Category Archives: Uncategorized

Pillows, Pillows, Everywhere

mpollock June 30, 2009 4:29 pm

Today, we spent nearly all day mapping and sampling one pillow quarry. We found that the pillows are highly varied in size, shape, and orientation. Todd is interested in understanding the relationship between pillow morphology and the physical properties of … Continue reading →

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Thoughts on Leaving Svalbard

mwilson June 30, 2009 4:21 am

I’m now in Tallinn, Estonia, awaiting the arrival of Bill Ausich (OSU Professor), Rob McConnell, and Palmer Shonk (intrepid Wooster Senior Independent Study students). Our fieldwork will begin tomorrow once the team is assembled with our Estonian host, Olev Vinn … Continue reading →

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Solving the Jigsaw Puzzle

gwiles June 29, 2009 10:12 pm

Wooster geologists Terry Workman and Greg Wiles are joined by Alena Giesche (Middlebury College), Jessa Moser and Tom Lowell (U. Cincinnati) on Alaska’ Kenai Peninsula undertaking paleoclimate research. We are coring lakes in collaboration with The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge … Continue reading →

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Once upon a time, there were three pillow quarries

mpollock June 29, 2009 9:08 pm

Ben Edwards arrived from the States today. After a short morning of getting acclimated, he and the Wooster crew headed out to the field with our Icelandic colleagues, Steina and Hauker. We visited 3 quarries that expose the internal architecture … Continue reading →

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Iceland: The Beginning

mpollock June 28, 2009 5:22 pm

We made it to Iceland! We landed Friday morning and have been busy having fun (and seeing great geology). Our chefs have been cooking excellent meals. All of the food has been fantastic, especially the cheese. Todd likes it so … Continue reading →

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Geology Along the Fjords of Svalbard

mwilson June 27, 2009 1:05 am

Today I took a day trip with about 25 other people on the small ship M.S. Polargirl in Isfjorden. The geology in view was fantastic, it didn’t rain, and the sun came out occasionally in the morning. I also got … Continue reading →

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A Bit of the Triassic in Svalbard

mwilson June 27, 2009 1:00 am

NEAR DIABASODDEN, SVALBARD–Yesterday’s field trip was a brief survey of three Triassic (Anisian to Carnian) siliciclastic units, with students concentrating on the third. From bottom to top they are the Botneheia Formation (a gray to black shale with numerous bits … Continue reading →

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Any activity which involves survival suits and rifles …

mwilson June 26, 2009 2:23 am

SVALBARD, NORWAY–A geological high adventure today when I joined a field trip of Norwegian faculty and international graduate students on a day trip to a Triassic section north of Longyearbyen. We met at the University of Norway research station (a … Continue reading →

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N78.20316°, E015.59476°

mwilson June 25, 2009 2:17 am

LONGYEARBYEN, SVALBARD, NORWAY–The sun makes a crazy circle in the sky. Polar bear warnings. Houses on stilts. Muck for soil. (“Don’t worry. You can only sink three feet.”) Russian coal miners. International scientists. Cruise ship tourists. Stunning vistas of rock, … Continue reading →

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Why go to Iceland when you can stay in Boston?

mpollock June 24, 2009 11:05 pm

10 hours into our Iceland trip, we’ve made it all the way to…Boston! We know it’s hard to believe, but the weather wasn’t on our side and we had “airport trouble.” So, we’re spending the night at an awesome Holiday … Continue reading →

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