GANJ XXVI: 2009 Annual Conference and Field Trip

GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY

2009 Annual Conference and Field Trip

GANJ XXVI: New Jersey Coastal Plain Stratigraphy and Coastal Processes

Friday October 9 and Saturday October 10, 2009
The Lakeside Center, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Pomona, NJ

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FALL NEWSLETTER

(Complete newsletter in pdf format)

As announced in the spring, the 26th Annual Geological Association of New Jersey (GANJ) conference and field trip will, for the first time in many years, focus on coastal plain stratigraphy and coastal deposits and processes.   The conference will be held at the Lakeside Center at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, located in Pomona, Galloway Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey.

For the Friday conference, several experts in coastal plain stratigraphy and processes, with an emphasis on features and deposits in New Jersey, have been invited to discuss their latest research and findings in several talks and two (2) poster sessions. Past and present sea level change, coastal ecosystems, coastal plain dinosaur and other vertebrate fossils, and coastal plain hydrogeology will be discussed.   We will also have a tour of a recently installed geothermal heating and cooling system at the college.

This year’s teachers’ workshop will discuss an approach for presenting a lesson on salt marsh dynamics. This workshop will take participants on a field trip within Second Life, a multi-user virtual environment. The dynamic salt marsh is a simulated coastal environment designed for use in earth science, ecology, environmental science, and geology courses for high school and undergraduates.

Our invited keynote speaker is Dr. Kenneth G. Miller, Chairman of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences of Rutgers University and Chief Scientist for the New Jersey Coastal Plain Drilling Project. Dr. Miller's presentation, "Integrated Sequence Stratigraphy and Global Sea-Level: Should I Sell My Shore House?,” will include new information on the geologic history of the Atlantic coastal plain and sea-level variations that are currently being evaluated by a series of new cores drilled on and off-shore.

Following the presentations will be a dinner and business meeting with the election of GANJ officers for 2009-2010.

On Saturday, the field trip will include stops along the coast to view erosion processes and features. With several recent storms off the New Jersey coast, there should be many examples of how dynamic environment the shore can be. We will also visit the Inversand marl pit where there will be opportunities for fossil collecting. This pit is very muddy and wet, so please dress accordingly. Additional information in this regard is below, and on the field trip waiver form.

Please see the schedule for more detailed information on speakers, authors, and topics. Please note that you may register for the meeting online. See below for directions to the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and information about accommodations in the area.   A map of the campus is at www.stockton.edu/campusmap/.

Meeting Schedule

Friday October 9th - Lakeside Center, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
11:00-4:00 Registration
12:00-4:00 Posters

Determination of Variability in Hydraulic Conductivity of the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer System Using Geophysical and Boring Logs of Wells in Cumberland County and Vicinity, New Jersey Coastal Plain - Alison D. Gordon, Richard L. Walker, Susan A. Collarullo

Water-Level Conditions in Selected Confined Aquifers of the New Jersey and Delaware Coastal Plain - Vincent T. DePaul, Robert Rosman, and Pierre J. Lacombe

11:30-1:00 Teacher Workshop: Salt Marsh Dynamics - An Endangered Coastal Ecosystem in a Second Life’s NMC Virtual Space - Martha B Schoene, Marian Glenn, and Heidi Trotta

If possible, bring a laptop with wireless capability (connections could be limited) and a fully-charged battery. Download the Second Life Installer (click on the Download Installer box) before the workshop. Or just observe the demonstration during the workshop.

1:15-1:30 Welcoming Remarks – Deborah Freile, New Jersey City University, GANJ President

