GEOL 376, 2013
GEOL 376: Geologic Field Methods (3 credits)
Scientific data recording and mapping methods used in geological field studies; map and report
preparation
Instructor: John Ridley
Office: Natural Resources Building, Room NR 322
Office hours: Friday 10 - 12.
Phone: 491-5943
Email: jridley@mail.colostate.edu
Teaching Assistant: Crystal Rauch
Office: Natural Resources Building, Room NR 318
Office hours: Thursday 11 - 1.
Email: crystalrauch@aol.com
Also: Richard Zaggle (NR 318) and Mariah Slovacek (NR 338) will be helping teaching in labs
and grading.
Course schedule:
Wednesday afternoons, starting 1.00 pm.
In class sessions, room NR 320: Short introductory lectures followed by laboratory exercises,
1.00 to 3.50 pm,
Six field sessions with exercises (second half of the semester), 1.00 to 5.00 pm.
Field days: Four days in the week 13th – 17th May, 8.00 am – 5.00 pm.
(An additional day is scheduled to allow for cancellation of work one day because of poor
weather).
The first three days will involve field projects involving geological data collection, recording
and mapping.
The fourth and final field day is a mapping examination.
Equipment you will need for the course:
Laboratory Sessions: Drafting equipment – pens, pencils, coloured pencils, protractor and ruler.
In some laboratory sessions you will require equipment and texts for rock and mineral
identification: hand lens, magnet (+scriber), mineralogy textbook, and mineralogy and rock
identification notes.
Field sessions – additional to drafting equipment, hiking boots or equivalent, field note book,
clipboard, geological hammer, acid bottle, pocket knife etc. See also the list of required and
recommended field equipment for Field Camp. Anything on this list will be useful.
(Compasses, GPS’s and surveying equipment will be supplied by CSU).
Field days after the end of semester are full field days away from roads and stores so you will
also require normal day hiking equipment, boots, hat, day pack, water bottle, sun screen etc.
GEOL 376, 2013
Background of the Course:
There are few projects that an Earth Scientist will undertake in a professional career that do not
involve at least a component of field work, whether this is producing a map, the collection of
data in the field, or the collection of specimens in a spatial and scientific context. This course
covers geoscience field skills and the techniques used in mapping and field data collection. It
includes exercises involving the use of remote sensing and image interpretation as aids to
geological interpretation. The course constitutes preparation for the Geology Summer Field
Course GEOL 436.
As part of this class, the College Careers Service will present two sessions on writing resumes
and job applications.
Learning Objectives:
Successful students will:
(i)
Learn and practice techniques of collecting different types of geoscience field data
(geological, geophysical, hydro-geological and geomorphological), including
techniques of accurate position finding.
(ii)
Be able to systematically and accurately report and record field data in field
notebooks, and on maps.
(iii) Be able to interpret geological histories from one’s own field data, including
preparation of geological cross sections.
(iv)
Have a basic knowledge of the types of remotely sensed data and imagery (airphotos,
satellite images, geophysical data) that are used to aid geological interpretations and
field surveys.
(v)
Have developed skills for reading and interpreting professionally produced
geoscience maps in different geological terrains, including interpretations of
geological histories and preparation of complex cross sections.
Course assignments and evaluation:
56 % - field and laboratory exercises and projects assigned each week through the semester.
These exercises will require independent or group work after class hours to complete.
24 % - day-long field projects after end of semester (13th – 15th May)
20 % - final field mapping exam on the last day of the field sessions (16th or 17th May). The
percentage weight of the final exam will be reduced if bad weather makes field work difficult on
the day.
Course grading:
The correlation between letter and numerical grades in this course will be approximately:
A ≥ 80 > B ≥ 70 > C ≥ 60 > D ≥ 50 > F. +/- grading will be used.
These breakpoints are used because many of the assignments involve argumentation and
interpretation where there is no single and straightforward correct answer.
GEOL 376, 2013
Geologic Field Methods: Provisional Schedule
Date
Hours Topic
Jan. 23
1-4
Jan. 30
1-4
Feb. 6
1-4
Feb. 13
1-4
Feb. 20
Feb. 27
1-4
1-4
Mar. 6
1-4
Mar. 13 1-4
Mar. 27 1-5
Apr. 3
1-5
Apr. 10
1-5
Apr. 17
1-5
Apr. 24
May 1
1-4
1-5
May 8
1-5
May
20-23
8-5
Introduction: Variety of Geoscience maps; Geoscience map
interpretation exercises I
On-line databases; Interpretation of geological features
visible on National Map; Google Earth (NR GTL Computer
Lab.)
1.00 to 3.00pm.
3.00 to 3.50pm.
Interpretation of geology
Career’s Center workshop;
using topography.
Resumés and Cover
Letters
1.00 to 3.00pm.
3.00 to 3.50pm.
Introduction to air photo
Career’s Center workshop;
interpretation and DEM’s; Air Job interviews
photo interpretation projects
Air photo interpretation (complete projects)
Introduction to remote imaging in geology: radiometrics,
thermal imaging; measurement of radioactivity of rocks
Remotely sensed image interpretation: aeromagnetics,
gravity; measurement of magnetic susceptibility and
density of rocks
Rock observations: describing field specimens
Field observations, recording in field notebooks,
measurements of strike and dip using Brunton compasses:
Navigation and determination of position using GPS,
triangulation (local field site)
Field observations, field notebooks (cont.), navigation
(cont.), field sketches, (local field site)
Mapping, recording and interpretation of surficial and
Quaternary sediments and their landforms (Devil’s
Backbone)
Geophysical survey project (seismic refraction or GPR),
total station surveying, finish surficial sediment mapping
project (Devil’s Backbone)
Geoscience map interpretation exercises II (in lab)
Hydrogeological surveying, total station surveying
(Gateway, Poudre Canyon)
Geological sections and section measuring, using the
principles of mappable units, traverses (local field site)
Monday to Thursday:
Geological mapping of increasing complexity (3 days) and
exam (1 day) (each day 8.00 am to ~ 5.00 pm)
Guest
Instructors
KH
KH
DH
SR