15 May 2011 Sunday

 

And ye shall name thee “VOLC”

 

 

I tried a new method for getting up on time this morning: I put my alarm far enough away from my arms that I had to get up to turn the alarm off. This worked well since I managed to wake up and get downstairs on time. We ate breakfast and packed up the truck with the supplies we’d need to finish installing the GPS at Angel’s hostel.

We drove straight to Volcan today. It was a nice temperature outside and not raining. As Brendan finished setting up the antenna, Daisuke and I again had the job of putting together the solar panel. We pulled out the solar panel box and the box for solar panel installation parts. We opened the supply box and found...the auger! Apparently, when we had been packing up the work site from Friday, someone had put the auger in the same box as solar panel parts and taped it up. No one realized that it was the wrong box until that moment.

Daisuke told Brendan and he said we would have to design a new support structure! Hmm, yeah, ok, sure (sarcasm). This task was way beyond my purview. Pete came to help us. 

Now I will make a long story shorter. Basically, we tried executing about 3 plans until we found one that would actually provide the panel with stability as well as proper positioning. Pete had to make 2 trips to the ferretaria to pick up supplies--you could sense the growing frustration of the atmosphere. The final design was conceived by Romelio, I think, and was made using scrap metal. For having to think on the spot and to utilize whatever was close, I would say the panel came out pretty well.

 

The solar panel

 

 

The antenna, on the other hand, looked great from the get-go. After the two were up and all that was left was wiring and grounding, we went to lunch at a nearby restaurant. Side note: if you are ever traveling in a location where there is a chance you will need to use a bathroom of questionable hygiene, bring your own soap and toilet paper! The bathroom that I used had neither of the two, which was not fun. Luckily, I went into the men’s restroom and washed my hands with soap. My vegetarian lunch of rice and salad looked so pretty that I took a picture of it with Daisuke’s camera (since I’d left mine in the car).

 

The antenna

After lunch, we went back to the site and Brendan uploaded the software for the GPS. Since there weren’t many tasks to do, Daisuke and I went to look at an outcrop that Arkin had found. It was next door in an abandoned area. It looked like someone had started building a house and then lost interest. 

 

Brendan works on the antenna box

 

 

Earlier that day, I had failed at identifying the dip angle of the layer, but, after Daisuke explained it to me and when we returned to the outcrop, I understood my mistake. As we examined the sediment layers, Daisuke showed me how to draw a stratigraphic column. Looking at others later, I realized how simple mine was. 

 

The outcrop

We returned to the site and it was quickly finished. It was called VOLC as the name of the city was Volcan. We took pictures, and headed back to David. By then it was about 7:00. We had to go out to dinner, as it was Sunday and the restaurant in the hotel was closed. We went to this barbecue restaurant in a nearby fancy hotel. The only thing I could really eat on the menu was the ceviche, salad, and potato. So I ordered the salad and potato. Romelio had ordered an appetizer sized ceviche and let everyone taste some. I tried it--it was very acidic and I couldn’t really taste the fish (ceviche is when you cook fish using acid). 

 

Two down, three to go--VOLC

 

It turns out that the salad was sufficient and I didn’t really need the potato at all. The potato was huge and I couldn’t finish it :(

I was so tired after going for 8 days straight that I passed out as soon as I got back to the room.

 

More pictures: 

 

Picture from outside the common supermarket, Romero

 

Another picture from outside Romero

 

14 May 2011 Saturday

 

Hostal Las Heliconias

 

I awoke this morning to the sound of knocking on my door. I picked up my phone and...Oh my gosh! It was 7:17 A.M!! I was supposed to be downstairs 17 minutes ago. I told Daisuke, who had knocked, that I would eat in my room. I had to shower because my hair looks like a mess in the mornings. After showering, I made myself a PB&J sandwich and ate one of the granola bars that my mom had packed (thank you, Mommy!). I still don’t know if my alarm clock didn’t go off or if it rang and I just didn’t hear it. I’ll try to fix that tomorrow.

