Name:____________________________________ Earth Science Field School Field Guide Summer, 2013 PLEASE CARRY THIS GUIDE WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES. Field School Exercise Teams Mt. Tuam Argonaut John Winpard John Cory Emily Alex Emily Ryan Jesse Cory Jesse Landon Brittany Ryan Brittany Dave N. + Winpard Raymond Landon Raymond Jason Jeremy Dave N. Jeremy Sam P. Sam G. Jason Sam G. Serena Carl Sam P. Carl Danae Robert Serena Robert Cole Aysia Danae Aysia Ben David L. Cole David L. Alex *** Bold face students responsible for GPS & FRS radio *** Cover: Mapping at Sayward Beach EARTH SCIENCE FIELD SCHOOL SYLLABUS Instructor: Dr. Dante Canil E-mail: [email protected] Office: SCI A411 Tel: 472-4180 Co-ordinator: Duncan Johannessen E-mail: [email protected] Office: SCI B109 Tel: 721-7352 TA’s: Rameses D’Souza, Sarah Thornton _________________________________________________________________________________________ Optional Reference Texts: • Bevier; 2005. Introduction to Field Geology, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, ISBN-13: 9780070931091 • Coe, A. (ed.); 2010. Geological Field Techniques, Wiley-Blackwell, ISBN 13: 9781444327441 • Lisle, R.J.; 2011. Basic Geological Mapping, Wiley, ISBN-13: 9780470686348 • McClay, K.R.; 1991. The Mapping of Geological Structures, Wiley, ISBN-13: 9780471932437 Course Goals • To develop the skills necessary to enable you to organize, conduct and successfully complete a field- based geological investigation involving the production of geological maps and cross sections, and the development of geological histories based on these. • To provide you with the opportunity to apply those geological skills learned in a classroom setting, including mineral and rock identification, and structural and petrological analysis, in the field. • To enable you to acquire an understanding of the geological evolution of Wrangellia. Grading Exercises: Victoria Exercise 10% Argonaut 40% Mt. Tuam 20% History of Wrangellia 10% Sayward Beach 15% Participation 5% Grade Assignment: A+ 90 – 100% B− 70 − 72% A 85 – 89% C+ 65 − 69% A− 80 – 84% C 60 – 64% B+ 77 – 79% D 50 − 59% B 73 – 76% F < 50% 1 ESFS BRIEF ITINERARY Day(s): Date: Activity: 1 Monday, 19th On-campus tutorial: Meet in SCI B119/121 at 1pm. August 2 Tuesday, 20th VICTORIA EXERCISE: Depart Lot 1 @ 9:00am August Morning of local stops to investigate Victoria Geology, afternoon mapping exercise. 3-4 Wednesday, MT. TUAM EXERCISE: Depart Lot 1 @ 7:45am, both days. 21st - Thursday, Goal – working in pairs you will spend two days mapping the summit area of Mt Tuam 22nd August (Saltspring Island). You will be required to submit a geological (field) map of the area, along with a complete legend, explanatory (marginal) notes describing the geological history of the region, and an appropriately oriented sketch cross section. In particular, you will be asked to note evidence for metamorphism, the relationship between structural elements (e.g., folds and cleavage), the geometry and distribution of igneous rocks and their relationship to deformation of the region. Return to Lot 1 by ~7:00pm each day. 5 Friday, 23rd SAYWARD BEACH EXERCISE: Depart from Lot 1 @ 8:00am. August Goal – working individually, map an outcrop of complexly interrelated rocks in detail and at large-scale. You will be required to submit a geological (field) map of the beach area containing a legend and all the essential cartographic features, as well as a brief geological history. 6 Saturday, 24th Geological stops between Victoria and Strathcona Lodge: Depart Lot 1 @ 8am. August Goal – working individually, record observations made at road-side stops as we drive up- Island. These observations will, in part, assist you in writing your geological history at the end of the program. Please have your Field Guide, notebook, compass, hammer and hand lens handy at each stop (in a daypack not deep in your baggage for Strathcona). You will need a packed lunch and water. 7-11 Sunday, 25th - ARGONAUT EXERCISE: Depart the Lodge @ 8:30am each day. - Thursday, 29th Goal – working in pairs you will produce a complete geological report on the map area. August The report is to include a geological map (both field and compilation) showing the distribution of geological units and annotated with all available structural data; an explanatory legend, a set of marginal notes describing the geological history of the area, and at least one to-scale cross section. In addition, each pair is required to provide nightly reports on their progress, indicate the main questions being addressed by their mapping, and outline a traverse plan for the next day. Structural orientation data are to be collected catalogued and analyzed (stereonet). BUTTLE LAKE EXCURSION: Depart the Lodge @ 8:30am Goal – working individually, record observations made at road-side stops along Buttle lake. These observations will, in part, assist you in writing your geological history. GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF WRANGELLIA: Evening of Thursday August 29th Goal – using all of your observations from the course, as recorded in your field notes, write a detailed geological history of Wrangellia. 