Geology is the science and study of the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth. The field of geology encompasses the study of the composition, structure, physical properties, dynamics, and history of Earth materials, and the processes by which they are formed, moved, and changed. The field is a major academic discipline, and is also important for mineral and hydrocarbon extraction, knowledge about and mitigation of natural hazards, some engineering fields, and understanding past climates and environments with reference to present-day climate change.

Etymology
The word "geology" was first used by Jean-André Deluc in the year 1778 and introduced as a fixed term by Horace-Bénédict de Saussure in the year 1779. The science was not included in Encyclopædia Britannica's third edition completed in 1797, but had a lengthy entry in the fourth edition completed by 1809.[1] An older meaning of the word was first used by Richard de Bury to distinguish between earthly and theological jurisprudence.

-Source: Wikipedia.

Toggle


Corpus Christi Geological Society
P.O. Box 1068
Corpus Christi, TX 78403

Coastal Bend Geophysical Society
P.O. Box 2471
Corpus Christi, TX 78403

President's Letters - Mike Lucente

February 2012









VOLUNTEERISM



As part of this year’s New Year’s resolution to all the members, I suggest that a renewed commitment to the CCGS be adopted. I have talked with many members and there seems to be (several) groups within our CCGS membership. In no particular order:

Category 1: These are long-time members that had been active in the past but feel they have “paid their dues” and are not interested in participating in future committees or Board officer activities. Many of these members may have been active for a short period of time in year’s past. Others have expressed a bad experience in year’s past and seem to have no interest in any future participation.

Category 2: These are fairly recent graduates of various universities who have come to work in the geology community in Corpus Christi and have not yet committed to participate in programs. These members, of course, are the future of the society and it is normal and usual that they only gradually become involved in activities.

Category 3: These are members that over the last several years or more have been very active in filling key roles in the society, such as Board members, committee chairpersons, academic liaisons, AAPG delegates, technical editors, membership, and bulletin preparation. This society would cease to exist without an ever present team of approximately a dozen people that perform much of the work done for the society.

Category 4: Individuals who have been involved in the CCGS for over 10 years and have not yet participated to any extent.

Category 5: There are newer members with less than 10 years’ CCGS membership that have become very active. This “new blood” is appreciated and welcomed!

We thank the members in Category 3, however, many have been “long serving” and may plan to “phase down” their activities for awhile. Example members in Category 3 are: Sebastian Wiedmann, Randy Bissell, and Dan Pedrotti.

Category 5 members are so necessary and we thank them all. Example members are: Leighton Devine, Mary Vance, and Ryan Egger.

How many of our members fall in Category 1, 2 and 4? “If not YOU, then who? If not NOW, then when?”

Disclaimer: Certainly there are many more members in Categories 3 and 5 not mentioned. This is not a “who’s who.” I chose the names as examples only and many more equally deserving members exist.

Michael Lucente
CCGS President, 2011-12



horizontal rule



January 2012









HEADQUARTER’S OPENING A GRAND SUCCESS!



The Grand Opening of the CCGS & CBGS attracted approximately 45 attendees. We had wine, beer, shrimp and sausage and everyone enjoyed themselves. We would like all members of our societies to eventually see the facility. They could contact any Board Member and we would all be accommodating. For those of you who came, we thank you for your attendance.

ATTENTION: TEXAS A&I ALUMNI



Dr. Thomas McGehee, professor at Texas A&M Kingsville (TAMUK), has requested that the CCGS might aid the University in their search for older alumni members. As you may know, 21 years ago Texas A&I University’s name was changed to Texas A&M University - Kingsville. The University Geology Department has scant records of former A&I graduates. They are especially interested in former A&I alumni who work as professionals in the oil and gas related industries in South Texas. They want to be proactive in communicating with these former members of the many good things going on in the university geology sciences.

The University has an impressive newsletter that is issued quarterly and is called “Geosciences.” We encourage those interested to please engage this website (geosciences.tamuk.edu) or contact Dr. Thomas McGehee (kftlm00@tamuk.edu) or Dr. Jachyung Yu (kfjy000@tamuk.edu).

The CCGS has also been communicating with TAMUCC and TAMUK as to students that want to geotech while going to school. Many of these students remain in the area and hire on as full time employees when they graduate.

Michael Lucente
CCGS President, 2011-12



horizontal rule



December 2011









OPEN HOUSE at the new CCGS Headquarters



I am so pleased to announce that we have completed the "move-in" to our new Headquarters. This is a first for the Society and the Coastal Bend Geophysical Society (CBGS) will also be users of this facility.

Previously, our Society had ALL OF OUR STUFF in various "storage sites". This was inconvenient because most of the "oldie but goodie" stuff was buried in boxes. Sebastian Wiedmann has been exposing many of our old bulletins to the first light of day in decades. Now our members can review old bulletins for long buried research articles or read about past members and their contributions. Rick Paige and I have busily assembled shelves to house our rock and mineral displays and house our extensive Pleistocene bone collection. We will be adding a large conference room table courtesy of Dennis Moore of Baker Hughes. I have contributed a small refrigerator for our kitchen. OH YES. We have a kitchen. We still need a small kitchen table and chairs. We can now have our board meetings or committee meetings at our own facility. Same for the CBGS.

WHEN and WHERE?



