Its been quite some time since I have posted to my Chaotically flow banded blog so I think its time for an update:
Tomorrow, I will be departing Ottawa, Ontario for the deserts of the American southwest to partcipate in a 15-day advanced field studies course offered by Carleton University (I am one of only two University of Ottawa Students attending this trip). This field couse will examine the many volcanic and structual features which make Nevada and adjacent parts of California scenery so spectacular. What follows is a brief outline of where the field course will be headed
- 23 April: Meet in Reno, Nevada
- 24-26 April-: Mammoth Lakes area to examine Long Valley caldera and Mono basisn
- 27 April Enroute to Beatty, NV, look at Big Pine volcanic field andDeath Valley geology
- 28 April Spend entire day analyzing the geology around the Yucca Mountain, NV area and discuss nuclear storage implications. Sojourn in Boulder City, NV for 3 nights.
- 29 April: Look at the Searchlight Pluton near Searchlight, NV (South of Las Vegas)
- 30 April: Tectonism of the Basin and Range-Colorado Plateau transition near Lake Mead, NV/AZ.
- 01 May: Tour Hoover Dam. Drive to Lo$t Wage$ for a day off -- where your's truly will NOT touch a slot machine!
- 02 May: Back to geology. Drive north towards Austin, NV, stopping at the Tonopah Mining Museum. Stay 1 night in Austin, NV.
- 03 May: Examine the tilted Tertiary Caetano Caldera in Lander County, NV. Stay in Battle Mountan, NV, (so-called the "Armpit of the Nation" by the Washington Post) for 3 nights.
- 04 May: Volcanology of the Fish Creek Mountains caldera and the Buffalo Valley volcanic field.
- 05 May: Basin and Range tectonism around Battle Mountain
- 06 May: Drive Back to Reno for the inevitable end of the field trip.
Nearly all packed and ready to go! Included, but are not going back to their homeland are two samples of Bishop Tuff which are nicely camouflaged with the carpet.
One Aspect I am particularly looking forward to is going back to Obsidian Dome which is the subject of my thesis. I have become so attached to that dome during my initial field work that I have nicknamed it "my baby." I am scheduled to make a presentation to the trip participants on the emplacement history and structural controls which influence the location of Obsidian Dome.
I will try to post pseudo-daily updates to this blog, as well as an image taken during time in the field that day. Free wi-fi at the various hotels and motels helps matters greatly!
I am psyched!
~Cole G. Kingsbury
Above photo (c) 2011 by Cole Kingsbury
