Monthly Archives: July 2009

Iceland Permeates Our Everything

mpollock July 12, 2009 7:13 pm

Done! Today was our last day in the field. Rob finished hunting for zeolites on Vatnsdalsfjall. To get to the last field area, we had to cross “the deadly fields of sadness,” hummocky and swampy fields that are treacherous to … Continue reading →

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Estonia Geology Team heads for home

Mark Wilson July 11, 2009 4:16 am

TALLINN, ESTONIA–It is always a good sign for a geologist when you leave with twice as many bags as when you arrived. There is a careful shuffle to make certain the rocks we are taking home are arranged so that … Continue reading →

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Short summer field movies

Mark Wilson July 10, 2009 3:52 pm

TALLINN, ESTONIA–On my last evening in Estonia this year I finally had time to figure out how to post some of the short video clips I’ve taken over the past several weeks. The Iceland group pioneered the concept on this … Continue reading →

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Langadalsfjall: Big Enough for Only One

mpollock July 9, 2009 5:00 pm

Over the past few days, Todd has been helping Yexary map a gabbro body in Skagastrond. They were highly productive and finished mapping today! Meanwhile, Adam, Rob, and Meagen are still on the wild rhyolite chase. Yesterday, we found rhyolite … Continue reading →

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The wonder of natural history museums

Mark Wilson July 9, 2009 10:52 am

TALLINN, ESTONIA–Scientific museums preserve specimens and information from generations of researchers, collectors and students. The interiors of a typical paleontological museum contains windowless rooms filled almost to the ceiling with cabinets, each with dozens of drawers containing carefully labeled and … Continue reading →

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A full geological circle

Mark Wilson July 8, 2009 9:23 am

The Wooster Geology Estonia team is now safely in Tallinn preparing for our visit to the paleontological collections in the university museum tomorrow. For me a private joy is that our hotel building is made of Ordovician limestone, the very … Continue reading →

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The Wild Rhyolite Chase

mpollock July 7, 2009 5:12 pm

The Woo-Crew has been working feverishly on their Iceland I.S. projects. Rob and Todd have been climbing the northern end of Vatnsdalsfjall for days, searching for zeolites. The last day was spooky as the thick fog cover came in and … Continue reading →

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Estonian Independent Study fieldwork completed!

Mark Wilson July 7, 2009 2:49 pm

KURESSAARE, SAAREMAA, ESTONIA–Today in a cold drizzle we measured the last section and bagged the last sample for our field projects. Tomorrow we leave the beautiful island of Saaremaa and drive to Tallinn. The next day we will study fossils … Continue reading →

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Some fieldwork actually improved by rain

Mark Wilson July 7, 2009 1:50 pm

UNDVA CLIFF, SAAREMAA, ESTONIA–I’ve never had anything good to say about rain during geological fieldwork, but our colleague Bill Ausich from Ohio State University insisted that it makes echinoderm fossils stand out better against the rock matrix. Turns out he’s … Continue reading →

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The Beauty of the Estonian Countryside

Mark Wilson July 5, 2009 2:14 pm

PANGA PANK, SAAREMAA, ESTONIA–One of the primary joys of geology is the privilege of working outside, especially in wild areas. Walking through green forests or desert wadis or up steep volcanic mountainsides or along rocky coastlines gives us the natural … Continue reading →

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