1. THE CASE OF THE MYSTERY CONGLOMERATE:
SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES ON FIELD TRIPS
Julia Sankey
California State University, Stanislaus
Geology Program, Department of Physics and Geology
801 W. Monte Vista Ave., Turlock, CA
1st Assignment:
Field Trip Report: Abstract, Introduction, Observation,
Interpretations, Discussion, References, Figures
stratigraphic columns & photos.
Surprise!
No mention of conglomerate in literature! New scientific
discovery? Suddenly, students got really interested in
this project.
2nd Assignment:
Mock GSA grant proposal to test 3 hypotheses on the
depositional environments using appropriate
sedimentological and stratigraphic methods.
Teaching Philosophy of
Field Trips:
Students should learn the scientific process by doing real geology themselves.
Students make observations, test their hypotheses, and investigate the literature.
Field trip reports get the students to synthesize what they have learned in the field.
Geology students measuring and describing outcrop.
Don’t Fall!
Discovery:
100-meter thick deposit of sandstones and conglomerates.
Mystery:
What was the depositional environment?
Student Opinions Varied Wildly:
Volcanic-related mudflow
Submarine canyon debris flow triggered by a canyon failure
Alluvial fan deposit
Acknowledgements:
Funding from CSU Stanislaus.
Stratigraphy Class Students.
Enthusiastic Research Students: Richard Peltier, Charles Preppenau, and Paul Troop.
Mystery conglomerate in Del Puerto Canyon, near Patterson and I-5, Diablo Range, California.
Student Research Group Formed:
Made additional field trips, searched literature &
wrote abstract
"Doing field research has really made the process of
learning much more exciting.  The process feels like a
reward in itself”, Richard Peltier.
Objectives of 1st Stratigraphy
field trip:
students will learn how to measure and
describe a stratigraphic section &
2) interpret depositional environment of units studied