Current Year Schedule
GSM seminars 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 concludes 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. Live lectures and labs require no registration; just show up a few minutes early on the evening of the lecture.
Click on date of any seminar for attendance information and other details. For a printable version of our schedule of seminars and labs, click here.
Except as noted, in-person lectures are Mondays at 7:00 PM CT on the University of Minnesota campus, building & room TBA. A lecture with (V) following its title is an online virtual lecture. For these, free registration is required by non-members; the instructions are supplied with the lecture description.
Our schedule is planned over 6 months in advance, so changes may occur. Always check this website shortly before each lecture for the latest seminar 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. This information will be posted on the GSM home page (http://www.gsmn.org/). So, check our home page 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.
Past seminars marked with * were recorded and the recording is available on the Geological Society of Minnesota YouTube channel. Subscribe to this channel for updates.
Seminar Details
Seminar Lab Date: September 28, 2026
Seminar Lab Subject: Multimedia Fate and Transport of PFAS in Minnesota
Seminar Lab Presenter: Michael Ginsbach, M.Sc., Hydrogeologist, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Seminar Lab Location:
**Location TBA**
Seminar Lab Detail:
Summary: Minnesota has been working to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) since 2002 when perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) were discovered in groundwater in southern Washington County. In the subsequent two decades, additional investigations have been performed across the state with samples being collected not only from groundwater but surface water, soil, sediment, air, and wildlife. These investigations, along with actions such as the MPCA’s 2021 PFAS Blueprint and 2022 PFAS Monitoring Plan, have provided insight into the movement of PFAS throughout the environment in Minnesota. The aforementioned southern Washington County has been the focus of numerous investigations since 2002 due to the presence of several disposal sites and a PFAS manufacturer in the county. Recent investigations have provided additional information about the fate and transport of PFAS through various environmental media in southern Washington County and northern Dakota County, which has helped identify impacted drinking resources in the area and allowed for the development of a site-specific water quality criteria for five PFAS in an eight mile stretch of the Mississippi River between the two counties.
Biography: Michael Ginsbach is a senior hydrogeologist in the Superfund Remedial section of the MPCA where he oversees investigations and cleanups of sites in the Superfund and RCRA Remediation programs. He also aids in the development of technical and programmatic guidance for the MPCA and serves as a technical resource for the Agency’s compliance and enforcement programs. He has been with the MPCA for nine years, is a board member for the Minnesota Ground Water Association, and has served on a number of Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council teams. Michael holds a bachelor’s in earth science education and a bachelor’s in geology from North Dakota State University and a master’s in geology from Idaho State University.