Planning on attending the AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition this year? If so, remember there are diverse and unique ways to indulge in some pre- and post-convention fun, too.
This year, there’s a field trip for everyone – perfect for every geology professional, history lover or nature enthusiast, from hands-on treks to the Marcellus Shale to the battlegrounds of Gettysburg, and even a rafting trip through Smoke Hole Canyon in West Virginia for the daring and young at heart.
“We ended up with what I think are some really great sounding trips,” said AAPG member John Harper, field trip co-chair for this year’s meeting in Pittsburgh.
To be specific, this year’s slate of trips include “exploration of the Cambrian and Ordovician carbonate facies of the Great American Carbonate Bank (GACB); an oil history trip to the Drake Well museum, Pennsylvanian fluvial-deltaic stratigraphy in Kentucky, acid mine drainage in Pennsylvania, Ordovician stratigraphy and paleoenvironments in Cincinnati, and even a trip to Gettysburg to see how geology and topography affected the outcome of the infamous Civil War battle,” Harper said.
And more. And because this is AAPG’s first annual convention in the region, the trips offer an opportunity for trips to places never before visited by an ACE excursion.
Educational – and Fun
When compiling the list for this year’s convention trips, Harper and his team made sure to include hot topics like the shales that have turned the region into one of the hottest areas on earth. To accommodate this, the team put together trips that would take participants throughout the Appalachian and Illinois basins.
They also received requests for petroleum history, geotechnical/ geoenvironmental and carbonate-related trips, so they made sure to include those into the mix as well.
“All of these trips will be very informative and educational,” Harper said, “so depending on anyone’s particular geologic interest there will probably be something worth the cost and the time for everyone.”
Harper anticipates that the gas shale trips will be the most popular, but he named a couple that he would pick if awarded the chance.
“I guess I have to say the [PFItemLinkShortcode|id:2337|type:standard|anchorText:Gettysburg trip|cssClass:|title:‘Fascinating Geology’ Supports Hallowed Ground|PFItemLinkShortcode], since I’m one of the field trip leaders,” he joked, “but I would love to be able to go on the Cincinnati and GACB trips. The history of petroleum will be a great trip, and the rafting trip through Smoke Hole Canyon sounds like a hoot.”
Complete information on the trips can be found in the official announcement that members received last month, and online.