Field Notebooks are sacred to geologists, who use these notebooks to record every observation and measurement they take while observing rocks and geologic structures. These intimately detailed pages document everything from rock types and their characteristics to musings about the geologic past and present, and also include sketches and detailed records of work done in the field.
Now, not only can you find these notebooks online, but you can search for these notebooks using an interactive map, imaged below.
We also have a new story map about the importance of data preservation, and a very handy appendix that explains the Culver System. As you scan some of the field notebooks, you will undoubtedly come across references to locations that are based on the Culver System or Modified Culver System. The Culver System is used to tell you where in Washington the notes were taken, and is only used in Washington State! Location references using the Culver System will appear in the notebooks as codes of numbers and letters that look like this: S2101.39. The images below show how the Culver System divides Steven County into a grid that can be referenced using this code.
Learn the coded locations of the Culver System and dive deep into the geologic stories contained within these field notebooks. You can use the interactive map to find out what geologists have said about the rocks near you!
WASHINGTON STATE GEOLOGY NEWS 