G130 Geology of National Parks and Monuments

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G130 Geology of National Parks and Monuments

• Instructor F. Vincent Hernly

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G130 Geology of National ParksLecture 01 -
Introduction

• Early National Parks
• Creation of National Parks Service
• Introduction to Geology
• Overview of Rocks
• Geologic Processes
• Geologic History

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Creation of First National Parks, 1800s

• 20 APR 1832 Hot Springs Reserve, Arkansas
• redesignated Hot Springs NP 1921
• 30 JUN 1864 Yosemite State Park, California
• incorporated in Yosemite NP 1906
• 01 MAR 1872 Yellowstone National Park
• First Property designated as a National Park
• 1875 Mackinac NP, Michigan (abolished 1895)
• converted to Mackinac Island State Park,
  Michigans first state park, 1895
• Since 1960 is additionally Mackinac Island
  National Historic Landmark
• 1890 General Grant NP
• incorporated in Kings Canyon NP 1940
• 1890 Sequoia NP
• 1890 Yosemite NP
• incorporated Yosemite State Park 1906
• 1899 Mount Rainier NP

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Creation of First National Parks, early 1900s

• Theodore Roosevelt, President, 1901-1909
• 22 MAY 1902 Crater Lake NP, Oregon
• 01 JUL 1902 Sulphur Springs Reservation, Oklahoma
• to Platt NP 1906 to Chickasaw NRA 1976
• 09 JAN 1903 Wind Cave NP, South Dakota
• 27 APR 1904 Sullys Hill NP, North Dakota
• transferred to Ag. Dept. as game preserve 1931

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Antiquities Act

• 08 JUN 1906 passed by Congress
• Needed to halt vandalism and plundering, esp. of
  archaeological ruins in the southwest US
• Gave President of US power to establish National
  Monuments (NM)
• Congressional act still needed to create National
  Park (NP)

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Proliferation of National Monuments

• 08 JUN 1906 Antiquities Act
• 1906 4 NM designated (including Petrified
  Forest, NP in 1962)
• 1907 5 NM (including Cinder Cone Lassen
  Peak, combined as Lassen Volcanic NP 1916)
• 1908 8 NM (including Grand Canyon, NP in 1919)
  
• 1909 6 NM (including Olympic, NP 1938 and Zion,
  NP 1919)
• 1910 to 1916 12 more (under Taft and Wilson)
• (Including what was to become Acadia NP, 1929)
• NP created 1906-1916
• Mesa Verde, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, Abe Lincoln,
  Hawaii, Lassen Volcanic

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Chaos in the National Parks

• NP were run by individual Interior Dept Clerks
• lack of uniformity and guidelines in the forming
  and managing of U.S. national parks. 
• Lack of Coordinated leadership
• Led to poor conditions and lack of protection
• Desire to increasing tourism to NPs from RR, Auto
  Clubs, and concessionaires

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Creation of the NPS

• 25 AUG 1916 National Parks Act
• Created National Park Service
• Bureau within Dept. of Interior
• Stephen T. Mather first director
• Responsibility over
• 14 NP
• 21 NM

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NPS Today

• 58 National Parks
• At least 78 National Monuments
• Total of 391 Areas or Units
• Questions?

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Geology

• Scientific Study of the Earth
• Physical Geology
• Historical Geology
• Earth Materials
• Elements, Minerals, Rocks

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Elements in Earths Crust
Of the 92 naturally occurring elements, only 8
consist of 98.5 of all elements in the
crust. The other 84 elements are found in the
remaining 1.5.
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Minerals

• Basic building blocks of the earths crust
• Over 2000 known, top 25 make-up over 95 of all
  minerals in the crust
• Quartz, Feldspar, Iron Oxides, Mica, Amphibole,
  Pyroxene, Olivine, Carbonates, Clay Minerals
• Examples in Box 25.2, p. 341, HTT

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Rocks

• Aggregates of Minerals
• Classified in three types, based on origin
• Igneous
• Sedimentary
• Metamorphic
• p. 13 in HTT

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WeatheringTable 3.1 p. 48 HTT
Similar diagram on p. 15, HTT
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Igneous Rocks

• Form from cooling of molten rock
• Magma vs Lava
• Classified based on
• Texture Cooling history
• Small crystals fast cooling
• Large crystals slow cooling
• Composition of magma
• Granitic Hi silica, low metals, light color
• Basaltic low silica, higher metals, dark color
• More in Box 25.1, p. 339-340, HTT

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Basalt
Gabbro
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Rhyolite
Granite
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Melting at convergent plate boundariesMore about
Plate Tectonics in Box 2.1, p. 37-39, HTT
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Sedimentary Rocks

• Form at or very near surface of earth
• Cementation of fragments or precipitation
• Classification based on
• Texture transportation history
• Small grains traveled far
• Large grains near source
• Composition source of sediment
• Carbonates marine waters
• Silicates terrestrial source
• More in Table 1.1, p. 14, HTT

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Sedimentary features

• Bedding or Layering
• Sedimentary features (ripples, x-beds)
• 75 of rocks at surface are sedimentary
• Contain much evidence for geologic history

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Metamorphic Rocks

• Formed from transformation of other rocks
• Due mainly to
• Increase in temperature
• Increase in pressure
• Introduction of chemically active fluids
• More in Box 24.1, p. 324, HTT

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Geologic Agents ProcessesWill be discussed
further as we discuss individual parks

• Volcanism (Part IV, p. 506-508 Box 40.1, p. 577,
  HTT)
• Mountain Building (Part V, p. 643-644, HTT)
• Weathering (p. 48, HTT, including Table 3.1)
• Streams (p. 10-11, HTT Box 11.1, p. 144, HTT)
• Waves (Box 30.2, p 432, HTT)
• Glaciers (Part III, p. 290-293, HTT)
• Wind
• Groundwater (Part II, p. 189, HTT Box 14.1, p.
  196 HTT)

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Geologic Time Basic Principles

• Principle of Uniformitarianism
• Principle of Original Horizontality
• Principle of Lateral Continuity
• Principle of Superposition
• Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships

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Geologic Time Scale

• Time is divided into intervals
• Eons, Eras, Periods, Epoch
• Divisions are based on Fossils
• Principle of Faunal Succession
• Age is based on relative dating
• Since 1900, numerical ages have been determined
  based on radiometric dating
• Time scale can be found inside front cover of HTT

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Physiography of contiguous US
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Physiographic Regions of contiguous US, with NPS
units
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Physiography of Alaska, with National Parks