Geological Society of America Publications

This month’s most-read Environmental & Engineering Geoscience journal article is “Estimating Background Threshold Values for Risk Assessment” by Kenneth S. Tramm and colleagues. The article demonstrates an effective approach to developing and evaluating soil data sets for background threshold value development during any stage of the risk-assessment process. The article is #OpenAccess at https://lnkd.in/gZgFnaUz. #Engineering #Environment #Geoscience #Geology #GSAPubs Modern Geosciences Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists - AEG Image credit: Figure 2 from the paper.

GSA’s #Geosphere is ambitious, nimble, and a great home for your next themed Issue! This online-only journal can easily accommodate interactivity, including layered figures. Geosphere author John Grocott, University of Durham, wrote, “The reviewers, GSA staff and editors, and copyeditor have all contributed immensely to a much-improved paper.” Check out Geosphere Themed Issues: https://lnkd.in/gbw4gbCu Submit Today! https://lnkd.in/gGZpPAsm #GSAPubs #Geology #Geoscience #SciencePublishing #GeologyRocks #OpenAccess

Matmon et al. establish the longevity and character of the Paran-Neqarot drainage system in “Continental rift evolution and drainage reorganization along the Dead Sea rift since the Miocene.” https://lnkd.in/gQ3GrSWh #GSABulletin #GSAPubs GSI - Geological Survey of Israel Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Image credit: Figure 1 from the paper

🌲 Did you know that only about 7% of visitors to national parks identify as African American? This statistic highlights a broader trend where people of color, including Latinx, Asian and Indigenous communities, also visit national parks at significantly lower rates. According to the National Park Service, the overall percentage of people of color visiting these spaces is around 22% compared to nearly 78% for white visitors. These number further highlights Diverse Environmental Leaders National Speakers Bureau Transformational Tours impact of creating an experience for an amazing group of leaders and influencers #colorinthecanyon National parks are vital for promoting mental and physical health, fostering community connections, and preserving cultural heritage. When diverse communities are excluded from these experiences, we miss out on a richer, more inclusive narrative of our natural spaces. Let's advocate for increased accessibility, representation, and programs that invite everyone to explore and cherish our shared landscapes. Dr. Alyssa Combs 🌐 Owner of GeoTechTure 🗺️ Gwinnett County Government - Infrastructure Sup. 📚 Georgia State University Geoscience Professor 📧 Alyssa.Combs@geotechture.com 📧 Alyssa.Combs@gwinnettcounty.com (O) 770-758-7757 💻 www.linktr.ee/AlyssaCombs #colorinthecanyon #environmentalismbutmakeitfun #inparkswetrust #birthdayseason #family #friends #technology #gis #network #womenintech #business #atl #atlanta #Leadership #geotechture #delnsb #npca #nwf #edarinfoundation #majoracarter #nnpa #blacktravel #blacktourism #nationalparks #grandcanyon #DiversityInNature #EquityInConservation #OutdoorAccess

A new global rare earth element record of carbonate reefs reveals that the Late Devonian evolution of land plants established the modern oxygenated ocean-atmosphere system. Despite this, upwelling caused periods of shallow water anoxia, which likely contributed to coeval mass extinction events. These events, and the Mississippian development of resiliently oxygenated oceans, potentially facilitated the radiation of the modern evolutionary fauna during this time. Read more in the new article by Jack Stacey and colleagues, “Ocean oxygenation and ecological restructuring caused by the late Paleozoic evolution of land plants,” just posted online for #Geology, at https://lnkd.in/gb25ynu6. #Geoscience #GSAPubs Image credit: Jack Stacey.

