Endlich, es ging wieder auf Exkursion!
Samstagmorgen um 5:30 am war Treffpunkt vor dem Geo-Institut, das Gepäck kam auf den Truck von Tim und die Studenten wurden in 3 Kleinbussen und einem Auto verteilt.
Für den ersten Tag standen 15 Stunden Autofahrt auf dem Programm, Juhuuu!
Wir sind nach Green River in Utah gefahren um dort die erste Nacht in unseren Zelten zu verbringen. Viel Geologie gab es an dem Tag noch nicht. Am nächsten Morgen ging es dann gleich weiter. Der Plan war bis nach New Mexico zu kommen aber diesmal mit ein paar Stopps – daraus wurde leider nichts. Also, noch mal 12 Stunden Autofahrt und dann war es schon wieder dunkel als wir in New Mexico auf dem Campingplatz angekommen sind. Zelte aufbauen und im Dunkeln kochen und schnell ein Lagerfeuer damit wir nicht erfrieren.
Jeden Morgen waren die Zelte gefroren und tagsüber war es so warm, dass es hieß „don’t forget your suncream, sun glasses and enough to drink“!
Dachte mir ich schreibe jetzt in Englisch weiter, da ja auch auf der Exkursion (fast) nur englisch gesprochen wurde.
So, we went to Utah and further to New Mexico where we spent 4 days. On the way back we went through Colorado, Wyoming and through Billings, Montana. All in all we covered 3,000 miles in eight days!!
Our first stop was Green River in Utah where we studied the Book Cliffs- Cretaceous Interior Seaway cliff forming sandstone similar to the sandstones (Eagle Formation) in Billings where I spent my first field trip in the United States last summer.
Our next stop was the Bandelier National Monument where we spent two days camping. We hiked through the Frijoles Canyon and down to Rio Grande. Along the trail we walked down through the sequence of different volcanic activities. Volcanic ash from different time periods and different directions are lying over each other and form the Frijoles Canyon. Rhyolitic Tuff in felsic colours above olivine basalt in greenish black and as we hiked further down red brown layered sediments appeared along the canyon. These sediments are formed through a lake a couple million years ago. This lake was formed several times through the different lava flows which stopped the river from flowing and a big lake rose.
We got a few hours to roam around the area (national monument) ourselves to experience the Pueblo history in the form of ancient cliff dwellings.
From Bandelier we went further south through the Rio Grande Rift where we got to hike down to the confluence of the Red River and the Rio Grande River. Two geologists from the USGS (US Geologic Survey) showed as two days the different kinds of volcanoes around the Rio Grande Rift and which kind of lava we can find in the rift. They also let us know more about their actual field experience and discoveries.
On this trip I got to know the next three IFG students from Missoula. They all come next semster to Potsdam and we will have the opportunity to study another year together. So, we started talking in German after a while and that's why I mentioned earlier that on the trip we alomost spoke only in English. From here our journey started northwards towards Montana. We drove through the desert with a heavy snow storm and 10 miles we were in the middle of the best summer weather. The nights were bitterly cold and the days up to 30 °C. In Colorado we stopped off at the Great Sand Dunes National Park near Alamosa, here we got to see aeolian processes in action. All different kinds of sand dunes are formed in this area. We hiked the great sand dunes and got to experience hurricane wind speeds at the summit. But the most fun was to run down the sand dunes. I still have sand in my backpack but it was great!
Our last stop was in Billings, Montana where Jörn told us more about his thesis work. Billings is surrounded by a big mass of sandstone which was formed by the change of regression and transgression from the sea level. We revisited some of the locations we saw last summer, I was impressed how much I still know about this area and how much I understood in my first week in the United States.
Know the semester is almost finished. I have the last exams in May and the last papers are due in 2 weeks. I am looking forward to spend 4 weeks after the semester in the field to map the area around Dillon, Montana. But I am also sad to leave Missoula and to know that the two semesters at the university are over. It is nice to spend more time in the United States for travelling and than, in August I will be back in Germany.
Also, ich werde mich ganz bald wieder melden und meine Abenteuer mit euch teilen. Mitte Mai geht es nach Dillon ins Gelände und ihr werdet immer aktuell mitbekommen was ich die 4 Wochen dort treibe. Wie die geologischen Karten entstehen und wie sie dann fertig aussehen.
Bis bald
Amelie
Bilder - Spring Break Field Trip
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