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The Stretch

The Department of Earth Sciences has offered an off-campus field program, also known as the "Stretch", since the mid-1960s. The Stretch is among the most storied and longest-lived off-campus programs at Dartmouth, and it consists of a roughly two-month traverse across the western United States and Canada where students are directly engaged in field-based data collection and analysis.

  • What is The Stretch?
WHAT IS THE STRETCH?

Introduction

The Stretch program (EARS 45, 46, and 47) provides a world-class opportunity for Dartmouth undergraduates to gain experience in traditional and emerging field techniques in the Earth Sciences, to learn about the spectacular bedrock and surficial geology of the western United States and Canada, and to travel, work, and live closely with fellow students and Dartmouth faculty and graduate students. The format typically includes seven serial segments which, in recent years, have consisted of a glaciology project in the Canadian Rockies, tours of many of the national parks of the western United States, three- to four-day focused field-based exercises in Wyoming, Montana, California, and Arizona, geophysical studies of Death Valley, California, and a culminating hike into the Grand Canyon, Arizona. Along the way, students are exposed to a wide range of ongoing research projects conducted by Earth Sciences faculty, graduate students, and senior thesis students, in addition to a number of alumni and research scientists.
 

Program Aims

  • To expose students to a broad overview of field-based research techniques that are commonly employed in the Earth Sciences field and profession.
  • To directly involve students in primary research opportunities in a field-based setting.
  • To provide an opportunity for students to engage with their peers and Earth Sciences faculty and graduate students through collaborative scientific research projects.
     

Learning Objectives

  • To develop a working knowledge of geologic time and an appreciation of geological processes and spatial scales.
  • To be able to generate and understand a geological bedrock and/or surficial map.
  • To collect and interpret geological, geochemical, and geophysical data in a collaborative setting.
  • To develop an awareness and understanding of geologic resources and hazards, as well as cultural experiences within the American West.
  • To know how to employ the scientific method to answer field-based questions.
  • To acquire a basic understanding of the geological evolution of the western United States.
  • To learn from professional scientists outside of Dartmouth College.
     
VIDEOS AND BLOGS FROM PAST STRETCH PROGRAMS

ON THE ROAD WITH THE STRETCH

Death Valley Time lapse - Gravity Measurements

info from past years

Past Years - Blogs

Emma Menio '16 created a great segment by segment blog about the program - check it out here!

APPLY TO THE STRETCH PROGRAM (EARS 45, 46, and 47)

Formal online applications are through the Guarini Institute (off-campus programs). The deadline is February 1st of the preceding year, and the program is only open to Dartmouth College students (see the "Stretch Details" tab below for additional information). 

Please note that the Department of Earth Sciences has two primary majors: Earth Sciences (EARS) and Environmental Earth Sciences (EARV). It is highly recommended that all EARS and EARV majors take the EARS 45, EARS 46 and EARS 47 sequence (The Stretch) in order to satisfy the field requirement of both majors; however, we recognize that this may not be an option for all undergraduate students! 

The Department of Earth Sciences is committed to making the Earth Sciences accessible to all interested students, so we encourage students who are unable to complete the Stretch to consider: 1) enrolling in a field-based course offered by other universities or an alternative accessible field course listed on the International Association for Geoscience Diversity website; or 2) taking three field-based courses at Dartmouth. Substitute field methods courses offered at other institutions must be approved in advance by the Chair of the Department of Earth Sciences. Since substitute courses will likely receive one or two Dartmouth course transfer credits, a student will usually need one or two additional Earth Sciences courses numbered 30 or above to meet Dartmouth's eight course major requirement. Be advised that the registrar charges a fee to transfer credits to Dartmouth. 

Information on potential scholarships for non-Dartmouth summer field programs may be found here:

Feel free to reach out to faculty members as well to consider other options!