Evenings are usually unstructured, allowing students to continue assigned work on the field project. Geological problems Our course begins with geologic mapping of beautifully exposed Mesozoic strata in a semi-arid part of the Rocky Mountain thrust belt. After the students are introduced to the geologic units and learn basic field techniques, they map in pairs across a designated area of classic fold-thrust structure. The emphases of the project are field recognition of sedimentary and igneous rocks, scientific note-taking, mapping of stratigraphic units, and recognition and interpretation of basic geologic structures. Faculty and teaching assistants are in the field to help as needed.
Students work on their maps, cross-sections and other assignments during the evenings.
The completed projects are due at 8 pm on the last day of this 5-day exercise. The next project involves complexly deformed and intruded Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks in an abandoned mining district. This was the site of Montana's first gold rush, and the 1860's ghost town of Bannack litters a canyon on the edge of our study area. The geological problems are to recognize ore minerals, skarn, and igneous intrusions, and interpret the relationships among deformation, intrusion, metamorphism and ore genesis along the Ermont thrust. We typically allow five field days for this project.