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courses – G426

G426 SEDIMENTARY BASIN ANALYSIS IN THE FIELD

2013 DATES TBA (3 credits)

There is no caravan travel for this course, so students need to arrange and pay for their own travel, arriving at the Field Station by July 23rd. Students arriving by air via Bozeman Montana must arrive prior to 2:00 pm. Those students driving their own vehicles must arrive at the Field Station no later than 3:30 pm.

PREREQUISITES

Students are expected to have completed at least the first two years of a standard undergraduate program in the geosciences. This would normally include an introductory course and two or more courses in the disciplines of mineralogy, petrology, structure, stratigraphy, and tectonics. Students with alternative backgrounds are encouraged to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

DESCRIPTION

Geology 426 is a field-based integrative surface and subsurface course that focuses on the study of sedimentary basin fills in southwest Montana. It will consist of in-depth comparative analysis of the depositional record of a Proterozoic aulacogen, a Paleozoic passive continental margin, a Mesozoic foreland basin, and Cenozoic extensional basins. Students will learn how to use fundamental skills of studying basin fills in the field in conjunction with gravity, seismic and well-log data to reconstruct basin history and to evaluate the natural resource potential of a basin.

The geologic setting of southwest Montana provides an ideal setting for the study of sedimentary basins, tectonics, and geologic history. Within a few miles of the Judson Mead Geologic Field Station in southwest Montana, students are able to study sediment fill within an aulacogen, carbonate and siliciclastic sedimentation on a passive margin, continental deposition within a foreland basin, and the impact of structural features on sediment dispersal within extensional basins. Not only would students become familiar with the scale of these basin types, but also the stratigraphic architecture of their basin fills, subsidence rates, and geologic history. Field work, integrated with geophysical well logs, seismic data, and regional geologic maps, will provide students with the skills necessary to conduct comprehensive studies of any sedimentary basin and to determine their potential for natural resources.

PROJECTS

Students will work through four comprehensive basin projects with very different temporal and spatial scales over a two-week period.

1) The first project will introduce students to sedimentation within a Proterozoic aulacogen by examining in detail the sediments of the Belt Supergroup. The students will be introduced to basic sedimentology, lithofacies variations, and paleoenvironmental interpretation.

2) The second project will focus on passive margin deposition by studying Paleozoic rocks exposed near the Judson Mead Geological Field Station. Students will be introduced to the basics of sedimentary geology by measuring stratigraphic sections, describing lithologies, identifying sedimentary structures, resolving facies architecture, and correlating packages of sedimentary rock.

field station routine
HOUSING ASSIGNMENTS

Upon arrival at the Field Station you will receive instructions regarding dormitory assignments. Each student will find a bunk, a pillow, a locker, and two drawers in a small chest for his/her use during the field course. You need to provide your own twin size sheets and blanket and/or sleeping bag.

LAUNDRY FACILITIES

All students housed on the lower campus will use the wash house facilities located in the steel building to the north. Students housed on upper campus will use the wash house facilities on upper campus.

You will find washing machines, dryers and laundry tubs as well as ironing boards and irons. Clothes lines and clothes pins are available on both upper and lower campus. We have found that a little planning in doing your laundry will avoid inconvenience in overloading. During a normal Montana day clothes dry very rapidly, a few hours often being sufficient; therefore, students are urged to remove dry clothes from the clothes lines so that others may take advantage of the good weather. It is necessary for you to purchase your own laundry supplies and keep them in your dormitory. You will need quarters for the washers and dryers at the Field Station.

MEALS

Week day meals are scheduled as follows:

  • Breakfast - 7:00 am
  • Lunch - Field lunch packed before or after breakfast in the lodge.
  • Dinner - 6:30 pm

A bell will be rung about 5-10 minutes before mealtime to alert students to come to the dining hall. Students may be seated after the second bell rings. Dining table assignments will be posted each week. Breakfast and dinner are served family style. Each person is responsible for taking his/her own dishes and table service to the proper locations after the meal. As in any large group, your promptness at mealtime will help eliminate confusion. On certain occasions like Saturday, dinner may be served at 5:30 pm in order to accommodate those who wish to get an early start to town. These changes will be announced at breakfast and posted on the bulletin board.

The Sunday schedule will normally be as follows:

  • Breakfast: Continental breakfast available 8:00 am to 12:00 pm
  • Lunch: Items available from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm
  • Dinner: 6:30 pm
MAIL

Mail addressed to the Field Station is brought from the Post Office at Cardwell and distributed in the mailboxes located at the southwest corner of the lodge. The mail will be picked up at Cardwell by authorized staff of the Field Station. Only outgoing mail should be placed in the box on top of the mailboxes. This mail will be taken to the Post Office each morning.

The student address at the Field Station is: IUGFS
Attn: Student Name
633 S. Boulder Rd.
Cardwell, MT 59721

This course is designed for

  • undergraduate geology students interested in gaining field experience prior to the completion of their geology degree,
  • graduate students pursuing an advanced degree in sedimentary geology, and/or
  • professional geologists interested in assessing sedimentary basins using integrated field and geophysical techniques.

Students enrolling in this course must either have upper division standing as an undergraduate or graduate standing in a geology program at an accredited institution.

COURSES
additional information

forms to be completed
upon acceptance

All information is imperative to the course. please read all documents carefully.

PROJECTS (CONT)

3) The third project will build on these basic field skills and knowledge sets by assessing stratigraphic and regional variations in the Mesozoic retroarc foreland basin of southwest Montana. Students will correlate stratigraphic sections along with geophysical well logs, construct paleoflow maps from paleocurrent data, develop geologic reconstructions of the basin through time, and resolve smaller scale complexities within the basin.

4) The fourth project will focus on extensional basins by examining the North Boulder and Harrison basins near the Judson Mead Geologic Field Station. Students will continue to build upon the basic field skills and knowledge sets gained in the previous projects, along with incorporating gravity and seismic data, to assess the stratigraphic architecture, resolve structural controls on sediment dispersal, and construct a detailed geologic history for these extensional basins.

Finally, students will integrate the material presented in the course by assessing differences in subsidence rates, temporal variations, and structural styles represented by the sedimentary basins studied in southwest Montana.