Ohio Geological Survey Visit

Yesterday I returned from the Ohio Geological Survey (OGS) after 2 days of drilling samples and photographing a few of the sections. I had a great time and collected a lot of information that will help answer some questions we are working on in my research group for my thesis.

OGS has a whole facility dedicated to storage and analysis of core at their office just north of Columbus, OH the Horace R. Collins Laboratory.

If you have questions about the local geology when traveling to a new state or even exploring your local rocks the state geological survey is a great place to start for information. Surveys are very different state-to-state but one thing they all have in common is a group of people who know their local rocks. In addition to the informed and helpful staff they hold a wealth of information, including records that go further back then you would think. Most of the records are becoming available on their websites including maps, publications, and well logs.

Core is very expensive to drill so we rely on core available to us at geologic surveys to collect data on these packages of rock not exposed at the surface. The advantages of core is it provides access to a large continuous section of rock while being easy to sample. Thin beds that may be unrecognizable in outcrop are easily seen in core. Additionally, its size allows for instantaneous comparison of multiple sections side by side and within a single day.

While you are restricted to the diameter of the core, often a few inches or less, when analyzing bedding planes fossils are still found and can be crucial to constraining intervals with the help of biostratigraphy.

Graptolites

Trilobites! ( Triarthrus?)

Triarthrus cephalon

Fossil finds are not restricted to the bedding planes. It is very common to see cross sections of
many fossils such as the possible bryozoan pictured here. 

Big shout out to OGS especially facility coordinator Aaron Evelsizor for all of their help!