Brendan came by to drop off a slip for laundry. Hurray, clean clothes! I apologized to everyone for sleeping late, but Pete was just concerned that I got something to eat. That was such a relief! 

Today we only needed to drop off the generator and head to Angel’s lab in Volcan. On the way, we discussed a little volcanology and how eruption events may have a correlation to earthquakes. We also talked about how you can trace the subduction of a downgoing slab (tomography and seismicity of Wadati-Benioff zones). I’m really interested in this branch of plate tectonics, i.e. the geochemistry and physics of volcanology and how it is linked to earthquakes.

 

On the way to Volcan

 

On the way to Volcan

 

Anyway, apparently last night, Angel had spoken with Brendan and said that the dome, thought to be constructed of concrete, was actually styrofoam. This did not bode well for the stability Pete and Brendan wanted.

 

Pete, Wilfred, Angel, and Brendan look at styrofoam dome

When we arrived at the lab, Angel was already waiting for us. He said he would show us another location where the continuous GPS could be installed. We all drove over to his hostel (Hostal Las Heliconias). There were a few orange and lime trees in the backyard. Also in the backyard was a concrete shed upon which Brendan decided to set up the second continuous GPS. This location would provide the stability that the other place lacked while still offering security and internet.

 

Hostal Las Heliconias

 

 

Observing the area where the next site can be built

 

Orange tree in Hostal Las Heliconias

 

Brendan and Pete around the location where the GPS will be installed

 

 

We went to buy supplies for Brendan to build a monument, and then we ate lunch at Kid’s World.

 

Pete La Femina, in Kid's World, with a Mrs. Pacman controller

Almost as soon as we got back to the hostel, it began to drizzle. After working for awhile, it began to downpour. I never want to be outside when it’s that cold and wet again! I don’t know how Brendan did it, but he made the monument for the GPS in the torrential waters. Daisuke provided umbrella support. Pete and Arkin mixed the cement. And I tried to stay warm.

After we packed up for the day with many a soaking wet pair of pants, our truck stopped at the Cafe de Volcan for cafes con leche and hot chocolates. Best hot chocolate in a long time!

 

We got back to David, ate dinner, and went to bed.

 

 

 

13 May 2011 Friday

 

 

 

PTPP

 

I was on time today! I woke up at 6:15 and got down to breakfast with time to spare. At breakfast we talked about imbricated thrust faulting, especially as it relates to the Brito formation in Panama, and book shelf faulting.

On the agenda today was to first talk to the managers of PTP, who were based in David, and to then finish installing the continuous GPS at PTP. Pete and Brendan went inside the PTP office, while Daisuke explained imbricated thrust faulting to me in more detail. I think I understand it; thank you, Daisuke!

Unfortunately, Pete and Brendan came back with some bad news. What we needed was to hook up the GPS so that data would be sent to the internet network at PTP. We also need access to this network so that UNAVCO and Pete can actually use the data collected by the GPS. But the boss was afraid that other data (as in private PTP information) would also be taken. So he didn’t give Pete and Brendan the access code. Pete is not too worried because he has some back-up plans for that. Still, it would have been much easier if PTP had given the go ahead.

Afterwards, we bought a few supplies from a ferreteria (hardware store) and drove to PTP. For some reason there was a lot of 80s music playing on the radio.

It was raining when we pulled up to the site. Daisuke and I were assigned the task of assembling the tent and solar panel. The tent was easy, but Daisuke is the one who figured out most of the solar panel stuff. I basically helped screw on parts. It came out pretty nicely, though, in my opinion.

 

Daisuke stands next to the completed solar panel

Pete set up the monitor box and Brendan finished building the monument for the GPS antenna and put the antenna itself together. The rain had subsided by then and all the parts of the GPS were connected. The finished product looked awesome--let the data collection begin!

 

Pete sets up the monitor box

 

Arkin carves UNAVCO into the drying concrete

 

Again, our awesome solar panel!

