A few days ago I came back from a small holiday at the Lauwersmeer near the Wadden Sea, North Frisia (the Netherlands). I just looked back at my photos and realized for the 100th time, earth scientist can never go on a holiday. Everywhere you arrive you are reminded of your study and in this case, even my research specifically. I just noticed I even made close-up pictures of mud… without any people in the frame! Turns out I love my work. Not only have I seen impressive mud erosion patterns, but also mud layers, tidal creeks and research ships.
Of course it’s not only my research that can distract me from my holiday, but basically anything Earth Scientific, from wave-physics to rock determination. These are just a few thoughts that spontaneously popped up in my head over the past 2 months:
hey the rivers are a lot higher than the rest of the land; these houses are built on mounds so they are probably old; this beach-sand is pretty well sorted; lets search for groundwater on the beach; the wave breaking must be causing undertow here; the tidal amplitude is quite high in Normandy; it this marra gras planted?; there was probably a landslide here; hey an alluvial fan; is this a glacial or river valley?; let’s go on a fossil quest; and of course… LAYERS! all those LAYERS!! layers is the evil that lets you look at the wall next to the road instead of the nice view on the other side.
