Overview

Faculty

Major

Courses

Science Station

Student Opportunities

 

Field Trips and Seminars

Class Field Trips

One of the highlights of nearly every geology class offered at Wheaton College is the field trip component. Geology classes include trips to important regional geologic sites as well as taking extended trips over Spring and Christmas breaks or in the summer.

• Classic example of angular conformity in the Black Hills.

  Fox and Illinois River Valleys (glacial geology, stratigraphy, paleontology, and environmental issues): GEOL 211/221
• Devil's Lake, Baraboo Area, Wisconsin (glacial geology, petrology, tectonics, historical geology): GEOL 241
• Southern Appalachian Mountains, Florida Gulf Coast, Central Tennessee, Central Kentucky, Ozark Mountains, Hot Springs, Arkansas Area, Texas Hill country (regional geology, tectonics, stratigraphy, and petrology, caves, coastal dynamics, geomorphology, environmental issues, and historical geology): GEOL 322 over Spring Break
• Central Wisconsin (structural geology, tectonics and petrology): GEOL 433
• Southern Illinois and Central Missouri (modern and ancient sedimentation, petrology, paleontology, regional geology): GEOL 344 and GEOL 446
• Chicago and Lake Michigan Area Landforms (glacial geology, coastal issues, fluvial features, urban/suburban environmental issues): GEOL 336
• Northern Illinois Streams, Deep Tunnel Project, Groundwater Drilling, Landfill Sites (hydrogeology): GEOL 437
• Northern Illinois Soils (soil science): GEOL 355
• Field Museum and Ohio River Valley to Central Kentucky (paleontology, paleoecology): GEOL 375
• The entire Black Hills Region of South Dakota, including Badlands, Devil's Tower, Mount Rushmore, Homestake Gold Mine (regional geology, historical geology, geological materials, modern geological processes, natural resources, environmental issues): GEOL 201 during the summer
• The Black Hills and on to the Big Horn Mountains, Powder River Basin, Tetons, Yellowstone Park, and Beartooth Mountains in South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana (field methods, geological mapping, tectonics, resource geology, historical geology, and petrology): GEOL 412 (see pictures from 2006)
• The nation of Belize and its Barrier Reef (marine geology, coastal features): BIOL 385
• Central Kentucky (Paleozoic stratigraphy and paleontology): GEOL 446
• John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago: GEOL 208

Special Field Trip

• Studying geology in the Florida keys, spring break trip 07

  Middle East excursion to Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan (regional geology and tectonics, geoarcheology, coastal features, cultural/religious history, active tectonic activity, petrology, coral reef development through time, water resources and environmental concerns, petroleum geology): Offered as course (GEOL 322) or not for credit, during Spring Break
• Geology of England Tour (see pictures from 2004) of southern England and Wales tracing the history of modern Geology's development as a discipline. Offered in May as a special summer course.

Seminars

• Each semester students and faculty visit Chicago-area universities to hear guest speakers. The department also arranges special seminars and lectures by well-known researchers and practitioners along with inviting Geology Alumni to speak at various times throughout the year.