 

Brendan connects cables to complete the GPS

 

The finished continuous GPS. Site name: PTPP

GPS sites apparently require 4 letter acronyms. This one is called PTPP (PTP Pacific). After a long day’s work, we headed back to David for dinner and rest.

 

Thursday 12 May 2011

 

12 May 2011

 

Today we got to sleep in until 7:30 A.M.! Despite the fact that this time was 30 minutes later than normal, I overslept and got downstairs about 5 minutes late. Normally, this wouldn’t have been a problem (especially since our Panamanian friends usually arrived to breakfast 20 minutes late). However, on this particular morning, the restaurant was packed and everyone else had made it down on time. In fact, as I was on my way downstairs, Daisuke was on his way upstairs to get me. 

Everyone had ordered already and it was taking forever just for me to get a menu. Everything was moving slowly that day and by the time everyone else had gotten their food, it was about 8:30. I ended up not getting mine until 9:15! Lesson learned: make it downstairs on time! 

We added 2 cases for episodic GPS set-up to the back of the truck and dropped the generator off at the rental store. Our journey today would not require the use of this added weight. Today we were going to Volcan Brua!

This trip would be much less taxing than previous days because we would only be installing episodic GPS’s. We took a back root to Vulcan so that we could look at the geology of the region.

Our first stop was to view one of the many exposed lahar outcrops. Check out the picture below. 

 

We then stopped at an exposure of a volcanic ash formation. There were some visible clay deposits within. We walked across the old bridge to look out at one of the rivers that cuts through the lahar.

Daisuke and Brendan examining the formation

 

Pete, Arkin, and Brendan 

 

Look, I found clay!

 

Ooh, a rusty old bridge...Let's walk across it!

 

View from the bridge

 

The next Picasso drew a rocket ship on the back of the truck with the word "INSANO" (insane)

 

 

Our next stop was at an igneous intrusion. You can see the flowing water at a fracture in the intrusion. We also looked out over a cut-out of the walls of lahar and volcano.

 

 

Intrusion!

 

Daisuke, Brendan, and Pete overlooking the cut-out

 

We came to our first episodic site of the day---GRUB, as it was called. The site was on a high up lahar block on a farm. There were also very cute puppies on the farm that I played with. Daisuke and I set up this episodic GPS (luckily all I had to do was the antennae, and not the battery, part). I hope it works!

 

Pete and Brendan walking up to GRUB

 

Daisuke stands in front of the episodic GPS we installed!

 

We made our way up the mountain to the seismology “lab” of Angel Rodriguez. Angel had made this entire lab with his own money. He doesn’t even have a degree in seismology (but some other geology that I cannot remember). Pete and Brendan talked to him about installing a continuous GPS on his seismology property. It looked like it was going to be difficult because of all the trees and high elevation of the water table.

Angel's lab from the outside

 

 

At Angel’s lab, Pete ran into a friend of his Wilfred Strauch, originally from Switzerland but who had been working in Nicaragua for a few years. Wilfred was now working at Angel’s lab. Pete invited him to lunch and we all went to Daly’s restaurant. Daisuke talked to me about the potential of Roger working as an English teacher in Japan. Roger, if you’re reading this, you should definitely look into that because Daisuke says there are many opportunities available.

Daly's restaurant

 

After lunch, Wilfred went back to the lab and we headed up the volcano to our next episodic site. This site was actually inside the walls of an extinct volcano (very extinct as you will see all the vegetation in the pictures). It had begun to drizzle and it was already much colder at this elevation. Brendan and Pete installed this episodic site.

A pretty photo as we went up the volcano 

 

Inside Volcan Baru

 

More pictures from inside Baru

 

Orchid plants in Baru

 

Daisuke holds the umbrella as Pete and Brendan set up the episodic GPS in Baru

 

Brendan and the antenna

 

The finished episodic site in Baru with an orchid in the foreground

 

We then drove around a lot of bumpy roads in search of another location to make a continuous site if Angel’s lab didn’t work. Finding nothing in the rain clouded area, we went back to Angel’s lab.

