Students working together on a lab activity.

Release form for photos and videos related to geoscience research or education: CroninProjects.org/Vince/Course/PhotoVideoReleaseForm.pdf

This page is (always) under construction
This page was revised 25 August 2019.

Lab 1: Rock types and fabrics

• What characteristics allow us to distinguish among the major types of geological solids: glass, coal, igneous rock, sedimentary rock, metamorphic rock (including meta-sedimentary and meta-igneous types), mineral grains, fossils
• What is a rock?
• How can you tell a rock's composition?
• What is a rock texture?
• What is a rock fabric?
• What does primary mean when that adjective is applied to rock texture or fabric?
• What does distortion mean?
• What textures or fabrics are "primary" and which are the result of some sort of distortion process?
• What does diagenesis mean, and how does it relate to metamorphism if at all?
• What is the difference between bedding and foliation?
• What does pressure mean, and how does it relate to stress?
• How does pressure and stress change (if at all) with increasing depth below Earth's surface?
• How does temperature change (if at all) with increasing depth below Earth's surface?

Lab 2: Some basic map skills

1. Contouring simple topographic data
   1. Presentation on mapping topographic surfaces: PDF version or Keynote version
   2. Interpolation of elevation of a point between two points of known elevation: ContourMap1.pdf
   3. Example of grid contouring: ContourMap2.pdf
   4. Simple contouring exercises: SimpleContouringExercise.pdf
2. Coordinate systems -- Excerpt1-Lab1-AGILM.pdf
   1. Geographic lat-long coordinates
   2. UTM coordinates
   3. Cartesian coordinates (assuming a spherical Earth)
3. Scales: bar scales, fractional scales
4. Distance and azimuth on a paper map
5. Determining the coordinates of a point on a map
6. Finding where a point is located on a map given the coordinates
7. Source of GeoPDF files of USGS topographic maps: viewer.nationalmap.gov/basic/?basemap=b1&category=ustopo&title=US Topo Download
8. USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database of the United States: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/qfaults/
   
   

Lab 3: Some useful math and programming skills

1. Sig figs, rounding, and simple counting statistics -- Excerpt2-Lab1-AGILM.pdf
2. Basics of vectors and vector arithmetic -- VectorSummary.pdf
   Worksheet on vectors: VectorWorksheet.pdf
3. Introduction to matrices -- Matrices.pdf
   Worksheet on matrices: matrix_dot_product_worksheet.v2.pdf
4. Orthogonal coordinate transformations -- OrthogonalCoordTrans.pdf
   Worksheet on coordinate transformations: CoordTransHW.pdf
5. Using spreadsheets to solve common types of problems; examples
   1. Bearing.xls
   2. CrossProduct.xls
   3. FindDecimalDegrees.xls
   4. FindLatAndLong.xls
   5. FindLocationVector.xls
   6. FindTangentialSpeed.xls
   7. FindVectorAngle.xls
   8. GPS TriStrain Calculator: https://d32ogoqmya1dw8.cloudfront.net/files/getsi/teaching_materials/gps_strain/gps_strain_calculator_excel.v3.xls
   9. RelMotionDirection.xls
   10. SimpleCountingStatistics.xlsx
6. Using Mathematica to solve common types of problems
   For examples of Mathematica notebooks, refer to the list on the cours home page

Lab 4: Orientation measurements in the field with a Brunton compass

1. Basic measurement skills with a Brunton compass: BruntonCompassBasics.html
2. Worksheet: MeasuringWithABrunton.pdf
3. Manual for operating the Brunton Pocket Transit: Brunton_Transit_Manual.pdf

Lab 5: Structural contour maps

Review information from Lab 2 about contouring data

1. Subsurface mapping physical model exercise: box grid map
2. Visualizing faulted surfaces using physical models
   • Physical models of major fault types
   • Principles of structural geomorphology related to faults
3. First faulted subsurface map: ContourMap3.pdf
4. Second faulted subsurface map: ContourMap4.pdf

Lab 6: Structural-geologic surface maps

1. Intersection of two surfaces
   • TraceContour.pdf
2. 3-point problems
   1. Explanation of simple 3-point problem: 3-point-problem-explanation.pdf
   2. Example given only the location and elevation of points: 3-point_problem.pdf
   3. 3-point problem using topographic contours for elevation data: 3Point-Topo.pdf
3. Working with contacts, contact traces, and unit thickness using topographic maps
   1. Analyzing a complicated-looking contact on a topographic map: Inclined-contact-topo.pdf
   2. Contacts of vertical, horizontal, and inclined planes depicted on a topographic map: vertical-horizontal-inclined-planes.pdf
   3. Explanation of how to determine the thickness of an inclined planar bed using topographic contours: Thickness-explanation.pdf
   4. Working with bed thickness using contacts of inclined beds on a topographic map: thickness-topo.pdf

Lab 7: Structural cross sections, part 1

Set of simple cross-section problems: BasicCrossSections.pdf

Lab 8: Structural cross sections, part 2

1. CindyTopMap.jpg
2. CindyBottomMap.jpg
3. CindyXsec.jpg

Lab 9: GETSI module, units 1 & 2

A good online source of information about GPS technology and its use in geoscience is the UNAVCO Spotlight site accessible via https://spotlight.unavco.org.

