Folded rocks, volcanoes, and a little of the Old West

ZZYZX, CALIFORNIA–The spectacular set of folds above are exposed in the lower parking lot of Calico Ghost Town near Barstow, California. This is a famous site that has been visited by hundreds of geologists, but there are still many mysteries … Continue reading
Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Folded rocks, volcanoes, and a little of the Old West

Wooster Geologists in ancient lakes

ZZYZX, CALIFORNIA–Today Team Mojave studied the remains of ancient lake systems in the dry, dry desert. Early in the morning we drove west from Zzyzx to the Harvard Road exit off Interstate 15 and took a series of sandy roads … Continue reading
Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Wooster Geologists in ancient lakes

Death Valley Days

DEATH VALLEY, CALIFORNIA–All geologists love Death Valley. No other place on Earth has such extraordinarily diverse geology combined with a modern infrastructure and a century of scientific study. The Wooster Geologists had a spectacular time in and around the valley … Continue reading
Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Death Valley Days

Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A brittle star from the Upper Jurassic of Germany

Wooster geologists have again greatly benefited from the donation of a collection by an alumnus. George Chambers (’79), a successful professional photographer, sent us several boxes of minerals, rocks and fossils he had acquired in his lifelong passion for geology. … Continue reading
Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A brittle star from the Upper Jurassic of Germany

Wooster Geologists return to the Mojave Desert

ZZYZX, CALIFORNIA–It is officially now a Wooster Geology tradition: every other year we take a Spring Break field trip with students, faculty and staff. So far all of our trips have been to the Mojave Desert, for reasons that will … Continue reading
Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Wooster Geologists return to the Mojave Desert

From Sb’s Desk: The “March Off Coal” doesn’t move us very far forward

COW may have quit coal, but we have replaced it with another dirty habit: natural gas. The switch was official as of March 1st, 2013. While the decision to switch had a lot of financial bearing, some will remember the … Continue reading
Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on From Sb’s Desk: The “March Off Coal” doesn’t move us very far forward

One of the many diverse results of being a geology major: the adventures of Will Driscoll (’05) in evolutionary ecology

WOOSTER, OHIO–Yesterday Greg Wiles and I attended a Biology Department Seminar given by our former student Will Driscoll (Geology ’05). Will was in all our standard departmental courses and did his Independent Study project with Dr. Wiles in dendrochronology. Yet … Continue reading
Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on One of the many diverse results of being a geology major: the adventures of Will Driscoll (’05) in evolutionary ecology

Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: More bryozoan etchings and an African slug surprise

This is the inside of a modern cockle shell (Dinocardium vanhyningi) found on a beach in Wilmington, North Carolina. Across the surface is a radiating series of pits, each of which was formed under a zooid of an encrusting cheilostome … Continue reading
Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: More bryozoan etchings and an African slug surprise

The Dendrochronology Team of Wooster Geologists makes its television debut

“Barn Detectives” is a recent episode of the television show Our Ohio, and it features Dr. Greg Wiles and his team of crack dendrochronologists. You can view the video by clicking the link. It is very well done. The project … Continue reading
Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on The Dendrochronology Team of Wooster Geologists makes its television debut

Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A bryozoan etching (Upper Ordovician of Indiana)

Another trace fossil of a sort this week. Above you see the dorsal valve exterior of a strophomenid brachiopod from the Upper Ordovician of southeastern Indiana. Across the surface is a network of grooves looking a bit like a spider … Continue reading
Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A bryozoan etching (Upper Ordovician of Indiana)