So long, farewell

Greetings from home, everyone!

I've just spent four wonderful days sightseeing in Sydney, and am now home for a real break until I return to campus to begin my junior year. What an amazing summer this has been! I do believe I have fallen for the Australian outback, and I am ultra-excited for my next opportunity to do field work, whenever that may be.

For my last update, I've written about some of the Aussies who have generously helped us in our research and assembled a list of entertaining (well, maybe only to us) quotes from the season. If you haven't been reading the blog regularly, that's okay--photographs are worth a thousand words, and I've compiled a bunch of my favorite photos from the season into the following slideshow/video. Enjoy! (*I highly recommend watching it in 720p HD, which you can choose by toggling the '360p' button on the lower bar.)



This post may mark the end of my summer blog, but it is not the end of my involvement in this project. This fall semester, I will continue my research by running carbon isotope analysis on the breccia samples collected from Saint Ronan and hopefully combine that data with the Trimble map to tell the story of the paleocanyon in a junior paper. Let's hope it all goes well!

So long and thanks for your support and for reading my blog! I've had a rewarding time, and I hope that it's been fun for you, too.

Christine

Top 10 quotes from the field

This blog could hardly be complete without a collection of quotidian quotes from the field season. Presenting, in no particular order, the top ten quotes, completely stripped of context and authors for the sake of our good names. We'll understand if you're confused, and hope that you don't ask too many questions.

"Both of my advisers have distinctive ways of holding their pants up." 

"In Lord of the Rings, active tectonism is inherently evil." 

"It seems that Marvolo, in his frustration, is shitting all over our cans." 

"So when do we get to... to... Chippawhoopa?" 

Friends of the Flinders

This summer, we've happened across all sorts of Aussies from all walks of life, and we have them to thank for having such a successful field season this year. Aside from the national park, the land we've been working on belongs to ranch owners who either acquired the property through government lease or own the land privately. It is under the auspices of these people that we are allowed to roam over the hills and through the woods to conduct some hardcore, rocking-awesome science. Generally, the people living around the Flinders Ranges are up to at least one of the following three things: ecotourism, farming, and coal mining.

Day 48 Update

Hey there readers,

Greetings from Leigh Creek Elementary School, sadly for the last time. Alas, we are four days away from the end of the field season, and thus will not be returning to this quaint little town that has served us reliably as our resupply station. It's a bit ridiculous to think that we've been in the field for almost a month and a half now, though it definitely shows--the backs of our hands are about fifteen shades darker and look a bit like wrinkly bird feet.

Anyhow, since my last update, we:   

• were caught in a very wet rain that delayed us for three days in Leigh Creek, but met the most positively kind Australians in the caravan park who treated us with fresh, homemade gourmet desert
• ran into more Beast trouble with a sheared bolt and missing nut on the rear left wheel, causing another day of delay
• finished mapping breccias within a 1-by-0.25 kilometer area at Saint Ronan (see this post)
• went ash hunting and scaled up a steep ridge of Wonoka (see this post)
• stumbled across two sun-bathing lizards and a bunch of baby emus

For the remaining four days left in the field season, we will return to the national park to measure a high-res section. Change of plans. We're heading back to Adelaide right this instant due to logistical complications. That's field work for you! Anyways, catch you all in a bit!

Christine

UPDATE (8/5): Due to my hasty choice of words, I may have freaked a bunch of you out. Sincerely sorry about that--Jon and I are quite well, with all ten fingers and toes present. We'll be continue to be in Adelaide for another day before heading back to the Flinders Ranges National Park to check out the Trezona limestone for some kicks and giggles (check out this old news story).

Mapping breccias

In an earlier post, I discussed how measuring a stratigraphic section can show us how rocks change from top to bottom. The end result is a one-dimensional, vertical chart of stacked boxes representing different rock types, but rocks rarely behave like perfect layers of a cake--more often than not, rocks change from side to side. For example, if we followed one rock layer down its length, it may change in lithology, sedimentary structure, or thickness, perhaps indicating changes in sea level at the time of deposition. To capture and understand this variability, we strive to create a geologic map.