1:30-1:50     Hydrostratigraphy of the New Jersey Coastal Plain: Sequences and Facies Predict Continuity of Aquifers and Confining Units - Peter J. Sugarman, Kenneth F. Miller, James V. Browning, and Donald H. Monteverde
1:50-2:10     An Iterative Shallow Hydrogeologic Investigation of Elevated Mercury Concentrations, Atlantic County, New Jersey – Ralph Costa, Dyna L. Krumich, and Ryan H. Brown
2:10-2:30     Late Cretaceous Dinosaurs and Fossil Vertebrate Concentrations in the New Jersey Coastal Plain: Taphonomy, Stratigraphic Occurrence and Paleoenvironments - William Gallagher
2:30-2:50     Detailed Temporal Measurements of Salt Marsh Edges Using GIS - James P. Browne
2:50-3:10     Quantifying Alterations in Marshland Area within the South Shore Estuary Reserve, Long Island, NY Throughout the Past Century - Jonathan Ciappetta, James P. Browne, and Beth Christensen
3:10-3:30     Paleotempestology of Long Island: Does Grain Size Indicate Past Hurricane Activity? - E. Christa Farmer, Beth Christensen, Deborah Freile, James Browne, Jonathan Ciappetta, Stephen Haslbauer, Matt Jensen, Angela Rosiello, and Mark Zdziarski
3:30-3:50     New Jersey Coastal Plain Reveals Global Sea-Level Changes in the Cretaceous Greenhouse - Svetlana F. Mizintseva, James V. Browning, and Kenneth G. Miller

4:00-5:00     Keynote Speaker - Kenneth G. Miller, Ph.D., Chairman of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences of Rutgers University and Chief Scientist for the New Jersey Coastal Plain Drilling Project - Integrated Sequence Stratigraphy and Global Sea-Level: Should I Sell My Shore House? - Kenneth G Miller, J.V. Browning, P.J. Sugarman, M.A. Kominz, J.D. Wright, G.S. Mountain, S. Mizintseva, and A. Harris

5:15-6:00     On-Campus Tour - Two Innovative Underground Thermal Energy Stores for Heating and Cooling Buildings at Richard Stockton College – Lynn Stiles

6:30             Dinner and Business Meeting

Saturday, October 10th
Field Trip: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
The trip will include stops along the coast to view erosion processes and features. We will also visit the Inversand Company marl pit at Sewell where fossil collecting will be allowed. The pit exposes the Late Cretaceous Navesink Formation and the Paleocene Hornerstown and Vincentown Formations.   The Navesink Formation includes typical marine invertebrates found at many Late Cretaceous fossil sites. The Hornerstown Formation produces a variety of marine invertebrates and vertebrate fossils, including shark’s teeth. In the overlying Vincentown Formation there are brachiopods, mollusks and shark’s teeth.

The Inversand Pit is very muddy and wet, even on a dry day. Waterproof boots (e.g., duck boots) are recommended. Your clothing may also get muddy. Some kind of protective outer clothing and large plastic bags to put muddy items in may help. For digging tools, hand trowels or small garden spades are good; the standard issue Army entrenching tool is a shovel of choice in these coastal plain deposits. Small brushes, knives, dental tools, and a sieve may also be useful. For saving small and delicate specimens, bring all-purpose paleontological paper (a.k.a., toilet paper), small plastic vials (pill bottles or film canisters - remember those?), and plastic baggies.

All field trip participants MUST sign a release form. If registering online, the form(s) may be mailed or brought to the meeting. There will be an additional required release form for the Inversand Pit that will be provided the day of the field trip.

Professional Development / Continuing Education Credits

If attendance at the GANJ annual meeting is considered by your school, school district, or other organization as an acceptable professional development activity, GANJ will provide annual meeting certificates of attendance. Four (4) hours will be credited for the Friday presentations and five (5) for Saturday’s field trip.

Meeting Sponsorship and Advertisements

GANJ invites support of the annual meeting through sponsorship ($250.00). Sponsors receive recognition in the proceedings volume and on the GANJ web site for a year. More important is the opportunity to support geologic education in New Jersey. If interested, please contact a board member. Thank you again to our 2008-2009 sponsors:
   Aqua Survey, Inc.
   Louis Berger Group
   Golder Associates
   Environmental Waste Management Associates
   Bennett Environmental, Inc.
   Malcolm Pirnie
   NJ Water Resources Research Institute
   Langan Engineering & Environmental Services

In order to help defray meeting and printing costs, GANJ is also accepting advertisements from geologically- oriented entities (e.g., universities, environmental consulting firms, environmental laboratories, well drilling firms, etc.). For $15.00, a copy of your business card will be included in the annual meeting proceedings volume. If interested, please contact a board member.

