There is a saying in geology that ‘the best geologist is who ever has seen the most rocks’. It goes hand in hand with the 10,000 hours framework that to be an expert in anything you need to put in time and effort to see the wide possibilities and master the craft. Through these 10,000 hours, experts can identify even subtle changes.
On this spirit, it is important for those who work with soils to see the huge diversity of soils possible. Unfortunately (and a bit fortunately), the diversity of soils in New England is quite small. Those that are glaciated, and those that formed from debris from gravity, rivers, lakes, and humans.
In January 2019, Corey joined me for a trip out to Southern California for a 16 hour trek from San Diego, to the deserts, and to the urban jungle of Los Angeles. We saw some amazing silicate cemented soils in Riverside and block weathering of granite batholiths. Before crossing the San Gabriel Mountain divide, we stopped to check out a stream channel offset by the San Andreas Fault.
We trekked out to the mojave desert to see Aridisols and salt-rich soils. Unfortunately, it managed to rain on our excursion. One of the few days the Mojave desert experiences precipitation. As the sand storms and downpours began, we put our shovels away and went to Hollywood to explore the concrete jungle. When all said and done, it was an excellent trip to learn about soils, geology, and the diverse nature of Southern California, something I never quite appreciated until leaving it for my new home.