Trip to Flin Flon
Earlier this week, Tyler, Mary and I traveled to Flin Flon for the field trip organized to present the TGI 3 (Targeted Geoscience Initiative involving the Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Manitoba Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Canada, along with involvement from Laurentian University) mapping results in and around Flin Flon.
I met Harold Gibson, one of the leading volcanologists in Canada, who will be teaching the first class in my masters program, staring in September. It is happening a bit later than I was expecting, from Sept. 18 to Oct. 1, but it sounds pretty cool. In addition to touring outcrops and such in the Sudbury area, we will be going to Albuquerque, New Mexico for several days! Also, for this first class, all of the assignments will be completed during the course, rather than having additional work after the class is over. It'll be nice to be able to come home without anything else hanging over my head.
We received a short course in shear sense indicators from Bruno LaFrance (who will hopefully be my advisor for my masters project), and then spent Tuesday afternoon, all day Wedneday and Thursday morning touring outcrops, looking at the mapping results of several of the individuals working in that area. There were some viguourous debates among the experts that have worked in these areas, which sometimes got a bit esoteric and more than a little boring for those of us less familiar with the Flin Flon area, but despite that we saw a lot of neat stuff. It was also a nice opportunity to meet some other geologists that I wouldn't have normally encountered. I met a number of masters students from Laurentian; I'm hoping I'll run into some of them again during my brief sojourns to Sudbury.
On Tuesday evening, I went out to my aunt Eileen and uncle Jim's place, about twenty minutes outside of Flin Flon. Eileen served us a wonderful supper, including a blueberry pie she baked in honour of my birthday, and we had a very nice visit.
Unfortunately, Tyler and I were called back to camp early, so we missed Harold Gibson presenting his results on the Thursday afternoon, as well as the wrapup barbeque on Thursday evening, which would have been a lot of fun. That was disappointing, but at least we saw as much as we did.
Okay, now for the stuff most people are probably looking for, the pictures from this outing!
Here is easily the most prominent landmark in the Flin Flon area, the huge smoke stack that vents the smoke from the smelter there. This picture truly doesn't do it justice!
The large red building in the picture below, which looks like a grain elevator, is the head frame for the mine in Flin Flon; this contains one of the elevators which gives access for men and equipment to reach the mine depths.
In the picture below, we see another head frame, giving access to another part of the mine.
Here is the field trip group on the first outcrop we visited on Tuesday afternoon.
And our group marching along the train tracks out to see some outcrops; as you can see, there were quite a few people out for this the first day, somewhere around 30-35.
Warning: the next several pictures are probably really only of interest to geologists and other science freaks. To the best of my knowledge, there are very few such individuals who read this thing (pretty much Chris Reed, I would think), so I guess I'm just putting them up for completeness' sake.
This next picture is of Bruno LaFrance, heading up an outcrop with some very nice quartz veining.
This is the same outcrop from the opposite side. For those of you less inclined to look at quartz veins, a girl wandered into the shot while I was taking it.
Look at those shear sense indicators! Okay, you can just smile and nod.
Here's a nice 'S' fold.
Below, there are nice pillow selvages, showing the border between three basaltic pillows.
Here is a quartz vein that has been micro-faulted.
Okay, now I'll put up a few more scenic pictures.
How could I forget, Isis, the rock dog? Having her along was a big distraction, but she was kind of fun, too.
I met Harold Gibson, one of the leading volcanologists in Canada, who will be teaching the first class in my masters program, staring in September. It is happening a bit later than I was expecting, from Sept. 18 to Oct. 1, but it sounds pretty cool. In addition to touring outcrops and such in the Sudbury area, we will be going to Albuquerque, New Mexico for several days! Also, for this first class, all of the assignments will be completed during the course, rather than having additional work after the class is over. It'll be nice to be able to come home without anything else hanging over my head.
We received a short course in shear sense indicators from Bruno LaFrance (who will hopefully be my advisor for my masters project), and then spent Tuesday afternoon, all day Wedneday and Thursday morning touring outcrops, looking at the mapping results of several of the individuals working in that area. There were some viguourous debates among the experts that have worked in these areas, which sometimes got a bit esoteric and more than a little boring for those of us less familiar with the Flin Flon area, but despite that we saw a lot of neat stuff. It was also a nice opportunity to meet some other geologists that I wouldn't have normally encountered. I met a number of masters students from Laurentian; I'm hoping I'll run into some of them again during my brief sojourns to Sudbury.
On Tuesday evening, I went out to my aunt Eileen and uncle Jim's place, about twenty minutes outside of Flin Flon. Eileen served us a wonderful supper, including a blueberry pie she baked in honour of my birthday, and we had a very nice visit.
Unfortunately, Tyler and I were called back to camp early, so we missed Harold Gibson presenting his results on the Thursday afternoon, as well as the wrapup barbeque on Thursday evening, which would have been a lot of fun. That was disappointing, but at least we saw as much as we did.
Okay, now for the stuff most people are probably looking for, the pictures from this outing!
Here is easily the most prominent landmark in the Flin Flon area, the huge smoke stack that vents the smoke from the smelter there. This picture truly doesn't do it justice!
The large red building in the picture below, which looks like a grain elevator, is the head frame for the mine in Flin Flon; this contains one of the elevators which gives access for men and equipment to reach the mine depths.
In the picture below, we see another head frame, giving access to another part of the mine.
Here is the field trip group on the first outcrop we visited on Tuesday afternoon.
And our group marching along the train tracks out to see some outcrops; as you can see, there were quite a few people out for this the first day, somewhere around 30-35.
Warning: the next several pictures are probably really only of interest to geologists and other science freaks. To the best of my knowledge, there are very few such individuals who read this thing (pretty much Chris Reed, I would think), so I guess I'm just putting them up for completeness' sake.
This next picture is of Bruno LaFrance, heading up an outcrop with some very nice quartz veining.
This is the same outcrop from the opposite side. For those of you less inclined to look at quartz veins, a girl wandered into the shot while I was taking it.
Look at those shear sense indicators! Okay, you can just smile and nod.
Here's a nice 'S' fold.
Below, there are nice pillow selvages, showing the border between three basaltic pillows.
Here is a quartz vein that has been micro-faulted.
Okay, now I'll put up a few more scenic pictures.
How could I forget, Isis, the rock dog? Having her along was a big distraction, but she was kind of fun, too.
posted by Matt at 6:59 p.m.
4 Comments:
Thanks Julia! It's nice to know that someone appreciated this post.
Hey Matt,
Just discovered your blog. The rock photos, and all the photos in general, are really interesting. I always enjoy visiting other planets (beyond my profession/world). You have a really interesting job! I envy that you get to be outdoors so much, I am claustorphobic in my office lately (especially since the A/C doesn't work in afternoons). Alas, the mountains call to me from outside my window...
-dan
I love the puppy!!!
PS. Rock pixtures, eh?
Wow, I didn't even notice that Dan had commented here. Good to hear from you Dan! Although there are some downsides to my job, I do get to see some cool stuff, and it is nice being outdoors all the time.
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