Geology of Shenandoah National Park Essay

At a minimum the paper will provide a detailed

overview of the geologic history of the area including the rock formations, structures and geomorphic features

present. The character, age and origin of the rock formations, structures and surface geology/physiography

should be discussed highlighting important events in the history of the area while placing them in a broader

geologic context of the region.  Lastly, a section of the paper (or sections) must be included that

compares/contrasts the geology/geologic history of the assigned region to the geology/geologic history of

Florida.

The paper should be written to an audience with knowledge of the geosciences, in general, but no knowledge of

the specific study area and issues you report on. As such you can (and should) use common geoscientific

terminology in your writing without need to define common terms, but when treating a specific topic or issue

(e.g., past geologic settings, etc.) providing some brief background context is appropriate.  Some guiding

questions that papers should address include:

? What are the main geologic features (rocks, structures, sediments, landforms) in this area?

? What geologic events were important in shaping the geologic history of this area?

? How do geologic features (rock units, geologic structures, geomorphic features etc.) in the study

/general region that preserve information of those events? (Data constraining time/ environment of

formation for rock units and structures, changes in fossil assemblages, etc.)?

? How do these events fit into global geology of the time (tectonics, climate, sea-level, biodiversity, etc.)?

? How does this geology and geologic history compare to (or relate to) that of Florida?

Paper Guidelines

The paper should be at least 4 pages in length (not including figures or references) and use 1” margins, 12 point

font and 1.5X spacing (Calibri, Courier, Times New Roman and Arial fonts are acceptable). The paper must begin

with an abstract and end with a conclusion. Where appropriate subheadings within a section should be used and

numbered in a consistent, logical fashion (e.g. 1.1, 1.2). Papers must include at a minimum a geologic map and a

physiographic map (e.g. topo map) of the area. All figures used should be relevant and referenced within the

paper text and include captions. Figures should be embedded in the paper as close to their first reference in the

text as is practical.