All students must arrive in Quito, Ecuador no later than December 27, 2024.  The course will begin on the morning of December 28. Students will have the option of return transportation to the Quito Airport in the morning of January 12. Arrangements beyond that point are up to the student.

Learn the fundamentals of field work and mapping while studying volcanic deposits in a classic continental volcanic arc.  The course will contain field study of several of Ecuador’s active volcanoes (including Cotopaxi and Tungurahua) as well as an introduction to the monitoring and hazard mitigation efforts of the Geophysical Institute of Ecuador. The course will also contain study of more ancient volcanic terrains, the formation of associated metal deposits and the geology of active active exploration and mining in Ecuador.  In addition to the SDSMT instructors, students will receive guest instruction by local geology faculty from Escuela Politecnica Nacional in Quito and will be joined by Ecuadorian geology students.

Prerequisites: Mineralogy, and petrology required; stratigraphy, structural geology, and volcanology helpful but not required.

Physical demands: Field work will involve working off-trail in rugged terrain, and may include several hikes of considerable length.  Students should be both physically prepared and comfortable with steep terrain.