AN ONLINE STRATIGRAPHIC COLUMN OF KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA

As part of the Stratigraphy course, Eastern Illinois University undergraduate geology majors are required to perform library research on the geology of a national park. With the information obtained, students construct a stratigraphic column for the park. The column is included in a written report that is placed on the web and presented orally to the class. Students examine each others columns as an introduction to the peer review process. Placement on the web provides an outreach service for the geoscience community.

While researching Kenai Fjords National Park, it became obvious that there is very little detailed published geologic information pertinent to this park. This is due in part to the park’s inaccessibility and coverage by the Harding Icefield. This paucity of information combined with a desire to visit this Alaskan park in the future were important considerations in seeking a better understanding of the lithostratigraphy of the park. The online column is the most detailed that is readily available and can be found at http://oldsci.eiu.edu/geology/parks/kefj/kefj.html