GEO 154 - Lavas, Floods and Forest Field Trip

1 Credits

This one-day trip explores some of the most amazing geologic sights in Washington. We will travel to eastern Washington to see the unusual Gingko Petrified Forest, explore the largest volcanic eruption since the dinosaurs died, and discover evidence of catastrophic floods from the last ice age, including ancient waterfalls and floods greater than any other on Earth. The class includes a full-day field trip and classroom instruction before the field trip.

Course Note A field class that requires navigating steep and uneven terrain and traversing distances of about 2 miles in dusty and rocky environments.
FeesRG SC

Quarters Typically Offered
Fall Weekend
Designed to Serve Students who are interested in the course content and want to learn about local geology in a field based class.
Active Date 20210403T10:08:56

Grading System Decimal Grade
Class Limit 20
Contact Hours: Lecture 5.5 Lab 11
Total Contact Hours 16.5
Degree Distributions:
AA

Science

Course Outline

The Columbia River Flood Basalts
The Bretz Floods
Ginkgo Petrified Forest

Student Learning Outcomes
Student will describe the geologic history and deposits of the Vantage Washington area that show the Earth changes over time from dynamic surface processes operating at a range of time scales as a result of their participation in the field trip.

Student will observe the actual scale of geologic features and materials as compared to pictures in books or other media.

Student will sketch or describe their observations in the field to recognize fossilized wood and characteristic rock and sediment units formed by lava flows, glacial floods, and other geologic forces.

Student will use their observations as evidence to interpret changes in the local landscape over geologic time and understand the geologic history of Eastern Washington.

Student will create geologically reasonable hypotheses based on learned knowledge to explain observations of rocks and features.

Student will use verbal and writing skills to synthesize and clearly present their research on geologic information to a targeted audience using appropriate terms and vocabulary.

Student will practice safety in geologic fieldwork by fully participating, following safety protocols, paying attention, and following directions of the trip leader(s) at all times.