Tectonics Field Trips
Field trips to the Mojave Desert, Salton Trough, Anza-Borrego Desert, and San Gabriel Mountains have become highlights of the Tectonics course (GSC 444).  Many of these trips involve camping out for one or two nights in remote areas.  Each student is required to research a tectonics topic of his or her choice, then  present an oral summary to the class while standing at an outcrop or vista chosen by the instructor (see photographs below).  The field trips provide students numerous opportunities to visit vivid examples of tectonic events preserved in California's spectacular landscapes.  Students also gain experience with hiking, camping, cooking, and washing dishes.  They generally return home tired but well-fed.

Miguel Espinoza talks about the eastern Peninsular Ranges batholith at Borrego Mountain.

Tectonic class of winter, 2003, at Vasquez Rocks.

Tectonics students examine Pelona grayschist, exposed at the bottom of  San Antonio Falls.

Erin Stahl elaborates on the Tertiary stratigraphy of the

Split Mountain area.

Ruben Acosta discusses  tectonic significance of the San

Jacinto fault and Clark fault from Fonts Point vista.

Matt Chuang tells us why the Salton Sea is there.

Leianna Michalka at San Antonio Falls, presenting her talk on the Pelona Schist.

Daniel Costamagna presents his research on seismicity of the San Gabriel Mountains and vicinity.  San Antonio Dam in the distance.

Tectonics students study an outcrop of blueschist in the Rand Mountains.  Koehn Lake and Garlock fault are in the distance.

Geotectonics students investigate a normal fault in

Split Mountain gorge.

The winter, 1997 Geotectonics class poses on Fonts Point.

Matt Magner "skis" down fault gouge of the San Andreas fault zone

Thrust fault displaces a Tertiary rhyolite porphyry sill in the Pelona Schist of upper Manker Canyon