The timing and processes of development of the high topography and high relief of the southern Rocky Mountains of Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico has been controversial for over a hundred years. This study applies several different methodologies towards understanding the timing and relative importance of the events that uplifted and shaped the…

The most common igneous minerals and their diagnostic properties, which the author considers the most significant and pragmatic aspect of igneous geology for physical geography students, are discussed. The nature of igneous geology is also examined. (RM)

Discusses: (1) the beginning of glaciology; (2) origin of erratic boulders, meteorites, volcanic explosions, floods, and drift; (3) ice age hypothesis in Europe and the United States; (4) development of glacial theory; (5) and a unified explanation of glacial events. A bibliography of classical research on glaciology is included. (BC)

The purpose of this article is to provide college level physical geography and geology teachers with practical and simple techniques to help students classify and understand igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Essential equipment is also discussed, and recommended readings are listed. (RM)

Discussed is the earth's gravity and its geological significance. Variations of gravity around the earth can be produced by a great variety of possible distributions of density within the earth. Topics discussed include isostasy, local structures, geological exploration, change of gravity in time, and gravity on the moon and planets. (DS)

Offers explanations on the origin of the North American Atlantic continental margin. Provides an analysis and illustrations of structural and strategraphic elements of cross sections of the Atlantic continental margin. Also explains the operations and applications of seismic-relection profiles in studying ocean areas. (ML)

Provides samples of photographs from the book "The Making of a Continent." Photographs, representing a geological feature on the earth's surface, are accompanied by diagrams illustrating how the features were formed. (JN)

Provides background material and laboratory procedures for an activity which requires students to compare (in quantitative terms) fossils from 10 localities and to objectively define provinces, regions, and realms. These paleobiogeographic relationships are then used to reconstruct the drift histories of the three continents on which the 10…

Summarized in chart form are data regarding published geologic maps for the 50 states and Puerto Rico. Information provided by state geologists includes scale, availability, and ordering instructions for both bedrock and surficial maps. (CS)

Discussed are beach replenishment, and hard structures in relation to the sand transportation system. Failures of current engineering practices and the resulting costs to the taxpayer are stressed. Equations and parameters used to make predictions of beach durability are criticized. (CW)

Intended as a supplement to undergraduate college geography courses, this resource paper describes the science of geomorphology, the study of landforms. The general aim of this paper is to review the developments which have made geomorphology what it is today, to indicate its present character and status, to demonstrate its increasingly close…

The national parks of the United States are widely known for their unique physical environments. Described are 10 sets of slides that will acquaint students with the parks' landforms and geologic processes. (RM)

Continental geology and tectonics are explored through this study of modern beach sands of South America. This report assesses how well petrographic studies of sandstones can recreate continental geography. Data on the petrography of 218 modern South American beach sands are presented and analyzed. The five major mineral associations of light…

Describes a study on the performance of Internet notes and PowerPoint lecture slides in a physical geology course and compares it with the traditional lecturing method. (Contains 12 references.) (YDS)

Describes the use of a scale analog model of an actual fractured rock reservoir to replace paper copies of fracture maps in the structural geology curriculum. Discusses the merits of the model in enabling students to gain experience performing standard structural analyses. (DDR)