As part of the Sedimentary Petrology course, our students participated in a week-long field trip through the Guadalupe Mountains and surrounding region鈥攐ne of the world鈥檚 premier natural laboratories for carbonate and evaporite systems. The itinerary included the Permian Reef Trail, Carlsbad Caverns, Walnut Canyon, Selenite Mine, Bottomless Lakes State Park, White Sands, and numerous roadside stops between El Paso and Carlsbad, each chosen to illustrate key concepts discussed in class.
To synthesize their observations, students created blog posts documenting the geology, significance, and educational value of the sites we visited. The three blogs featured here represent the most insightful and well-crafted submissions, demonstrating how field-based learning deepens understanding of sedimentary processes and basin evolution. We are proud to showcase their work and the enthusiasm they brought to exploring one of North America鈥檚 most remarkable geologic landscapes.