College of Charleston to Host Smithsonian Experts and Fossil Identification Session

The College of Charleston’s Natural History Museum will host three museum specialists from the Smithsonian Institute’s Museum of Natural History Department of Paleobiology on November 1, 2011.

The public is invited to attend the free forum and fossil identification session from 1-4 p.m. in the Museum.

Experts in terrestrial and marine mammals, as well as sharks and other fish, they will be available for identification of vertebrate fossils. The public is also invite to bring  “finds” they may have around the house for identification.

David Bohaska, a specialist on marine mammals, will give a lecture entitled “Evolution of Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises” starting at 2:30p.m.   He will discuss their ancestry, the major groups of whales (ancient, toothed, and baleen), and provide examples of diversity in the fossil record.

Also on site for fossil identification will be Fred Grady (terrestrial mammal fossil specialist) and Robert Purdy (fossil sharks and fish).

The College of Charleston’s Natural History Museum is located at 202 Calhoun Street.

http://geology.cofc.edu/natural-history-museum/

Location
New Science Center
202 Calhoun Street
Charleston, SC 29401

Schedule
1:00 Fossil identification on 2nd floor near museum entrance
2:30 Lecture by David Bohaska in First Floor Lecture Hall
3:30 Fossil identification

Welcome, Stacey!

Please welcome our new Office Manger, Stacey Yanagawa, to the geology family! Students, staff, and faculty, please come by and introduce yourself!!

Mineralogy field trip 2011!!

Dr. Bob’s mineralogy class spent the weekend visiting the geology along  the Blue Ridge Parkway of North Carolina.  Students studied  minerals and rocks from Late Proterozoic rifts along with minerals that contributed to recent slope failures along the Parkway.   Ahead of the pending storms off the coast, their inland trip kept them in the upper 30s on Saturday night around the campfire with a variety of experiences being shared by everyone.  Students will use samples collected on the field trip to complete a mini-research project using  scanning electron microscopy, reflectance spectroradiometry, or polarizing microscopy while interpreting the role of minerals in a larger geologic context.

Welcome to the Department of Geology!

Welcome to the new geoBlog at the College of Charleston.  The Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences has just upgraded their website and are starting to put together announcements, news, alumni information, and other tidbits that we hope you find useful.  Please feel free to contact me if you have news you think is post-worthy!