In the last two places we've been, Jon and I have set out to create such a map, combining old methods with new fancy-schmancy technology. At Oodnapanicken, we split up and each mapped out the paleocanyon separately; Jon used the newly acquired Trimble technology while I mapped the old fashioned way, by hand with paper and pencil. 

For me, old-school mapping is a throwback to my preschool days of scribbling within the newsprint sheets of connect-the-dots coloring books. In the same way that those numbered black dots form a picture (or some semblance of one), mapping provides a two-dimensional visualization of the outcrop and the interpretations made from it. The only difference is that we are not given the black dots on the page; those known values are exactly the things we seek out while mapping.

A day in photographs

The title says it all (though I should mention that these photos were taken in Saint Ronan, and that on this day, we did some reconnaissance and ash hunting). Enjoy!

Sedimentary structures and stuff

In an earlier post, I mentioned that Jon and I often search for sedimentary structures while measuring sections to get an idea of what the environment was like back when the rock-forming sediments were first deposited. This was a really vague and uninteresting statement, so I'd like to flesh it out and give you all a better look at some of the geology we're working with in Oz. Here's a little photo gallery of some of the most common geologic features we look at, and what they might tell us.

Karst - We wouldn't be able to accomplish much science if we couldn't tell limestone (carbonate) apart from other types of rock. Since we cannot rely on the color of a rock as an indicator, we look for karst, which are a dead giveaway for carbonates. Karst are razor-edged 'ripples' that can be sharp enough to cut you at times. They are a "recent" feature, formed after our ocean sediments became rock and were uplifted into mountains, and after the carbonate sediments were exposed to rainfall. The slightly acidic rain is able to dissolve calcium carbonate, thus leaving behind the razor-sharp ridges that are a bane of weary geologists' butts.

Day 28 Update

Hey there friends!

So we've had quite a bit of rain lately, and there's an unspoken understanding that when the dirt cut roads are wet, we are not to drive on them for safety and maintenance reasons. Fortunately, we left Oodnapanicken before the rains hit, but we'll be held up in Leigh Creek until they end, which will likely be tomorrow. It'll be a nice halfway point respite!

Anyhow, here's the scoop of what has happened in the past two weeks. We:

• nearly (not really) caused the park rangers of Flinders Ranges National Park to start a missing persons search for us
• measured a section downwind from a rancid dead kangaroo at Wilkawillina
• quadrupled our chances for a coronary heart disease with homemade, oil-drenched French fries
• met up with Catherine and Erica at Oodnapanicken and had a party that none of you were invited to (now aren't you jealous)
• watched Catherine go through week one of her Vegan pledge with triumph!
• lured Catherine into playing a game of hacky sack ("No points? That is so Vegan!")
• split up work on the canyon, allowing me to map old school with colored pencils and the like on my very own (and it was awfully fun, and beats the Trimble any day!)
• encountered a feral house cat, which Erica has named 'Frodo' (you can read about that here in Erica's blog)
• replaced a slowly leaking tire on the Beast, only to narrowly escape the most epic of epic fails by forgetting to properly screw in the new tire
• spilled motor oil all over our mushrooms and still ate them
• saw a rainbow, in a place that hardly ever rains!
• parted ways with Catherine and Erica, who we will meet with again at the end of the field season to close shop

Today, I have for you many photos and some posts about the Beast, how we feed ourselves, and slacking off. I hope you enjoy the read!

For the next two weeks, we will be in St. Ronan, the only place in the world that shows a continuous exposure between Wonoka paleocanyon and canyon shoulder--and the research site of my junior paper! I am stoked, and I hope to be able to talk to you all about it in two weeks time. Thanks again for reading everyone! Stay safe and warm.

Christine

UPDATE (7/15): With the downtime in Leigh Creek, I've been able to write this post about sedimentary structures. Yay geology! Check it out, even if you have just a passing fancy of rocks.

