Because I’m too damned tired to write anything of substance, I’m going to chuck a couple of pictures of geology in action at you and run away.
Evelyn practicing the good science of rock-breaking
Dana practicing the good science of rock-breaking
I’ll have a recap of the trip and tons of delightful photos up soon. First, though, a very long flight home and a coma.
7 comments
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Lab Lemming
May 8, 2012 at 4:37 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
So Evy’s busting up rocks in sandals a few months after writing a huge big blog post on wearing proper protective clothing in lab?
evelynmervine
May 8, 2012 at 9:10 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Touche, Chuck. I guess I live life on the wild side where hydrofluoric acid is not involved. Normally I do wear boots but this was just a little baby rock that I was breaking with a baby hammer :-)
george.w
May 8, 2012 at 5:04 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
She is wearing eye protection. That’s the one essential.
cope
May 8, 2012 at 10:53 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Recalling that your previous post was in respect to being in the vicinity of dinosaur tracks, you can imagine my initial reaction to the images of hammer-wielding geoblogesses…THE HORROR…THE HORROR!
How comforting to realize that the hammer swinging was not directed at or around said tracks. Phew, crisis averted.
I was, however, a bit dismayed to note the use of what appears to be a standard claw hammer as your chosen implement of rock destruction. Surely a classic Estwing leather-grip rock pick (pointed tip) or chisel edged rock pick would be more appropriate.
Anyway, as someone who has been know to smash one rock against another when hammerless, I can relate to the need to improvise.
F
May 8, 2012 at 11:08 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
It’s the practice hammer. ;) *
Breaking rocks with other rocks is how I got started, circa age 5, and also how I began my journey through finger-bandaging techniques. I didn’t know there were even such things as geologist’s hammers until much later, as I’d never read anything about fieldwork.
*It looks like it has a fiberglass handle, which reminds me of the first time I saw and used one. A friend wanted to hang something on his basement wall, and I had fluted masonry nails. He said he had a hammer. I get there and take a whack at the first nail, which was about eye level… The recoil was a killer. I refused use of fiberglass hammers for years until I found out they were not all designed so poorly.
cope
May 8, 2012 at 11:14 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
HEE HEE, “practice hammer”…good catch F.
evelynmervine
May 8, 2012 at 11:40 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Yes, Dana and I did have to improvise with the hammer. All of my rock hammers & other supplies have been moved to South Africa, and I didn’t bring them back with me to defend my thesis. When we wanted to break some rocks, I stole one of my dad’s hammers… hopefully we didn’t damage it too much.