Field School

Geology Field School 2009

August 31 - September 8

Between now and August 31st...

Fall classes are scheduled to begin on September 9th, the day after we return from Field School . The Academic Calendar shows the last day for registration as September 18th. It is strongly recommended that you register in advance for your fall courses. Note that you are required to register and pay tuition in the usual way for Field Methods (GEOL 3300.1) as part of your course load for fall 2009. You receive no separate credit for Field School - it simply is a prerequisite for GEOL 3300.1, but the quality of your Field School report represents 100% of your final grade in this course.

We will be covering the basics of field description of rock outcrops on August 31st and will leave for northern Nova Scotia on September 1st. If your rock classification is `rusty', you should review the sections of your introductory geology textbook dealing with sedimentary , igneous and metamorphic rocks before you arrive. You should also check the section on the strike and dip of strata in the Geologic Structures chapter of your GEOL1214 / GEOL1215 textbook. We will encounter rocks that range in age from Proterozoic to early Carboniferous. You should make sure you remember the names of the periods in the geologic time scale for this interval.

Mapping and Fieldwork Supplies:

Certain equipment items such as a hard-cover field notebook and compass will be provided to you. The following items you will be responsible to supply (be sure to bring them with you on the 31st ).

• a knapsack to carry your rain gear, lunch, samples, etc.
• several ordinary lead pencils, plus a means of sharpening them
• a few coloured pencils in contrasting colours
• two or three erasers
• a clip board for maps and notes
• a ruler
• a scientific calculator (just needs the SIN and COS functions)
• a camera

Clothing

You will require a number of items of clothing and equipment at field school. It is important that you be able to work comfortably outdoors, whatever the weather. You should have strong shoes with a good grip or lightweight hiking boots for walking. Old, loose fitting clothes are best for work outside. Please make sure you have one or two warm sweaters , in case the weather is unexpectedly cold, and a set of rain gear , in case it is wet; however, the weather is usually good in early September. You should bring sunscreen and a hat .

Camp Geddie

For the stay at the field camp you will require a reasonably warm sleeping bag (a 'spring/fall' sleeping bag is best), a pillow , and a flashlight . In addition, you should bring enough clothes to keep you going in the field for seven days, plus towel, soap, etc.

Meals will be provided at the camp. Both non-vegetarian and vegetarian food will be available routinely. If you have any special dietary requirements, or any food allergies , you must let us know as soon as possible and we will make arrangements. Lunch materials (bread, cold-cuts, cheese etc.) will be provided after breakfast each day for you to make your own lunch. If you like to munch on snacks at odd hours, you should bring your own along as there will be no opportunity to visit shops while at the camp. We recommend that your field gear should include a plastic lunch box to go inside your knapsack to carry lunch, and a water bottle .

Camp Geddie is located near Merigomish, in Antigonish County . In case of emergency, you can be reached there at (902) 926-2632. Outgoing calls are to be made using a phone card; you may also call home collect, of course. Note that the phone is in the kitchen, and the cook will not want to be disturbed by answering repeated calls during the day, while he/she is busy preparing meals. It is preferable that incoming calls be placed in the evening, when the cook is off work.

While at Camp Geddie , breakfast will be served by 7:30 am. We will meet to briefly discuss the day's work at 8:15 am, so you should have your lunch made by 8:00 am.

Supper is at 6:00 pm. Cleanup is a communal effort – each individual is expected to share in doing dishes, sweeping, mopping floors, and cleaning the tables. Expect to work well into the evening, so that you keep up to date with your work. Bear in mind, however, that you should finish up your work by about 10:30 pm, because quiet hours will be enforced between 11:00 pm and 7:00 am.

Camp Geddie has a large, main building, where we will work and eat, and which also can accommodate a large number of students/staff. There are also outbuildings (cabins) that will be assigned on the basis of gender.

One of the students who attended Field School in a previous year suggested that the following information may be useful to some of you:

• There is no power in the cabins.
• Bathrooms are small and water may be cold most of the time.
• Cabins can be cold at night; bring an extra blanket.
• Bring shower shoes.
• Bring long pants to wear in the field (some places have thorn bushes).
• Sandals and sneakers are recommended - in addition to comfortable hiking boots if you have them. (There will be lots of climbing).
• Bring a LARGE water bottle.
• Bring a LIGHTWEIGHT back pack.

Do not bring any alcoholic beverages or drugs other than those prescribed by your physician or purchased over the counter at a pharmacy. This is a dry camp. Anyone contravening this regulation will be immediately sent home at their own expense, with no refund of their Field School fees (We'll use that money for a bar crawl after field school…).

On August 31st...

You should arrive at the Geology Department at 10:00 a.m.

Fee:
The total cost for Field School this year is $350.00 per person. You need to bring a cheque or cash to pay for the balance of the accommodation and meals fee. You should have already paid a deposit of $50.00, so the balance due will be $300.00. Please note that this figure also includes the cost of your field notebook.

Equipment deposit:
We will be issuing the necessary equipment to each team of two and will require a cash deposit of $20.00 per person ( or separate cheque from that used to pay for meals and accommodations ) which will be refundable on safe return of these items.

Among the equipment issued will be a Silva Compass, a hand lens, an acid bottle, a square protractor and a metre stick. If you prefer to use your own, you may do so; however, the equipment deposit will still be required to cover the other items.

Orientation:

Once the necessary administrative details are taken care of we will discuss the rudiments of geological mapping on the SMU campus so that you can hone your compass and pacing skills.

While we are working in the Halifax area, you will be responsible for your own lunch, accommodations, etc.

On September 1st...

On the morning of September 1st (time and location to be confirmed on the 31st but probably 7:30 am), we will leave to drive to Camp Geddie , where we will be based until September 8th. Travel will be by minivan (rented by the department) during this period. Your gear will be taken to Dalhousie University, where it will be loaded onto a cube van.

Please note that you must pack a lunch separately from your clothes etc.

On September 8th...

We will travel back to Halifax , arriving at Saint Mary's in the afternoon.

Feel free to contact me (420-5745) or Barb (420-5746) if you have any questions. Also, if there has been any change of plans with regards to attending Field School , it is imperative that you advise us immediately in order to provide final numbers for the cooks. I look forward to seeing you on August 31st.

Cheers,
Victor Owen

 

This page last modified Thursday, 31-Mar-2011 15:43:40 ADT