Author Archives: Mark Wilson

About Mark Wilson

Mark Wilson is an emeritus Professor of Geology at The College of Wooster. He specializes in invertebrate paleontology, carbonate sedimentology, and stratigraphy. He also is an expert on pseudoscience, especially creationism.

Kiel Fjord and Canal, northern Germany

Mark Wilson August 3, 2010 11:47 am

KIEL, GERMANY–Geologists always try to see the geological context of cities they visit, usually by studying the form of the landscape (“geomorphology“) and peering under bridges and the like to find exposed rocks. I have been notably unsuccessful at this … Continue reading →

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Christian Albrechts Universität zu Kiel (our IBA meeting venue)

Mark Wilson August 2, 2010 8:03 am

KIEL, GERMANY–It is always interesting for an academic to visit another college or university … and we get many opportunities. The International Bryozoology Association meeting is being held at the Christian Albrechts Universität zu Kiel (University of Kiel for most … Continue reading →

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Stony bryozoans get their day

Mark Wilson August 1, 2010 2:52 pm

KIEL, GERMANY–The first day of the International Bryozoology Association meeting is traditionally devoted to workshops where participants can listen to experts on a particular group, technique or idea and then ask questions, work out exercises, or study specimens. I went … Continue reading →

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Wooster Geologist in Germany

Mark Wilson July 31, 2010 1:35 pm

KIEL, GERMANY–One of the many joys of being a geologist is attending international scientific meetings. They are always in some location that is convenient for travel and has local field areas the participants want to visit. I am here in … Continue reading →

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Basalt from way, way down south

Mark Wilson July 21, 2010 4:13 pm

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND–Andrew Collins, our Wooster Geology student abroad in New Zealand, has posted another set of photographs from his adventures. Of course they include field geology!  Here is one of his images from a recent outing: This view fits … Continue reading →

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A view of the Wasatch Mountains from above

Mark Wilson July 18, 2010 11:05 pm

Looking west over the Wasatch Mountains into the Salt Lake Valley of Utah. Note the beautiful syncline in the center of the image. Flying across the western United States is such a treat for a geologist. These are the kind … Continue reading →

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The Bonneville Flood and where it began

Mark Wilson July 17, 2010 4:31 pm

DOWNEY, IDAHO–Lake Bonneville has been one of the geological themes of my short visit to northern Utah this summer. The remnant wave-cut platforms of its shorelines dominate the geomorphology of the Logan area, and the lake sediments are the basis … Continue reading →

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Tragedy at Bear River: two very different historical narratives

Mark Wilson July 17, 2010 4:10 pm

PRESTON, IDAHO–I knew on our drive this morning that Preston, Idaho, is famous as the setting for the Napoleon Dynamite movie. (You can even download “Napoleon Dynamite’s sweet map” of the town.) I did not know that just north of … Continue reading →

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Sure this is a geology blog, but these wildflowers …

Mark Wilson July 16, 2010 11:23 pm

… are fantastic! Geologists are natural historians, so of course anything natural (or historical!) fascinates us. Stephanie Jarvis showed us some flowers (and mushrooms) in Alaska this summer. Last year we looked at acacia trees in Israel. We’ve even delighted … Continue reading →

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The utility of trace fossils

Mark Wilson July 16, 2010 5:05 pm

LOGAN, UTAH–Today we hiked north of Tony Grove Lake in Logan Canyon to explore an Ordovician sequence of rocks. The most interesting unit (to my surprise) was the Swan Peak Quartzite, an orange-brown unit at the base of a white … Continue reading →

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