CONVERSION OF A FIELD GEODESY MODULE ON THE NEOTECTONICS OF THE NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAINS INTO AN ONLINE EXERCISE

Field geology has traditionally involved paper maps, compasses, hammers, and handlenses, and not much technology. Recently, the opportunity to add geodetic tools to this mix has developed. The Geodesy Tools for Societal Issues (GETSI) Field program started an initiative to increase the use of these tools with a cohort of selected university field-oriented courses in fall 2019 with the plan that for summer 2020 they would provide equipment and technical support. Development by a team of University of Houston -YBRA field camp instructors and GETSI ensued to introduce uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) orthophoto, differential GPS field campaign, and structure-from-motion (SfM) lab component to our course. Our initial target was the active Red Rocks fault 50 km south of the University of Montana Western field station in Dillon MT. Original plans were for a new 2 day field and lab exercise. The occurrence of the pandemic, however, forced changes. We report on the revised resulting virtual final project, a week-long exercise beginning with an overview of techniques, and then small group work on seven active faults in southwestern Montana and Idaho. Detailed analysis of each fault was done using: 1) surface image analysis and fault trace mapping on DEMs, hillshade images, and orthophotos using Google Earth and ArcGIS; 2) geodesy using ready-to-go GPS from the University of Nevada-Reno Geodesy Lab; 3) elastic strain accumulation analysis via velocity profiling and using SSPX; 4) seismicity and paleoseismology; 5) tectonic geomorphology, including fault diffusion modeling; 6) a literature review; 7) reviews of the basic Quaternary and older site geology; 8) earthquake physics; and 9) seismic hazard and risk assessment. Individuals prepared reports and together in teams compared results and presented progress reports on the final day of field camp.