What we do for fun

As if we weren't having fun already! Though, in all seriousness, here are the top four activities we like to pursue while slacking off in the field, in the order in which we might do them in a day:

Hacky Sack - No scores, no competition; just keep the hacky sack in the air for as long as possible between players using any part of your body other than your arms and hands, though predominant use of the feet is the norm. Since last season, it has been tradition to play this game every morning after breakfast to warm up for traverse. If every person within the participating circle can get a touch on the hacky sack without it touching the ground, the act is considered a 'hack' and cause for celebration.

Let's just say that Jon and I are totally boss at the two-person hack. This past week with Catherine and Erica around, we managed to play a three- and even FOUR-person game (yes, let it be known that Catherine Rose played hacky sack!), and that is a totally different style of play. We've realized that hacking with just two people, although more difficult and perhaps less fun, does wonders for your skills. Friday Afternoon Tea Time, watch out for us.

The Regimen

"Pasta... pesto... and chili."

That was the answer I received whenever I asked other grad students and professors about what food was like in the field. Needless to say, I wasn't really expecting much, and imagined losing a lot of weight. So when I saw Jon throwing chocolate bar after chocolate bar into our shopping cart on our first food shop in Adelaide, I was a bit confused.

As it turns out, we feast like kings out here; Jon doesn't understand how I was ever given the initial false impression. Every evening, using a propane camping stove and other assorted cutlery, we chop, slice, boil and fry enough food for dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day--that's right, I'm learning how to cook! What we eat is completely up to us, our sole limitation being that we must purchase foods that do not easily perish, i.e. no meat, just vegetables and a treasured block of sharp cheddar cheese.

My parents are probably laughing at this point, because if anything, I've been a carnivore all my life. I'm still very much the kid that picks at their vegetables at the dinner table and refuses to have anything to do with brussels sprouts. I've never been able to make sense of how vegans and vegetarians manage to feed themselves satisfactorily. But who knew that vegetables could taste so good?

The Beast

It's halfway through the field season and the only bruise on my body is from the glove box compartment of the Beast.  If a road has just the right amount of bumpiness to it, the heavy metal door of the glove box comes crashing down on my left knee, prompting pain and panic as I frantically try to keep a deluge of once important papers from spilling out.  I call this routine annoyance one of the Beast's many acts of retaliation. As for what exactly it's retaliating against, we're not quite sure.

The Beast's likeness to a surly bipolar teenager is uncanny. Sometimes on chilly mornings, it refuses to start, letting instead the windshield wipers to screech deafeningly awake. Other times, the Beast refuses to turn off, despite a severe lack of key in the ignition, leaving Jon no choice but to stall out.  When it does decide to move for us, a sound halfway between a 'moo' and a chainsaw emanates from the hood, changing pitch on turns in a clear whine of complaint.

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Day... something update!

Hello readers from Leigh Creek once again!

We have just spend 4 days in Flinders Ranges National Park and will now be heading off for Oodnapanicken for two weeks. We'll be breaking out our new shiny GPS equipment (the Trimble) as well as meeting up with Catherine Rose, another graduate student, and her field assistant Erica Wallstrom, an Earth science school teacher from Vermont. It'll be a party!

So I only have one update this week, and that's part two of 'the outback is out to get me' series. Hopefully, it'll only be a two-parter--I'm not sure if I could stand a third.

In two weeks time, I hope that I can at least give you an update on the following topics:

• the rickety old 1981 Land Cruiser called the Beast
• our dietary regimen
• what we do for fun (you mean, when we're not scaling mountains and being awesome?)
• more in-depth information about the geology surrounding stratigraphic measurements
• mapping with the Trimble

Unfortunately, I am a horrendously slow writer, and this list is optimistic, but perhaps inspiration will take me by surprise. If you would like to hear about anything else, just make a suggestion in the comments or send me a message here.

See you all in a bit! Thanks for reading all. :)

Christine

The outback is out to get me: part 2

There's something very disturbing about an eight-legged creature that wraps up its prey alive in a web. When I was small, I was terribly afraid of spiders, so much so that when I heard that people swallow on average eight spiders while sleeping within their lifetime, I didn't ever want to go to bed again. (I have only very recently learned that this rumor is a complete myth, started by someone who wanted to prove how gullible people are.)

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Greetings from Day 13, or something like that

Hello again from Leigh Creek!

