The "Holey Tour," Arizona Planetary Geology Field Trip

Arizona has a wide variety of geological features relevant to planetary geology. The "holey tour" is a 2-day field trip (Phoenix-Flagstaff-Phoenix) introducing participants to crater-forms (hence the "holes" of the tour), including a maar, karst sink hole, pit crater, cinder-cone craters, a volcano-tectonic depression, and the classic impact structure Meteor Crater. The Apollo astronaut field training site near Flagstaff is examined, which includes the terrain artificially-generated to simulate a cratered lunar surface. In addition, planetary volcanism is discussed with stops that include a shield volcano, composite cone, silicic dome, and cinder cones; considerations include key variables in volcanic morphology, such as lava composition and rates of effusion. The general geology of Arizona is discussed throughout the trip, including the Colorado Plateau, the Basin and Range Province, and the "transition" zone. The trip can be adapted meet the needs of any group, from secondary school students to established planetary scientists.