1. Student resources for GETSI module "GPS, Strain, and Earthquakes": serc.carleton.edu/s/getsi/gps_strain/index.html
2. Background information about GPS/GNSS technology and its application in geoscience: https://spotlight.unavco.org
3. What can GPS tell us about future earthquakes? https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/pacific_northwest_vs_japan_similar_tectonic_settings or, for a direct download, https://www.unavco.org/education/outreach/animations/Japan-vs-PacificNW_What-can-GPS-tell-us.mp4
4. Sendai/Tohoku-oki earthquake displacements using 1 Hz data (by Ronni Grapenthin): https://youtu.be/rMhhyb6Yy94
5. GPS as an essential component of Cascadia earthquake early warning: https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/earthquake_early_warning_pacific_northwest_subduction_zone or, for a direct download, https://www.unavco.org/education/outreach/animations/GPSEarthquakeEarlyWarning.mp4
6. Physical models of Earth structures: PhysModelAnimations.html and http://croninprojects.org/Vince/PhysModel/

7. Extension in 1D, using a rubber band: ExtensionWorksheetV2.pdf

Lab 10: GETSI Unit 3 & 4

1. Student resources for GETSI module "GPS, Strain, and Earthquakes": serc.carleton.edu/s/getsi/gps_strain/index.html
2. Cascadia strain example: http://croninprojects.org/GETSI-EER2018/5.oregon_cascadia_post-exercise_.v3.pdf (pdf, 1.8 MB) [PowerPoint original 1.9 MB]
3. Graphic summary of the triangle-strain analysis: http://croninprojects.org/GETSI-EER2018/6.gps_infinitesimal_strain_analy.v2.pdf (pdf, 3.1 MB) [PowerPoint original 3.1 MB]
4. Images of different strain scenarios for triangles: http://croninprojects.org/GETSI-EER2018/gps_triangle_strain_ellipse.pdf (pdf, 1.8 MB) [Microsoft Word .docx file, 1.8 MB]
5. Interactive PBO GPS network map: http://www.unavco.org/instrumentation/networks/status/pbo/gps
6. How to find PBO GPS data: https://d32ogoqmya1dw8.cloudfront.net/files/getsi/teaching_materials/gps_strain/finding_gps_data_oregon.v6.docx
7. Cascadia example worksheets: http://croninprojects.org/GETSI-EER2018/Cascadia-Example.pdf (.pdf file 2 MB) [Microsoft Word .docx file, 2 MB]
8. Generic datasheet for velocity data from 3 GPS/GNSS sites: http://croninprojects.org/Vince/Geodesy/GPS-strain-datasheet.pdf (pdf file, 125.8 kb)
9. GPS strain Calculators
   • Microsoft Excel version: https://d32ogoqmya1dw8.cloudfront.net/files/getsi/teaching_materials/gps_strain/gps_strain_calculator_excel.v3.xls (Excel 55 kb)
   • MatLab version (zip file): https://d32ogoqmya1dw8.cloudfront.net/files/getsi/teaching_materials/gps_strain/gps_strain_calculator_matlab.zip
   • Wolfram Mathematica notebook version: http://CroninProjects.org/Vince/Geodesy/Calculators/gps-strain-calculator-mathematica.nb
     PDF file showing the Mathematica code after a sample run: http://CroninProjects.org/Vince/Geodesy/Calculators/gps-strain-calculator-mathematica.pdf
10. How to interpret the strain calculator output: https://d32ogoqmya1dw8.cloudfront.net/files/getsi/teaching_materials/gps_strain/explanation_gps_strain_calculator.v3.pdf (.pdf file) [Microsoft Word .docx file]
11. Strain ellipse visualization tool (https://d32ogoqmya1dw8.cloudfront.net/files/getsi/teaching_materials/gps_strain/strain_ellipse_visualization_t.zip), which requires a free copy of Wolfram CDF Player (http://www.wolfram.com/cdf-player/)
12. Background information
    • Primer on infinitesimal strain analysis in 1, 2, and 3-D: https://d32ogoqmya1dw8.cloudfront.net/files/getsi/teaching_materials/gps_strain/infinitesimal_strain_analysis_.v2.docx
    • Algorithm for triangle-strain analysis (revised July 2018): http://croninprojects.org/GETSI-EER2018/TriangleStrainAlgorithm.pdf (.pdf, 767 kb)

