Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
and exposures are well studied and part of the objective of
your fi eldwork is to assess and/or correlate your work with
published material then you will need to take key publications
and/or relevant sections from these into the fi eld. This will
enable you to check up on the details of these previous studies
and to correlate your new data with those of others. It is much
easier and more useful to do this in the fi eld where you can
test different possibilities and identify key features that have
been described in the literature than it is to try and do it when
you return.
For robustness under fi eld
conditions it can be useful to
laminate maps or diagrams
such as fossil identifi cation
charts or stratigraphic logs
that are used regularly.
2
2.11 Comfort, fi eld safety and fi eld
safety equipment
2.11.1 Clothes, backpack/rucksack and
personal provisions
Fieldwork usually involves physical exertion and can involve
being outside in extreme weather conditions and/or working in
inhospitable or remote areas. For these reasons it is important
to select comfortable clothing and to be prepared for a range of
conditions. Find out the expected weather conditions in the
area at the time you will visit. Most mountain walking and
outdoor clothing is suitable. An outer layer with pockets to
store fi eld equipment such as pens, pencils and compass-
clinometer so that they are readily accessible is useful.
Alternatively, a small shoulder or belt-mounted bag is useful
for this fi eld equipment together with your notebook. If you are
working in an area where you may get wet it is important to
wear clothes that dry relatively quickly for comfort and to
prevent exposure. If you are working where conditions are hot,
loose clothing made from natural fabrics is often the most
comfortable and it is advisable to cover most of your exposed
skin to protect against sunburn. On most geological fi eldwork it
is essential to wear a hard hat (Section 2.11.2); head protection
(either a sun hat or large piece of material) should also be used
when you will be under the sun for prolonged periods. A hat is
also important in cold conditions to help prevent heat loss. A
backpack/rucksack is usually essential to carry all your fi eld
equipment, food, drinking water, fi rst aid and spare clothing.
Further advice on clothing and personal fi eld kit can be found
in mountain walking guides (Section 2.13).
2.11.2 Field safety
It is essential that you plan for emergencies and for hazards
particular to the area that you are visiting. There are, however,
three aspects that are important for safety in the fi eld
anywhere:
