Dalhousie University Advanced Field School 2017 SUMMARY REPORT

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1 Dalhousie University Advanced Field School 2017 SUMMARY REPORT Submitted to: Offshore Energy Research Association of Nova Scotia (OERA) to fulfill the requirements of the Student Research Travel Program Submitted by: Hunter Smith Department of Earth Sciences Dalhousie University June 26, 2017

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction... [ 2 ] Trip Details & Background Information... [ 2 ] Benefits of Travel... [ 4 ] Outcomes of Travel... [ 4 ] Significance to Nova Scotia... [ 5 ] Acknowledgements... [ 5 ] 1

3 INTRODUCTION Every year, the Dalhousie Earth Sciences department hosts an advanced field school in California and Nevada for fourth year students looking to develop their skills and knowledge of field geology. This year the field school ran from April 30 th to the 28 th of May and included major projects in the Valley of Fire in Nevada, and Death Valley, Big Pine, and Poleta in California. The program was set up to simulate a geologic camp, with students living and working outdoors, with a schedule of chores including cooking duty and general camp maintenance. In addition to this, field trips were undertaken to familiarize students with the local geology of each project area as well as introduce new geological concepts and cement learned processes with real world examples of geological phenomena. The projects were each designed to teach students about fundamentals of field geology, such as mapping, creating measured sections and cross sections from field data, and recognizing key mineral assemblages in various geological settings. Many of these projects contained aspects that could only be completed in the South Western United States and allowed us to experience a geologic setting that was very different from Nova Scotia s geology. Overall, I believe the experience made us better geologists who can one day put what we learned into practice back in Nova Scotia. TRIP DETAILS & BACKGROUND INFORMATION Dalhousie University s Advanced Field School is a four week long program designed to train geology students in field methods such as mapping, the creation of cross sections and measured sections, and the identification of mineral assemblages in the field. Each project began with a few trips to familiarize ourselves with the concepts we would be exploring and to teach us the regional geology. The first project took place in the Rainbow Gardens, Nevada, and consisted of the creation of a measured section of the Horse Springs Formation. Students were broken into pairs and asked to measure 100m of stratigraphy while noting sedimentary structures and rock types to help determine the paleo-environmental setting. After moving camp to Death Valley, California, we began our second project in Monarch Canyon. Through this project we produced a geologic map of the canyon and a cross section. This project also involved the identification of mineral assemblages to assist in determining the pressure-temperature history of the region, and the identification of paleo-stress indicators to help determine the cause of deformation. Our third and fourth projects took us to Big Pine, California. In the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, our third assignment consisted of outcrop mapping a skarn rich area. We had to identify various minerals of skarn zones, and identify both the exoskarn and endoskarn. Finally, we began to work on our fourth project in Poleta. Here, we were introduced to the stratigraphy by first creating a measured section of the units we would encounter, then we were tasked with mapping a 3km by 4km area over the course of a week. This section was especially challenging due to several generations of folding and faulting distorting and rearranging the stratigraphic units. A summary of our trip can be seen below in figure 1. 2

4 Figure 1. Dalhousie ERTH 4002 course schedule as outlined by Mike Young in the Field Guide for Southern Nevada and Eastern California. 3

5 BENEFITS OF TRAVEL Most geologists are not lucky enough to study the rocks in their home town. As such, travel is an essential part of the occupation. By engaging in field work in new and significantly different settings than where they were educated, geologists can become more adaptable. This allows them to be confident when starting a project in a new locality, and also teaches them that similar geological techniques can be applied anywhere. This field school in particular was beneficial as California and Nevada are home to textbook grade examples of stress strain indicators and fault systems. This allowed us to test our knowledge on these subjects as well as gain hands on experience in their identification. California is also home to geologic processes that are absent in Nova Scotia, such as skarn development, and modern playa lake sequences. The deserts of the South Western United States were also the ideal location for a field school due to the sparse vegetation and easy access to outcrop on a scale that would be impossible in Eastern Canada. OUTCOMES OF TRAVEL Dalhousie s Advanced Field School allowed me to develop many essential geologic skills. Many classes at Dalhousie focus on mineral and rock identification through the use of a microscope, but lack the ability to show us these minerals in situ. Advanced field school covered this knowledge gap and taught me how to use mineral assemblages to predict pressure and temperature histories of a rock. I also learned the day to day of camp life and all of the planning and logistics required of such an endeavor, which will help prepare me for working as a field geologist in the future. Finally, field school taught me how to make accurate geological maps in the field. This included finding myself on a topographic map, identifying rock types quickly and accurately, and producing both measured sections and cross sections based on measurements made in the field. Overall, field school allowed me to practice these skills over the course of a month and become confident that I can apply these skills to a career in geology. 4

6 SIGNIFICANCE TO NOVA SCOTIA The benefit of Dalhousie University s advanced field school to Nova Scotia is twofold. First, this field school is training aspiring geologists. This was first opportunity for many students to get hands on experience with tectonics and mineral deposit systems. This opportunity instilled a love for these fields in many of us and will start us toward a career in those industries. Many Dalhousie students are Nova Scotian or have grown to love the province through their time at university and would be ecstatic to stay on the East Coast while applying our education to projects within Nova Scotia. This means that given the opportunity, many of Dalhousie s advanced field school participants will stay in the province and work in industry, perhaps even contributing to OERA research. We will be the future of an industry that has always been a vital part of Nova Scotia s economy, whether that takes the form of gold or coal extraction, or offshore energy development. Second, Dalhousie has always been one of the most field intensive geology programs in Canada. Running such an in depth and practical field school promotes Dalhousie as a destination for the best minds in geology. By attracting the brightest minds in the field of geology to Nova Scotia we can ensure the province s continued growth and help push the province to support geological industries and research. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our field school director, Mike Young, and his team of teaching assistants, Carolina Chang, Nick Hosek, and Sean Kelly. Without them the trip would not have gone as smoothly as it did. I would also like to thank all of our contributors, including the Offshore Energy Research Association, who helped fund field school and allowed for us to participate in this life changing experience. 5

DALHOUSIE ADVANCED FIELD SCHOOL SUMMARY REPORT

DALHOUSIE ADVANCED FIELD SCHOOL SUMMARY REPORT Submitted to: Offshore Energy Research Association of Nova Scotia (OERA) to fulfill the requirements of the Student Research Travel Program Submitted by: