1.   This was a large multi-disciplinary group of interacting, communicating earth scientists, competing with, but also sharing experimental results with, the American institutions.

2.   Fifteen per cent of these earth scientists worked in Scotland, whereas Scotland only has nine per cent of the UK population.

3.   As physicists built increasingly big accelerators, and astronomers built increasingly big telescopes, Harris said, so earth scientists may be entering a new disciplinary phase.

4.   The expedition is being watched closely by the international community of earth scientists.

5.   The San Andreas Fault is stirring again beneath Parkfield, and earth scientists are watching closely to see what happens next.