 

Pete and Brendan spoke with Wilfred since Angel had not returned. He gave us a tour of the lab. It’s pretty small, but it’s got some neat earthquake monitors. 

 

Inside Angel's lab

 

Angel had built a dome to hold a seismograph in his yard. Pete and Brendan thought that this would be a solid foundation for the continuous GPS (it appeared to be made of concrete). So the plan was to build the GPS here on Saturday.

 

We piled in the truck and drove back to David. Dinner and bed followed. 

 

 

 

More pictures coming soon

 

Wednesday 11 May 2011

 

 

 

Semi-continuous GPS & Flexibility

 

Today Brendan, Romelio, Arkin, and Johnny will finish installing the continuous GPS system at Punto de Reunion. Pete, Daisuke and I will go to a location about 5 km away from PTP and install a semi-continuous GPS.

We must first pick up a few supplies from hardware stores. First, we got the steel. We will also need to get cement, mixing basins, grinding wheels, a tent (possibly) and other things. I am still very sleepy today (I’ve got Trypanosoma yall! not really). I wish I were better at Spanish so that I could be a translator. But as it is...

I hope it is not as hot today as it was yesterday.

 

No one could have foreseen it. And why would we have after the progress yesterday? As I mentioned, in the morning we went shopping for a few tools. It was still morning by the time we got to PTP. Daisuke, Romelio, and I set up the tent and Pete and Arkin dug the trench needed. Brendan worked on cutting the steel poles to the proper size. Daisuke and I also cut out templates for the concrete that would be poured into the holes. 

Having finished these tasks, there wasn’t much for anyone but Brendan to do. So Pete took Daisuke and I to a site called Barica 2 to hook up a semi-continuous GPS. The site was high up on a marine terrace and the hike there was exciting. There were so many insects and high grasses. It was fun hiking up there except I would have preferred to have gone a little more slowly because I was getting out of breath easily.

 

Part of a marine terrace on the way to Barica 2. See the cows?

We got to the platform of the terrace where the site was to be installed. There were a lot of technical details Pete explained, but that I didn’t really understand (so I stopped paying attention). Pete then made the necessary assemblages to install the system. It was much easier than the continuous system. After the semi-continuous GPS was installed, we went back down the terrace and visited the lady whose property the site was on. Her dog had a tick on its neck.

 

View from the climb to our site on the marine terrace

 

 

Pete uses the machete to show where the semi-continuous GPS will be mounted

 

 

 

 

Daisuke and Pete working to set up the battery of the semi-continuous GPS

 

Semi continuos GPS--BAR2

 

 

The hotel whose owner also owns our site's property

 

 

We then drove back to PTP. We expected that the platform of the continuous GPS would be set up. To our dismay, we returned to find everything as we had left it! Brendan explained that the chief of the PTP, with whom we had spoken the other day, had told Brendan that the site could not go in the location we had picked. Supposedly PTP trucks needed to work in that particular place, but we could move the site backwards. What especially pissed everyone off was that this chief guy hadn’t said anything until today. All the work that had been done yesterday was for naught. 

What ended up happening was that 4 more holes were dug and the trench was remade in an acceptable location. Thunder and lightning signaled that rains were on the way and habia necessario que dar prisa. Somehow, the holes were made. 

Our first site (covered with soil) in the foreground and new site in the background

 

 

Rain clouds in the evening sky

 

More thoughts: 

The wild dogs here are very pretty, but I worry about them. They are thin and hang around the road a lot.

One of the reasons why I like Panama so much is because of the agrarian feel to it all. There is hardly city where we are and there are many cattle and horses everywhere. The children walk home for lunch everyday in their uniforms.

The people here are beautiful. The women have such pretty straight or wavy hair. The men are mostly attractive. Everyone’s skin is so smooth and pure looking. I think Maya would fit in well here, if her hair were naturally straight.

 

Catch phrases for the day:

"Crazy gringo"

"Dios mio!"

"Cafe con leche" 

 

Tuesday 10 May 2011

Puerto Armuelles

 

Forecast: Cloudy with a chance of GPS.

