Geology on an active hot spot!
Big Island, Hawaii
 1 August - 10 August 2008
This eight-day field course (excluding two travel days) on the Big Island of Hawaii will introduce you to plate tectonics, hot spot volcanism and the geologic features and hazards associated with living on a active volcano. We will discuss volcanic edifices, eruption styles, magma evolution and see various types of lava flows, lava lakes, fault scarps, rifts, craters and calderas. Eruption and weather permitting, we will also see active lava flows!
This trip is designed for college-level students and /or those wishing for a continuing education experience who have had at least a college-level introductory geology course or who may be interested in pursuing a degree in geology.
ITINERARY
Tentative Daily Itinerary: Accommodations at Kilauea Military Camp at Volcano (Elev. 4000 ft). Meals as noted below are included in the cost of the trip. BLD = Breakfast, Lunch (sack), Dinner.
- Friday, August 1 – Students arrive in Hilo, Hawaii for transfer via van to Kilauea Military Camp. No meals provided. Last flights probably arrive by 8:15 PM.
- Saturday, August 2 – Kilauea Visitor Center, Steaming Bluffs, Sulphur Banks, Kilauea Overlook, HVO, Jaggar Museum, SW Rift, Halema’uma’u Overlook, Keanakako’i Overlook, Devastation Trail, Pu’u Pua’i Overlook. ~ 4 miles of hiking. BLD/KMC
- Sunday, August 3 – Drive north to Waipi’o Valley Overlook, Lapahoehoe Point Park, ‘Akaka, Kahuna, and Rainbow Falls, Boiling Pots, Kaumana Cave, Hilo Bay. Short hikes. BLD/KMC
- Monday, August 4 – Chain of Craters Road including stops at Lua Manu Crater, Pauahi Crater, Mauna Ulu trail to Pu’u Huluhulu, Kealakomo View, Alanui Kahiko, Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs, Holei, Sea Arch, End of Chain of Craters Road. ~ 6 – 7 miles of hiking. BLD/KMC
- Tuesday, August 5 – Drive to the Puna District to Lava Tree State Monument, Kumukahi Lighthouse, Kalapana. There may be an opportunity for helicopter flights from Hilo Airport in the afternoon or a visit to the Tsunami Museum in Hilo (cost not included in package). BLD/KMC
- Wednesday, August 6 – Drive to South Point along the Hawaii Belt Road. Hike to Green Sand Beach. Time permitting, a visit to the Hawaiian Oceanview Estates adjacent to the SW Rift Zone. ~ 5 miles of hiking. BLD/KMC
- Thursday, August 7 – Hike the Kilauea Iki Trail from Kilauea Iki Overlook. ~ 4 miles of hiking. BLD/KMC
- Friday, August 8 – Thurston Lava Tube, Brunch at Volcano House, Visitor’s Center. Mauna Kea summit stargazing tour (3PM Departure from KMC) D/Mauna Kea.
- Saturday, August 9 – Ka’u Desert trail to examine Mauna Iki and fossil human footprints. ~ 5 miles of hiking. BL/KMC; D/Volcano House.
- Sunday, August 10 – Transfer via van from KMC to Hilo airport for departures. B/KMC. LD not provided.
Please note that this itinerary may change to accommodate changes in weather, eruption status and other factors.
LEADERS
Dr. Jennifer A. Thomson, Dept. of Geology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA.
Dr. Thomson is a Professor of Geology at Eastern Washington University. Her specialties are in mineralogy, petrology (both igneous and metamorphic) and geochemistry. Her research has involved study of partial melting at granulite facies conditions in New England and in the contact metamorphic aureole of the Stillwater Complex as well as studies on rare tourmaline in the granulite facies terrane of south-central Massachusetts. She has co-taught numerous summer field courses in the Pacific Northwest including the geology of the North Cascades, the natural history of the Lewis and Clark trail, the Oregon coast and Klamath Mountains, Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens, the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, the Snake River Plain, Craters of the Moon and Yellowstone National Park. By training she is a metamorphic petrologist, but has an intense interest in igneous petrology as well. She teaches courses in introductory geology (for majors and non-majors), mineralogy, igneous and metamorphic petrology, rocks and minerals and volcanology.
Dr. Bart S. Martin, Dept. of Geology & Geography, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH.
Dr. Martin is a Professor of Geology at Ohio Wesleyan University. His specialties are in igneous petrology and geochemistry with an emphasis on the evolution of large volcanic provinces. His research interests focus on the geochemical and volcanological evolution of voluminous lava flows in the Columbia River flood basalt province of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, as well as the effects of large-scale volcanism on the Earth's environment. He has participated in international field conferences on large igneous provinces and has published on the geochemistry of the 1300 km3 Roza flows of the Columbia River basalts. Dr. Martin is also interested in the petrology and mineralogy of ultramafic rocks in the Blue Ridge of western North Carolina. He teaches courses in physical and environmental geology, mineralogy, igneous and metamorphic petrology, economic geology, volcanology, and the geology of national parks and scenic areas.
Trip Costs
(Price does not include flights to and from Hilo, Hawaii)
GSA Student Members - $995
Thanks to Subaru of America, Inc. for their generous support of this program.
Non GSA student members - $1250
To hold a position on this trip a deposit of $200 must be paid at time of reservation.
Registration Form
Full payment has to be made before 30 June 2008.
more information
To reserve a position on this exciting trip, please contact Gary Lewis, Director, GSA Education & Outreach at . For further information about the trip itinerary and learning outcomes, contact the trip leader Dr Jennifer Thomson at .
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