Field Trip
Tuesday, 30 September 2008, from 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
We will depart at 8:00 AM from the main (north) entrance to the University Inn (see building “UI” on attached map) on the campus of Utah State University (USU). We are traveling in two minibuses and three minivans, which will be lined up at the curb. Please check in with a DSM 2008 representative before getting into one of the vehicles.
We will examine the implementation of Landsat 7 spectral data in the digital soil mapping project for updating the soil survey of the Eastern Shore of the Great Salt Lake. We will travel from the urban and agricultural setting of Logan in Cache Valley, which is the eastern-most valley of the Basin and Range in northern Utah, to the subalpine crest of the Bear River Range, which is part of the Middle Rocky Mountains. We will observe how parent material, hydrology, aspect, and vegetation affect soil properties and land use along an orographic climate gradient from 1400 to 2700 m in elevation. Additional topics include the origins and evolution of the Basin and Range, Great Basin, Pleistocene pluvial Lake Bonneville, and the Middle Rocky Mountains. Transportation, lunch, and refreshments are included.
We will return to the entrance of the University Inn at 5:00 PM. On-site registration and check-in for pre-registered participants will be available in the lobby of the Eccles Conference Center on the USU campus 5:00-6:00 PM.
How to prepare: Wear field boots or sturdy shoes for climbing into and out of soil pits, hat, sunblock, and sunglasses. Bring your soils knife and/or rock hammer (do not put in your carry-on luggage if you travel by air!) and a water bottle. Bring a camera to capture the views, autumn colors, and the soil profiles. Cache Valley and the Bear River Range have wide diurnal and orographic temperature variations, so we recommend that you dress in layers. It will be cool in the early morning (4-10°C, 40-50°F), warm at midday in the valley (21-27°C, 70-80°F), and cool in late afternoon in the mountains. The high elevation (4500-8000 ft, 1400-2400 m) and low humidity result in high solar radiation, which can cause sunburn and dehydration. Please take the proper precautions (e.g., hat, sunblock, sunglasses, water bottle).
Parking information: If you are staying at the University Inn, parking is free in the parking terrace northwest of the University Inn. If you are driving a rental car, you may park in the parking terrace for a small fee.
Bus information: If you are staying at a hotel downtown and would like to use the bus, the Cache Valley Transit District offers free bus transportation throughout Logan and surrounding communities (http://cvtdbus.org/). Routes 1 and 4 connect the Transit Center (150 East 500 North; north of Smith’s Food and Drug Center parking lot) to the USU Campus just northwest of the University Inn, leaving the Transit Center on the hour (:00) and the half-hour (:30) beginning at 6:30 AM (Route 1) and 7:00 AM (Route 4). Route 7 has a stop at 100 West and 200 South near the Baugh Motel (:13 and :43 of the hour) and connects at the Transit Center with Routes 1 and 4.
