EASC 306 is a 2-week Field Course held at the end of second year in April-May. Prerequisites for this course include Physical Geology, Historical Geology, Stratigraphy and Sedimentology, Structural Geology, Introduction to Mineralogy, Introduction to Petrology, Geomorphology 1 and all associated prerequisites. A student coming into this field school at SFU needs to be able to:
1. Recognize basic structural features such as foliation, folds, faults, joints, lineations.
2. Use a Brunton or Silva compass to take strike and dip measurements of planar surfaces and trend and plunge measurements of linear features.
3. Accurately identify rocks, minerals and fossils in the field.
4. Record field data in a legible and systematic format.
5. Sketch important field relationships in a neat, oriented sketch drawing.
6. Do pace and compass traverses in order to produce a base map.
7. Accurately locate themselves on a topography map and air photo.
8. Create a neat, good copy outcrop map from field data with appropriate symbols and legends and all required map components.
9. Construct topographic profiles and cross sections, maps and stratigraphic sections from field data.
10. Measure stratigraphic sections using a Jacob's staff.
11. Solve 3-point problems.
12. Determine structural trends and rock relationships from field data.
13. Interpret field data to produce a geological history of a field site.
14. Use fossils to determine depositional environment and geological time frame of the area under study.
15. Understand the significance of primary sedimentary structures and metamorphic and igneous textures as indicators of initial conditions of rock formation.
16. Be familiar with
• field equipment including altimeters, pocket stereoscopes, digital cameras, hand-held GPS receivers, etc.
• field safety
• field etiquette
• field camp equipment requirements and camp organization
• field camp participation including chores and cleanup