 

Today I woke up at around 6:10 A.M. (Central Time). I got dressed and headed downstairs for a 7:00 A.M. breakfast. We all ate a big breakfast as this was a field day (yo comi la avena--oatmeal). 

After breakfast, we moved most of the equipment to the basement of the hotel. I was glad because it meant 1. we wouldn’t have to drive around with all the equipment; 2. we wouldn’t have to take the equipment upstairs; and 3. the equipment would be safe from everything except fires. Having packed up the trucks, we packed ourselves and headed out. Destination: Puerto Armuelles...I think

 

The "fully loaded burrito." This is before we unpacked some equipment

 

 

I am realizing more and more as we go that the best laid, or the laid, plans of mice and men aft gang alay. We were supposed to be picking up some equipment from Angel Rodriguez’s shop. We needed some pipes and a generator. It took about an hour to get the pipes from the shop for some odd reason. Daisuke and I stayed in the car to keep watch while Pete and Brendan went inside.

Daisuke taught me about Focal Mechanisms (Beach Balls) and the tectonics of the Cocos Ridge/Panama area. He pretty much summed up Pete’s paper (which I have yet to read) for me. The Cocos Plate has a lot of oceanic crustal build up at the convergent end. Whereas oceanic crust is usually about 10 km thick, this crust is 20 km thick. So a lot of stress is building up along the margin because the Cocos Plate is not actually subducting under the Caribbean Plate as it should. Instead, the Cocos Plate is thrusting the Caribbean Plate in a similar manner as that which occurs in the Himalayas (convergent continental-continental). Additionally, the Caribbean Plate is divided into microplates. Panama, a part of the Caribbean Plate, is itself divided into microplates. The westernmost portion of the Caribbean Plate, called a sliver because it is even smaller than a microplate, is moving to the northwest. Usually, this movement is caused by interseismic elastic strain accumulation when a plate subducts at an oblique angle and the resultant frictional force pushes on the upper plate with a lateral component. While this strain accumulation probably does play a role in the sliver’s movement, Pete hypothesizes that ridge push by the Panama microplate is providing the a more important force which causes fore-arc motion (movement of the sliver).

It’s very technical and not as simple as an intro textbook would have you believe. Daisuke also spoke with me about his senior (undergrad) thesis. He was studying magnetic anomalies in hot spot traces (circles) on Mars. Certain anomaly patterns are indicative of plate tectonics. His data analysis of the anomalies as well as the ability of the anomalies to predict an equatorial position that matched 8 of 21 major impacts led he and his professor to to conclude that the data support the idea that plate tectonics did operate on Mars in the past. 

When Brendan and Pete finally got back to the van, I was pretty much a pro on focal mechanisms and the Cocos system (well sort of). We still needed a generator since Angel didn’t have one for us. We searched far and wide for an affordable generator. After another hour, we found one. 

 

The rental store where we found a generator

We got on the road and drove almost straight to the first site, PTP in Armuelles.  As we were pulling in to PTP, our contact was actually pulling out. We were going to confirm with him that it was okay to set up a continuous GPS at a location marked Punto de Reunion. Instead, we ended up talking to the men who worked at PTP. 

 

School children on our way to PTP site

 

 

PTP

 

 

 

PTP is a company which has oil tankers come in and unload their oil. They pump the oil from the Pacific side to the Atlantic side. The men in charge were very helpful and allowed us to begin working that day as long as we gave our passport information. So, we began to work...well, I didn’t really. I mostly watched the others (all grown men) work. 

 

Oil tanker coming into PTP

 

 

First, Pete, Romelio, Daisuke, and Arkin dug a square out of the grass. The soil never really turned into solid rock. Then, Brendan used a tool called an Auger to make a hole in the ground. Three more holes needed to be constructed around this hole to form a triangle (with the three other holes dipping at 30˚). 

