Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America

SESSION NO. 39
39-13 15:30 Zellmer, Henning
GEOPARKS FOR REGULAR TOURISTS – “HOW MANY ROCKS WOULD YOU LIKE?”
ZELLMER, Henning, Geopark Harz, Niedernhof 6, Königslutter 38154 Germany,
hzell@web.de
Geoparks are not geological parks. According to the definitions of the National, European
and Global Geopark Network, Geoparks must indeed have significant geological features, but
have to implement geographical, biological, archaeological, cultural and historical aspects of
the designation as a high priority, too. It is even the core of the Geopark idea, to link all these
aspects together to a regional network. From a tourist’s point of view geological outcrops
that are not spectacular cliffs, waterfalls, volcanoes or dinosaur sites are often ranking as
particularly hard to place to the average customer. They seem to be at best suited to attract
an inquisitive fringe group. But if these key components of the geological tradition would stay
outside, the tourism offers threaten to be random and pale. Here you need a well-prepared
presentation and to attract a better infrastructure with integrated, various, uncomplicated and
target group-oriented combination offers of wide interest. Thus, geological or geodynamic
contexts might sometimes be better sold through the ‘back door’. Often attractive entry points
make it easier to present the formation and development of a landscape; they may be a golden
thread through the Geopark area which allows the combination of individual insights in order
to improve the understanding of the overall picture. In addition, any outcrop with an exciting
story that needs no prior knowledge of the history is a proper tool for standard tourism. The
presentation will show examples of 10 years practical Geopark experience.
SESSION NO. 40, 11:00
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
T8D. State of the Art in Geological Mapping at
Research Institutions, the Military, and Geological
Surveys
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, A 015
40-1 11:10 Asch, Kristine
THE 1 : 2 500 000 INTERNATIONAL QUATERNARY MAP OF EUROPE– CHANGE FROM A
PURE PAPER MAP TO A GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM
ASCH, Kristine, Geozentrum Hannover, Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und
Rohstoffe (BGR), Stilleweg 2, Hannover 30655 Germany, k.asch@bgr.de
Already in 1932 at the 2nd Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research
(INQUA) held in St. Petersburg the idea was discussed to represent the main features of the
European Quaternary for the whole of Europe. Since then, in cooperation with INQUA and
in international scientific collaboration the BGR compiled the International Quaternay Map of
Europe (IQUAME2500). This paper map was published in 15 map sheets, the last of which
was finished in 1995: sheet “Bern”. It is a traditional paper map. The Quaternary is an essential
part of geology: it is the uppermost layer of the geological subsurface and thus is in strong
demand: it provides Sand and Gravel deposits, groundwater resources, building ground for
houses, streets, landfills, plants and many more. Geological maps have always provided for
their users basic knowledge about the distribution of natural resources such as ore, water, oil or
building stones. With the advent of Information Technology (IT), some factors that constrained
our predecessors 50 -15 years ago no longer exist. Modern computing systems (databases,
Geoinformation systems, the Internet) allow us to store, retrieve, combine and present far more
information and knowledge about an area than we could ever display on a 2-dimensional piece
of paper. Thus BGR started to rework and digitize the IQUAME2500 paper map in order to build
a Quaternary Geological Information system (GIS) of Europe where Quaternary information
can be retrieved, combined and used without any political boundary problems across the
entwire Europe The Quaternary information is planned to be made compatible with the already
existing GIS of the 1: 5 Million International (pre-Quaternary) Geological map of Europe
and Adjacent Areas (IGME 5000) so hat the information of both layers can be combined,
selected and cross-referenced. It is planned to make the information conformal with the data
specifications of the European INSPIRE Directive. This presentation presents the GIS-concept
and discusses the challenge to create a conceptual model that combines a huge amount of
information derived from a paper map with an already existing system paper map and comply
with actual legislation.
