Map the Rocks Exercise

Physical Geology Helpful Lab Hints

Mapping the Rocks

The goal of this lab is to draw a map of the area in front of the PE building and identify 10 of the rocks.

You must have at least one igneous, one metamorphic, and one sedimentary.
You must give specific names to the rocks (ie. sandstone, granite, gneiss)
Map should include the PE building (Bldg. G), the sidewalks, the road, the trees, and any other details that will help me know which rock is which.

The map:

Top-down view (map view) is preferred, but landscape-type drawings are OK
Show as much detail as possible
Show all rocks within the map area, even those you do not identify
The map does not have to be to scale, but you should try to maintain relative distances between objects across the map (don't squeeze things in if they don't fit).
sample map of courtyard

The rocks:

First determine if the rock is igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic.
- Look at the rocks in the lab for some distinguishing characteristics
- For example:
  - igneous: dense, crystalline, resistant to weathering
  - sedimentary: gritty feel, may have fossils
  - metamorphic: may be foliated
Next, use the tables in the appropriate lab book chapter to identify the rock name.
Identify each rock by name only (ie. diorite), you do not need to tell me it is igneous, intermediate, and coarse-grained, that is included in the name.
BE sure it is very clear which name is given to which rock.
If you are not able to identify a rock, skip it. You need to identify a total of ten, but there are many more than that present.