Field Trips

• Field Trips:

  Three Field Trips are being offered this year:

  • FT-I:  Deposition and Geochemistry of the Upper Devonian Cleveland (black) Shale – Hannibal, Baird and Mack
  • FT-II:  Depositional Characteristics and Hydrogeology of the Pennsylvanian Sharon Formation in Northeast Ohio - Foos, Hannibal, Baird and Mack
  • FT-III:  Terroir (Geology and Wines) of the Grand River Valley and Lake Erie Coastal Region – Hannibal & Edgar

   

  FT-I:  Deposition and Geochemistry of the Upper Devonian Cleveland (black) Shale

  Leaders:  Joe Hannibal, Gordon C. Baird, Edward Mack Jr.

  Saturday, September 22, 08:00 to 18:00 (bus departs the Renaissance Hotel, TD Waterhouse Room)

  Cost: $155 (includes ground transportation, continental breakfast, lunch, refreshments & guidebook)

  We will investigate outcrops of the world-famous Upper Devonian Cleveland Shale at several stops in the Greater Cleveland area. The depositional environment of this Appalachian Basin black shale has been well studied and yet the extensive organic matter accumulation and its preservation are of great debate. With the tremendous interest in black shale for hydrocarbon exploration and the intensive geochemical tools now available, we will attempt to put the deposition of this shale into perspective by viewing the outcrops within the Cleveland shale basin. The trip will utilize a map and regional cross section with electric logs and core between outcrops to visualize a more complete section and underscore the relationship between these exploration tools.  Source rock geochemistry at two localities will be reviewed so that participants may contrast the organic rich shale with the rest of the section and consider what geochemistry reveals about the depositional environment of the shale.  We will also discuss the paleontology of this unit, which contains a sparse but spectacular and diverse fish fauna including arthrodires (the best known being Dunkleosteus) and sharks. The trip will end at the Rocky River Visitor’s Center where we will view a core of the Cleveland shale section from a nearby well and conduct a wrap-up discussion of the fieldtrip.

  Weather is variable at this time of year. Participants may need a jacket and raingear (an umbrella or poncho). Sample collection is at the localities within metropolitan parks is prohibited. The field trip will involve hiking. You should wear nonslip shoes; some paths may be muddy and we may have to walk in some shallow water.

  Joe Hannibal (Ph.D., Kent State University) is curator of invertebrate paleontology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. He has taught classes at Case Western Reserve University, Kent State University, and the University of Akron.  Joe is the former editor of Cleveland Museum’s journal Kirtlandia, an associate editor of the Journal of Paleontology and author of numerous professional publications on paleontology, sedimentology, natural history, and building stone.  He has written and contributed to many field guidebooks.  Joe is extremely knowledgeable about the outcrops of Northeast Ohio.

  Gordon C. Baird (Ph.D. Univ., of Rochester) is a stratigrapher /paleontologist/ sedimentologist and Chair of the Department of Geosciences at the State University of New York at Fredonia. His research has been focused on the sedimentary and tectonic history of the Taconic orogeny.  For many years he has teamed up with Dr. Carleton Brett at the University of Rochester to map and interpret ancient sedimentary basins associated with this important event.  Dr. Baird teaches courses in paleontology, historical geology, earth science, and the geology of New York state.  Gordon has published extensively on the Devonian and Mississippian of Eastern United States and has considerable experience in the field.

  Edward Mack Jr. (B.S. Kent State University) is a geologist, president and CEO of MorMack Industries, Orrville, Ohio and has been exploring for and producing oil and gas and salt in Ohio for 40 years.  He has extensive experience in seismic acquisition, mud logging, completion techniques and development of solution mining of salt. Ed is chairman of the Field Trip committee for the 2012 AAPG Eastern Section Meeting and has walked and studied the outcrops we will visit.

  ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

  FT-II:  Depositional Characteristics and Hydrogeology of the Pennsylvanian Sharon Formation in Northeast Ohio

  Leaders:  Annabells Foos, Joe Hannibal, Gordon C. Baird and Edward Mack Jr.

  Sunday, September 23, 7:30 to 5:00 (bus departs the Renaissance Hotel, TD Waterhouse Room)

  Cost: $145 (includes ground transportation, continental breakfast, lunch, refreshments & guidebook)

  Classic rock exposures of the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian Units at the Gorge Metro Park in Cuyahoga Falls and Virginia Kendall Ledges in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park will be visited.  The Pennsylvanian Sharon Conglomerate was deposited on a major unconformity overlying the Mississippian Cuyahoga Formation. We will have a unique glimpse into the Sharon Aquifer where it has been dissected by recent down cutting of the Cuyahoga River at the Cuyahoga Falls Gorge. The complex depositional characteristics of this interpreted braided-stream, multistoried sandstone and conglomerate will be examined.  The outcrops provide textbook examples of trough and tabular cross-bedding revealing paleoflow direction.