I'm afraid I'm in another rush unfortunately, so here's another quick bullet summary of what has happened this week!

• got lost in the meandering stream system of Warraweena after dark (deemed the "Death March", perhaps will elaborate with next week's update)
• measured 5 more stratigraphic sections at not-so-fantastic outcrop
• victimized by an attack from a rogue mouse (see this post by Jon!)
• stumbled across an emu's nest!

I've written a post about my encounter with ants and the mysterious mystery that was solved early in the field season.  Also, lots more photos. I hope this gives you guys enough to read until then. Cheers mate!

Christine

The outback is out to get me: part 1

(The alternative title for this post was 'Survival: Outback' but I'm pretty sure CBS actually did film a season out here, now that I think about it.)

A few weeks before Australia, I decided that it would be a wise idea to familiarize myself with the wild dangers of the outback. This mostly consisted of me watching YouTube videos of fire ants taking down megafauna and orb weavers devouring small birds.

So I wasn't particularly well-informed, but I knew that 1) Australia no longer has any natural predators and 2) it would be winter, and thus most scary things like the taipan snake would be inactive.

I felt pretty safe, and decided not to dwell on the potentially life-threatening stuff (read: ignorance is bliss). This was relatively easy to do, with the amazing scenery and back-breaking work to distract me. The wee little carbonates, the cute kangaroos, the adorable parrots—this place was totally harmless.

The mysterious clopping noise

The events portrayed in this post occurred on June 18 and 19.
 

The superstitious have always said that strange things happen during the full moon, but I have only just recently considered that perhaps there is a seed of truth to this belief.

The moon was full on our last night in Owiendana, and it was under its blessing that I endeavored to capture the most beautiful night sky I have ever seen.  Jon had turned in early for the night, leaving me to my own devices—quite literally.  With a bed of hot coals crackling at my feet, I stood in the cold waiting for the faint click of my Canon G11 to tell me it had finished shooting.

I was happy with most of the photographs shot; the sky was so clear that even the bright moon could not wash out the dimmest of stars. I was actually thankful for the subtle moonlight, the way it cast a silvery glow on an otherwise dark landscape.  In retrospect however, I should have been more wary of it; little did I know that the moon was a harbinger of the mysterious and unusual happenings about to begin, as superstition would have it.

It was while I was flicking through the photos on my camera when I first heard it.

Guest post from Jon: Marvolo the Mouse

For the first time, after four visits to Australia, I was physically assaulted by a wildlife denizen. At our first camp (Third Pine Creek on Owiendana station), we were warned of the presence of mice. Sure enough, that night, we observed little food searchers, scurrying around our cook table, looking for dinner. Precautions were taken -- food boxes sealed, dishes well cleaned, the offending rodents run off, the truck shut for the night. But our truck is old; there are many points of ingress and egress for a little mouse.

Sure enough, when we moved camp, there were not two passengers, but at least four. Evidence of their nightly feasts were diurnally found -- nibbled pastas, sampled nuts, brown sugar grazed upon, an abundance of mouse crap at the base of our food boxes. We sympathized with the feelings of satisfied hunger our unwanted guests must have felt, but these raids represented an existential threat. Thinking we faced only one foe, we named him/her Marvolo. We raised the threat level from yellow to red, and bought plastic boxes the first time we passed through Leigh Creek, our resupply town. The nighttime food raids ended, with our vulnerable edible sundries ensconced in plastic forts. The mice appeared frustrated. One behind in the arms race, they vented their rage by shitting all over our canned goods, which were left out in the open to weather the storm. They decided to take it to the next level.

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Day 7 Update

Hello friends!

I'm currently sitting at a computer in the elementary school library of this tiny little town called Leigh Creek. Jon and I are stopping here for a few hours to restock on some important food items (like Tim-Tams and onions) and take care of other necessities before we leave for Warraweena, where we will be camping for one week.

