Final Formation Report

Final Formation Report (50 pts)

You will be assigned a geological formation that represents a significant part of the geology of Minnesota. You will be expected to turn in a written report as well as give an oral presentation in class (see due dates below). For your formation, you should research the following information:

Age: be as specific as possible

Geologic Terrane: What geological terrane, province, or subprovince does your formation belong to.

Geographic Distribution: Over what geographic area does your formation occur (be aware that some formations may project to areas outside of Minnesota)

Major Rock Types: List the major rock types that comprise your formation (some may contain just one, others might be composed of several types of rock).

Common Minerals:Name the most common and characteristic minerals that compose the rocks in your formation.

Practical Uses: List any natural resources that your formation may supply.

Other Interesting Features: List any particularly interesting or noteworthy features of your formation (e.g., fossils, volcanic structures, deformational features) that you learned about in your research.

Story: What role does your formation play in the geologic story of Minnesota? More than just describing the origin of the rocks types, you should describe what major geologic events were taking place at the time your formation was created and what part your formation played in that event.

Illustrations: You should use as many figures as you think will help to illustrate the features and story of your formation. Remember, a picture can be worth a thousand words. Be sure to label or give a figure caption to each figure which explains what it illustrates.

References: List the sources of information and illustrations you used in your research.

Potential Sources of Information

Google – Simply web-searching your formation name can get you various types of information, some useful, some not. You may want to modify your search if you are looking for specific information. For example, if looking for

Geologic Maps – Geological maps of the state at various scales can provide you with lots of useful information. We will supply a variety of maps in the classroom, but you may need to access some maps from the library. Check out the MGS website to see what maps are available either in paper copy or as downloadable pdfs,

In-class Powerpoint lectures - may provide some helpful information about terranes and the geologic story.

Minnesota at a Glance publications - may also provide some useful information

Ask a Geologist – If you find yourself stuck on a particular aspect of your research, you might want to ask an expert. Here are the names of some geologists from the Minnesota Geological Survey, the Natural Resources Research Institute, and the Geology department at UMD who can help with particular types of Minnesota geology. Please approach these people as a last, not a first resort. Address specific questions on which you are stumped and for which they might be able to give you a quick answer or lead you to some other helpful information.

Archean Geology – Mark Jirsa (MGS)

Dean Peterson (NRRI)

Paleoproterozoic Geology - Mark Jirsa (MGS)

Terry Boerboom (MGS)

Mark Severson (NRRI)

Mesoproterozoic Geology - Terry Boerboom (MGS)

Mark Severson (NRRI)

John Green (UMD)

Paleozoic Geology - Tony Runkel (MGS)

John Mossler (MGS)

Cretaceous Geology - Dale Setterholm (MGS)

John Heine (NRRI)

Quaternary GeologyCarrie Jennings (MGS)

Al Knaeble (MGS)

Howard Mooers (UMD)

Due Dates for the Oral and Paper Reports.We have set aside the last two weeks of class for giving the oral presentations. To build the story, we will go in chronological order. The oral report order will be:

Tues, April 24 – Formations 1-5

Thursday, April 26 – Formations 6-10 (will prep for field trip for part of class)

Tuesday, May 1 – Formations 11-15

Thursday, May 3 – Formations 15-20

Oral Report Content: You will be expected to give about a 10 minute powerpoint presentation that covers the main points of your research. If you want to give a powerpoint. IfYour oral presentation

Final paper copies of your reports are due by noon on Wednesday, May 11 (scheduled final exam time). I will be gone to a conference during finals week, so drop the reports off with the department secretary (Cathy Dzuik) in Rm 230 Heller Hall.

General References:

Report: Minnesota’s Geology (Ojakangas & Matsch, 1982, University of MN Press)

Map: Geologic Map of MN S-20 (Morey & Meints, 2000)

Geologic Map of MN, Quaternary (Hobbs & Goebel, 1982)

Detailed Reference (italics are publications downloadable as pdf’s from the MGS website ( other pubs will be on file in the classroom)

MapReport

Morton gneissM121ILSG Gdbk 44, Trip 5
Ely greenstoneM141MGS Gdbk 21, Trip 2, 9
Soudan iron-formationM141MGS Gdbk 21, Trip 2, 9
LakeVermilion formationM141MGS Gdbk 21, Trip 2, 9
Giant’s Range graniteM163see Ojakangas & Matsch
Biwabik iron-formationM163MGS Gdbk 21, Trip 11
Thomson/Virginia formationM163MGS Gdbk 21, Trip 11
Little Falls formationMGS Report of Investigation 37 (1988)
St. Cloud Red graniteC-10, plate 2MGS Gdbk 21, Trip 4
Sioux quartziteM121see Ojakangas & Matsch
PartridgeRiver intrusionM119MGS Report of Inv. 58
Beaver River diabaseM119MGS Report of Inv. 58
Palisade Head rhyoliteM119MGS Report of Inv. 58
Terrace Point basaltM119MGS Report of Inv. 58
Hinckley sandstoneC-13, plate2MGS Report of Inv. 60
FranconiaformationM104MGS Gdbk 15, Trip2