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ALBANY – Topics ranging from potential landslide hazards in New York State to the global demand for the state’s valuable Rare Earth Elements will be discussed in an April lecture series at the New York State Museum focusing on new geological research.

Four free lectures will be held every Wednesday, beginning April 4 at 12:10 p.m. in the Huxley Theater. Lecture topics and dates are:

• April 4 – “Slip Sliding Away: Landslide Hazards in New York!” On May 4, 2011 the largest landslide in New York State history occurred near Keene Valley in the high peaks region of the Adirondacks. Approximately 82 acres of land and five homes were impacted, one of which was destroyed. In the Capital District a year of heavy rains, combined with large scale temporal events such as Hurricane Irene, created numerous slope failures. Dr. Andrew Kozlowski, a glacial geologist at the State Museum, will describe New York State’s sliding slopes and the potential for the development of more geologic hazards.

• April 11 – “Ultimate Geo-Puzzler: The Rocks Atop the Appalachians -- 400 Million Years Ago.” New York State Earth Science students all learn of the uplift of the Appalachian Mountains, which have been eroding for millions of years. In fact, sand, mud and gravel from their erosion make up much of New York’s sedimentary rocks. Dr. Chuck Ver Straeten, curator of stratigraphy and sedimentology, will discuss whether it is possible to determine what kinds of rocks were visible up in the mountains around 400 million years ago.

• April 18 – “The Trenton-Black River Natural Gas Reservoirs.” In the past decade, over30 new natural gas fields have been discovered in laterally discontinuous dolomites of the Upper Ordovician Black River Group in south-central New York. These fields occur as long, linear-shaped bodies that develop around basement-rooted wrench faults. Brian Slater, a State Museum geologist, will explain how and when these valuable state resources formed.
• April 25 -- “Mineral Resources for High Technology: The Rare Earth Elements (REE)” Many "green" technologies, the automobile industry, and advanced military technology depend on Rare Earth Elements (REE). Dr. Marian Lupulescu, curator of geology, will talk about the Economic Geology of the REE mineral deposits, their strategic significance, national priority, and global demand and supply.

Founded in 1836, the State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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