Petrology of the Libby Formation and comparison to the Garnet Range and Pilcher Formations of the Belt Supergroup: The case for stratigraphic equivalency

The Belt Supergroup is a sequence of sedimentary and meta-sedimentary rock ~20 km thick that underpins much of western Montana, with equivalents extending into adjacent parts of Idaho and Canada. The Missoula Group forms the uppermost portion of the Belt Supergroup and is best expressed and best exposed around the Missoula Valley. Within the Missoula Group are six separate formations, all of which are siliciclastic. Our investigation focuses on the Missoula Group’s youngest two formations, the Garnet Range and Pilcher, along with a purportedly equivalent stratigraphic unit, the Libby Formation, which occurs in several structurally isolated fault blocks ~200 km NW of Missoula. In particular, we have sought to compare the petrology and detrital zircon geochronology of the Garnet Range and Pilcher Formations with that documented from the Libby Formation. To this end we examined and sampled outcrops of the Libby Formation at Flagstaff Mountain and along Fishtrap Creek in October 2015. The coarsest samples were cut into thin-sections for petrographic analysis, and we isolated the datable mineral zircon from a subset of these samples using facilities in the UM mineral separation laboratory. Results indicate that the coarsest samples collected from the Libby Formation are coarse siltstone. Sedimentary structures and hand samples of Libby indicate similarities between the three formations. Framework grains include abundant angular quartz and rare alkali feldspar. Detrital muscovite is notably common, as is diagenetic chert. Zircon separates evaluated by scientists at the Boise State University geochronology lab are at the lower size limit for radiometric dating via laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (La-ICPMS). Along with zircon, other dense minerals were recovered during the separation process. To further test whether the Libby Formation is equivalent to the Garnet Range and Pilcher Formations, these dense minerals will be analyzed and compared to seperates from the Garnet Range and Pilcher Formations

Disaster Relief: A Monitoring & Evaluation Framework for Kopan Monastery

The April 2015 Nepal earthquake was the largest such event since 1934. It killed thousands, injured tens of thousands, and left an estimated two million homeless. The property damage was estimated to be equivalent to 25% of Nepal’s GDP. The chaos caused by the earthquake was soon compounded by a complex political gridlock and resulting blockade, which has only recently been resolved. In this catastrophic setting, the non-governmental organization response was difficult to coordinate, and occurred with reduced capacity due to inadequate or total lack of access to resources. Kopan Monastery temporarily shifted the locus of its work to the immediate relief effort, from its normal educational operations. Since earthquakes are a continuous possibility in Nepal and other tectonically active regions, active monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of disaster response is an important part of preparedness for future events. We suggest a framework to monitor and evaluate Kopan Monastery\u27s response to the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. Our work indicates that a simple LogFrame approach informed by social networks analysis of the disaster response will provide the best framework. This can be manifested by a short-term repeatable timeline of actions stakeholders at the monastery can do during an ongoing relief effort. Most geological disasters are difficult to plan for and respond to, as they involve sudden stochastic events. Earthquakes are magnitude-predictable, yet not time-predictable. However, risk can be seen as chronic and can be minimized with adequate techniques. In Nepal, the swiftness and flexibility of an organization’s response is vital in ensuring immediate needs are provided for. Accordingly, the M&E framework must be flexible, simple, and straightforwardly applicable to sudden catastrophic events. We hope our M&E framework will provide Kopan Monastery with the tools to assess and modify its response to better serve its community in the future