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• Relationship to other large landslides and volcanic provinces Participants gathered at the base of the 22-Ma Harmony Hills Tuff, one of
throughout the world and on other planets; the regionally extensive ash-flow tuffs that constrain emplacement
parameters and timing of the MGS and SGS. From left to right: Shannon
• Understanding paleoclimate and its relationship to deeply Hunter, Bill Lund, Chris Rowan, Julia Morgan, Grant Willis, Nic Barth, Lee
weathered volcaniclastic strata at the base of the volcanic field; Siebert, Jay Melosh, Eric Ferré, Bob Biek, Kevin Rafferty, Sam Thiele,
and Mike Hozik, Mark Anders, Zach Smith, Ashley Griffith, Scott Giorgis, Majie
Fan, Troy Barber, Melanie Ray, Jeff Keith, Dave Malone, Pete Rowley, Mike
• Public education opportunities highlighting unique features of Braunagel, David Hacker, and Collin Jensen (Amy Hughes is not pictured).
the slides and evolution of the Marysvale volcanic field, which Photo courtesy Lance Weaver, Utah Geological Survey.
are adjacent to several of Utah’s national and state parks and
monuments.

Importantly, there was significant debate about structures and
features diagnostic of catastrophic failure versus those produced by
(1) slow, episodic tectonic processes such as low-angle, non-rooted or
rooted normal faults; or (2) volcanic processes, such as those that
produce autobreccia—distinctions that are critical in identifying
mega-scale landslides in volcanic fields elsewhere. The MGS and
SGS provide significant research opportunities on these and other
questions. Already, several student theses are under way, as is pre-
liminary lab work to support future funding proposals.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank GSA for their generous financial support of this Thompson Field
Forum, and gratefully acknowledge support from the Utah Geological
Association, Utah Geological Survey, Kent State University, Geologic
Mapping Inc., and over a dozen Panguitch ATV enthusiasts (who transported
participants to remote outcrops). Nicole Dillon and Becky Sundeen at GSA
Headquarters made planning the forum a breeze.

Penrose Conferences have a long history of bringing Thompson Field Forums are designed to capture the
together multidisciplinary groups of geoscientists to facilitate essence of exciting discoveries and/or controversial topics via
open and frank discussions of ideas in an informal atmosphere forays into the field. On-the-spot discussions of a particular
to inspire collaborative research. geologic feature or area bring together experts on the topic at
hand to exchange current knowledge, ideas, and theories.

Learn more under the events tab at
www.geosociety.org

or contact Becky Sundeen at
bsundeen@geosociety.org.

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