Author Archives: mwilson

About mwilson

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.

The joy of thin-sections

mwilson December 30, 2009 8:19 pm

WOOSTER, OHIO–Bitterly cold Ohio days are perfect for geological lab work, especially with thin-sections under a warm microscope accompanied by a music-filled iPod. The next best thing to fieldwork. A thin-section is a slice of polished rock glued to a … Continue reading →

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Wooster Geologist in Ohio!

mwilson December 16, 2009 1:51 pm

CAESAR CREEK STATE PARK, OHIO–I’ve definitely extended my field season as far as possible.  (And what a season it has been.)  My last fieldwork at the end of this research leave was in Ohio, about three hours south of Wooster.  … Continue reading →

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You know that your field season is over …

mwilson December 16, 2009 1:29 pm
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A record of ancient earthquakes

mwilson December 15, 2009 10:55 pm

MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY–Strong earthquakes produce seismic waves which can do much damage on land, as we well know.  They can also disturb unconsolidated sediments on shallow oceanic shelves and platforms, producing characteristically swirled structures called seismites.  The Upper Ordovician outcrop we … Continue reading →

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Mysterious out-of-place rocks in the Ordovician of Kentucky

mwilson December 15, 2009 10:41 pm

MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY–Our short geological expedition to northern Kentucky today was to look at some odd blocks of limestone that sit suspended in the sediments as if they were dropped in while the sequence was accumulating. These rocks are bored by … Continue reading →

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Wooster Geologist in Kentucky

mwilson December 15, 2009 10:12 pm

MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY–Today I visited the University of Cincinnati for a meeting of Aaron House’s thesis committee, on which I serve.  (Aaron is a 2004 geology graduate from The College of Wooster.)  It all went very well and soon after Aaron … Continue reading →

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A bit of the Jurassic in southern California

mwilson November 27, 2009 9:17 pm

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA–A nice geological interlude for this Wooster geologist during a family Thanksgiving.  This afternoon we visited Los Peñasquitos (meaning little cliffs) Canyon Preserve in San Diego County.  We walked about two miles along a trail to an exposure … Continue reading →

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Wooster Geologist in California

mwilson November 25, 2009 3:21 pm

CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA–The peak above is part of the San Gabriel Mountains just north of Claremont.  Today is one of the best southern California offers: brilliant sun, temperatures in the 70s, and very clear skies.  Apparently this view of the mountains … Continue reading →

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A very bored Permian brachiopod

mwilson November 15, 2009 11:29 am

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS–I never get tired of that too-obvious joke. I found the above productid brachiopod on the last outcrop of our little Texas expedition. It has been drilled by barnacles, which leave a distinctive slit-shaped hole with a tiny … Continue reading →

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Two West Texas outcrops: which looks more inviting?

mwilson November 15, 2009 11:27 am

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS–The upper one is the base of the Valera Formation on US Highway 84 (N31.88196°, W99.47115°) and the lower one is the lower Bead Mountain Formation on Route 6 near Albany; both are Permian and both have delicious … Continue reading →

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