Michelle Gauthier
@mtrommelen.bsky.social
Quaternary geologist, ice sheet reconstructions, till genesis, mineral exploration, and a little bit of parenting
Manitoba Geological Survey
Manitoba Geological Survey
Interested in how accurate your surficial geology map is? I'm available for virtual University classroom lectures.
November 2, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Interested in how accurate your surficial geology map is? I'm available for virtual University classroom lectures.
Happy Halloween!
November 1, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Happy Halloween!
Stopped the bike ride for a little geology. Fascinating mud cracks that peel off in layers, and sticky clay underneath. Little minds shocked and amazed when they learned that mud cracks are found as 'fossils' too. #geology
September 8, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Stopped the bike ride for a little geology. Fascinating mud cracks that peel off in layers, and sticky clay underneath. Little minds shocked and amazed when they learned that mud cracks are found as 'fossils' too. #geology
Congratulations to Mr. Mesich who successfully defended his MSc today at UWaterloo. It's been a pleasure serving as your co-supervisor with Dr. Ross.
*Quaternary stratigraphy of the Gods and Yakaw river areas, northeastern Manitoba*
*Quaternary stratigraphy of the Gods and Yakaw river areas, northeastern Manitoba*
September 5, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Congratulations to Mr. Mesich who successfully defended his MSc today at UWaterloo. It's been a pleasure serving as your co-supervisor with Dr. Ross.
*Quaternary stratigraphy of the Gods and Yakaw river areas, northeastern Manitoba*
*Quaternary stratigraphy of the Gods and Yakaw river areas, northeastern Manitoba*
Fire-induced rock spalling! This area burnt about 1-2 months ago. All of the little rock shards on the ground are spalled pieces of the granite boulder, overlying burnt soil and moss.
Before seeing this in person, I didn't really consider the mechanical weathering effects of fire!
Before seeing this in person, I didn't really consider the mechanical weathering effects of fire!
September 4, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Fire-induced rock spalling! This area burnt about 1-2 months ago. All of the little rock shards on the ground are spalled pieces of the granite boulder, overlying burnt soil and moss.
Before seeing this in person, I didn't really consider the mechanical weathering effects of fire!
Before seeing this in person, I didn't really consider the mechanical weathering effects of fire!
Sometimes dogs are just ridiculous.
September 2, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Sometimes dogs are just ridiculous.
Campground foraging near the Manitoba Escarpment. A lot of work for a little bit butter. Makes me grateful for farms and grocery stores.
August 31, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Campground foraging near the Manitoba Escarpment. A lot of work for a little bit butter. Makes me grateful for farms and grocery stores.
Definitely lucky.....what about this 6-leaf one I found this summer?
August 29, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Definitely lucky.....what about this 6-leaf one I found this summer?
Prairie skies just after the storm. Also have the requisite train and crops.
August 7, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Prairie skies just after the storm. Also have the requisite train and crops.
Beautiful rat-tail striae formed at the resistant head of fossils in limestone, near Ottawa Ontario. #gac-mac field trip thanks to Riley Mulligan!
May 17, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Beautiful rat-tail striae formed at the resistant head of fossils in limestone, near Ottawa Ontario. #gac-mac field trip thanks to Riley Mulligan!
Womens are Persons.
The Famous Five brought a case before the highest court to appeal a 1928 decision by the Supreme Court of Canada. That court had ruled that women could not be appointed to the Senate, because they were not "qualified persons." On October 18, 1929, they reversed this decision.
The Famous Five brought a case before the highest court to appeal a 1928 decision by the Supreme Court of Canada. That court had ruled that women could not be appointed to the Senate, because they were not "qualified persons." On October 18, 1929, they reversed this decision.
May 14, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Womens are Persons.
The Famous Five brought a case before the highest court to appeal a 1928 decision by the Supreme Court of Canada. That court had ruled that women could not be appointed to the Senate, because they were not "qualified persons." On October 18, 1929, they reversed this decision.
The Famous Five brought a case before the highest court to appeal a 1928 decision by the Supreme Court of Canada. That court had ruled that women could not be appointed to the Senate, because they were not "qualified persons." On October 18, 1929, they reversed this decision.
Volcanic breccia on the Isla de Tortuga, Costa Rica.
April 28, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Volcanic breccia on the Isla de Tortuga, Costa Rica.
It's not spring everywhere......
March 3, 2025 at 1:56 AM
It's not spring everywhere......
Chocolate babka bread makes the world a better place.
February 17, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Chocolate babka bread makes the world a better place.
Who put that there? Glaciers!
December 14, 2024 at 1:24 AM
Who put that there? Glaciers!
I'm spending my days making a remotely -sensed map of glacial and postglacial sediments. I'm using the knowledge gained from this summer's fieldwork. These photos are from a wave-washed till-derived ribbed moraine. #fieldworkfriday but not. #geomorphology
November 21, 2024 at 12:35 AM
I'm spending my days making a remotely -sensed map of glacial and postglacial sediments. I'm using the knowledge gained from this summer's fieldwork. These photos are from a wave-washed till-derived ribbed moraine. #fieldworkfriday but not. #geomorphology
It's not every day a person gets to hold a mammoth or mastodon tusk! Did you know that mammoths and mastodons used to live in Manitoba? During the last interglacial, if our optical dating of quartz grains is correct!
October 25, 2024 at 1:03 AM
It's not every day a person gets to hold a mammoth or mastodon tusk! Did you know that mammoths and mastodons used to live in Manitoba? During the last interglacial, if our optical dating of quartz grains is correct!
Part of my fieldwork involves looking for till to sample. Till, a type of sediment deposited directly by glaciers, can help provide clues to the type of bedrock buried below (till prospecting). I also use the till composition to reconstruct which way the glaciers moved across Manitoba.
October 1, 2024 at 1:29 PM
Part of my fieldwork involves looking for till to sample. Till, a type of sediment deposited directly by glaciers, can help provide clues to the type of bedrock buried below (till prospecting). I also use the till composition to reconstruct which way the glaciers moved across Manitoba.
Beaches are a common sight near the coastline in Hudson Bay......but what's even more interesting is that this beach ridge is inland ~50 km and is at 80 m above modern sea level. It was formed when the Paleo Tyrrell Sea was there, and the land was depressed due to glacial isostatic loading.
September 20, 2024 at 1:49 AM
Beaches are a common sight near the coastline in Hudson Bay......but what's even more interesting is that this beach ridge is inland ~50 km and is at 80 m above modern sea level. It was formed when the Paleo Tyrrell Sea was there, and the land was depressed due to glacial isostatic loading.
Canadian Quaternary Association field trip to the Neutral Hills thrust blocks in southeast Alberta.
August 15, 2024 at 11:33 PM
Canadian Quaternary Association field trip to the Neutral Hills thrust blocks in southeast Alberta.
Two roly poly polar bears we saw on our last day in Churchill. Bears were on the sea ice longer this year, which is good for them!
August 14, 2024 at 1:58 AM
Two roly poly polar bears we saw on our last day in Churchill. Bears were on the sea ice longer this year, which is good for them!
Being in far northeastern Manitoba has its advantages. The northern lights have been very active the last couple nights.
August 4, 2024 at 12:56 PM
Being in far northeastern Manitoba has its advantages. The northern lights have been very active the last couple nights.
The beaches at Hecla Provincial Park are composed mainly of quartz sand...how did it get there?
ancientshore.com/2009/09/18/l...
ancientshore.com/2009/09/18/l...
July 3, 2024 at 1:56 AM
The beaches at Hecla Provincial Park are composed mainly of quartz sand...how did it get there?
ancientshore.com/2009/09/18/l...
ancientshore.com/2009/09/18/l...
Spheroidal weathering of granite, near Puerto Vallarta #Mexico. I find this fascinating, since I usually see granite polished smooth by glaciers.
March 25, 2024 at 12:20 AM
Spheroidal weathering of granite, near Puerto Vallarta #Mexico. I find this fascinating, since I usually see granite polished smooth by glaciers.