Geo Sci 100 Spring 2008
Introduction to the Earth
Department of Geosciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Geology Field Trip to Baraboo, WI

Geology is a field based science.  You are strongly encouraged to participate in the Optional Geology Field Trip to Baraboo.  An additional incentive is the possibility of 2% extra credit for the course.

Field Trip Date: Saturday April 19th

Answers to Some Frequently Asked Questions

• Each person who wants to attend the field trip must pay a $20.00 field-trip fee (billed to your account by the UWM Bursar's office), complete a liability waiver form and conditions agreement form.
• Tickets are sold through the graduate teaching assistants or Rob Graziano.
• This field trip is only open to UWM students currently enrolled in Geo Sci - 100 only!
• The only way to obtain extra credit for this field trip is to be with us on the busses from beginning to end. That means no driving your own car, no meeting us at the first stop, no leaving us in a car from the last stop, and so on. Why? Liability, for one.
• If it rains, we still go. If it sleets, we still go. If it snows a little bit, we still go. If it is really cold but there is no significant precipitation, we still go. If it snows a lot or there are significant ice storms, we cancel. Last-minute cancellations cost UWM a lot of money (upwards of $700 per bus), so we do not make the decision to cancel lightly.

• People who attend the Baraboo field trip and supply their graduate TA with the correct answers to a series of questions about the field trip (a piece of cake!) will receive 2% of extra credit, applied after the grades are adjusted.

• Stop 1 Parfrey's Glen. This involves a ~1/2 mile walk up a gentle incline along a good established trail. Here we will look at the Cambrian conglomeratic sandstones that were deposited ~500 million years ago on top of the Baraboo Hills, which were islands in a tropical sea at the time.
• (Rolling) Stop 2: Moraine dam forming the south/southeast end of Devil's Lake. This is viewed from the bus. The moraine blocks a bedrock gorge that, in pre-glacial times, was eroded by the Wisconsin River.
• Stop 3: The parasitic fold in the Precambrian Baraboo Sequence near the north entrance of Devil's Lake State Park. This involves an off-trail walk up a moderately steep slope for approximately 200 yards. The parasitic fold is a small analog model of the larger Baraboo fold, formed during the creation of the large Baraboo fold. It is a rather famous feature among structural geologists.
• Stop 4: The west bluff above Devil's Lake. This involves a walk up a stone stairway and well established trail for perhaps 1/4 mile. Here you will examine an exposed bedding surface in the Precambrian Baraboo Quartzite, and enjoy a spectacular view of Devil's Lake and the south limb of the Baraboo syncline.
• Stop 5: Lunch on the north shore of Devil's Lake.
• Stop 6: Glacial features near the north exit of Devil's Lake State Park. This involves a walk up a gentle slope along a dirt road for ~1/4 mile for an overview of moraines, kettles, and other glacial features.
• Stop 7: Artesian spring at Rock Springs. This is at a pull-out along the highway. The water here is bottled, just as it comes out of the ground, by the Hinkley and Schmidt water company.
• Stop 8: Abandoned quarry in the Baraboo Sequence on the north limb of the Baraboo syncline. This involves a short walk on a gravel road. Here we will see the Baraboo Sequence tilted into vertical beds, with casts of relict ripple marks preserved on the quarry wall. Several unconformities are also visible here.

• We will meet to board the busses (Greyhound-style busses with potties on back) at ~7:45 AM.
• You are responsible for bringing your own food and beverage for lunch.
• You may not bring alcohol or drugs or weapons on this field trip.
• You are responsible for making certain that your footwear and clothing are appropriate for the weather conditions in the Madison-Baraboo area on the day of the field trip. Tennis shoes are ok in good weather; bedroom slippers are not.
• We plan to return to UWM by around 6:00 PM, weather and traffic permitting.