The first project will be familiarizing ourselves with the geologic formations that we will be looking at for the next month. During this time, we will be staying at a Geologic Observatory where some world famous geologists have homes. We will visit the site where the impact theory for the extinction of the dinosaurs was developed, and here the story of how it all happened. At the end of this project, you will produce a map, topographic profile, and cross-section of the area.

Project 2 pairs US students up with Italian students in a mapping project of the Costacciaro area. At the end of this project, students are expected to produce a map and cross-section, along with presenting a bilingual poster with their Italian partners to be presented in a typical professional meeting format at the end of project.

For this project, we will travel to northern Tuscany to look at the the large scale structure of the Alpi Apuane metamorphic core complex and the metamorphic conditions preserved in the rocks.  At the end of this project, you will produce a geologic map, cross-section, and report about the tectonic and structural history of the area.

For the final project, we travel to Elba to look at former iron mining operations and ore deposits exposed along the coast. We also will travel to see fantastic exposures of the Zuccale fault. Students will make field observations and take structural measurements that will be turned into a report due at the end of the project.