Geosciences Department Hosts AAPG Third Biennial Field Conference

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Department of Geosciences in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences recently hosted the third Biennial Field Conference of the AAPG Mid-Continent Section.

The conference, which took place Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, was headquartered at the Chancellor Hotel in Fayetteville. Over 130 geologists from across the country attended the conference. It consisted of two separate field trip options lead by faculty from the Department of Geosciences, which allowed guests to examine locations representing the Carboniferous geological period.

Fayetteville was chosen to host the conference because it is conveniently located close to two noteworthy field opportunities.

"Most people living in Northwest Arkansas do not realize it, but the area is a world-class geological site for studying and answering questions such as how rocks in the field were deposited and later modified by tectonic forces of burial and uplift," said Christopher Liner, chair of the Department of Geosciences, and the Storm Endowed Chair of Petroleum Geology.

The first trip highlighted the area north of Fayetteville, referred to as the lower Mississippian series, which consists of mostly limestone and chert deposits. This trip explored where limestone rocks, often seen in road cuts throughout the area, formed in broad shallow seas. These rock formations often hold clues about climate and sea level changes that happened over 300 million years ago.

The second trip led south of Fayetteville along Highway 49, then on to Greenland and Hackett to explore the area that is referred to as the upper Pennsylvanian series. These rocks are a bit younger and progressively more influenced by a vast continental collision that formed the Ouachita mountains and the gas-rich Arkoma Basin.

"This field conference is an important opportunity for the Department of Geosciences and the University of Arkansas," Liner said. "Over 100 geologists visited Fayetteville and saw the natural outdoor laboratory of our geological outcrops."

Liner said that collaboration with the Fort Smith Geological Society and The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) made this event possible.

The AAPG is one of the largest professional geological societies in the world, claiming more than 36,000 members.