Joshua Tree National Park: Pre Field Trip Questions

Joshua Tree National Park is an excellent destination for observing intrusive granitic rocks, common rock-forming minerals, metamorphic rock (gneiss), weathering effects on rock, intrusive structures like veins, the San Andreas Fault, common desert landforms (including inselbergs and alluvial fans), and desert ecology. It also has an interesting human history, having been inhabited by native Americans and later miners, who extracted gold, silver, and other precious metals. 

Instructions

Complete the Joshua Tree National Park assigned reading (Introduction through the Pre-Field Trip Questions) and watch the videos and take notes.

You have no time limit and two attempts. 

Complete this assignment before the field trip. 

Time Needed

About 30 minutes. 

Learning Objectives

• Identify common igneous minerals in rock samples in the field
• Describe the role played by subduction in forming granite
• Identify spheroidal weathering in the field
• Explain the process of spheroidal weathering and how it contributes to the look of the JTree landscape