SPECIAL EVENT: Field trip to Arabia Mtn to investigate recent exfoliation “popup explosion”

Field Trip to Arabia Mountain, Stonecrest, GA: AGS Members are invited to a special field trip to investigate a recent exfoliation popup that occurred on July 17th at Arabia Mountain

Open to AGS membership. To join AGS go to: https://atlantageologicalsociety.org/join-now/

Registration is mandatory–complete the field trip waiver form at:

https://atlantageologicalsociety.org/participation-waiver/ Under “describe” use “Arabia Mt. 7/17/23 Pop-up field”)

When: 8:30am-11:00am, Sunday July 30, 2023

Where: Meet at Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Center, 3787 Klondike Rd, Stonecrest, GA 30038 and walk about 1 mile* to site near kiosk close to Arabia Lake on the west side of the Nature Preserve.

Field trip description: AGS members will investigate a site approximately 60 m x 35 m with exfoliation pop-up structures of many shapes and scales, which formed in a thermal explosive event around mid-day (12:15 pm) on July 17, 2023. Pictures of the structures by Alan Cressler are at this link and those by Ranger Rick Kersey (along with July 23 pictures and Google Earth overviews by Bill Witherspoon) are at this link. Although the white dust in the 7/18-19 pictures has washed away, the features are still easily recognized. Their position astride a popular trail is the reason for timing this trip as early as possible after the event. The field trip leaders are still searching the literature for any documentation of a multi-pop-up event such as this one. The field trip’s intention is to put more geologist eyes and brains on the site. Please attend if you can, and be part of discovering something that may be new in the literature.

The walk to the site* is level to slightly downhill. There is a woods route back to the Nature Center to avoid late-morning heat. Use sunscreen and hat and bring water.

Leaders: Bill Witherspoon, Pamela Gore, and Scott Harris

Pamela Gore and Bill Witherspoon are authors of Roadside Geology of Georgia.  Pamela has previously published on the subject of earthquakes caused by exfoliation events in Georgia, and is President of AGS. (There is a photo of an exfoliation pop-up structure at Stone Mountain on page 283 of the Roadside Geology of Georgia.) This will be the first field trip Bill has offered as a field trip organizer for AGS. Scott is Vice President of AGS and has organized several field trips for the Society.

*If you would be unable to make this trip due to mobility issues, there may be an option. Please email Bill at [email protected].