UC Santa Cruz Summer Field Camp

Assignment Criteria

Poleta Field book

Field notes should be thorough, clear and easy to read, and well documented. Pages should be titled, dated and numbered diagrams should be clear and well-located, with scales and directional arrows. Use colored pencils (keyed to map units) in sketches. A table of contents in the front is an excellent idea. All accouterment (plastic time scales, stratigraphic information, etc...) should be relegated to the back of your field book. You should be able to use data from your field notebook to at least partially recreate your field map in the event that your original map blows into Deep Springs Lake and is replaced by thenardite, or gets eaten by a Gula luscus (White Mountain wolverine), or falls victim to some other unforseen disaster.

 

Poleta Stratigraphic Column (Refer to 109 reader, instructors for additional guidance)

Format - 15 pts.

Format should be similar to standard strat column format as outlined in your 109 Readers. Neatness of line work, writing and coloring count. Accurate information in minor columns counts.

Contacts - 10 pts.

Each contact must be described. Sharp, gradational, interfingering, etc... If gradational or interfingering describe over what distance. Is the contact conformable or unconformable?

Thickness - 10 pts.

Thickness of each unit must be shown in meters and should be within 5% of that determined by instructors.

Description - 30 pts.

Concise description is required for your strat column. Work from the general to the specific. Descriptions should be generalized (you won’t have room for many details!). Mention color, grain size, sorting, matrix or cement composition, structures, bedding, fossils, etc...

Graphic column - 30 pts.

Reasonable weathering profile and lithologic/paleontologic symbols. Show contacts using appropriate symbols.

Correlations - 5 pts.

Indicate correlations between columns using inked lines. Indicate degree of uncertainty for each correlation.

 

Poleta Geologic Report

Each section will be graded on the basis of content (including accuracy, completeness, creativity, geological sophistication and insight), organization, clarity, citation accuracy/completeness, clarity, writing quality (grammar, syntax, spelling) and adherence to format. The most important sections of the report are the ‘Rock Descriptions and Interpretations’ and ‘Structure’ sections.

Title Page, Table of Contents, List of Illustrations (see 109 reader)

Introduction (10 pts.) 0.5 to 1 page long

Should state the purpose, scope, timing of the report and the geographic location of the field area. Mention of age/type of rocks in the study area is crucial, as is reference to Figure 1. Additional information that may be included: previous work, most important features/problems in field area, field procedures, acknowledgements, physical features, etc...

 

Rock and Facies Descriptions (100 points) 4 to 5 pages long

This must include concise sedimentologic/stratigraphic/paleontologic descriptions of each unit in the measured stratigraphic and interpretation of

depositional environments (based on said descriptions). Descriptions should be more complete than in the stratigraphic column. Descriptions and interpretations must be clearly delineated and description must always precede interpretations. Interpretations should be based on both your knowledge of sedimentary processes and the work of others (the latter must be cited).

Introduction and Conclusion - 10 pts. each

Descriptions - 30 pts.

Interpretations - 30 pts.

References - 10 pts.

Organization, grammar, spelling - 20 pts.

 

Structure (100 points) 4 to 5 pages long

Introduction (general comments on types of structures and units affected) - 10 pts.

Folding (types, locations, orientations, number of episodes, cleavages, relative ages, beta diagrams +, etc...) - 40 pts.

Faulting (types, locations, orientations, offset, relative ages, slip, number of episodes, etc...) - 30 pts.

Intrusions & metamorphism/diagenesis (composition, location and timing (from literature) of intrusions evidence of metamorphism/diagenesis from the field, supported by literature citations) - 10 pts.

Conclusions (Summarize main type of strucutures, # of episodes of deformation, which folding/faulting related) - 10 pts.

 

Geologic History (50 points) 2 to 3 pages long

Herein your observations and interpretations from the field area come together. In chronological order (from oldest to youngest) discuss what happened and when. Be sure to cite references to support your own observations and interpretations. The first event in your history should be deposition of sediments on the western North America passive margin in the Early Cambrian.

References Cited (10 points) 1 page

Choose a format from one of the papers in the Reader and stick to it.

 

Poleta Map (350 points) see general Poleta exercise handout for more details

Format, neatness, coloring, lettering, general legibility and appearance - 50 pts.

Stratigraphic contacts- 50 pts..

Structure contacts - 50 pts..

Structure interpretations - 50 pts.

Attitudes, field stations, other structural data (fold axes, cleavages, fault motion) - 50 pts.

Overall logic - 50 pts.

Accuracy of mapping in complex regions - 50 pts.

***Coverage/completeness potentially +/- 25 points

 

Poleta Cross sections (50 points each)

Topographic profile/scale - 10 pts.

Format and neatness - 10 pts.

Bed thickness (accurate and consistent) - 10 pts.

Contacts/structures consistent with map - 10 pts.

Accurate structures (surface and at depth) - 10 pts.