Into the Field...with the Augustana College Geology Department

The Geology Department provides numerous opportunities for students to observe and study geology in the field. The department typically offers three major fieldtrips each year, traveling near and far to places of geologic interest. Fieldtrips provide a great way to learn geology, enjoy nature, and make new friends around the campfire.

Tri-State Geological Conference trips.

• 1999 Iowa City, Iowa
• 1998 Eau Claire, Wisconsin
• 1997 LaSalle, Illinois
• 1996 Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Iowa
• 2005 Streator, IL (Friends of the Pleistocene)
• 2006 Greater Quad Cities

Local Weekend Field Trips

• 2000 Maquoketa Caves
• 2000 LeClaire Quarry
• 2000 Mazon Creek

Spring Break: These trips, which take place during the break between Winter and Spring terms, usually go to some place distant, exotic, and warmer than Illinois!

• 2007 Death Valley
• 2006 Grand Canyon
• 2005 Hawaii
• 2004 Okefenokee Swamp/Cumberland Island, Georgia
• 2003 Death Valley, California
• 2002 Grand Canyon, Arizona
• 2000 Big Bend, Texas
• 1999 Death Valley, California
• 1998 Arizona (Sedona, Meteor Crater, etc.)
• 1996 Grand Canyon, Arizona

Spring term: These trips are typically 4 days long (long weekend). Past trips have visited:

• 2003 St. Francois Mountains, Missouri
• 2002 Upper Mississippi Valley
• 2001 Baraboo, Wisconsin
• 2000 Northeast Minnesota
• 1999 Southern Illinois
• 1998 St. Francois Mountains (Ozarks), Missouri
• 1996 Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan

Several courses involve intensive fieldwork locally. In particular, GL200 "Advanced General Geology" studies local Devonian stratigraphy, GL401 "Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy" measures local Silurian, Devonian and Pennsylvanian sections, and GL309 "Geomorphology" involves numerous outdoor exercises. In addition, introductory courses frequently involve several fieldtrips to local points of geological, economic, and environmental interest.

During the summer, the Department offers a 3-credit course entitled "Fossil Mammals of the Badlands " (GL172/372). This 2-week course travels to the White River Badlands of South Dakota and Nebraska for fossil collecting. The group camps on Shalimar Ranch, outside of Harrison , Nebraska , and collects fossils on privately owned land.

A special summer field course to the Rocky Mountains is targeted for incoming first year students interested in the outdoors or Geology.  We hope to attract bright, hard-working, ambitious students eager to be challenged intellectually and physically.  Run for 2 weeks at the end of August, this course, GL105: Introductory Physical Geology in the Rocky Mountains, is limited to 14 first-year students and is filled on a first-come, first served basis (registration required before May 6th).

Special grants allow us periodically to travel and study geology in exotic lands like China.

Students interested in careers and/or graduate studies in the geosciences are encouraged to attend a summer geological field camp.