Ken Bradbury skiing toward the WORLDLOPPET MARATHON SERIES, Status Report "2026 Winter Olympics" Update

Ken Bradbury, former Director and Wisconsin State Geologist, is pictured below standing in from of the ski jumps in the ski stadium in Lahti, Finland prior to skiing the Finlandia-Hiihto cross-country ski marathon in 2025.  

The Hiihto is one of the international races making up the Worldloppet marathon series of ski races around the world.  Ken is not only a world-class GeoMan, but he makes the unofficial Winter Olympic GeoMan Model Ski Shirt look great!

Look how happy Ken is in the photo below when he had just completed the 2025 Finlandia-Hiihto in Lahti, Finland,

Below is a huge milestone achievement among cross country skiers (in my opinion) but it almost seems fairly routine to Ken.   This is one of the moments where Ken is getting his WORLDLOPPENT PASSPORT stamped.  

Complete 10 of these races and you are called a Worldloppet Master!  This was Ken's 5th, so he tells me that he has a few to go.

Ken races cross country skiing closer to home too.  He's participated 32 TIMES in the Birkebeiner Classic in Hayward, Wisconsin.  

Birkebeiner Classic
(Photo courtesy of www.birkie.com)

Ken is the past Director and State Geologist at Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey.  He ensured that the WGNHS served the practical needs of Wisconsin’s citizens, management/regulatory agencies, industry, and the environmental consulting community. 

Before Ken became the State Geologist, he taught CE courses and workshops with Midwest GeoSciences Group in his spare time outside conducting research characterizing and modeling fractured aquifers and to determine groundwater flow paths near water-supply wells. 

If you live or work around Madison, Wisconsin, you might spot Ken riding his Fuji bike in or around town.

Slug Testing Guidance Like No Other

The Design, Performance, and Analysis of Slug Tests, Second Edition explains virtually all there is to know regarding the design, performance, and analysis of the most common well test for determining hydraulic conductivity: Slug Testing

The First Edition has become the standard reference for all aspects of slug tests. It has positively changed project outcomes and helped professionals become responsible stewards of our precious water resources by promoting best practices.

The Second Edition contains updated information and expands the focus with new developments where slug testing is applied in applications related to contaminant assessment.

Written for practicing groundwater consultants and engineers, The Design, Performance, and Analysis of Slug Tests, Second Edition enables readers to achieve more reliable information from slug tests and widen the application of this common field method.

Order your copy here and it will arrive with a personalized note from Dr. Butler!

https://midwestgeo.com/fieldtools/slugtest-book.php?item=901

“Big-Big H(o)mer” credited to Carol Rieger PG, RPG, PMP

Hello Dan, Just wanted to thank you and Midwest Geosciences Group for the slugs we have purchased over the past 2 years.  Again, slug testing was a painless and positive experience using the Big H(o) slugs, especially supported by equipment from our buddies at In-Situ.  

We slug tested using a pulley system for with “Big-Big H(o)mer” and I still feel that manually we were able to raise and lower the slug more effectively to have less disturbance at the onset of each test.  Lessons learned will definitely help us improve the mechanical approach.  

As for “Little-Big H(o)mer”, he may not have provided as intense a workout, he but performed admirably. 

Carol with the "Big Big-H(o)mer"
(24 inch initial displacement H(o) in a 4-inch diameter well)

Aquifer testing has come a long way since my first time back in the early 90s.  Between the equipment and training class that you provided back in September 2023, our slug-testing capabilities have definitely improved here at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal.    

Cheers!  --Carol 

Carol Rieger, PG, RPG, PMP, Program Hydrogeologist
Navarro Research and Engineering, Inc., Rocky Mountain Arsenal
7270 Kingston Parkway, Commerce City, CO 80022

Dear Carol,

Your note with your photo make my day.  Thank you for leading the way with your technical mastery of slug testing.  And you get the credit and a "big" thank you for your creative naming of the "Big Big H(o)mer" for the solid slug that displaces 24 inches of water vs. "Little Big H(o)mer" for the solid slug that displaces 12 inches of water!  Brilliant creativity!

-Dan Kelleher

Chip Knecht on Watch for Solar Cycle 25, Aurora Borealis in Iceland

Chip Knecht from Carmel, Indiana was recently on official watch for Solar Cycle 25, aiming to witness peaking of the Aurora Borealis in Iceland, in eastern Iceland.  

