SAGE 2025

SAGE 2025 will be a hybrid program. In-person attendance will span from June 15th to July 2nd. Students should expect a month of part-time SAGE activities from mid-May to the start of SAGE, which should include some introductory Zoom calls and material discussions, as well as two-three weeks of more intense remote actiivity following the end of in-person attendance, which should include lectures, group projects, and final presentations for each group.

What to Bring to SAGE

Proof of Health Insurance - All attendees must provide proof of valid health/medical insurance coverage for the full duration of SAGE (through July 3, 2024). Short-term plans and international insurance are acceptable.

Proof of Vaccination - All attendees must provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19. Pending further decision, we provisionally request that you are up to date with boosters as well.

SAGE Gear List

Required Clothing

• Pullover, sweatshirt, and other warm clothing (gloves, hat, etc). It will get cold!
• Non-cotton shirts / base layers. It will get hot!
• Rain jacket. It will rain!
• Long work pants (jeans are fine)
• Leather hiking boots or work boots (please no steel-toe)
• Sun hat (wide brim recommended)

Required Camping & Field Gear*

• 1-2 person tent
• Thermarest or comparable sleeping pad
• Sleeping bag (rated 20F/-5C or below)
• Pillow
• Camp towel
• Head lamp or flashlight (with spare batteries)
• Sandals or flip-flops (for showers & wearing around camp after field work)
• Daypack / small backpack for field days (use it to carry your lunch, water, rain gear, and whatever else you’ll need during the day)
• At least 2-3 liters (2-3 quarts) of water capacity (hydration bladder, reusable water bottle, etc)
• Camp dish set (bowl, fork, spoon, knife, mug/cup)
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses

*Note: We encourage participants that do not already own camping equipment to ask friends, family, and/or fellow students for items to loan before purchasing new gear just for SAGE. Select outdoor suppliers (e.g., REI) will rent camping equipment. The SAGE outfitters will have a limited supply of spare camping equipment available on a first-come, first-served basis. The outfitters will only bring spare camping equipment if requested, so you must contact SAGE faculty at least a month in advance if you would like to reserve equipment with the outfitter. Please send proof of health insurance and vaccination to summerofappliedgeophysics@gmail.com.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get credit from my college or university for taking SAGE?

You may be able to use SAGE for college credit by enrolling in an independent study course at your home institution. Please check with your academic advisor and make arrangements for this prior to attending SAGE. Following completion of the SAGE program, the faculty will provide a suggested grade to your home institution based on your final report, presentation, and performance throughout the program.

Arrival & Departure Dates

We ask that all participants arrive in Santa Fe, New Mexico by the morning of June 15th. Participants should make arrangements to depart New Mexico on July 2rd.

Travel

What if I arrive late?

If you know ahead of time that you will be arriving late, please contact SAGE manager, Oliver Azevedo, immediately so alternate arrangements can be made.

Will SAGE reimburse travel expenses?

No. SAGE participants are responsible for arranging and paying for all travel to and from Santa Fe.

Can I bring my personal car to SAGE?

We advise against bringing personal vehicles to SAGE, as campground parking is limited. Please contact the camp manager ASAP if you are thinking about driving to SAGE. Note that personal vehicles cannot be used for field work and must be left unattended at the campground during the day.

Lodging & Meals

What is provided at the campground?

We will be staying at a public, front-country campground in Bandelier National Monument. The campground has running water, pit toilets, picnic tables, and shade shelters. The outfitters provide food and general camp support. Additional security is provided by the campground hosts. Showers are available in a trailer in camp.

Does SAGE provide meals?

Yes. SAGE provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner for every day of the program. We ask that participants notify the faculty ahead of time if they have any allergies, dietary restrictions, or food preferences so that we may inform the food service staff in advance.

Will I have a secure place to store electronics and valuables?

Yes. While we are camping, we will have a secure location available for you to store your laptop and other valuables.

How do I get mail at SAGE?

If you absolutely must receive mail while we are camping, please contact the SAGE manager ahead of time so special arrangements can be made.

Things to Bring

What if I don't own any camping equipment?

SAGE requests that all students bring a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and other personal equipment for the camping portion of the program (please see complete list above). If you do not own some of the required items we recommend the following solutions:

• Borrow equipment from friends, family, and/or fellow students prior to arrival.
• Rent equipment from an outdoor supply store ahead of time.
• Contact the SAGE camp manager at least one month prior to SAGE to arrange for an equipment rental through the camp outfitter.

Can I purchase camping equipment in New Mexico?

If you would like to buy camping equipment after you arrive in New Mexico, please make arrangements to do so before the start of SAGE.

Should I bring my rock hammer / Brunton compass / hand lens?

You are welcome to bring these items for use on the geologic field trips or during your free time. These items will not be required for the SAGE field work. If you choose to bring a rock hammer, please remember to put it in your checked baggage.

Background Reading for Students

This is an optional reading list intended to help students become more familiar with the geophysical techniques and the field area that we will be studying at SAGE. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it required.

