Our Physical Geology Class Rocks!

05/14/2008

Our introductory geology class Physical Geology involves students in active learning about the Earth and it's Environment. This course satisfies a General Education requirement and is the first required course in the Geology and Environmental Geoscience majors. For many students one course is never enough - they go on to become Geology majors!

At High Falls students learn about the use of water power formerly used to grind flour and to make cement, and, currently, to produce electricity. Note the old millstone hewn from Shawangunk 'grit'. They also study the ancient history of Paleozoic sedimentation and tectonic deformation
Photo by S.C. Ligotino

An anticline in the High Falls shale tells it's story by giving students evidence for the Acadian mountain building event that occurred in the Devonian. At that time Himalayan size peaks rose from the collision of the ancient supercontinents Gondwana and Laurasia. The erosional debris from these long eroded masses now forms what are called the 'Catskill Mountains'
Photo by S.C. Ligotino

Stepping back through time into the depths of the deep Ordovician sea that existed here almost a half billion years ago, students learn to reconstruct the history of the Earth and it's paleoenvironments by studying present outcrops and geologic processes
Photo by S.C. Ligotino

Hydrogeologic Studies in Rural Bangladesh

04/22/2008

Over the inter-term break Dr. Chowdhury spent a month collecting water samples in southwestern Bangladesh. Contamination by arsenic, salinization in coastal areas, and other problems threaten the vital groundwater resources upon which the populous depend for their most basic needs. Travel in this remote area is challenging, and Dr. Chowdhury had to rely on some unusual modes of transportation. Special permission was also required to carry his samples, which must remain sealed until analyzed, through United States Customs. The water samples for this international study will be analyzed in the New Paltz Hydrogeology Laboratory by Geology and EGS students.

Dr. Chowdhury collects water samples from a shallow pumped well, which is vulnerable from contamination by nearby surface water.

Bottling samples for transport to the New Paltz Hydrogeology Laboratory where they will be analyzed.

Transportation included travel by cycle rickshaw.

Dr. Chowdhury, cap in lieu of helmet, rides third on the pylon seat of a 100 cc Hero Honda motorcycle.

Students and Faculty Present Papers at NE GSA

04/07/2008

Faculty members John Rayburn, Alex Bartholomew and New Paltz Geology students attended the Northeastern Section 43rd Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, March 27-29 2008, in Buffalo, New York.

Student Jaclyn Martin and Dr. Bartholomew presented a poster entitled:

"Biofacies Analysis along a Middle Devonian Paleogradient: Water as a primary control on biofacies formation in the Staghorn Point coral biostrome"

Dr. Rayburn coauthored a paper with student Chad Johnston. Chad has been working on John's cores this past year and will be going to graduate school at the University of Connecticut next year. The paper was entitled:

"Textural and compositional variations in proglacial lake and marine deposits as proxies for changing sediment provenance and fresh-water outflow source in the Champlain Lowland, New York."

Student Jaclyn Martin discusses her research with student C.J. Hartwell.
Photo by Tana Bartholomew.

Student Chad Johnston and Dr. Rayburn discuss the implications of their core data for the history of the glacial Champlain Sea.
Photo by Tana Bartholomew.

New Paltz Geology crew: Dr. Bartholomew, Tom Schramm, Jaclyn Martin, Chris Gahn, C.J. Hartwell, Dr. Rayburn, and Evan Pilnick.
Photo by Tana Bartholomew.