6 credits
Summer 2025 Experiential Upper DivisionThe Wasatch-Uinta Field Camp is a six-week capstone course designed to prepare students for successful careers in the geosciences. This course emphasizes scientific methodology and traditional techniques that provide a strong foundation for the broad range of modern technologies used by today's industry, academic, government and private workforces. Students learn to develop research strategies, collect field observations and measurements, compile detailed rock descriptions, measure stratigraphic sections, and construct geologic maps and cross sections. Field exercises are located in geologically ideal locations in the Wasatch and Uinta mountains of Utah, the San Rafael Swell of southeastern Utah, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, and the Carlin-type gold deposits of Nevada. The Wasatch-Uinta Field Camp was established in 1967 by the University of Minnesota. The camp is operated by a consortium that currently includes Purdue University, the University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Nebraska, and the University of Illinois.
Learning Outcomes1Learn how to make systematic geological observations and also collect relevant data using a Brunton compass. This includes the ability to identify rock types and minerals and primary and secondary geological structures and require skills and information learned in mineralogy, petrology (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary), structural geology, and stratigraphy.
2Collect field observations and measurements, compile detailed rock descriptions, measure stratigraphic sections, which will be used to construct geologic maps and cross sections.
3Navigate in the field using topographic maps, and compasses. Proficiency in field navigation is crucial for locating and completing field studies.
4Develop skills in interpreting geological history, including the sequence of events and the geological evolution of an area based on field observations.
5Deal with incomplete or ambiguous data and will be required to formulate hypotheses, make educated inferences, and solve geological problems based on limited information.
6Enhance their ability to work effectively in a team, collaborating with peers on field projects, and communicating geological findings through clear and concise field notes, maps, and reports.
7Learn to conduct geological fieldwork safely is paramount. Students should be able to identify potential hazards in the field, adhere to ethical and legal guidelines for collecting samples, and understand the importance of preserving natural landscapes. Learn best practices for safely conducting a field study.