Registration is open and the first one-on-one sessions begin tomorrow (23 October) for GSA’s Virtual Volunteer Fair Part 2, where you’ll hear firsthand experiences from current and former volunteers about the benefits of GSA service and how it can positively impact your career and the geoscience community. Our Virtual Volunteer Fair is your chance to gain insights about the many ways you can contribute to the geoscience community. This event is designed to help you discover the benefits of volunteering directly from those who have experienced it firsthand. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, learn about the impact of volunteering, and find roles that align with your skills and passions. Why You Should Attend - Get Insider Knowledge: Hear directly from volunteers about their experiences, the benefits they've gained, and the challenges they've overcome. - Earn Valuable Credits: Learn how you can enhance your professional credentials by earning up to 1 CEU / 10 PDHs per year through committee service. - Expand Your Network: Connect with geoscientists at various career stages, building lasting professional relationships. - Enhance Your Skills: Discover volunteer activities that offer hands-on experience and valuable insights into the geoscience field. - Find Your Fit: Explore volunteer roles that match your expertise and interests, guided by those who know the ropes. Join us at the fair to ask questions, connect with peers, and take the first step toward an enriching and impactful geoscience journey. Register now to secure your spot and start making a difference with GSA: geosociety.co/VVF2 #GeoCommunity #RockSolidVolunteers #ServiceThroughScience #GeologyRocks

Jeff Rubin, NREMT and GSA Fellow, on the influence of #geoscience on his life and career: We tend to see science as an academic pursuit, and there’s so much value in that domain. There’s also tons of value—and space—in geoscience for people who aren’t interested in academic careers and may be better generalists than specialists, but who want to apply their knowledge and skills to society. That’s where I live. I’m a geologist who decided to serve as an emergency manager. At some point during my dissertation work, I realized that I had little desire to work in research or academia. This wasn’t just dissertation blahs but a realization. I love science and being a scientist—I’m very analytical and focus on evidence in everything I do—I just didn’t want to work in it. After I was done with dissertation coursework, I decided to take a professional fling: I was an EMT and firefighter, volunteering with a small fire district, and wanted to be a better medic, so I went through a large hiring process and started ambulance shiftwork with City of Austin Emergency Medical Services (EMS): 24 h on, 48 h off. I’d bring a laptop to the station to try to get some dissertation writing in and do my long lab runs on my second day off. After finishing, I decided I wanted to see what EMS was like without the equivalent of a second full-time job (i.e., dissertation), and I liked it. EMS is an instant-gratification field—pretty easy to assess whether you’ve done well—and it was really gratifying to see that the scientific process applied outside of the lab: for every patient you make an assessment (observations), develop a hypothesis (differential assessment), test it (treatment plan), and even publish (patient care record). I may have suffered extended sleep deprivation but never suffered a lack of intellectual stimulation. It also paid poorly but it started me on a completely different career path. I spend way more time reading and providing peer review for medical journals than geoscience journals, but it was my scientific training that allowed me to do that, and particularly to be useful as a state medical volunteer during the pandemic. #GeologyRocks #ScienceRocks #StemCareers

New #GSABulletin: Elizabeth Rangel-Granados et al. use geological mapping, 40Ar/39Ar and radiocarbon dating, morphometry, and whole-rock chemical and petrographic analyses of volcanic products to establish the stratigraphy and eruptive history of the Valle de Santiago area of the Michoacán-Guanajuato Volcanic Field within the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. https://lnkd.in/gWdvA3H9 #GSAPubs #Volcanology #Geochronology Servicio Geológico Colombiano Miami University Geology and Environmental Earth Science College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences - Oregon State University Image credit: Figure 10 from the paper.

This month’s most-read article for #Geology is “Holocene gigascale rock avalanches in Vaigat strait, West Greenland—Implications for geohazard” by Kristian Svennevig and colleagues. They write, “Rock avalanche–triggered displacement waves (also termed tsunamis) have recently occurred in Greenland and Alaska, and they illustrate the presence of such hazards in polar regions.” The article is #OpenAcess at https://lnkd.in/dacpKPQH. #GSAPubs #Greenland #Geoscience Matt Owen Michele Citterio Salik Anders Rosing Mathieu Morlighem Eric Rignot GEUS Global Maritime Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde UC Irvine Department of Earth System Science NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Image credit: Figure 1 from the paper.

Read about 100 million years in the Western Blue Ridge (southeastern USA) in a newly published paper by I. Dogancan Yasar, Brent V. Miller, and Willis E. Hames. https://lnkd.in/gE9Gb4R5 #GSABulletin #GSAPubs #Geochronology #IgneousPetrology #Tectonics #AppalachianOrogeny #Polymetamorphism I. Dogancan Yasar Auburn University Department of Geosciences Texas A&M University Department of Geology & Geophysics Image credit: Figure 2 from the paper.