Category Archives: Field Work

Field Work Travelog – Day 2, Rain, Camelot, and the purging of fluids

We camped last night, to save costs. We chose a Yogi Bear Jellystone Resort, which wound up being a noisy disaster. Revenge was ours, however, when thunderstorms put an end to the squealing of children at 3 am.  Continue reading “Field Work Travelog – Day 2, Rain, Camelot, and the purging of fluids”

Field Gear – What’s with All the Hammers?

Geologists use hammers. We all possess at least one of the easily recognized ‘rock hammers’ (I have four!). But we don’t all use the traditional rock hammer. And, as I showed in an earlier post, I often take more than one type of hammer to the field.

These five hammers will definitely be going to the field with me.
These five hammers will definitely be going to the field with me.

So, why all the hammers? What difference does it make?

Well, let’s look at the pros and cons of each type of hammer.Continue reading “Field Gear – What’s with All the Hammers?”

Field Gear – What I Need for Measuring Section

One of the myriad of things I wind up doing in the field is “measuring section.”

Measuring section is a means of determining the actual thickness of layered sedimentary rocks in an area. To do this, I need a couple of pieces of equipment:Continue reading “Field Gear – What I Need for Measuring Section”

Field Gear – What I Always Carry

I’m a vertebrate paleontologist, a geologist, and a geochemist. My research requires me to go out into the ‘wilds’ and study rocks and fossils in place, as well as collect rocks and fossils to bring back to the lab for further work. This process is called ‘field work.’

As I’m fixing to head out to the field in a little more than a week, I’ve started sorting through all my field gear, mostly to make sure I have everything, but also to fix what needs fixing, and get rid of any junk.

There’s a ton of equipment I might carry, depending upon my tasks for the day. Here, I’ll outline what I’ll always carry, no matter what I’m doing.

In this post, I’ll describe what I always carry. These are the basics that any student of geology or paleontology ought to purchase first.Continue reading “Field Gear – What I Always Carry”