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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


Cin-Ty Lee, Ph.D., is the Harry Carothers Wiess Professor of Geology in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Rice University. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley. His research focuses on volcanoes, continent formation and the making of ore deposits. Dr. Lee is also a lifelong naturalist and has written numerous articles on the field identification of birds. He has dedicated his spare time to documenting the flora and fauna of Rice University, recording 228 species of birds and over 500 species of insects since 2002.

 

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
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Enroll Now - Available Sections
Section Title
The Nature and Geology of U.S. National Parks: From Acadia to Zion
Section Schedule
Date and Time TBA
Delivery Options
On-Demand  
Course Fee(s)
* $210.00
Potential Discount(s)
CEUs
0.9 CEUs
Instructors
Section Notes

After registering, please refer to Receipt Notes for instructions on how to access the course. Please email us at cpcoord@rice.edu with questions. The course page will be accessible for 90 days upon registration

 

Refund Policy
On demand course registrations are non-refundable. Please review technology requirements at https://glasscock.rice.edu/cle-on-demand before completing your purchase.