The YBRA Open House is for YBRA alumni, supporters and members of our extended Red Lodge community. This years Keynote Speaker is David W. Mogk who will talk about the "‘Geoheritage of the Beartooth Mountains--Traversing 4 Billion Years of Earth History.’ The Open House is an opportunity to see camp buildings that in 2022 were recognized for their significance when they were placed on the National Register of Historic Places, meet members of the camp’s leadership body, and enjoy a featured keynote speaker. Typically accompanied by light snacks, this is a terrific opportunity to connect with the YBRA!
More on Dave Mogk:
Mogk, a Professor of Geology (emeritus) and former Head of the Department of Earth Sciences, at Montana State University in Bozeman, specializes in the origin and evolution of the Precambrian (back to ~4 billion years) crust in southwestern Montana. His work also extends to mineral exploration for precious, base, and industrial minerals, as well as environmental remediation of mine sites, in addition to advocating for excellence in geoscience education. He's earned the AAAS Science Magazine Prize for Online Resources in Education, the American Geophysical Union Award for Excellence in Geophysical Education and has been elected a fellow of both the Geological Society of America and the Mineralogical Society of America. Montana State awarded him the College of Letters and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award, Burlington Northern Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching, BEST Award, and the Provost’s Award for Excellence. Mogk earned his BS degree from the University of Michigan and MS and PhD degrees from the University of Washington.
Talk details:
The Beartooth Mountains are host to 4 billion years of Earth history. The Beartooth Mountains as a physiographic feature were uplifted in the Laramide Orogeny in the Paleogene ~65-52million years ago. Major geologic events exposed in the Beartooth Mountains include: 1) ancient crystalline rocks, with zircons dating back to 4.0 billion years and gneisses that formed 3.5-3.0 billion years and at crustal depths of 20-25 kms; a second magmatic stage produced the voluminous granitic gneisses of the main Beartooth massif at ~2.8 billion years ago in a setting that is similar to modern volcanic arcs; and intrusion of the Stillwater Complex (2.7 billion years ago), host to the only Pt/Pd mine in the US; 2) the “Great Unconformity” that deposited Cambrian (560 million year old) sedimentary rocks on the crystalline rocks, and some of the oldest (Devonian, ~400 million year old) terrestrial plants and fossil fish at Beartooth Butte; 3) eruption of the Eocene (55-45 million year) Absaroka Volcanics that host the petrified forest of Yellowstone National Park, the Heart Mountain Detachment Fault (the world’s biggest landslide), and the Cooke City Mining District; 4) spectacular Quaternary Geology (less than 2 million years) and the glacial sculpting of the Beartooth landscape, and 5) modern active seismicity and geologic hazards (2022 floods, landslides, impacts of climate change). These geologic wonders are waiting for you to get out and explore!