 

Brendan, Pete, and Arkin survey Punto de Reunion

 

 

 

Romelio, Arkin, Pete, and Daisuke are working on the first hole

 

 

Brendan "augering out" the first hole

 

 

 

It was incredibly hot outside and everyone, including my non-working self, was sweating. We could hear the howling monkeys in the trees around the periphery. A plant that closes its leaves when you touch it (I don’t think it’s a Mimosa anymore) lined the fence and I took a video of them closing to show my friend. 

After what seemed like a lifetime, but was only really 2 hours, the holes were completed (the middle hole was about 10 feet deep while the other three were about 6 feet deep). I augered a total of once. We packed up the gear and headed back to David. 

On the ride back, we talked about a Miocene lahar forming and silicic rock deposits of Miocene age. I asked why, because I thought the Miocene was a cold epoch (due to the closing of the Central American Seaway which allowed for the formation of the Atlantic Conveyor Belt/Meridional Overturning Circulation associated with glacier formation in this Era), there would be such magmatism to allow silica rich rocks to form from the basalt/andesite. Pete says there is a debate about when the Central American seaway actually closed and that Dr. McNeill is doing research to help determine that time. Actually, Don’s and the work of others seems to suggest that the seaway closed around 3 million years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch. Hopefully, Pete’s work will shed some light on this. 

We got back to the hotel, ate dinner, and went to Romero’s to shop for a few things. Daisuke had the idea of trying to make it easier  to find the location of the three holes before drilling started the next day. We would make the triangles with a triangle constructed of floss. 

Okay I think I am not getting enough sleep at all. Because I cannot stay awake in the car or when I sit down.

Another 7:00 A.M. morning tomorrow.

 

My gatherings from today:

Panamanians are very courteous. They are very good looking as well with clear skin, and friendly faces. I want to come back here sometime.

 

More pictures

 

 On the way to PTP, we drive along the border between Panama and Costa Rica. If you look across the median, you can see Costa Rica!

 

Puerto Armuelles countryside

 

Brendan measures the location of the next hole

 

 

Monday  9 May 2011

 

 

Woke up at 6:50 A.M. (Central Time) today. Showered and got dressed. ApartHotel was totally legit. I had my doubts at first, but it was definitely better than many of the hotels back home. Except for one little thing. Before I went to bed last night,  I accidentally broke one of the glass dishes on a table in the hotel. But it was totally set up for that to happen. I mean there was a space between the table and the wall so as soon as the dish moved a little, it fell to the floor and shattered. It was an honest mistake, but I never told anyone...until now :P

I got downstairs at around 7:50 A.M. (we were supposed to meet at  8:00) and Daisuke arrived a few minutes later. Brendan showed up next and we went next door to breakfast. Pete was last to arrive, not including the waitress. We all ordered eggs (there actually wasn’t much to choose from--juevos o chorizos) and toast. I’m pretty sure it was only like one egg or maybe two small ones. It was really delicious, but I wish there had been more. I guess that’s another thing you learn as a field geologist--eat all you can when you have a chance!

We talked about GPS methods and what UNAVCO (University NAVSTAR Consortium) actually does. I learned that UNAVCO is basically in charge of doing GPS work (I should probably know that already). It sends people to install GPS systems and then analyzes and catalogues the data. It also has a lot of PBOs (Plate Boundary Observatories) and borehole sites where GPS systems are placed to monitor plate movement. There were a lot of other cool things that UNAVCO does as well, but I don’t remember all of them. 

Anyway, we also discussed the plans for the day at breakfast. The goal was to meet up with a man named Eduardo in the Instituto de Geociencias a la Universidad de Panama (UNAP) as well as some others in charge to discuss the project. All the gear was at the University, so we needed to pack that up as well. We would then travel to Penonome to view a continuous GPS system that was already in place. Afterwards, from what I gathered, we would go to David (Pete said this would be a 5 hour drive from Panama City).

 

When we arrived at UNAP, we were greeted by a packed parking lot. Pete went inside to talk to Eduardo. Eduardo moved his car so that we could park close to the Instituto. We also met Arkin at this point. 

