Santa Rita fault scarps

With temperatures nearly reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celcuis), fieldwork is becoming more strenuous in the changing conditions. Even the simplest of tasks such as walking to the study site require motivation in the heat. With no shade nearby, I knew that this would likely be my hardest challenge whilst studying abroad in Arizona. Regardless of fitness ability, everyone is dripping in sweat having looked like they have just showered. Over Spring Break, the heat changed from the evenings when you'd need an accompanying jacket, to high temperatures rapidly.
The team

I've just began a seven-week intensive Geomorphology course and requires attendance on Saturday fieldtrips for the next five or so weekends. The days are the standard 8-5pm schedule. I was nervous at first at I thought I would be the pastey English girl fainting in the heat, however I can now say it's not too bad!

The lecturer is really relaxed which is great. We have a briefing when we arrive on site and spend the rest of the day independently working in small teams. This makes the experience so much more enjoyable as we can go at our own pace. I aim to work intensely in the morning when it is the coolest. Between the hours of 1 and 4 is when it is the hottest and this allows me to work a little slower in the heat.

In the middle of nowhere!
On the 28th March, we arrived at the study site with the Santa Rita Mountains a few miles or so in the distance. The site was rather flat, with just slight changes in topography which turned out to be the fault scarps we were going to be measuring. We got the pleasure of Dr Pearthree joining us in the field who originally collected data and published the paper on Santa Rita fault scarps in 1989. By measuring a handful of slope profiles, it would enable us to establish whether the diffusion model would apply to our primary data and how this compares to Dr Pearthree's data from the 1980's.

Over the next few days I will be analysing my data, so results will soon follow!

The Santa Rita Mountains to the South

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