Field Trips

North McCullough Range

Southern Nevada Chapter

AEG News is grateful to Deborah Morales for sharing photos from the Southern Nevada Chapter’s recent field trip. Deborah is a PhD student, Teaching Assistant, and AEG Student Chapter Chair at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV). The field trip was led by Professor Eugene Smith of UNLV and his postdoc, Dr. Racheal Johnsen. The group visited newly discovered Neogene rhyolitic ashfall deposits in the North McCullough Range of southern Nevada. Falling lake levels have exposed three previously submerged layers of ash. The close-up photo shows the outcrop of the 9.31 Ma middle ash layer, which correlates to the Yellowstone Snake River Plain hotspot. Editors’ Note: AEG News welcomes your Chapter’s field trip reports and photos.

AT LEFT: Dr. Racheal Johnsen (in lime green) and Professor Eugene Smith (in gray hat) at the outcrop of the 9.31 Ma middle ash layer, which correlates to the Yellowstone Snake River Plain hotspot.