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MEXICO GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK Page Las Vegas Flagstaff Phoenix Yuma Tucson ARIZONA Nevada Utah New Mexico California 8 89 189 89 10 10 17 40 40 15 93 Lake Mead Nat. Rec. Area Colorado River P Flying Eyeball Flying EyeballMeasures Grand Canyon Sand Hank Chezar, USGS Dave Rubin, USGS Robin Dornfest, USGS Brian Lockwood, USGS Dave Topping, USGS Jim Bennett, USGS Ingrid Corson, USGS Margie Franseen, USGS Dan Dierker, Boatman Colorado River Grand Canyon Flying Eyeball Team Location of Grand Canyon National Park More information on the web: http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/posters 1993 – 2004 Scientists using the Flying Eyeball in the Grand Canyon Flying Eyeball details Flying Eyeball view of sand grains On one trip in 2000, we measured sand grain size at 8,000 locations. With many more measurements of sand grain size in the Grand Canyon, scientists can help the National Park Service preserve the beaches and archaeological sites. USGS scientists needed a better way to measure river sand in the Grand Canyon. Traditionally, scientists used a bucket to get about 75 sand samples on each trip, which were analyzed weeks later in a lab. To measure more locations and to speed up the analysis, we developed the Flying Eyeball underwater microscope. The underwater microscope consists of a waterproof video camera with a magnifying lens mounted in a heavy steel ball. A ring of LED lights provides illumination. A video recorder stores the images for analysis later on a computer. We developed special software to measure sand grain size from the images. The USGS patented the Flying Eyeball in 2004.

Flying Eyeball Measures Grand Canyon Sand - USGS · Dave Rubin, USGS Robin Dornfest, USGS Brian Lockwood, USGS Dave Topping, USGS Jim Bennett, USGS Ingrid Corson, USGS Margie Franseen,

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MEXICO

GRANDCANYON

NATIONALPARK

PageLasVegas

Flagstaff

Phoenix

Yuma

Tucson

A R I Z O N A

Nevada Utah

Ne

w M

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i co

Ca

l if o

r ni a

8

89

189

89

10

10

17

4040

15

93

Lake MeadNat. Rec. Area

Colo

rado

Rive

r VideoCameraPressureCase

Flying Eyeball

“Flying Eyeball” Measures Grand Canyon Sand

Hank Chezar, USGSDave Rubin, USGSRobin Dornfest, USGSBrian Lockwood, USGSDave Topping, USGSJim Bennett, USGSIngrid Corson, USGSMargie Franseen, USGSDan Dierker, Boatman

Colorado River Grand CanyonFlying Eyeball Team

Location of GrandCanyon National Park

More information on the web: http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/posters

1993 – 2004

Scientists using the Flying Eyeball in the Grand Canyon

Flying Eyeball details

Flying Eyeball view of sand grains

On one trip in 2000, we measured sand grain size at 8,000 locations. With many more measurements of sand grain size in the Grand Canyon, scientists can help the National Park Service preserve the beaches and archaeological sites.

USGS scientists needed a better way to measure river sand in the Grand Canyon. Traditionally, scientists used a bucket to get about 75 sand samples on each trip, which were analyzed weeks later in a lab.

To measure more locations and to speed up the analysis, we developed the Flying Eyeball underwater microscope.

The underwater microscope consists of a waterproof video camera with a magnifying lens mounted in a heavy steel ball. A ring of LED lights provides illumination. A video recorder stores the images for analysis later on a computer. We developed special software to measure sand grain size from the images. The USGS patented the Flying Eyeball in 2004.