In the Mind of a Stratigrapher
Exploring the Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation, Montana

This page was written by Jen Aschoff as part of the DLESE Community Services Project: Integrating Research in Education.

Part 2: Generating and Testing Hypotheses

Hell Creek Formation, Eastern Montana. Details

1. What is a hypothesis?

Helpful Resources:

• Frodeman, 1995
• Chamberlin, 1897
• The Scientific Method (more info)
• Center for Problem-Based Learning (more info)
• Processes and Concepts of Geology (more info)
• The Decline of Reason? (more info)

2. List the data (i.e. observations you made) and possible interpretations.

• Compile a short list of characteristics for each unique-looking layer of rock.
• Write possible depositional environment interpretations for each unique-looking layer of rock, or lithofacies.

Helpful Resources:

• Boggs (2000)
• Geology Online Laboratory Manual

3. Re-write this list of "possible depositional environments" as a list of hypotheses.

Helpful Resources:

• USC Sequence Stratigraphy Web (more info)
• Geology Online Laboratory Manual
• Dryland Rivers Research (more info)
• Boggs (2000)

4. How could you discern between possible depositional environments?

Helpful Resources:

• Sedimentology and Geomorphology (more info)
• USC Sequence Stratigraphy Web (more info)
• Geology Online Laboratory Manual
• Dryland Rivers Research (more info)

5. Are there additional data (observations) that could have helped discern the depositional environments recorded by these strata? What are these data, and how could you acquire them?

6. List final depositional environment interpretations for each lithofacies. For units that require further inspection, generate some new hypotheses and methods for testing each hypothesis.

Finished with Part 2?
Proceed to Part 3: Making Connections