GSM Tours and Fields Trips in 2016 summary [1]

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 [2] 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 [3]. 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 [4] in Woodbury on April 2. Nine members participated. Please see the Summer 2016 Newsletter [5] for Deborah Naffziger’s report. Tour photos here [6].

MGS Director Harvey Thorleifson conducted two tours of the Minnesota Geological Survey [7] on April 9. Around 50 GSM members and guests participated. Please see the Summer 2016 Newsletter [5] for Deborah Naffziger’s article. Tour photos here [8].

On June 10, around 60 members toured the Eagle Lake Observatory, hosted by the Minnesota Astronomical Society [9]. 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 [10]. Tour photos here [11].

On June 26, GSM member Greg Brick led us on an interesting tour through the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary [12], followed by an overlook of Swede Hollow from the taproom of Flat Earth Brewery. Please see the Fall 2016 Newsletter [10] for Dave Eckmann’s article. Field trip photos here [13].

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 [14], the Minnesota DNR Drill Core Library [15] in Hibbing, Hill Annex Mine State Park [16] (including a description of current fossil research being done by GSM member John Westgaard), and Soudan Underground Mine State Park [17]. Participants learned a lot about the geology, history, and technology of mining in Minnesota. See reports by Deborah Naffziger in the November 2016 [18] and February 2017 [19] Newsletters. Field trip photos:

-          Day 1: Minnesota Discovery Center [20];

-          Day 2: Hibbing; Hull-Rust-Mahoning Open Pit Mine; Drill Core Library [21];

-          Day 3: Hill Annex Mine State Park [22];

-          Day 4: Soudan Underground Mine and Physics Lab; Banded Iron Outcrop [23].

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 [24]. Vern Schaaf’s report is in the November 2016 [18] Newsletter. Field trip photos here [25].