Field Studies
The GES Department offers students opportunities to learn practical skills beyond the campus setting with our Field Studies (Geog 404) courses. The goal of Field Studies is to develop problem solving techniques in preparation for post-graduation employment.
The Field Studies courses focus on the physical and human experience in Geography and Environmental Studies. Integrating core knowledge in the discipline, students can explore diverse environments including the Sierra Nevada, Owens, Panamint and Death Valleys, White-Inyo Mountains, Mojave Desert, Central Coast, Channel Islands, and the greater southern California region.
Geog 404E:
Environmental Field Studies in Weather/Climatology
Our weather/climate field course provides hands-on experience in observing and analyzing atmospheric and environmental conditions. Students learn to program and deploy weather stations, monitor and collect real-time climate data, and apply field-based methods for environmental assessment. Emphasis is placed on data management and analysis, including processing, interpreting, and visualizing weather and climate datasets to understand local and regional patterns. Through fieldwork and applied exercises, students gain practical skills in environmental monitoring and the integration of technology with geographic inquiry.
Learning in outdoor and laboratory settings, students work with advanced laser-based surveying equipment, Doppler-acoustic and 3D-profiling current meters, RTK-GPS units, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or drones), the programming and deployment of weather stations, and advanced sediment analysis.
Complementing these skills, students learn methodologies for sampling in the human environment, including the development of professional surveys, data collection and analysis, urban mapping and landscape analysis, and participation in community projects within and beyond California.