How to Draw Geological Cross-Sections: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: ‘Rock!’

This assessment is divided into 4 main Steps, each with specific instructions provided by your TA (you will notice blank spaces throughout each Step).

Please carefully read through these instructions as you are completing your assignment and ask your TA for help or clarification as needed.

You will be asked to draw a series of geological cross-sections. These may be sketched by hand, drafted in a graphics program, or you may construct physical models. In each case, all required information must be clearly visible in your cross-sections. 

Step 1: ‘Rock!’

The first step is to build the geology of your landmass.

1. You must select ______ rock types as your parent material.

2. Draw a cross-section of your landmass, showing the layers of rock selected above.

Your cross-section should be large enough to fill most of a full sheet of paper.

Your rock layers should be ordered from oldest (bottom) to youngest (top). The order in which you have placed your rocks must make sense geologically!

Label each rock type and provide a legend beside your cross-section. You may use colour and/or symbols on your cross-section.

Indicate the age of each rock layer by referring to the Geological Time Scale.

3. Write a description of the geological history of your landmass based on your crosssection. Your geological history should explain how each rock formed, and how environmental/geological conditions changed to form the next rock type. Your description should be arranged in chronological order (oldest to youngest). The length of this description should be 1 paragraph (or 1 page, double spaced).

Step 2: ‘Shake!’

The second step is to start moving plates around!

4. You must draw two additional geological cross-sections that show the geology of your landmass (from Step 1), and any landforms that may have formed, after abseries of tectonic events listed below, in this order (a separate cross-section following each event):  

5. Write a description of the geological history of your landmass based on your new cross-sections from Step 2 (above). Your geological history should explain how each new rock (and landform, if applicable) formed, what changes occurred to the original rocks (from Step 1), and how environmental/geological conditions changed to form the next rock type. Your description should be arranged in chronological order (oldest to youngest). The length of this description should be no more than 2 paragraphs (or 2 pages, double spaced).

Step 3: ‘Rattle!’

The third step is move, re-shape, and form new rocks! Start with the cross-section you created in Step 2-ii above.

6. You must draw two additional geological cross-sections that show the geology of your landmass, and any landforms that may have formed, after a series of structural and/or natural hazard events listed below, in this order (a separate crosssection following each event):

iii) _________________________________

iv) _________________________________

Your cross-sections must include all the same components as the crosssection in Step 1 (e.g. label rock types)

7. Write a description of the geological history of your landmass based on your new cross-sections from Step 3 (above). Your geological history should:

Explain how each new rock formed (and landform, if applicable)

What changes occurred to the parent rocks (from Step 2-ii)

How environmental/geological conditions changed to form the next rock type.

Your description should be arranged in chronological order (oldest to youngest). The length of this description should be no more than 2 paragraphs (or 2 pages, double spaced).