Assembling Rhode Island

Rhode Island has existed as a state in the U.S. for over 200 years, but the land itself is the product of hundreds of millions of years of rich geologic history. As a participant in this First Year Seminar, you will engage with introductory principles of geology toward an understanding of the tectonic history of Rhode Island as well as the geological processes that presently influence and modify its landscape. The basis of our investigation of Rhode Island geology will come from observations made over a series of afternoon-long field trips to geological points of interest in the state and nearby.