GEOL& 115
Geology
of the
National Parks
(= ESS 305 at
UW)
Outline of Class
• Plate Tectonics and Other Geologic Processes
• Geologic Materials (minerals, rocks)
• Geologic History of North America
• Passive Margins
– caves, intercontinental seas, beaches and dunes, marine
depositional systems, eroding mountain belts
• Convergent Margins
– mountain building, accreted terranes, alpine glaciation,
volcanoes
• Divergent Boundaries
– continental rifts, Basin and Range
• Transform Boundaries
• Hot Spots
Field Trip
• You are required to attend on 14 May (Saturday)
–
location TBA
• Transportation (vans) will be provided
– You will receive a handout for the trip.
• At each stop, sketch and describe the outcrop/landscape.
• Based on your observations, suggest interpretations.
– You will provide a short write-up for each field trip.
– Trips run from 9:00 am to an estimated 6:00 pm.
Course Objective
Appreciate the interactions
of geology and geography in
defining these unique
features in the US.
NATIONAL PARKLANDS
MISSION OF THE
NATIONAL PARK
SERVICE
1. To preserve features
of natural or cultural
significance.
2. To make those same
features accessible to
the public.
This year marks the 100th
anniversary of the National
Park Service
North Cascades National Park,
Washington
Many national parks, monuments, and seashores
were set aside to preserve outstanding examples of
geological features and processes
• Arising from within Earth:
– Earthquakes
– Volcanic activity
– Formation of mountain ranges
• On Earth’s surface:
– Actions of wind, water, and ice
• Erosion
• Deposition
• Exposure of older rocks
Denali National Park, Alaska
Parks and Plates
©2005 Robert J. Lillie
BUILDING
THE NORTH
AMERICAN
CONTINENT
Marshak, EARTH
(Norton, 2005)
Course Format
Parks and Plates
©2005 Robert J. Lillie
BUILDING
THE NORTH
AMERICAN
CONTINENT
Course Format
• Craton
– Nucleus of the
continent
Marshak, EARTH
(Norton, 2005)
– Continent grows
through accretion
onto the craton
over time
Parks and Plates
©2005 Robert J. Lillie
BUILDING
THE NORTH
AMERICAN
CONTINENT
Course Format
• Continental
Shield
Marshak, EARTH
(Norton, 2005)
– Exposures of very
old igneous and
metamorphic
rocks
Parks and Plates
©2005 Robert J. Lillie
Voyageurs National Park, MN
BUILDING
THE NORTH
AMERICAN
CONTINENT
Course Format
• Continental
Platform
Marshak, EARTH
(Norton, 2005)
– Sedimentary
deposits from
shallow seas
lapping against
the shoreline of
the craton
Parks and Plates
©2005 Robert J. Lillie
BUILDING
THE NORTH
AMERICAN
CONTINENT
Marshak, EARTH
(Norton, 2005)
Course Format
Parks and Plates
©2005 Robert J. Lillie
Mammoth Caves National Park, KY
BUILDING
THE NORTH
AMERICAN
CONTINENT
Marshak, EARTH
(Norton, 2005)
Course Format
Parks and Plates
©2005 Robert J. Lillie
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
BUILDING
THE NORTH
AMERICAN
CONTINENT
Course Format
• Colorado
Plateau
Marshak, EARTH
(Norton, 2005)
– Uplifted part of the
continental
platform
Parks and Plates
©2005 Robert J. Lillie
Grand Canyon
Stratigraphy
Grand Canyon
Stratigraphy
Bryce Canyon, UT
Zion, UT
Arches National Park, UT
BUILDING
THE NORTH
AMERICAN
CONTINENT
Course Format
• Foreland
Structures
Marshak, EARTH
(Norton, 2005)
– Convergent
boundary
compression
along the edge
of the craton
Parks and Plates
©2005 Robert J. Lillie
Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Glacier National Park, MT
BUILDING
THE NORTH
AMERICAN
CONTINENT
Course Format
– Young mountain
ranges that
surround the
craton
Marshak, EARTH
(Norton, 2005)
• Phanerozoic
Orogenic Belts
Parks and Plates
©2005 Robert J. Lillie
Great Smokey Mountains National Park, TN
BUILDING
THE NORTH
AMERICAN
CONTINENT
Course Format
– Young mountain
ranges that
surround the
craton
Marshak, EARTH
(Norton, 2005)
• Phanerozoic
Orogenic Belts
Parks and Plates
©2005 Robert J. Lillie
North Cascades National Park, WA
Olympic National Park, WA
Mount Rainier National Park, WA
Mt St Helens National Volcanic
Monument, WA
AGE OF NORTH
AMERICAN
BASEMENT
ROCKS
(Billions Years)
Marshak, EARTH
(Norton, 2005)
Rocks are oldest
near the center of
the continent
(continental shield)
and tend to get
younger outward.
Parks and Plates
©2005 Robert J. Lillie