Structural Geology Field Exercises of Intermediate to More Advanced Complexity from the Classic Black Hills of South Dakota

Abstract

Training geoscience students in the methods of modern structural field analysis occurs in some degree during conventional coursework, on field trip excursions, in the process of undertaking undergraduate or graduate research projects, and while participating in extended programs usually referred to as “field camp.” Until the mid- to later 1980s, field course curricula were required for most university or college geoscience degrees in the USA. This educational fixture has declined over the last few decades, becoming lost or optional from many geology degree programs. Most recently, industry, government, and academia have recognized this decrease in emphasis as a mistake. The basic understanding of geological field methods is essential in many contexts beyond structural analysis. Advanced courses or those that include advanced problems are also of great benefit to students who will study structural geology as application in economic geology, local and regional tectonics, petrology, geochemical and geophysical studies, etc. The Black Hills of South Dakota in the USA is a region long exploited for instruction in field methods, because of its centrality, relatively accessible from much of the nation. It is also a small area rich in many classic, wonderful examples of structural features in diverse tectonic relationship. Certain localities within the Precambrian core of this uplift have provided great case study exercises to extend structural analysis beyond the basics. Five areas described for advanced instruction offer “hard rock” associations of metamorphic and some intrusive complexities.