Geology in New Zealand

See photos from the 2010 program!

Introduction

New Zealand is an amazing place to study Geology. Plate tectonic processes are active and happening in real time. New Zealand also has a rich Gondwanan heritage. This program will travel throughout the North and South Islands, and visit a range of settings from mountains and glaciers, to terraced coastal plains and adjacent shoreline and shallow marine environments. We will stay and work out of rustic field stations and hostels. The academic program will largely be centered on directed learning modules and independent fieldwork; teamwork will be emphasized. Visits to cultural sites and interactions with New Zealand scientists will be important aspects of our studies.

Faculty Director

Clint Cowan, Associate Professor of Geology

is a sedimentologist with interests in paleoclimate and paleooceanography. He has previously lead or co-lead Carleton programs to the Bahamas and Australia (from Tasmania to the Great Barrier Reef). His field work and research interests have taken him to places such as Belize, Maritime Canada, the Pyrenees and the tidal flats of the North Sea, both with students and with professional geologists. He is a PADI certified Divemaster, with global travel experience. The Program Director position alternates among the Geology Faculty, so subsequent programs may have different directors.