Regions and Sections
Pacific Section
The Pacific Section of the AAPG is a geographically diverse region, stretching from Southern California to Alaska. Our affiliated societies include five in California (the Los Angeles Basin Geological Society, Coast Geological Society, Sacramento Petroleum Association, Northern California Geological Society and the San Joaquin Geological Society), one in the Pacific Northwest (the Northwest Energy Association) and one in Alaska (the Alaska Geological Society). We are also one of the smallest sections in number of AAPG members, but try to spread out our activities to serve all members. AAPG members can go to our Web site to find out about our activities, including our regional conventions (we can be reached at psaapg.org). This coming year, in 2010, our convention will be held in Anaheim, California on May 27-29. For those that don’t know, this town also is the location of Disneyland, so it is a great place to have a convention. The following year, in 2011, we will be having our sectional convention in Anchorage, Alaska. In 2012 we will host the National Convention in Long Beach, California.
Our present activities at the Section level are widespread. We are attempting to increase the number of universities that are affiliated with the AAPG. The California State University at Northridge recently started a student chapter under the guidance of Dr. Kathleen Marsaglia. We are hoping to increase such activity.
In a very different activity, we have donated money to a fund to battle the recent dissolving of the California State Board for Geologists and Geophysicists. Under a recent state budget compromise, this important board was ended, though the bi-annual fees will continue, and be collected by the Board for Professional Engineers and Surveyors. Important to note, the Board was self-funded by the fees that geologists had to pay, so there was actually no gain by this action in regard to the budget crisis. We feel that the abolishment of this Board weakens the perception of the field of geology as a significant and important profession in a state that, oddly, may have more at risk from geological activity than any other.
The Pacific Section AAPG is also trying to extend the message of our industry to the public. In fact, in a recent show on the National Geographic Channel series “Man Made” that was entitled “Gallon of Gas”, West Coast geologists and Pacific Section members Don Clarke (consultant), Dr. Rob Negrini and Dr. Bob Horton, both professors at CSU Bakersfield, and Mike Ponek of Chevron were interviewed. The show explained the complex and expensive route that crude oil companies must take to locate, drill, transport, refine and market a gallon of gasoline. We are proud that some of our members were honored by being interviewed for this important show.