(Part 3) Best products from r/geology

Really any beach you can find them but not all beaches are equal. I don't know the best beaches or areas in Michigan however I do know what to look for in a good beach. You want to find a beach with a river next or near it. You also want a good variety of rocks if you find a beach with one kind of rock odds are not as good. On the North Shore you want a Rhyolite or Basalt base basalt being better (I assume the same rules apply for the UP). Look for gas bubbles in the rocks, agates formed in those so the larger the gas bubbles the larger the agates. Best rock picking conditions are after a storm if you are lucky enough to have one happen when you are up there odds are a few good ones will be kicked up by the waves. I also suggest invest in a rock book or two you can generally find them at local rock shops. Rock shops are also a great way of seeing local treasurers and rock shop owners are generally more than happy to talk rocks. Avoid popular beaches they get picked over more quickly you want to find beaches that are harder to get to. In the end it is really just trial and error just look for beaches and check them out even if they don't meet the criteria I mentioned they are still worth a look you never know. Once you are at the beach remember like sized agates are in like sized rocks, if you want a bunch of smaller ones look in smaller rocks or if you are looking for the money rock look in rock piles with larger rocks. I hope this info helped and happy rock hunting.

Hey man. I have been helping students prepare for the FG exam for the past year or so. I am going to try and answer your questions as best as I can, but please feel free to ask more if you want.

1. Those REG Review guides will work fine. You can buy updates, if you like, from their website. However, I usually stress not to take REG Review as gospel. There are several errors within their study guide book, and the quizzes. I am not a big fan of the books, but they do give the individual a good place to start. If you see something in the book/quizzes that you feel is off, take the time to research it. It will help you tremendously.
   
   
2. There are many online practice tests for 101 courses, mineralogy, petrology, glaciology, and many more. They are usually study guides or practice tests from university classes, available online for students, or associated with textbooks. Search these out, or make your own study guides or quizzes. Use pictures and diagrams and construct fill in the blank practice quizzes.
   
   In regards to the practice exams, keep in mind two things-- they are much harder than the actual exam, and it is impossible to know everything.
   
   
3. Save your money, there are plenty of online resources. Email an old professor or TA and ask if they can give you some old quizzes or handouts (yes, I know this is easier said than done). I had a few professors send me some old tests, but I think I just got lucky.
   
   
4. Eh, pretty much. Add relative age dating.
   
   
5. I used my old textbook to study, but there are structural lab manuals online.
   
   Textbook-- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/structural-geology-of-rocks-and-regions-george-h-davis/1116750487/2674186308854?st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Marketplace+Shopping+Textbooks_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP20456&k_clickid=3x20456
   
   This is an older edition. But for $3; who gives a shit?
   
   Lab Manual-- http://www.usouthal.edu/geography/allison/GY403/StructuralGeologyLabManual.pdf
   
   
6. Study with friends. Run through some practice tests or exams and study what you missed. Remember that you will not know everything, and that is okay. The test is scored on a gradient, more or less. Stick with the basics.
   
   Be sure to set aside time to study and don't freak out.
   
   Hope I helped!
   
   Edit: Here are a few websites that may help you study:
   
   Physical Geology Textbook supplemental material:
   http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072402466/sitemap.html?Qui
   
   More Physical Geology practice quizzes:
   http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/Exams/ExamMaster.HTM
   
   Mineralogy and Geochem:
   
   http://www.gly.uga.edu/railsback/FundamentalsIndex.html
   
   I do not remember much geochem on the FG exam when I took it. But it doesn't hurt to brush up a little.
   
   Also, if you feel the need to purchase a historical book, I recommend "Evolution of the Earth" by Donald Prothero. Even though it pains me to recommend it, dude's a Class A creeper, the book is really good. Buy an older edition like the seventh or so. The only difference I remember between seventh and eighth edition are a few side notes about hominids. Pretty much moot between the two.

I haven't read Basin and Range, but I remember enjoying Meldahl's Rough-Hewn Land, which is also primarily about the geological history of the West. If I recall correctly, the chapters are actually in a West-to-East order, (starting with the ophiolites visible in San Francisco and gradually working across to the Plains. It's also got a bit of cultural history splashed in, which makes it much less dry than a straight-up textbook.

I really like Roadside Geology of Colorado; the maps are clear and the descriptions are concise but informative. However, that series is definitely written in a style that's meant to be helpful for somebody actually driving along the routes described, rather than reading about it from your living room. If you can't go out and see the features in person, it would lose something. And it doesn't really do justice to the "big-picture" geology that shaped the whole region. Ultimately, probably a bit dense for casual reading.

As a wildcard, you might also enjoy something like Blown to Bits in the Mine by Eric Twitty. It's primarily a history of explosives and how they radically changed the face of mining, so the geologic history aspect is tangential at best. But if you're at all interested in the history of mining or enjoy reading /r/OSHA, it's a pretty fun read anyways. Fun fact: if you're always having issues with your dynamite freezing (who doesn't??), just throw that sucker in a pot of water on the stove! As long as the nitroglycerine doesn't sweat out,, you'll be ready to get to blasting in no time!

The best thing you can do to encourage your niece's interest in geology is to get outside and do geology! Identifying rocks, looking for fossils, and seeing cool geologic features are great ways to encourage learning. Check national and state parks in your area to find opportunities!

