Jet skis loaded on a trailer on a survey trip of the Oregon Coast

Author: Jeff Wood, Faculty Research Assistant, CEOAS (College of Earth, Oceanic and Atmospheric Science)

As part of Peter Ruggiero’s research at OSU, we perform a Nearshore Bathymetry Survey on the Outer Coast of Oregon and Southern Washington, taking depth readings to map the seafloor from the surf zone to offshore about 2 kilometers.

In Oregon, our data collection goes into updating FEMA Tsunami Hazard mapping, mapping a different county in Oregon each summer for the past three years. In Southern Washington, and the northern extent of Clatsop County, Oregon, our group has a 15 year annual data set that is used to assess morphological changes along the beaches surrounding the Mouth of the Columbia River, used to determine beach erosion/ progration rates within the study areas.

We launch and land the Jet Skis on the beach using dollies (shown strapped to the boats in the pictures) when boat-ramps are not readily available in the vicinity of our study area. Our safety crew follows the survey vessels along the beach in the truck, spotting them and ready to assist if the operator is knocked off the boat while within the breaking zone of the surf.

We work in collaboration with the US Geological Survey (USGS), Washington State Department of Ecology, and the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI).

Photo Authors vary from Heather Baron, Diana Di Leonardo, and Jeff Wood.

Jet Skis on a survey trip of the Oregon/Washington

Jet Skis on a survey trip of the Oregon/Washington

Graduate Students in Water Resources

Author: Dr. Mary Santelmann, Director, Water Resources Graduate Program Oregon State University, CEOAS

Graduate students in the Sociotechnical Aspects of Water Resources class took to the field on Saturday to participate in measurements of stream discharge in Oak Creek at two different stations near Corvallis.

The photo shows students measuring stream width and depth to calculate cross-sectional area, which is used along with water height (stream
stage) and flow velocity to determine streamflow. The class used several methods to measure flow velocity near our permanent gaging stations; a salt tracer and conductivity measurements, two different types of flow meters, and the low-tech but always fun neutrally-buoyant object method (i.e., measuring time required for citrus fruit and marshmallows to float downstream).

While the weather was typical of the Oregon fall, the class was well-prepared with rain gear and waders, and after all, these are students who enjoy being immersed in their work!

Redeploying the 60th instrument mooring in the depths of Crater Lake. Pictured: (From left to right) Bob Collier, Professor CEOAS, Mark Buktenica, National Park Service Biologist and OSU Alum , and Chris Moser, Senior Faculty Research Assistant hold a sediment trap that collects particles settling down to a depth of 582 meters.

Author: Bob Collier, Marine Geochemistry, CEOAS (College of Earth, Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences)

Place: Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park, Sept. 11, 2012

Redeploying the 60th instrument mooring in the depths of Crater Lake.

This research project has yielded 30 years of continuous observations of the physics, chemistry, and biology in the deepest lake in the United States (7th deepest in the world). Every time this sediment trap is redeployed, the crew signs it, leaving a history of people and memorable events along the way.

Our friends at OSU Motor Pool have gotten us there (and back again) for over 30 years, with over 30,000 miles logged! THANK YOU!

For more information, see: http://chemoc.coas.oregonstate.edu/~bobcollier/

Pictured: Bob Collier, Mark Buktenica, National Park Service Biologist and OSU Alum

Pictured: (Left to right) Bob Collier, Chris Moser

Pictured: (Left to right) Chris Moser, Walt Waldorf

Large trucks for tough work... OSU Motor Pool vehicles get you where you need to be! (Author Mark T. Ford pictured)

The High Desert of Oregon, Lots of Sagebrush and Volcanoes!

Author: Mark T. Ford, Geology and Geophysics, CEOAS (College of Earth, Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences)

Place: High Lava Plains of Oregon

My research into the causes of volcanism in the High Lava Plains of Oregon took me to all kinds of places. I traveled from the top of the snow-capped Steens Mountains, down to the chain of lakes in the Warner Valley and across the Alvord Desert. From the flanks of Newberry Volcano to the sunstone mines outside of Plush, I trekked all over eastern and southern Oregon. At first glance, there is little more than open space, sagebrush and volcanoes over much of that land. A few hours each day were spent driving long distances at high rates of speed on the highways with a few more hours driving very slowly to cover just a few miles on two-tracks and gravel “roads.”

