**Looking for information on the ERTH 406 – Intro Field Geology course for UO students only?  Click here! 

---

To attend all three sections, there are course prerequisites of Field Methods, Mineralogy, Petrology, Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, and Structural Geology or an equivalent level of expertise and instructor permission.  Prerequisites for individual sections depend upon the section you plan to attend. 

All sections are graded for majors; P/NP optional for all other students. There is a $900 course fee per section, above and beyond usual UO tuition and fees. External students will need to pay an additional non-refundable $100 “earnest money” fee to hold their space in the camp.  Partial scholarships are available for all UO students. The field camp application will open in late January 2023, and the link will be posted below. 

ERTH 406/606 Section 1: Physical Volcanology

Newberry Volcano, OR, and UO in Eugene, OR

Instructor: Thomas Giachetti   CRN  | June 20 – July 3, 2025 

Description: This two-week course is based out of Newberry Volcano, Oregon. Using methods and techniques pertaining to physical volcanology, we will determine the volume and intensity of the last eruption of Newberry Volcano (Big Obsidian Flow, 640 CE), and learn about silicic eruptions and tephra transport. We will also try to decipher how this eruption unfolded. We will map out the thickness and main sedimentological characteristics of the explosive deposit during eight days in the field. We will collect samples and use sieves and balances to measure some characteristics of the deposits directly in the field. Back in the lab at the University of Oregon, we will further analyze characterize our samples using instruments to measure grain size, shape, porosity, and componentry.

 

ERTH 406/606 Section 2: Classic Mapping

Southwest Montana

Instructor: Marli Miller    CRN | July 6 – July 22, 2025

This two-week field section is based in Dillon, Montana. We will be staying in dorms of the University of Montana, Western, which provide easy access to fabulous exposures of Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks. The also offer a classroom, showers, laundry facilities, and a cafeteria.  

Our projects will focus on the stratigraphy and structure of two places. The first, a moderately deformed area will allow everybody to develop basic mapping skills. The second area, which is more deformed, will challenge everybody to advance their skills up a notch.  Includes 4-day field trip to northern Montana including Glacier National Park. 4 quarter-system credits.  

ERTH 406/606 Section 3: Field Hydrology

Willamette Valley, OR

Instructor: Qusheng Jin  CRN | August 25 – September 10, 2025

Field Hydrology offers students practical, on-the-ground experience in applying classroom knowledge to environmental data collection and analysis. This two-week course focuses on four main topics: soils, streams, aquifers, and water quality, with hands-on fieldwork at sites around the Eugene-Springfield area, such as a local winery, landfill, wetland, Fern Ridge Reservoir, and the McKenzie River. This course provides 4 of the 12 required credits for summer field camp, making it an important step for Environmental Geoscience track students in the Earth Sciences major, and it also serves as an upper-division elective for other environmental science related majors. Participation will prepare students for careers in environmental consulting, resource management, and related fields.

Students will engage in activities like soil profiling, stream gaging, well testing, and groundwater chemistry analysis. The course also includes field trips to locations such as Creswell, Oregon, to study arsenic contamination, and Short Mountain Landfill Butte for surface water and groundwater monitoring. Fieldwork is carried out in teams with rotating leadership roles, encouraging both collaborative and individual learning.

To apply:  

To complete the application, you should have a copy of your transcript(s) handy and know the date of your last tetanus immunization or booster.  Non-UO students will also need to provide the name of the geoscience professor who they will ask to write their letter of recommendation and upload a document (.pdf or .jpg) outlining their prerequisite coursework or equivalents. 

The Summer 2025 course application

The application deadline is March 24, 2025. There is no application fee, and if you have all your materials at hand, it should only take about 10 minutes to complete. If there are spaces available after that date, the application link will remain open on this page.  Complete applications from external (non-UO students) will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

There will be course fees above and beyond the University fees.  These fees are currently estimated at $900 per section.  External students will need to pay an additional non-refundable $100 “earnest money” fee for each section to hold their space in the camp.

See links below for more information.

Field camp student expenses
Field study scholarship opportunities
Equipment List
UO Field Camp FAQ
Camp Safety and Anti-Harassment policies