Register and Purchase Guidebooks

Online registration is available.
Or, print and mail the registration form.
Students - please bring a signed copy of the student verification form.
Also, as a reminder, many GANJ publications are available for purchase from the web site.

Nominations for the GANJ 2009-2010 Executive Board

Nominees for the GANJ executive board were solicited from the GANJ membership in the Spring Newsletter. Nominees are all individuals who had been contacted by the person nominating them and had agreed to serve. The board presents the following list of candidates and will seek election of the entire slate by voice vote at the annual meeting. If anyone would like to make a nomination for future service, including yourself, please contact any existing board member. Current board members can also answer questions regarding specific duties of the various positions. Please consider volunteering your time and energy to serve. We meet about once every two (2) months. Members are also invited to suggest ideas for future meeting themes, locations, and presenters.

The board would like to thank Dr. Matthew L. Gorring, Montclair State University, as he completes his three (3) year term as President.

President-Elect: Open Position
Responsibilities: A three (3) year position (as President-Elect, President and Past-President) where during the first year one learns the responsibilities of the President, the second year is responsible for organizing the annual meeting and field trip, and the third year assists the President by sharing past experiences.

Treasurer: Alan I. Benimoff, The College of Staten Island/CUNY
Responsibilities: A one (1) year position (with the understanding of serving multiple years) keeping track of the organization’s finances.

Membership Secretary: Suzanne Macaoay, Sadat Associates, Inc.
Responsibilities: A one (1) year position (with the understanding of serving multiple years) maintaining the membership database.

Recording Secretary: Stephen J. Urbanik, NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection
Responsibilities: A one (1) year position recording minutes at the executive board and annual meetings, preparing the bi-annual newsletters, and tracking correspondence.

Councilors at Large (three (3) positions):
Alexander E. Gates, Rutgers University-Newark
William Montgomery, New Jersey City University
Alan H. Uminski, Lockheed Martin Company
Responsibilities: A one (1) year position assisting other members of the board as needed and learning the organization’s operations in order to possibly serve in another position of the executive board.

Publications Committee:
Jane Alexander, Kean University and Montclair State University
Gregory Herman, New Jersey Geological Survey
Emma C. Rainforth, Ramapo College of New Jersey

Currently Elected Officers:
President: Pierre Lacombe, U.S. Geological Survey
Past-President: Deborah Freile, New Jersey City University

Directions to Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
(directions and a map of the campus are also available at www.stockton.edu)

From Northern New Jersey

Take the Garden State parkway south to Exit 44. Turn right onto South Pomona Road (Route 575). Go ½ mile. Turn left on College Drive (Vera King Farris Drive). Parking, in the North Lot, will be on your first right in ½ mile.

From Camden/Philadelphia

Take the Atlantic City Expressway east to Exit 12. Turn left. Proceed straight and pass the light at U.S. Route 30 (White Horse Pike) to the next traffic light at Jimmie Leeds Road. Turn right on Jimmie Leeds Road and travel 1 mile until you reach College Drive (Vera King Farris Drive). Turn left and continue about 1 ½ miles. Parking, in the North Lot, will be on your left (last left before leaving the campus).

From Southern New Jersey

Take the Garden State Parkway north to the Atlantic City Service Area. Exit the north end of the service area following the signs for the hospital on Jimmie Leeds Road. Travel approximately 1 mile until you reach College Drive (Vera King Farris Drive). Turn right on College Drive (Vera King Farris Drive) and proceed about 1 ½ miles. Parking, in the North Lot, will be on your left (last left before leaving campus).

The Lakeside Center

The Lakeside Center is south of the parking lot, past two (2) areas of campus housing. It is directly adjacent to Lake Fred.

Hotel Reservations

Each conference attendee is responsible for their own hotel/motel accommodations. Due to the large number of facilities in the area, special arrangements/group discounts have not been established.

There is a short list of lodging in the area on the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey web site. Additional lodging is listed at www.newjerseyvisitorsnetwork.com/atlantic/. The college is close to Atlantic City so there are many options available, including hotels and bed and breakfast establishments.

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