Cyclothem Blog

Oct. 13: Our field trip last week was highly successful, helped in part by excellent autumn weather. In addition to rocks, we encountered this orbweaving spider (Argiope aurantia) on its web in front of the Cottonwood Limestone. Pictures © D. Drake. For more information, see KSN.

Oct. 6: The forecast for this week calls for mostly sunny weather on Thursday and Friday, but rain likely on Saturday and Sunday. So the primary class field trip will go ahead on Thursday with Friday as a backup day. Your instructor will contact students via email with details.
Sept. 29: Class field trips will take place on Oct. 9-10, weather permitting, with Oct. 11-12 as backup dates. Check blog next week for final details about the trips. In the mean time, contact your instructor with any comments or questions about the course.
Sept. 15: Halfway through the month, cool and dry weather is setting the stage for our field trips in early October. If good weather prevails then, we should be able to complete our field observations in two days--day 1 in Chase and Morris counties, and day 2 near Manhattan, KS. Please send any comments or questions to your instructor.
Aug. 25: Join the first Earth Science Club meeting for rock cutting and pizza, 5 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, SH 110.
Aug. 18: The fall semester begins this week! We will not meet as a class until our field trips during fall break, Oct. 9-12. In the mean time, students should read background materials about the project and stratigraphy. Please provide your instructor with current email info. Also remember to obtain a Jacobs staff and other field materials.
Note: Your instructor has one Jacobs staff left by a student from field geology last year, which you could have. First student to come by can claim it.
Aug. 15: Your instructor recently returned from Pennsylvania, where he helped a colleague move from ESU to Clarion University. Western Pennsylvania is dominated by sandstone, shale and coal of the same age as bedrock in eastern Kansas. Similar types of bedrock occur in Kansas, although limestone is more conspicuous here. Many of the place names in eastern Kansas were "imported" from Pennsylvania in connection with coal mining.

The Foxbury public library building is constructed of native sandstone. Foxbury is located on the Allegheny River in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Aug. 4: Your instructor has just returned from Colorado, where he and his wife conducted high-altitude kite aerial photography at La Veta Pass, ~9400 feet elevation (see below). The red outcrops along U.S. highway 160 are lower Permian redbeds, same age as strata in the Flint Hills of Kansas. This area will be utilized for observations and sample collection in field geology, June 2009.

Kite aerial photographs at La Veta Pass, Colorado
View northward at La Veta Pass. US highway 160 can be seen in right background. Crossing the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, it reaches a crest of 9413 feet near the center of view.
Mount Maestas (right) and Rough Mountain (left) with US highway 160 crossing bottom of scene. Both these mountains are formed by igneous intrusions along the main front-range fault system.
View toward southeast. Mt. Maestas to left; Spanish Peaks form a silhouette behind a thunderstorm in the right distance. US highway 160 across the bottom of scene.
View toward northwest. US highway 160 descends western side of La Veta Pass in the distance. The open meadow and forest are frequented by elk herds.
Looking toward the southwest, the "ghost town" of Old La Veta Pass can be seen in the clearing to left center of scene. This was the original railroad crossing of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the late 1800s; crest elevation 9382 feet.
Near-vertical view of KAP site; kite flyers to right side. Numerous trees, a power line, and turbulent updrafts made for difficult flying conditions in the thin air at this altitude.

**Kite aerial photographs at La Veta Pass, Colorado**
	View northward at La Veta Pass. US highway 160 can be seen in right background. Crossing the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, it reaches a crest of 9413 feet near the center of view.
	Mount Maestas (right) and Rough Mountain (left) with US highway 160 crossing bottom of scene. Both these mountains are formed by igneous intrusions along the main front-range fault system.
	View toward southeast. Mt. Maestas to left; Spanish Peaks form a silhouette behind a thunderstorm in the right distance. US highway 160 across the bottom of scene.
	View toward northwest. US highway 160 descends western side of La Veta Pass in the distance. The open meadow and forest are frequented by elk herds.
	Looking toward the southwest, the "ghost town" of Old La Veta Pass can be seen in the clearing to left center of scene. This was the original railroad crossing of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the late 1800s; crest elevation 9382 feet.
	Near-vertical view of KAP site; kite flyers to right side. Numerous trees, a power line, and turbulent updrafts made for difficult flying conditions in the thin air at this altitude.

Notes: All students should acquire or make a Jacobs staff at this time. Your instructor will be out of town and away from email Aug. 6-12th. Please do not send any messages during this period.

Welcome! GO 548 will be offered in the fall semester, 2008. Our field project for this year will focus on lower Permian cyclothems, particularly the Neva and Cottonwood limestones in the Flint Hills of Chase, Morris, and Riley counties, Kansas. Primary field trips are scheduled during the fall-break period, October 9-12.
Beginning in August, students should consult this blog frequently for course activities, notes, announcements, and reminders. Please contact the instructor with any comments or questions about the course.