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Press Release | |
MAY/JUNE EXPEDITION
| Led
by Dr. Brian Hausback of the California State University, Sacramento Geology
Department, the team will search for clues to the volcanic history of La
Reforma caldera and the Isla San Luis volcano. Their first destination
will be Isla San Luis, where they will use boats to gain access to the
island. From there, they will drive to Santa Rosalia, then travel
to La Reforma caldera, just north of Santa Rosalia. Lastly, the team will
drive to the west rim of the caldera, near Tres Virgenes volcano, for the
final phase of the expedition's fieldwork. (See Press
Release)
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UPDATES
FROM THE CREW IN THE FIELD
| May 25, 2000
7:53 AM From Brian: "Greetings from Punta Bufeo! We are sending this message via satellite phone on Thursday morning. The expedition is on schedule and members are all healthy and in good spirits. "Our drive from Sacramento took two days. After picking up Chloe and Jane in Los Angeles we camped at the Salton Sea. The next day we had a smooth border crossing and made [it to] the beach at Punto Bufeo, Sunday at 6 pm. Arturo Martin and Francisco Paz arrived soon after. "Camp consists of three vehicles surrounding our eating tables and cooking gear. We have strung a tarp over it all to provide some shade and the sun is with us wherever we go! Local residents, John and Silvia have arranged for boat transportation to the island. So far all of the residents are friendly and curious about our work. |
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| "Today completes our
fourth day of work on Isla San Luis. Despite high winds at times
and temperatures reaching 95 degrees, the team has made good progress.
We collected numerous samples for carbon 14 dating of the youngest eruptions.
The team has found fossils in several locations on the island which will
help in dating the volcano.
"Everyone is relieved to have completed the task of collecting bird guano, after walking through sharp obsidian blocks in 95 degree heat looking for the largest pile of bird dung on the island. Chris continues to take carbon dioxide flux measurements around the island. All members are amazed at the volume of debris [spewed] by eruptions here. "We think the youngest
eruption is the large obsidian dome in the center of the island.
"The first volcanic feature suggests that this island erupted in the very recent past. Everywhere we walk there are fresh obsidian/pumice bombs which once rained from its explosive center. Everywhere we look there are new and exciting discoveries. Our work here will be concluded at the end of the week when we drive south to La Reforma. "Special thanks to Gary for the use of his great satellite telephone." Brian Hausback |
| May 28, 2000
11:33 PM From Brian: "After 4 days of fieldwork on Isla San Luis and one day exploring the coast near Punta Bufeo, the team is now preparing for a remote 'boat access' base camp on the rugged east coast of La Reforma, near Santa Rosalia. Thanks to the hospitality of Jim McKenna we are regrouping and planning the next leg of our fieldwork in San Bruno, a sleepy palm oasis near Santa Rosalia. "Our final day on Isla San Luis was spent collecting more volcanic specimens. We focused on a beach-carved cliff that displayed much of the geologic evolution of the volcano. Francisco and I then climbed the central domes to collect obsidian and readings. Thanks to our noble boat operator, Gilberto, we made our beach landings safely each time. |
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| "The final thrill of our Isla San Luis exploration
came when our support crew, Chloe and Sarah, arranged for an overflight
of the island in pilot Glenn Vice's cessna 182. Keith and I were
treated to an exhilarating tour of the volcano at a 4,000' elevation.
The flight revealed dacite lava 'fingers' -- toe-like masses extending
approximately 200 m into the Sea of Cortez -- and countless other incredible
views.
"All in all, there were many new discoveries at the island and the trip was very productive. On Thursday night, following the flight, John and Sophie prepared a fish feast for our entire team and [the] locals at their house near our camp. The meal was a civilized contrast to the rugged day hikes. "Arturo and Francisco have departed to return to their home towns and Joann Stock will join us today. Next update to follow our return from the Reforma Coast." Brian Hausback |
| June 3, 2000
3:57 AM From Brian: La Reforma Coast:
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Marine terraces on the rugged coast of La Reforma, just north of base camp at Punta Prieta. Photographed from moving panga! |
| "We discovered that a lot of the volcanic
activity was underwater when it happened. 'Pillow' breccia at the
base of basalt flows and towering 200 m walls (columnar jointed) were spectacular.
We found faults in several locations; they caused the rocks - including
a lava flow on top - to be tilted at a 43 degree angle.
