This course serves as a broad introduction to field methods in the Earth and Environmental Sciences. Students practice the collection of field data from a wide range of rock types and geologic structures, and use this information to infer relative ages of rocks as well as the processes that have formed them. The objective is to understand how earth scientists unravel the dynamic changes of a part of the world through its geologic history, including a wide diversity of processes like volcanism, sea-level changes, faulting and earthquakes, and catastrophic floods.

Throughout this 8-day excursion, students will increasingly independently collect field data in order to make geologic cross sections and maps. We will visit numerous outcrops along roadcuts and streams, to study minerals, rocks, sediments, fossils, and other features.

The field trip takes place during spring break. The total cost of participation (including fees, hotels, and an estimated cost of food) is typically about $300. After the trip, each student is expected to individually prepare a ~20-page report that synthesizes the field data collected during the trip.