Engaging Geophysics Students in the Field — the Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (SAGE)
Abstract
The Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (SAGE) is a unique educational and research program designed to introduce students to "hands-on" geophysical exploration and research. SAGE is a four-week summer program in northern New Mexico that integrates teaching and research. Over its 37 years of operation, more than 900 advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and qualified professionals have attended SAGE. Of these, approximately 75% have forged careers in the geosciences.
SAGE lies at the intersection between academia, industry, and government; contributions include visits from professionals, evening discussions and short courses, assistance with field work, financial donations, and loans of equipment and software. These interactions alert students to career and job opportunities, inject a high level of technical expertise, and overall create a stimulating environment at SAGE that is unmatched at college campuses. The primary goal of SAGE is to actively involve students in all phases of geophysics using modern field equipment and computer processing/interpretation tools. The program emphasizes the teaching of field methods, from fundamental principles through acquisition, processing and interpretation - all within the context of basic and applied research problems. SAGE teaches the principles and applications of all major land-based geophysical methods (seismic, magnetics, gravity, GPS, GPR, electrical, electromagnetics) and introduces new state of the art field methods (i.e. Distributed Temperature Sensing) in a field-based, hands-on setting. In 2019, SAGE launched a new multi-year field program in the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Current and future projects include investigating near-surface geomorphic and hydrologic processes in a mountain watershed, exploring the magmatic and hydrothermal systems within the caldera, studying the complex interplay between volcanism and rifting, and archaeological investigations into the area's rich human history.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMED23F1076P
- Keywords:
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- 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design;
- EDUCATION;
- 0850 Geoscience education research;
- EDUCATION