Colorado College has a very strong emphasis on field experience, an emphasis which is encouraged by a unique teaching environment and curriculum. Faculty and students participate in only one course at a time (the Block Plan) allowing a great deal of freedom in scheduling lectures, laboratories and field studies. Through the acquisition of geophysical equipment for this project (gravity meter, seismometer, magnetomer, resistivity meter), the Geology Department is establishing a field-based geophysics course to round out a strong and growing program and to complement the theoretical course currently offered. In addition, the equipment is being used in introductory and upper-level geology and physics classes for field projects to illustrate theoretical principles. Developing an understanding of the main aspects of geophysical exploration--gravity, seismics, magnetics, electrical--enhances student understanding of the fundamentals of each of the approaches to exploration. This project will provide a significant advance in the geophysics offerings available and will result in improvements in undergraduate instruction in physics and geology.
