What we’re about
The Geological Society of Minnesota is a nonprofit educational organization in operation since 1938. Our mission is to promote public interest, and to supply educational support in, the geological sciences. We sponsor free lectures and labs at the University of Minnesota, conduct statewide and regional field trips, maintain a media library, publish relevant information for public distribution, and maintain and expand upon a series of geological markers throughout the state.
GSM Seminars/Lectures & Labs:
GSM seminars/lectures with slide show presentations are free and open to the public. They are presented by leading professionals in their fields and are aimed at learners from high school to adult. A question-and-answer session follows each seminar. The labs, also free and open to the public, allow a hands-on learning experience and demonstrate the ideas and principles of geology and earth science. These lectures and labs are eligible for Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit.
Except as noted, in-person lectures during fall 2024 are Mondays at 7:00 PM CT on the University of Minnesota campus, Keller Hall, Room 3-230. In-person lectures and labs require no registration; just show up a few minutes early on the evening of the lecture. For online virtual lectures, free registration is required by non-members; registration instructions are supplied with the lecture description.
The schedule of seminars and labs for fall 2024 is here. For a printable version of our schedule of seminars and labs, click here. Our schedule is planned over 6 months in advance, so changes may occur. Always check GSM’s home page shortly before each lecture for the latest information.
Winter weather will come and snow might impact our lectures. The GSM will make any decision about cancelling or postponing a lecture due to inclement weather no later than 3:00 PM the day of the lecture. As with other changes, this information will be posted on GSM’s home page (above), so please check it shortly before each lecture in case there is a cancellation or a last-minute change. Also, we will e‐mail lecture postponement and cancellation information to our members.
Recordings of some past GSM lectures are available on the Geological Society of Minnesota YouTube channel. You can subscribe to that channel for updates.
Minnesota's Geology Markers
Discover Minnesota’s fascinating 3 billion years of geological history by visiting 70-plus geology markers placed around the state by the Geological Society of Minnesota since 1949. Observe and learn about a rift valley, volcanoes, agates, inland seas, glaciers, rivers, caves, sinkholes, iron mining, and more. Click Minnesota’s Geology Markers to see where these markers are located. You can see most markers from your car.
Field Trips
GSM conducts professionally guided geology field trips. These excursions visit locations not usually experienced by the casual traveler. Local field trips can be a few hours long, encompass a weekend, or last longer than a week. Some field trips are limited to GSM's dues-paying members only, while other trips are open to the public. Find more information here.
Dues-Paying Membership
Membership Information
Dues-paying membership in the society is open to anyone with an interest in geology. The benefits of membership include:
- The opportunity to meet others of who share an enthusiasm for learning and a curiosity for the natural world.
- The rewarding feeling of supporting a nonprofit organization dedicated to public education.
- GSM Newsletter - A quarterly publication contains announcements of upcoming activities, articles on the earth sciences, and GSM projects and activity reports.
- Extensive Media Library - GSM maintains a collection of more than 330 geological DVDs. These are available to the members at lectures or through the mail for a nominal rental fee.
- GSM Directory - This annual book is a handy resource and makes it easy to access the organization.
Schedule: Dinner 5-7 pm. Lecture at 7 pm.
Location: The final meeting of the Geological Society of Minnesota for 2024-2025 is the Spring Banquet at U Garden Restaurant (https://ugardenrestaurant.com/), 2725 University Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414, (612) 378-1255, near the U of MN's East Bank campus. This is the same location as the Fall Banquet held in September, 2024. The restaurant is on the north side of University Ave SE, east of 27th Ave SE. (See map on lower right of this page.) There is a parking lot behind the restaurant; it is also less than a block from the Green Line's Prospect Park station.
The banquet starts at 5 PM. No reservation or registration is needed. We recommend the buffet, which is priced at $19.95 + tax & tip. Hot tea and other beverages (except water) are extra. Ordering from the menu at the posted price is also an option. To make payment easy, we encourage everyone to plan to pay using cash or credit card. The restaurant does not accept checks.
You may come for just the lecture, skipping the meal if you wish; however we encourage you to enjoy the meal also, as the restaurant appreciates our business in return for hosting this event.
During the banquet, the Video Library will be open for returns and rentals as usual.
Following the banquet, around 7 PM, will be our final lecture of 2024-2025. As with all GSM lectures, this lecture is free and open to the public.
Presenter: Jared Trost, M.Sc., hydrologist with Upper Midwest Water Science Center, USGS
Full Title: Distribution of Ancient Carbon in Groundwater and Soil Gas from Degradation of Petroleum near the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Summary: The Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (facility) on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi has supported military operations in the Pacific since it was completed in 1943. The facility was designed to store up to 250 million gallons of fuel in a series of 20 steel-lined tanks that were encased in concrete and built into cavities mined out of Red Hill. The facility overlies the aquifer that is the main source of water for Honolulu County and the military. In November 2021 a fuel release at the facility resulted in residential water contamination of Navy water system users. In March 2022, a decision was made to permanently shut down and defuel the Facility. Understanding the fate of fuel from past spills still present in the subsurface is critical for ensuring a safe public water supply. This study used carbon-14 analyses to distinguish fuel-derived carbon from background carbon in groundwater and soil gas, along with other biodegradation indicators, to address two goals: (1) determine the extent and migration direction of groundwater affected by residual fuel below the facility and (2) determine if residual fuel locations in the subsurface could be identified by analyzing soil gas at the surface.