DECEMBER 7 from 5 to 8 PM. Food and soft drinks will be provided, “surf and turf”. The Address is 1231 One Agnes Plaza located 5 minutes from downtown. Drive W on Laredo street (one way) and go past Staples Street. (Guess Lighting on the Right). Make a left on 10th street and a quick left on Agnes Street. (One way). Go E on Agnes and move quickly into right lane to address. Questions? Call me or Dennis Taylor or Rick Page. SEE YOU THERE!!!!!!

Michael Lucente
CCGS President, 2011-12



horizontal rule



November 2011









Moonlight in the Gardens – Owen Hopkins Rock Garden

South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center





Michael Lucente
CCGS President, 2011-12



horizontal rule



October 2011









So much news, so little space. We are coming close to a November grand opening of our new headquarters. We are seeing it shape up into our first "combined space." Sebastian Wiedmann, Rick Paige, and I have been organizing to a compulsive degree. Let me give a little history on this move. Of course, it goes back to Owen. Owen's grand view always had a sooner or later approach to "unification" and he purchased a lease at 6 Points that would have held everything, but Owen filled it with........wait for it.......wait for it..........BONES and MAPS. Owen developed relationships with TAMUK professors and Ronnie Thomas. Ronnie has been leading the annual fossil hunts at the Wright Gravel Pits (with the generous sponsoring and organization from Juan Cabasos). Now back to Owen. He persuaded (how could they resist) the TAMUK folks to give the CCGS many of their hundreds of fine quality ice age critter bones that they had to store. Owen, being the ever helping person he was, offered to take all these heavy and dirty bones off their hands His "Bones in Schools" was off and running. But where would we store them? Sebastian Wiedmann has been the keeper of our archive data, bulletins, etc. He informed Owen that there was no room at the Inn. What did Owen do? He signed a lease under his own name and secured at his expense the 6-Point’s site. He had a vision and wasn't going to allow this "small obstacle" to get in the way. Presidents Dan Pedrotti, Juan Cabasos, and Rick Paige led the CCGS to support Bones and Maps and enlist all sorts of financial support from CCGS generous members and various charitable foundations. Now it has become a self sustaining program that is reaching into Oklahoma, Louisiana and even into Florida. Rick Paige has enlisted promising ties with the GCAGS and the AAPG to maybe take the program national and provide major funding......................Now where was I? Oh, yes, our new headquarters space. The 6-Points site changed ownership and we could not work out many obstacles to transferring the lease into the CCGS. Rick Paige stepped up and found this AWESOME space that is fairly priced and holds everything (maybe a little crowded). Sebastian has even taken all the old bulletins out of hibernation to again see the light of day. This new site has a kitchen and will have enough room for meetings up to 10 people. (We still have to buy or get donated 10 chairs). We are going to encourage CCGS and CBGS members to use the space for all types of meetings surrounded by ice age bones.

We had a great Kickoff BBQ and it was well attended. Thanks again to Cheryl Oxsheer of CGG Veritas for sponsoring the bar. We also want to thank Juan Cabasos with Corelab, and Mike Bullard with Wel-Lab who each sponsored half of the admission fee for TAMUK and TAMUCC students. Mary Vance with EOG is our new Arrangements Chair, and she did a great job organizing the event.

Michael Lucente
CCGS President, 2011-12



horizontal rule



September 2011









Welcome to the first bulletin of the Corpus Christi Geological Society for the 2011 – 2012 year. I want to thank last year’s President, Rick Paige, for his great contribution as our last year’s President. We have a great group of officers and chairpersons this year, all dedicated to doing a great job. Don’t miss our annual Kick-off event at the BBQ Man Cantina, September 8th – 5:30 – 8:00 pm. We are pleased to announce that CGG Veritas is again sponsoring the bar.

Our new Technical Editor is Jason Downing, who is screening articles to publish. We would like a little help from the membership insofar as making us aware of interesting articles to publish. This will be greatly appreciated. We also have established a plan for putting digital ads on the webpage. Contact us and be an advertiser (www.cgeo.org). A digital version of the Bulletin, in color, is available for free download at our website. A $10/yr. fee will be assessed for mailed paper bulletins. I also request that you renew your membership for this year’s CCGS as soon as possible. The 2nd Annual CCGS Saltwater Fishing Tournament was held July 29th. Chairman Ryan Egger had to cancel the offshore portion of the tournament due to rough seas, but it was still a great success and generated thousands of dollars for the Owen Hopkins’ Educational Fund. See the article in this issue.

We still are shocked and saddened by the untimely passing of Owen Hopkins. I was glad to be one of his many, many friends. I believe that Owen is irreplaceable. He was one- of-a-kind. When I think of Owen I think of the phrase “a candle that burns at both ends burns twice as bright.” I will be challenged this year to continue his incredible educational programs.

We have moved our CCGS data, rocks, minerals, and bones to a new facility near the downtown area. We are still in the construction and move-in phase. We will invite all to see it when we are finished.

We have a new opening available on the Scholarship Committee, and I ask for interested volunteers to contact me. I was on the committee for many years and it is very rewarding and not difficult.

See you at the Kick-off!

Michael Lucente
CCGS President, 2011-12

 

Last Updated December 12th, 2011
Questions and Comments should be directed to the Webmaster