ETSU Geosciences Field Experience: Pacific Northwest Summer 2017

Eighteen students and two faculty Dr. Ingrid Luffman and Dr. Mick Whitelaw, spent 10 days studying the geography and geology of the Pacific Northwest. The first week was devoted to volcanoes and associated landforms and processes. We hiked part of Mt. Ranier and saw glaciers and meltwater streams, viewed Mt. St. Helens from multiple angles, including a hike through a lava tube south of the volcano. At Crater Lake, students traveled by boat to Wizard Island, a small volcano-within-a-volcano, and had the opportunity to swim in the cold, clear waters of the lake. The return to Seattle was along the Oregon and Washington coast, beginning with an opportunity to visit the Redwoods of northern California. During the drive, students examined coastal landforms shaped by both erosional processes (cliffs, sea stacks, arches) and depositional processes (dunes, sand bars). The final days were spent in Seattle, where students visited the Space Needle, Pike's Place Market, and various museums, and sampled the local seafood.