Superstitions

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip
Superstition Mountain Area Geology

A Virtual Field Trip
December 8, 2003
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Arrive in Arizona - Scenery ASU - Meteorites & Geology Museum Goldfield Mountains - Volcanics Crazy Gulch - Metamorphics Supersitition Mountain - Volcanics Tourist Sites - Southern Arizona
December 8, 2003
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The Superstition Mountains are a historic region near Phoenix, Arizona, so we must travel there in order to get up close and personal with the geology. During October the temperature in Phoenix is usually in the lower 90's with very low humidity. Residents are accustomed to wearing shorts and tanktops, so hopefully you packed several of each!
December 8, 2003
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Now we're decending into the Phoenix airport. Notice how the city of Phoenix is in a valley surrounded by many different mountain ranges. We are interested in discovering the geologic features of these mountainous areas.
December 8, 2003

This is what the terrain looks like on the way to our campsite. There are many cacti in several different varieties. The most obvious, of course, are the Saguaro cacti standing tall in the background. Other species of cactus in this area include the Prickly Pear, Yucca, Cholla (which many desert visitors come to despise), and Barrel.
December 8, 2003

Campsite, called Usery Mountain Recreation Area, is outside of Tempe, Arizona. This is we'll stay for the duration of this trip. Don't worry, though, there is a bathroom complete with shower and plenty of cactusfree areas to put your tent! The area provides two large group campsites.
December 8, 2003

Finally, upon arrival at the campsite, we unpack and relax. There are tents to put up and favorite items to locate. Plus, everything needs to be stored away from pesky scorpions.
December 8, 2003

Fortunately for us, this campsite has several location choices for tents where there are few cacti growing.
December 8, 2003

At least the view from the campsite will let us know the way to Phoenix, just in case we get too caught up in all the amazing Geology!
December 8, 2003

Sunset in the Desert at our Campsite.
December 8, 2003

Group on the Field Trip posing for a picture in the shade.
December 8, 2003
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The ASU's Robert S. Dietz Museum of Geology has all kinds of interesting natural items to view. This set of fossilized shark's teeth is just one of the wonders.
December 8, 2003

These are different meteorites from the Center for Meteorite Studies at ASU. The large meteorite in the middle is an iron meteorite from the event creating Barringer Crater in Arizona.
December 8, 2003

This iron meteorites is also called an octahedrite, due to these lines in criss-crossing patterns, called a Widmanstatten pattern. The lines are due to crystals of an iron-nickel alloy, and are made visible by These types of meteorites are quite valuable.
December 8, 2003

This type of meteorite is also called an octahedrite, but this picture was taken by professionals at ASU, so the Widmanstatten pattern is more visible...
December 8, 2003

Stony chondrite from Rose City, Michigan. These are the "plain" old meteorites found at the Center for Meteorite Studies. This picture was also taken at by ASU.
December 8, 2003

From Whitman, Nebraska is another ordinary chondrite stored at the Center for Meteorite Studies at ASU. Notice how it looks so similar to an Earth rock.
December 8, 2003

Barringer Meteor Crater in Arizona. Photo by D.J. Roddy and K.Zeller, USGS, taken from the Center for Meteorite Studies website at ASU.
December 8, 2003

This is the storage room at the Center for Meteorite Studies where people from many different Universities and researchers go to find just the sample they are looking for. Samples are cataloged and stored here.
December 8, 2003
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Here is an interesting fossil sample from the Robert S. Dietz Museum of Geology. This sample is in a slab of sandstone over 5 feet tall.
December 8, 2003
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The geologic area we are exploring is part of Tonto National Forest, seen here. The forest consists of the regional cactus and many interesting geologic formations.
December 8, 2003
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Taking a closer look at the rocks, we can see they are volcanic igneous rocks, but this very weathered specimen makes it hard to properly identify the minerals and texture present.
December 8, 2003

Moving further up the hills gives not only a fantastic view, but also provides better samples of the rocks to study.
December 8, 2003

The view also provides a fantistic view of the pollution over the city of Phoenix, seen here as a haze blocking the mountains in the distance. The valley Phoenix lies in traps most of the pollution, thereby creating the haze blocking view on even a beautiful, sunny day.
December 8, 2003

Back to the geology... Looking back towards the forest shows some evidence of normal faulting in the region. Note, the dark layer, most likely a basalt, starts on the second hill, moves up and continues on the next hill, then seems to continue again towards the left edge of the picture. This faulting could have been caused by one of the many caldera collapses in the region.
December 8, 2003

