The Dirt Project
- Jan 1
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Purpose Statement
The Dirt Project documents the physical surface materials present at race site venue and adjacent locations. It focuses on soil, sediment, and exposed rock as they are encountered in place—underfoot, along trails, shorelines, and natural cut banks. The project treats dirt not as debris or abstraction, but as a record of geological process, environmental conditions, and time. What is observed is not the idealized composition of a soil type, but the material reality of a specific place.
Samples and Analysis
EXP 001 Perris Lake CA, Spartan Trifecta Weekend Samples Jan 24, 2026
EXP 002 Jacksonville FL Spartan Super/Sprint/Trail Weekend Samples Feb 28,2026
Support Materials
Research Method
The Dirt Project follows a preparatory, observational approach. Prior to each expedition, background reading is used to understand the region’s general geology, soil types, and dominant landforms.
When available, local nature centers, museums, and geological references are consulted to establish regional context.
Field observations are conducted at ground level and are limited to visible and easily accessible materials such as loose sediment, exposed rock, roadside cuts, and naturally disturbed surfaces. No excavation or collection from protected areas is performed.
Samples are gathered opportunistically during expeditions and are photographed in their natural setting before collection to preserve environmental context. This includes basic documentation of location, surrounding terrain, and visible soil or sediment structure.
Once returned to the workspace, samples are dried and examined visually and under magnification. Close-range inspection is conducted using a TOMLOV DM9B digital microscope (7-inch display), which allows surface textures, grain size variation, organic material, and small mineral fragments to be observed and documented through still photography.
Microscope images are then processed using Darktable, an open-source photographic workflow application. Adjustments are limited to exposure correction, contrast balancing, and color normalization in order to improve visibility of structural features without altering the underlying characteristics of the sample.
Captured images are transferred to a Pop!_OS workstation, where they are stored and organized in a local image archive using the system’s built-in photo management software. This archive functions as the working database for the Dirt Project, preserving original microscope captures and field photographs for later reference and comparison.
The resulting images are compared against geological reference materials and identification guides, with relevant concepts and observations drawn from notes maintained in the project’s Zettelkasten knowledge system. These notes synthesize information from the project’s reference library and prior observations, allowing field samples to be interpreted within a broader geological context. When useful, images are also cross-checked with a rock and soil identification application to generate a preliminary interpretation of composition. These identifications are treated strictly as interpretive aids rather than definitive classifications.
The goal of the Dirt Project is not laboratory analysis but field-based documentation—a repeatable method for observing and recording the small-scale geological features encountered during expeditions.
Ethical Boundary
All observations are non-invasive and limited to surface materials and existing disturbances.
What This Is / What This Is Not
What This Is
A place-based record of soil, sediment, and exposed geology
A companion project to performance and environmental observation
A way of understanding terrain beyond elevation and distance
What This Is Not
A soil science or geology study
A classification or testing program
An attempt to identify or name materials beyond observable characteristics
References
Chesterman, C. W. (2013). National Audubon Society field guide to North American rocks and minerals (Rev. ed.). Alfred A. Knopf.
Hazen, R. M. (2012). The story of Earth: The first 4.5 billion years, from stardust to living planet. Viking.
Marshak, S. (2019). Earth: Portrait of a planet (6th ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.
Parker, S. (2014). The complete illustrated guide to minerals, rocks & fossils. Firefly Books.
Pough, F. H. (1996). A field guide to rocks and minerals (Peterson field guide series, 5th ed.). Houghton Mifflin.
Zettelkasten Entries
Basic Mountain Types (Geology) — A Structural Overview[1]
Basic Rock Types — Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic[2]
Sedimentary Rock ID — Grain Size, Texture, and Depositional Environment Mapping[3]
Metamorphic Rock ID — Grade, Facies, and Index Minerals (field + thin section)[4]
Cratons and Orogeny — Deep Structure of Continents[5]
Cratons and Orogeny: Stability and Construction in the Architecture of Continents[6]
Tectonic Supercycles and Paleogeographic Reconstruction Methods[7]
Archean → Proterozoic Oxygenation Case Studies[8]
Deep Time — Concept and Cognition[9]
Deep Time → Field Methods Bridge[10]
Snowball Earth Mechanisms and Cap Carbonate Petrography[11]
Snowball Earth — Initiation and Termination: Feedbacks, CO₂, and Carbon Cycle Response[12]
Mass Extinction Diagnostics and Multiproxy Workflows[13]
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