I think you'll get some replies on this, and I'll probably post again. I forget what part of Colorado you live in, but there is an exit on I-70 west of Denver having to do with dinosuars. OK, west of Denver covers all the way to California; I mean the east foothills of the Rockies. I guess there is a band of outcrops of Mesozoic (dinosaur age) sedimentary rocks. She might also learn about where you live: for example, the Laramide orogeny related to flat subduction about 50 (?) million years ago that made a lot of the structures in the Rockies.

As for not too long trips to active faults, the Wasatch front comes to mind: this is the west front of the mountains just east of Salt Lake City...that extends quite a long way N-S. This is the western edge of the extending Basin and Range. Where there are good examples of the actual outcrop of an active strand, I don't know.

If you make it to California I'm sure Glen knows all kinds of cool outcrops, but summer is not the time in his neck of the woods.

There is seismology and there is geologic study of active faults. For either you are supposed to take a certain amount of math and physics as an undergrad; for geology usually also biology and chemistry, for seismology more math. Somehow, I skipped the biology, only took 1 chemistry (and did badly), and only took 1 physics. That caught up with me at UCSB for my Ph.D studies: they amde me take a lot of undergrad Physics, and also 2 geochemistry classes.

I know she wants gems; by a coincidence they posted a job offer yesterday (no doubt for geology majors or those with degrees) to work in a lead mine in Missouri. Just what she would need to stunt her mind; that combined with the internet and cell phones and video games should really do the trick.

No matter what you do it is an advantage to write well. That was not the case for me.

I've always thought it would be good if we had some students posting on this page. Have your daughter register and ask questions here, if she wants.

Chris