Student Geologists in Guatemala

STUDY abroad by Dartmouth undergraduates, mainly confined to the language courses so far, was extended into the sciences this fall when six juniors flew to Central America on a three-week geological field trip.

With Prof. Noye Johnson, who teaches the fall-term course in field geology, the students went to Guatemala and San Salvador to study active volcanoes. Their field work closely followed the lines of the research of Prof. Richard E. Stoiber '32 of the Earth Sciences Department, who also accompanied the party. The two professors pointed out that the geologic field studies in Central America are unique and cannot be duplicated anywhere in the continental United States.

The geologists stopped enroute in Miami, Fla., where Professor Johnson led field studies of present-day reef formation and a visit to the Institute of Marine Science at the University of Miami.

The following day found them at the active crater of Pacaya Volcano in Guatemala, where explosive vents are throwing up volcanic ash. From that point on, the Dartmouth students engaged in volcano-watching, mineral-hunting, and collecting geological data, frequently camping in the field.

In Guatemala, the group studied two active volcanoes, one of which is the largest active lava dome in the world. In El Salvador, they studied volcanic alderas, hot active fumaroles and steam fields which may soon be used as a source of power. In addition, new and unusual volcanic minerals were collected as part of Professor Stoiber's National Science Foundation research project. The National Geographic Institute of Guatemala and the Center for Geophysical and Geotechnical Studies of El Salvador supplied field vehicles.

Dartmouth geology students are able to take major field trips without missing other courses by taking only geology courses during one term of their junior year.

Students on the three-week Central American trip paid for their room and board. The special excursion fares were met by the Phelps Dodge Fund of , Dartmouth College and other funds of the Department of Earth Sciences. Inexpensive air fares and the cooperation of the host institutions helped to make the 5,000-mile field trip possible at a reasonable cost, Professor Stoiber said.

The geology students who made the trip were Richard Birnie, Steven Goldthwait, John E. Peirce Jr., Jonathan W. Snellenburg, Woodrow B. Thompson, and Wickliffe W. Walker, all of the Class of 1968.