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.

Tiny bit of wildlife on Hiiumaa

Mark Wilson July 1, 2011 10:12 am

KÄINA, ESTONIA–This is a shout-out to our Wooster Geology colleagues currently working on the barren volcanic island of Iceland. We thought they might want a break from the bleak expanses of black basalt for a little color of wildlife from … Continue reading →

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Quarry time on Hiiumaa

Mark Wilson July 1, 2011 10:00 am

KÄINA, ESTONIA–Rachel, Nick and I worked today in our lonely quarry on Hiiumaa measuring and describing this section of Lower Silurian (Llandovery, Rhuddanian) rocks and fossils. This is the fieldwork for Rachel’s Senior Independent Study.

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A second new Senior Independent Study project begins in Estonia

Mark Wilson June 30, 2011 10:51 am

KÄINA, ESTONIA–Today we moved our geological investigations from Saaremaa to the island to the north: Hiiumaa. Our friend Olev Vinn of Tartu University then led us to an abandoned quarry in the Hilliste Formation (Lower Silurian). This made Rachel Matt … Continue reading →

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A few of the wildflowers on the alvars of Saaremaa Island, Estonia

Mark Wilson June 30, 2011 7:21 am

KURESSAARE, ESTONIA–We have gotten to know the western coastline of Saaremaa very well and would like to simply share some of the gorgeous flowers found there. All of these grow in alvars, which are environments on limestone bedrock with thin … Continue reading →

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A little something for igneous petrologists

Mark Wilson June 29, 2011 8:44 am

KURESSAARE, ESTONIA–Hard-rock geologists sometimes complain that I flood this blog with too many sedimentary rocks and fossils (and just wait until I get to the Estonian wildflowers!). There are actually quite a few igneous and metamorphic rocks on Estonia — … Continue reading →

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Saaremaa Silurian stromatolites studied

Mark Wilson June 29, 2011 8:22 am

KURESSAARE, ESTONIA–Our fieldwork today at the Soeginina Cliff locality ended with an examination of a sequence of stromatolites near the top of the exposed Ludlow section. Stromatolites are layers of sediment accumulated by photosynthetic cyanobacteria. They are the earliest fossils … Continue reading →

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Thriving in the shingle: the story of Sea Kale

Mark Wilson June 29, 2011 7:15 am

KURESSAARE, ESTONIA–A very common perennial plant at the foot of the cliffs we are studying in Estonia is Sea Kale (Crambe maritima Linnaeus). It is beautiful with large, thick leaves and central stalks with bursts of white flowers, each with … Continue reading →

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Independent Study fieldwork begins in Estonia … with a little unexpected canine companionship

Mark Wilson June 28, 2011 2:05 pm

KURESSAARE, ESTONIA–Nick Fedorchuk began his fieldwork today at the Soeginina Cliff site we visited two days ago. The first thing we did was scout out the best place to measure the most complete section possible, and then we started the … Continue reading →

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An intricate Silurian stromatoporoid reef on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia

Mark Wilson June 27, 2011 1:39 pm

KURESSAARE, ESTONIA–Stromatoporoids are extinct calcareous sponges that were very common in shallow water environments of the Silurian. They are especially abundant in the middle Silurian of the Baltic Region. Today we visited a site called Katri Cliff where a reef … Continue reading →

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A new Senior Independent Study project begins in Estonia

Mark Wilson June 26, 2011 2:16 pm

KURESSAARE, ESTONIA–It is always a joy to begin the fieldwork for an Independent Study project — or at least know what the fieldwork will be. This morning we visited the Soeginina Cliff locality on the Atla Peninsula of western Saaremaa … Continue reading →

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