You are browsing the archive for February 2013 - Mountain Beltway.
28 February 2013
Unconformity seen in the field yesterday
Callan and two colleagues find a “textbook” unconformity on a field trip in Virginia’s westernmost Blue Ridge.
27 February 2013
AW#55: Geo-injuries
The Accretionary Wedge is a ~monthly geoblog “carnival” which elicits posts on a variety of themes. This month, it’s Maitri’s turn, and she wants to hear about our geo-injuries. Here’s my story: In 2003, I was doing field work in the high Sierra, mapping the Sierra Crest Shear Zone for my geology master’s degree. When I first got out there that summer, Scott Paterson of the University of Southern California …
26 February 2013
Using M.A.G.I.C. to zoom in on trace fossils
Yesterday, I worked on my sabbatical project, the Mid-Atlantic Geo-Image Collection (M.A.G.I.C.). Whether I go outside on a given day to shoot GigaPans of local geology depends on multiple factors: (a) How’s the weather? (b) Do I have to watch Baxter? (c) Can I bring Baxter with me? (d) How are the lighting conditions? Yesterday everything lined up: nanny on duty, moderate temps, and high diffuse clouds that permitted a …
25 February 2013
Monday macrobug: Hercules
Eastern Hercules Beetle, Dynastes tityus. Dessicated sample, collected at the 7-11 on the corner of route 55 and route 522 north of Front Royal, Virginia. Collected by one of my wife’s students (she’s a science teacher). I like the shadow of the horns in this one: Monday macrobug is officially on winter hiatus. We’ll resume when the weather warms up and the creepy-crawlies come scuttling back out.
22 February 2013
Friday fold: Martin’s metamorphics
A guest “Friday fold” from South Africa: folded gneisses, flavored with other treats of a geological nature.
21 February 2013
Strained stylolites in Elkton East
Whoa – look at all that GREEN. You can tell this Virginia picture wasn’t taken recently. In fact, it’s another image from the field review I participated in for the Elkton East quadrangle back in May of last year. Somehow I start blogging these things, but run out of steam (or really more accurately: I get distracted by other stuff) before I finish. Today’s (I think, final) tidbit: sheared stylolites …
20 February 2013
Crazy veins
Callan & his students visit an outcrop on the Icefields Parkway in Alberta, showing a variety of white veins cutting dark rock.
19 February 2013
Flight Behavior, by Barbara Kingsolver
I finished reading Barbara Kingsolver’s new novel Flight Behavior over the weekend. It’s certainly cut from the same cloth as Kingsolver’s other work. If you liked Prodigal Summer and her many Arizona novels, you’ll probably like this one, too. Similarities include: beautiful writing, a focus on the relationships women have to their families, friends, and strangers, and the powerful insights we can gain by associating with nature. What sets it …
18 February 2013
Scouting out the geology of Doukénie Winery
On Saturday, Lily and I went out for a date. It was only the second time since Baxter was born that we were able to get away for quality time, just the two of us. We headed up to Doukénie Winery near Hillsboro, Virginia. Here it is on a topographic map: Here’s what it looks like from the ground: In a couple of weeks, I’m giving a geology talk at …
15 February 2013
Friday fold: clear evidence of the work of the Intelligent Folder
Yesterday’s post showcasing my conversational critique of Intelligent Design got a lot of attention, including tweet love from @NCSE and @BadAstronomer, and a blog post at Pharyngula. So, at the risk of overkill, I decided to have a little fun with the Friday fold… Check out this fold that I found in float of Purcell (Belt) Supergroup limestone last summer, in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta: Such beautiful symmetry! This …
Callan Bentley is Associate Professor of Geology at Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. For his work on this blog, the National Association of Geoscience Teachers recognized him with the James Shea Award. He has also won the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council on Higher Education in Virginia, and the Biggs Award for Excellence in Geoscience Teaching from the Geoscience Education Division of the Geological Society of America. In previous years, Callan served as a contributing editor at EARTH magazine, President of the Geological Society of Washington and President the Geo2YC division of NAGT.