UMD-SEG Annual report - Society of Economic Geologists

UMD-SEG Annual report 2013
on October 19 th and 20 th . We will visit a variety of facilities in the region including the HibTac
and Keetac taconite facilities, Magnetation’s processing facility, and an aggregate and dimension
stone quarry. These locations are but a few of the operations that students in the region do not
often have the opportunity to visit, and in that spirit University of Wisconsin Eau Clair students
will be joining us for this joint trip.
Spring break 2014 is the time for our “big” trip to visit geology outside of our local region.
March 17 th – 21 st we will be visiting Missouri’s wonderfully varied geology. The highlight of
the trip will be the opportunity to take students underground in the Doe Run Complex, a Pb-Zn
Mississippi Valley-type deposit that is strikingly different from the magmatic sulfides so
prevalent here in northern Minnesota. We will also be visiting an Archean caldera in the St.
Francis Mountains, observe Paleozoic sediments not found in our region, visit the US-Silica
aggregate facility in Pacific Missouri, and also the Grantville Quarry.
Student Chapter Recruitment and Promotion
The UMD Student Chapter continues to reach out to undergraduate and graduate students
interested in economic geology. Funding towards conferences and SEG led trips is integral in the
participation of students. Due to the success of the previous year’s activities, an increase in
interest can already be seen in the number of new members and interest as a whole.
Minnesota is currently facing tough questions when it comes to mining. The Cu-Ni PGE
deposits of the Duluth-Complex present a potential boom for Minnesota’s economy, but there are
many who are opposed to these potential mining activities. Concerns over the environment are
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