Module Descriptions and Important Dates

Deadline to Apply and Register for Field Camp

NMT Students: Registration for summer 2026 begins April 20^th, 2026.

Non-NMT Students: Submit application no later than April 20^th, 2026.

Additional registration details and application availablehere. 

Arrival/Orientation Dates

Non-NMT Students: Arrive in Albuquerque (if traveling by air) or Socorro (if driving) by noon on May 24^th, 2026.

Field Camp Orientation: Afternoon of Sunday, May 24^th, 2026

Down Payment to Reserve Field Camp Participation

NMT students: Not applicable. 

Non-NMT Students: Due at time of acceptance into Field Camp

Payment for Field Camp

NMT students: Following course fee deadline thorugh the Registrar's Office. 

Non-NMT Students: Due on May 22^nd, 2026

Module Description and Dates

Note that most students will register for "GEOL 4080", which is the course number that includes all three modules. Registration priority is given to students signing up for all three modules. 

Module One: Critical Minerals

Course Number: GEOL 4083

Location: Socorro and Grant Counties, New Mexico

Dates: May 25^th – June 7^th, 2026

Description: For the first two weeks, students will be mapping bedrock units associated with critical mineral deposits in the Lemitar Mountains, just north of Socorro. Students will also take part in a three-day camping trip to Silver City, New Mexico, a locale known for its ore deposits and mining history. Topics covered will include introductory mapping principles and mineralogical identification with a focus on ores.

Module Two: Hydrological Methods in the Field

Course Number: GEOL 4084

Location: Socorro County, New Mexico

Dates: June 8^th – June 20^th, 2026

Description: For the second module, students will gain familiarity with hydrological field methods. The field area will include multiple sites in the Socorro Basin and Rio Grande river watershed, including the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Topics covered will include multi-well aquifer testing, surveying, construction of water table maps, estimation of groundwater recharge using climatic data, electromagnetic surveys, water quality and isotopic sampling, and the use of MODFLOW software.  

Module Three: Structural Geology and Neotectonics

Course Number: GEOL 4085

Location: Southern Colorado

Dates: June 21^st – July 3^rd, 2026

Description: For the last two weeks, we will be traveling to southern Colorado for bedrock and Quaternary mapping of structures associated with the Laramide orogeny, Rio Grande rift, and Basin and Range extension. The third module will include a possible paleoseismic trench visit and a visit to Great Sand Dunes National Park. Topics covered will include principles of geologic mapping and reconstruction of geologic history from field relationships; interpretation of rock associations in terms of tectonic settings; description and interpretation of textures, structures, and stratigraphic successions; structural analysis of complexly deformed rocks; neotectonics; and seismic hazard assessment.