Field Trip Information & Registration
***Registration is now closed***
We are excited to announce a CalPaleo fieldtrip! This day trip will be to Mule Canyon (near Calico, CA) and will take place on Sunday, April 15th, the day after the conference. Please fill out the registration form by March 31st if you plan to attend the fieldtrip.
Invertebrate Fossils and Microbialites of the Barstow Formation
This field trip will explore Miocene deposits of the Calico Mountains, which are located 13 miles north of Barstow, CA. The Calico Mountains, aptly named for their colorful array of volcanic, volcanoclastic, alluvial and lacustrine units, have been folded and faulted to produce some of the most picturesque geological deposits in Southern California. The Barstow Formation, which is the type unit for the Barstovian Stage of North America, records a complex depositional history, notably the interaction between rapidly changing alluvial and lacustrine systems and local volcanic centers. This trip will focus on enigmatic non-vertebrate fossil preservation in lacustrine deposits that were once mined for borates. Trip participants will have the opportunity to collect calcareous nodules that have yielded exquisitely preserved silcified insect parts, as well as examine peculiar stromatolitic carbonate buildups. Although the latter may be reminiscent of Proterozoic deposits, they include indications of eukaryotic-microbial interactions. The trip will also visit Calico Ghost Town, a remnant of the silver mining boom of the late 1800's!
There will be a limited number of seats available on a first-come, first serve basis, and you are also more than welcome to drive yourself. For those outside the Riverside area, it might be desirable to depart from Barstow at the end of the trip rather than returning to Riverside.
The trip departs from UC Riverside at 8:00am and returns at approximately 5:30pm. Please register by filling out the form below by March 31st. A $3 admission fee to Calico Ghost Town is required.
