Author Archives: Mark Wilson

The 2015 Wooster Desert Geologists! Geology in the News – The evidence is now clear that Mars once had a very large ocean of water, and it lasted far longer than anyone had previously imagines. One of the clever ways … Continue reading →

This session will be brief. We will review the “bring list”, schedule, regulations, expectations … and the latest Mojave Desert weather reports! 2013 Mojave Desert Field Trip Group Geology in the News – Great “astronomical sleuthing” shows that a newly-discovered … Continue reading →

Dr. Judge and Dr. Pollock will lead a “virtual field trip” today highlighting the places we will visit with new imagery and other technological wonders. This gives us a chance to repeat our schedule again, with links. Prior to class, … Continue reading →

Dr. Meagen Pollock, our esteemed petrologist, is our guest speaker today. She would like us to visit the Mojave National Preserve Geology Field Trip website and read the pages on Cima Dome, Hole-in-the-Wall, Cinder Cones, and the Granite Mountains. (Lovely … Continue reading →

Deserts are such dry places that when the rain does come it can have dramatic effects. Desert soil sheds water quickly, and there are relatively few plants to retard runoff. The result is often a flash flood. Here is a … Continue reading →

This week will focus on the structural geology and tectonics of the Mojave region. Some of you have completed the structural geology course (Geology 313); others of you are in it right now; still others can only dream of it … Continue reading →

The wind is the part of the desert that I miss the most. There is something primal in the desert wind, the way it can go from a feathery touch to hot breath to a raging dust storm in just … Continue reading →

Our topic for this day is almost impossible to summarize in a couple of web-paragraphs. I will briefly outline the geological history of the Mojave Desert, leaving plenty of room for Dr. Judge to talk about the tectonic and structural … Continue reading →

Deserts are extraordinary. I must tell you from the beginning that deserts are my natural environment. The world for me consists of dry, brown, dusty hills where I can see for miles under a brilliant sky. A place so dry … Continue reading →