Comments on: Busy Wooster geology labs this summer

By: Mark Wilson

Mark Wilson — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:48:11 +0000

Hello Suvrat: I’m happy to share that great limestone petrography post. It is also a good introduction to cathodoluminescence. I also made several hundred limestone thin-sections for my dissertation (on Carboniferous paleoecology and paleoenvironments in southern Nevada). I know the pain … and joys! Thanks!

By: Mark Wilson

Mark Wilson — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:45:29 +0000

Hello Joanna: Very good to hear from you! Thank you for your kind note. That saw is exactly the same design, and maybe brand, as the one we used many years ago, but it was purchased in the 90s. You’ll note another change from our days: Kit has a wall and door to the left of her. The sawroom is divided into two rooms now to limit dust and noise.

We are watching the earthquakes/disposal wells issue with interest. Maybe indeed it could generate an I.S. or two.

Thanks again!!

By: Suvrat

Suvrat — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 04:45:33 +0000

Mark- the picture of your student Kit Price cutting Late Ordovician limestones really brought back a lot of memories for me. I cut and made around 400 thin sections of mid and late Ordovician limestones from the southern Appalachians of Alabama and northern Georgia for my PhD work on diagenesis at Florida State.

I wonder if you would share this post with your students? It gives a good idea of what is inside these late Ordovician limestones in my study area.. beautiful calcite cements that tell a story of sea level change and diagenesis.

http://suvratk.blogspot.in/2010/05/accretionary-wedge-geo-images-calcite.html

regards
Suvrat

By: Joanna Scheffler '80

Joanna Scheffler '80 — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 02:12:48 +0000

Hi Mark,
I’ve been enjoying seeing what’s up with Woo Geo via these posts! It certainly seems like the department is livelier in the summer now–we took off for field camp and IS projects and didn’t resurface until fall! Looking at this post I have to ask: is that the same rock saw that was around when I was at Wooster? After all, it’s not like rock saw technology has changed a lot since then, unlike everything else.

On another thought, I’ve seen a few reports lately on seismicity in Ohio as a possible result of fracking disposal wells. I think the USGS (?maybe?) and others (http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/news-events/seismologists-link-ohio-earthquakes-waste-disposal-wells) are keeping an eye on these events. Sounds like someone could get an IS or two out of that. Just a thought. My compliments to you and the department on the calibre of IS studies the newsletter has reported over the last few years!

I look forward to more of your posts!