Lab 09. Geodiversity
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School
Glenville State College *
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Course
101
Subject
Geology
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
9
Uploaded by GrandCloverEel7
Name: Diego Tamariz ENVR 101
Lab 9. Geodiversity
Write your name above and use this file to write your answers. Upload this file with your answers in Blackboard. Write your answer immediately after each question with a different font size
and color
.
Note: This lab exercise is divided into two sections: Section A is the geology description and Section B is
the actual geological observation that requires you to collect data in the field. The site that you will select
in Section B should be the same location as your county in Section A.
SECTION A. GEOLOGY DESCRIPTION
Describe the geology of your home county or another county that you have access to for this lab exercise. The location of your site for Section B should be in the same county that you will choose for Section A. You can use the soil survey and other sources as references for this exercise. Make sure to cite your references completely at the end of this section. The website to download the soil survey (pdf) in West Virginia is below:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/surveylist/soils/survey/state/?stateId=WV
As an example for Gilmer County, do not select the “current” since it will take you to a Web Soil Survey website. The soil survey in pdf format is the 2004 publication. See figure below. This should be the same case for any other counties in West Virginia. If you are from out of state, you can select the soil survey of your state in this website:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/surveylist/soils/survey/state/
1
Below is a sample description of geology in Gilmer County. Use this as your guide in writing your own description of geology for a county that you will select.
Geology (Soil Survey of Gilmer County; G.B. Bayles, NRCS, helped to prepare this section)
Soils in Gilmer County are weathered from sedimentary rocks that are part of the Dunkard, Monongahela, and Conemaugh Groups. These rocks are considered to be between 280 and 320 my old. They consist of red and olive yellow shale interbedded with acid, gray and brown siltstone and sandstone. Pleistocene-age river terraces are at the higher elevations along the Little Kanawha River and its larger tributaries. Limestone seams are thin and scattered and are of no commercial value. Coal seams occur in all of these Groups, with only one seam being of commercial value. Pittsburgh Coal is the lowest member of the Monongahela Group. It is both strip mined and deep mined in the eastern part of Gilmer County. The shales, siltstones, and sandstones weather to form the Gilpin, Peabody, and Upshur soils found throughout most of Gilmer County. Rock outcrops of the more resistant sandstone occur throughout the survey area. The Dunkard Group, which covers about 25% of the 2
survey area, is at the higher elevations. The Conemaugh Group is exposed at the lower elevations along the major drainage ways. It makes up approximately 25% of the survey area. The Monongahela Group is found in the remainder of the survey area. It covers approximately 50% of the county. These nearly horizontal sedimentary rocks are typical of the Appalachian Plateau Province. Write the description of geology in your home county or another county here.
State: West Virginia
County Name: Braxton County Geology Description: References:
SECTION B. FIELD DATA OBSERVATION
Perform the following exercise in the field:
1)
Using Google earth (
https://earth.google.com/web/
) or an app on an iPhone or Android phone, identify the geographic location (Longitude or Latitude) of a site that has exposed slopes or hills located in the same county that you choose in Section A. This will allow your instructor to verify your site on google earth or ArcGIS.
a.
Name of town: Sutton
b.
County Name: Braxton County
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c.
Longitude: 30*43’16”N
d.
Latitude: 83*42’18”N
Note: See instructions on how to install PDF Maps app on iPhone or Android Phone. The App will indicate your location on the map (Longitude and Latitude). Aside from WV, the map also includes other
states such OH, VA, MD and PA. If this App does not work for you, you can try Google Earth (
https://earth.google.com/web/
) or any website that will indicate the site location.
2)
At the site, take at least 4 photos to highlight unique features of the cut face of the hill. Insert the photos here and label. While in the field, take note of the unique features of your site. Make sure to have enough information to answer questions 1, 2, 3 and 4 in this section. See additional handout for this exercise for sample photos.
Insert Photo 1: Provide a title and short description of your photo
Along the bushes and trees
The side of the cliff with trees.
4
Insert Photo 2. Provide a title and short description of your photo
The broken base
The base of the cut, broken turnouts everywhere.
Insert Photo 3. Provide a title and short description of your photo
5
It is humid in the afternoon.
Cliff front side
Insert Photo 4. Provide a title and short description of your photo
Reverse Side
The sides are away from the cliff, the top is clean and has more trees and grass underneath.
3)
Select two photos from # 1 and identify layers, colors or other distinguishing characteristics of the cut face hill. Use the drawing tools and textbox to label the photos.
Insert Photo 1
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The peek reveals that the reasonably sound foundation appears to be sturdy and complete.
has a very flat top.
Although the base is kind of broken into large pieces, it is still sturdy.
Insert Photo 2
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On top of the peek, there is a lot of vegetation growing.
There are numerous sharp edges and rough surfaces.
4)
Using the photos in # 3, identify and label appropriately the different layers such as Shale, Siltstone, Sandstone and Limestone. See descriptions of each below. Use the drawing tools and textbox to label the
photos.
Shale - A finely layered sedimentary rock that breaks out into thin sheets or plates parallel to the layers. Shale is found in many shades of gray, black, red, and green.
Siltstone - A sedimentary rock in which more than 50 percent of its particles are silt-size (0.00015–0.002 inches in diameter). Visually indistinguishable from shale and claystone, it feels slightly gritty between the teeth. Sandstone - A sedimentary rock in which more than 50 percent of its particles are sand-sized (0.002–0.08 inches
in diameter). It looks like sand held together by cement. Sandstones can be found in a variety of shades of white, red, green, and gray. Limestone is generally gray or tan in color, although they can be dark gray or black. Grain size ranges from small, visible crystals to grains that are too small to see individually. Limestone may contain fragments of fossil shells.
Insert Photo 1
8
Insert Photo 2
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