APRIL 2018 FOSSIL TRIP TO THE CALVERT CLIFFS, MARYLAND

A PHOTO ESSAY BY DORA ZIMMERMAN

 

Driftwood Beach in Chesapeake Ranch Estates, Calvert County, Maryland

 

Sediment from the Miocene Epoch (5-23 million years ago) make up the Calvert Cliffs, which stretch 30-some miles along the western edge of the Chesapeake Bay

 

View from the cliffs

 

Brief overview of collecting from Rick Smith, local Paleontology expert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ready to begin the hunt at Driftwood Beach.

 

 

Digging through fresh cliff falls of gray loose clay and limestone marl is allowed.  Digging in the cliffs themselves is strictly prohibited.

 

Harold Brown has the "Find of the Day" - the Maryland State Fossil, Ecphora.  There are many species of Ecphora.  Harold will have to clean it and hopefully identify which one.

 

Dora Zimmerman with a large Chesapecten scallop

 

Turritella by the numbers dominated every area of sediment searched through.

 

 

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