|
Field Location: Arches National Park (click on link to see
photos).
Geologic Feature: Eolian and fluvial deposits. Deposition under
relatively arid conditions.
Necessary Background Information: Jurassic tectonic
configuration.
Geologic Problem: Determine the environments represented and document
them. Discuss how changes through time and space related to sea level,
climate, tectonics.
Rock Units Exposed Triassic/Jurassic Wingate Sandstone, Jurassic
Kayenta Formation and Navajo Sandstone.
Skills: Correlation and interpretation of measured sections. Petrographic
interpretation of sand grain sizes, grading, sources and morphology.
Other Questions to Consider: (1) Which way is up? - What clues tell
the orientation of a sedimentary layer. (2) Compare the depositional rates of
sediments from an arid to a wet climate. (3) What do geologic ages represent?
- Study of rock unit differences across a major time boundary.
Anticipated Outcomes: Increased awareness of depositional
environments. Correlation of rock units to geologic time scale transitions.
|
