Alberta Geological Survey Geology Podcasts

To make the Mineral Core Research Facility more relevant to industry, government and the public, Alberta Geological Survey will create a special collection of core samples from key stratigraphic units and mineral occurrences in Alberta.

Alberta Geological Survey and Alberta Environment partnered to map the nonsaline groundwater resources of Alberta, starting in the Edmonton-Calgary corridor. This podcast is on the progress of the project.

In this article, we will focus on a scientist, educator, and university and research organization founder closely linked with the formation of the Alberta Geological Survey: Henry Tory.

Alberta Geological Survey examined the historical exploration of potash in Alberta, together with a preliminary investigation that included contouring Alberta's groundwater and formation water datasets.

This podcast discusses the evolution of the Albertosaurus and its discovery in Alberta.

A new compilation map displays Alberta's metallic mineral and diamond potential. The map displays more than 4000 deposits, occurrences and samples based on 50 industry and government sources.

In June 1884, Tyrrell and his expedition team discovered significant a dinosaur graveyard. This would later become the famous site of the Tyrrell museum.

In 2008, AGS began collaborating with Alberta Environment to inventory saline and nonsaline groundwater within the Edmonton-Calgary corridor.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Alberta Geological Survey studied surface and subsurface geology in urban areas to provide information that would aid future development and land-use planning. This type of study has been re-initiated within the Geological Hazards Section with the first study focusing on the town of Peace River.

For those interested in general or specific interest in types of hazards in Alberta, the Geological Hazards section has information for you on their website.

Almost one year ago. Alberta Geological Survey initiated a pilot for it regional Saline Aquifer Mapping project. This first study area is in the Alberta Industrial Heartland, centred near Edmonton.

Alberta contains many incredibly varied geological wonders and in July 2009, we unveiled a prototype interpretive geological sign at Big Hill Springs Provincial Park.

We feature the career of Dr. Robert Farvolden.

Animation and 3-D visualization assist our geologists with sand and gravel mapping, and determining the aggregate resource potential of the area from Wetaskiwin to Lacombe.

In 2006, Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) initiated a program to assess the regional uranium potential of southern Alberta. This program was started after more than 1 million hectares were staked by junior exploration companies to renew exploration efforts in this area after a 20-year-long hiatus, when uranium prices were depressed and the prospect of developing nuclear energy was very unpopular.

In response to increasing rates of urbanization and industrialization in the ECC and the foreseeable pressures that this will have on existing groundwater supplies, Alberta Geological Survey (AGS), in partnership with AENV, has initiated a multiyear project to characterize nonsaline aquifer complexes in the ECC.

In this edition of Rock chips, we begin regular feature on geologists and engineers who have made or are continuing to make important contributions to our understanding of geology and geological engineering through their careers in Alberta. In this edition, we examine the career of Dr. Jozsef Toth.

This is part 2 of 3 in a continuing series of summaries of igneous activity in Alberta. This article reviews metal potential of the Early Cretaceous (ca. 100 Ma) intrusive and volcanic rocks in southwestern Alberta.

As part of the ongoing revision of the provincial metallogenic inventory and development of an up-to-date systematics of the potential metallic deposits in Alberta, AGS conducted a reconnaissance field study and outcrop sampling of igneous and sedimentary host rocks in southern and southwestern Alberta in the summer 2008. This is part one of the study findings.

Declining reserves and the associated increasing cost of oil and gas has prompted industry to look at alternative sources of energy. Alberta contains a great amount of coal resources at shallow depths that facilitate economical power generation; however, there are huge coal resources at depth that are currently not economic to mine. This represents a large untapped potential energy source for the province.

By measuring the spring's changes in flow volume over time and the chemical constituents in the water, we can tell a great deal about groundwater flow and the rocks or soil hosting the water. Knowing the locations of the springs throughout the province provides the first step in understanding groundwater - all without drilling a well.

The goal of the Alberta Geological Survey's Saline Aquifer Mapping project, or SAM for short, will be to provide public-domain, digital maps of the major saline aquifers from the crystalline basement to the lowermost aquifer of the Colorado Group.

August 29, 2008 marked the grand re-opening of the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre in the Crowsnest Pass in southwestern Alberta. After a nine-month closure and a $1.5 million renovation, visitors can relive the Frank Slide story in a more personal, interactive and creative setting, involving first-hand accounts by the people who lived through the destruction.

Alberta Geological Survey and Alberta Environment are collaborating to map and understand the province's groundwater resources. A team of geologists and technologists will map the extent of the major aquifers; characterize the physical properties of the aquifers; quantify the chemical properties of the water within these aquifers; assess current groundwater use associated with these aquifers; and predict the long-term effects on groundwater and surface-water resources when using groundwater from these aquifers. The team plans to complete this work within the next 15 years.

As project staff members complete new geological studies, they frequently incorporate historical data into their work, including digitizing existing maps. Whenever possible, we publish these digital data for others to use. We recently published the two GIS datasets described in this podcast.

Since 2005, Alberta Geological Survey has been responsible for a warning system and studies on the South Peak of Turtle Mountain, the site of the 1903 Frank Slide. Our activities include annual maintenance and repairs of instruments on the mountain and annual review of data trends. We also study how portions of the mountain are moving.

Modern attempts to use geothermal energy go back more than a 100 years, but its development has been uneven due to slow technological breakthroughs and historically low oil and gas prices. Recent high energy prices and concerns over global warming have stimulated renewed interest and support for what is potentially a very large and renewable energy resource.

As part of a multi-year initiative, AGS undertook surficial mapping of the McLennan area in the northeast quadrant of the Winagami map area. This study was primarily to map the surfical geology and determine the Quaternary history.

