Geology Fieldwork in Israel, June 2007
Mark A. Wilson (Wooster Geology Professor), Meredith Sharpe & Sophie Lehmann (Wooster Seniors)

Our June 2007 trip to Israel was for the Senior Independent Study fieldwork for Meredith Sharpe and Sophie Lehmann in the Department of Geology at The College of Wooster. It was also part of a growing program of research in the Jurassic of Israel by Mark Wilson and his students. The trip was supported by the Henry J. Copeland Fund for Independent Study and the Sherm Wengerd Endowment for Geological Field Research. We had very generous assistance from the Geological Survey of Israel, especially from our friends Dr. Amihai Sneh and Dr. Yoav Avni.

This webpage is designed to show the viewer highlights of our adventure in Israel, and to serve as an organizing point for our digital photographs. Click on each date for that day's worth of photos; a favorite from each day is linked in the text:

June 15: Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev was our base; our first field day was spent exploring Makhtesh Gadol.
June 16: Shabbat trip to the Dead Sea, salt caves, the botanical gardens and shoreline at En Gedi, and Qumran.
June 17: A long day of fieldwork in the Zohar and Matmor Formations (Jurassic) in Makhtesh Gadol.
June 18: A visit to the Gevanim Formation (Triassic) in Makhtesh Ramon; nice dinner at "home".
June 19: Fieldwork on the "Meredith 1" section in Makhtesh Gadol; lunch under the one tree.
June 20: A visit to the western end of Makhtesh Gadol, which required a four-wheel drive vehicle.
June 21: Completing the "Meredith 2" section in the western end of Makhtesh Gadol.
June 22: Sophie arrives and we begin to measure and describe the "Lehmann 1" section at Makhtesh Gadol.
June 23: Shabbat trip to Eilat and the Underwater Observatory.
June 24: A misty start to the day on "Lehmann 1" at Makhtesh Gadol.
June 25: We finish our fieldwork this day on Sophie's rocks in Makhtesh Gadol.
June 26: A visit to Jerusalem, including an exciting journey through the long and wet Hezekiah's Tunnel.
June 27: Exploring Avdat, an ancient city site north of Mitzpe Ramon.
June 28: A last visit to Makhtesh Gadol, concentrating on the western end; silicified top to the Matmor here.

You can also view photographs of the 2004 expedition to Israel with Kevin Wolfe and Allison Mione, and of the 2005 fieldwork in Israel with Jeff Bowen. Images from Mark Wilson's first visit to Israel in 2003 are also available.