40-2 11:25 Gerber, Rolf
EXTRACTION OF GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION FOR THE BUNDESWEHR
GEOINFORMATION SERVICE (BGIS) USING REMOTE SENSING AND GIS
GERBER, Rolf, Bundeswehr Geoinformation Office, Euskirchen 53879 Germany,
RolfGerber@bundeswehr.org
Today’s asymmetric warfare requires a wide variety of quality assured geo-information to
provide advisory service for the armed forces. The demand to be deployable worldwide induces
the need for worldwide available data. Due to the limitations of availability, especially on data
needed on larger scales, it has become necessary to extract information from various remote
sensing sources. Procedures of geological mapping therefore are based on the extraction of
data from globally available remote sensing products. The operational conditions in the mission
areas forces personnel to use basic and approved tools.
At the BGIO a handbook for the extraction of geological information was created in order to
standardize information extraction procedures. The handbook offers a toolbox of techniques
to create data layers that contain physical-geological spatial information. Concepts to map
geological features based upon different satellite imagery are presented for lithological units,
geomorphological landforms and tectonic features. Additionally topographic, hydrological and
vegetation features are mapped to complement the terrain attributes. Practicable methods
focussing on multispectral images are exemplarily demonstrated depending on satellite image
characteristics like spatial and radiometric resolution. Process charts have proven to be most
advantageous to promote standardized procedures of information extraction.
Approaches to use the obtained information for the evaluation of cross-country movement
and mobility analyses in future projects are outlined herein. But the demand for state-of-theart
methods to link data acquisition to algorithms answering user controlled queries is still
unsatisfied. For this reason we look forward to implement elements like a digital mapping
approach for our terrain analysis to satisfy customer demands.
A60 FRAGILE EARTH: Geological Processes from Global to Local Scales
40-3 11:40 Terman, Maurice J.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TEAM PREPARED TERRAIN MAPS OF GERMANY AFTER
WORLD WAR II
TERMAN, Maurice J., 616 Poplar Drive, Falls Church, VA 22046, ric@terman.us
From 1954 to 1964, eight American scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Military Geology Branch and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service,
together with several German scientists and some very competent enlisted personnel,
constituted the USGS Team (Europe) based at the Engineer Intelligence Center of the
Heidelberg headquarters of the U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR). Their principal mission
was the preparation and publication of 131 maps entitled Cross-Country Movement at a
1:100,000 scale for Germany, and of 24 maps entitled Military Engineering Geology at a
scale of 1:250,000 for Western Germany. Each of these maps was a complete document
unto itself. The Cross-Country Movement maps showed trafficability classes based on soil
and slope, overprinted with obstacle effects of steep slopes, forest, and surface drainage; the
text on the back of the map summarized climate and described terrain regions. The Military
Engineering Geology maps showed units of natural materials with critical culture and surface
drainage features at a l:250,000 scale. Summary maps at a 1:1,000,000 scale showing natural
landforms, vegetation, and constructional aspects also were on the front of the sheet; complete
descriptions and engineering evaluations were tabulated on the back of the sheet for both
natural materials and military geographic subregions.
40-4 11:55 Baran, Ramona
THE USE OF HIGH-RESOLUTION 3-D LASER SCANNING TO UNRAVEL THE COMPLEX
RUPTURE PATTERN OF A FLOWER STRUCTURE, REX HILLS, NEVADA, USA
BARAN, Ramona1 , GUEST, Bernard2 , and FRIEDRICH, Anke M. 1 , (1) Department of
Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Luisenstr. 37,
Munich, 80333, Germany, ramona.baran@iaag.geo.uni-muenchen.de, (2) Department
of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive Northwest, Calgary, AB T2N
1N4, Canada
Fault scarps are the most obvious surface expression of tectonic activity. Scarp-morphology
studies constrain fault kinematics and scarp degradation by using geomorphic dating
techniques. Data acquisition and interpretation is facilitated where scarps are exposed in
areas of simple topography, but it is challenging in complex, dissected topography. The latter
is commonly observed in flower structures which are important to evaluate the evolution and
linking of strike-slip fault systems, and seem to be scale-independent. We combined field
mapping and high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) analysis to evaluate the structure
and surface expression of one flank of the Rex Hills pressure ridge. Based on terrestrial laser
scanning (Riegl LMS-Z420i) we derived a detailed DEM with cm-scale resolution and extracted
high-resolution topographic cross-sections. This enabled us to identify fault scarps and
determine their relative ages and geometry.
