Honduras Geology

El Heraldo newspaper series on fossils in Honduras

2011-02-08T16:02:00.000-08:00

See above link for information and fotos of fossils in Honduras.

From the field.

2010-05-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

Tropical depression Agatha made travel interesting. In Tegucigalpa for GPS earthquake fault study for next few weeks across Honduras. Going on field trip w/ UPi univeristy class this morning and gearing up for study in afternoon. Gonna be wet.

Dedication of Instituto de Geociencias de Honduras (from Jan 18, 2010)

2010-02-09T05:35:00.000-08:00

My editorial in the Modesto Bee (California) from Jan 31, 2001

2010-02-09T05:29:00.000-08:00

Scroll down to see my editorial.
http://www.modbee.com/editorials/story/1029809.html

GeoHonduras '10 entries

2010-02-03T05:09:00.000-08:00

http://thehive.modbee.com/blog/31855

Entries from January 2010 trip can be found at the above link. I will return to more regular postings to this site in a few days.

A good day for geology in Honduras

2010-01-16T04:37:00.000-08:00

Friday was a very good day for "geology" in Honduras. The dedication for the Instituto de Geociencias de Honduras (IGH) was very well attended by the geology community, political dignitaries, business leaders and media. Luis Eveline and Carolina Funes of UPI and Valario Gutierrez of SERNA have generated incredible level of Honduran backing for the geosciences in Honduras.

Heading to field today with students including UPI students (more about them later). Will spend day getting students up to speed on local stratigraphy.

GeoHonduras '10 - The Jurassic Rift

2010-01-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome and join us as we visit Honduras searching for the evidence that the break-up of the Pangaean supercontent in the Jurassic Period occured in this area. We will visit Danli, in SW Honduras where a nearly 1000 meter thick sequence of conglomerate and sandstone strata is the target of our trip. This mass of rock is the correct age and has the correct characteristics to have resulted from deposition of a large river flowing along the axis of a Jurassic-age valley between fault bounded mountains.
We are Dr. Rob Rogers, CSU Stanislaus geologist along with students Kait Barber and Chris Hammond. The flight leaves Wednesday night (Jan. 13th) and we will be posting updates along the way on our 2.5 week long trip.

Instituto de Geociencias de Honduras

2009-12-31T07:46:00.000-08:00

Honduras Geosciences Institute/ El Instituto de Geociencias de HondurasOpen

2009-12-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

Open house and dedication of the Instituto de Geociencias de Honduras, 9AM Jan 15, 2010 UPI - La Universidad Politécnica de Ingeniería, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Contact: Luis Eveline email: leveline@yahoo.com

El Instituto de Geociencias de Honduras es una organización dedicada al desarrollo académico, investigación científica, desarrollo de estudios y proyectos, y a dar respuesta responsable a los principales problemas relacionados a las geociencias en la República de Honduras.El instituto nace como una iniciativa de la UPI, como una rama especializada en el tema de las geociencias y dentro de la Universidad; y como principales fundadores asociados son la empresa SERGEO, Dr. Valerio Gutierrez y Dr. Robert Rogers.El Instiituto será liderado por la UPI, con el apoyo de sus principales asociados, lo integrarán el Rector de UPI (Luis Eveline), y los representante de SERGEO, SERNA, Defomin, Asociación de empresas mineras, Asociación de Municipios de Honduras se invitarán a agencias internacionales de financiamiento (USAID, JICA, CIDA (Canada).

The Geoscience Institute of Honduras is an organization dedicated to academic development, scientific investigation, development of studies and projects and to provide answers to the main issues related to the geosciences in the Republic of Honduras.The Geoscience Institute was formed as an initiative of UPI – University Polytechnic of Engineering – with a field specializing in geosciences within the university; and its principle funding supporters associated with the SERGEO company, Valerio Gutierrez and Dr. Robert Rogers.The Institute will be led by UPI with the assistance of its principle associates that include the Rector of UPI (Luis Eveline), representatives of SERGEO, SERNA, DEFOMIN, Association of Mining Companies, Municipal association of Honduras, and will involve the international funding agencies (USAID, JICA (Japan), CIDA (Canada).

A Call for Geoscience Training in Honduras

2009-09-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

Currently there are only a handful of Honduran geologists in Honduras and this has been the status in the 20 years that I have been involved in Honduras. No Honduran University offers a degree program in the geosciences. The few Honduran geologists have all received their education and training outside of Honduras at program in the US, Russia, Costa Rica, Mexico etc. Many do not return to Honduras. I commend and respect those that do and Honduras benefits from their skills and knowledge in seismology and hazards, mining, environmental review and siting of infrastructure project such as roads and power facilities. However there are simply not enough geoscientists to meet the needs of public (from national to municipal level) and private (extractive resources, project development) sectors. Geological survey type investigations (basic mapping of geological resources) have been left to sporadic non-Honduran entities including mainly U.S. Universities, the Peace Corps, and foreign assistance projects. Of the 32 published geological maps at 1:50,000 scale, only ONE was mapped by living Honduran geologist. Geoscience knowledge of Honduras has been outsourced. Because this expertize does not reside in Honduran this knowledge and experience is of limited access to Honduras. I am one of these foreign experts.

