Led by Mx. Jezz with Jera Spring
At our first meeting in February, we will have an interview with one of our group’s young geologists who loves rocks: Jera Spring. She will be sharing her research on rock formations at and near the Marcus Landslide. We hope you love geology as much as we do!
Our February Navigators topic will be Geology. Geology is the study of Earth: the materials that compose it; the processes, such as mountain building and the creation of ocean basins, that shape its surface; and the events, like floods and glaciation, that sculpt its landscape. Geologists are a type of scientist who study the origin of the Earth and its evolution through its 4.6-billion-year history as well as the geological processes of other planets in our solar system.
In Phoenix, we are very fortunate to live near numerous outstanding geological features. Within the activities for February, we have included links from the “Arizona Geological Survey (AGS) Document Repository”. Using the links provided, you can read and discuss the early geological formations of local Phoenix Mountain ranges. The AGS website also includes detailed maps of individual types of rock with their location in the mountain range and the time of its origin within the geological timeline.
Recommended Badge Activities for February
Here are a few suggested activities for exploring geology:
- Go on a walk or hike and look at rocks, try to identify them or reflect on the rocks color and weight. This is studying geology!!
- Research the 3 main types of rocks:
- Igneous:
- Sedimentary
- Metamorphic
- Visit the Arizona Desert Museum Geological timeline: The Geological origin of the Sonoran Desert
- Visit the Phoenix Public Library (or request books online) and borrow a book on geology. After spending time reading your book, reflect on your favorite part of the book.
- Look at this “Geological Timeline” and see if you can find the following parts:
- Can you find the “Millions of Years Ago” column?
- Try locating the “Development of life” column?
- Read about the “Marcus Landslide” that occurred roughly 500,000 years ago in the McDowell Mountain range:
- For a lengthier read, or to view rock deposit maps, visit these links from the Arizona Geological Survey (AGS) Document Repository:
We hope to see you at our next meeting! Also, please mark your calendars for our second meeting of the month on Monday, February 24 at 6pm.
You can easily join us on Zoom from a smartphone, computer, or tablet:
Passcode: 707448 | Everyone is welcome!