This may seem intimidating, but there are a number of resources that you and your niece can use to help. There are a few books on Amazon that would be pretty helpful. Here's a link to one!

Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough (Amazing Science) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1404803343/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ucikyb6Z2WCMV


Things like geodes and rock/mineral kits are great ways for your niece to explore Geology at home as well! The best part about Geology is seeing and touching it. That's true for children and adults!

A good chisel to go along with her rock hammer is great for sampling

Also, a scratcher/scribe with a neodymium magnet on the end is incredibly useful for testing hardness and magnetics of a rock

I use a compact mineral identification guide a ton as well. There are many out there, but this one is the one I use - others may be better

Edit: And the most (imo) important part of fieldwork are the notes you take, so a waterproof field notebook is a must-have if she'll be mapping in a rainy environment. This one has geological charts and diagrams in it as well


Above are good lower priced items, but if you really want to go all-out, good boots and a rain jacket are indispensable , but they have to fit very well so she may be better off picking those out herself (at least that's the way I feel about them)

Hope this helps!

So it sounds like you are looking for some thing at the pretty basic level?

For David Attenborough books, try something coffee-table-y like the Smithsonian Earth guide. It's about much more than geo, but it's got everything you listed above and lots of pretty pictures and interesting things.

For something more academic, but still introductory, try Understanding Earth. Easy to read yet descriptive. If you don't want to pay $120, try going back a couple of editions.

One more step up might be Planet Earth: Cosmology, Geology, and the Evolution of Life and Environment which has a few less pretty pictures and a few more maths (optional). Even though this book is supposedly "below" my educational level I still love it. I also wish I'd read it back when I was first starting down the scientific path - it really covers the basics of just about everything you'd every need to know.

She likely has a lot of technical stuff that she would need, and probably lots of mineral samples too. I recommend Annals of the Former World by John McPhee. It's a series of books on geology across North America. The author isn't a geologist, but he traveled extensively with geologists. It won the 1999 Pulitizer Prize.

(And maybe a gift receipt, just in case!) :) Also, it's super cool of you to do this. You're good people!

The only thing I can think of is "befriend a geologist who enjoys hiking" (I'm keen if you live in Queensland! But unlikely!).

While not the answer you're looking for... why don't you learn some basic geology yourself? You could then make your own assumptions on why the landscape looks a certain way, or why you're finding certain rocks in an area.

I found a entry course online but I can't attest to how good it is. Or if you're looking for something a bit more this textbook can be really interesting to someone who has an interest in earth science and will cover all the basics! I know it's a scientific textbook but it's a great read if you are interested in learning about the basics of earth science.

For general geology Marshak's Portrait of a Planet is a really good place to start, then for sedimentology, Sedimentary Rocks in the Field is great and does exactly what it says. Sedimentary Structures by Collinson I found quite useful and then something like Facies Models 4 to get a better idea of facies analysis.

As far as hydrogeology goes, I've just finished my hydrogeology module at university and haven't been recommended any books. The lecturer wasn't great and because a lot of the books seem to be quite old or just poorly written none of us used them. I think searching for individual topics and papers may be your best chance, then hopefully they'll lead you to something useful. Sorry I can't be of more help on that area.

It sounds like you have an Intro Geology book.

For a nice overview of historical geology, I was enraptured by "The Earth: An Intimate History" by Richard Fortey. It starts slow but delves into the major developments and ideas of geology as the author visits many significant locales around the world.

Stephen Jay Gould was a very prolific science-writer across paleontology and evolution.

John McPhee has several excellent books related to geology. I would recommend "Rising from the Plains" and "The Control of Nature."

Mark Welland's book "SAND" is excellent, covering topics of sedimentology and geomorphology.

If you are interested in how society manages geologic issues, I would recommend Geo-Logic, The Control of Nature mentioned before, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, and Cadillac Desert.

These are some of the texts I used in university:

• Nesse's Introduction to Mineralogy
  
• Winter's Principles of Metamorphic and Igneous Petrology
  
• Twiss and Moore's Structural Geology
  
• Bogg's Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
  
• Burbank and Anderson's Tectonic Geomorphology
  
• Davis's Statistics and Data Analysis in Geology
  
• Burbank and Anderson's Tectonic Geomorphology
  
• Fetter's Applied Hydrogeology
  
• White's Geochemistry (pdf online)
  
• Shearer's Seismology
  
• Copeland's Communicating Rocks
  

Go to the library and look for a historical geology textbook. You will probably have everything you need if you find just one. If you have a choice, this is a good book covering the paleo part, and any historical geology textbook should have a nice long chapter on the Paleocene. For a map, there are a number of good ones, but this is one site I use sometimes (be sure to cite references properly!). There is not a Paleocene map, but you can use the K-T and Eocene maps to get beginning/end conditions. The time period is a fairly interesting one, particularly for the story of development of life. Good luck, and if you make a nice poster, be sure to upload a picture of it!

If he’s 7 then I would recommend getting one of those books that has pretty photos of all the minerals and some diagrams of their structures too. Something like this. Minerals look amazing enough without getting into the abstraction of the chemistry and such, just seeing stunning photos of them all was motivation enough for my kid self to learn more.

Choosing places to actively go rock/mineral hunting is the other half to keeping him interested too, definitely keep that up!