Workshop Program

Friday, July 14


5:30 p.m. Informal reception

6:00 p.m. Dinner

7:00 p.m. Welcome and Opening remarks

Panel Discussion: What should students be able to do after taking an undergraduate sedimentary geology course?

Four panelists with different perspectives offered their views, followed with a general discussion. Panelists include Gary Colgan (CH2M HILL), Tim Carr (Kansas Geological Survey), Elana Leithold (North Carolina State University), and J. Frederick Sarg (William M. Cobb & Associates). See the results of this panel discussion.

Saturday, July 15, Day 1


8:15-8:30 Preview of the day

8:30-10:00 Long demonstrations

Read brief descriptions of these sessions

L1 Designing a Sedimentology Course Around Field Projects With Realistic Scenarios (Bosiljka Glumac, Smith College)
See a classroom activity on this topic

L2 Stealing data: Deriving bedform phase diagrams (Tom Hickson, University of St. Thomas)
See a classroom activity on this topic : PowerPoint presentation (PowerPoint 1.2MB Oct20 06)

L3 Analysis of Milankovitch rhythms in ancient lake deposits (Mac) (Linda Hinnov, Johns Hopkins University)

L4 Investigating Bedforms and Bedload Transport in the Field (Peter Lea, Bowdoin College)
See a classroom activity on this topic

L5Estimation in Sedimentary Geology: Getting Students Comfortable with Rough Calculations of Rates and Magnitudes (Chris Paola, University of Minnesota)
See a classroom activity on this topic

10:30-12:00 Short demonstrations A

Read brief descriptions of sessions.

Session A1: Depositional Processes and Environments

Session A2: Geochemisty and Sedimentary Geology

Session A3: Projects and Project-based Learning 1

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:15-2:30 Working groups 1

2:30-3:00 Break

Long demonstration session: L5 Estimation in Sedimentary Geology: Getting Students Comfortable with Rough Calculations of Rates and Magnitudes (Chris Paola, University of Minnesota, NCED)(see abstract from this session)

3:45-4:45 Plenary session: Societal relevance of sedimentary geology: where does our work fit into broader social issues and how do we contribute? How do we excite our students about the relevance of sedimentary geology?

  • View a short video clip from the movie Geoantiquity (NSF Grant ESI-0329669, M. Chan PI), an eleven-minute educational film on geoconservation. Produced by Earth Images Foundation, 2006 (Doug Prose and Diane LaMacchia).

4:45-5:00 Wrap-up of the day

5:30-6:30 Dinner

Poster session

Read abstracts from all posters and links to some posters.

Sunday, July 16, Day 2


8:15-8:30 Preview of the day

Effective Teaching Methods

Exploring different ways to teach key areas of sedimentary geology via short presentations followed by general discussion. Read brief descriptions of sessions.

E1 Sequence stratigraphy

E2 Transport dynamics E3 Petrology and Diagenesis

Short demonstrations B

Read brief descriptions of sessions.

Session B1: Projects and Project-based Learning 2

Session B2: Experiments

  • Formation and Preservation of Raindrop Imprints (Carol Mankiewicz, Beloit College)
    See a classroom activity on this topic
  • Chemical and Physical Weathering Field and Lab Experiment: Development and Testing of Hypotheses (Lisa Greer, Washington and Lee University)
  • Growing Salt: An Independent Course Research Project Investigating Chemical Sediments (Kathy Benison, Central Michigan University)
    See a classroom activity on this topic

Session B3: Quantitative Approaches

12:00-1:00 Lunch

Long demonstrations

(see abstracts from this session)

L1 Designing a Sedimentology Course Around Field Projects With Realistic Scenarios (Bosiljka Glumac, Smith College)
See a classroom activity on this topic

L3 Analysis of Milankovitch rhythms in ancient lake deposits (Windows)(Linda Hinnov, Johns Hopkins University)

L4 Investigating Bedforms and Bedload Transport in the Field (Peter Lea, Bowdoin College)
See a classroom activity on this topic

3:15-4:45 Working groups 2

4:45-5:00 Wrap-up of the day

5:30-6:30 Dinner

7:00-9:00 Course Design Workshop (optional)


Monday, July 17, Day 3


8:00-12:00 Concurrent sessions

  • Field trip (half of participants)
  • Using Physical Models in Sedimentary Geology Courses: Exploring Ideas and Examples from the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics (NCED) (half of participants)

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-5:00 Repeat of morning sessions (groups switch)

5:30-6:30 Dinner

Tuesday, July 18, Day 4


8:15-8:30 Preview of the day

Short demonstrations B (repeat)

Session B1 Projects and Project-based Learning 2 (Myrow, Matchen, Ebert)

Session B2 Experiments (Benison, Greer, and Mankiewicz)

Session B3 Quantitative Approaches (Hickson, Lemke, Morris)

10:00-10:30 Break

Short demonstrations A (repeat)

Session A1 Depositional Processes and Environments (Elrick, Glumac, Krantz)

Session A2 Geochemisty and Sedimentary Geology (Hanson, Leithold, Benison)

Session A3 Projects and Project-based Learning 1 (Franzi, Kerr, Barnes)

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:15-2:45 Plenary: Challenges to teaching sedimentary geology

2:45-3:15 Break

3:15-4:45 Plenary - Reports from working groups; the future of sedimentary geology, closing remarks

4:45-5:00 Workshop evaluation

6:00 Reception

7:00 Closing Dinner

Wednesday, July 19, Day 5


Optional post-workshop events

Wasatch Front Field trip(7:30am-1:30 pm). Field leader: Dr. David Dinter

Field-led stops will examine diverse geology at the eastern edge of the Great Basin physiographic province. Stops will include the Wasatch Fault, late Paleozoic carbonates and terrestrial Mesozoic stratigraphy, as well as Pleistocene glacial deposits.

Wear comfortable hiking clothes and lightweight hiking boots - mostly dirt trails and some rock scrambling. Bring a hat and sunscreen.

Utah Geological Survey Core Lab (9:00 am - noon) Scott Ritter (Brigham Young University) and Tom Hickson (University of St. Thomas)

Visit the state's repository of cores. See a brief overview of carbonate and clastic facies and reservoir rocks. This is a big warehouse so you may want layers.

Fluvial-deltaic reservoirs comprise a large proportion of remaining recoverable oil and gas reserves. In 1992, BP research drilled 5 wells in the Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone in Muddy Creek along the western side of the San Rafael Swell. The 5 wells are spaced approximately 1000' apart (approx 40-80 acre spacing). One thousand feet (~200'/core) of nearly continuous 3" core (99% core recovery) was obtained. These cores have become an industry standard for the examination of fluvial-deltaic facies, structures, and parasequences in core. Many oil companies utilize these cores for teaching in conjunction with field trips to the Book Cliffs.

The core lab houses a collection of type oils from all producing formations in the state; representative coal samples from Utah's producing coal mines; and miscellaneous samples of metallic minerals, industrial rocks and minerals, tar sands, oil shale, geothermal wells, and surface stratigraphic sections. You will also see classic examples of carbonate cores from the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation of SE Utah.