Are you intrigued by the natural world?
Do you enjoy solving mysteries?
Are you interested in the environment and climate change?
The geology program at Macalester focuses on all aspects of the Earth.
Students who take our courses explore the origin of the Earth and solar system, the
formation of continents and oceans, the evolution and extinction of life, the distribution
and availability of natural resources, and the impact of humans on the environment.
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News and Events
For five days this past August three Macalester geology faculty
(Ray Rogers, Kristi Curry Rogers, Jeff Thole) and five geology majors
(Jeff Dobbins, Oscar Boyle-Mejia, Owen Rudloff, Rachel Murray, and Nora Catolico)
canoed through the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in central Montana.
We were joined by our colleague Jim Mitchell (Lewistown BLM), and Emily Reinsel , a
geology major from Colorado College. The goal was to explore the geology of this
largely inaccessible region (the river is essentially the only access corridor) and
to collect fossils and rocks on the way downstream. The trip was spectacular
every step of the way. The weather was nearly perfect (only one raging thunderstorm
at the end of the voyage), and the rocks and fossils were quite cooperative.
New bonebeds were discovered, and only a few rattlesnakes were encountered.
This stretch of the Missouri River is rich with history - the Nez Perce traveled
through in their attempt to reach sanctuary in Canada, and Lewis and Clark paddled
upstream. Moreover, the first dinosaur fossils described from North American strata
were collected along the banks of the Missouri near where our journey began. We can't
wait to do it again with a new crew of students!
