Join Anthony Love from Appalachian State University to learn about the geologic history captured within the rocks of Grandfather Mountain. Participants will be introduced to concepts of general geology, the shape of the land surface within the Grandfather region, how Grandfather measures and uses geologic structures to interpret rocks, how orientations of rock units can provide insights on the structure of larger regions, how they use rocks to visualize the past environments where they originally formed and, finally, how they utilize these pieces to form a story of how Earth history transpired in a given area.
Program Itinerary
10:00 – 10:30 a.m. – Meet at the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery and Introductions
10:30 – 11:00 a.m. – Intro to Grandfather Mountain geology – Leonard Classroom in the Wilson Center
11:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m. – Identifying common Grandfather Mountain rocks and features and structures (Split Rock and Sphinx Rock)
12:00 – 12:30 p.m. – Lunch at Wilson Center
12:30 – 3:30 p.m. – Hike Black Rock Trail to examine and record structures and features within Grandfather Mountain rocks
3:30 – 4:00 p.m. – Travel to the Swinging Bridge parking lot, examine and measure ductile deformation zones within parking lot outcrops. Wrap up/Q&A/Evaluations
