My new digital love, the cheap and rugged Laser Range Finder.

A few years ago, a geopal of mine turned me on to the 'magic box'...a laser rangefinder from LaserTech Inc. It was a little bulky and came in a box so padded that you were reluctant to keep it out of it for long...also, it cost several $1000. Nonetheless, I coveted that device from afar and borrowed it for several months.

On a more recent excursion, a different geopal pulled out a nifty little yellow number from LaserTech that made all of the same measurements (slope distance, vertical distance, horizontal distance, inclination, height) but came in a much smaller, more rugged package.

Turns out they got the thing on my advice several months prior when I scoffed at their use of a Jacob staff to measure several 100 meters of section (flat-lying rocks). More importantly, it turns out that the smaller, more rugged version is also less than $1000!

Damn right I got one. Maybe you should have one too. This little number could change your life if you sketch a lot of strat sections and guesstimate unit thicknesses or otherwise conjure up various spatial dimensions on the fly. With a little extra thinking, you can also construct an accurate cross section in the field if you are so inclined.

I used mine in the field over the weekend and was thoroughly satisfied with the results.

Geo-Rant: My Quads are killing me (and wasting tons of time)!!

No, not because I spend so much time hiking in the desert or because I lugged way too much crap down the South Kaibab Trail last month...not those quads. What is killing me is being a victim of mapping 7.5 minute quads. Mapping 7.5 minute quads is a waste of time. It is efficient only in a clerical sense, not in a scientific sense. Mapping on the basis of 7.5 minute quads amounts to mapping in a rectangular frame with boundaries that are (aside from some amazing coincidence) completely arbitrary with respect to geology.

Obviously, the implied goal of mapping 7.5 minute quads is to allow for a systematic framework for eventually mapping a bunch of officially circumscribed rectangles that cover an entire state or region. The key words here are 'officially', eventually', and 'rectangular'. Morevover, the concept of mapping quads is so deeply mired in the deeply pre-digital history of the USGS and the history of printing that it has become an ultra-anachronism.

I have been foolish enough to map a patchwork series of quadrangles along the lower Colorado River in an attempt to better understand the river's geologic history. Each time I move into a new quad, I learn more about that history (or more variations on it) that inform previous maps. Why in the hell I didn't just try to get funding to map the deposits of interest along the corresponding length of river is beyond me. Eight years later, I am still trying to finish some of those maps (sure, I am a perfectionist, but there are other reasons).

My most ambitious mapping project, the Ivanpah Mega-Map (Ivanpaviathan), is a classic example of how mapping quads can (temporarily) wreck your life. In that case, I stupidly proposed to map the entirety of all of the quads that fell even partly into the boundary of the watershed of interest. WTF? What an idiot. That is how mired I was in the Quad Mapping Model (QMM). I paid and paid dearly for that bit of stupidity.

My job involves mapping a lot of quads in Nevada. My agency has a goal of eventually mapping the entire state. Ha! That is not going to happen at 1:24,000 in my or my kids' (or their kids') lifetimes. In fact, this is simply not going to happen ever! Deal with it. Pick the areas that really matter (for whatever reason you like) and map them. Don't worry, you can still circumscribe the area with a quadrilateral that has easily defineable corner coordinates....

Huge thunderstorm in western Grand Canyon

A highlight in anyone's life, particularly a geomorphologist's. More proof that digital video can really complement geologic field work. Love that waterproof camera.

Resurrection / Superposition Rapid, Colorado River

In an ironic geomorphic situation, the Colorado River has formed a new rapid downstream from the mouth of the Grand Canyon near Pierce Ferry. Here, recession of Lake Mead has (obviously) induced incision by the river. The river adopted a new course that traverses some resistant beds in the Muddy Creek Formation. This video chronicles the vagaries of this rapid.

Love my Pentax Optio W60!

I splurged on a waterproof camera before a long trip down the Grand Canyon. Aside from assuaging my fear of taking pictures in the rapids, it also provided a great opportunity to film a ride through a classic river rapid wave train with large standing waves. Critical flow anyone?

Who needs a waterproof camera? You do.

I have just returned from my grand hiatus and have lots of proof that waterproof cameras kick proverbial a*s. For example, check out this little video (with audio, no less) of bedload transport in Travertine Grotto:

Grand Hiatus

Greetings subscribers (all 3 or so of you). I am on hiatus for the next 3 weeks. I will be trying out my new waterproof / dustproof Pentax camera on a trip down Grand Canyon from Phantom Ranch to South Cove. Will be sure to provide some follow up. For now, check out some bedforms on the floor of the shallow part of Lake Tahoe. I am confident the camera will work on the river...