NMSU Department of Geological Sciences

Please plan to join NMSU Dept. of Geological Sciences this Friday (10/30/20) at 10am MST for Shay Ridl’s MS thesis on the provenance of the Plio-Pleistocene Camp Rice Fm and equivalent strata. If you are interested in being included on the Zoom invitation, please send an email request to [email protected] by Thursday at 3pm.

NMSU Geologists! We are celebrating Lee Hubbard's great service to our department with a toast to her retirement. The even will be on zoom on Friday of Homecoming! Please join us and say thanks to Lee!

Dr. Reed Burgette will be on sabbatical for the 2020-2021 academic year, exploring active faulting and earthquake hazard in southern California and active tectonics in the Pacific Northwest. Have a great time, Reed!

Dr. Emily Johnson has been learning and teaching about volcanic rocks in southern New Mexico since 2013. She is now taking a leave of absence from NMSU to explore a position with the USGS Cascade Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, WA. Emily, you have all our best wishes for your new adventure!

Lee Hubbard has been the backbone of Geological Sciences for 25 years. And today is the first day of her retirement! Reply with a message of what she means to you! Lee--you are the rock on which we all stand! Love you, Nancy McMillan

https://ready.nmsu.edu/?fbclid=IwAR1Bb5nV6cBlkilkNmaIiHzDryMafilt_muyAPjJGLLtFDXvVgpHSKb9TtY

NMSU Ready As the state’s land-grant and space-grant university, and as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, the New Mexico State University system fosters learning, inquiry, diversity and inclusion, social mobility, and service to the broader community. Our mission is to serve the diverse needs of the state thro...

at , May 18, 1980, 8:35 AM: Get out of there!

Gary Rosenquist and friends had camped on a high point off Forest Road 100 (later Road 99) 11 miles northeast of the volcano near Bear Meadow. Earlier in the morning, Rosenquist mounted his camera on a tripod and aimed it at the volcano.

The ground shakes. Through binoculars, William Dilly sees the mountain get fuzzy and then a part of the mountain is sliding. Hey Gary, he calls, there it goes! Rosenquist turns to see the whole side of the mountain sliding down. He dashes to the tripod, grabs the camera with both hands, but accidentlaly turns it slightly right (that will center the eruption cloud) and punches the shutter. He advances the film. It is happening too fast to adjust the camera. The film runs out.

The cloud comes over the first ridge. It’s running low, hits a ridge and part of it seems to bounce up in the air but keeps bearing down. Camp gear is abandoned and they are driving like crazy. A wind kicks up, the cloud comes closer, overtakes them; it turns dark. For 2-3 minutes rocks fall, sounding like hail. A mudball whacks the windshield, then many. Rosenquist rolls down the window and wipes some off – fairly warm, dry mud. It comes down heavier and he sees nothing in front or behind, twice driving onto the shoulder. They stop; sit there disoriented. The ash starts to fall like dry snow. Another vehicle drives slowly by and they pull out to follow, creeping along at 5 mph.

Photos help scientists understand event. Graphic shows landslide, lateral blast, vertical column with photos by Gary Rosenquist. Graphic from “Field-trip guide to Mount St. Helens, Washington” http://ow.ly/QKfq50zIDJ5.

Extract from "In the Path of Destruction: Eyewitness Chronicles of Mount St. Helens" by USGS scientist Richard Waitt.

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40 years ago this month, Mt. St. Helens erupted. We are volcano scientists. Ask us anything! Hello reddit! **We'll be starting at 11 am Pacific Time / 2pm Eastern Time and sticking around for a couple of hours.** 40 years ago this month,...

On this day in 1980...

at , May 7, 1980: The volcano resumes activity after a two-week lull, sending bursts of steam and ash as high as 13,000 feet. The first explosion occurs from 5:57 to 6:10 PM, the second from 6:23 to 6:30 PM, and the third from 10:26 to 11:36 PM.

The Columbian newspaper photographer Reid Blackburn drives his 1969 Volvo sedan to the logging platform on road 3533. Perched a thousand feet above Maratta Creek, the Coldwater I site lies outside the red zone but only 8 miles from Mount St. Helens. He stakes out a tent and unpacks cameras. The USGS, having moved from the Coldwater I to the Coldwater II observation post, is his nearest neighbor. Fellow photographer Ralph Perry overnights with Blackburn. Around midnight, they bolt awake to a loud roar like an avalanche for 15 seconds. A light blinks on in the USGS trailer four miles east. The steam and ash explosion jets as high as in early April.

The image is of a phreatic (steam and ash) eruption from the summit crater of Mount St. Helens during the evening of May 7, 1980.

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New Going Places- the San Andreas!

Stepping Right on the San Andreas - Going Places, Episode 14 Dr. Wendy Bohon takes us to Wallace Creek, California where we can see the Pacific plate grinding "right" on past the North American plate along the San Andr...

Learn about the Galapagos on this episode of 'Going Places'!

But What ELSE are the Galapagos Known For? - Going Places Episode 13 The Galapagos islands are indeed a fascinating place to study flora and fauna...and they are ALSO an amazing place to study volcanoes! Come along and I'll sh...

