\LPL Death Valley Fieldtrip 2006

LPL Death Valley Fieldtrip 2
2006 March 29

Red Lake Playa and Joshua Tree Forest
SIGMA SD9, 2006:04:02 21:46:47 -- 1/500 sec, f/8.0.  No Flash.2268x1512 Large -- Medium

Our vehicles out on Red Lake Playa.
SIGMA SD9, 2006:04:02 21:47:13 -- 1/350 sec, f/9.5.  No Flash.2268x1512 Large -- Medium

Veronica Bray and Catherine Neish on the playa.
SIGMA SD9, 2006:04:02 21:47:22 -- 1/350 sec, f/9.5.  No Flash.2268x1512 Large -- Medium

It was really quite windy that day, as Dave Choi here can attest to.
SIGMA SD9, 2006:04:02 21:47:31 -- 1/500 sec, f/8.0.  No Flash.2268x1512 Large -- Medium

Mike Bland chases down a rogue potato chip bag in the wind.
SIGMA SD9, 2006:04:02 21:47:39 -- 1/350 sec, f/9.5.  No Flash.2268x1512 Large -- Medium

We found giant polygons! They are, however, much muted in relief and color from last trip.
SIGMA SD9, 2006:04:02 21:47:48 -- 1/500 sec, f/8.0.  No Flash.2268x1512 Large -- Medium

SIGMA SD9, 2006:04:02 21:47:57 -- 1/350 sec, f/9.5.  No Flash.1512x2268 Large -- Medium

The polygons are best seen from an elevated viewpoint.
SIGMA SD9, 2006:04:02 21:48:10 -- 1/500 sec, f/11.0.  No Flash.2268x1512 Large -- Medium

High phase angle shot.
SIGMA SD9, 2006:04:02 21:48:21 -- 1/350 sec, f/8.0.  No Flash.2268x1512 Large -- Medium

SIGMA SD9, 2006:04:02 21:48:32 -- 1/350 sec, f/9.5.  No Flash.2268x1512 Large -- Medium

The polygons seem to be filled with fine-grained material, possibly from runoff pooling in them over the last 5 years.
SIGMA SD9, 2006:04:02 21:48:44 -- 1/250 sec, f/8.0.  No Flash.2268x1512 Large -- Medium

John Keller talks about dessication polygons on Earth and in the solar system.
SIGMA SD9, 2006:04:02 21:49:06 -- 1/250 sec, f/6.7.  No Flash.2268x1512 Large -- Medium

The day 1 campsite in the Hualapai Joshua Tree Forest.
SIGMA SD9, 2006:04:02 21:49:27 -- 1/350 sec, f/6.7.  No Flash.2268x1512 Large -- Medium

Beautiful, but cold, as we had frost on our vehicle the next morning (though the temperature did not drop below freezing -- how this works was a question that I was asked on my orals).
up --> day 2