SDAG monthly meeting
November 18 |
Location:
Phil's Barbecue Event Center, Point Loma
3740 Sports Arena Boulevard
San Diego, 92110
Directions:
Phil's Barbecue Event Center is located in the back of the shopping center - behind Phil's BBQ Restaurant.
The venue location is not the restaurant, but the Phil's BBQ Event Center, in the same parking lot.
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6:00pm -
Social hour
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SDAG Monthly Meeting
6:00pm - Social Hour
7:00pm - Dinner
8:00pm - Program
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7:00pm
Dinner
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Menu: BBQ Broham (pulled pork) Sandwich, El Toro (tri-tip) Sandwich, or BBQ Garden Veggie Burger
if pre-registered by the deadline, $5 extra if you did not make a reservation.
Click the SDAG member checkbox on the reservation form if you are a member.
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Cost: $ 55.00 Member; Non-Member $ 65.00; Student $ 25.00
Reservations:
Make/Pay your reservation online by clicking the button below
by 6:00pm Friday, November 13
RESERVATIONS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER by 6pm Friday, November 13
(Please note beginning January 2024 all meeting reservations will require on-line pre-payment due to venue costs,
venue contracts, and loss of money due to no shows.)
IF YOU DO NOT PRE-PAY YOUR FOOD RESERVATION, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE YOU A MEAL.
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8:00pm - Program
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"GEOLOGY OF MOROCCO"
Speaker: Dave Bloom
Morocco's remarkable landscapes reflect the interaction of a complex geological history, distinctive climate, and diverse
cultural traditions. My interest in Morocco began with a visit in 2017, followed by a 2023 trek to the summit of Toubkal
(elevation 4,167 meters) in the High Atlas and a more recent exploration of the Rif Coast, including Ceuta. These experiences
provide the personal and geographic context for this presentation.
The presentation begins with Morocco's strategic location at the crossroads of Africa and Europe, between the Atlantic Ocean
and the Mediterranean Sea, and introduces its major physiographic regions, climate zones, history, and cultural heritage. The
geological discussion follows the development of the country from the assembly of Archean basement through the
Neoproterozoic Pan-African orogeny, Paleozoic mountain building, the opening of the Atlantic Ocean, and the continuing
convergence of the African and Eurasian plates.
Particular attention is given to Morocco's four major east–west mountain ranges: the Rif, Middle Atlas, High Atlas, and
Antiatlas systems. The High Atlas includes Jurassic rift-basin limestone and dolomite interbedded with sandstone and shale
sequences. These rocks were subsequently folded and uplifted during the collision of the African and Eurasian plates. The Rif
Mountains and the Gibraltar–Alboran region record late Cenozoic deformation associated with the Alpine Orogeny, including
thrust faulting that placed nappes of older rocks over younger Cenozoic strata.
The presentation also examines Morocco's world-class phosphate deposits and other mineral resources. Morocco's principal
phosphate deposits are sedimentary phosphorites that formed in Tethyan marine basins during the Maastrichtian to Danian,
when high biological productivity occurred under conditions of relatively low sedimentation. With known reserves of
approximately 50 billion tonnes, these deposits comprise 70% of global reserves and have played a major role in Morocco's
economy.
Groundwater and surface-water systems are considered in the context of Morocco's Mediterranean and semiarid climates,
mountain-driven precipitation patterns, drought, water scarcity, and desertification. Cultural observations—including
architecture, markets, hospitality, food, and daily life—are integrated with the geological story to show how people have
adapted to Morocco's varied environments.
Maps and photographs illustrate the connections among geology, landscape, natural resources, culture, and human activity.
Comparisons with California highlight shared Mediterranean climates, mountain-related precipitation patterns, water-
resource challenges, and seismic hazards, while also emphasizing the different tectonic settings of the two regions. Together,
these themes demonstrate how Morocco's geological history continues to shape its landscapes, economy, culture,
environmental challenges, and future.
Dave earned his B.A. in Geology from Pomona College and completed graduate
studies in basin analysis, tectonics, and hydrogeology
at UCLA and San Diego State University.
He is a California Professional Geologist, Certified Hydrogeologist, and Certified
Engineering Geologist. In 2008, he led the team that established the San Diego
Geological Society, where he continues to chair the Publications Committee.
He has a decades-long career in southern California environmental geology.
