GEOL 160 Geology from A (Arches) to Z (Zion): The Geology of National Parks in the Western United States

Students develop an understanding of basic geological processes and how they shape the Earth by visiting different national parks in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Utah. Topics covered in an introductory geology course are learned in an experiential field experience instead of typical lecture-lab. For example, in the canyon lands (Grand, Bryce, and Zion) students examine the fossil record preserved in the rocks; in California, they study geological hazards (earthquakes, landslides, and volcanism) by field studies of the San Andreas Fault, mass-wasting in Pt Reyes National Seashore, and volcanism at Lassen volcano. [NS]