Let Geology Come Alive in New Mexico
May 17
– June 18, 2011
GPS,
Compasses, and Laptops provided
General Information
5 Days: Pennsylvanian Biostratigraphy of
Fort Worth Basin, and lake geochemistry, Arlington, TX
14 Days: Pennsylvanian and Mesozoic Sedimentary
Systems near Las Vegas, NM; Mapping & Structure of sedimentary rocks, Taos
Trough, NM.
10 Days: Regional Geology and mapping in Metamorphic terrain: Rio Grande Rift, Jemez and Tusas
Mountains, NM
Cost
Food, Lodging, Transportation: $1,500
(Food and Lodging at college dormitories
in New Mexico; Transportation by University Vans)
Tuition (Texas Resident): Approximately
$2,100
Prerequisites:
Mineralogy, Petrology,
Structure, sedimentology/Stratigraphy, Computer Literacy
Methods:
Students use GPS receivers and laptop computers that are provided.
Field data can be analyzed and displayed using the following software:
RockWorks, Adobe Illustrator, GIS, PhotoShop and Excel.
Reports are written using Word.
For Information Contact:
Geology@UTA.edu
or
Department of Geology Box 19049
University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX 76019
To Apply to Field Camp:
Send an email to geology@UTA.EDU and provide the following:
e-mail address
mailing address
telephone number
Geolgy courses taken prior to
May 2011
To apply for
admission to UTA as a Transient Student go to
http://www.uta.edu/admissions/
Field Camp Schedule
May 17 – June 18,
2010
Tuesday, May 17
Arrive at Earth and Environmental Sciences Department,
University of Texas at Arlington – room 104 of the Geoscience Building
for introduction and first dayŐs activities
Directions and Maps are at http://www.uta.edu/maps/.
Tuesday,
May 17 – Saturday, May 21.
Pennsylvanian
Biostratigraphy of Fort Worth Basin (Nestell), and Lake Geochemistry (Winguth)
Sunday, May 22
Meet at UTA at 7AM to pack vans and leave for Las
Vegas, NM at 8AM (approximately 11 hour drive) Stratigraphic correlation and facies analysis of Late Paleozoic and
Mesozoic strata near Las Vegas, NM (Holbrook & Nestell)
Monday, May 23 – Saturday June 5
Structural Analysis of the
Laramide Mountain Front at Las Vegas, NM (Wickham); Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic
stratigraphy and sedimentary systems near Las Vegas, NM (Holbrook); Mapping structure and stratigraphy near Las Vegas, NM (Wickham).
Monday, June 6
Travel from Las Vegas to El Rito, NM. Afternoon field trip to Rio Grande Rift.
Tuesday, June 7 - Friday June 17
Regional Geology and and analysis of Igneous and
metamorphic rocks in the vicinity of the Rio Grande Rift (Lowell); Mapping metamorphic rocks in the Tusas mountains (Wickham
& Lowell).
Saturday, June 18
Return to Arlington
General Policies
Field Camp 2011 will run from Tuesday, May 17 through Saturday, June 18. You
should make no other plans for this period. You will be occupied
every minute.
1. Policies on alcohol and other drugs affecting judgment
and physical performance:
a) No alcohol is to be consumed in any field camp vehicle, or during class
hours. No alcohol is permitted in a university operated
vehicle.
b) Obnoxious behavior, whether or not produced by drug or alcohol
abuse, will not be tolerated. People involved may be expelled.
d) Alcohol is not permitted in the dorms of the New Mexico State Colleges where we
reside. Violators may be expelled from the dormitory..
2. Possession or
consumption of illegal drugs is not permitted under any circumstances.
3. An 8-hour period of quiet
will be observed where people sleep during the night.
4. Sexual Harassment consists
of physical and verbal behavior that is unwanted by anyone receiving it after
that person has told the perpetrator to stop. Sexual harassment can lead to
dismissal from the course.
5. Any threat of bodily harm,
explicit or implied, can be considered an assault and can lead to dismissal
from the course.
Equipment and Supplies
The university provides all special items and materials needed to carry out
individual projects (Computers, GPS Receivers, Compasses, Hand Levels, Jacob
Staffs, and Maps)
The following list includes items that you will need, but are not provided by the University:
( _) Stout footwear; at the least, light boots with strong soles
( _) Long Pants for protection against brush
( _)
Day
pack
( _) Field
medical kit (minimum: Band-Aids, Neosporin and aspirin)
( _) Sun Protection (avoid Skin Cancer): Sunscreen - 15 or greater, Hat, and Shirt
( _) Rock
hammer
( _) Hand
lens
( _) Straight
edge, colored pencils
( _) Field note-taking equipment: clipboard for field maps, Engineers Field Notebook (5Óx7.5Ó), pencils (#2 or #3,) and something to sharpen them with, and eraser
( _) Ruler,
Protractor, Triangle
( _) Calculator
( _) Optional:
camera, binoculars, Knife
Equipment Prohibited: Firearms and other
weapons
Weather
Weather will vary from hot and dry (in the low 90Ős) to mild and raining.
Temperatures at night in may be in the 50Ős. Shorts are fine along roadcuts,
but wear long pants when mapping to avoid cuts by brush. Choose your clothing
with care, and remember that the more comfortable you are in the field, the
less distracted you will be from your work.
Safety Precautions
Everyone is perfectly safe if they are
aware of dangers and take precautions. In the field, people have hand
communicators and work in teams so there is someone nearby if you get into
trouble. The following are the primary dangers in New Mexico:
Falling
Most minor injuries come from slipping and falling in the field. There are no
trails, and loose rocks and steep hillsides are common. Always walk slowly and
look before you step. Keep away from cliff edges which
may give way. Please get in shape before you come;
take a strength or aerobic class.
Plague
Northern New Mexico is a plague area. Plague is usually carried by fleas,
which live on most mammals and rodents. Avoid close contact with rodents and
other mammals, and if you develop a fever, see a doctor. Plague is easy to
arrest in the early stages.
Hantavirus
Northern New Mexico also reports cases of Hantavirus, which can also be fatal
if not treated early. It is spread through rodent fecal matter that accumulates
in old buildings and nests. Stay out of abandoned buildings and don't rummage
around in animal or bird nests.
Dehydration and heat exhaustion
In New Mexico, you will be usually working in low humidity at elevations around
7000Ő. Before setting out, drink as much water as you can and carry at least 2
Liters of water with you. Move slowly and steadily. If you do get
overheated and/or dizzy, find shade, drink water, and rest a while.
Potable water
Don't drink from streams, pools etc. All have nasty pathogens and parasites.
Nasty little critters
Ticks, mosquitoes and gnats are rare, but a horse fly may bite you. Ticks are
dangerous as a carrier of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Fever is the main
symptom, so see a doctor if you have an elevated temperature. Lyme disease is
possible but not common in New Mexico. Ticks will crawl around on you for
some time before sucking, and it is sufficient to check yourself at the end of
the day.
Nasty big critters
Black Bears and mountain lions exist in the New Mexico Mountains. No field camp
participant has ever seen one although signs and tracks have been seen; if you
do see one, donŐt turn and run, but back away slowly, facing the animal.
Nasty plants
Scrub Oak, brush and cactus can cut and puncture your legs if you donŐt wear
long clothing that covers your limbs. Poison Oak and Ivy occur in damp, shady
canyons.
Lightning
Afternoon thundershowers (with hail) may occur. If you hear or see an
approaching storm, leave high ground IMMEDIATELY. Large hail stones can injure you, so use your backpack or
clipboard to protect your head.