Since 1990, he has specialized in investigating contaminated soil and
groundwater, including with his current firm, Tetra Tech.
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Upcoming SDAG meetings - 2026
Novmber 18 - Dave Bloom: "Geology of Morocco"
December 16 - Annual Holiday Meeting at San Diego History Museum with Tom Deméré as speaker
Upcoming SDAG meetings - 2027
January - Pat Abbott: "Geologic Control of Human History in Central Texas: Cretaceous
limestone, Miocene faulting, groundwater flow, and human land use"
Recordings of past meetings
Note: If the video or sound does not play, try using another web browser. Firefox and Chrome may work on some of the videos. MS Edge and Safari are most likely to work.
8/19/26 Monte Marshall: "Some Highlights of European Plate Tectonic History, With a Focus on Italy."
7/15/26 Rick Halsey speaking on "For the Love of Rocks, Deep Time, and the Pursuit of Knowledge."
6/10/26 Kathryn Metcalf speaking on "Something Old, Something New: Revisiting Permian to Jurassic tectonics in the Klamath Mountains, Northern California."
5/20/26 Danny Sims speaking on "X-ray diffraction and seismic reflection data constraints
on geothermal mineral brine reservoir modelling, Salton Sea Geothermal Field, Imperial Valley, California."
4/15/26 Jennifer Morton speaking on "Ground-truth Studies of the La Nacion Fault Zone, San Diego, California."
4/15/26 Cici Jobe speaking on "From Park to Garden: Collaborative Soil Testing to Support Food Security in Urban San Diego."
4/15/26 Hannah Lissner speaking on "Assessing the Metals Variability, Clay Mineralogy, and Morphology of San Salvador Island Paleosoils."
3/18/26 Josh Goodwin speaking on "Understanding Geology Licensure in California: PG, CEG, CHg, and PGp; How to apply, serve as a reference, and avoid common violations."
2/18/26 Norrie Robbins Speaking on "From Precambrian Iron Formation to Terraforming Mars - the JIMES Expedition to Santoria"
1/21/26 Ali Fattah on "Updates to the San Diego Municipal Code requirements for Geotechnical Reports - Outreach"
12/17/25 Traditional holiday meeting at the San Diego Natural History Museum - Tom Deméré on "150 years of Paleontology at the San Diego Natural History Museum"
11/19/25 Joint Meeting with AEG Inland Empire Section - Eldon Gath on "San Joaquin Hills, Santa Ana Mountains, Puente Hills, and the Whittier fault: The final(?) grand theory of Orange County's tectonic geomorphic evolution"
10/15/2025 Todd Wirths on "Eocene Paleontology at Tourmaline Surfing Park, La Jolla"
8/20/2025 Dr. Mario Caputo on "Newly Discovered Tetrapod Bones, Insect Trace Fossils, & Eolian Adhesion Structures- Upper Pennsylvanian Wescogame Formation, Supai Group, Grand Canyon, Arizona"
7/16/2025 Rachel Maxwell on a survey of the Mojave-Sonoran Desert Springs and their sources. "Is this spring connected to that Aquifer?"
6/18/2025 Development of the western Hollywood Basin and Cheviot Hills, and newly identified blind thrust in Santa Monica Bay - Dr. Miles Kenney
5/14/2025 Dr. Sebastian Lobo-Guerrero "Landslide Stabilization" (Audio is very quiet first few minutes.)
4/16/2025 Constraining Natural and Anthropogenic Controls on Base of Freshwater and Underground Source of Drinking Water (USDW) In Central San Joaquin Valley - Emily Imperato
4/16/2025 Examination of Middle Cambrian hyoliths from the Manuels River Formation of Avalonian southeastern Newfoundland - Nicolas Oliver
2/19/2025 A New Seismotectonic Framework for Active Faults in Metropolitan San Diego - Karl Mueller
8/21/2024 Upper Cretaceous through lower Eocene strata in San Diego: Messages for the end-Cretaceous impact, extinctions, and paleoclimates - Dr. Pat Abbott
5/15/2024 Exploring Iceland's Geological Wonders: From a Regional Perspective to a Hiking Expedition - Don Barrie & William Buckley
3/19/2024 Mighty Bad Land: A Perilous Expedition to Antarctica Reveals Clues to an Eighth Continent - Bruce Luyendyk
Intro by Pat Abbott to Speaker: Dave Kimbrough
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