TEACHING GEOLOGY IN THE MOAB, UTAH AREA

A problem that geology students often encounter is that textbook locations and photos for field sites are often part of grandiose research projects hundreds or thousands of miles away, which makes visiting them impossible for many of the students. Local field trip locations are often limited, and when available, the sites are usually discipline specific requiring many short fieldtrips to various locations to cover an entire curriculum. While these types of trips are very beneficial, the number that is needed may not always be possible for a department due to financial concerns, time constraints, or availability of gear. The solution to this problem is to find an area that allows professors to teach as many sub-disciplines as possible. This presentation highlights the Moab, Utah area as one of these potential areas. Moab has the natural features needed to aid in teaching sedimentary petrology/petrography (clastic and carbonate rocks), structural geology and geologic mapping, stratigraphy, geomorphology and fluvial geology/hydrology, mineralogy, geophysical exploration, petroleum geology, halokinesis, igneous and metamorphic petrology/petrography, and geochemistry. These features, along with relatively easy access to isolated locations, campgrounds, supplies, etc., make the Moab area perfect for either teaching or recreational fieldtrips. It also is in relatively close proximity to areas that have better features for teaching certain subjects, such as igneous and metamorphic petrology in the Thomas Range of NW Utah or the Front Range of Colorado. This central location also makes Moab an ideal hub for field camps or extended fieldtrips.