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Suggested Citation:"New Hampshire." National Research Council. 1932. Summary Information on the State Geological Surveys & the United States Geological Survey: Bulletin of the National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9570.
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Page 72
Suggested Citation:"New Hampshire." National Research Council. 1932. Summary Information on the State Geological Surveys & the United States Geological Survey: Bulletin of the National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9570.
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Page 73
Suggested Citation:"New Hampshire." National Research Council. 1932. Summary Information on the State Geological Surveys & the United States Geological Survey: Bulletin of the National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9570.
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Page 74

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

72 THE STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS AND In addition to the cooperative scheme described, the mineral industry of the State has the advantage of a State Analytical Laboratory, the director of which is the Professor of Metallurgy in the Mackay School of Mines, and the Analyst, his assistant. The State Analytical Labora- tory was created more than thirty years ago, and, being located in the School, is coordinated with the work the State Bureau of Mines is doing-as economic an arrangement as could be devised. PRESENT MAIN LINES OF WORK The same type of work will continue to be done; the importance of the Hoover Dam area is at present absorbing more time and energy than any other part of the State, because of the importance of determining what is in that area. in the way of mineral deposits that will be needed in the electro-chemical industry which will be created there as soon as the cheap power becomes available. PREVIOUS SURVEY ORGANIZATIONS There was a State Mineralogist from 1866 to 1878. This man was appointed by the Legislature and carried on investigations throughout the State, and issued biennial reports. NEW HAMPSHIRE * There is no independent State Geological Survey organization in New lIampshire. The State Highway Department, with offices located in the State House at Concord, retains on its stag a geologist whose address during the school year is the Department of Geology, Dartmouth College, Hanover. SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES In the fulfilment of the duties of the Geologist., although emphasis is given to field and laboratory studies more or less directly related to sup- port of the highway construction plan, time is given, as occasion arises, to studies of interest to other state departments, such as Forestry, Public Service (water-power and dam inspection), Agriculture, and so forth. The Geologist keeps in touch with these departments, as well as with the Development Commission, the Governor, and with other officials or in- stitutions seeking geologic information. * Information furnished by J. W. Goldthwait, Geologist, March, 1932.

THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 7,3 ORGANIZATION The Geologist is appointed annually by the State Highway Commis- sionex, with approval of the Governor and Council, and is paid a per diem salary. The present incumbent, James W. Goldthwait, first ap- pointed in 1917' has held office continuously cinch t.hnn The tots nmn~lnt ~ ~ ~ _~ ~^v~ a^~ At ~ -~w ~14. ~ 11~ ~w ~ ~w ~1 ~ ~ , . .. . . Ot time usually spent is somewhat more than two and a half months a year, mainly in July and August. Mr. Goldthwait is Professor of Ge- ology and Chairman of the Department at Dartmouth College. During the field season one assistant is employed, always an advanced student in geology at Dartmouth or at the University of New E:ampshire. Oc- casionally more assistants are needed. In 1930 there were six, including two men with the master of arts degree, instructors in colleges; the others were undergraduates, all engaged on detailed survey of gravel and san deposits throughout the State. Much of the work is in close cooperation with highway engineers, alla consists of operating a testing laboratory, studying available materials, locating best available supplies for particular projects, and so forth. Some of the work is systematic research, in which geology and engineer- ing both play a part. APPROPRIATIONS There are no fixed allotments or appropriations. Work proceeds under funds for highway maintenance, charged to administration. The yearly total recently has ranged between $1,200 and $3,000 (including field expenses). An estimate of the distribution of expense under heads is as follows: administration, 10 per cent; geologic work, 70 per cent; mis- cellaneous, 20 per cent. PUBLICATIONS The only official publications are short annual and biennial reports to the Commissioner. The Geologist, however, prepares occasional articles for publication in scientific journals, and in the Department's monthly magazine " New lIampshire Highways." Reports are also prepared for committees on special missions in which geology plays a role, and so forth. Publication on a larger scale is scarcely justified either by re- sources or by present conditions of industry. PRINCIPAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE 1911 The Department has cooperated (by funds) with the United States Geological Survey in a complete topographic mapping of the State, now approximately completed. Revision of older sheets has been begun.

~4 THE STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS AND Field work (chiefly reconnaissance) all over the State has afforded a basis for checking and revising the bedrock geology map of Hitchcock (18784. Detailed local studies of rock structures, chiefly in connection with highway projects or possible stone quarries for department or commercial development have been carried on wherever such work seemed to promise results. Several quarries have been located. Hundreds of gravel samples have been collected, studied, and tested by the Laboratory, and the relation of gravels to bedrock and glacial geology has been brought clearly to the attention of state and town road- builders. There has been quite a bit of pioneer research here. The Geologist has frequently cooperated with the Testing Laboratory in collecting representative sands, studying their mineral content, and its possible relation to compression tests. Studies have been made of highway subgrades, in relation to porosity, frost action, etc. Data have been collected on brick clays, granite, mica and feldspar, and other resources, but owing to economic conditions have not been carried to the stage of publication or publicity. The Geologist has cooperated with a special commission in securing governmental aid in the study of coast protection at Hampton, and has organized and collected rainfall data on mountains, during each summer since the flood of 1927. PRESENT MAIN LINES OF WORK Since the new topographic quadrangles have been available, a detailed field survey of gravel and sand deposits has been carried forward in all parts of the State, and will soon be completed, showing location, extent, and probable quantity and character of material available. An atlas for the Commissioner showing these details is in preparation. This summer will include a survey of fieldstone, as one of the future sources of road construction on secondary highways. The present activities of the Department Geologist are, as always, quite varied. On the whole, they resolve themselves into giving attention to any project on which geologic information is needed. PREVIOUS SURVEY ORGANIZATIONS There was no geological work in New lIampshire between the lIitch- cock survey of 1878 and 1917.

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