CLSTHES004 - The Nature and Geology of U.S. National Parks: From Acadia to Zion
Take a virtual tour of some of the United States’ great national parks with Rice University professor of geology Cin-Ty Lee, Ph.D. Our planet has been shaped by the forces of geology and biology. Learn how geography, geology and climate conspire to give us such different landscapes as the rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State and the seemingly inhospitable yet biologically unique environments in Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks. Take a step back in time to see the layers of sediments deposited in an ocean basin, which have since been uplifted and eroded to form the natural monuments in Zion. Tour through an ancient forest frozen in time at the Petrified Forest. Explore how continents have come together and split apart over hundreds of millions of years as we tour Acadia National Park.
Content was previously recorded by the instructor (originally released September 30, 2021).
You may also be interested in Dr. Lee’s in-person/on-campus course The Art of Observation: Seeing and Sketching With a Naturalist, March 20–April 24, 2024, 10 a.m. to noon. Other prerecorded/on-demand courses in The Nature and Geology of U.S. National Parks series include: From Arches to White Sands, From Crater Lake to the Everglades and From Glacier to the Grand Canyon.
Course Details
Online--Pre-recorded/on demand
This course will be delivered in a pre-recorded/on demand format. Registered participants will receive instructions to access the course page and may view the pre-recorded lectures in any order and as often as preferred. Check Section Notes for access availability.
- Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave National Preserve: The flora, fauna and geology of the high desert
- Death Valley National Park: Life in extreme environments
- Petrified Forest: Ancient trees frozen in time
- Olympic National Park: Rain forests of the Pacific Northwest
- Zion National Park: Monuments carved by erosion
- Acadia National Park: The flora and fauna of New England