Geophysical Methods

Davidson, M.E., and Braile, L.W., 1999, Vibroseis recording techniques and data reduction from the Jemez Tomography Experiment: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v.89 p.1352-1365

Jiracek, G. R., Haak, V. & Olsen, K. H. Practical magnetotellurics in a continental rift environment. in Continental rifts: evolution, structure and tectonics 103–129 (Elsevier, 1995).

Pellerin, L. 2002, Applications of Electrical and Electromagnetic Methods for Environmental and Geotechnical Investigations: Surveys in Geophysics, 23, 101-132

SAGE Field Area: The Valles Caldera

Goff, F. and Gardner, J.N., 2004. Late Cenozoic geochronology of volcanism and mineralization in the Jemez Mountains and Valles caldera, north central New Mexico, in (G. Mack and K. Giles, eds.), The Geology of New Mexico —A Geologic History. New Mexico Geological Society, Special Publication 11, Socorro, p. 295-312.

Jiracek, G. R., Kinn, C. L., Scott, C. L., Kuykendall, M. G., Baldridge, W. S., 

Biehler, S., Braile, L. W., Ferguson, J. F., and Gilpin, B., 1996, Tracing crustal isotherms under the western margin of the Jemez Mountains using SAGE and industry magnetotelluric data, New Mex. Geol. Soc., Guidebook 47, p. 129-133.

Kelley, S.A., McIntosh, W.C.,  Goff,  F., Kempter, K.A., Wolff, J.A., Esser, R., Braschayko, S., Love, D., and Gardner, J.N., 2013, Spatial and temporal trends in pre-caldera Jemez Mountains volcanic and fault activity, Geosphere,  v. 9, p. 614-646.

Lutter, W. J., Thurber, C. H., Roberts, P. M., Steck, L. K., Fehler, M. C., Stafford, D., Baldridge, W. S., and Zeichert, T. A., 1995, Teleseismic P-wave image of crust and upper mantle structure beneath the Valles caldera, New Mexico: Initial results from the 1993 JTEX passive array, Geophys. Res. Lett., 22, 505-508.

Sass, J. H., and Morgan, P., 1988, Conductive heat flux in VC-1 and the thermal regime of Valles Caldera, Jemez Mountains, New Mexico: Journal of Geophysical Research, 93(B6), 6027–6039. http://doi.org/10.1029/JB093iB06p06027

Segar, R. L., 1974, Quantitative gravity interpretation. Valles caldera area, Sandoval and Rio Arriba Counties, New Mexico: University of Utah Research Institute, Earth Science Laboratory, Open-File Report NM/BACA-27, 12 p.

Steck, L. K., C. H. Thurber, M. C. Fehler, W. J. Lutter, P. M. Roberts, W. S. Baldridge, D. G. Stafford, and R. Sessions (1998), Crust and upper mantle P wave velocity structure beneath Valles Caldera, New Mexico: Results from the Jemez teleseismic tomography experiment, J. Geophys. Res., 103(B10), 24301–24320, doi:10.1029/98JB00750.

Wolff, J. A., and Gardner, J. N., 1995; Is the Valles caldera entering a new cycle of activity? Geology, v. 23(5), p. 411–414.

Zimmerer, M.J., Lafferty, J., and Coble, M.A., 2016, The eruptive and magmatic history of the youngest pulse of volcanism at the Valles caldera: Implications for successfully dating late Quaternary eruptions: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 310, p. 50-57.

Tectonic Context: The Rio Grande Rift

Biehler, S. Ferguson, J., Baldridge, W. S., Jiracek, G. R., Aldern, J. L., Martinez, M., Fernandez, R., Romo, J., Gilpin, B., Braile, L. W., Hersey, D. r., Luyendyk, B. P., and Aiken, C. L. 1991, A geophysical model of the Espanola basin, Rio Grande rift, New Mexico, Geophysics, p. 56, 340-353.

Chapin, C. E., & Cather, S. M. (1994). Tectonic setting of the axial basins of the northern and central Rio Grande rift. In G. R. Keller & S. M. Cather (Eds.), Basins of the Rio Grande Rift: Structure, Stratigraphy, and Tectonic Setting: Geological Society of America Special Paper 291 (pp. 5–26). doi:10.1130/SPE291-p5

Gao, W., Grand, S. P., Baldridge, W. S., Wilson, D., West, M., Ni, J. F., & Aster, R. (2004). Upper mantle convection beneath the central Rio Grande rift imaged by P and S wave tomography. Journal of Geophysical Research, 109(B03305), 1–16. doi:10.1029/2003JB002743

Keller, R., Khan, M. A., Morgan, P., et al., 1991, A Comparative Study of the Rio Grande and Kenya rifts, Tectonophys., 197, 355-371.

Landman, R. L., & Flowers, R. M. (2013). (U-Th)/He thermochronologic constraints on the evolution of the northern Rio Grande Rift, Gore Range, Colorado, and implications for rift propagation models. Geosphere, 9(1), 1-18. doi:10.1130/GES00826.1

Student Reports