FORCED TO IMPROVISE: LESSONS LEARNED FROM A SOCIALLY-DISTANCED, LOCAL CAPSTONE FIELD GEOLOGY COURSE UTILIZING ON-CAMPUS RESOURCES, GIS, AND SMARTPHONE APPS

Each year, the University of South Alabama leads a 6-week, capstone geology field course focused on structural geologic mapping. Because of our unique location along the Gulf Coast where mapping areas and even outcrops are largely unavailable, this course typically requires us to travel to TX, NM, UT, and AZ. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting cancellation of travel, we were forced to quickly make plans for an alternative field course format that would fulfill the requirements and learning objectives for our graduating seniors. With the option to travel off the table, we decided to simulate geological field mapping problems using resources and equipment available on our main campus property. In order to do this, we were required by our administration to maintain social distancing and sanitation guidelines mandated by the CDC. In addition, students were not permitted to enter institutional buildings. To accomplish our goals under these new conditions, we designed the following mapping exercises: 1) an introductory field mapping project that utilized our intramural field and 32 plywood strike and dip models to simulate a geologic map, cross-section, and fault net-slip problem, 2) a campus wide geologic map, cross-section, and lithologic description problem that utilized 30 landscaping boulders and boulders collected from prior fieldtrips dispersed around the campus property, 3) a hydrogeologic mapping project utilizing our campus well field consisting of 20 wells. Field equipment was consistently sanitized or assigned to students for the duration of the course. We also utilized the smart phone app “RockLogger” for students who preferred to use this app for both locating field station points and for measuring planar and linear attitudes. In many cases students used both the traditional equipment and the smart phone application to record the same structures and GPS positions, therefore, we have comparative statistical results that prove interesting to those considering replacing traditional equipment with smart phone applications. Because students were not able to use the traditional map creation tools in the department (drafting tables, GIS lab, etc.) we encouraged the remote use of the open-source GIS application QGIS. With proper guidance students became adept at utilizing this application to produce maps and cross-sections. Although we were unable to immerse students in renowned geologic settings, we did meet our learning objectives, and the newly-designed exercises can be blended into regularly scheduled courses.