On August 29 examined some active layer detachment slides Near Arch and Quill creeks, SW Yukon. Around 25-30 slides occured on August 17, the same time the Alaska Highway was blocked by debris flows. A thread of these. This is the slides near where we landed. 1/10 Landed on the deposition zone of one of the landslides and flew the drone. Helicopter indicated for scale. 2/10

Finally some pictures of the Koidern Landslide. Start with some aerial pictures and then some more details. Some really interesting mollards, and some have remobilized! It is a long thread as it was a really cool landslide! 1/10 Looks like several phases. Initial failure crossed the small valley and then turned the corner. Then remobilization with a more fluid flow down the valley, blocking the larger stream. Then a smaller failure from the headscarp, where we first landed the helicopter. 2/10

Helicopter work, Covid style!

Great day in Crey Ackerson's field area with Kristy Kennedy Yukon Geological Survey. 1/ Love Helicopters! 2/

It is my birthday eve and evil daughter #2 cooked me an awesome dinner and bought me a beautiful bottle of scotch! Maybe she is not so evil after all? Getting excited about the cake! The icing will be amazing!

Spent a beautiful Friday at Point Grey (aka Wreck Beach) looking at the stratigraphy. He we have two advance sub-units below the till. The lower is interstratified sand and silt with peats, with ages from 26-24 ka, the upper, cross stratified sand. 1/ These advance sediments are called Quadra Sands and some diatoms in the lower sub-unit sediments indicate marine incursion. The upper sands show tidal influence. With eustatic sea level at this time, indicates >100 m of isostatic depression! 2/

Friday’s Seymour valley fieldtrip examined the stratigraphy of the thick valley fill. The base is 42-29 ka MIS 3 gravel, sand and peat, indicating warmest climate at the base and progressively cooler to the top. 1/9 The MIS 2 Fraser Glaciation, has two advance stades. These are advance glaciolacustrine sediments of the older Coquitlam Stade, a mix of laminated to finely bedded silt and sand and diamicton. 2/9

1/7 Alumni Event Jan 19th as part of the Earth Sciences 25 year anniversary. My pictures are mostly fuzzy, and such a good time was had by all, not many pictures were taken. I will post a few here. Thanks to SFU Alumni @SFUalumni for providing funding and some swag #SFU25Years! @SFUalumni 2/7 Early Faculty/undergrad cohort. Ted Hickin, one of the founders, Robbie Donald, the first hire, James MacEachern and Derek Thorkelson, two of the first research hires, John Clague, Shrum Chair, Antigone D-W, first grad student. @SFUalumni @SFUEarthScience

Yesterday went to Balandra Beach just north of La Paz. Very nice! Looks like a Block and Ash deposit. And there are sand dunes, and carbonate sands. The famous "Mushroom" Rock is there. Some photography issues here. But another view to show the shape.

1/6 Looks like all the animals are happy with their Christmas Presents! And that is all that really matters! No OCD in that shelty, need the sound on for the full squeaky effect. 2/6 Willow likes the pull toy

Had one of those gift card phishing scams from the "Dean of Science" and decided to have some fun with it. Long thread, some minor editing for length. #PhishingGiftCardScam It started like this two days ago
:Sent:
December 18, 2019 9:18 AM
To: Brent Ward
Subject: QUICK HELP NEEDED

Are you free now ?

Dr. XXXXX
Dean, of Science

So, so much! /3 Subaqueous outwash fan? Glaciofluvial delta? Glaciomarine? Glaciolacustrine? Who knows? Well I guess I do but I am not saying until after the assignment is handed in.

The Irish vacation continues. Dursey Island is the westernmost point of Ireland. Only two people live there year round. You get there on a cable car. Beautiful but the weather was somewhat sub-optimal. Tried a panorama, not sure it works on twitter, definitely click to see.

Day4 Southern Ireland fieldtrip. Still waiting for the good weather and great scenery. Guess we will have to suffer! #inquadub19 This section has dog!

Day 3 Southern Ireland glacial history. In Ardmore and more Head at the base of the section. Nice to see similarities with periglacial deposits in Yukon. #INQUADUB19 Nice beach at Ardmore. #INQUADUB19

Looks like Dublin may be alright. Although we are totally jet lagged right now. The temple bar is rocking and it is only 1 pm!

Sampling boulders in the Ruby Range, Yukon, great work if you can get it! #yukonfieldwork Although it can get a little hard core in the hail! Kristen Kennedy YGS braveing the element to get the sample!

1/6 Rented kayaks while on Hornby, first time out of Fords Cove. We usually do Tribune-Helliwell-Flora Island. Was a great trip! Thanks to Jade for renting to us with her 1 week old baby in tow! #HornbyIsland 2/6 First time making landfall on Norris Rocks. Great lunch spot. Interesting to see all the gull nests, just circles of seaweed with three eggs. Without the eggs, would likely not have known. #HornbyIsland

Great day. 1.6‘ low tide on Hornby today. Great tidal pools, lots of stuff under rocks (made sure to replace carefully accurately!), with some rock cod fishing off the rocks, plus clams and oysters. Followed by a trip to Helliwell Park and some time at Whaling Station Bay. 1/4 Helliwell Park 2/4

1/2 Huaynaputina erupted in the area we are working in 1600 with volcanic explosivity index of 6, the largest historic eruption in South America. There is tephra everywhere. Some of it has been reworking into these amazing tephra dunes! #SFUNaturalHazards #PeruvianGeology 2/2 The initial tephra fall was devastating to local communities, many being completely buried, with buildings collapsing as far away as Arequipa. Interesting taphonomy of this tephra, since even >400 years later the tephra is still being redeposited. #SFUNaturalHazards

1/ Wednesday in the Chehalis Valley with Carie-Ann Lau, ex grad student, now session instructor EASC 411 Terrain Analysis. This weekend students will be field checking their terrain and terrain stability map. Interesting terrain types and stratigraphy. (thread) #SFUGlacialGeology 2/ Oldest sediment in the valley are these oxidized fluvial gravels. Ages in the lowest gravel are 29 ka. Alternating gravel and lacustrine represent blockage by glaciers at the mouth of Chehalis. Wood present at ~19,000 years old.

1/ Spent an enjoyable Friday (March 15) with the amazing Dr. Corinne Griffin on the EASC 403 Quaternary Geology Sea to Sky Fieldtrip. It covers glacial geology and, naturally, Natural Hazards. #SFUNaturalHazards #SFUGlacialGeology 2/ Charles Creek Debris flow retention structure. Poor land use decisions (not recognizing debris flow hazard on fan deltas) resulted in deadly consequences followed by construction of several types of debris flow protection structures. They work.