Albion College’s Geology Field Camp program will next be offered in Summer 2021.
2021 program details will be available Fall 2020.
Dates: TBA
Program Fee: TBA
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Credit: 1.5 units (6 semester hours)
Enrollment: Limited to ~20 students. We anticipate that approximately 12-14 of these will be from schools other than Albion College. We accept for review applications from all qualified applicants (see course prerequisites below).
Course: Experience in geologic mapping is the main goal of the course. We focus on instruction of traditional field methods: mapping on topographic and aerial photo bases at a variety of scales is central to our instruction. We also introduce modern electronic techniques, such as GPS-assisted digital mapping. We illustrate the applicability of these tools to a variety of geological problems. Students also gain experience in taking detailed field notes, measuring stratigraphic sections, constructing geologic cross sections, deciphering geologic structures, and writing geologic reports.
We work with a wide variety of rock types and surficial deposits – including Precambrian schists, gneisses, and granites; Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic strata; Neogene volcanics; and Pleistocene glacial deposits. Our introductory mapping projects are in the starkly scenic Bighorn Basin and Wind River Basin. We then loop through western Wyoming to complete a surficial geology project along the flank of the Wind River Range and visit Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. The stunning Tetons provide an opportunity to place the geology we work with in the broader context of the geology and tectonics of western North America. Field trip stops there are followed by additional stops in Yellowstone where we examine spectacular silicic volcanic features, geologic structures, and geomorphic landforms in addition to visiting landmark features such as Old Faithful. We then map a portion of the classic Heart Mountain structure, and associated Paleozoic stratigraphy and Absaroka volcanics east of Yellowstone. Our final mapping project is in central Wyoming, where students have the opportunity to map complexly deformed Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata and underlying Precambrian basement.
Prerequisites: Physical Geology, Structural Geology, Sedimentation and Stratigraphy, and Petrology (or their equivalents, or by permission of field camp director).
Fee: The program fee includes tuition, round trip transportation between Albion, MI, and field camp destinations, transportation during the course, and room and board (except for a few meals on days off and travel days).
For additional information, please contact us.
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Bighorn Basin, WY
Near Pat O'Hara Mountain, WY
Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, WY
Grand Teton National Park, WY
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William S. Bartels
Vertebrate paleontology and stratigraphy
Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1987
Bill has taught with Albion's field camp since 1987 and has conducted field research in Wyoming since 1976.
Michael W. McRivette
Field Camp Director
Neo-tectonics, structural geology, and GIS
Ph.D., UCLA, 2011
Mick has taught with Albion's field camp since 2007. His research investigates active tectonic response of the Tibetan Plateau to Indo-Asian collision.
Carrie A. Menold
Metamorphic petrology and geochemistry
Ph.D., UCLA, 2006
Carrie has taught with Albion's field camp since 2006. Her field area is in the northern Tibetan Plateau where she studies mountain building and crustal accretion.
Thomas I. Wilch
Herbert H. & Grace A. Dow Trustees' Professor in the Sciences
Ph.D., New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 1997
Thom has taught with Albion’s field camp since 2001. Thom’s field area for his own research is in Antarctica.
Andrew Beck
Petrology, stratigraphy, and planetary geology
Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 2011
Andrew has taught with Albion’s field camp since 2017. He is a research scientist at Johns Hopkins University where he studies rocky, differentiated planetary bodies among other interests.
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If you are considering bringing any items not appearing in the lists above, please contact us.
Here are some links to vendors for geology field gear:
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For further information, contact us via email at , or write to:
Albion Geology Field Camp
ATTN: Carol Caswell
Albion College
611 E. Porter Street
Albion, MI 49224