An LSU Museum of Natural Science presentation to accompany the activity

Louisiana Rocks and Louisiana Rocks and MineralsMinerals

Objective: Students will gain an understanding of where minerals come from and the environmental impact of mining.

Materials

For teacher: Stop watch, scale, bucket of pennies

For student: 4 chocolate cookies, toothpicks, pencil, data recording sheet, small weigh boat

Mining for MMM…MineralsMining for MMM…Minerals

Investigating the layer- cake earth

What is stratigraphy?

Study of sediment layers and the relationship between rocks and fossils with time.

Rules of StratigraphyRules of Stratigraphy

• Steno’s Principle of SuperpositionLower layers are older than higher layers

• Original HorizontalityLayers are deposited in (near-) horizontal manner

• Principle of Lateral continuityLayers extend laterally in all direction

• Cross-Cutting RelationshipsLayers intruded by other rocks are older than

theintruding rocks

Unconformities-represents a gap in deposition – lost time!

• Nonconformity• Angular• Disconformity

Sediment layers are LostSediment layers are Lost…..…..

http://epod.usra.edu/archive/images/uncoformitysm.jpg

……..And Moved..And Moved

Faults - Surfaces where rocks have fractured and been displaced (move relative to one another).

Rules apply across Space and Time!Rules apply across Space and Time!

Given the diagram, list the order (oldest to youngest) in which the following events happened:

A. Faulting B. Tilting E. IntrusionC. Erosion D. Deposition

Classroom assessment activity

Deposition 1Deposition 1

Tilting

Tilt

ing

Deposition 2 Deposition 2

IntrusionErosion

Faulting

1. Deposition 1 2. Tilting 3. Erosion4. Deposition 2 5. Intrusion 6. Faulting

Illustration of example cake set-up. Note different cake layers (different colors) and

fault.