Page 25 - 2020 GGE Newsletter

Page 25

2020 GE FIELD CAMP
WRITTEN BY BS STUDENTS, SHAHAD ALDHAMIN AND JULIA ESCH

Week 4: Rhoscolyn, UK (Shahad Aldhamin)

A new experience was awaiting us this week – the virtual mapping of Rhoscolyn in Wales, The United Kingdom. It was
about mapping a folded and deformed metamorphic rocks of the Rhoscolyn anticline. Our goal was to try our best to
make sense of the relationship between the observed features in the high-quality pictures to construct a geologic history
of this beautiful area. This task was not easy; at one point, I felt so lost and discouraged because I could not understand
what I was doing, but once I did, it became way more manageable. This proved to me that geology requires patience, and
to learn something, one needs to put the most effort they could to achieve the best results.
This week was an excellent opportunity to study the geology of a place in a different country; what we have done this
week would be an essential start for future projects of the same nature.
Week 4: Rhoscolyn, UK (Julia Esch)

This adventure in virtual geologic mapping brought me to Rhoscolyn, Wales. Although Week 4 of Field Camp is typically
located in Colorado, the new freedom of going virtual allowed campers to explore a location that wouldn’t have been pos-
sible during a typical week in Field Camp.
The strata this week was highly contorted due to intense folding and metamorphism.
I utilized Inkscape (a program similar to Adobe Acrobat) to create this map.

Week 5: Molas Lake, Colorado (Shahad Aldhamin)

I have mixed feelings about this week. After four weeks of constant work for long hours, I was starting to feel exhausted; it was the
"burnout" week for me. Nevertheless, this was the week where I felt the most accomplished; most of the knowledge and experience I
gathered in my rigorous journey through junior year and the one month of field camp started to make sense. The puzzle of this week
was the most complex thus far. But I still remember how excited and thrilled I was when I figured it out; the feeling is unmatched. Eve-
rything started to click after solving the puzzle; I began connecting all that we have learned in weeks 1-3 with this area. I was in awe
when I realized that the deposits we mapped in week 2 were the deposits of the glaciers that shaped the spectacular mountains here
and how some of the units differ from week 1's units despite both of them being part of the Paradox Basin. This is the beauty and
charm of geology!
Week 5: Molas Lake, Colorado (Julia Esch)
Typically, week 5 is held in an alternate location due to the seasonal 10 feet of snow burying rock outcrops around Molas Lake, but
going virtual allowed campers to map the area from the comfort of their own homes.