BHNSFS Field Camps

22th Annual International Geology Field Camp on the North Anatolian Fault

Geology Field Camp

Western Türkiye

GEOL 410  Field Geology  –  Six semester credits

June 1 – July 3, 2026

Application Deadline: May 15, 2026

Register Online

Registration

Contact nuri.uzunlar@sdsmt.edu to be waitlisted.

REGISTER ONLINE

contact

 nuri.uzunlar@sdsmt.edu

Cell: 605-431-1275

Office: 605-394-2494

PROGRAM DETAILS

Course

Geology 410 Field Geology

Credits

Six Semester Credits

Dates

June 1 - July 3, 2026

Location

Western Türkiye

Start

May 31 at 2:00 PM
Meet at Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW)

End

July 3, 2026
Drop off at Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) around 11:00AM

Cost (undergraduate)

$5,295

Cost (undergraduate)

$5,895.00 - Graduate

Deposit

$300 is due at registration

Application Deadline

May 15, 2026

Enrollment Cap

Limited to 24 students

Camping

No Camping

Cost:

$5,295 (Includes tuition, all fees, accommodation, travel insurance, food and transportation from Istanbul). Deposit: $300 (due upon registration).

No camping, 6 semester credits. Each session limited to 24 students.

Important dates:

Meet at Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) Sunday, May 31 at 2:00 PM . Exact location will be emailed in April.  Students will be dropped off at Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) on July  3 around 11:00 AM.

Location:

Taskesti town (picture above) located on North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) in Abant Valley, approximately 200 km east of Istanbul.

Facilities:

Lodging includes three weeks at the Taskesti field research station of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (Earthquake Research Department), with ten 2-3 person rooms, each with bathroom and shower, a large conference room, kitchen, laundry facilities and dining hall. An experienced cook will provide meals. The research facility at Taskesti has been occupied by international scientists for more than twenty years. The locals are very much accustomed to tourists. Nearby Lake Abant and Kartalkaya Resort (30 miles to Taskesti) are premium winter sports center and summer getaway for many Turks and Europeans. One week will be spent at the Cayirhan area, and one week in Sivrihisar area.

Course Content:

The course includes preparation of stratigraphic columns, structural cross sections, and geologic maps, and completion of formal reports. Successive projects involve greater geologic complexity, and some may emphasize geologic hazard or mineral resource assessment. Practical applications to environment-related problems, earthquake hazards, landslides, and hydrogeology may be included.

Physical Demands:

Field work will involve working in rugged and steep terrain. Some projects may include demanding hikes of considerable length and elevation gain. Students are expected to be physically and mentally prepared to work in these conditions.

Field Equipment:

  • Geologic rock hammer and hammer holder
  • Hand lens (10x)
  • Mechanical and colored pencils (#2 lead (or harder) and variety of colors),
  • (2) Pilot extra fine (0.5, 1.0) black RT pens
  • Field notebook(s)
  • Daypack and/or field vest for carrying field supplies
  • H2O bottles
  • Clip/map board
  • Protractor and straight edge
  • Pocket knife (good for a lot of things as well as a scratch test tool)
  • Grain-size chart
  • Dilute HCl (provided)
  • Safety glasses
  • Calculator
  • Good quality digital camera (with downloading capabilities)
  • Laptop computer
  • Sunscreen
  • Lip balm
  • Sunglasses

Field clothing:

  • Sturdy hiking boots (mandatory) and a secondary pair of shoes just in case your primary gets wet
  • Rain jacket (make sure is impermeable, hypothermia due to getting wet in cold weather is real)
  • Fleece jacket (idea is to dress in thin, light, and breathable layers that can be added or subtracted according to conditions)
  • Light-weight leather work gloves
  • Field hat (full brim)
  • Swimsuit (for Black Sea)

Course Requirements and Costs:

  • Prerequisites include: completion of Physical Geology, Mineralogy, Petrology, Stratigraphy/Sedimentation, and Structural Geology, or consent of the Director.
  • The cost (including food, travel and lodging, while at the course) is $5,295 (Does not include airfare, which ranges from $700 to $1500 depending on departure point and time of travel).
  • Lodging for the duration of the course will be at a field research facility located 200 kilometers east of Istanbul.
  • There is a course limit of 24 persons for each session.
  • In addition to standard Brunton compasses, students will utilize GPS units for detailed mapping.
  • Eight-hour days are expected in the field with reports and maps completed during evening hours, Fridays and Saturdays.
  • Each week comprises six days of work with Sundays free for individual activities. Some optional Sunday field/sight-seeing trips planned and included in the cost.

Application and deposit of US$300 online. Note: BHNSFS reserves the right to cancel the camp if the minimum enrollment is not reached.   The full deposit will be refunded in this case, and applicants will be notified by email by March 1, 2026

Field Camp Photos

Group photo 2024 - Nallihan project area
Nallihan mapping project
Section measurement near Taskesti
Group photo with local soccer players

For more information contact:

Dr. Nuri Uzunlar, Director, Black Hills Natural Sciences Field Station 

Professor, Geology and Geological Engineering Department

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Office Phone: (605) 394 – 2494 ; Cell: (605) 431-1275

Nuri.Uzunlar@sdsmt.edu

BHNSFS Field Camps