This is a wider image of the area previously shown.
December 8, 2003

Upon moving to the top of the hill, a beautiful outcrop of tuff can be seen stretching out across the next hill. This deposit is very thick, and could indicate a large volcanic event in the region's plentiful history.
December 8, 2003

All of the hills in this region seem to be composed of either the light volcanic rocks, mostly tuffs, or the darker basaltic rocks.
December 8, 2003

Hill with largely basaltic composition at the top.
December 8, 2003

Along the way a good geologist always stops to study the rocks along the way. Watching how the rocks on the ground, or float, changes as one moves across the terrain can be a good indicator that a new rock type in outcrops will soon appear.
December 8, 2003

More about the rocks found in Crazy Gulch will be discussed at a later time.
December 8, 2003
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This is the Northern edge of the Superstition Mountain range. The name is very appropriate considering the amount of mystery and intrigue that surrounds these volcanic remnants. Geologists even argue as to the origins of these rocks.
December 8, 2003
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Igneous rocks, mainly tuff, found near Weaver's Needle, very close to Superstition Mountain.
December 8, 2003

More tuff from the Weaver's Needle area.
December 8, 2003

This pronounced hill seems to be made up of the same tuff as the surrounding area. How could this hill exist separate from the surrounding tuff?
December 8, 2003

There is faulting in the region, as can be sen here in this distinctive border between a tuff and basaltic layer. This fault is found in a wash near Weaver's Needle.
December 8, 2003

It is time to make a move to climb up Superstition Mountains. There is a clearly marked trail to the top, and our group will attempt the trek to see what types of rocks lie at the top. From observation and through knowledge of the area, we assume the top will be a volcanic rock of basaltic composition.
December 8, 2003

The long road ahead up into the Superstitions under a bright and hot sun.
December 8, 2003

A view looking down from about one third of the way up the mountain. There are boulders of basalt along with large spire like basaltic formations.
December 8, 2003

More unusual geologic formations from atop Superstition Mountain.
December 8, 2003

Massive expanses of volcanic rocks, no matter which way you turn. Looks like it is straight up from here!
December 8, 2003

What a fantastic scene. Though the rocks look dark, the discoloration seems to be due to weathering.
December 8, 2003

This reservoir is one of many that provides the Phoenix area with water.
December 8, 2003
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http://www.goldfieldghosttown.com/index.html Just below Superstition Mountain lies the town of Goldfield, a "ghost-town" entirely rebuilt for tourists. It is definitely a great place to escape the heat.
December 8, 2003

http://www.wingilariver.com/
Several casinos in the area can give night owls something to do. One close to the Superstitions is the Gila River Casino.
December 8, 2003

On the virtual field trip both students and professional geologists can obtain an overall view of the rock types and structures present around the Phoenix area of Arizona. The area covered includes volcanic rocks and formations around the Superstition Mountain area South of Phoenix, Arizona and metamorphic rocks found in an area North of Phoenix. Tourist sites in these areas are also included as reference and for browsers who may visit for vacationing purposes as well.
December 8, 2003
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Arizona Maps: Counties Arizona Trail Shaded Relief Important Dams Rivers, Streams, and Washes Annual Precipitation
December 8, 2003
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Calderas:
q
http://www.d.umn.edu/~rmorton/ronshome/Volcanology/Calderas.htm q http://www.d.umn.edu/~rmorton/ronshome/Volcanoes/calderas.html q http://geology.csupomona.edu/drjessey/class/GSC425/Ig-Met9.html q http://geoheat.oit.edu/bulletin/bull23-4/art3.pdf
Volcanic Rock Types:

q
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/vwlessons/rocks.html q http://geology.csupomona.edu/alert/igneous/texture.htm q http://geology.csupomona.edu/alert/igneous/igclass.htm
Meteorites:
q
http://geology.asu.edu/research/meteorites/meteorites.html
q
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/meteorites.html q http://meteorites.lpl.arizona.edu/
Arizona Regional Geology :

