Notes for incoming geologists to the Mars Desert Research Station, Utah

Geology book resources at the MDRS:

• Encyclopedia of Deserts. Mares, M.A. (ed), University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1999
• Canyon Country Geology. Barnes, F.A., Wasatch Publishers, Salt Lake City, 1978
• Geologic History of Utah. Hintze, L.F.,Brigham Young University Press, Provo, 1988
• Environmental Geology. Merritts, D., De Wet, A. and Menking, K., W.H. Freeman and Co., New York, 1997
• Geology of Utah. Stokes, W.L., Utah Museum of Natural History, Salt Lake City, 1988
• Roadside Geology of Utah. Chronic, H., Mountain Press Publishing Company, Missoula, 1990
• The Geology of the Parks, Monuments, and Wildlands of Southern Utah. Fillmore, R., University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, 2000
• The Eyewitness Handbook of Fossils. Walker, C. and Ward, D.J., DK Publishing, New York, 1992
• The Eyewitness Handbook of Rocks and Minerals. Pellant, C., DK Publishing, New York, 1992
• A Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals. Pough, F.H.,Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, 1995

Map resources at the MDRS:
USGS 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic) NAD27, 1987 Editions. Scale 1:24000, contour interval 40 feet

Sheets:

• Skyline Rim Quad, Utah - Wayne Co. (Mudy Creek, Skyline Rim and the Hab) - 1
• Factory Butte Quad, Utah - Wayne Co. (North Caineville Reef and Factory Butte) - 4
• The Notch Quad, Utah - Wayne Co. (Muddy Creek, Dirty Devil River and North Pinto Hills) - 2
• Hanksville Quad, Utah - Wayne Co. (Hanksville and South Pinto Hills) - 1
• Steamboat Point Quad, Utah - Wayne Co. (Blue Valley Benches and South Pinto Hills) - 1
• Fuita Quad, Utah - Wayne Co. (Capitol Reef National Park) - 1
• Goblin Valley Quad, Utah - Wayne Co. (Goblin Valley State Park) - 1
• Little Wild Horse Mesa Quad, Utah - Emery Co. (San Rafael Reef & Little Wild Horse Mesa) - 1
• Hunt Draw Quad, Utah - Emery Co. (Moroni Slopes and San Rafael Reef) - 1

These maps are the ideal scale for EVAs surrounding the Hab. The Skyline Rim and Factory Butte quads are the most used. We currently have only one sheet of the Skyline Rim and this is getting rather battered and worn-out. Although there are photocopies of this map, they don't match up and we recommend purchasing a new copy of this quad if possible.

Other Maps:

• Henry Mountains Hunters Map 1:150000 (US Dept Interior Bureau of Land Management)
• Utah - Hanksville 1:62500 (S Dept Interior Bureau of Land Management)
• Utah State Map (Rand McNally)
• Colorado Easyfinder (Rand McNally)
• Arizona and New Mexico State Map (Rand McNally)
• Nevada and Utah (AAA State Series)
• Utah Official Highway Map
• Capitol Reef National Park 1:62500 (Earth Walk Press Hiking Map and Guide)

Additional geological tools available at the MDRS:

• Delorme 3-D TopoQuads CD-Rom (Utah). These maps exactly match the USGS quads listed above.
• 2 hand-held GPS sets. The one that we have been using takes 4 AA batteries and these run down quite quickly if the GPS is left switched on.
• A magnifying glass.
• Weak HCl acid solution (good for testing for calcium carbonate and limestone rocks)
• A microscope with x10 and x30 magnification. The bottom light is broken so additional lamps are needed to illuminate the specimen
• Measuring tape

Suggested items to bring:

• Rock Hammer
• Compass/clinometer
• Palm-top computer for taking notes in the field
• AA batteries for GPS
• Map-case (or large, durable zip-lock plastic bags)
• Zip-lock plastic bags for samples (actually the Hab is awash with these so Crew 13 probably won't need to bring any more)
• Correction fluid for labeling samples
• A geological map of the general region (USGS?)
• A basic geological textbook
• Wide masking tape (white/cream) for taping instruments to arms for easy use

Note: We have found that sticking bands of brightly colored tape (available at the Hab) to map-cases and instruments such as compasses and hammers greatly aids search and recovery missions when you lose things in the field!