Project:
Soil gas analysis at MDRS as a rapid resource and geologic assessment
tool

Personnel:
Kerry Cupit

Operations Data Collected:
Soil gas equipment was completely unpacked and assembled inside the Hab
in preparation for an EVA tomorrow morning. The landfill gas analyser
(GEM2000) that will be used in the study was checked for a charged
battery, stepped through operational procedures and calibrated with
ambient air inside the Hab.

For curiosity's sake, O2 levels inside the Hab are 20.4%, CO registered
1ppm and CO2 is around 0.1%. CH4 and H2S concentrations are nil.

The thermocouple and thermocouple meter were tested and are operating
correctly, as is the GPS device. The portable weather station was
checked yesterday and is assumed to still be operational.

Four high-quality brachiopod shell fossils were collected on EVA-2
today from a fossiliferous bed capping the Dakota sandstone. While not
within the bounds of this study, they were collected for casual
scientific interest. They are between 3 and 4.5cm in size and are all
of the same genus (see photos accompanying report). They have
particularly thick shells relative to their overall size. While not
noticed at the time they were sampled, all four samples are the top
halves of the shell. The lower halves were likely smaller and thus
more easily transported or lost to diagenetic processes.
Identification of fossils was hindered due to power outages in the Hab
tonight.

Technical/Equipment Issues:
All equipment is operational and ready for use. I am slightly
concerned about having to change and work with small parts while on an
EVA, such as the soil gas vapor tips (approx 1.5cm x 1.5cm x 5cm in
size) in case I lose one down a sample hole. Reconnecting gas tubes
while on EVA should be challenging as well, but not unmanageable. Much
of this should be figured out on the next EVA though, where this will
be tested.

Discussion:
Field testing of the soil gas sampling procedure is scheduled to be
performed on an EVA tomorrow morning with two other crew members. This
will be done within walking distance of the Hab and is expected to take
a few hours. If initially successful we'll try for a few samples,
recording all necessary data at each sample station (instantaneous
weather parameters, downhole temperature, gas concentrations and GPS
coordinates).

Questions for RST:
An imminent portion of this study will attempt to locate geologic
faults in the area in preparation for an actual soil gas survey. I
doubt geologic maps are available on the scale I would like, at least
from the Utah Geologic Survey, so if there are maps made by previous
crews of the MDRS I would love to have access to them please. I've
inventoried the maps here and they are mostly topographic or aerial
photographs.

If no detailed geologic maps of the MDRS ATV-accessible area I'll
proceed with an airphoto lineament analysis followed up with a
reconnaissance EVA on ATVs in 2-3 days.


Four brachiopod fossils found on EVA-2 in a unit capping the Dakota sandstone. (pen for scale)

Bottom of pediclar valve of fossil from top left of image 1

Top of pediclar valve of fossil from top left of image 1