Field course – Geology across borders 1300-OKGBG4L
„Geology across borders’ is a field course, in which the students take part generally with students of other universities.
In Option I – with students of the Scince Faculty (Institute of Geology and Palaeontology) of the Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia). The course leader from the Slovakian side will be dr Roman Aubrecht. The course topic is devoted to the recognition of the geology in selected units of the Carpathians and the Pieniny Klippen Belt in Poland and Slovakia. The evolution and variability of sedimentation in both Outer and Inner Carpathians and in selected basins of the Pieniny Klippen Belt will be presented. The facies development, stratigraphic aspects and characteristics of tectonic processes of selected sedimentary basins will allow recognition of the folding processes of the Alpine orogen in Slovakia. Facts gained after the course on the geology of Slovakia will help in understanding the history of the Carpathians, particularly Outer Carpathians and the Pieniny Klippen Belt, thus enriching the knowledge in regional geology of the world.
In Option II – the course is based in Poland and the Ukraine. The students learn facts about the formation and filling of the Carpathian Foredeep in response to the fold and thrust activity in the Carpathians. Presented are rocks exposed in the northern marginal sedimentary zone (in Roztocze and Podole), as well as in a zone directly adjacent to the Carpathian thrusts (near Boryslav in the Ukraine).
In Option III – the course is conducted jointly by staff of the Faculty of Geology, University of Warsaw and of the Faculty of Geographical and Geological Studies, UAM University in Poznań. The course area is in the Polish and Czech parts of the Sudetes. The most significant depositional successions of the Sudetes are presented, including those of Devonian, Carboniferpus, Permian and Cretaceous age. The course activities are also devoted to recognize the main landforming processes in the Neogene.
In Option IV - The course is run by the scientific staff of the Faculty of Geology ( Institute of Geology ) - UW and the scientific staff of Geozentrum ( Institut für Paläontologie ) - University of Vienna . The course is conducted in English. The tour will be led by Vienna, Lower Austria , Burgenland , Upper Austria and the SalzburgerLand . We will learn about the geological structures of the Pannonian basin and the basin of Vienna , as well as the geology of the Northern Limestone Alps, including Salzburg Range. We will visit the geological secctions, in which we will see , among others, (1 ) Early Miocene transgressive sediments on the crystalline massif of the Czech Republic (Lower Austria) ; ( 2 ) sediments of the Middle and Late Miocene in the Eisenstadt basin in Burgenland, (Eastern Austria) and in the western border of Hungary; (3 ) Late Oligocene - Early Miocene sediments of Molasse Basin in the Alps Foreland ( Upper Austria ), ( 4) Mesozoic facies in the Northern Limestone Alps in Dachstein , Gosau (Upper Austria) , Adnet, reef limestones , Ammonitico Rosso ( Salzburg). We will use the cable car up to the top of the Alpine peak Krippenstein ( 2100 m), from where we will go on the mountain tour to see outcrops of Triassic Dachstein limestone facies.
In Option V – the course is based in southern Morocco. The students learn facts about the Palaeozoic and Mesosoic succession of a Gondwanan area, with particular attention drawn onto the post-Cadomian sedimentary cover, development of Devonian mud mounds (Kess Kess mounds) reflecting sedimentation in an environment induced by hydrocarbon seeps, and development of Jurassic microbial mounds. Attention is drawn also on present-day landforming processes with observations of the largest dune field in Morocco (Erg Chebbi).
Type of course
Prerequisites (description)
Learning outcomes
Following the course, the students are able to recognize the stratigraphic and lithostratigraphic units of the course area. They have knowledge to describe the geology of the course area and interpret the sedimentary and tectonic processes influencing its development.
Assessment criteria
Activity in field and a written test.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: