White Mountains Spring Geology Workshop
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Folded metamorphic rock
Interested in learning about the geology of the White Mountains? Here's your chance, with a reprise of the popular Spring Geology Workshop led by geologist Thom Davis of Bentley College and Greg Kirby of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. This workshop will focus on both the bedrock and surficial geology of "the notches" and adjacent areas to the south in the White Mountains. The workshop will be primarily field-based, but we will also take the time to discuss laboratory techniques, such as radiocarbon dating and the relatively new cosmogenic exposure method of dating glacial events. Anyone comfortable on easy hikes, although perhaps in less than ideal weather, is invited to participate.
The workshop will begin with an indoors presentation on Saturday morning to introduce participants to the general geologic history of the White Mountains. Then, on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning through early afternoon, we will take to the field. Locations of geological interest in Pinkham, Crawford, and Franconia Notches, as well as Twin Mountain and North Conway, will be explored.
The leader of the workshop is P. Thompson (Thom) Davis, of the Natural Sciences Department at Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts. Thom has hiked and climbed extensively in the White Mountains, and has been studying the geology of the area since he was a teenager. Thom is assisted by Greg Kirby of the N.H. Department of Environmental Services, who has special expertise in area gems and minerals.
The workshop will begin on Saturday, May 5, with registration from 8:30 to 9 a.m. We'll meet for a 9 A.M. class at the Observatory's Weather Discovery Center in North Conway, NH (2779 Main Street (Route 16 and Route 302, next to Citizens Bank, and across from Eastern Slope Inn). After a morning session indoors, we will break for lunch (please bring a trail lunch), then travel to a variety of field sites in Pinkham Notch and the North Conway area during the afternoon. The first day will end by 5:00 p.m. Participants are on their own for supper and lodging on Saturday evening. We will re-group at 9 a.m. on Sunday at the Webster-Jackson Trailhead, on Route 302 near the high point of Crawford Notch, to continue our field adventures in Crawford Notch, Twin Mountain, and Franconia Notch. Sunday's field session will end in Franconia Notch by 3 p.m. Please bring a trail lunch for Sunday, too.
Participants must be in good physical condition for short hikes, and must have suitable clothing for possible inclement weather. For the safety of all concerned, those in poor physical condition or not properly clothed will NOT be allowed to participate on the field trips portion of the workshop, and refunds will NOT be possible.
Observatory member rate for the two-day workshop is $75.00 (Those who are not currently members of the Observatory can participate for $120.00, which includes a year's benefits as a new member of the Observatory.) The fee will include instruction and materials. The workshop fee is non-refundable after April 30. Transportation for the field trips will be in the participants' vehicles, although we advocate car-pooling where possible. Since space on the workshop is limited, advance reservations are strongly encouraged.
For more information, contact the Observatory.
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