"The final hike was up a breathtaking canyon, 'canyon of the devil' (arroyo del diablo), where the pangas landed on a beach with a cross and two graves!!! The team explored strangely-shaped caves, found a rattlesnake resting, and crawled over, under, and around enormous blocks of silicic lava (house sized!) caught up in a debris flow deposit. Green trees, wildflowers, and birds kepts us company as we ascended the eerie canyon whose walls have eyes that seem to stare at you as you go. "The panga ride back was epic: one boat sprung a leak after the gear was loaded, the surf pounding, and had engine trouble; the other bounced so hard that Chris and Keith are now one inch shorter! Jane's behind is black and blue from the bucking boat, and Keith sacrificed a camera to the Sea of Cortez. Brian is no longer 6'5" and Joann has 'X-files' feet! "Paul had dysentery but still hiked, and Chloe had a 'gnarly' stomach the day before her 20th birthday! Chris has an alien growing in his ankle and Sarah discovered that sea-sickness pills don't always work... "Still, we arrived in San Bruno safely, loaded with rock samples, and departed today for our backpacking trip to new territory on the western flank of La Reforma." Brian Hausback |
| June 7, 2000
2:25 PM From the Team: From Catavina, Baja California, Norte
"Leaving camp early Saturday morning, we hiked through the desert in 100 degree heat to our advanced base camp in the volcano's western moat -- an area that was possibly at one time flooded with a lake, similar to Crater Lake, Oregon. Our forward camp was a good staging ground for our explorations into the central volcanic complex. As the weather was hot, and the hikes strenuous, we decided to send a crew back to the vehicles for additional water. Jane, Keith, and Paul volunteered for the hike and returned at dusk with 11 additional gallons of water. |
View of La Reforma volcano. |
| "Meanwhile, Chris, Joann, Sarah, and Brian
set out for Mesa Punta Arena to sample obsidian and look at bright green
intra-caldera pumice/ash deposits; they were riddled with caves.
Back at camp, the fabulous Sarah and exotic Chloe fixed us the finest Alpenaire
free-dried meals. To our exhausted team, food never tasted so good!
"Charged with excitement, we set out for the central dome on the second day, extending water supplies to the crucial limit. Hiking past green, yellow, and white pumice, Keith, Paul, Jane, and Brian ascended a steep, narrow, palm-lined canyon to La Reforma's resurgent dome. There we investigated the 'holy grail' of La Reforma geology -- the fabled uplifted Comondu. "We were surprised to see that the steep cliffs were not Comondu after all, as previous workers had noted. The cliffs were caldera-clinching intra-caldera ignimbrites. Due to these facts we now know that La Reforma is truly a caldera. Despite the minimal water supply, cholla cactus everywhere, and afternoon heat, we rejoiced at the discovery. "Meanwhile, less than 1 km away Chloe, Sarah, and Joanna struggled to keep up with Chris's march through chest-high cactus to ascend the resurgent dome. After lunching in a rust-red cave nestled in the cliffs they found marine and gypsum evaporite deposits, in close proximity to granite basement -- all of which are indications of radical uplift of the central caldera. "In the late afternoon, the team sampled tephras interbedded with the moat-filling gravels. The tephras formed bright white bands on a vertical arroyo wall, and were thus christened 'the racing-stripe tuffs.' With drops of water to spare, the team made it back to the trucks safely, laden with rock samples. The two day exploration was a success! "After saying our goodbyes to 'Digital Jane' and Joann in Santa Rosalia (they bussed back to the U.S.), the rest of us headed for the Las Virgenes geothermal field. Setting up his canister at the base of a hydrothermally altered area with active sulfurous fumurols, Chris finally got his gas: his CO2 flux readings jumped from atmospheric levels to 1600 parts per million in 5 minutes, indicating a relatively high CO2 flux. "We are now headed to CICESE (Centro de Investigacion Cientifica y de Educacion Superior) in Ensenada to meet with Arturo and recover our San Luis rock samples. Then we will be homeward bound! Although conditions have been tough, our team has come away with many startling and significant discoveries about the volcanoes of Baja California." The Reforma 2000 Team |
June 16, 2000 