So much has happened in these past seven days, but unfortunately, with my slow Internet access, I will have to tell you about most of the events later.  I've uploaded a few photos, but I will need to upload more in order to do these stories justice.  But anyhoo, here's a bulleted summary of what's been going on:

• measured three stratigraphic sections (see post)
• learned to drive a stick-shift truck just in case Jon collapsed from overheating of the brain
• saw 45 kangaroos, 16 emus, 2 foxes, and way too many goats and sheep
• solved a spectacularly non-scientific mystery (next week)
• found a mouse chilling out in our supply of rice and pasta
• fell victim to an anthill and basically all of its occupants (next week)
• nearly died at the sight of the night sky and all of its blindingly wonderful sparkliness
• relapsed into pyromania, hell bent on the path of becoming an arsonist (and a really good one)
• mapped a paleocanyon using really expensive equipment, only to lose a day's worth of work to a software crash ("Damn Trimble!")

Again, sorry for the lack of updates.  Next weekend, I'll have better access to the nets and definitely more stories (and photographs) to share!

So long,

Christine

Measuring a stratigraphic section

Note: It may be helpful to read the Project Summary before reading this post.

Within every stack of sedimentary carbonate rock lies a record of the evolving environment and climate of the Earth, locked up in isotopic signatures that are only deciphered after analysis in the lab. To fully interpret these signals, we must first understand the physical settings in which the carbonates were deposited. This kind of information can only be uncovered through fieldwork, and measuring stratigraphic sections is one important way of determining the sedimentary succession of different rock types and observing subtle clues left behind by the environment.

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Blog updates

So the truck is fully loaded and ready to go.  We're finally heading north!  Good-bye Adelaide, good-bye civilization—hello Flinders and the absolute middle of nowhere. 

Sadly, the absolute middle of nowhere means I'll only be in touch with you once every week.

But have no fear!  Luckily, the department has provided us with a snazzy, Princeton-looking SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger.  It's orange and black and the size of my palm, but the coolest thing about it is that it can relay our location via e-mail to this blog (see this post).  And better yet—you can follow our movements within the past week on our SPOT shared page! 

So expect updates on our location via SPOT every 2 to 3 days, or whenever we change camp.  If you don't see anything for a while, you can safely assume that I'm located somewhere within the bowels of some large, previously unknown carnivore from the outback.   

Heaps good. (That's the equivalent of 'wicked' in Aussie.)  Wish me luck!

Monkey wrenches and close calls

So, we've run into a bunch of minor setbacks recently that have delayed our course to the outback by two days.  To start:

I guess bad luck first struck when we arrived at Brisbane in the airport.   Jon was marked for death the instant the airport security dog jumped up onto his backpack.  He was flagged for both drugs and explosives ("Are you sure your research doesn't involving mining with explosives?"), so the customs officials had to search through all of his bags.  Obviously, they didn't find anything (though they were quite interested in the scatterings of dirt that fell out of Jon's backpack after fifteen rigorous shakes), but the whole ordeal had taken a while and now we only had thirty minutes to transfer to the domestic terminal and catch our flight to Adelaide.  Luckily, with our sprightliness and perhaps one guiltily cut line, we made it just as the attendants were making the final boarding call—phew.

It was noon when we arrived in Adelaide, and we immediately set out to complete our errands of 1) buying foodstuffs to feed us for the next 2 to 3 weeks, 2) grabbing camping gear from a nearby friend's place, and 3) picking up 'the Beast' from the repair shop.  By this time tomorrow, we would be driving up to the northern Flinders Ranges to begin the field season—if everything went according to plan.

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G'day mate!

Greetings from Oz.  Thanks for visiting the blog!  Jon and I have finally made it to Adelaide, and we are both suffering from some pretty intense jet lag (in fact, Jon has totally passed out and his "nap" is quickly becoming three cycles of uninterrupted REM sleep).  Somehow, we managed to pull off quite a productive day running errands after our morning arrival despite our zombified state—but more on that later!  My eyes are getting droopy, and while a string of loosely connected, semi-coherent ramblings might be entertaining, it's more likely to be disastrous.

In the meanwhile, feel free to browse around the page link tabs above for more information about why I'm in Australia and what I'll be doing here.  Comments are much appreciated.  Hooroo ('good-bye' in Australian lingo, apparently)!