q
http://geology.asu.edu/resources/museum/museum.html
q
http://www.azgs.az.gov/ http://dana.ucc.nau.edu/~are-p/road_map/eco/geology.html
q
Arizona Tourism :
q
http://www.arizonaguide.com/home.asp
q
http://www.arizonatourism.com/
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December 8, 2003
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Lesson Plans: Lesson 1 Worksheets: Lesson 1: Worksheet NC Standard Course of Study Areas Covered: High School Earth/Environmental Science
December 8, 2003
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This site was created after completion of MEA599 at NC State University. Dr. Fodor was the main instructor, with Dr. "Skip" Stoddard also supervising. For this class, we completed a trip to Phoenix, AZ during the NCSU fall break. The pictures and rock samples seen here were taken and collected at that time. Thank you to all of the participants in this class who shared their time and pictures for this project, including Ginger, Katie, Kristen. Any additional questions can be sent to the author of this site, Shelby Gull, at sgull@wcpss.net. Pictures on this site may be freely used for educational purposes. For commercial use of photographs, please contact Shelby Gull, and she will contact the photographer. For pictures sited to ASU, please contact the Arizona State University.
December 8, 2003
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Superstition Mountain Area Geology Virtual Field Trip Lesson
Materials: Computer with Internet Access Copies of Worksheet Samples of Basalt and Tuff Rocks
Plan: 1. Discuss types of volcanic rocks and Western geologic history, including mountain building events. Use notes or another activity to review this information. 2. Take students to computer lab to complete Worksheet given. This should be completed without teacher assistance or assistance of others. 3. Students should return to classroom and discuss their worksheet answers with their group or partner. Students should come to a final answer. 4. Class will review answers as a whole with the teacher and come up with final answers for each question. 5. Discussion: What things usually cause volcanoes like those that were once in Arizona? Why are there no longer volcanoes in Arizona? Where else in the United States are there volcanoes? Why? What would it be like to live in a desert? (This field trip took place in October, and was 85+ degrees the entire time) How might Phoenix, Arizona decrease its air pollution?
Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________ Period: _________ Superstition Mountain Area Geology Virtual Field Trip Worksheet 1. Phoenix, Arizona is a city in a valley surrounded by what geographic feature?
2. What type of biome exists in Arizona? What animals or plants live in this biome?
3. In the Geology Museum at Arizona State University, what types of items can you see? List as many as possible.
4. Iron meteorites can make a criss-cross pattern called a ___________________. 5. The famous meteor crater in Arizona is named the _______________ Meteor Crater. 6. What types of rocks are in the Goldfield Mountains?
7. Do weathered or unweathered rocks provide a better sample for identification?
8. Why is the city of Phoenix so heavy with smog?
9. What types of faults are common in the Goldfield Mountains? What evidence presented shows this?
10. The large layer of tuff indicates what type of event?
11. Dark volcanic rocks are ______________, lighter volcanic rocks here are ________________.
Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________ Period: _________ 12. How do geologists think that the Superstition Mountains were created?
13. What type of rock is common in the Superstition Mountain area?
14. What events in history might have caused the large amount of faulting present in the Superstitions? 15. The top of the Superstitions are dark, and therefore probably what type of rock?
16. What do the rock formations on top of the Superstitions look like? Describe texture, patterns, color, etc.
17. People can get water from a manmade lake called a ________________.
Arizona Field Trip NC Standard Course of Study Correlation High School Earth/Environmental Science
1.02 Design and conduct scientific investigations to answer questions related to earth and environmental science.

Create testable hypotheses Identify variables. Use a control or comparison group when appropriate. Select and use appropriate measurement tools. Collect and record data. Organize data into charts and graphs. Analyze and interpret data. Communicate findings.
1.03 Evaluate the uses of satellite images and imaging techniques in the earth and environmental sciences. 2.02 Analyze the historical development of the theory of plate tectonics. 2.03 Investigate and analyze the processes responsible for the rock cycle:

Analyze the origin, texture and mineral composition of rocks. Trace the path of elements through the rock cycle. Relate rock formation to plate tectonics. Identify forms of energy that drive the rock cycle. Analyze the relationship between the rock cycle and processes in the atmosphere and hydrosphere.
2.05 Create and interpret topographic, soil and geologic maps using scale and legends. 3.01 Assess evidence to interpret the order and impact of events in the geologic past:

Relative and absolute dating techniques. Statistical models of radioactive decay. Fossil evidence of past life. Uniformitarianism. Stratigraphic principles. Divisions of Geologic Time Origin of the earth system. Origin of life.

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Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Sunset in the Desert at our Campsite.

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Group on the Field Trip posing for a picture in the shade.

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

This is a wider image of the area previously shown.

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology

Hill with largely basaltic composition at the top.

Superstition Mountain Area Geology - Virtual Field Trip

Superstition Mountain Area Geology