Teaching in the Field

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of having my first experience teaching in the field!

The Fundamentals of Geology class went on a day-long trip to four different field sites around the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. The first stop was Natural Chimneys Park in the Shenandoah Valley, where we saw Cambrian-aged carbonate rocks forming large "chimneys."

The students learned about the process of limestone formation, and how this rock somehow ended up approximately 1,000 feet above sea level. Our second stop was Staunton, VA. Here, we went to the site of a catastrophic sinkhole that destroyed part of the town in 1910. I gave a short talk on how sinkholes form, and how they're related to the bedrock, and what hazards they pose (cover photo). I also shared a personal story I have with sinkholes, where one actually opened up under a parking garage on my undergrad university's campus. The third stop was at the Blue Ridge Tunnel near Afton, VA. There are really great exposures of the Catoctin greenstone along the trail to the tunnel. Lastly, we stopped at an overlook of the Rockfish Valley, where we discussed the history of the Appalachian Mountains, how they formed, and what they looked like million of years ago.

Sharing field experiences is a large part of why I enjoy being a geologist so much. Not a day passes where I don't get excited about looking at rocks in the wild. Sharing the wonder and excitement with those around me makes it all the better!