GO 580 Environmental Field Methods

Dr. Marcia K. Schulmeister

Earth Science Department,

Emporia State University, Kansas, U.S.A.



UPDATE 7/1/2020 : This course will be taught online as GEOL 552 at The Unversity of Kansas in the Summer of 2021


Split-spoon sampling at ESU's Hydrogeology Field Station

Overview: This course is designed to introduce students to both standard and emerging tools and equipment used in field environmental investigations through directed readings and hands-on field exercises. The validity of information obtained using various investigative strategies and field methods is addressed. Data presentation and professional report writing are emphasized in this course.

Course Format: To accomodate both online and on-campus learners, weekly lectures and several short homework assignments will be given via the internet. Field sessions will take place two or three times during the semester and provide hands-on experience using tools and approaches introduced in the lectures. A mandatory 3-4 day field session will take place at ESU's Field Hydrogeology Teaching and Research site on the ESU campus. One or two additional one-day field sessions will be required for all students within driving distance of campus. Upon completion of the field sessions, students will be responsible for the analysis and presentation of data obtained, using software and report writing guidence provided in class.

The course will be taught via the internet and is available to students enrolled in both on-campus and off-campus programs at ESU. On-campus students should use Hornet 365 to enroll in the course following traditional on-campus enrollment procedures. On-campus students interested in taking this course should enroll in ES 767 and off-campus students should enroll in GO 580XA, for graduate credit, or GO 580ZA, for undergraduate credit. In order to receive university credit and access to course materials students must be officially enrolled in the course.

  • Prerequisite

  • ES 110/111 "Introduction to Earth Science" and GO 571 "Hydrogeology" or consent of instructor.

  • Textbook

  • Sanders, L.L., 1998, Field Methods in Hydrogeology, Prentice Hall.

  • (Distance-learning students may order textbooks online at the The Memorial Union Bookstore or by calling 620-341-6214 )

  • Additional resources

    • Weekly lecture materials, reading assignments, and homework exercises will be posted each week on ESU's Canvas website. To allow for integration of relevant new literature, additional reading assignments will be available for downloading from the blackboard site

  • Procedures

  • Schedule and grading

From the archives... GO 580 students of the past, in action