Plutonism at Deep Crustal Levels: The Idaho Batholith, Montana and Idaho part of Integrating Research and Education:Montana Geoheritage Project:Montana-Yellowstone Geologic Field Guide Database:MT Field Guides
The Idaho batholith field trip traverses a well exposed cross-section of the northern Idaho batholith, briefly examines the broad aspects of this deep-seated granitoid batholith and its regionally metamorphosed country rocks, and considers the role of the synplutonic mafic magmas from the mantle in providing heat for melting of continental crustal rocks to form the more felsic main-phase units of the batholith.

Volcanism and Plutonism at Shallow Crustal Levels: The Elkhorn Mountains Volcanics and the Boulder Batholith, Southwestern Montana part of Integrating Research and Education:Montana Geoheritage Project:Montana-Yellowstone Geologic Field Guide Database:MT Field Guides
The Upper Cretaceous Elkhorn Mountains Volcanics (EMV) and Boulder batholith of southwestern Montana provide an example of a large-volume, epizonal, volcanic-plutonic complex whose deep level of erosion has exposed the cogenetic intrusive rocks while preserving sizeable portions of the volcanic field. Such a volcanic-plutonic association provides a unique opportunity for evaluation of many aspects of the evolution of a shallow-crustal magmatic system, such as geochemical relations of both the volcanic and plutonic rocks and the nature of intrusive-extrusive relationships at the present level of exposure.

Road Log from Bozeman to Specimen Creek via Gallatin Canyon and U.S. 191 part of Integrating Research and Education:Montana Geoheritage Project:Montana-Yellowstone Geologic Field Guide Database:MT Field Guides
This trip leads southward through the Gallatin Range to Specimen Creek in Yellowstone National Park. It affords an excellent worm's-eye view of the structure and stratigraphy of this range as revealed both laterally and vertically through the quietly beautiful Gallatin Canyon. The route also borders the east margin of the Madison Range and its spectacular Spanish Peaks uplift. The Gallatin and Madison Ranges are geologically and topographically similar, an essential difference being the thick cap of andesitic lava and breccia that covers the high parts of the Gallatin Range.

Field Guide; Belt Butte and Tiger Butte part of Integrating Research and Education:Montana Geoheritage Project:Montana-Yellowstone Geologic Field Guide Database:MT Field Guides
This field trip extends east from Great Falls across rolling glacial plains to the summit of Belt Butte, where its formation and the collapse structure adjacent to it will be discussed. In addition, the Tiger Butte laccolithic intrusion, contact metamorphic effects, associated dikes, and structure resulting from the intrusion will be examined.

Montana-Yellowstone Geologic Field Guide Database part of Integrating Research and Education:Montana Geoheritage Project:Montana-Yellowstone Geologic Field Guide Database
Introduction Field experiences are a central component of the modern geoscience curriculum, and published field guides and road logs are invaluable resources to facilitate the development of teaching and learning ...

Montana Aerial Photo Collection part of Integrating Research and Education:Montana Geoheritage Project:Montana-Yellowstone Geologic Field Guide Database
Aerial photo of the beaverhead river in Montana. Details This photo collection is provided courtesy of Dr. William Bowen, California Geological Survey. It includes aerial images of significant structural features ...

Top 10 part of Integrating Research and Education:Montana Geoheritage Project:Montana-Yellowstone Geologic Field Guide Database
The MSU web development team has put their heads together to name the top ten geology field trips in Montana and Yellowstone, based on superb geology, scenery, access, and educational value. For each location, we ...

The Yellowstone Plateau-Island Park Region part of Integrating Research and Education:Montana Geoheritage Project:Montana-Yellowstone Geologic Field Guide Database:MT Field Guides
The Yellowstone Plateau, at the center of one of the Earth's largest volcanic fields, spans the continental divide between the Northern and Middle Rocky Mountains at an average elevation of about 2.400 m. The eruptions of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field, entirely postdating 2.5 Ma, were exceedingly voluminous but are only the surficial expression of the emplacement of a batholithic volume of rhyolitic magma to high crustal levels. Although the latest eruptions were about 70,000 years ago, an immense hydrothermal system and a variety of geophysical characteristics indicate the continued presence of an active shallow magma chamber.

The Stillwater Complex, Southern Montana; A Layered Mafic Intrusion part of Integrating Research and Education:Montana Geoheritage Project:Montana-Yellowstone Geologic Field Guide Database:MT Field Guides
Layered complexes provide the most visible evidence of processes of magmatic differentiation; thus, they occupy a central place in the study of igneous petrology. Such complexes are not only scientifically rewarding, they are host to several types of mineral deposits, including copper-nickel, chromium, and platinum-group elements. The Stillwater Complex is one of the world's great layered mafic intrusions, distinguished not so much by its size as by the fact that it is tilted on its side, and erosion has exposed the layering to ready access. This fieldguide presents a summary of the geology of the complex in the Benbow and Mountain View areas. The Benbow area offers easy access to a variety of rocks from the ultramafic series and chromite deposits but only limited exposures of features from the banded series. The Mountain View area offers easy access to most of the banded series and the platinum deposits.

Field Guide; Little Rocky Mountains part of Integrating Research and Education:Montana Geoheritage Project:Montana-Yellowstone Geologic Field Guide Database:MT Field Guides
This fieldtrip examines deformed Paleozoic sedimentary rocks on the margins of the Little Rocky Mountains, Tertiary intrusive rocks (porphyrys, magmatic-hydrothermal breccias, and dikes), and associated mineralization.