KGS 58th Annual Seminar to Explore the Dimensions of Geoscience
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 26, 2019) — This year’s Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) annual seminar on Friday, May 17, will be built around the theme “Dimensionality: Exploring, Integrating, and Visualizing Multidimensional Public Geoscience Data for Kentucky.” KGS is a research center at the University of Kentucky.
Keynote speaker Nathan Jacobs of UK’s Department of Computer Science will start the day with the presentation “Understanding Places Using Ground-Level and Overhead Images.” Kelsey MacCormack, director of geology and resource mapping at the Alberta Geological Survey, will then give this spring’s Donald C. Haney Lecture in Applied Geology. Her topic will be 3D geologic mapping in Alberta.
“We’ll be exploring the dimensions of geoscience data, both literally and metaphorically. We’re grounded in the familiar dimensions of space and time, of course, but will also think more expansively about new dimensions in geoscience research and even mathematically recasting dimensions to bring clarity to our data,” says KGS Director William Haneberg.
The seminar, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Don and Cathy Jacobs Science Building on the UK campus. Free parking will be available in the adjacent Parking Structure #2.
Additional speakers will offer insights on the use of geospatial data in environmental economics (Lala Ma, UK Gatton College of Business and Economics), the power of citizen science in environmental research (Erin Haynes, UK College of Public Health), principal components analysis of geomorphic attributes to redefine and reduce dimensionality (Jason Dortch, KGS), and the ongoing KGS 3D geologic database project (Drew Andrews, KGS). Jerry Skees, UK Agricultural Economics emeritus faculty and currently chief strategy officer of Global Parametrics, will talk about open access data to support parametric climate and earthquake insurance programs. Consulting geophysicist Joel Starr will discuss integration of microseismic and fiber optic–based distributed acoustic strain measurements to monitor hydraulic fracturing operations. KGS geologists will present posters throughout the day that showcase their current research, and KGS Director Bill Haneberg will speak about the state of the survey in 2019.
Certificates for continuing education credits will be available, and Kentucky’s two professional geological societies will present their annual awards during the complimentary lunch.
Seminar registration, which includes lunch and parking, is free but required in advance. Participants should register by May 10 to make lunch choices and reserve parking passes.