GEL 1008
PHYSICAL GEOLOGY |
Physical Geology On-line Lab and Helpful Lab Hints
Mapping the Rocks Lab
The goal of this lab is to draw a map of the area in front of the PE building and identify 15 of the rocks.
- You must have at least one igneous, one metamorphic, and one sedimentary.
- You must give specific names to the rocks (ie. sandstone, granite, gneiss)
- Map should include the PE building (Bldg. G), the sidewalks, the road, the trees, and any other details that will help me know which rock is which.
The map:
- Top-down view (map view) is preferred, but landscape-type drawings are OK
- Websites such as Google maps can be switched to satellite view and zoomed in, maps can be drawn based on the aerial image - click here for an aerial image of the area to be mapped
- Show as much detail as possible
- Show all rocks within the map area, even those you do not identify
- The map does not have to be to scale, but you should try to maintain relative distances between objects across the map (don't squeeze things in if they don't fit).
The rocks:
- First determine if the rock is igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic.
- Look at the rocks in the lab for some distinguishing characteristics
- For example:
- igneous: dense, crystalline, resistant to weathering
- sedimentary: gritty feel, may have fossils
- metamorphic: dense, crystalline, may be foliated, if non-foliated it will have a uniform composition (one mineral type)
- Next, use the tables in the appropriate lab book chapter to identify the rock name.
- igneous: p. 42
- sedimentary: p. 66
- metamorphic: P. 82
- Identify each rock by name only (ie. diorite), you do not need to tell me it is igneous, intermediate, and coarse-grained, that is included in the name.
- Be sure it is very clear which name is given to which rock.
- If you are not able to identify a rock, skip it. You need to identify a total of ten, but there are many more than that present.
What should your final map look like? click here for an example map of courtyard
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copyright © 2020 Mike Phillips (includes all photos)
last updated: 2021-04-14