Darrell Henry to give LEEPS lectures Darrell Henry, Campanile Charities professor of Geology and Geophysics at Louisiana State University, will give two LEEPS lectures at noon and 3 p.m. Friday, March 5, in 100 Leonard Hall. The noon presentation is titled "Tourmaline: Can it record geologic information like a DVD?" The 3 p.m. presentation is titled "High-Precision provenance in clastic sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks: The significance of mineral chemistry of clastic grains." Noon presentation abstract: Tourmaline is commonly regarded as a semi-precious mineral that is nice in mineral collections or jewelry, but not much more. However, tourmaline is actually one of the most important natural repositories for geological information that can be found in rocks. This is a consequence of tourmaline being the major sink for boron in the Earth's crust, having an extreme range of stability at almost all crustal conditions, exhibiting mechanical resistance in clastic sedimentary environments, and containing a wide range of potential chemical constituents. The challenge is to be able to interpret the textual and chemical signals, much like is done on a DVD. The Department of Geology and Geological Engineering Leading Edge of Earth and Planetary Science lecture program (LEEPS) brings nationally and internationally known scientists and others to UND to give talks on cutting edge science and engineering. Lectures cover a wide range of topics, including academic science, applied engineering, and environmental issues of current significance. All are welcome to attend. -- Carissa Green, Administrative Secretary, Geology and Geological Engineering, carissagreen@mail.und.edu, 777-2248