GEOLOGY OF NATIONAL PARKS

Catalog description

Prerequisite: GNM 2421.Permission of Instructor required.Geology is a subject that incorporates chemistry, math, and physics in order to understand processes and principles. However, it is also a very visual and tactile science that requires a certain amount of imagination to envision the geological processes which take place over millions of years. The primary goal of this course will be to teach introductory geological concepts and terminology to students of all majors using a hands-on approach at some of the most spectacular geological exposures and rock outcrops in our nation: the National Parks. Students will gain an appreciation for the grandeur and scale of ancient processes and rocks that cannot be gleaned from looking at photographs and pieces of rock in a traditional classroom. Assignments in the field will include oral presentations to the group, sketching of outcrops and determining fundamental geological information from the outcrops. A certain amount of hiking will be essential to the course, and a tolerance for a month of travel and camping is preferred. The course will be a 4 week field trip that allows us to travel cross-country to camp in and study the geology of specific parks. A pre-trip seminar is required in which students attend regular meetings and prepare a paper on a particular section of the trip. These papers are bound and used as a guide for the Geology of National Parks course trip. In addition, students will present papers on their area in the field.Faculty: L. DAVIS