News Release
Bishop Campus
Cerro Coso College Geology – Rockin' the Eastern Sierra
December 13, 2006
The Cerro Coso College Geology Department will offer the following Geology
classes at the Bishop Campus in Spring 2007. Registration for the Spring
Semester is currently underway. Classes begin January 20, 07
Physical Science 101, General Earth Science is a 3
unit class meeting on Tuesdays from 11 a.m.-2:10 p.m. This course covers the
study of the earth as an integrated system, earth-sun relationships and
motions, weather, climatic types and regions, ecosystems, soils, natural
hazards, resource management, landforms and the ocean.
Physical Science 102, General Earth Science Lab is
a 1 unit class meeting on Thursdays 11 a.m.-2:10 p.m. This lab class
provides practical experience in field methods and enhancement of topics
discussed in Physical Science 101.
These classes satisfy the Natural Science General Education requirement and
are transferable to the CSU and UC systems.
Both classes will emphasize local geology, resources, and geologic hazards
in the spectacular natural laboratory of the Eastern Sierra and Owens
Valley.
The Cerro Coso College Geology Department will also be offering two weekend
field trip classes this Spring:
PHSC 103 (CRN 30674) is a 1 unit class scheduled
for April 14-15 Eastern California Shear Zone – The spectacular mountain
scenery of Eastern California is the product of young faulting and active
mountain-building. The Eastern California Shear Zone is the name geologists
give to this region and it was subject of a major international geology
conference in Mammoth in 2005. One of the conclusions of the conference: the
"New San Andreas" may be breaking through the crust in the Owens Valley.
What does this mean for seismic hazards in the Owens Valley? In this weekend
field trip Dr. David Miller will look at evidence for active faulting and
mountain building in the Owens, Panamint, and Death Valleys. The class will
camp Saturday night near Panamint Springs.
PHSC 103 (CRN 30675) is a 1 unit scheduled for May
4-5 Glacial Owens River – During glacial times the Owens River was much
larger and flowed all the way from Mono Lake to Searles Lake and possibly as
far as Death Valley. "On this field trip we will take a virtual float trip
along the glacial Owens River down the stair step necklace of glacial lakes
from Mono to Owens to China Lake to Searles Lake," stated instructor David
Miller. "The class will leave from Bishop both days. Day 1 we will journey
up Hwy 395 to Mono Lake and return to Bishop down the ancient river channel
via Benton Hot Springs. On Sunday we will travel from Bishop to Searles
Lake, stopping at Owens Lake, Fossil Falls, and the Trona Pinnacles," Miller
explained.
For more information contact Dr. Dave Miller at
damiller@cerrocoso.edu. Review
the schedule of classes and register on line at
www.cerrocoso.edu.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Joann Handeland, Director of Public Information (760)
384-6230