Solar Cycle 25 is the current, ~11-year period of the Sun's magnetic activity, which began in 2019 and is expected to peak late 2025 with increased sunspots, flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), impacting satellites, GPS, and radio communications, and it's proving stronger than initially predicted, leading to more aurora displays.  

So, a visit to Iceland is timely now.

But when Chip and his family visited Iceland and experienced an immersive witness to the Northern Lights, Chip packed his GEOLOGY OF ROCK-n-ROLL T shirt!   Plus, he was photographed in all of his sartorial splendor at the moment of truth!

Thank you, Chip, for taking the time to take the photo and send it to us!   You are indeed a GeoMan Extraordinaire Rock Star Super Hero!

Success Driven by Technical Excellence

The professionals at Loureiro Engineering Associates, Inc. who participated in the 6.5-hour training, TAKING THE MYSTERY OUT OF THE SUBSURFACE are technical masters of environmental projects. 

Their success is inevitable and it's my honor to contribute to it with the training experience.   The team commands respect with their business success driven by technical excellence.  But there is another element about their success that's not hidden, it's their natural gift of personal connection.  The way they interact with each other is inspiring but also draws out their best abilities.  Way to go!

Thank you to the gracious hosts at Loureiro Engineering Associates, Inc. Again, it's my honor to contribute to your inevitable success.

Top of the Mountain, arrived.

I've always held ROUX in the highest regard.  Even back during my school days, they published prominent articles and ads in the Ground Water Journal by NGWA and that resonated with me.  

Recently I had the privilege of meeting senior visionaries in ROUX and sharing the classroom intensive TAKING THE MYSTERY OUT OF THE SUBSURFACE.   During the day, my admiration and respect grew even more.   Their thoughtful questions reflected their mastery of this subject.

Thank you to Sin and others for allowing me to visit and share the training event.  -Dan

 

"Red Rocks Amphitheater will never be the same since THE GEOLOGY OF ROCK-n-ROLL!" Quote

 Fun, Fun, Fun.....but also super interesting!

The Geology of Rock-n-Roll was a fusion of science and fun.   Thanks to the thoughtful geoscientists who presented their fascinating topics made the event a truly interesting blend of sessions.  From the HYDROGEOLOGY OF THE FOUNTAIN FORMATION by Tom Sale, PhD progressing naturally to the GEOLOGY OF THE FOUNTAIN FORMATION by Sally Sutton, PhD, the next segment by Martin Chapman, PhD, METALLICA QUAKE with a prelude introduction by Maddie Schrieber, PhD could only be wrapped up by another great presentation, CONVERTING EARTHQUAKE SEISMICIVITY INTO MUSIC by Paolo Dell'Aversana, PhD.  

Big time thank you to each Panelist for taking the time to prepare and deliver excellent presentations.

An iconic Red Rocks Thank You to Lesli Wood and the Band of Geos (James, Dallas, Ben, and Lloyd) for rockin' out for 60+ minutes and leading the geology-based sing-a-longs.  Note to Lesli, you are so fun to watch along with listen to, you're a natural and phenomenal performer, Red Rocks Amphitheater will never be the same after your performance.

Thank you too to all of the 70+ on-site participants for your engagement, your positive energy, and your singing voices!   You were an integral part of the experience and now you're part of the collaborative family with AAPG WN, AWG Texas Lone Star Chapter, and the Midwest GeoSciences Group.

We tip our hat too to the online participants!  Your input with chat messages, questions, and the MENTI poll questions enriched the experience for everyone - making it not only memorable but historic too.

A heartfelt Thank You to Aaron Taylor the videographer who commands our highest level of respect for being able to "think on your feet" and put it all together in a matter of minutes.  Well done, Aaron, well done.   (You too David Ryan!)

On behalf of the organizers:

Kat Gould, Karla Tucker, Rebecca Caldwell, Chris Peila, Steffano Mazzoni, and Dan Kelleher

Some quotes:

Red Rocks Amphitheater will never be the same after The Geology of Rock-n-Roll!  quote from Alicia Faulker, Red Rocks Amphitheater Meeting Events Manager.

I just kept thinking how excited the crowd and I was to be there!  quote from Lauren Ryan, GeoWoman Extraordinaire.

This is EPIC!!  quote from Katerina Yared, PG PMP CDI.D.