  The Sharon Formation is the most important bedrock aquifer in Northeast Ohio.  We will observe numerous natural springs and seeps that flow through the bedrock, bedrock fractures, bedding planes and the unconformity surface. The chemistry of these natural springs and seeps at this location has yielded valuable information about the fluid flow characteristics within the aquifer system. We will discuss the chemistry and heterogeneous flow characteristics at this unique setting along the Glen trail. We will also hike the Gorge trail which features the Ohio Edison dam where water plunges 65 feet over the Sharon Conglomerate onto the siltstone and shale of the Cuyahoga Formation.

  The trip will wrap up at the Virginia Kendall Ledges outlier where the effects of erosion provide a stunning look at this remnant feature.  Here we will observe and discuss scour and fill, and complex bar features, springs, vugs, iron banding and recumbently overturned cross beds.

  Weather is variable in at this time of year. Participants may need a jacket and raingear (an umbrella or poncho). Sample collection is at many of the localities is prohibited therefore no hammers. The field trip will involve hiking on mostly groomed trails. You should wear nonslip shoes; some paths may be muddy.

  Annabelle Foos (Ph. D., University of Texas) served as Associate Dean and Professor of Geology at Buchtel College, Professor of Geology and Director of Environmental Studies at Akron University. She has taught courses ranging from graduate to introductory level, including geochemistry, historical geology and field studies. She has authored over two-dozen articles for refereed books and journals. Her research interests lie in environmental geology and low temperature geochemistry. Dr Foos is the editor and contributed articles to Pennsylvanian Sharon Formation, Past and Present: Sedimentology , Hydrology, and Historical and Environmental Significance (Guidebook 18), which will be used for this fieldtrip.

  Joe Hannibal (Ph.D., Kent State University) is curator of invertebrate paleontology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.  He has taught classes at Case Western Reserve University, Kent State University, and the University of Akron.  Joe is the former editor of Cleveland Museum’s journal Kirtlandia, an associate editor of the Journal of Paleontology and author of numerous professional publications on paleontology, sedimentology, natural history, and building stone.  He has written and contributed to many field guidebooks including Pennsylvanian Sharon Formation, Past and Present: Sedimentology , Hydrology, and Historical and Environmental Significance (Guidebook 18), which will be used for this field trip.  Joe is extremely knowledgeable about the outcrops of Northeast Ohio.

  Gordon C. Baird (Ph.D. Univ., of Rochester) is a stratigrapher /paleontologist/ sedimentologist and Chair of the Department of Geosciences at the State University of New York at Fredonia. His research has been focused on the sedimentary and tectonic history of the Taconic orogeny.  For many years he has teamed up with Dr. Carleton Brett at the University of Rochester to map and interpret ancient sedimentary basins associated with this important event.  Dr. Baird teaches courses in paleontology, historical geology, earth science, and the geology of New York state. Gordon has published extensively on the Devonian and Mississippian of Eastern United States and has considerable experience in the field.

  Edward Mack Jr. (B.S. Kent State University) is a geologist, president and CEO of MorMack Industries, Orrville, Ohio and has been exploring for and producing oil and gas and salt in Ohio for 40 years.  He has extensive experience in seismic acquisition, mud logging, completion techniques and development of solution mining of salt. Ed is chairman of the Field Trip committee for the 2012 AAPG Eastern Section Meeting and has walked and studied the outcrops we will visit.

  ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

  FT-III:  Geology and Wines of the Grand River Valley and Lake Erie Coastal Region

  Leaders:   Dr. Joe Hannibal and Chad Edgar

  Wednesday, September 26, 9:00 to 6:00 PM (bus departs the Renaissance Hotel, TD Waterhouse Room)

  Cost: $125 (includes ground transportation, lunch, wine tastings, winery tours & guidebook)

  This trip is being run in conjunction with the Ohio Wine Producers Association.  The unique combination of glacial and bedrock geology of the Grand River Valley and the coastal influence of Lake Erie have created a wonderful assortment of wineries and distinct wines. We will investigate outcrops and soil profiles of the Lake Erie Coastal Region east of Cleveland with several stops at outcrops, valley cuts and the Ohio Agricultural Research Development Center – Grape Research Center at Kingsville, Ohio. We will visit several of the fabulous wineries along the way.  Included in the price are tastings and tours at the wineries and a catered lunch at Debonne Vinyards. The trip will utilize a map and guidebook to bring together the geology, soils and geography and their effect on wines from this region.

  Weather is variable at this time of year. Participants may need a jacket and raingear (an umbrella or poncho). Sample collection is encouraged. The field trip will involve minimal hiking on groomed trails. You should wear nonslip shoes; some paths may be muddy.

  Chad Edgar (B.S. Geology, Ashland University) is a geologist and works with the Lake County Soil & Water District in Painesville, Ohio.  He is a member of the Ohio Wine Producers Association.  Chad is knowledgeable about soils, the wineries and specific wines of the Grand River Valley.