Arkin

 

When we went inside, Pete was put on the spot and made to give a mini-presentation of the project to the director of the geosciences institute. I guess he had to ask the institute if he could use its manpower to help install the system. 

It took a lot longer than expected, but we found out that many continuous GPS’s had already been put in place by another organization not affiliated with UNAP. This organization, however, was not actually collecting the data from their sites. Pete wants to talk to the organization about gathering their data. 

 

Eduardo stands in front of a topographic map of Panama

 

Pete convinced the man in charge at the geosciences institute that the project was worthwhile. We then had to move all the equipment to install the GPS networks from the basement of the institute to the truck. Unfortunately, it had begun to downpour! We had to “hurry-up-and-wait,” as Pete likes to say, for the rains to pass or else the cardboard would get wet. 

Brendan tries to figure out how to fit the supplies into our two cars (the truck and Romelio's car)

 

 

 

We borrowed a tarp from the institute and man by the name of Romelio went to buy rope. When the rainwaters subsided a bit, we moved the equipment. Side note coming at ya--Batteries are very heavy! 

After the truck was loaded with materials, including Pete’s machete, we took the picture you see below and set off. 

Instituto de Geociencias  en la Universidad de Panama--Monday; 3rd from left is Dr. Peter La Femina, then Eduardo, then Brendan Hodge, Daisuke Kobayashi, Arkin, ?,?

 

 

It turned out that Arkin, Romelio, and another man named Johnny would be joining us on the journey. Next stop: David...well almost. 

Our companions liked to make stops on the way, so a five hour drive became more like 6-6.5 hours. Eduardo had hooked us up with a hotel so that Pete would be spending a lot less per night--Hotel Castilla. 

 

It was pretty late by now and we all piled in to the hotel’s restaurant for dinner. I enjoyed a plate full of camarones con mantequilla y arroz (shrimp with butter and rice). Era fantastico! Then we all went to our rooms and I went to bed--7:00 A.M. breakfast the next day!

 

 More pictures from today

 

 

View from outside of el Instituto de Geociencias

 

 

 

 Downtown Panama City

 

 

 

 

A non-explosive volcano on the way to David

 

 

Hello anyone reading this! I just typed this and the internet went all screwy and lost my whole post. But I'll try to redo it as best as possible. 

My plan had been to post a blog everyday I would be in Panama, but that obviously hasn't worked. We've been spending long days in areas without Internet connection and I've just been going straight to bed at night--ahh the life of a field geologist :) . But I will fill you in on what's been going on down here. I will break the previous days into their own separate blogs even though I am posting them all on Thursday (one big blog would just be too intimidating). Well, here it goes:

 

Day One: Sunday 8 March 2011

 

What an adventure it’s been already and what adventures will come!

My mom is the most amazing mother in the world, hands down! She came to Miami on Thursday to help me pack up my dorm things and put them in storage. I definitely did not take into consideration how difficult that would be, especially since I had final exams up until Friday. We got everything packed, though. I hung out with my friends from Friday night into Saturday morning, said my goodbyes, and, with my mom’s help, packed my bags for Panama.

Dr. La Femina said to pack light since we wouldn’t have a lot of space in the car. It was a challenge to decide which clothes to bring and which I didn’t really need. Somehow, we managed to fit everything into a hiking bag and a back pack. 

My mom and I woke up early Sunday morning (Mother’s Day) and headed over to Miami International. It took forever to get through baggage check, but I guess we did in time (seeing as I have my bag now). I kissed my mom goodbye and made my way onto the plane. 

The flight didn’t seem to last long since I slept through most of it. All of the announcements made on the plane were done in English and Spanish and I figured most of the travelers could speak Spanish better than myself. I landed in Panama today at around 12:12 P.M. Central time. Getting through customs was easy compared to checking baggage in Miami, even though the customs agents spoke English as a second language. I like the airport in Panama--it’s smaller than Miami International. 

 

I had 9 hours to kill at the airport, and unfortunately all the internet connections were password protected. So, I figured I would find the car counter where everyone was meeting. Side note here--I actually didn't know how many people were coming. The only people I knew for sure would be coming were Dr. La Femina and his grad student Daisuke Kobayashi.

