FieldTrip

Fourth Annual Coastal Trip led by Rice University Earth Scientists
On this field trip we will examine the modern and late Quaternary environments along the East Texas coast. Sea level has been rising and falling fast enough during the late Quaternary that sedimentary sequences have been formed that are thin enough to be imaged with high-resolution seismic data but are thick enough to be preserved on the shelf. These sequences are excellent analogs to ancient deposits that may have been formed during periods of relatively slow sea-level change. The magnitude of sea-level change during the late Quaternary has been great enough to affect the entire shelf and form full sequences. Also, the processes controlling facies architecture (i.e., fluvial input, storm influence, etc.) are at work regardless of the rate of sea-level rise and fall. The East Texas coast and adjacent continental shelf is an ideal natural laboratory for sedimentological work.

During this field trip we will visit and/or discuss several depositional environments, and examine sediment cores and high-resolution seismic records from these and other offshore environments. See http://gulf.rice.edu/fieldtrip_coastal.html for photos from past trips. The objective is to understand the facies architecture of these environments, the distribution of these facies on the continental shelf during the last glacial-eustatic cycle, and their preservation potential.

This trip will depart the Westin lobby at 8 am and return by 5 pm. The cost to register for the trip is $10. You will be provided with a guidebook, lunch, and drinks. You should wear comfortable clothes, a sun hat, and closed toed shoes that can get wet. You may want to bring sunscreen, insect repellent, and a camera.

Spindletop Trip
In 1901 an oil discovery was made near Beaumont, Texas, that is known as Spindletop. This gusher prompted an oil boom across America. This trip, led by Martha Lou Broussard (Rice University), will visit the Texas Energy Museum and the Spindletop / Gladys City Boomtown Museum. See http://www.spindletop.org/ for more information about the museum.

This trip will depart the Westin lobby promptly at 9:30 am and return by 5:00 pm. Wear comfortable cloths and plan on walking outside at the museum. Lunch will be in Beaumont, Texas. Cost for this trip is $5; bring money to cover your own lunch.



	There are a limited number of spaces for each of these field trips. Sign up early!

	Anadarko Drilling Rig Tour We will spend a day in East Texas and go an active drilling location to tour a drilling rig. We will also have a classroom discussion about wellsite operations and field development. This is an exciting and essential part of the energy industry and petroleum geoscientists routinely; (a) use wellsite data to assist in development and exploration efforts, and (b) make decisions that affect current and future drilling operations. This tour will give you a great introduction to this facet of our profession. The cost of this trip is $10 to cover transportation and lunch. You will also be provided with safety equipment and instruction, and a guidebook. We will leave the Westin Galleria Hotel lobby at 7:30 a.m. and expect to arrive back at the hotel by 5:00 p.m. Note that space is limited so please register early.

	Fourth Annual Coastal Trip led by Rice University Earth Scientists On this field trip we will examine the modern and late Quaternary environments along the East Texas coast. Sea level has been rising and falling fast enough during the late Quaternary that sedimentary sequences have been formed that are thin enough to be imaged with high-resolution seismic data but are thick enough to be preserved on the shelf. These sequences are excellent analogs to ancient deposits that may have been formed during periods of relatively slow sea-level change. The magnitude of sea-level change during the late Quaternary has been great enough to affect the entire shelf and form full sequences. Also, the processes controlling facies architecture (i.e., fluvial input, storm influence, etc.) are at work regardless of the rate of sea-level rise and fall. The East Texas coast and adjacent continental shelf is an ideal natural laboratory for sedimentological work. During this field trip we will visit and/or discuss several depositional environments, and examine sediment cores and high-resolution seismic records from these and other offshore environments. See http://gulf.rice.edu/fieldtrip_coastal.html for photos from past trips. The objective is to understand the facies architecture of these environments, the distribution of these facies on the continental shelf during the last glacial-eustatic cycle, and their preservation potential. This trip will depart the Westin lobby at 8 am and return by 5 pm. The cost to register for the trip is $10. You will be provided with a guidebook, lunch, and drinks. You should wear comfortable clothes, a sun hat, and closed toed shoes that can get wet. You may want to bring sunscreen, insect repellent, and a camera. Spindletop Trip In 1901 an oil discovery was made near Beaumont, Texas, that is known as Spindletop. This gusher prompted an oil boom across America. This trip, led by Martha Lou Broussard (Rice University), will visit the Texas Energy Museum and the Spindletop / Gladys City Boomtown Museum. See http://www.spindletop.org/ for more information about the museum. This trip will depart the Westin lobby promptly at 9:30 am and return by 5:00 pm. Wear comfortable cloths and plan on walking outside at the museum. Lunch will be in Beaumont, Texas. Cost for this trip is $5; bring money to cover your own lunch.
	For more information contact Deanna Borchers at dborcher@rice.edu.