geology 101

So, today I woke up.

Did my 5-min Jenna Marbles Abs

(ps Pinterest lied, I swear it isn't working! I should of known a 5-minute six pack really is just too good to be true. But I do it anyway to give me some peace of mind that I sort of exercised? So my daily treat intake is kinda justified?? Just go with it.) 

Got ready. 

Drove to Ogden.

 Briskly walked to my first class only to find unfamiliar faces sitting at all of the tables. At first I thought I was going crazy, and after staring at the entire class for like 30 seconds to make sure I didn't know them, I ran down to the 3rd floor thinking I was somehow confused, then back up to the 4th floor again, sure enough the room still contained people who were definitely not my classmates! You guys. The building that half my classes take place in is being used by other people today, i'm not sure what for. 
AKA... NO CLASS. 
I forgot, (except I STILL don't remember this ever being announced in the first place.) Wahhhh :( Yes, I am complaining about class being canceled. 

So now I find myself sitting in the institute building (best place to study) and blogging my Earth Science homework. You heard right, homework. So feel free to disregard the remainder of this post. 

My class ventured out to 22nd St. Trail Head in Ogden to go on a real "gneiss" hike and study some rocks and land forms in their natural habitat!! So exciting. But in all honesty, it was really "gneiss" to get out of the class room.  

In order to create the trail, a section of the earth was cut out. Perfect place to observe 3D layers of our land, right? 

We'll start at the top, the "A-horizon" That really dark regolith, (NEVER called dirt. Dirt is a swear word for geologists) that would be classified as silty clay.  Farmers would consider it soil. It ribbons very well which means it's consistency is plastic, and slightly sticky! In this particular area it's depth is about 8" from the surface. Next the "B-horizon." It is right under the A-horizon, and has a very defined boundary, which we call sharp! This horizon is sandy clay. You will find a lot of layered rocks and pebbles, including conglomerate rocks! It also ribbons and is even more sticky than the A-horizon it is located about 8-24" but has a very gradual boundary into the "C-horizon." This last horizon is loamy sand. It doesn't ribbon well at all, is very gritty, sandy, and only slightly plastic.

 Collecting rocks to later classify is the best. 
Oh so much limestone and quartz in these areas. 

The Wasatch fault runs right at the base of this little "hill," which is actually a fault scarp! Thousands of years ago, (which in geological time is a blink of an eye) an earthquake caused the land on one side of the fault to rise, creating this landform.   

Just touching some good old 'Bed Rock.' Based on superposition, this is the youngest rock found in these mountains. 

Consider yourself educated! Geology 101 from yours truly. I know how much you loved learning about all that but what can I say, I am a future teacher.