The Rex Hills are located on the transpressional bend between the Pahrump and Amargosa
segments of the dextral Stateline fault system, ~100 km NW of Las Vegas. The topography of
the southern Rex Hills slope is characterized by alternating valleys and ridges (~100 m long,
~30-75 m wide). It exhibits three WNW-ESE trending fault scarps related to three reverse
fault branches: the basal scarp is the most continuous, and it is composed of five segments;
the upper two scarps are less continuous. Fault scarps exposed on ridge crests are more
numerous (up to 5) and smaller (~5 m high); valleys often exhibit single large (>10 m high),
smooth scarps. We analyzed the height and slope angle of the scarps to detect differences.
Our results indicate that scarp shape is dominated by degradation processes yielding large
scatter and overlap in scarp-height – slope-angle space, and that scarp degradation is stronger
in the valleys. Hence, preservation potential of small, single scarps is greater on ridge crests.
A comparison of our data with calibrated fault-scarp data yielded an age of ~2 ka, and we
suggest that scarp shape mainly reflects degradation since the most recent surface rupture.
Lastly, we propose that medium-range laser scanners with measurement distances of up to
hundreds of m are best suited to efficiently analyze closely-spaced fault scarps across a broad
range of spatial scales.
40-5 12:10 Gwinner, Klaus
VENT STRUCTURES ON THE SUMMIT AND FLANKS OF PAVONIS MONS: IMPLICATIONS
FOR THE VOLCANIC EVOLUTION OF A MAJOR SHIELD VOLCANO ON MARS
GWINNER, Klaus, Institute of Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR),
Rutherfordstr. 2, Berlin, 12489, Germany, Klaus.Gwinner@dlr.de, HEAD, James W.,
Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, and
WILSON, Lionel, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster,
LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
Small volcanic edifices in volcanic plains-type and rift-related settings of Mars were given much
consideration recently, but only a few reports have addressed vent-related morphologies on
the flanks and in the summit regions of the large Martian shields. Impact crater chronology has
shown ages on the order of only few hundred million years for several of the shield calderas,
despite the much higher ages obtained for the entire edifices. A key question for understanding
the volcanic evolution concerns the age and structure of the flanks of the shields and their
involvement in the volcanic activity through time.
Based on impact crater chronology using CTX data, we can demonstrate that Pavonis
Mons showed 3-4 periods of emplacement of large volumes of volcanic deposits during the
last ~0.5 Gyr. These were associated with caldera formation, but also with the formation of
new rift apron deposits and with resurfacing of the flanks. We performed a systematic survey
of vent structures and associated local deposits visible on the entire shield, and observe a
great number of both on the flanks and inside the caldera complex. We have analyzed recently
available high-resolution images (HRSC, CTX, HIRISE), as well as high-resolution DTMs
derived from HRSC data and MOLA DTMs for morphometric characterization.
We mapped more than 300 vent features, the majority of which are rimless depressions at
the head of rille-like channels which formed most likely by erosion by lava. Also a number of
small shields characterized by a low crater/cone diameter ratio were formed by mainly effusive
flank eruptions. Edifice heights and the diameters of craters and cones suggest a significant
contribution of explosive eruptions for a second class of cone-shaped edifices. Lava ramparts
and fissure vent associations are also observed. Deposition of volcanic material has produced
a number of fan-shaped deposits with terrace-like morphology. Some of these are directly
associated with flank vents, or the fan apex is linked to collapsed lava tubes or eroded lava
channels. The flank fans show a similarly young age as the caldera and apron deposits. We
suggest that the phases of high volcanic activity of Pavonis during the last ~0.5 Gyr were
accompanied – in addition to the formation of rift aprons – by significant resurfacing due to
effusive and explosive flank eruptions in other sectors.