News from Home Sacramento, California The six remaining team members (Chloe, Sarah, Paul, Chris, Keith & Brian) continued to make the expedition’s itinerary in record time. We pulled in to CICESE in Ensenada on Thursday afternoon, where Arturo Martin and Alejandro Hinojosa were waiting for us. Arturo had safeguarded our rock samples for us while we were in southern Baja. Making room for two more crates of rocks in our already loaded vehicles was not easy, but after some creative packing, we got them in! After a quick ½ hour break in the Ensenada downtown district, we headed for the border, and made it back to the US in the late afternoon. However, the run to the border was not made without incident. While in Tijuana, less than five minutes from the border, Keith was pulled over in a case of mistaken identity (60 km per hour NOT 60 mph speed limit!), while Paul sat in the passenger seat wondering what his future had in store. Luckily, the officer was polite and professional, and after they checked his license and registration, Keith was allowed to proceed home with the rest of the group. He never looked so relieved as when he pulled through the customs gates. Back in the States, the solitude of the Baja outback was replaced with San Diego’s frantic freeways and carpool lanes. With our three dust-covered rigs and bulging roof racks, we were a moving eyesore in a rather upscale commute. To add to the bizarreness of the moment, it RAINED on us! Luckily, Chloe offered to let us stay at her mom’s house overlooking the San Diego coastline that evening. The next day, we made Sacramento in the late evening, and were reunited with our families. By now, the team is pretty well scattered across the state, back to doing what they do for a living. Meanwhile, we’ll wash the salt and sand out of everything, develop the film, and write up a report on our trip. I will be taking care of the analysis of the many rock samples. With the mornings of cowboy coffee, stale bagels and Cliff bars quickly fading into memory, and the long desert hikes and bone-jarring panga boat rides now behind us, the task at hand is to use the knowledge gained in Baja to start unraveling the secrets of these volcanoes. . . . The important thing is that all members made it back safely, with rock samples and slides in tow. As far as field team goes, I couldn’t have picked a better crew. We worked together each day to achieve the expedition’s goals–even surpassing them in some cases, as in the Reforma coast day hikes, despite temperatures nearing 100 degrees F, and rugged terrain (not to mention Paul’s cowboy coffee recipe!). Even more amazing was the support from locals that we received along the way–from Punta Bufeo, to San Bruno, to the Tres Virgenes Geothermal fields. At every step of the way, from permits to boats we had smooth transitions–which is due to the unequivocal support from many people. As the expedition leader, my expectations of the trip were met, and then some. As the results of our field work come out, more will be revealed of the volcanoes of Baja California. We hope that you will enjoy learning more about these special places as we continue our quest. Brian Hausback Stay tuned to this web site for photographs from the May/June trip, updates on future slide presentations & locations, publications, and news articles. Please feel free to email comments regarding the trip. We’d love to hear from you.
So, ya wanna make your own Cowboy Coffee????!!!! Paul tells us how: As most team members were fresh-ground coffee drinkers, we were faced with having to accommodate a large group of people with good coffee, with limited time and back country tools. Following an extensive pre-expedition test period at Paul’s house, the recipe below was devised, based upon input from river guides, brew gurus, and Baja rats. Special thanks to Mike Healey and Mary Verke who were the chief lab rats for Paul’s botched recipes. [Brian's note: I know that Mary was NOT feeling too well after this foray into reckless abandon!!!] Reforma 2000 Cowboy Coffee**: Need:
Directions: Dump 2 cups of fresh-ground coffee into bucket (set grinder on auto drip). Boil 4 quarts of water & dump into bucket. Stir 10 times with spoon and let sit, covered for 3 minutes. Place filter inside funnel and funnel into top of thermos. Carefully (remember, this is boiling hot water) pour mixed coffee into thermos. Serves 8. When you’re done, clean all contents, place in bucket and cover with lid until the next morning. For a lighter blend: Let the coffee sit in the thermos upright for two-three minutes before pouring. For a stronger Chris Farrar blend: Placing filter/funnel directly over mug (not mouth) and pour directly. Bypassing the thermos seems to add a little boost. For an even stronger Sarah Jane Fowler blend: Chase the Chris Farrar blend with a cup of plunged coffee, then pound a handful of chocolate covered espresso beans!!!! Really. For a vomit-inducing blend: Forget to set the timer, and leave the grounds in good and long. Then, pour it into the thermos, unstrained, and leave camp fast before anyone notices. **Warning: Mixing Cowboy Coffee is a dangerous
affair, and could result in injury. In any case, it is an altogether different
affair than ordering from your local coffee shop. Use EXTREME caution when
dealing with boiling water–this could ruin any back country trip. Use this
recipe at your own risk. They don’t call it cowboy coffee for nothin’.
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