Confidential www.amherst.edu by roni bombardero

April 28, 2010
CONFIDENTIAL: NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
GEO 11 HAZING
Geology has been in the news a lot in 2010, and most of that news has not been good. Geological hazards
such as earthquakes and volcanoes have killed hundreds of thousands and disrupted the economy of
western Europe. These events have caught the attention of Amherst College’s risk-adverse attorneys who
are wondering about the possible exposure of the College. The Geo Department has reassured them that
although the Amherst area is geologically interesting, it is not particularly dangerous. They have remained
unconvinced and have asked us to undertake a Hazard Assessment and Zoning Investigation of the
Nearby Geology (HAZING). To do this, the Geo Department solicits the services of well-trained twoperson geologic teams to investigate the geology of a 26 X 26 km land parcel and prepare Geo 11
HAZING reports. You will find the ~675 km2
 study area exceedingly flat and offering abundant outcrop
on which to base your study. Responses to this solicitation should provide:
A complete geologic map of the designated area, with two accompanying cross-sections and a written
report on the geological history of the study area completed by each 2-person team executed to the
following specifications:
• The map should be drawn on the grid base map supplied, on which the grid spacing represents 1 km, the
northwest corner is at A1, and the southeast corner is at Z26.
• The map and cross-sections should be colored, using a different color for each rock unit and the same
coloring scheme for both map and sections. Do not use heavy, dark, or vibrant colors that would obscure
other data (such as strikes and dips) plotted on the map. Neatness is essential!
• The map should be given a title that indicates the location of the mapped area (e.g. “Geologic map of the
Stinky Swamp Area”).
• The map and sections should be accompanied by a “Key” or “Explanation” in which each rock unit is
named (e.g. “Amherst Arkose, Belchertown Basalt”) with its map color indicated. A geological age (e.g.,
Ordovician) must be assigned to each unit. In this key, all rock units should be listed in chronological
order, with the oldest at the bottom. All geologic symbols used should appear in the Key as well.
• Two cross sections should be drawn: A-A’ between the northwest and southern edges of the map, and
B-B’ between the western and eastern edges of the map respectively. These sections should be drawn
with A and B to the left and A’ and B’ to the right, and both ends of the sections should be clearly
labeled. The vertical and horizontal scales in the cross-section must be exactly the same, and must match
the horizontal scale in the map. The geology of these cross-sections must, of course, correspond exactly
where the two sections cross. A protractor will be necessary to draw the cross-sections accurately.
Remember, sedimentary units tend to maintain a constant thickness.
• The map must have a north arrow and both the map and cross sections must have an appropriate bar
scale shown.
• The report may be written in discursive form or in outline form.
• While concise, the report should be as complete as possible, including but not limited to: the formation
of individual units and the nature of the environment in which they formed; uplift, erosion, and the
creation of unconformities; orogenesis and the deformation and/or metamorphism of rocks; protoliths of
metamorphic rocks; and igneous events. Include statements that document the observations on which the
report is based.
• Every attempt should be made to place the events in relative order and where possible to place dates on
these events.
Reports in response to this solicitation must be submitted to the Geo 11 HAZING Office (Room 310,
ESNHM) by 10 AM on Friday May 14, 2010
In addition, each member of each team will provide an evaluation of her/his level of participation in
each aspect of the project. May 5, 2010
CONFIDENTIAL: GEO 11 HAZING SUBCONTRACTORS ONLY
A certain amount of data is now available to your team to aid your investigations. Williamstown
International Mineral Prospecting Services (W.I.M.P.S.) undertook initial geologic surveying under
subcontract to HAZING. W.I.M.P.S. made strike and dip measurements, identified three (3) fossils, and
completed three (3) radiometric dates. W.I.M.P.S’s strike and dip data are given on the revised base map,
and the fossil and radiometric dates are given in the table below. Finally, the logs for five (5) exploration
drill holes are given below. Please note that W.I.M.P.S. are not as geologically skilled as you (possibly
due to an inferior education at the local college). They were unable to provide proper rock names for the
units that they identified. Instead the units were logged generically as “Unit A” or “Unit B”, etc.
W.I.M.P.S. did consistently give each rock type only one generic name. All of these data should be
applied to the completion and interpretation of your map.
Reports in response to our April 28 solicitation must be submitted to the Geo11 HAZING Office (Room
310, ESNHM) by 10 AM on Friday May 14, 2010.
W.I.M.P.S. GEOLOGIC DATA
DRILL HOLE DATA
A1
depth lithology
0-264 A
264-847 B
847-1968 C
1968-3391 D
3391-4980 E
4980-5512 F
5512-5516 breccia
5516-5735 F
A2
depth lithology
0-983 E
983-1206 F
B1
depth lithology
0-704 G
704-1688 H
1688-1692 mylonite
1692-3701 I
3701-3704 mylonite
3704-3946 F
B2
depth lithology
0-925 I
925-927 mylonite
927-1479 D
1479-2588 E
2588-3042 F
B3
depth lithology
0-1248 J
1248-2493 D
2493-3847 E
3847-4415 F
FOSSIL IDENTIFICATIONS
Site P8 Phillipsastraea gigas
Site K4 Clathropteris platyphylla
Site J25 Triticites ventricosus
RADIOMETRIC DATES
Site X3 U/Pb zircon 647 + 6 Ma
Site E22 K/Ar biotite 409 + 6 Ma
Site U15 U/Pb zircon 279 + 3 Ma