LAB 4

Goals:

Be able to identify some of the key fossils and place them on the geologic time scale
- Understand how form changed by evolution through geologic time

Interpret a given stratigraphic column
- what rock types
- what fossils
- what environment was present?

Sequence stratigraphy: (example)
- Given several stratigraphic columns over a region, correlate the units across space and time

Given an order of samples from oldest to youngest, sketch a stratigraphic column (labeled)
- Samples will be collected from field, south of St. Louis
  - Put together stratigraphic columns along highway to assemble the larger picture
- Interpret the history of that area (no layers missing, for simplicity)

If the plate boundary between the North American and South American plates were to become a convergent boundary and overcame the Caribbean plate causing the Gulf of Mexico to close and for South America to collide with North America, describe the progression of metamorphism: what metamorphic facies would form, draw a line on the P-T chart indicating this process, list the metamorphic rock types that would be formed, draw a sketch of a map showing where each facies would form.
Repeat the above exercise for the scenario: If the Caribbean plate began subducting beneath the North American plate, closing the Gulf of Mexico and creating a melange in the southern US region.
Repeat the above exercise for the scenario: If the failed rift at New Madrid became active again, causing magma intrusions in the area.