First complete geologic map of the moon! So cool!

https://www.usgs.gov/news/usgs-releases-first-ever-comprehensive-geologic-map-moon?fbclid=IwAR16rfI0azH9R0_puOSoZ20xBuV3jMchJw_moVFyrXQqfAXLO3itYL-ucIc

USGS Releases First-Ever Comprehensive Geologic Map of the Moon This animation shows a rotating globe of the new Unified Geologic Map of the Moon with shaded topography from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA). This geologic map is a synthesis of six Apollo-era regional geologic maps, updated based on data from recent satellite missions. It will serve as a....

Episode 10 of Going Places! Flood basalts and floods!

One Waterfall, Two Stories - Going Places Episode 10 Where is this amazing landscape, and what formed it? We have to imagine events that we have never seen anything like in the world we live in today. Follow me...

from your College of Arts and Sciences Student Ambassadors & Dean’s Office Student Program Coordinators!

Two words: pumice rafts!!!

The Mystery of the Floating Pumice - Going Places Episode 9 Climb on a pumice raft and drift halfway across the world with Sam Mitchell (and don't forget to wave to the penguins!). Also, some fun vocabulary: Bathymetr...

What a River Can Tell Us About Earthquakes - Going Places Episode 8 Step through time and terraces as Dee Ninis shows us how to figure out the earthquake history of the Wellington fault in New Zealand. Follow Dee on Twitter a...

Learn something about lava - from Antarctica!

Cold Air and Hot Rocks - Going Places Episode 7 Grab your cold-weather gear; we're going to the summit of Mount Erebus, Antarctica, to see hot lava. With yours truly as your guide! CORRECTION: When talking...

Very cool visualization of 40 years of EQs!

40 Years of Earthquakes in the Contiguous United States: 1980 - 2020 Every state and territory of the United State of America experiences earthquakes. In the contiguous states most of these earthquakes do not pose a tsunami ri...

FYI!

We’re excited to announce that now through August 31, 2020, university and college students ages 18 and over can have free access to ArcGIS for their continued education during closures. The last day to join is June 30, 2020. Sign up here: http://ow.ly/73uP50z3vv3

Nancy McMillan

A Rare, New Dinosaur Called The Dineobellator Was Just Discovered In New Mexico's Badlands New Mexico's Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is hiding beautiful views and historic treasures. This includes a newly discovered dinosaur that dates back about 70 million years.

Info on the M 6.5 earthquake NE of Boise, Idaho:
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us70008jr5/executive

earthquake.usgs.gov The Earthquake Event Page application supports most recent browsers, view supported browsers. Or, try our Real-time Notifications, Feeds, and Web Services.

Living in the Extremes - Going Places Episode 5 What lives in the blue dots on glaciers? Pacifica Sommers takes us all the way to Antarctica to find out. Follow Pacifica on Twitter: Follow m...

Welcome Back! We miss having our students on campus, but we’re here to help if you have any questions. Please visit our Student Resource website for more information during this transition to online learning.

artsci.nmsu.edu/online-course-student-resources/

Enjoy Going Places Episode 4!

How to Make a Mountain - Going Places Episode 4 Want to see a baby mountain? Great! Wendy Bohon takes us to Argentina to see what the Andes might have looked like before they grew up. Follow Wendy on Twitt...

Info about the M 5 earthquake in west Texas this morning!

earthquake.usgs.gov The Earthquake Event Page application supports most recent browsers, view supported browsers. Or, try our Real-time Notifications, Feeds, and Web Services.

Another great episode of "Going Places" (hosted by Beth Bartel, who visited us a few weeks ago!). Learn about the metamorphic rocks and amazing tectonics of India!

How Deep Was That Rock? - Going Places Episode 2 Hop in while Alka Tripathy-Lang takes us to the Himalaya to show us rocks with garnets, and share what the garnets can tell us about the thickness of the Ear...

Check out this cool tour of the flood basalts and the Wallowa mountains of Oregon!

The Source of Huge Lava Flows - Going Places Episode 3 Some of the biggest lava flows on Earth are in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. But where do they come from? Matthew Morriss will show us! Follow ...

Office is now closed the building has been locked. Will be working from Home! Phone is going to my cell phone! Stay home, safe and well!

If you are a NMSU student or know a NMSU student who need a computer for the rest of the semester. NMSU ICT has desktops and Chromebooks for rent.

"Desktop computers and Chromebook rentals are priced at $10. Currently, the return date for rentals is Friday, May 15; though this may change as the COVID-19 situation develops. If the return date changes, renters will be notified by email."

Students should also check with their Department offices and or their College Dean's office. I know that everyone in the Engineering College is digging up all the old computers, laptops, and tablets setting around in closets collecting dust. We are going to try to get the wiped and ready for kiddos to check out once Spring Break is over.

They may not be the fastest computers but they will work for CANVAS classes.

Do you know a veteran community college student in a STEM major? Or a dependent of a veteran attending community college in a STEM major? If so please share this awesome opportunity! The National Science Foundation has given Dr. Khandan funding for up to 6 veteran students for this program!

I Will Survive, Coronavirus version for teachers going online

3-16-20-Maintaining-Academic-Progress-Spring-2020 | New Mexico State University - BE BOLD. Shape the Future. Update 3/16/2020 - 4:08 pm   TO: NMSU System StudentsCC: NMSU System Faculty and Staff Preserving the health and safety of NMSU students, faculty, and staff are our top priorities as we work through the world-wide COVID-19 outbreak. In an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, on Friday ...