Activity: Deformation

Note: This is a long activity that is worth twice as much as a typical activity. Please take advantage of my online
sessions! You will be working with several geologic maps as PDF files. These files are large, and you will need to be able
to move around and look at them at different scales. You will NOT be able to complete this activity on a smartphone—
the screen is just too small. Make arrangements to use a library computer if you don’t have a computer or laptop at
home.

Folds
A detail from the McCoysville Quadrangle, PA geologic map is shown below:

Assuming that the layers here are not overturned, what structure runs through
the Tuscarora Mountain? (HINT: look at the strike and dip symbols). (3 pts)
If this structure is plunging, give the plunge of the plunge. Use directions such
as N, S, NE, SW, etc. (3 pts)
Using a dark pen, draw the axis of the fold on the map, with an arrow indicating the direction of plunge (3 pts).

Locate at least one other fold on the map and draw its axis on the map too. (3 pts)

Note need to scan this image and upload it to the HW Submission Quiz.
There are several geologic units labeled here, including the ones with labels on the map: Sb, Sk, Sm, Srh, and St.
Place them in order from oldest to youngest. (5 pts)

Oldest Youngest

The geologic unit marked with the red X is not labeled, but you should be able to infer its age relative to the others. Is
it younger or older than any of the units you listed above? (3 pts)
A detail from the McVeytown, PA geologic map is shown below, along with part of the key:

What strucure can you identify on this map? (3 pts)

Place strike-dip symbols in the two red circles. (6 pts)

Draw a cross-section through the line A-A’ (6 pts). You will need to scan this image and upload it to the
Submission Quiz.
Geologic Map of the Denver Area
Examine the geologic map of the Denver area below:

a. What kind of structure is seen here?

(3 pts)

b. Place strike & dip symbols in the four

circles. (12 pts)
c. Sketch a very generalized cross-section
across A-A’ and B-B’ below: (8 pts)

A___________________________________A’

B___________________________________B’

Again, you will need to scan this image and upload it to the Submission Quiz.
Block Diagrams of Folds
Print out this page and then fill in the open faces on both block diagrams. Each face is worth 4 pts—so 8 pts for the
first block diagram, and 4 for the second.

a. What kind of fold(s) are seen here?

(2 pts)

Fill in the blank side in this block diagram (4 pts)

a. What kind of fold(s) are seen here?

(3 pts)

b. Put an X on the oldest rock seen on the

surface.
(3 pts)
On the cross-section below, place an “A” above any anticline(s) you can identify and “S” above any syncline(s) you can
identify. I’ve also shown some details, though you should be able to zoom in to see the letters. You will need to scan this
image and upload it to the Submission Quiz. (6 pts)

Then determine the dip direction and dip angle (in degrees) at locations A, B, and C.
(2 pts each dip and each dip angle, 12 pts total)

Location Dip direction Dip angle

A

What is the symbol for the oldest rock unit you

can see on this cross-section? (2 pts)
What about the youngest rock unit you can
see? (2 pts)
McVeytown Quadrangle, PA Geologic Map
A section of the cross-section from the McVeytown geologic map is shown below: Notice that it starts at point “A”.

The section of the map where this cross-section is drawn is shown below:

Make sure you can identify where the cross-section was drawn and the axes of the folds, and then draw in strike & dip
symbols in the circled areas. Make sure you pay attention to the dips! You will be graded on how well you estimate
the dip angles from the cross-section. (4 pts each = 20 pts total)
When done you will need to scan this figure and upload it to the Submission Quiz.
Eroded Terrain
The northwest corner of the Boxley, AR Geologic map is shown below. You should also examine the full map.

The pattern of contacts here is distinctive, and you will need to learn to recognize what it means. First, notice that the
geologic map is overlain over the topographic map—if you look carefully you can see the topographic contour lines.
NOTE: Ignore the blue lines! The topographic contour lines are faint brown lines, and if you look very carefully you can
even see the elevation written on the index contours.

Study the relationship between the elevation contour lines on the

topographic map and the geologic contacts on the geologic map. Are the
contacts generally parallel to the contours or at an angle to them? (3 pts)

Given that the contour lines are lines of equal elevation, what does this
imply about the orientation of the contacts? You can confirm your prediction
by looking at the cross-section of the map! (3 pts)

In this area, where would you go to look for the oldest rocks? (3 pts)
Where would you go to look for the youngest rocks? (3 pts)

Which of Steno’s Laws are illustrated on this map? (3 pts)

This is really important; make sure you learn it!

