Geology in the Field

Use the outdoors as your classroom!

Contact Ralph Hitz for reservations or further information.

Description:

Geology in the Field is an introductory geology course (no prerequisites necessary) that combines the fundamentals of physical geology with studies of the geologic history of the Pacific Northwest. The course begins with two weeks of intensive classroom work and finishes with approximately two weeks of camping, studying, and fossil collecting throughout the Pacific Northwest. Learn about amazing geologic topics such as the explosive volcanism of Crater Lake, the origin of the deepest canyon in North America (Hell’s Canyon), and the enormous ice age floods that swept across eastern Washington. Collect fascinating fossils from several localities including snails and bivalve mollusks from Beverly Beach, Oregon, and incredibly well preserved leaf fossils from eastern Oregon. The classroom segment of the course covers basic geologic concepts such as rock types, earth structure and plate tectonics, and geologic time.

The field segment touches on a wide variety of topics related directly to trip localities. On the field trip we complete a circuit from Washington to coastal Oregon, to Crater Lake, through beautiful and isolated southeastern Oregon, onto to Hell’s Canyon in northeastern Oregon, a day of river rafting on the Salmon river in Idaho, and then back to western Washington via the Columbia Plateau. Students completing the course gain a sound background in basic physical geology, an understanding of the geologic history of life the Pacific Northwest, a collection of fossil specimens and the experience of traveling through a unique corner of the world.

Specific destinations and topics include:

• Fossil collecting at Beverly Beach (OR)
• Geology of Crater Lake (OR)
• Oregon Dunes (OR)
• Faulting and mountain building in the Great Basins: Steens Mountain (OR)
• Hell’s Canyon (OR)
• Hydrology of rivers (a day of river rafting on the Salmon River) (ID)
• Collecting fifteen million year old leaf fossils, Clarkia (ID)
• The Spokane Glacial Floods and the Eastern Washington Channeled Scablands (WA)

Credits:

Geology in the Field is worth 12 credits. Students receive five credits of Geology 208 and seven credits of Geology 125. Up to ten of the science credits may be applied to the Natural Science Distribution requirement for the AAS degree. The remaining science credits may be applied to the distribution elective requirement or the general elective requirement.

Cost:

Dates:

Course Duration:

For reservations and information please contact:

Ralph Hitz
Earth Sciences Department
Tacoma Community College
6501 South 19th Street
Tacoma, WA 98466
253.566.5299
rhitz@tacomacc.edu