Michigan Tech
Antenna: 2011 Field Camp, v. 2 build 003
WELCOME to the 2011 Michigan Tech Africa Field Camp
This year field camps will be offered in both South Africa and in Kenya.
The South Africa field camp will run first followed by the Kenya field camp. Both field camps will be 4-weeks (28 days) and will offer 6 credits or 24 CEUs. See the box at the upper-right for this year's dates.
Students may take either 4-week camp for 6 credits or may combine courses under certain conditions. Students who wish to tailor a course to meet their needs should contact Dr. Wood (see Notes). Note that the first 2 weeks of the South Africa course will emphasize field mapping techniques (Brunton compass, strike and dip, simple structures, note taking, etc.) and is recommended for students who have not had previous mapping experience.
Both field camps have a common geologic theme: rifts and rifting. Students will map in sediments deposited in an ancient rift (the Table Mountain Group in South Africa near Cape Town) for the first camp, then move to Kenya to work on the modern Kenya rift. The field program is intended to provide students an opportunity to work in a geologically interesting parts of the word while learning geologic mapping techniques.
Students may also elect to sign up for several 1or 2 credit courses. This year we will offer courses in "Soil Genesis and Crops" held in the famous grape growing regions of South Africa and "Coastal Ecology" held alond the Kenya coast. These courses have geo-science components and offer additional opportunities for students to get to know different aspects of South Africa and/or Kenya. They may fulfill distribution requirements at some universities.
The field mapping courses are fairly intensive in order to get in the amount of work required for 6 credits in 4 weeks; students can expect to be in the field 8 hours/day 5-6 days a week but some time will be set aside to allow students opportunities to explore both countries.
We will have opportunities to climb several (dormant) volcanoes, such a Mt. Longonot in Kenya, (These climbs are "walk-ups" and do not require any techical expertise but they are optional due to the level of fitness required.)
2011 Dates
South Africa Field Camp
May 4 - May 31
Kenya Field Camp
May 25 - June 21
Contact: jrw@mtu.edu
Panoramic view of the deepest part of the Kenya Rift near Magadi. Soda Lake Magadi is visible in foreground with salt (white) in background. Steam rises from the Magadi Soda Works in the far background.
Check out the
National Geographic
special "Clash of the Continents". Part of it was filmed in the Kenya Rift Valley and is narrated by Alex Guth.
