Geological Society of Minnesota

The Geological Society of Minnesota is a nonprofit educational organization in operation since 1938. Our mission is to promote public interest, and to supply educational support in, the geological sciences. We sponsor free lectures and labs at the University of Minnesota, conduct statewide and regional field trips, maintain a media library, publish relevant information for public distribution, and maintain and expand upon a series of geological markers throughout the state.

GSM Seminars/Lectures & Labs:
GSM seminars/lectures with slide show presentations are free and open to the public. They are presented by leading professionals in their fields and are aimed at learners from high school to adult. A question-and-answer session follows each seminar. The labs, also free and open to the public, allow a hands-on learning experience and demonstrate the ideas and principles of geology and earth science. These lectures and labs are eligible for Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit.

Except as noted, in-person lectures during fall 2024 are Mondays at 7:00 PM CT on the University of Minnesota campus, Keller Hall, Room 3-230. In-person lectures and labs require no registration; just show up a few minutes early on the evening of the lecture. For online virtual lectures, free registration is required by non-members; registration instructions are supplied with the lecture description.

The schedule of seminars and labs for fall 2024 is here. For a printable version of our schedule of seminars and labs, click here. Our schedule is planned over 6 months in advance, so changes may occur. Always check GSM’s home page shortly before each lecture for the latest information.

Winter weather will come and snow might impact our lectures. The GSM will make any decision about cancelling or postponing a lecture due to inclement weather no later than 3:00 PM the day of the lecture. As with other changes, this information will be posted on GSM’s home page (above), so please check it shortly before each lecture in case there is a cancellation or a last-minute change. Also, we will e‐mail lecture postponement and cancellation information to our members.

Recordings of some past GSM lectures are available on the Geological Society of Minnesota YouTube channel. You can subscribe to that channel for updates.

Minnesota's Geology Markers
Discover Minnesota’s fascinating 3 billion years of geological history by visiting 70-plus geology markers placed around the state by the Geological Society of Minnesota since 1949. Observe and learn about a rift valley, volcanoes, agates, inland seas, glaciers, rivers, caves, sinkholes, iron mining, and more. Click Minnesota’s Geology Markers to see where these markers are located. You can see most markers from your car.

Field Trips
GSM conducts professionally guided geology field trips. These excursions visit locations not usually experienced by the casual traveler. Local field trips can be a few hours long, encompass a weekend, or last longer than a week. Some field trips are limited to GSM's dues-paying members only, while other trips are open to the public. Find more information here.

Dues-Paying Membership
Membership Information
Dues-paying membership in the society is open to anyone with an interest in geology. The benefits of membership include:

• The opportunity to meet others of who share an enthusiasm for learning and a curiosity for the natural world.
• The rewarding feeling of supporting a nonprofit organization dedicated to public education.
• GSM Newsletter - A quarterly publication contains announcements of upcoming activities, articles on the earth sciences, and GSM projects and activity reports.
• Extensive Media Library - GSM maintains a collection of more than 330 geological DVDs. These are available to the members at lectures or through the mail for a nominal rental fee.
• GSM Directory - This annual book is a handy resource and makes it easy to access the organization.