Geology 160
May 26th to June 15th, 2013
Geology from A(Arches) to Z(Zion):
The Geology of National Parks in the Western United States
Instructors: L. Malinconico, D. Sunderlin
Room/Lab: National Parks of northern Arizona and southern Utah
Lecture & Lab: 19 spectacular days in the American Southwest
Email: sunderld@lafayette.edu & malincol@lafayette.edu
*In compliance with Lafayette College policy and equal access laws, the instructors are available to discuss appropriate academic
accommodations that you may require as a student with a disability. Requests for academic accommodations need to be made prior to
the course start date in May 2013, except for unusual circumstances, so arrangements can be made. Students must register with the
Office of the Dean of the College for disability verification and for determination of reasonable academic accommodations.
The National Park System in the Western United
States provides a unique opportunity for us to
examine how geological processes shape the Earth.
In the course, we will travel to different National
Parks in Arizona, and Utah to develop an
understanding of basic geological processes. In
essence, we will be able to study many of the topics
covered in an intro-geology course, but do so with
an experiential field course instead of the traditional
semester lecture-lab model. For example, in the
Canyonlands we will be able to examine processes
of sedimentation, igneous intrusion and erosion. We
will consider the record of life on Earth by
examining the fossil record preserved in the rocks. And various locations will give us the
opportunity to discuss natural hazards like volcanism (Sunset Crater) and global catastrophes like
impact events (Meteor Crater). The course will begin with two days of intensive study at Lafayette,
learning basic geologic concepts and earth materials. We will then begin a circuit of the following
parks: Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Grand Staircase of the Escalante, Capitol Reef, Arches,
Canyonlands, Goosenecks of the San Juan, Monument Valley, Sunset Crater, Meteor Crater and
Petrified Forest. The trip will include a three-day rafting trip on the Colorado River into Grand
Canyon National Park that concludes with a hike out of the Canyon through 1.8 billion years of
Earth history.
Course Objectives
 Develop a fundamental understanding of
geologic processes and time.
 Understand how geologic processes act to
create landscapes
o mountain-building processes
create highlands,
o while geomorphic process
subsequently reshape the
landscape
 Relate active processes to the types of

sediments and rock types that we observe
Develop a sense of geologic time by an examination of how both slow and fast geologic
processes reshape the landscape over millions of years.
Textbook: - Blakey, Ron and Wayne Ranney, 2008, Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado
Plateau, 1st edition, Grand Canyon Association
- Abbey, E., 1968, Desert Solitaire, any edition, any publisher!
Student Evaluation
Exams: At the present time we anticipate that there will be three to four exams for the course.
First:
Take home exam, due at the start of the course. It will cover location orientation and
general introduction to geology and tectonics.
Second: This will be done at the end of the stay at Lafayette and will cover basic geologic
principles, plate tectonics and earth materials.
Third:
Probably in Zion or Moab. This will be about the geology of the Parks that we have
visited up to that point. It will be very visual (i.e. questions about pictures from
places we have been and may include identification of earth materials that we have
examined.
Fourth:
This will probably be in Las Vegas the last night. It will probably be a summative
exam with longer answers to questions chosen from different topical categories.
Field Notebook: Each student will be expected to keep a detailed field and lecture notebook. This
will be a record of lectures and field discussions and observations. Additionally, we will ask you to
write daily reflections on topics that we provide. We will evaluate your field book at various times
during the trip.
Participation: Your participation in every activity is required. We will also be judging you on how
well you participate on a day-to-day basis, respond to questions and ask questions of your own.
Evaluation (tentative):
Pre-Trip Exam, Exan #2 & Exam #3 (15% each):
Final Exam:
Field Journal (evaluated at least 3 times during the course):
Participation:
45%
25%
15%
15%
Credits: One Full Course (with a lab credit)
College Policy on Academic Integrity and Behavior
Students will be expected to adhere to the principles of academic honesty as described
in the student handbook.
You are representing Lafayette College while you are off-campus. All participants must
comply with Lafayette’s rules, standards, and instructions for student behavior as defined in
the College’s Code of Conduct. Lafayette reserves the right to enforce culturally appropriate
standards of conduct and specifically reserves the right to terminate the participation of any
student for failure to maintain these standards or for any actions of conduct which Lafayette
considers to be incompatible with the interest, harmony, comfort, or welfare of other
participants. Since we will be in conditions where alcohol can exacerbate already
physiologically demanding situations, we will require that you adhere to a strict no-alcohol
consumption policy while a participant in this course, even if you are of legal age. Actions and
unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated and could result in you being returned to
Lafayette. Should your participation in the program be terminated either by the host
institution or by Lafayette College for reasons of misconduct, you will receive neither credit
nor refund.
Locations and dates (tentative)
May 26 & 27
Lafayette College
(housing provided)
May 28 & 29
Grand Canyon - South Rim
Holiday Inn Express (b-fast)
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
1-928-638-3000
May 30 & June 3
Page, AZ
Lake Powell Days Inn and Suites
961 HWY 89
Page, AZ 86040
1-928-645-2800
May 31, June 1, 2
On the Colorado River (all meals provided)
Wilderness River Adventures, Page, AZ
1-928-645-3296
June 4, 5 & 6
Zion Canyon National Park
Best Western Zion Park Inn
1215 Zion Park Blvd.
Springdale, UT 84767
1-435-772-3200
June 7
Bryce Canyon
Best Western Ruby’s Inn
HWY 63
Bryce, UT 84764
1-435-834-5341
June 8
Capitol Reef National Park
Days Inn (b-fast)
675 E. Hwy 24
Torrey, UT 84775
1-435-425-3111
June 9, 10 & 11
Arches and Canyonlands
Best Western Canyonlands Inn (b-fast)
16 S. Main St.
Moab, UT 84532
1-435-259-2300
June 12 & 13
Flagstaff: Sunset Crater, Meteor Crater, Petrified Forest N.P.
Comfort Inn (b-fast)
2455 S. Beulah Blvd.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
1-928-774-8042
June 14
Las Vegas
Holiday Inn Express (b-fast buffet)
5760 Polaris Ave.
Las Vegas, NV
1-702-736-0098
May 26 to 27
Tentative Lecture and Meeting Schedule
Sunday, May 26, 2013
10 am (First Take-home Exam due when class starts)
Intro and Basic Principles
Geologic Time & Principles
Rock Cycles
.
1.5 hr
Lunch (provided)
1 pm
Plate Tectonics & Earth Structure
2 hr
.
3:30 pm
Earth Materials
Rock types and general characteristics
2hr
Igneous
- textures & composition
- intrusive vs extrusive
- intrusive forms
Metamorphic
- agents
- textures (foliated vs non-foliated)
- contact vs regional metamorphism
- metamorphic facies
Sedimentary
- clastic vs chemical
- sedimentary environments
- sedimentary structures
- fossils & past life
- EOD *** - litho vs chronostratigraphic
Monday May 27, 2013
9am - noon (lunch provided)
Earth Materials in the Lab
Igneous Rocks, Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks & Sedimentary Structures
.5 hr
.5 hr
1 hr
3 hrs
Lunch (provided)
.
1.5 - 2 hrs
1 pm
Folds and Faults, Unconformities
4 pm
Second Exam
2 hrs