Right now, the geology on my mind is the geology of the northern flank of the Apennine Mountains in Italy. From April 30 to May 12, I will be joining a team of structural geologists, tectonicists, sedimentologists, and paleomagnetists to study Plio-Pleistocene sedimentation along the north flank of the tectonically-active Apennine Mountains, in and around the spa town of Salsomaggiore Terme (salty thermal springs). The project is evaluating possible links among tectonics, sedimentation, and climate in the development of mountain belts. I hope to blog from the field, although I may be limited by how often I have access to the Internet.
A lot of what we will be doing is detailed sampling of Plio-Pleistocene sediments in river banks, collecting mud that is just barely lithified, for paleomagnetic analysis to establish a detailed mangento-stratigraphy. Once a chronology can be established, then depositional rates can be determined and compared to the tectonic and climatic history of the area. It's a different kind of field work from anything I have ever done before and I am really looking forward to it.
My role, beyond providing labor in the field, is to use the work of the project to create classroom materials for earth science teachers. I will be looking for ways in which the data sets we generate can drive useful inquiry by students at a variety of levels. I hope to create materials that are specifically connected to existing inquiry-based earth science curricula (EarthComm and Investigating Earth Systems), but will be useful to teachers of any curriculum. If you have any comments about what would make such materials most useful, please share them.
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