This needs to change. A critical step is to increase the number of Honduran geoscientists. Costa Rica provides a mature model and Nicaragua provides an "in progress" model. Both started by 1) recognizing the need and then sending a handful of students to get geoscience education abroad, then 2) establishing positions for these pioneers at local universities where they became the teachers in 3) a degree granting program in the geosciences.

There are initial plans for a geoscience degree program in Honduras....I will be using this forum to promote this idea put forth by Luis Eveline at the Universidad Politécnica de Ingeniería (UPI) in Tegucigapla. As this plan develops, I will be providing details and asking for written support for this proposal from those interested in the advancement of the geosciences in Honduras.

Dr. Robert Rogers,

California State University, Stanislaus

New Publication - A GPS and modelling study of deformation in northern Central America

2009-07-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

Rodriguez M, DeMets C, Rogers R, Tenorio C,Hernandez D (2009) A GPS and modelling study of deformation in northern Central America. Geophysical Journal International

published online: 13 Jul 2009

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122510988/abstract

Honduras Geology on Facebook

2009-07-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

For Facebook users, I've set up a Honduras Geology group.
-Rob Rogers

GeoHonduras 09 - Paleomag

2009-06-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

Some of my photographs of June 2009 fieldwork in Honduras. We collected over 1000 samples of Jurassic, Cretaceous and Miocene rocks to determine the rotation history of Honduras and the Chortis block. Many thanks to Douwe van Hinsbergen (Norwegian Geological Survey) and Roberto Molina-Garza (UNAM National university of Mexico).

Paleomag_09

2009-06-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

See photos from paleomag sampling in Honduras. June 2009. http://www.geo.uu.nl/~hins/Honduras_2009.htm

GeoHonduras 09 - Jurassic

2009-06-19T06:26:00.000-07:00

Returning to Honduras in July to focus on Jurassic Agua Fria Fm. Lens-shaped fluvial channel/fan complex (>500 m thick, ~ 10 km wide) below marine sequence is target of mapping, measured sections and facies analysis.

More New Exposure

2009-06-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

The road between Valle de Angeles and San Juan de Flores is paved. A nice non-dusty sequence of Canteranas and other Mesozoic strata (See Carpenter, 1954 GSA Bull) are exposed on road above San Juan de Flores.

Post EarthQuake GPS

2009-06-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

Manuel Rodriguez UNAH just finished occupying Omoa, La Ceiba and San Pedro Sula GPS sites (all North Coast).

Email update

2009-06-15T05:47:00.000-07:00

Normal email not working. Use hondorob@gmail.com until Wednesday, June 17.

New exposures: basement, Jurassic and Cretaceous

2009-06-15T05:25:00.000-07:00

In Tegucigalpa for a few days. The road ftom Talanga to El Porviner is paved. Very good exposures of basement between El Porviner and Marale. Hondutel Cell towers (everywhere) have put new access to many higher elevaltion places across country. Near Victoria, Yoro there appears to be thick sub Atima (Jurassic) sands and bimodal volcanic sequence. The road to San Francisco de la Paz is pave - nice exposures of K Valle de Angeles Fm fluvial sequence. Between Danli and San Julian, El Paraiso and beyond is fresh exposure of upper marine facies of J Agua Fria marine facies containing rhyolite ash sands.
-RR

GeoHonduras 09 Paleomag

2009-06-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

In Honduras with Roberto Molina and Douwe van Hinsbergen drilling cores for paleomag. We´re sampling the Cretaceous in Olancho and as well as the Eocene, Jurassic and Miocene elsewhere. Should have solution to rotation issues soon. Back to the field....

Honduras M 7.3 Swan Island Transform 05-28-2009

2009-05-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

Honduras M 7.3 Swan Island Transform 05-28-2009
1) Technical updates/maps from USGS
2) Earthquake epicenter was on the Swan Island transform fault boundary between North America and Caribbean plates. The plate boundary is a zone of active faulting extending south from the Swan Island fault to the Nueva Esperanza fault located along the southern margin of the Aguan valley including numerous onshore and offshore faults (Rogers and Mann, 2007).
3) Expect aftershocks for next several weeks along the Swan Island transform and the faults to the south. One has already occurred on the Nueva Esperanza fault (USGS info on aftershock)
4) The Swan Island fault is the very steep southern boundary of the 5000+ meter deep Cayman Trough. Landslides can happen along this undersea escarpment. Aftershocks can trigger landslides. Landslides can trigger tsunamis. Coastal communities should keep watch on Caribbean Sea for next several weeks.
5) NUEVOS FOLLETOS Y CARTELES DE PROTEGE A TU FAMILIA DE.......http://www.redciencia.cu/cdorigen/arca/protegefam.html (from Manuel Iturralde-Vinent).

-Dr. Rob Rogers 5/29/2009