Transcript 1 How to take good field notes c

How to take
good field
notes
My colleagues and I firmly believe that
the best geologists are those who see
the most rocks."
Andrew Hurst, 2011 Recipient of AAPG's
Grover E. Murray Distinguished Educator
Award, January 2012 issue of Explorer.
Begin each day with important
info
• The date
• Where you are working
• Incidental info: weather,
etc. that might affect your
judgment or observations
Include Local Magnetic declination
Number each field station
• Each time you take notes, number that
location
• Numbers are continuous for each field
area
Map View
• If you are mapping, each location should
be marked on the map with a number.
• Leave space for prints of photos.
Unit descriptions
Important things to include
• Rock type (garnet schist,
arkose, gabbro, etc.)
• Major minerals
• Presence and Strike and
Dip of foliations, lineations,
folds, joints, veins, etc.
• How well developed are
these features?
• Other distinguishing or
important features
Sketches
Provide a visual record of
important features
• Goal is impressionism
• Capture key elements of
subject rather than drawing
a scene
• Always include scale and
direction of view (north,
south-southeast, N35W,
etc.) Here looking due
south.
• Are you looking at a vertical
face/cliff, straight down at
the ground, or at a sloping
face?