Laboratory Manual for Introductory Geology 4e

GEOTOURS EXERCISE 4
Deciphering Landform Clues to the Rock Cycle
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Exploring Geology Using Google Earth
1. Visit digital.wwnorton.com/geolabmanual4
2. Go to the Geotours tile to download Google Earth Pro and the accompanying
Geotours exercises file.
The rock cycle provides an important
framework that depicts relationships
between various geologic processes
and the resulting products. That is,
observing a geologic process allows
you to predict the product. Conversely,
given a specific product, you
can often infer the formative geologic
process.
Expand the Geotour04 folder in
Google Earth by clicking the triangle
to the left of the folder icon. Inside
the folder are three placemarks that
will direct you to locations where
distinct geologic processes are operative.
Use this information to identify
the operative geologic process (i.e.,
melting/crystallization, heat/pressure/
burial, or weathering/erosion/deposition/lithification)
and to predict the
geologic product (i.e., rock class).
(a) Check and double-click the Argentina placemark to fly to South America to a landscape dotted with numerous
cone-shaped features. Focus on the dark black rock, and use landscape details to infer the process of how it
formed and to interpret the rock class to which it belongs.
process
rock class
(b) Check and double-click the Canada placemark to fly to northern Quebec. Here, the lakes serve to highlight two
distinct trends of folded rock layers (~N-S and ~SW-NE). These rocks are part of the Precambrian Canadian Shield
that forms the core of the North American craton. Given the “texture” of the landscape, interpret the process(es)
that were likely operative to form these foliations. To what rock class do these rocks likely belong?
process
rock class
(c) Check and double-click the Peru placemark to fly to the Atacama Desert. Here, a large landform appears to have
diverted the stream flowing through this region. Interpret the operative geologic processes and the likely rock class
for rocks that make up this landform.
process
rock class
110 CHAPTER 4 MINERALS, ROCKS, AND THE ROCK CYCLE