Hello, I'm Ken Tabbutt and I will be giving you a brief overview of geology here at Evergreen. I'll start off telling you about the scope of Earth Sciences at Evergreen, then talk about the specific academic programs, the faculty and their interests.

	As you probably realize, Evergreen does not have majors in specific disciplines; this includes geology. Geology is integrated into the broader Environmental Studies specialty area. Students go on to graduate programs in geology and get jobs as geologists, but we focus on placing geology in a broader context, making it a component of environmental science.
			Lunch Near Blacktail Canyon Evergreen Field Trip Grand Canyon 2000

	The discipline of geology has undergone some significant changes in the past decade; geology is evolving from a descriptive and interpretive science to more process-oriented study.
			Deschutes River Near River Park Field Trip 1996

			Geology departments throughout the country are beginning to realign their emphasis from traditional pathways to process-oriented classes that integrate the sciences, a change which has been driven by the demand in the workplace. The fields of physical geology,environmental geology, geomorphology, geophysics and geochemistry are thriving; these are the same fields that Evergreen's curriculum focuses on. We stress processes that influence the environment and society.

These are easily linked to a variety of other disciplines within environmental studies including: marine studies, public policy, climatology, ecology, computer modeling, geographical information systems, geography, chemistry, math and physics. This integration is the strength of geology here at Evergreen, it reflects the importance of geology outside of academia.

	Checking the Van Veen sediment grabber on one of Evergreen's sailboats		Warning - Sr90 plume above the Columbia Hanford Reservation Field Trip

	Geology is offered at all levels in the curriculum, from Core to advanced work. The academic programs are always changing, reflecting the interests of the faculty and the demands of the curriculum and students. We emphasize applying geology in either the field or the lab. Programs usually revolve around extended field studies or practical lab projects. A couple examples of repeating programs include Hydrology and Landscape Processes.
			Field Trip Stop Juntura Hot Springs Malheur River, Eastern Oregon

The Hydrology program is taught every other year. It examines surface water and groundwater, incorporating the physical principles of hydrology, hillslope processes, and field studies. Students get the opportunity to apply themselves in the lab and the field, from modeling groundwater flow on computers to gauging stream discharge.

	Faculty geologist Paul Butler measuring pool depth Deschutes River habitat monitoring project		Field trip - Shelton, WA Goldsborough Creek flooding

Applied Geology focuses on a broad range of interactions between people and the physical environment, from devastating (natural hazards) to beneficial (use of mineral, energy and water resources). This program integrates geomorphology with other physical and natural sciences, including physics, chemistry, hydrology, soil science, geography, meterology, climatology and biology. It includes work with geographic information systems and extended field trips, including one descending through the Grand Canyon in dories.

	Dust Storm Spring 1995 Field Trip		Lower Grand Canyon

			Three faculty here at Evergreen teach geology - Jim Stroh, Paul Butler, and me.

Jim has been on the faculty for a long time - not in terms of geologic time, but since 1975. He did his graduate work at the University of Washington and has taught throughout the curriculum. His interests include the geology of the Death Valley region, desert ecology, groundwater hydrology, geographic information systems, modeling heat budgets of lakes and evaporation studies. Right now he's conducting a hydrology study in Saline Valley.

			Jim Stroh working on Saline Valley, CA ground water research project

Paul Butler has been on the faculty since 1986. He completed graduate work at the Berkeley and UC Davis. He teaches just about anything related to earth sciences but is really interested in surface water hydrology and geomorphology. Paul always finds ways of incorporating extended field trips into his programs; he currently takes students to the Grand Canyon every spring.

	Paul (left) at the Great Unconformity 1,000,000 years of layers missing Grand Canyon field trip		On the Upper Haucus Costa Rica TESC Field Trip - Feb 1994

	I was raised in Olympia and grew up with Evergreen. I went to graduate school at Dartmouth before returning to teach here in 1992. My interests include low temperature geochemistry, basin analysis, hydrogeology, geographic information systems and the tectonic evolution of the Andes.

	Recently the students in the Core program I'm teaching, Modeling Nature, are developing a geologic hazard map of this region using GIS software.
			Arc-View GIS Map from Evergreen's Computer Applications Lab

			If you'd like to know more about studying geology at Evergreen, you can look at an interview with one of our graduates, or get in touch with me - Ken Tabbutt LAB 2, The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA 98505, (360-866-6000, X 6558) tabbuttk@evergreen.edu                                                                                More Field Trip Photos . . .

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