map and thesis (part 4)

Only a short blog today as with only two weeks of fieldwork left to go, the week was dominated by a visit by my supervisor, Professor Charlie Bristow. The initial worry turned out to be unnecessary as he actually said my work was very good BUT, it appears both me and my mapping buddy made quite a big mistake in that we missed an entire formation (sigh!). Not to worry though as it turns out that in the ten years since he was last here, a small forest seems to have grown over all of the exposure and in the places where did did 'see it' we called it something else. Anyway, problem solved and ready to move on.

Much needed selfie before hiking around in the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park.

To that end I do not really have much to talk about this week other than the 13 hour Geo Tour we did yesterday (Friday 5th) which included visiting some geological sites located close to scenic Spanish towns, a quarry that was once the start of a very large basin millions of years ago and finally a trek to the crystal blue waters of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park (at almost 1800m above sea level).

I have some photos in my Google Photos but I have never in my life seen such clear blue water. 

The day culminated in some fossil hunting in mudrocks from the mid-Eocene, I was fortunate enough enough to find a very good Echinoderm fossil (photo below, pen is for scale). So overall a hugely useful visit from my supervisor who managed to clear up nearly 3 weeks of confusion within an hour of arriving. Now I have 2 weeks to correct the errors made and finish off the final few field-slips. The stressful part is only just beginning though as I have to write the thesis. With my little Asian tour coming up in September and my draft being expected by late November, I have had to start drafting my thesis now. Not my favourite past time after a long day in 30° heat but needs must and all that.

One part of this whole degree that has started to niggle in my mind is the viva at the very end. Rumour has it that the main topic for the viva is the map and thesis. The examiner is expecting a thorough and proven understanding of the geology around the area, the tectonics affecting it etc. I can honestly say that until yesterday(ish), I was completely bamboozled. By the end of these two weeks I hope to have it cleared up.

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My dead fly count: demi-god level

Andy's dead fly count: god level

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