November 2 Business Meeting Report

by Andy Thompson, Secretary

Gold Vein in a Quartz-bearing Rock. Photo by Virginia Mercury.

President Kenny Reynolds gaveled the meeting to order, welcomed everyone and thanked the attendees for joining MSDC’s November gathering. For their prior service, he also thanked three past presidents who were present.

Geology in the News

Virginia Gold Mining. Stan reported the recent publication of an interesting report by the National Academy of Sciences: The Potential Impacts of Gold Mining in Virginia. The National Academies report says the gold mining regulations are inadequate.

The report is available on line, at no cost: The Potential Impacts of Gold Mining in Virginia |The National Academies Press.  The National Academies website has extensive additional free publications, on line, for education in diverse sciences, including geology. If interested, see: The National Academies Press.

Gold. Photo by Getty Images.

For additional information, see: Gold mining study begins as discoveries continue in Virginia - Virginia Mercury

Recent earthquakes in Yellow Stone National Park. Dave noted there has been a recent swarm of small earthquakes which, given its super volcano status, merits monitoring. For further information, visit:  Today's Earthquakes in Yellowstone Nat. Park, Wyoming (earthquaketrack.com)

Breakthrough the Structural Geology of Mars. Andy shared an item about the first time ever that scientists had both an audio recording of rumbling on the surface of Mars as well as photographic evidence of the event. The recording was due to an impact on Christmas Eve 2021. The NASA InSight lander had recorded the sound which sound turned out to have captured an actual marsquake. Later, scientists correlated that sound with the recording of a visual sighting of that impact captured by an orbiting satellite. For more information on this story, see: Space rock slams into Mars and reveals buried ice | CNN

Volcanic activity on Mt. Kilauea in Hawaii. Dan called attention to this ongoing activity that you can learn more about in the link that follows: Kīlauea Volcano Updates | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov)

Approval of the October Business Minutes

Kenny asked if there were any changes needed in the October business meeting minutes as published in the November newsletter. No edits were recommended so he asked for a motion and a second. Receiving both, the vote was to unanimously approve them as published.