Week 11- Laws of Position

 What did you do in the lab this week?

- In our lab section, we talked about the law of superposition. We talked about sedimentary rocks forming layers that become buried under more layers over time. The layers above are younger than the layers below. The Law of Superposition helps geologists deduce the relative ages of layers of rock. For our experiment, we looked at the different characteristics of sand, which are water, glacier, and wind. While looking at the different characteristics of sand through the microscope, we determined, based on the characteristics, where the sand originated from. 

What was the big question of the lab?

-Laws of Position

What did you learn in discussion?

- In our discussion section we talked about the book called Archimedes and the Door of Science. This book demonstrated how when measuring water with other things in it you also have to measure the amount of water that falls out of the container. This segwayed into the discussion of Archimedes Law and Geodes. We did a demonstration on how to measure if a geode is hollow or not. We went through the way to mathmatical tell how hollow a geode is. the equation is specific gravity = W(air)/ (W(air) - W (water)). This is the Archimedes principle. At the end of our discussion we breifely talked about the how big geodes can be and we talked about the crystal cave in Mexico. 

What did you learn in the press book readings?

- In the press book readings I learned more about Geodes. Before I thought they were just cool rocks but now I know what exactly they are. I learned that geodes form when a cavity forms in a rock. A way that this happens is when a bubble of carbon dioxide and water vapor forms in flowing lava. Geodes can also form in a vairety of other ways. I also learned about weathering, erosion, and deoposition. I learned that weathering is the breakdown of rocks on Earth's surface and there are two types of weathering which are mechanical and chemical. 

What do you need more information on from the press book reading?

- Something that I need more information on is Deposition. I just need a clearer definition about how this occurs and what exactly it does in the rock cycle. 

Questions?

- How did the sand get deep in the middle of the ocean?