12 Friday, 30th RETURN TO VICTORIA: Depart the Lodge @ 8:30am. August 2 Safety in the Field The safety of all Field School participants is of paramount importance. Those with first aid training will be identified at the beginning of the program and instructors/TA’s will carry wilderness first aid kits and monitor GMRS radio channel 21-1 at all times while in the field. A BC Level 1 first aid kit and satellite phone will also be located in the back of one of the vans, the keys to which will always be left in the front passenger wheel- well when parked in the field. In case of an emergency, you will hear three (3) long blasts from an air horn repeated three (3) times at approximately fifteen (15) second intervals. If you hear such a signal, turn on your radio and return to the vans immediately. Radios should otherwise be kept off and should not to be used for non-emergency communications. Should transport to the Campbell River Hospital (see map, below) ever be required, please attempt to contact one of the instructors/TA's first. Approved eye protection must be worn at all times when hammering or using acid and safety vests must be worn where there is potential for interaction with traffic (i.e., on/near roads). As a minimum, traverses are to be done in pairs and you should inform your partner or another student pair if you intend to venture off-road for any reason. Never discard food or food waste of any kind in the field (this includes orange peels & apple cores), as this can attract bears. Cigarette butts are never to be discarded in the field. Finally, always be on the look-out for potential hazards that may influence either your safety or that of one of your colleagues. Campbell River Hospital 375 2nd Avenue (250) 850-2141 3 Equipment In addition to your personal field notebook and hand lens, students will be issued a rock hammer, compass, clipboard, safety vest and acid bottle. One member of each team will also receive (and should keep for the duration of the course) a handheld GPS, pencil magnet and FRS radio. You are responsible for returning all of the equipment originally issued to you. While you will be working in pairs on both the Mt. Tuam and Argonaut exercises, individual notes should be taken on all other days. These notes will assist you in completing the Geological History of Wrangellia exercise on the final day. Compass Measurements Geological mapping involves collecting and interpreting structural data using a compass. If you are not proficient at taking attitudes with a compass, please familiarize yourself with the techniques described on the following pages. Suunto MC-2 Magnetic Declination All measurements shown on geologic maps are shown relative to true north. The compass needle, however, always aligns itself relative to magnetic north and thus an adjustment must be made to compensate for local declination or the angle between magnetic and true north. Declination at any given location changes constantly, as the position of the magnetic north pole changes (Figure 1). Currently, at the summit of Mt. Tuam, it is just shy of 17o E, while at the Argonaut , it is 17 o35’ E (both decreasing 11-12’/year). Note: 1 degree = 60' (minutes) = 3600" (seconds). All compasses can be adjusted for declination by turning, using the attached tool, the screw located on either the front or back bezel. (Note: declinations west of Ontario are east of north.) This should be among the first steps you take before starting fieldwork any area. 4 Figure 1 – Magnetic north pole locations N. American Magnetic Declinations (2010) 2001-2050 Navigation and Location However good your field observations are, they are next to useless if you don’t know where you are when you are making them. Your compass can be used to locate yourself in different ways when you are mapping. Perhaps the most common way is the technique of triangulation, described below. Triangulation Methods • Choose prominent landmarks (e.g., mountain peaks, radar towers, etc.) that can be both observed from your position and located on your map. Landmarks that are approximately 90o apart will provide the best accuracy. • Measure the bearing to the first landmark. Be sure to hold the compass at arm's length, sight using the notch in the compass top and use the mirror to view the bezel. • Without adjusting the bezel, place the compass on your map so that the parallel red lines under the needle are aligned with map (UTM) north and one side of the base-plate intersects the landmark. • Draw a line on the map along the edge of the base plate through the landmark. Your position is somewhere along this line.