whatcontrolsrheology-serc.docVIP

Laboratory Exercise: What Controls Rheology? Dyanna Czeck University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee dyanna@uwm.edu Type of Activity: Laboratory exercise Brief Description: In order to understand the factors that control rock rheology, students conduct a series of activities with analogue materials. The activities are compared to real examples from the field and deformation experiments. Context Type and level of course in which I use this activity or assignment: undergraduate required structural geology course for majors Skills and concepts that students must have mastered before beginning the activity: Students must be familiar with the following terms and concepts: rheology, force, stress, strain, elastic, plastic, competence, deformation experiments, yield strength, ultimate strength, and rupture How the activity is situated in my course: This activity is one of many lab exercises students complete throughout the semester. It is followed by an in-class activity where the students use analogue materials to explore rheologic models such as Elastic, Newtonian, and Plastic. Goals of the Activity or Assignment Content/concepts goals for this activity: The students should gain an intuitive sense for the role of the following in determining the rheology of a deforming rock: lithology, stress, temperature, confining pressure, preexisting weakness, strain rate, and accumulated strain. They will also closely examine the important results of some deformation experiments and learn where natural deformation may help us learn more about rheology. Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity: analysis of data, synthesis of ideas. Other skills goals for this activity: critical reading of data presented in graph format, working in groups. Description A short laboratory exercise, conducted by students, is used to illustrate the multiple factors that contribute to rocks varied responses to deformation. Analogue materials (play-doh, notebook springs, butter, silly putty,