 

I thought it would take me longer to find the rental counter, but it turned out to be a short walk in a straight path from customs. I waited at the rental counter for most of the time, wandering away to take some of the pictures you see below. 

  At around 9:30 CT, I saw a man I recognized in a photo accompanied by two others heading toward the car counter. As they approached, the leading man understood who I was as well and greeted me. For the first time, I was meeting Dr. La Femina in person. Dr. La Femina then went to the counter to check out the car. A young-looking man who had introduced himself as Brendan Hodge came to sit across from me and Daisuke sat next to him. Had Brendan told me he was an undergrad, I would not have questioned it given only his physical appearance. Later, however, I would learn that this adept UNAVCO engineer had already earned a Master's degree and had been working for a few years. My first impressions of Daisuke were in error as well, for I mistook him to be a quiet and inward person. In the near future, I would find him to be quite conversational and skilled in explaining geological concepts.

 

The three of us exchanged phone numbers and Dr. La Femina returned. Shortly thereafter, the car was ready to go and so was I. Our rental car turned out to be a brand new truck. My instinct was, "Awesome! A new truck." But Dr. La Femina knew better--new cars show wear more distinctly than used vehicles.

 

I will take the time here to say that I will not disclose the entire account of our escapades. If you would like to hear them, feel free to come and speak with me directly. Trust me, it will be better this way ;)

 

Long story short, we checked in to the Aparthotel in Panama City around 10:45 CT. We went to eat and then passed out. It would be an early morning the next day (8:00 A.M. for breakfast). Also, Dr. La Femina says to call him Pete :)

 

 

Pictures of the hotel

 

This is a long time in coming, I guess. I was never very skilled at maintaining a diary, and, as this seems quite similar to one, I will make no promises regarding its upkeep. I will, however, try to get the most important things in here.

I probably should have started with an introduction, yes? Well hi, readers. My name is Christine Chesley and I am currently a freshman at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. I am a geology and marine science double major as well as math (and maybe physics) minor. And the reason I am writing this blog is because I was accepted to participate in the RESESS internship program. It sounds like it will be an awesome experience. 

I really did not expect to be picked for the program. I am just a freshman (but I came in with a lot of AP credits) and I don't have all that much experience in research. I applied to several internship programs over Christmas break. I figured it would be good to apply even if my chances were slim--"you never know if you don't go." So, when Val Sloan sent me an e-mail in late February about being in the final stages of the selection process for RESESS, I was more than a little surprised. She and Dav Carlson called me the following day to see if I was still interested in the program. And don't you know I was! I mean, these kinds of opportunities don't come around often! The excitement in my voice said it all. Val and Dav said I would be receiving an acceptance message in the upcoming week. Can you believe it?! Me, a RESESS intern, going to Boulder to do what I love to do--GEOLOGY! I was ecstatic! I couldn't contain my enthusiasm and I called my mom, dad, grandma, and aunt to relay the news. It was such a surreal feeling which has yet to soak in fully. 

Now I will skip ahead a few months. Val e-mailed me last week to ask if I was interested in working on a project whereby I would spend 2 weeks in Panama. For real?! Panama?!! Heck to the yes. I would travel to Panama and meet up with Dr. Peter La Femina from Pennsylvania State University. We would go to 5 sites to install a new continuous GPS network. The network will be used in coordination with a previously installed episodic GPS system in Nicaragua. A master's student, who I will meet, will use the data gathered from the two networks to analyze crustal deformation of Panama and Costa Rica in response to the subducting Cocos Plate. Awesome, right? 

Well, the only problem was that I have finals at UM. The physics final would conflict with my going to Panama. Luckily, I talked to my professor and he is allowing me to take the exam at an earlier date. Panama here I come! When I get back to the states, I will head home for about a day and then venture to Colorado. Dr. La Femina is working on a project for me that deals with volcanology! This summer is going to ROCK!