Biography: Jared Trost is a hydrologist with more than 20 years experience leading, managing, and communicating about environmental research topics ranging from plant ecology to groundwater quality. Current areas of interest include field studies and modeling approaches to understand the influences of climate, land cover, contaminants, and unsaturated zone properties on the quality and quantity of groundwater. He enjoys helping others succeed at scientific (and other) endeavors. When not working, his happy place is spending time with family, especially in places that lack electricity.
General Info: GSM lectures/seminars with slide show presentations are free and open to the public. They are presented by leading professionals in their fields and are aimed at learners from high school to adult. A question-and-answer session follows each seminar. In-person lectures and this banquet require no registration; just show up a few minutes early on the evening of the lecture, or around 5:00pm if you plan to eat at the restaurant. These lectures are eligible for 1 hour of Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit.
Our full schedule of lectures and labs is posted at GSM Current Year Lectures, and a printable version is available at GSM Current Year Lectures (pdf). Our schedule is planned over 6 months in advance, so changes may occur; always check our home page shortly before each lecture for the latest seminar information.
Winter weather will come and snow might impact our lectures. The GSM will make any decision about cancelling or postponing a lecture due to inclement weather no later than 3:00 PM the day of the lecture. This information will be posted on the GSM home page, so check that page shortly before each lecture in case there is a cancellation or a last-minute change. Also, we will e‐mail lecture postponement and cancellation information to our dues-paying members.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- In-person Spr. Banquet+Lecture: Distribution of Ancient Carbon near Fuel StorageU Garden Restaurant, Minneapolis, MN
Schedule: Dinner 5-7 pm. Lecture at 7 pm.
Location: The final meeting of the Geological Society of Minnesota for 2024-2025 is the Spring Banquet at U Garden Restaurant (https://ugardenrestaurant.com/), 2725 University Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414, (612) 378-1255, near the U of MN's East Bank campus. This is the same location as the Fall Banquet held in September, 2024. The restaurant is on the north side of University Ave SE, east of 27th Ave SE. (See map on lower right of this page.) There is a parking lot behind the restaurant; it is also less than a block from the Green Line's Prospect Park station.
The banquet starts at 5 PM. No reservation or registration is needed. We recommend the buffet, which is priced at $19.95 + tax & tip. Hot tea and other beverages (except water) are extra. Ordering from the menu at the posted price is also an option. To make payment easy, we encourage everyone to plan to pay using cash or credit card. The restaurant does not accept checks.
You may come for just the lecture, skipping the meal if you wish; however we encourage you to enjoy the meal also, as the restaurant appreciates our business in return for hosting this event.
During the banquet, the Video Library will be open for returns and rentals as usual.
Following the banquet, around 7 PM, will be our final lecture of 2024-2025. As with all GSM lectures, this lecture is free and open to the public.
Presenter: Jared Trost, M.Sc., hydrologist with Upper Midwest Water Science Center, USGS
Full Title: Distribution of Ancient Carbon in Groundwater and Soil Gas from Degradation of Petroleum near the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Summary: The Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (facility) on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi has supported military operations in the Pacific since it was completed in 1943. The facility was designed to store up to 250 million gallons of fuel in a series of 20 steel-lined tanks that were encased in concrete and built into cavities mined out of Red Hill. The facility overlies the aquifer that is the main source of water for Honolulu County and the military. In November 2021 a fuel release at the facility resulted in residential water contamination of Navy water system users. In March 2022, a decision was made to permanently shut down and defuel the Facility. Understanding the fate of fuel from past spills still present in the subsurface is critical for ensuring a safe public water supply. This study used carbon-14 analyses to distinguish fuel-derived carbon from background carbon in groundwater and soil gas, along with other biodegradation indicators, to address two goals: (1) determine the extent and migration direction of groundwater affected by residual fuel below the facility and (2) determine if residual fuel locations in the subsurface could be identified by analyzing soil gas at the surface.
Biography: Jared Trost is a hydrologist with more than 20 years experience leading, managing, and communicating about environmental research topics ranging from plant ecology to groundwater quality. Current areas of interest include field studies and modeling approaches to understand the influences of climate, land cover, contaminants, and unsaturated zone properties on the quality and quantity of groundwater. He enjoys helping others succeed at scientific (and other) endeavors. When not working, his happy place is spending time with family, especially in places that lack electricity.
General Info: GSM lectures/seminars with slide show presentations are free and open to the public. They are presented by leading professionals in their fields and are aimed at learners from high school to adult. A question-and-answer session follows each seminar. In-person lectures and this banquet require no registration; just show up a few minutes early on the evening of the lecture, or around 5:00pm if you plan to eat at the restaurant. These lectures are eligible for 1 hour of Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit.
Our full schedule of lectures and labs is posted at GSM Current Year Lectures, and a printable version is available at GSM Current Year Lectures (pdf). Our schedule is planned over 6 months in advance, so changes may occur; always check our home page shortly before each lecture for the latest seminar information.
Winter weather will come and snow might impact our lectures. The GSM will make any decision about cancelling or postponing a lecture due to inclement weather no later than 3:00 PM the day of the lecture. This information will be posted on the GSM home page, so check that page shortly before each lecture in case there is a cancellation or a last-minute change. Also, we will e‐mail lecture postponement and cancellation information to our dues-paying members.