Lab 7: GETSI unit 4 & 6

1. Student resources for GETSI module "GPS, Strain, and Earthquakes": serc.carleton.edu/s/getsi/gps_strain/index.html
2. Description of student GPS project (Unit 6): http://croninprojects.org/Vince/Geodesy/GPS_ProjDescr.pdf (pdf file, 171.1 kb)
3. Generic datasheet for GPS-strain project (Unit 6): http://croninprojects.org/Vince/Geodesy/GPS-strain-datasheet.pdf (pdf file, 125.8 kb)
4. Rubric for student project presentations (Unit 6): http://croninprojects.org/Vince/Geodesy/GPS-Strain-Project-Rubric.pdf (pdf file, 99.6 kb)
5. USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database of the United States: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/qfaults/
   
   

Lab 9: GETSI Presentations

Students will present their GPS strain projects during this lab period in a manner similar to the "oral sessions" at geoscience meetings, using presentation software (PowerPoint, Keynote, etc.) to deliver a 5-minute talk.

Rubric for student project presentations (Unit 6 of the GETSI module): http://croninprojects.org/Vince/Geodesy/GPS-Strain-Project-Rubric.pdf (pdf file, 99.6 kb)

Lab 10: GETSI Unit 5

Using the tools we have developed in previous labs, we will examine data related to the 2014 Napa earthquake (M6) to better understand how the crust deforms during a significant earthquake. This is Unit 5 of the GETSI module.

Student resources for GETSI module "GPS, Strain, and Earthquakes": serc.carleton.edu/s/getsi/gps_strain/index.html

Other files and resources

Relevant UNAVCO/IRIS animations and videos

1. UNAVCO videos on U-Tube: https://www.youtube.com/user/unavcovideos
2. Animation-and-video homepage at UNAVCO: https://www.unavco.org/education/outreach/animations/animations.html
3. Earthscope's geodetic component -- Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) overview: https://youtu.be/EPlCcRFpTuU
4. GPS Measures Deformation in Subduction Zones: Ocean/continent: https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/gps_measures_deformation_in_subduction_zones_oceancontinent or, for direct download, https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/downloads/download/95
5. GPS Measures Deformation in Subduction Zone: Island Arc Setting: https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/gps_measures_deformation_in_subduction_zone_island_arc_setting or, for direct download, https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/downloads/download/96
6. GPS Records Variable Deformation across a Subduction Zone: https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/gps_records_variable_deformation_across_a_subduction_zone or, for direct download, https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/downloads/download/92
7. What can GPS tell us about future earthquakes? https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/pacific_northwest_vs_japan_similar_tectonic_settings or, for a direct download, https://www.unavco.org/education/outreach/animations/Japan-vs-PacificNW_What-can-GPS-tell-us.mp4
8. Sendai/Tohoku-oki earthquake displacements using 1 Hz data (by Ronni Grapenthin): https://youtu.be/rMhhyb6Yy94
9. GPS as an essential component of Cascadia earthquake early warning: https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/earthquake_early_warning_pacific_northwest_subduction_zone or, for a direct download, https://www.unavco.org/education/outreach/animations/GPSEarthquakeEarlyWarning.mp4
10. ShakeAlert: Earthquake Early Warning System for Napa earthquake 2014: https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/shakealert_earthquake_early_warning_system or, for direct download, https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/downloads/download/407
11. Basin & Range: GPS measures extension: https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/basin__range_gps_measures_extension or, for direct download, https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/downloads/download/193
12. Tectonics & Earthquakes of the Himalaya: https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/tectonics__earthquakes_of_the_himalaya or, for direct download, https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/downloads/download/466
13. Volcano Monitoring: Measuring Deformation and Tilt with GPS: https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/volcano_monitoring_measuring_deformation_and_tilt_with_gps or, for direct download, https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/downloads/download/138
14. Glaciers are retreating. How can we measure the full ice loss? https://youtu.be/FVm3rZZs49s?list=PLzmugeDoplFOot41MIBBZiLYBCB0M-p1P
15. Plate tectonics 540Ma to the modern world, from Chris Scotese: https://youtu.be/g_iEWvtKcuQ
16. Plate tectonics 240Ma to 250 million years in the future, from Chris Scotese: https://youtu.be/uLahVJNnoZ4

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