The following field trips and tours were offered by the Geological Society of Minnesota in 2016:

Dave Wilhelm arranged two tours of the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory on March 23 and April 7, with 23 GSM members participating. For Mary Kay Arthur’s report on an earlier tour of this lab, see the Spring 2015 Newsletter. Starting in winter 2017, GSM plans to arrange one or more of these weekday tours each semester as member interest dictates.

Joan Furlong arranged a tour of the Washington County Environmental Center in Woodbury on April 2. Nine members participated. Please see the Summer 2016 Newsletter for Deborah Naffziger’s report. Tour photos here.

MGS Director Harvey Thorleifson conducted two tours of the Minnesota Geological Survey on April 9. Around 50 GSM members and guests participated. Please see the Summer 2016 Newsletter for Deborah Naffziger’s article. Tour photos here.

On June 10, around 60 members toured the Eagle Lake Observatory, hosted by the Minnesota Astronomical Society. This tour included a lecture on Mars and opportunities to view the sun, the moon, and planets through their many telescopes. Deborah Naffziger reported on this tour in the Fall 2016 Newsletter. Tour photos here.

On June 26, GSM member Greg Brick led us on an interesting tour through the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, followed by an overlook of Swede Hollow from the taproom of Flat Earth Brewery. Please see the Fall 2016 Newsletter for Dave Eckmann’s article. Field trip photos here.

On July 21 through 24, about 30 GSM members participated in a four-day tour of sites and facilities on the Mesabi Iron Range, including the Minnesota Discovery Center, the Minnesota DNR Drill Core Library in Hibbing, Hill Annex Mine State Park (including a description of current fossil research being done by GSM member John Westgaard), and Soudan Underground Mine State Park. Participants learned a lot about the geology, history, and technology of mining in Minnesota. See reports by Deborah Naffziger in the November 2016 and February 2017 Newsletters. Field trip photos:

-          Day 1: Minnesota Discovery Center;

-          Day 2: Hibbing; Hull-Rust-Mahoning Open Pit Mine; Drill Core Library;

-          Day 3: Hill Annex Mine State Park;

-          Day 4: Soudan Underground Mine and Physics Lab; Banded Iron Outcrop.

On October 4, Randy Strobel led four GSM members on a tour of sustainable home southeast of the Twin Cities. Besides solar panels, wind generators, and geothermal systems, we saw the largest yak herd in Minnesota, a wonderfully decorated geodesic dome home, and an earth-sheltered home. Sustainable Homes Tour website here. Vern Schaaf’s report is in the November 2016 Newsletter. Field trip photos here.