In this dark image you can see a group of geologists examining an outcrop…When we go into the field we try to go to an area that has not been mapped in much detail before. Some regions in the west have been mapped over and over again and trails follow the contacts and that takes all the fun out of discovering the geology. Plus, doing work in a new area means making a contribution to our geologic understanding of the southwest. This contributes to science. This also means that the instructors are just as unfamiliar with the field area as the students are and it gives the students and opportunity to observe how a geologist really goes about doing their work. It keeps the instructors curious and on their toes as well. Geology is not always straight-forward and there will be times when we are all confused together and we will have to find the best explanation we can. Image courtesy of Professor Burchfiel.