The dates and activities posted above are planned months in advance of the Field Camp session. Unanticipated circumstances, for example problems with transportation availability or field area accessibility, may result in significant revisions to this schedule. Students and staff are expected to place their obligation to the Field Camp during the six weeks as their first priority. Project work and assignments will not be tailored to personal schedules DO NOT make any other plans for this six-week period.
Each of the 6 projects is worth 100 points. If necessary, one or more examinations may be administered and their point values added to the 600 project points. The specific requirements for each project will be set before the project begins. Grading is based upon correctness, completeness, geological reasonableness, and presentation. Legible hand writing is acceptable on all projects. All maps and figures are to be hand drafted. Maps are to be neatly inked, properly annotated, and colored. Legends and rock descriptions are to be neatly inked.
Projects will be collected at the deadlines set above and graded and reviewed as soon as possible. All project deadlines are fixed unless changed and announced by the course instructor. All materials provided to the student, including equipment and maps, are property of LSU. All materials submitted for course credit become the property of LSU and will not be returned. No extra credit work will be offered or honored.
Class will convene the evening before the first day of field work for each project in order to communicate introductory materials and project requirements. For most or all projects, class will convene during the evening hours while the project is in progress in order to address technical questions and problems as they arise. Students are encouraged to consult with teaching staff at all other times (other than rest time).
General – All projects emphasize field work during which the student makes basic geological observations and keeps a field note book. For each project, the student will be required to submit for credit one or more of the following: a finished map, cross section(s), stratigraphic column, legend, rock descriptions, a short report, field notes, and labeled rock specimens.
All project work is individual. Field partnerships are primarily for safety purposes. Some field tasks, such as field measurements and location data, may require help from a field partner and consequently some exchange of information. Other forms of collaboration, co-op mapping, rock description dictation, or other information exchange are forms of academic dishonesty. Teaching staff accompany students in the field and are available for consultation during field work.
Project 1 – Four field days are required to make observations and collect data on the local stratigraphy. After the formations and groups are introduced, the student makes notes on thickness, lithology, texture, composition, sedimentary structures, and fossils. The field data is refined into a final hand-drafted and lettered stratigraphic column.
Projects 2 & 3 – Field mapping of the exposure patterns and structural geology of pre-Cambrian basement and Phanerozoic stratigraphy.
The student conducts reconnaissance study of bedrock exposures and geologic structures, noting geologic features on his/her own field map and keeping notes in his/her field book. Four field days are allocated to each of these mapping projects. The entire class will be introduced to each study area by the course instructor during all or part of the first day.
Projects 4 & 6 - Metamorphic and igneous geology: In weeks 4 & 6 the class will travel in vans provided by LSU to locations elsewhere in Colorado or New Mexico. The metamorphic study area will feature exposures of proterozoic metamorphic rocks; the igneous study area will feature either Cenozoic volcanic rocks or older plutonic rocks, or both. The metamorphic study will examine mineralogical variation and deformation structures in a dynamothermal metamorphic terrain. The igneous study will consider compositional variations and field relations among lava flows, tuffs, and intrusions.
Upon completing the field work for Project 6, we’ll tour the geological features of the Jemez Mts. volcanic field and the Rio Grande Rift of northern New Mexico. We’ll then return to Camp to begin office work for Project 6.
During field study for Projects 4 & 6 we’ll likely camp in primitive conditions (no plumbing, no showers, no furniture), though state park or national forest campground facilities may be available. Meals and water will be provided at the campsite. There will be no access to stores, so bring necessary clothing, equipment, supplies, and extra food & beverage if desired. Do not plan to leave the campsite during these sessions.
Project 5 – Stratigraphic correlation. Attention is returned to sedimentary stratigraphy, lithology, and sedimentary structures. A single group or formation is selected for analysis at a number of different locations. Each day, the class will visit a different exposure and log a stratigraphic section. These data will be re-drafted in geographically consistent layout for stratigraphic correlation. The project will also include field sketches and analysis of sedimentary structures.
Field Etiquette and Rules: Map in threes or fewer, but all work is individual effort. There are no group projects assigned in this course. Field partnerships are primarily for safety and secondarily for scientific debate, but are not collaborations. Singletons are allowed, but be mindful of the risks. Drink plenty of water. Don’t litter (not even fruit peels). Don’t climb on fences like a ladder, instead straddle or crawl under or through. Use a whistle only to draw attention to an emergency.
Recreation: Rest and recreation are needed to maintain the physical and mental intensity required by this field course. Students are encouraged to take self-led excursions away from Camp during ‘free time’. The Field Camp has a library of maps and geological guide books of the Rocky Mountain region. Some nearby recreational destinations:
White-water rafting on Arkansas River through Royal Gorge (Canon City)
Cripple Creek / Victor, CO (mining towns) through Phantom Canyon and over the Pike’s Peak range
Pike’s Peak
Rocky Mountain National Park
hike and camp on LSU Field Camp property
Colorado Springs, Old Colorado City, and Manitou Springs (Cave of the Winds)
Denver, Boulder, and South Park, CO.
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