Geoscientists from across the country examine soil samples collected from Nebraska vineyard

Geoscientists gathered at Glacial Till Vineyard and Winery in Palmyra on Thursday to look at two soil core samples collected from deep underground.

A soil core sample is essentially a sample of what is beneath someone’s feet, starting at the top layer, and going down deeper and deeper into the Earth.  The winery got its name from one of these layers, the glacial till.

The Midwest GeoSciences Group, in conjunction with engineering firm Olsson, is holding a three-day seminar, where geologists from around the country can convene, learn about the unique layers of sediment that lie beneath the ground and bring back what they learned to apply to their own jobs.

“The purpose of why we're here is to help scientists, engineers and environmental scientists do a better job of understanding the sequence of sediments for environmental work, groundwater work and engineering work,” said Dan Kelleher, president of Midwest GeoSciences Group.

Kelleher was the catalyst for the seminar, feeling inspired to hold it at the winery because of the Glacial Till name. He wanted to know why the owners named it that. After talking to the family that owns the winery, he learned it was because of eastern Nebraska’s history of being covered by glaciers. Evidence of this glacial period can be found in the soil cores the Olsson team dug up.

“[Soil cores] tell the story of the geologic history,” Kelleher said. “Why that's important is because when we're doing an engineering project or an environmental project, we really want to understand where's the groundwater. How much is there? What direction is it moving? And that way, we can be smart about how we design engineering features or do an environmental investigation or do something related to groundwater or water resources.”

Kelleher said that while in school, geoscientists learn a lot of information, but don’t always get to apply it; it just remains words in a lecture or on a page. At seminars like this one, they get to use what they learn and apply it to their professional work.

“Even a minority report from someone is really good to see, because then you've got someone that's making you question what you know,” said Paul Hanson with the Conservation and Survey Division at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources. “You're never 100% sure of anything, but you can get pretty close. Though a lot of time, that is the goal.”

Sandra Ranstead came from Topeka, Kansas, where she works with groundwater management in the agricultural industry.

“It’ll help me understand movement of groundwater and stuff better,” said Ranstead…I [also] learned that even though Kansas has a lot of limestone, Nebraska does not.”

She was talking with another geoscientist, and someone she coincidentally went to school with, Grace Heartly. Heartly works in Grand Island, also with groundwater. She was at the seminar because she wanted to learn more about the soil core drilling process, as well as soil classification in general.

“They definitely really pushed that and not forfeiting professionalism at your job and focusing on the geology for time and money and like quickening up the industry,” she said. “Take the time to do it right the first time so and be safe about it, too.”

Thursday was the first day of three the scientists will be working and learning together.

The sedimentary sequence will reveal itself with respect to its history, and that is priceless,” Kelleher said. “These opportunities are rare, but they help us become better professionals, because we can apply what we learned in school in a way that we can't in our normal projects.”

One thing Kelleher, Hanson, Ranstead and Heartly all said was being able to get your hands dirty for science is never a bad thing.