COSA: Convergent Orogen Systems Analysis

Photos from January 2009 Atacama Desert field trip

...Senor El Buitre tiene hambre...

In January 2009, Jay Quade, Kendra Murray, and I went to the Atacama Desert for sampling for thermochronology, cosmogenic isotopes, paleosols, and seismobolitas...(stay tuned for more on that one!). Here are a few photos.

Evidence for recent flow of H2O, just south of El Buitre, near Lomas Bayas.	Gettin the ajo cooked at a nice kitchen below El Buitre, in the absolute middle of nowhere.
Jay and Kendra sample a Quaternary tuff.	More evidence that it actually does rain every now and then in the Atacama.
Stricken by a mutant Oligocene lung-eating bacteria, this is the extent of physical activity either Jay and I could accomplish for several days.	Kendra, the sole survivor, on her way to the top of the Domeykos, west of the Salar de Atacama.
Our trusty steed and home for a couple weeks.	Scrape away the loess, and this is the pattern of gypcrete on the surface of the Atacama.
Kendra in Jay's secret field-gear bat cave stash. Also home of the Oligocene lung-eating microbe.	Senor El Buitre y la cabeza de el buitre.
Me y Kendra.	I lost five million dollars in a bet made from a distance about the origin of this feature..
Anyone seen a boulder left here ~10 Ma?	Amazing rubbing boulders in the El Buitre field. This is cool stuff...watch for it.