The lab sequence is designed to first provide you with skills, such as how to read a map and how to identify rocks and minerals, and then have you apply these skills to different areas in Arizona, the ASU campus, and your hometown. A brief synopsis of each lab is provided below.
Stranded in a remote desert canyon, you begin investigating this canyon so you can establish a settlement. You will learn how to locate yourself on a topographic map and visualize a landscape from such a map.
It’s not fun to be lost, so this module extends what you learned earlier and helps you locate yourself on topographic maps.
To begin to unravel the geologic history of Painted Canyon, you will learn how to distinguish different minerals. Then, you will identify mineral samples from Painted Canyon and locate these samples on a map.
You will learn how to observe and identify rocks formed from magma, including those formed from volcanic eruptions. Then, you will observe and identify samples from Painted Canyon for later use in mapping Painted Canyon.
To reconstruct the past environments of Painted Canyon, you will examine some common environments and the rocks formed in these environments.
Increased temperatures and pressures during mountain building change the minerals and appearance of a rock. You will examine rocks formed in this way and then observe and identify samples from Painted Canyon for later use in mapping Painted Canyon.
In order to plan where to build your colony, you will create a geologic map of Painted Canyon showing the distribution of different rock units. You will then construct a geologic cross section to show the geometry of these units in the subsurface.
You will use all of the information you have collected so far to reconstruct the geologic history of Painted Canyon and to visualize how this history is expressed in the landscape.
You will use your maps and other information to identify a safe location for your colony and to find the necessary water and energy resources.
You will use your new geologic skills, rock samples, geologic maps, and photographs of landscapes and geologic structures to characterize the geology and reconstruct the geologic history of the Grand Canyon.
You will learn how geology exposed on the surface can be extrapolated to depth. Then you will explore the geology of two areas in southern and central Arizona: Superior, east of Phoenix, and the Mingus Mountain area near Jerome. For these areas, you will use rock samples and maps to reconstruct the geologic history. Then, you will compare and contrast the geologic histories of the two areas in order to develop a generalized geologic history for the region.
You will use the website to experience a virtual field trip to Tempe Butte, examining images of the rocks and structural features in order to reconstruct the geologic history. As part of the activities, you will draw a cross section and geologic map of the butte.
You will use the links provided in the course website to examine topographic maps and geologic maps of your hometown or some other place that is special to you. Using these maps, you will summarize the topography and the geology of your area in a one- to two-page typed paper with an accompanying sketch related to the geology or geologic feature.
You will use photographs of landscapes in Arizona and a geologic map of Arizona to explore the geology of the state and explain why the scenery varies between different regions of the state.