Reflections from Leslie A Logan

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Conducting field work around Thunder Mountain near Yellow Pine, Idaho

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About the Project

I worked on two projects during my time as an intern at the USGS. The first was on a gold-antimony mine in Yellow Pine, Idaho. It was through this project that I was first introduced to the study of fluid inclusions in geology. I went to the field with my colleagues to help collect core and regional field samples. This was my first time using and sampling core in order to learn about a deposit, which introduced me to a whole new way of learning about the mineralogy of rocks at depth! I also gained valuable experience creating "quick plates", a lower quality version of a thin section that can be made quickly for preliminary analysis – skills which will be advantageous for me for future research. The second project synthesized published data on fluid inclusions from the Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar district and brine waters of the Illinois Basin. Not only did I learn about a type of deposit in depth, but I also gained experience in microthermometry and hydrogen isotope analysis. I presented my work as a poster at the PACROFI conference in Columbia, MO in May 2016. I am grateful for all of the laboratory and field experience I gained during my time as an intern!

Most Memorable Experience

The experience as a whole provided me with many excellent moments. Thanks to the welcoming and friendly employees my time was not only a great learning experience, but also enjoyable due to the productive and positive work environment. More specifically however, my favorite part was going to Idaho and visiting the mine to collect samples. It gave me valuable insight into what mining operations look like.

Career Goals

How the program contributed

My career goals, slightly underdeveloped, were completely transformed by my experience at the survey! I began with curiosity to know what it was like to work for a governmental agency as it represents one broad work and career avenue that geologists can take. My time here helped me finesse my goals in a direction that will hopefully bring me back to the survey! I loved being surrounded by great science and scientists and was impressed by all the scientific equipment available for use.