On my travels, I met a number of interesting characters including Fred Otley, a cattle rancher in eastern Oregon. He seemed keenly interested in my work and welcomed me to enter any of his land holdings to sample volcanic rocks. “Let’s break out a map and see where you want to go,” he said. To which I replied, while digging through my pile of maps to get the ones covering the nearby areas, “How much land do you have?” He responded, “Well, I’ve got land I ain’t seen yet.” That’s a lot of land! Legendary central Oregon rancher and author Reub Long of Fort Rock fame once quipped, “You don’t measure distance by miles but by looks. It is ten looks across the Oregon high desert.” In my estimation, ten “looks” equals about 350 miles.

In addition to meeting characters and collecting lots of rock samples, I also got a chance to see and experience some interesting phenomena and some great scenery. While I was camped out in the wild lands most of the time, occasionally I would stay at a hot springs to help sooth my boot-weary feet and relax my bones and joints. I also saw two jet fighters “dog-fighting” over the Christmas Lake area, the largest juniper tree in the state, lava tubes and caves, the “Lost Forest,” which is located in an otherwise barren desert, countless wild burros and antelope, sundogs encircling the noon-day sun, raging rangeland fires, eagles at some of the mountain lakes and much, much more. But, maybe the best scenes of the entire field season were the stars, sparkling in all their heavenly glory, set perfectly in the dark Oregon desert sky, serenaded by a chorus of coyotes.

Floods and Fish: Photo by Oregon State University

Watch the Oregon Field Guide streaming video after the break.

OSU News & Communications News release from OSU News & Communications
Oregon Live Archived article from the Oregonian

Image: Nathan Pauley and Three-Skulls Van, Photo taken in Sierra Foothills, California on March, 31 2012.

Three-Skulls Van: Corvallis or Bust…Skulls!!

Author: Lisa Riley, Geography Department, CEOAS (College of Earth, Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences)

Place: Sierra Valley Foothills near Columbia City Historic National Park, Tuolumne County, California.

Our last stop was the beautiful Sierra Valley Foothills where we were welcomed by our attending staff Professor’s (Dr. Anita Grunder Deptartment of Geosciences) family who’s company and hospitality speaks legends.  We owe a great thanks to Anita and her family for such a wonderful welcome and tour of the area.  We had a huge cowboy-style bonfire and enjoyed songs and memories of our tales from the road our last night together.  The rains came the last Saturday before the new term but it never dampened our spirits.  Our week long trip over spring break took us to Death Valley in the Mojave Desert.

We saw the great wall of the Hoover Dam and a night on the Vegas strip.  We visited Joshua Tree National Park in the Sonoran desert as well.  A great thanks to the Motor Pool.  Our vans took us on all the washboard roads in both Death Valley and Joshua Tree and allowed us to see the geological splendor in these national parks.  The first night at Death Valley were accompanied with high wind/rains and we used Three-Skull van as an anchor while we all held other ends of an enormous tarp to make a station and eat dinner.  Our vans charged our cameras, phones, and iPods in the heart of the desert and gave us refuge for some very needed sleep at times.  Some highlights in Death Valley were the racetrack playa were larger rocks move on their own due to moisture, Cooper canyon, and Badwater pools and salt flat.

Badwater basin in Death Valley is the point of lowest elevation United States.  Our vans were tough enough for us to take the Geology tour roads in Joshua Tree, visit an old mine and dam, see a famous spot were cattle rustling commonly occurred, and view petroglyphs.  I thought the geology was amazing in Joshua Tree.  It looked like a giant made a lot of huge rock piles everywhere.  After visiting Columbia City Historic Park, a preserved California gold rush town founded in the gold rush boom March 1850 we returned to Anita’s family ranch (our last camp) to some very soaked tents.

For Three-Skull Van and the Geo Club caravan it was Corvallis or Bust…skulls!!!

Image: Nathan Pauley and Three-Skulls Van, Geo Club Officer, Dept of Geology, Oregon State University, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. Photo taken in Sierra Foothills, California on March, 31 2012.

The "Wildman" Part Two

Use the link below in the Read More section to see Part Two of The “Wildman”.

Updated: 3/29/2012

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Links to some great articles featuring the work of Randy and others:

http://oregonprogress.oregonstate.edu/spring-1999/river-runs-through-it

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/09/researchers_track_coolwater_ha.html

If you haven’t seen Part 1 of The “Wildman” you can access the YouTube link from a previous post.

If you haven’t seen it online check out Part 1 of The “Wildman”. Access the YouTube link in the Read More Section to see a creative interpretation of important water habitat work being conducted by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Think you have the answer to the question at the end of the video? Leave it in the comments section while we await the conclusion of of the story in Part 2 of The “Wildman”.

Motor Pool Theatrical Trailer

Until we are flooded with customer story submissions we’ll from time to time produce filler content. This is our first stop motion animation project. It is a short: short in length and short on plot. Hope you enjoy!

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