DAY 5

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DESCRIPTION
Field Location: *Natural Bridges National Monument and vicinity (White Canyon). Geologic Feature: Interfingering of Permian lacustrine or marine and continental strata at a 1-10 m scale. Interfingering of eolian and mudflat facies at a 1-100 m scale. Necessary Background Information: None. Geologic Problem: How are climate, sea level change, and tectonic activity reflected in these rocks? Rock Units Exposed: Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone, Organ Rock Formation, and White Rim Sandstone. Skills: Correlation of measured sections. Adding to the repertoire of identification experience: wind blown deposits, interior drainage (lakes) and near-shore environments (intertidal). Other Questions to Consider: (1) What are the differences between water-deposited and wind-deposited sediments? (2) What timescales are involved in depositing various thicknesses of materials by different mechanisms? (3) Draw a 3-D perspective of these depositional environments, based on the measured sections. Anticipated Outcomes*: Increased experience in depositional environment identification to cover most geologic environments. Translation of limited measurements to correlated sections. Translation of correlated sections to a three-dimensional perspective. Identification of sedimentary structures. Differentiation among marine, transitional, and freshwater environments.

DESCRIPTION

Field Location: Natural Bridges National Monument and vicinity (White Canyon).
Geologic Feature: Interfingering of Permian lacustrine or marine and continental strata at a 1-10 m scale. Interfingering of eolian and mudflat facies at a 1-100 m scale.
Necessary Background Information: None.
Geologic Problem: How are climate, sea level change, and tectonic activity reflected in these rocks?
Rock Units Exposed: Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone, Organ Rock Formation, and White Rim Sandstone.
Skills: Correlation of measured sections. Adding to the repertoire of identification experience: wind blown deposits, interior drainage (lakes) and near-shore environments (intertidal).
Other Questions to Consider: (1) What are the differences between water-deposited and wind-deposited sediments? (2) What timescales are involved in depositing various thicknesses of materials by different mechanisms? (3) Draw a 3-D perspective of these depositional environments, based on the measured sections.
Anticipated Outcomes: Increased experience in depositional environment identification to cover most geologic environments. Translation of limited measurements to correlated sections. Translation of correlated sections to a three-dimensional perspective. Identification of sedimentary structures. Differentiation among marine, transitional, and freshwater environments.