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Geology of Utah National Parks Syllabus

DAY 4	DESCRIPTION
Canyonlands Quicktime Movie	Field Location: *Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky District. 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 are related to sea level, climate, and tectonics. Rock Units Exposed: 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? (4) Is it a coincidence that the characteristics of rock units change across a major time boundary? Anticipated Outcomes*: Increased awareness of depositional environments. Correlation of rock units to geologic time scale transitions. Understanding of how processes result in the development of different stratigraphic successions.

DAY 4

DESCRIPTION

Canyonlands
Quicktime Movie

Field Location: Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky District.
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 are related to sea level, climate, and tectonics.
Rock Units Exposed: 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? (4) Is it a coincidence that the characteristics of rock units change across a major time boundary?
Anticipated Outcomes: Increased awareness of depositional environments. Correlation of rock units to geologic time scale transitions. Understanding of how processes result in the development of different stratigraphic successions.