University of Puerto Rico Geology Field Course

Hosted by: University of Puerto Rico

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Geology student, coastal formation

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Geology students at an outcrop

Reuse: This item is offered under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ You may reuse this item for non-commercial purposes as long as you provide attribution and offer any derivative works under a similar license.

May 31, 2022 - July 8, 2022

https://sites.google.com/upr.edu/geol/teaching/geol-4018

Description

The University of Puerto Rico 6-credit summer geology field course has been offered for over 35 years in the tropical US territory of Puerto Rico. The Caribbean island's diverse geologic substrate provides an excellent natural laboratory for teaching undergraduate students the skills of planning, carrying out, and communicating earth science field work. Primary foci of the course include bedrock and geomorphic mapping techniques in addition to integrated, harmonious GIS application along an active plate boundary. Students will gain exposure and experience with marine terraces, carbonates, volcaniclastic rocks, serpentinized peridotite, skarn, intrusive igneous rocks, and more.

Credits

6

Application Deadline

2022-03-15

Costs

Tuition - 870
Other course fees - ~$325

Other Important Information

Any student in Puerto Rico, the continental United States, or any where else in the world may enroll. UPRM is a fully accredited 4-year institution and course credits transfer within and outside of the US. US citizens do not need any passport or special permission to travel to Puerto Rico. International students need a passport and visa to enter the US.

The course is intended for geoscience majors but is open to other students with a sufficient background in core geology courses. The suggested pre-requisites are standard Mineralogy, Petrology, Structural Geology, and Stratigraphy courses offered in geoscience curricula. Special considerations may be made on a case by case basis.

The professor(s) offer(s) most instruction in English but Spanish is often used as well. Language is not a barrier for any native English or native Spanish speaker. Maps and reports are required to be submitted in English.
For 2022, the course will be based around 25 contact-days. Each day is considered the period from 7:30am - 4:30pm. Generally, students will meet at the Department of Geology each morning and board university transportation to the field area of the day. However, some mapping projects will require overnight (1 or 2 nights) camping. The course will not meet on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays listed in the university's academic calendar.

The course will begin with a focus on methods and safety for geological field work. Mapping projects will include sedimentary/quaternary area, metamorphic area, volcanic area, economic geology area, and intrusive area. These mapping areas will be distributed around the island. Individual field trip days will highlight the island's karst region, geological hazards, and tectonic history.

Because there is no specific housing requirement, the housing costs will vary from person to person. Housing cost is not included in the course registration or fees. Subleasing an apartment adjacent to campus may carry a monthly rent of approximately $250-500. Rental agreements and situations are unique to each house/apartment. Please contact the course director to get more current information.

No meals are included in the course tuition or fees. Students should bring their own portable lunch each field day. There is a large grocery store immediately across the street from the university campus, in addition to may other local markets, stores, etc.

Field days are Monday - Friday with weekends free. The general schedule will be from 7:30am to 4:30pm each day. Optional field trips to sites of interest (caving, waterfalls, beaches, coral reefs, cultural sites, rainforest, etc.) may be organized for free days. The last field day will be two days before the final mapping project materials are due.

For US citizens, only a valid ID like a driver's license is necessary to travel to PR.

There are no special health requirements for travelers to Puerto Rico. Mosquitoes are present but not more prevalent than in the southern US. Consumption of food and local municipal water is safe and regulated by similar standards in the continental US.

All continental US phone carriers function in Puerto Rico without additional service fees. Mail can be sent and received via the US Postal service or other providers like FedEx or UPS.

The University of Puerto Rico Department of Geology summer field course is conducted in an environment with respect for participants from varying ethnic backgrounds, life experiences, sexual orientation, and/or gender identification.

Contact Info

For more information, contact Stephen Hughes (kenneth.hughes@upr.edu)