Tag Archives: Cretaceous

Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A helpful echinoid from the Upper Cretaceous of Israel

Mark Wilson April 27, 2014 1:40 am

These beaten-up fossils have served me well in the field this month. They are the regular echinoid Heterodiadema lybicum (Agassiz & Desor, 1846). They are common in the Cenomanian throughout northern Africa and the Middle East. These particular specimens, the … Continue reading →

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Among citizen scientists in southern Israel

Mark Wilson April 24, 2014 12:13 pm

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–Today Yoav Avni and I drove south to meet an enthusiastic group of naturalists in Arava of the Jordan Rift Valley. The group is led by Dr. Hanan Ginat and consisted of a micropaleontologist and three amateur collectors … Continue reading →

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Wooster Geologist in Jerusalem and the Judean Mountains

Mark Wilson April 23, 2014 10:47 am

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–Very early this morning (5:05 am) Yoav and I boarded a bus in Mitzpe Ramon for a journey north to Jerusalem. After a change of buses in Beersheva, we arrived in Jerusalem 3.5 hours later. (This is Yoav’s … Continue reading →

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Stratigraphy day at Makhtesh Ramon

Mark Wilson April 19, 2014 11:27 am

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–Usually on Saturdays Yoav Avni and I do something “touristic”, like visit an archaeological site or museum. Since it is the Passover holiday, though, and we are both averse to crowds, we decided to do a little stratigraphy … Continue reading →

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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: An unusual scleractinian coral from the Upper Cretaceous of Israel

Mark Wilson April 13, 2014 1:17 am

Originally this was going to be a mystery fossil for a crowd-sourced identification while I’m here in Israel doing fieldwork, but through the wonders of the internet I finally found a match for the strange fossil above: it is the … Continue reading →

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Seeing the archaeological site of Shivta through a geologist’s eyes

Mark Wilson April 12, 2014 12:30 pm

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–The tradition we’ve built over the years on our Israel expeditions is to travel to interesting places on Saturdays to take a break from work. Yes, it appears geologists never really stop geologizing, but then that’s not really … Continue reading →

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Cretaceous fieldwork around Mitzpe Ramon

Mark Wilson April 11, 2014 12:32 pm

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–Today Yoav and I worked on the outskirts of his hometown. This was a field trip that began in his garden and then we wandered into the hills behind his house, eventually circling this little city to return … Continue reading →

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A mission in the Cretaceous of southern Israel

Mark Wilson April 9, 2014 1:50 pm

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–Today Yoav and I set out to solve a mapping dilemma concerning the boundaries of the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) En Yorqe’am Formation in the Negev and, eventually, the Judean Desert to the north. It involved a bumpy ride … Continue reading →

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Cretaceous echinoderms are today’s stars

Mark Wilson April 8, 2014 11:32 am

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–There’s a joke in the title, in case you didn’t notice! I was on my own for my second day of fieldwork in southern Israel. I revisited yesterday’s outcrops of the Upper Cretaceous (Coniacian) Zichor Formation, taking more … Continue reading →

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A Wooster Geologist is finally warm enough

Mark Wilson April 7, 2014 11:58 am

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–When I left Wooster on Saturday morning it was 34°F and overcast. It was sunny and an astonishing 84°F when I arrived in Tel Aviv on Sunday afternoon. That additional 50 degrees felt very good indeed after a … Continue reading →

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