Dr. Robert K. Goldhammer, from UT's Department of Geological Sciences was the presenter at the Bureau's weekly seminar on Friday, February 28. The title of his presentation was "The Influence of Syndepositional Salt Tectonics on Carbonate Platform Development and Stratal Architecture: Examples of (i) Coeval Diapiric Uplift (Paleocene La Popa Platform, Northeast Mexico) and (ii) Gravitationally-Driven Extension and Rafting (Aptian-Albian Carbonates of the South Atlantic Basins, Upper Jurassic of the Gulf of Mexico)." [Abstract] 02/26/03

Dr. Mrinal K. Sen of UT's Institute for Geophysics was the speaker at the Bureau's seminar on Friday, February 21. The title of his presentation was "Simulated Annealing in Seismic Inversion." [Abstract] 02/18/03

Dr. Bridget Scanlon presented "The Relationship Between Climate and Vegetation Dynamics in Water Limited Systems: Monitoring and Modeling Analysis" at the Bureau's weekly seminar, Friday, February 14, 2003. [Abstract] 02/11/03

Representatives from IBC Petroleum and Cinco Natural Resources Corp. (Cinco) visited the Bureau on Friday, February 14, 2003, and met with members of the State Lands Advanced Resource Recovery (STARR) team. The groups discussed Red Fish Bay field and surrounding areas. IBC supplied the seismic data used in the study. The group is shown here viewing a core from a well near the Red Fish Bay field. 02/17/03

Research Scientist Dr. Alan R. Dutton presented an all-day training workshop on groundwater flow modeling February 12, 2003, to representatives of groundwater conservation districts, regional water planning groups, river authorities, consulting firms, and cities interested in central Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Texas. The workshop is a culminating event for the Bureau's model development project for the Groundwater Availability Modeling program conducted by the Texas Water Development Board. Bureau Researcher Jean-Philippe Nicot assisted Alan with the workshop. 02/14/03

Margaretha (Peggy) Rijken, a doctoral student at UT's Department of Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering and a FRAC IA associate, was one of 27 University, faculty, and teaching assistants to be awarded the 2003 Texas Excellence Teaching Award. [More information] 02/10/03

Research Associate Ramón Treviño volunteered his time and scientific expertise judging science- fair projects at Brykerwoods Elementary School on February 10, 2003. 02/12/03

Friday, February 7, 2003, Dr. Frederick W. Taylor of the UT Institute for Geophysics presented "A Coral Perspective on Holocene Climate Dynamics of the Western Pacific Warm Pool" as part of the Bureau's weekly technical seminar series. [Abstract] 02/04/03

The Austin Geological Society had its monthly meeting on Monday, February 3, 2003, at the University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology. Patricia Bobeck of Geotechnical Translations, Austin, Texas, presented "Henry Darcy's Public Fountains of the City of Dijon." [Abstract] 01/31/03

Lupe Rendon and Andy Faigle of the Bureau's Midland Core Research Center (MCRC) stand beside a 1998 Ford pickup truck delivered to the facility by Austin Core Research Center Curator George Bush. The pickup was obtained from the Texas Department of Public Safety and replaces the MCRC's 1991 Dodge Ram Charger. 02/14/03

Bureau Research Fellow and FRAC IA associate Dr. Linda Bonnell has been named as an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer for 2003–2004. The title of her presentation is "Diagenetic Effects on Fracture Development." Linda is one of the principals of Geocosm, an Austin-based reservoir consulting group. 02/12/03

Bureau Director Dr. Scott W. Tinker started the New Year with plenty of travel and presentations. On January 8, 2003, he traveled to San Antonio and presented "Upstream Technology for the Coming Natural Gas Economy" at the monthly luncheon meeting of the South Texas Geological Society. [Abstract]

January 11–12, Dr. Scott W. Tinker was in Bloomington, Indiana to conduct a National Science Foundation workshop titled "Preservation of Scientific Research Cores and Collections" as well as present a talk titled "Geologic Curation, the BEG, and the Houston Research Center." "Lasers Light the Way: 3-D Outcrops Will Revolutionize Subsurface Modeling" was the title of Scott's Keynote Address to the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists on February 28 in Denver, Colorado [Abstract]. 01/16/03