Bureau of Geology News

On February 23-24, 2016, the National Groundwater Association Conference provided many presentations on the water resource challenges and potential solutions affecting the American Southwest. Among these presentations were four researchers from the Bureau. Dr. Geoffrey Rawling talked about the “Quantity and Location of Groundwater Recharge in the Sacramento Mountains,” followed soon after by Dr. Talon Newton discussing the “Sacramento Mountains Watershed Study: Can Thinning Trees Increase the Water Supply?”. Later in the program, Dr. Lewis Land presented a lively review of the “Brackish Water Recharge Rates in the Capitan Reef Aquifer.” Stacy Timmons presented an overview talk on “Characterizing Brackish Water in New Mexico.” The conference was attended by approximately 80 participants from various regions in the US, and other federal and New Mexico state agencies.

A technical completion report for the village of Questa NM released as OFR-578, by the NM Bureau of Geology, in close collaboration with U.S. Geological Survey, refines our understanding of the geologic architecture of the new Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

A research team led by bureau geologist Dr. Matthew Zimmerer has determined that the youngest eruptions at Valles caldera occurred at about 68 and 74 thousand years ago. Valles caldera is a dormant supervolcano located in north-central New Mexico. Understanding the ages of the youngest series of eruptions has important implications for assessing the volcanic hazards as described in this recently published article. This research is part of a much larger project to understand the volcanic hazards throughout the region.

The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources is pleased to welcome Matthew J. Rhoades as it's new director.

Rockin’Around New Mexico, a geology workshop for K-12 teachers was held in Socorro on July 8-10, 2015. Twenty six teachers, mostly from New Mexico, attended this year to learn about the geology, water resources, and seismic history and risks of the local area.

The National Geological and Geophysical Data preservation Program (NGGDPP) awarded a grant to Amy Trivitt-Kracke, Petroleum Computer Specialist to to catalog and scan two unique petroleum data collections as part of the bureau's ongoing data preservation program.

Ron Broadhead will be presented with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Distinguished Service Award for his singular and beneficial long-term service to AAPG at their Annual Meeting in Denver.

It's official! On Friday May 8th the new Bureau of Geology building was dedicated to Jessie and Chuck Headen longtime supporters of New Mexico Tech.