Field Geology In the Wind River Mountains
Sorry, we have no more spaces available for summer 2008

Branson Field Laboratory - Lander, Wyoming
Geology Field Camp of the University of Missouri, Columbia

Dates for summer 2008, location, regional information,    tuition and fees, pre-requisites, textbooks


  Frequently Asked Questions

Since 1911:  Every summer since 1911, the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia has run our geology field camp at the site of the Branson Field Laboratory in the Wind River Range near Lander, Wyoming.
Course Overview: Our 6-credit, 6-week course teaches a broad array of field methods ranging from geologic mapping and structural analysis, to sedimentary facies analysis,  surface and groundwater hydrogeologic analysis, and shallow geophysical techniques.
Field Projects: Most field projects are completed in areas within a 45 minute drive from the camp.  Project reports are completed in a laboratory setting with computers that are available for completing project reports, reviewing PowerPoint lectures by the faculty, and making broadband wireless internet connections for e-mail and instructional links.
Pre-requisites: We accept geology students from across the U.S. and other countries who have the basic pre-requisite coursework, including Historical Geology, Structural Geology & some Stratigraphy/Sedimentation or Sedimentary Petrology background.  Contact  us if you have specific questions about your background for the course.
Advanced Hydrogeology and Geophysics Options:  We have recently purchased  new equipment to upgrade our hydrogeology and geophysics projects.  As a result, during the last week of the course, we offer more advanced instructional projects in these two areas for students who are particularly interested in these subjects.  See our curriculum section for more information on this option.
Faculty: The faculty includes specialists from many fields of geology. Some are from the University of Missouri, some are from other schools.  Each project is run by a professor who specializes in the project topic.  The student-instructor ratio is generally < ~10:1
Field Trips: The context for the course projects and the historical geology of the region are highlighted by field trips to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and to adjacent areas of the Snake River Plain and Beartooth Mountains.
Living Conditions: Students live in heated log dorms and eat great meals in our dining hall that are prepared by our kitchen staff.
Jobs and Scholarships: Jobs and scholarships are available to help defray costs.

More Information: This web site contains much more information about our course, our facilities, and our application procedures.  The site is designed to provide the critical information you need to evaluate our course.  Just click one of the topic buttons just below the field photos near the top of this page or check out the page of frequently asked questions (button above) to start exploring the site.

To save page-loading time, most illustrations come up only when you click one of the underlined words or phrases in the text or one of the thumbnail photos on the pages. 

Application forms and a few illustrations are PDF files.  If you do not have Acrobat or Adobe Reader available on your computer, you can download it from the following link.

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