May 20-June 24, 2008

Syllabus (PDF format)

Methods

Hydrogeologic Settings

Instructors

Estimated Costs

Requirements

Past Schedules

Non-Clemson Students

Application Form

Schedule

Course Material

2006 Highlights

2008

Field Camp is a capstone experience for undergraduate degrees in geology, and it can be a great opportunity for graduate students to learn new skills. We offer a summer field camp that focuses on teaching topics and field skills in hydrogeology. The camp is designed to give the student a working knowledge of the methods and concepts of field hydrogeology, and to provide the opportunity to use those methods in several hydrogeologic settings.  The course is led by instructors from Clemson, but many practicing geologists, hydrogeologists, and scientists from other universities, the USGS, and consulting companies also lead trips and exercises in their particular expertise.  

The course begins with a review of principles and methods, and then we practice those methods doing field exercises local to Clemson.  We are in the field every day, unless the weather is severe.  Topics include spatial mapping, well drilling, water quality and sampling, well testing, soil properties, describing stratigraphic sections, air flow through the vadose zone, hydraulic fracturing, and near surface geophysical methods. Photos and descriptions of these activities are available here. There are field trips that visit different hydrogeologic settings.  One is to the Mammoth Cave area in Kentucky, and to Oak Ridge and Knoxville, TN.  A variety of trips are made to the Piedmont region near Clemson. Another trip is to the upper Coastal Plain near Aiken, SC and the South Carolina coast. The trips vary from year to year depending on logistics.

Many of the projects involve collaborating with others in a group setting.  This is necessary because some of the methods, like surveying, cannot be done individually.  Also, it is often helpful to work with others while learning a new technique.  Graduate students are required to write several reports during field camp in addition to the assignments given to the undergraduate students.

Hydrogeology Summer Field Camp (GEOL 875 and GEOL 475 –- 6 credit hours) is taught during the first summer session in May and June. GEOL 875 is a graduate level class taught in conjunction with GEOL 475, which undergraduates may take to satisfy their summer geology field course requirement.

This field camp was developed in part with funding from the National Science Foundation, EAR 9876124. We appreciate this support, but neither the field camp nor this website necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.