ERTH 406/606  Field Studies in Classic Mapping (CRN TBA) 4 credits  Instructor:  Marli Miller.  Graded for Majors;  P/NP optional for all other students.  $900 course fee and usual tuition and UO fees.

This course begins with a two day drive to Dillon, Montana. There, we will move into dormitories at the University of Montana Western in Dillon, Montana and complete a geologic mapping project called Block Mountain. During this project, we will first familiarize ourselves with the region’s Paleozoic and Mesozoic stratigraphy and then create a geologic map of this complexly deformed area. Block Mountain is a fabulous place to further develop the strong foundation of fundamental field skills that geologists draw on repeatedly throughout their careers.

After completing the Block Mountain project, we’ll head to northern Montana for a field trip to visit several classic sites of the Cordilleran Fold-Thrust Belt. These sites include the “Disturbed Belt” so beautifully exposed in Sun River Canyon as well as locations within Glacier National Park. Besides the incredible display of structures, we will also see spectacular glacial features and sedimentary rocks of the Proterozoic Belt Supergroup. The field trip includes a day off for hiking in the national park.