UM-Western students analyze landscape for BLM

Students in Dr. Sheila Roberts' Surficial Processes class (Geology 378) recently completed a landscape analysis project in cooperation with Mr. Mark Sant, BLM Archeologist in the Dillon office. As part of the project the students surveyed an area of archeological interest, under the direction of Mr. Tim Welna, BLM Civil Engineer in the Butte office. The surveyed information was converted to computer-generated maps that showed better detail than any of the existing maps of the area.

In addition to surveying and mapping, teams of students completed five different related projects. They mapped and classified landforms, classified several reaches of the stream that runs through the area, performed a vegetation analysis of different landforms in the study area, gathered information to date surfaces exposed on a landslide, and studied a possible ancient quarry site.

The students delivered the results of their reconnaissance study at a meeting held in the Montana Room of the Lucy Carson Library on October 17. Following the reports, Mr. Sant invited the class to present their work at the Montana Archeological Society meeting to be held in Dillon in April.

"For years we have been attempting to make time for cooperative projects like this," said Roberts, "X-1 scheduling is making it so much easier to include professional experiences in our teaching at Western."