Faults

The photos below show a cross-section of the Earth where a fault is exposed. Place an H on the hanging wall, F on the
foot wall, identify the kind of fault, describe the kind of forces that cause the fault, and offer one specific plate tectonic
environment where you might expect to see such a fault. When you’re done, make an image of all three figures with
their hanging/foot walls labeled, which you’ll upload into the Canvas Quiz. (2 pts each kind, stress, 1 pt each for
environment = 15 pts total). You will need to scan this page and upload it to the Submission Quiz.

Cross-section Kind Stresses Environment

The photos below show a map-view (Bird’s eye view) of the Earth where a strike-slip fault is exposed. Identify the
fault as either right-lateral or left-lateral. (2 pts each = 6 pts total)

Map-view Kind

What kinds of stresses form these faults? (2 pts)

Give one specific location on Earth where you might expect to

see such a fault. (2 pts)
Balkan, Kentucky Quadrangle Geologic Map
You will have to examine the pdf file of this map to answer these questions.

What is the oldest rock formation in this quadrangle? (3 pts)

In what geologic period was this rock deposited? (3 pts)
What is the numerical age (in millions of years) of this time?
(HINT: use your geologic time scale) (3 pts)
Notice the zone with many faults that cuts SW-NE through the map, dividing the region into rocks to the SE and rocks
to the NW (shown in red below in the figure below). Make sure you can locate this fault zone in the cross-section.

What side of this fault (N or S) is the hanging wall? (3 pts)

In what direction has the rock moved during movement on this fault? (HINT: look at the cross-section)
(3 pts)
What kind of fault is this? (3 pts)

What is the orientation of the rocks in the northwest corner of the map? (3 pts)
What is the orientation of the rocks in the southeast corner of the map? (3 pts)
Arco, ID, 30 x 60 Geologic Map
This question requires you to study the Arco, ID geologic map which is provided as a (large) pdf file. A low-quality
reproduction is shown below, but this will not provide sufficient detail to answer the questions.

The image above shows a portion of the map; to locate yourself, notice the A-A’ transect line (which I’ve highlighted in
red on the map above, but which appears as a solid black line on the actual map). The area in green has been shaded
in to highlight it; it does not appear green on the actual map! Before answering the following questions, make sure
you can locate this detail on both the geologic map and the A-A’ cross-section.
The Big Lost River is located in a valley, which is formed by
faulting. What kind of structure is this valley? The best way to
answer this question is to look at the cross-section. (4 pts)
The area shaded in green rises above the valley, and is also formed
by faulting. What kind of structure is this? Again, the best way to
answer this question is to look at the cross-section. (4 pts)
The area highlighted in green is strongly folded, with both
synclines and anticlines present. Do you this folding happened
before or after the faulting? What is your evidence? (HINT:
think about the rule of cross-cutting relationships). (5 pts)
Summary: Geology across Wyoming
The US state of Wyoming has a complicated geologic history, revealed by this geologic cross-section:

And here’s a detailed cross-section from near the “A”, on the western edge of the state:

Use these cross-sections to answer the following questions:

The Wind River Range was formed by faulting. What kind of tectonics caused the
uplift of the Wind River Range—extensional or compressional? (2 pts)

Hydrocarbons are created when sedimentary rocks that contain organic matter
are deeply buried. Where might you expect hydrocarbons to occur in
Wyoming? Name three places. (6 pts)
Look at the detailed cross-section. What kind of fault is B? (2 pts)
What kind of fault is the Rock Creek fault? (2 pts)

What kind of stresses produced Fault B and the Rock Creek fault? (2 pts)
Use the rule of cross-cutting relations to determine which came first—the
Tump thrust or the Rock Creek fault. (2 pts)
Based on your answer above, what was the
sequence of stresses that affected this area?
(3 pts)

What is the surface A called? How did it form?

(3 pts)

You should now be able to put three events in

order: (a) the stresses that formed the Rock Creek
fault; (b) the stresses that formed the Tump thrust
fault; and (c) the events that formed the surface
marked by A. Organize these into a little geologic
story that summarizes the tectonic evolution of this
area. (6 pts)