STOP 2 - TRIP ONE
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Beekmantown - Early Ordovician
Geology 364 - Stratigraphy and Basin Analysis
Dept. of Geology and Environmental Studies
James Madison University
Lynn S. Fichter



     The top picture is as we first encounter the outcrop, just after we cross the bridge over the Shenandoah River. Carbonate rocks steeply dipping toward the northwest.
     The picture to the right is the outcrop down the road as we walked along looking for sequences and cycles.
     These next two images are closer looks at the outcrop, but neither really captures the 6 lithofacies we saw: algal laminated micrite, algal laminated dolomite, massive micrite, massive dolomite, ribbon rock, leopard rock.
Description and Interpretation: Can you list the six lithofacies we saw? Can you recognize typical representatives of each?
     You should be able to give environmental interpretations for each lithofacies, including the processes responsible for their formation.
     Also, remember the exercise we did on sequences and cycles. You should be able to summarize what we found and what it means.

     Fractal Links: we had talked briefly about how the record was fractal. If you do not know what that means go to these links.
   Link One: there is a brief discussion of fractal geometry at the beginning of this page. Note that at the end of the discussion are several links to other fractal sites. They are reproduced here.
   Link 2: This page gives an example of the fractal nature of structural geology in the Appalachians, including some of the outcrops we visited, either in strat, or 230.
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