![]() In addition to the location information, the students listed the dominant fossil genus and estimated the age. Nevadia weeksi, common trilobite in the lower field area.ĭata was collected as a point-based shape file in ArcPad, set against a topographic map downloaded from a state of Nevada GIS website. When they found a particularly rich area, the students logged their location with an SX Blue II sub-meter GPS that communicated to a TDS Nomad via Bluetooth. Then, they students scurried about the hills looking for fossil-rich zones. The students divided into teams of four members and each team had a guide to the common trilobites. The field exercise was carried out in Esmeralda County, Nevada in glorious weather. Deep water deposits of that age are rich in trilobite fossils. In the Cambrian period, about 500 million years ago, they ruled the seas. Trilobites are extinct arthropods, related to modern insects, crabs, and lobsters. Students found the gear not too cumbersome to wear and use in the field. For the latter, the students mapped a trilobite-rich area using a Nomad computer and SX Blue II sub-meter GPS from Walcott Scientific. The tasks ranged from classic description to modern collection techniques. Over thirty students participated in a series of field tasks that represented different kinds of field scientific work. Recently, three colleges converged in western Nevada for four days of field paleontology. Soot-covered fireman get all the thanks on the local radio, but there are lots of other folks working long shifts behind the scenes.) (*As long as I can claim some bandwidth on the global web, I’d like to wish my pal Brian and the rest of the GIS crew on the edge of the northern California fires good luck. Once MapWindow allows for higher COM port numbers, I’ll recommend MapWindow for all ‘real’ GIS needs in the field. Need road, airphotos, and other layers? Well, jump on the Google Earth bandwagon. If you have a PC and want to plot lines or points on topo maps, I am still a fan of National Geographic TOPO. OK, so what to use for collecting data in the field? The industry standard is still dominated by ESRI and ArcPad is there solution for data collecting. Well, it worked fantastic! The only issue was that the COM port assigned to the GPS was too high for Google Earth so that will need to be addressed. I haven’t used Google Earth in the field because I didn’t think it would work. Years ago, I would use the program ExpertGPS for mapping because it had a deep cache, and I still find the program fantastic for flat, back maps and airphotos. I popped up Google Earth though we did not have an internet connection and was amazed by how much detail was stored in the cache. ![]() In desperation, I sent one of the folks (we will call him “CyberKnife”) back to the car to dig up my ToughBook and GPS receiver. ![]() After a while, all the ponds and mossy outcrops look the same. Our fearless field party got lost under my direction. Without a doubt, the Boundary Waters is the most lovely mosquito and wood tick hatchery in the lower 48. Recently, I was doing field work in the Boundary Waters area of northern Minnesota. Of course, I continue to be amazed with the power of Google Earth… I have written previous blogs about the amazing and free MapWindow and also the very powerful Manifold GIS system. Most software is essentially a trimmed down and specialized version of ArcGIS, tailored toward a specific industry. So why go with someone else? Try cost, ease of use, memory drain, and the fighting spirit to stick it to the man. prj is valuable if you have an assigned projection.) I should also chime in that ESRI continues to dominate the GIS market because they do make amazing products. So when you collect your data, make sure you can output as standard shape files, composed of the minimum triad of. However, the ESRI shape-file format with the multitude of files is the standard for most industries and academia. ![]()
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