1. Field Notes

• The most important skill to a field geologist is to take good field notes.

Field observations and interpretations are recorded in a field notebook.

2. Taking Good Field Notes

Look at the following two examples of notes from a field notebook. Which of these ways of describing a rock outcrop is easiest to understand?

3. Taking Good Field Notes

In this case a picture is worth is worth a thousand words (or should I say about 85 words).

4. Taking Good Field Notes

A sketch, however, is not always the best way to record observations. Review these two descriptions of sandstone.In this case, a written description is the better choice to record the observation.

5. Taking Good Field Notes

Look!

Think!Do youneedto draw a field sketch or would a written description be better?

Think some more.What do you want to show in the sketch?

Look carefully at the shapes and angles involved. Are the rocks layered?Are layers horizontal or are they folded?Pay particular attention to the contact between rock layers.

Start drawing , but keep it simple. Don't worry about being artistic. Ignore things like plants, cracks or shadows, unless they're relevant. Use as few lines as possible to show what you need to. Keep in mind the proportions you've thought about.

6. Taking Good Field Notes

Add labels .A good field sketch is actually a labeled diagram. Explain (briefly) what the diagram is showing. If there is not enough space, mark certain places and write notes on the opposite page in your notebook.

Include a scale . It is important to include a scale, and when taking photos a person, notebook, hammer, compass, or coin is a useful scale. However, in a sketch you don't need to draw a fifty pence piece. A simple scale bar showing "5cm" or something similar would be clearer.

Add explanatory notesand interpretation. This might be the regional setting, inferred sedimentary environment, etc.

If you take a photo ,record in your notebook which exposure it is. But remember a photo is no substitute for a good labeled diagram.

7. The following three field sketches are all of the exposure below, but are done in very different styles.Note the different styles.Which one do your think is the best sketch and why? 8. Sketch #1 9. Sketch #2 10. Sketch #3 11. Example: Outcrop 12. Sketch 13. Example: Outcrop 14. Sketch 15. How its your turn.Sketch the photos of the following rocks or rock outcrop in your field notebook. Sketch each outcrop on a separate page.Use only pencil.Note:Just sketch what you observe (layers, thickness of layers, folds, orientation, appearance etc).Dont forget to include a scale. There are hints of the scale on each photo. 16. PHOTO A 17. PHOTO B 18. PHOTO C