Pre-requisite courses

All applicants should be either Juniors or Seniors majoring in Geology (or similar) and have completed coursework in Structural Geology and Sedimentology and/or Stratigraphy.

Learning Objectives

Our curriculum is designed to help students learn field techniques in a wide range of geologic settings. It is the student’s responsibility to make the most of their learning through hard work, study time and seeking help from faculty and instructors. A description of our curriculum is provided below.

• Week 1: introduction to basic field techniques, such as use of Brunton compass, measuring stratigraphic sections, recording field notes and field data, working with topographic maps. Introduction to regional Archean, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Tertiary and Quaternary geology.
• Week 2: analysis of sedimentary facies and environments; introduction to geologic mapping of deformed Mesozoic sedimentary rocks in the Wind River Basin
• Week 3: geologic mapping of folded and faulted Mesozoic sedimentary rocks in the Wind River Basin
• Week 4: field trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks
• Week 5: introductory projects in groundwater and surface hydrogeology, shallow seismic reflection and refraction and subsurface basin analysis
• Week 6: advanced projects in groundwater and surface hydrogeology, shallow seismic reflection and refraction and subsurface basin analysis