Undergraduate classes have produced term reports that subsequently were published. Field Trips Field trips are integral parts of several courses in geoscience, with frequent weekend general-interest events. Geology of the Iowa City region is characterized by a layer of glacial drift on a largely Paleozoic sedimentary section a few hundred meters thick, overlying a Precambrian crystalline basement. Marine and terrestrial fossil assemblages, extensive reefs, and unique geode sites are located within a few hours' drive. Numerous Pleistocene glaciations are represented in Iowa, and field studies of landforms, exposures, and cores continue to yield information on sedimentology, stratigraphy, soil formation, paleopedology, and fossil biotas from both glacial and interglacial deposits.
Spring break provides time for longer trips which are available to all geology students.
In recent years, students have traveled to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Death Valley, the Florida Keys, the southern Appalachians, Arizona, New Mexico, and the Ozarks. Advanced classes have visited Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, California, and Ontario, Canada. This page last updated April 25, 2000.