2012.

Grupo Mexico reports that mine life is being extended at Asarco’s Mission and Silver Bell mines. Mission’s copper production should increase. Grupo’s 2011 Q1 report says:

Asarco began a pre-feasibility study in February 2011 for the project to restart a molybdenum circuit at the Mission mine. The study is expected to be completed in May 2011. Also, the exploration and drilling program continues and the proven reserves at the different mines are expected to increase by the end of 2011.

The company's 2011 Q2 says:

The exploration program for the properties in Arizona continues as planned. Ore reserves at Silver Bell increased by 24 million tons, equivalent to 148 million pounds of copper, which represents approximately two additional years of cathode production. The pre-feasibility studies for the project to restart a molybdenum circuit at the Mission mine continue and are expected to be completed in 3Q11.

And from Grupo’s 2011 Q3 report on Asarco:

Capital expenditures for the first nine months of the year were US$59 million, 209% over the previous year, mainly attributable to maintenance projects at the smelter, refinery, and the replacement of mine equipment and for the expansion of operations in Mission and Ray [mines].

Bills introduced in Arizona Legislature

The Arizona Legislature convenes on January 9 for the 2012 session. Here are bills filed so far that I found that may be of interest to the geoscience community:

HB2025 Water supply disclosure in home sales

Beginning January 1, 2013, a subdivider who sells one or more lots in a subdivision located outside of an active management area shall record a document that contains a statement of water adequacy or inadequacy for that subdivision.

HB2086 Mining & mineral museum; restoration

[AZGS] shall maintain a mining and mineral museum as the state depository for collecting, and cataloging and displaying mining artifacts and specimens, of various ores, gemstones, lapidary material and equipment and other valuable documents relating to mining and minerals mineral specimens.

HCR2007 Vulture Mine Day

Legislature proclaims the first Saturday of each January as Vulture Mine Day and encourages Arizona citizens to recognize and learn about this important part of our state's heritage.

Legislation calls for AZGS to create mining & mineral museum

State Rep. Eddie Ableser (D-Tempe) introduced legislation [HB2086] directing the Arizona Geological Survey to establish a mineral and mining museum. It would also remove the mining and mineral components of the currently proposed Centennial Museum [right] that is planned for the former Arizona Mining & Mineral Museum building in Phoenix.

We have had no conversations with Rep. Ableser about his bill and were not aware it was being drafted.

The key language to be added to the AZGS state statutes is:

The department [AZGS] shall maintain a mining and mineral museum as the state depository for collecting, and cataloging and displaying mining artifacts and specimens, of various ores, gemstones, lapidary material and equipment and other valuable documents relating to mining and minerals mineral specimens. In connection with the museum, the state geologist may:

1. Establish and collect entrance fees to the museum for persons who are at least eighteen years of age.

2. Operate a retail gift shop, including the acquisition, purchase and resale of mineral specimens and mineral-related items.

3. Employ a curator for the museum.

4. Pay the necessary maintenance and operation expenses of the museum.

First-ever solar project on federal lands in Arizona

Approval of the Sonoran Solar Energy Project is the first-ever solar project on public lands in Arizona, according to the BLM. The photovoltaic project will eventually produce 300 megawatts of electricity near Buckeye in Maricopa County [Right, credit BLM]

The Dept. of Interior announcement notes the project will be built on 2,013 acres of public land. BLM manages 12.2 million acres of public lands in Arizona, of which 3.4 million acres are managed for conservation and wilderness characteristics


The Arizona Republic reports that the project footprint is "about 1,600 acres fewer than the original proposal. The power array also will use just 33 acre-feet of water a year, far less than the 3,000 acre-feet a year first envisioned. The water savings will occur because the plant will use photovoltaic technology instead of the more water-intensive concentrated solar process."

Final public hearing on Rosemont copper mine

The Coronado National Forest issued this announcement today about the last of the public hearings on the proposed Rosemont copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains, south of Tucson:

The final public meeting for the Rosemont Copper Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be held on January 14th at the Sahuarita District Auditorium, 350 W. Sahuarita Road, Sahuarita, AZ, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The formal 90 day public review and comment period ends on January 18, 2012. Requirements for commenting may be found at 36 Code of Federal Regulations Part 215.

The purpose of this final meeting is to solicit public input on the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Both written and oral comments will be taken at this meeting. For those wishing to make oral comment, speaker cards will be available beginning at 1:00.

Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch will make a brief presentation beginning at 1:30. Beginning at 2:00, speaker cards will be pulled at random to determine the speaker order. To hear as many comments as possible, each speaker will be limited to 3 minutes in length. Any speaker cards received after 2:00 will be addressed if time allows. Oral comments will be heard until 5:00 p.m.

The Coronado National Forest is accepting public comments on the Rosemont Copper Project DEIS in a variety of formats. The DEIS is available online at www.RosemontEIS.us. Citizens are encouraged to review the document before submitting comments. Although comments may be submitted by various methods, citizens need only provide comments once for them to receive full consideration. Comments can also be submitted online at www.RosemontEIS.us; by email at CoronadoNF@RosemontEIS.us; by phone at (888) 654-6646; by facsimile to (435) 750-8799; and by mail at Rosemont Comments, P.O. Box 4207, Logan, UT 84323. The subject line of facsimiles and e-mails should include the words “Rosemont Copper Project DEIS”. E-mail attachments should be in Word (.docx), rich-text format (.rtf), or portable document format (.pdf).

