"The Magic of AI"

There are no drumlin landforms in Iowa. Yet this AI-written paper reports drumlins are "dotted" around the state. Ouch. Tim Kemmis brought this online paper to my attention, partly because the FAQ reference at the end of the paper doesn't actually exist either. Neither George Hallberg or Tim Kemmis worked at the Iowa Geological Survey in 1994 (the referenced date of the non-existing research).

https://www.numberanalytics.com/blog/uncovering-iowas-drumlin-secrets#fnref:1

The title image is a bedrock exposure without even an apparent residual soil cover, let alone any type of glacial feature. 

My only theory about the "purpose" of the paper is to promote the mapping link contained within the article. -Dan. 

And and all theories are welcome.  

 

Jeez.

Excellence is the Standard at SPC-Inc.

What a great group of professionals at Specialty Consultants, Inc. in the western Chicago Suburbs.  Their Professionalism Abounds.

It was a pleasure and privilege to lead the training TAKING THE MYSTERY OUT OF THE SUBSURFACE for this high-performance team.  From the start, they were prepared with positive engaging attitudes and thoughtful questions.  The dialogue among the class created moments of high-level learning and refinement of previously-mastered skills.

It's a testament of the forward-thinking from executive leadership that they value staff and their abilities to get the job done right the first time.  Soils logging is one thing, but unraveling subsurface complexities and understanding subsurface relationships is another thing (a much more difficult skill).  The executive leadership at SPC-Inc recognize the value in technical mastery for deciphering the subsurface, well done!

It was also a surprise gift to collide with colleague, Jeff Ogden, who has been a GeoMan Extraordinaire since the beginning.  Each person's expertise came shing through, but what stands out to me is the culture of personal pride in their work.   There's several shining stars at SPC-Inc. and it's an honor to contribute to their success.    

RADIO LINK and ONLINE STORY from Nebraska Public Media 08 MAY 2025

RADIO STORY LINK and ONLINE STORY from Nebraska Public Media

LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR, Sunday 11 May 2025

We made the Front Page of the SUNDAY LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR Lincoln Journal Star showcasing our workshop at Glacial Till Vineyard and Winery.  Thank you Chris Dunker for bringing your crew from Lincoln to capture the history.

Big Nebraska Cornhusker THANK YOU, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, REVELATIONS, and TAKE-AWAYS.

 There are many deserving THANK YOUs as a follow up to the 3-day workshop MANAGING THE COMPLEXITIES AND UNCERTAINTIES OF SOIL SEQUENCES on May 7-8-9. 2025 at Glacial Till Vineyard and Winery in Palmyra, Nebraska. 

Big Cornhusker Thank You to OLSSON for drilling two borings and going the extra mile with hitting the top of bedrock in both locations. Well done and Thank You! 

We tip our hat to the NEBRASKA GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY too for collaboration and workshop leadership. Thanks to Tim Kemmis, Paul Hanson, Susan Grover, Theodore "Ted" Huscher, Doug Hallum, Cara Burberry, Roger Nikodym, and 50+ participants.

BORING GT-2 revealed the succession of alluvium units deposited in the drainageway. Despite their similar lithology (i.e. soil classifications), each unit yields different hydrogeologic and geotechnical properties that impact the whole system of the drainageway. 

BORING GT-3 revealed a stacked sequence of glacial tills that are relatively old and weathered beyond their primary sedimentary properties. One of the hallmarks of soil sequences of eastern Nebraska is the progression of deposition, erosion, re-sedimentation and secondary weathering. 

Between these two borings, it was a "take-away-of-lifetime" lesson and experience benefitting our understanding of: (1) subsurface relationships, (2) ground water movement (3) engineering application, and (4) how the landscape provides insights to primary deposition, weathering, erosion, and re-sedimentation. Mother Nature provided an exquisite opportunity to learn about glacial deposits and help improve our ability to become responsible stewards of this precious planet.