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     The Geological Society of Iowa will combine its Spring 2011 field trip with the Annual Meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science on April 30, 2011, at Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa.  The field has two stops: South Riverside Park and the Tripoli-Platte quarry.  The first stop will be at South Riverside Park where participants will get a chance to look at the lower Devonian Little Cedar Formation.  The Little Cedar Formation is fossiliferous, especially with brachiopods.  The park overlooks the Cedar River, giving opportunity for a discussion of water quality and flooding issues in the area.  The second stop of the day will be at the Tripoli-Platte quarry operated by Paul Niemann Construction Company.  On this stop, we will see the Silurian lower Hopkinton Formation. Fossils include large Pentamerus brachiopods and corals.  There is also a giant complex carbonate mound.  Field trip leaders are Robert McKay, Chad Fields, Stephanie Tassier-Surine, and Thomas Marshall of the Iowa Geological and Water Survey. 

     Because the geology section session of the Iowa Academy of Science will run into the afternoon, the field trip will begin at 2:00 PM on Saturday April 30, 2011.  Please meet at West F Lot south of 1st Avenue NW, across from the Science Center, on the Wartburg College campus (see map Fig. 2 below.)  We will travel by personal car caravan to South Riverside Park in town and then to the Tripoli-Platte quarry.  This trip is free and open to the public. 

     Participants are asked to bring hard hats if they have them (GSI will have some for those who need them), eye protection (safety glasses, regular glasses, or sun glasses) and closed-toe shoes (preferably leather boots).  Please do not wear sandals.  Rock collecting in the quarry will be allowed and encouraged!

Figure 1.  Location of the GSI Spring 2011 field trip indicating the relation of the stops to Wartburg College in Waverly

Figure 2.  Map of the Wartburg College Campus.  Square identifies West F Lot where the Spring 2011 GSI field trip will meet prior to departure at 2:00 pm. Star marks the Science Center for reference.

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