COVID SHUTS ONE DOOR, OPENS ANOTHER: PLANNING AND LOGISTICS FOR FIELD WORK AND PROTEROZOIC ROCK SAMPLING IN THE WET MOUNTAINS USING GIS

COVID19 has made 2020 a challenging year to conduct research in both field and lab settings due to travel restrictions and social distancing requirements. The main objectives of my original summer research project were to investigate continental growth and evolution of the Proterozoic basement of the Wet Mountains and determine whether subduction between an oceanic and continental plate occurred, causing the Picuris Orogeny. Due to cancellation of travel and field work, I revised my undergraduate research project to focus on using Geospatial Technologies, tools (including Google Earth, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and QGIS), and spatial data to plan for future field work to collect samples. Preparation for a field trip included selecting sampling locations by factors such as ease of access, type and age of rock, and presence of minerals based on an isograd map, as well as trip expenses, transportation, and lodging locations. This project was designed as a creative way to make detailed plans during a time of restriction. Planned activities will be executed during the summer 2021 field season.