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.

My neighborhood in Mitzpe Ramon, southern Israel

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — Some images from the little town in the Negev where I spend my nights. I like being based here because my students and I are central to all of our diverse geological localities. It is also … Continue reading →
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A geological obstacle course in Ada Canyon, southern Israel

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — As part of our Shabbat trip today, Yoav Avni wanted to take me up Ada Canyon (N30.32973°, E34.91417°) to explore the Hazeva (Miocene) and Arava (Pleistocene). He cryptically said, “There will be places we can barely … Continue reading →
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A Shabbat trip to Be’er Ada in the southern Negev

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — Yoav Avni and I have a tradition on Shabbat. We drive somewhere to explore interesting geology and history unconnected to current projects. It’s not really work — it’s geotourism. We are, though, always talking about new … Continue reading →
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At some point you must start collecting data

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — Today my friend Yoav Avni (Geological Survey of Israel) and I returned to Makhtesh Gadol to pursue a project with Subunit 65 of the Matmor Formation (Callovian, Middle Jurassic). You may recall this limestone contains an … Continue reading →
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Paleontological heaven in the northern part of Makhtesh Gadol

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — Today I spent quality time with two Israeli students and some of the most interesting fossils in the world. Yael Leshno and Or Eliasson, students at Hebrew University, joined me for a walking journey through the … Continue reading →
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Exploring the top of the Matmor Formation (Middle Jurassic) in Makhtesh Gadol

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — Today I joined four Israeli colleagues to study in detail the top of the Matmor Formation (Callovian, Middle Jurassic) in Makhtesh Gadol, Negev Highlands, southern Israel. The view above is looking south in the Matmor Hills … Continue reading →
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A day in the Zohar and Matmor Formations of the Negev

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — It was another very windy day in southern Israel, but still just fine for fieldwork. Yael Edelman-Furstenburg, Yael Leshno and I returned to Makhtesh Gadol to work on Yael Leshno’s data collection procedures for her PhD … Continue reading →
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Return to Makhtesh Gadol … and introducing the Yaels

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–Today I went to one of my favorite geological places: Makhtesh Gadol in the northern Negev highlands of Israel. It was a special day as well because I worked there with two excellent geologists: Yael Edelman-Furstenberg of the … Continue reading →
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A Wooster Geologist visits the caves of Tel Maresha in central Israel

Mark Wilson March 21, 2016

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL — My last day in Israel was spent with my friend Yoav Avni exploring some sites in the central part of the country before my flight left Tel Aviv late in the evening. The most geological place … Continue reading →
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Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: A Jurassic seafloor assemblage

Mark Wilson March 18, 2016

Images from fieldwork this week. These are all fossils exposed on a single bedding plane in the Matmor Formation (Middle Jurassic, Callovian) exposed in Makhtesh Gadol. I found them many years ago while working through the stratigraphy near the top … Continue reading →
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