camp Location: University of Maryland department of geology

Logistics and FAQ

Transportation and parking

You are responsible for making your way to and from Volcano Camp each day. There are several options for traveling to the UMD campus:

1.     Metro and UMD shuttle service: You can travel to UMD using the DC metro. Our closest stop is College Park on the green/yellow line. The College Park station is a 20-minute walk from campus, but there is also a free UMD bus shuttle service. The 104 bus is scheduled to run every 15 minutes. You should exit the bus at the Regents Drive Garage stop. Updates on the 104 schedule can be found here: https://transportation.umd.edu/104-summer

2.     Driving: You are welcome to drive to campus. A guide to visitor parking on campus can be found here: https://transportation.umd.edu/parking/visitors. The closest visitor parking lot to the Geology building is on the roof of the Regents Drive garage. Parking costs $20 per day. Please let Megan know if you would like to be put in contact with other Volcano Camp participants to arrange a carpool.

Lunch arrangements

You are welcome to bring your own lunch (but please note that we will not have access to a refrigerator for storing food). Alternatively, you can purchase lunch from the Stamp Student Union which is a two-minute walk from Geology.

What to wear

You will be entering a lab containing solvents (acetone, ethanol) and liquid nitrogen. It is not expected that you will come into contact with these, but please wear closed-toed shoes and comfortable, casual clothes such as T-shirts and jeans. The visit to the Smithsonian NMNH will involve walking, so please ensure that you wear suitable shoes on that day.

Lab safety considerations

We will be learning how to identify, polish, and analyze crystals from volcanic ash. You will get to use microscopes to select crystals. The crystals will be put in resin and you will get to polish the crystals using alumina polishing papers and diamond solutions. You will enter a lab that contains solvents such as ethanol and acetone. The lab also contains a dewar of liquid nitrogen (but you will not be handling this). The lab work is not inherently hazardous, but we will take some precautions:

-        No food or drink in the lab

-        Wear closed-toed shoes in the lab

-        Wear comfortable clothes and shoes

-        As instructed, wear safety glasses and gloves (these will be provided)

What to bring

Everything you need for the volcano camp activities will be provided. Please bring lunch, or bring money (cash or card) with which to purchase lunch. Please also consider bringing a water bottle and sun protection – we will likely do a brief campus tour and you may need to walk to and from the Stamp student union / bus stop.

camp Leadership

Financial support