Alberta Geological Survey's website has recently had a makeover. This podcast is on some of the changes you will find and also on how to stay up-to-date with what is happening at Alberta Geological Survey.

Since 2005, the Geological Hazards Section at AGS has used new remote-sensing technologies to detect and map movements associated with ground hazards in Alberta. Once promising technology is Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). This article is some of the results of that testing.

Modern attempts to use geothermal energy go back more than a 100 years, but its development has been uneven due to slow technological breakthroughs and historically low oil and gas prices. Recent high energy prices and concerns over global warming have stimulated renewed interest and support for what is potentially a very large and renewable energy resource.

Alberta Geological Survey has initiated work on a digital atlas of the first 500 metres of Alberta geology.

The Alberta Geological Survey has received funding from the Alberta energy Innovation Fund to perform organic geochemical and geological evaluations on Cretaceous Colorado Group and the Mississippian Banff Formation shale and mudstone.

Alberta Geological Survey is pleased to announce the release of shapefiles of selected Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin maps, produced from the digital files created and archived by AGS during production of the atlas which was published in 1994.

Dr. Stefan Bachu of the Alberta Geological Survey was one of the scientists who received the prestigious designation of Nobel laureate this fall.

The publication Alberta Beneath Our Feet has won the Association of Earth Science Editors Award for Outstanding Publication.

This past summer, a group of politicians and government geologists from Russia, came to Alberta to visit the EUB and AGS in order to gain an understanding of the policies and regulations of drillcore collection and storage.

The thick Ardley Coal Zone in west-central Alberta is being reviewed for CBM production potential and possibly injecting CO2 into the coals to 'geologically capture CO2.

The Discovery Channel's Daily Planet team visited Alberta to film stories on two separate Alberta Geological Survey initiatives: The Turtle Mountain Monitoring Project and the Diamond Potential of Alberta.

A new groundwater mapping program has been launched at AGS. In partnership with Alberta Environment, this program will fill the need for modern mapping and groundwater inventory information in Alberta.

The Neale Medal, named after the legendary geologist E.R. Ward Neale, is awarded by the Geological Association of Canada to an individual for sustained outstanding efforts in sharing earth science knowledge with Canadians

Alberta entered Canada's modern era of diamond exploration in the 1990s, when diamond exploration companies discovered three separate areas of kimberlitic rocks in northern Alberta.

The understanding of the bedrock topography, buried bedrock valleys and channels, drift thickness and glacial aquifers in the surface-mineable and in situ-recovery oil sands north of Fort McMurray has be updated.

As of April 2, 2207, the Base of Groundwater Protection information is now available at the legal subdivision level through a web tool.

For the past 5 years, Alberta Geological Survey, as part of a consortium of federal and provincial government agencies and industry partners, conducted a number of projects characterizing the subsurface geology and hydrogeology of acid gas injection operations. Drs. Maja Buschkuehle and Shahin Dashtgard led a field trip in September 2006, for representatives of the consortium. The field trip was entitled "Source to Sink - Sour Gas Production and Acid Gas Injection in the Rocky Mountain Foothills and Alberta Plains.

Recently, a surficial mapping web page was added to the AGS website. You are greeted with a map showing generalized surficial mapping coverage for Alberta. By clicking any of the NTS tiles, you can download surficial maps and reports for that area.

The Alberta Geological Survey library is an excellent resource for geoscience information. The collection includes books, journals, maps, atlases, directories, federal and provincial geological documents and some Energy Resources Conversation Board publications.

The Alberta Geological Survey has some great teaching resources available on-line. This article outlines the details of four new maps. Fall 2006 Rock Chips newsletter.

On April 1st, 2005, the Alberta Geological Survey assumed the responsibility for the long-term monitoring of Turtle Mountain, the site of the famous 1903 Frank Slide. With funding from the Alberta government and the addition of staff in August 2005, the Geohazards Program was created. This article outlines the objectives and accomplishments of the program to date.

Part 1, a synoptic history of discovery of the Clear Hills ooidal ironstones was published in the Winter 2005 Rock Chips. Part 2 provides an overview of the geology and summarizes the iron resources within the Bad Heart Formation.

Following the retirement of Rick Richardson, Dr. Kevin Parks, P. Geol., has taken on the roles of manager of the Alberta Geological Survey and provincial geologist. Learn about his plans for AGS.

Alberta Geological Survey has initiated a project to evaluate shale gas resources in Alberta. The project will first evaluate the Colorado Group and progress to deeper strata.

Story 1. On March 1st 2006, the Alberta Geological Survey and Geological Survey of Canada released the joint publication EUB/AGS Special Report 77/GSC Open File 5121, which has since prompted significant mineral staking activity by mineral exploration companies. The report presents heavy mineral and geochemical results from glacial drift samples collected in the Zama Lake and Bistcho Lake map areas. Story 2. On May 5, 2006, five geologists of the Alberta Geological Survey led a river-raft field trip down the North Saskatchewan River as part of Alberta's Environment Conference. The journey offered a glimpse of the past 60 million years of Edmonton's natural history, made possible by one of nature's time machines: the North Saskatchewan River.

During the summers of 2004 to 2006, the surficial mapping of the rugged and remote terrain of the western Steen River map area was completed. This article outlines some of the findings of this study.

Alberta Geological Survey has five core programs supported by five technical sections. This article outlines the agenda for these programs for the upcoming fiscal year.

In 1989/1990, a Coal Compilation Project was initiated to provide coal resource maps of Alberta. The maps from these reports have been scanned and are now published as stand alone maps.