Comments most useful for the Environmental Impact Statement process should be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to pages and/or chapters of the DEIS. Comments may address either the adequacy of specific analyses in the DEIS or the merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed in the document, or both.

For questions or special needs regarding the public meetings or the comment period, the public may call (520) 388-8300. Additional information about the Rosemont Copper Project DEIS is available online at www.RosemontEIS.us.

Some Lake Mead seismic activity due to quarry blasts

Some of the events recorded on seismographs as earthquakes around or under Lake Mead, were likely blasts from quarries in the region. AZGS seismologist Lisa Linville confirmed this in discussions with colleagues at the Nevada Seismological Lab in Reno. Despite this, has there been increased activity around the lake during the past spring and summer, as the lake filled at a record rate due to snowpack melt and releases from Lake Powell upstream? That will require more detailed analysis.

The map at right was compiled by AZGS for a review of seismicity in the Hualapai Valley but it shows historical earthquakes around Lake Mead, 1852-2011.

The Las Vegas Sun has an excellent article discussing the situation.

Northern Arizona mining ban expected on Monday

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is expected to announce Monday a 20-year ban on new mineral exploration and mining in nearly 1 million acres in northern Arizona [outlined in red in figure to right. Credit, BLM] in order to prevent development of one of the richest uranium districts in the country, over concerns of potential impacts on Grand Canyon.

[update: the New York Times included a brief quote from me in their Jan. 7 article]

A news release issued this afternoon said "On Monday, Jan. 9, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will host the premiere of a new short film produced by the National Park Service for viewing by visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park. As part of this event, Secretary Salazar will make an announcement regarding conservation of the Grand Canyon."

The decision comes as no surprise as the Secretary publicly announced his intentions as soon as the draft EIS was issued.

Expect the next steps to be efforts by anti-mining groups to prevent exploration on existing claims.

Rover parked in "Greeley Haven" for the Martian winter

NASA has parked the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity for the next several months at a site informally named "Greeley Haven" with a sun-facing slope to provide more solar power and less solar panel covering dust. The name is a tribute to ASU planetary geologist Ronald Greeley (1939-2011), who was a member of the science team for the Mars rovers and many other interplanetary missions. [Right, mosaic from Opportunity, Dec. 2, 2011. Credit, NASA/JPL/Cornell/ASU]

Greeley Haven is an informal name for the location on the rim of Endeavor Crater.



[Taken in part from the NASA news release]

Suit against Patagonia silver exploration

A group of environmental organizations is filing suit against Coronado National Forest in an attempt to halt exploration drilling on the Hardshell silver prospect [Right, location map. Credit, Wildcat Silver] by Wildcat Silver subsidiary Arizona Minerals on federal lands near the southern Arizona town of Patagonia.

The groups also want the Forest Service to require a full Environmental Impact Study done before drilling could commence. An EIS is normally only required if an actual mine is proposed to be developed. They claim the exploration area is a corridor for jaguars and ocelots. However, Wildcat rep Greg Lucero is quoted as saying "there has not been a jaguar sighting in the area in a half century, and that there has never been a sighting of an ocelot in the Patagonia Mountains."

Funding decision on UA giant telescope delayed until 2020s

The University of Arizona is part of a university consortium competing to build the next generation telescope, a huge, $1 billion+ 28-meter diameter Giant Magellan Telescope in Chile [right, artists concept of the GMT]. But Science Insider reports that the National Science Foundation, which had been expected to provide most of the funding, has issued a solicitation that says major funding won't be available until the 2020s.

The UA team has competed against a University of California team plan for the Thirty Meter Telescope in Hawaii, for seven years. Under new requirements from Congress, NSF will fund only $1.25 million over 5 years for planning purposes, in the event that funding is made available a decade from now or later.

Global copper outputs and trends since 1770

In 1800, global production of copper was 14,000 tonnes. By 1900, it reached 495,000 tonnes, a 35-fold increase. But by 2000, production hit 13,212,000 tonnes, nearly 1,000 times what it was two centuries ago [right, credit Mining Magazine].

The United Kingdom was the world leader in copper until about 1850. However, in 1900, the US produced over 55% of the world's copper. By 2000, the US was the second largest producer at 11%, far behind Chile at nearly 35%.

These figures come from a richly detailed article in the November 2011 issue of Mining Magazine, entitled "The Copper Conundrum." Author Phillip Crowson looks at world copper production from 1770 and found that "the average percentage yield of copper from mining has tended to decline over the long term, but by no means evenly." Cornish mines in the 1770s mined copper with an average grade of 12.17%. This dropped to 9.27% in 1800; 2.61% in Michigan by 1900; 0.85% worldwide by 2000; and to 0.77% worldwide in 2008.

Crowson warns there are lots of gaps in the data as many companies kept numbers proprietary. There are also widely divergent strategies, company by company, and country by country, in how to produce ore grades under different economic situations.

Still, there is no question that the big, rich, surface deposits of copper have been tapped out. Companies are pursuing deeper or lower grade deposits to meet the phenomenal global demand for this industrial mainstay. For example, the proposed Resolution Copper mine near Superior, Arizona, is going down to 7,000 feet after copper ore with a grade of 1.5%, about twice the current global average.