Geology in the Field

Field Report Instructions

Field reports should consist of two principal sections, each with its own heading. The first section should be a careful description of the locality or localities visited. The second section should be an interpretation of the geologic history of the locality that is built upon the observations described in the first section. There should also be a map showing the location(s) of the site(s) visited. Normally, a field report will be one to three pages of text in length, but there are no length requirements or restrictions.

Field reports should be written as formal, scientific reports. They should not be travel diaries. Clarity is of utmost importance. If possible, there should be no ambiguity in what is said. Use compass directions where appropriate. Use quantities (e.g. 0.5 m) rather than relative values (e.g. large) in statements of size, distance, elevation, etc. Use SI (metric - mks) units. Give dip direction and dip angle when there are layers.

Use photos from the field as part of your description and as evidence in your interpretive arguments. A photo in a scientific report is not a decoration; photos are data. When a photo is included, give it a caption and be sure to refer to the photo in the text. Photos should have something in them for scale or the caption should describe the width of the field of view. Use photos to make your descriptions more clear to the reader. Tell the readers what to look for in each photo and why you are asking them to look at it. In many cases the photo is more effective if important features are labeled on the photo.

You can label the photos electronically with an image program like Photoshop (available to geology students on the computers in Burton-109) or ImageJ (Mac and PC freeware in Java), or with the Microsoft Word picture editor. However, note that MS Word files can become quite large when you edit photos in them with the MS Word picture editor.

Submit your field report electronically using Moodle. The final product should be in portable document format (.pdf document). Please name the file "Your_Name_3.pdf", where the number is the number of the field report. Comments will be written on the report electronically and the report will be returned to you by email. If one of the computer gods does not smile on you, or if you prefer to work with hard copies, you may place a printed copy of your field report under my office door (SR-122).