Welcome to the first geology report for Expedition One to MDRS, AKA Crew 14. We are still gearing up to serious geological research but the intrepid geology teams of Rocky Persaud, Melissa Battler, and Jonathan Clarke have already begun to make observations.

First of all we have examined the samples identified as dinosaur bones by previous crews. These are composed of dark grey dense material that typically have a smooth to slightly striated curved surface on one side and a broken surface on the other. The broken surface has an alveolar texture.

These textures, densities, and colours are typical of fossil bone. While these highly fragmentary remains cannot be confirmed as dinosaurs, we are confident they are indeed vertebrate remains.

Secondly, we have begun trials of the PIMA (portable infrared mineral analyzer) loaned to Expedition One by the manufacturer Integrated Spectronics of Sydney. The PIMA allows rapid spectroscopic detection in the lab of different carbonate, clay, sulphate, and mica species in samples. The PIMA has already shown that some of the nodular indurated beds in the Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation on the slope behind the lab contain anhydrite. This is likely to be of primary sedimentary or early diagenetic origin, unlike the numerous gypsum veins that are also locally present in the succession.

Thirdly, we have been developing the regolith-terrain mapping technique to work at two scales, first for mapping the study area, and second for description of sites selected for the biological richness studies. This is the first time the regolith has been systematically studied at MDRS and accurate description of it will provide link between geological and biological research.

Fourthly, Expedition One has the opportunity to use a Geiger counter for determine the presence of radioactive minerals. The Morrison Formation is the major host for Uranium mineralisation in the area and preliminary scans of fossil wood and bone from the Formation show above background radioactivity. This is to be expected as both organic matter and phosphate minerals act as traps for uranium in groundwater moving through the rocks. Local concentrations of radioactive minerals are of particular interest to the biology team in that they may have distinctive microbiotas, another link between geology and biology.

Last, but not least, Melissa Battler has begun collecting samples for her honours project at the University of Waterloo. Melissa will be investigating the sedimentary geology of the Jurassic-Cretaceous succession in the MDRS area. Her field work over the next week will define the exact nature of the project so that she can then focus on a particular suite of questions.

Per Arda ad Martem.