Exploring nature’s classroom

Brock Earth Sciences Professor Frank Fueten (left) shared insight into the Gowganda Formation with his ERSC 3P99 Field Camp students during a visit to the site near Elliott Lake. The formation is widely celebrated as the best example of a Paleoproterozoic glacial environment in the world. From May 1 to 10, senior-level Earth Sciences and Environmental Geoscience students along with their instructors visited the Charlton Lake Camp near Espanola in northern Ontario, where students are able to see a diverse set of geological locations. They embark on daily exercises, examining rocks, measuring features in those rocks using a geological compass and identifying their location on an air photo — all requirements of many geological jobs. For safety reasons, students work with a partner, which also provides an opportunity to discuss the geology examined and problem solve as a team.