CLSTHLGE02 - The Nature and Geology of U.S. National Parks: From Acadia to Zion (Introductory Discount)
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, but 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.
Course Details
Cin-Ty Lee 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: 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. The course page will be accessible until February 15, 2022.
- 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
Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University