The University of Kansas
Geology Field Camp
Summer 2010
Attendance at an organizational meeting will be mandatory. Check this space for the announcement.
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|University of Kansas Geology Dept. link |
The University of Kansas Geology Field Camp, Summer 2010
Background
The Department of Geology at the University of Kansas has operated a camp in the Caņon City, Colorado, area since 1922. We occupy permanent facilities thirteen miles north of town in a rustic camp that will accommodate some 30 students. The rocks in the Caņon City area are well suited to introduce students to field geology. In most of our field areas of one or two square miles, the stratified rocks change from nearly flat-lying to complexly faulted and folded; basement rocks consist of intrusive and metamorphic suites.
The purpose of our geology field camp is to teach students to deal with exposures of rock that are larger than hand specimens and smaller than mountain ranges. For this reason, the curriculum at our camp is focused to give students hands-on experience in structural mapping and stratigraphy. We work with rocks in the field nearly every day, and faculty assign each field project with a purpose in mind. Each project is designed to convey a specific idea about geology or the methods of studying geology in the field. A course in structural geology is a prerequisite, and we urge non-KU students to have had a field-methods course. An enrollment of some 30 students is anticipated.
During the first part of the camp, we start students in the simple part of a field area, and they work their way into the more difficult geology, growing in their understanding as they map. Moreover, the dry climate has provided good exposures, and the straightforward stratigraphy allows students to concentrate on structural mapping without having to worry much about making stratigraphic errors as to which rock units they are mapping. Much of our work deals with the lower Paleozoic section, but we also map Precambrian and Cretaceous rocks and do several stratigraphic projects that deal with almost the entire section.
The second part of the course emphasizes longer mapping projects and incorporates hardened field laptops and GIS software for mapping. KU offers one of the few digitally-based field courses in the world. Students map directly into the laptops using both standard GIS programs and extensions written at KU for field mapping. We also will move camp for the two weeks of the course to a field area in Nevada to gain experience with different rocks and in an area where the geologic development is still being defined.
Information about the course
Students at the University of Kansas field camp enroll in two, three-hour courses that operate consecutively. Students are expected to enroll in both courses. Our six-week, six-hour sequence of courses will begin on May 17 with the drive from Lawrence to the Caņon City area. Camp will end on June 26 or perhaps earlier with the return trip. Students who wish may find their own transportation to and from camp. The last two weeks of camp will be spent in a second field area of western Nevada.
Tuition and fees in 2010 will be: Undergraduate 560 or 561: $991.70. Undergraduate 560 and 561: $1983.40. Graduate 560 or 561: $1146.50. Graduate 560 and 561: $2293.60. Students not previously enrolled at The University of Kansas will pay a one-time fee of $30.00.
Tuition and fees pay for lodging in rustic cabins, transportation in Department of Geology vans from Lawrence to camp and return, transportation in the field, and some supplies. Students will provide their own food and fix their own breakfasts, field lunches, and, typically, dinners. Dinners will be either in camp or in town at the choice of the students. Costs of all meals is the responsibility of the students. Some scholarships are available, and students selected to drive state vehicles will receive a stipend that helps offset expenses.
We provide bunks, mattresses, Brunton compasses, aerial photographs, stereoscopes, and field computers. Students are expected to provide their own textbooks, field gear, bedding, towels, and personal items. More information about camp, supplies, textbooks, scholarships, and being a driver will be sent later after we have received your application. A booklet of information, maps, and worksheets is required at a cost of $5.00. Faculty members this year will be Dan Stockli, Doug Walker, Diane Kamola, and Mike Taylor, and one or more teaching assistants.
We still have room for the summer of 2010 and we are accepting additional applications. To apply, please complete the enclosed application materials and send them with an official, academic transcript directly to Prof. Walker at the Department of Geology. Please do not send your application to the University's Admissions Office. We shall take care of that for you. Students who are admitted and who have not previously applied to the University of Kansas must submit a one-time $30.00 fee as a separate check, and they may be asked to send a $50 deposit to hold their place at camp. If you have questions, please e-mail Doug Walker. Thanks very much for your interest.
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Application Form
Scholarship Form
Organizational Meeting Announcement