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.

Note: This course is physically demanding. Students should be in good health, capable of strenuous hiking on rugged terrain while carrying daypack and field gear.

Overview

The principal goal of G429 is to improve the student's abilities in solving geologic problems in the field. The solution of most problems involves an initial phase of systematic data collection accomplished primarily through geologic mapping. Consequently, a substantial part of the course is devoted to geologic mapping; developing skills and abilities for this mapping is recognized as a means of better understanding the geologic question(s) under consideration. The Field Station is located in a geologically diverse area; because of this unique location, a wide array of problems can be addressed during the course. The instructional-based experiences are then used as a foundation for an integrated analysis of mostly larger and more complex problems which encompass the geology of southwestern Montana and the northern Rocky Mountains.

G429 is divided into two parts. The first part of the course consists of closely supervised instruction in areas representing a spectrum of problems of variable difficulty. A typical schedule for a project would run as follows: one to two days of close instruction (e.g. descriptions, measurement, and field examination of the stratigraphic section, use of topographic maps and air photos) followed by two to three days of work applying this information to a problem (e.g. regional deformation patterns involving the lower Paleozoic stratigraphic section). Initially this application takes place under close instruction with a gradual increase in the amount of individual responsibility and freedom as the project continues. Additional topics included in this first part of the course are techniques of mapping simple structures on aerial photographs and topographic maps, reconnaissance mapping of a relatively large area of moderate structural complexity, the study of sedimentary rocks through detailed description and measurement of stratigraphic sections, detailed mapping and reconstruction of the geologic history of a highly complex structure characterized by numerous folds and faults, and field studies of igneous and metamorphic rocks. The latter includes igneous rock zonation and contact metamorphic relations within the exposed parts of a small pluton and the regional metamorphic geology of the Precambrian core of the Tobacco Root Mountains, examined through careful field mapping and the application of some techniques of structural analysis and mineral stability considerations.

The second part of G429 involves eight days of mapping in an area characterized by both geologic diversity and complexity. The student works independently in this area and produces geologic maps on aerial photographs (stereographic pairs) and a topographic base map with geologic cross sections, supporting data sets, and a summary of the geologic history of the region as a final project. The maps and written report for the project are due on the last day of the course. Faculty members work in the area with the students, periodically checking their progress and offering advice when it is requested or needed. Four such study areas are used for this final integrative project, with ten to fifteen students assigned to each final study area.

In addition to the teaching projects, there are four one-day field exercises. Students, working independently of other students and faculty, construct a geologic map and cross sections for the area, and decipher the geologic history of a structurally and stratigraphically diverse area that they have not previously visited.

A three-day field trip to the overthrust belt of northwestern Montana is scheduled as a break between the teaching dominated first part of the course and the Final Study Area project. Precambrian belt stratigraphy, fold-and-thrust belt (imbricate thrust faults, large overthrust faults), and spectacular alpine and continental glacial landforms are studied in this region centering around Glacier National Park. Mining geology including both the mineralization stages and the environmental impact (e.g. acid mine waters) and reclamation are studied in Anaconda and Butte, both providing world class examples.