COURSE INFORMATION:

Students take the following course:

GEOL 240: Volcanoes in the Footsteps of Darwin - 2 credits

PROGRAM DATES:

This program will take place for 1 1/2 weeks in June 2015. Exact dates will be announced.

PROGRAM INFORMATION:

This program will provide students with an in-depth, informative, and memorable field experience in the dramatic Andes volcanic region near Quito, Ecuador and in the volcanic islands of the Galapagos. The first portion of the course will take place in Charleston and will include geology readings and lectures about Andes subduction-related volcanism and the Galapagos hotspot, as well as lectures about the journey of Charles Darwin aboard the Beagle and the natural history of the Galapagos Islands. Students will fly as a group to Quito and travel in the Andes for 2 days, visiting the large volcano Cotopaxi in Cotopaxi National Park and other nearby geological sites. Then the class will fly from Quito to the Galapagos Islands to begin a 7-day cruise aboard a fully-staffed tour ship. The ship will visit 3 islands (San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, and Isabella) and students will have the opportunity to hike and study in several striking volcanic regions, including the water-filled El Junco crater of San Cristobal, the collapsed volcanic crater Media Luna on Santa Cruz, and the 6x5 mile wide Sierra Negra caldera on Isabella. In addition, there will be numerous opportunities to view and discuss the famous wildlife of the Galapagos, including sea lions, marine iguanas, giant tortoises, and Darwin finches. Students will visit a museum, give presentations based on their readings and observations, and participate in short lectures about volcanic geology of the islands, Darwin, and evolution. The students will then return to Charleston to complete a final project based on their experiences and research in Ecuador. The course will provide in-depth and hands-on experiences with two major volcanic regions (subduction and hotspot volcanoes) and provide important information about the links between geology and evolution.

Students should expect moderate hiking for a few hours at a time.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR INFORMATION:

Dr. John Chadwick
Department of Geology
chadwickj@cofc.edu
843-953-5950

Dr. Chadwick has traveled to Chile twice and Argentina to participate in geology-related workshops and field trips. He has led or co-led university geology field camp classes (2 to 6 weeks long) in the western U.S. seven times. He has published research about subduction and hotspot volcanoes similar to those in Ecuador, and has extensive knowledge about these geological topics. He also has a great personal interest in the life and times of Charles Darwin, the voyage of the Beagle, and biological evolution. Dr. Chadwick led this program in Summer 2013.