Collaborative Research: REU Site Project--Evolution of Precambrian Rocks in Yellowstone National Park

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。在黄石国家公园（YNP）的研究将描述公园北部的前寒武纪岩石的地质、地球化学和地质年代学特征。REU学生将参与三个主要活动，这将构成一个完整的研究经历：1)在YNP进行的实地研究将包括YNP的前寒武纪基底的地质测绘和采样；由较小的工作组拟订可检验的研究问题；测绘和抽样项目来解决这些研究问题；2)分析研究，在蒙大拿州立大学实地工作后立即开始样品制备；学生家庭院校的岩石学分析；在学年期间，对分析实验室进行为期一周的访问，由小型研究小组进行后续研究（佛罗里达大学进行地球化学和地质年代学研究；路易斯安那州立大学进行电子显微探针分析研究）；3)交流成果，每个工作组将在美国地质学会落基山分会会议上提交一份摘要，作为正式确定研究成果的第一步，包括一个写作研讨会，以鼓励合作撰写同行评审的期刊文章。这个REU选址项目将进行两年，第一年重点研究异常低品位的变质沉积岩，第二年重点研究（元）火成岩。综上所述，研究结果将为研究YNP前寒武纪岩石的成因、结构和演化提供重要的见解。研究结果将有助于更全面地了解YNP的自然历史。地质图和采样地点将以地理信息系统为基础，并将传送给YNP研究办公室，以便纳入其数据库，以帮助YNP进一步研究和管理。参与该项目的学生将通过参与一系列的活动获得宝贵的研究经验，包括假设的制定和测试、实地测绘和抽样、样品制备、现代仪器的分析研究、在专业会议上交流结果以及参与合作撰写同行评审的期刊文章。一项关于学习部分的研究将记录实地经验对参与学生的认知和情感影响，以帮助记录实地教学的最佳教学实践，供更大的地球科学教育界使用。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Research in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) will characterize the geology, geochemistry and geochronology of the Precambrian rocks that underlie the northern part of the Park. REU students will participate in three major activities that will constitute a complete research experience: 1) Field studies, conducted in YNP will include geologic mapping and sampling of the Precambrian basement of YNP; formulation of testable research questions by smaller working groups; and mapping and sampling projects to address these research questions; 2) Analytical studies, starting with sample preparation immediately following field work at Montana State University; petrographic analysis at the students' home institutions; a week-long visit to analytical laboratories to conduct follow-up studies by small research groups during the academic year (University of Florida for geochemistry and geochronology; Louisiana State University for electron microprobe analysis); 3) Communicating results, each working group will submit an abstract to the following Geological Society of America Rocky Mountain sectional meeting as a first step towards formalizing the research results, including a writing workshop to encourage collaborative writing towards a peer-reviewed journal article. This REU site project will be conducted over two years with a focus on the anomalously low-grade metasedimentary rocks in the first year and (meta)igneous rocks in the second year. In aggregate, the research results will provide important insights into the petrogenesis, architecture, and evolution of the Precambrian rocks of YNP.The research results will contribute to a more complete understanding of the natural history of YNP. The geologic maps and sampling locations will be GIS-based and will be transmitted to the YNP Research Office for inclusion in their database to help inform further research and management in YNP. Students who participate in this project will gain valuable research experience through participating in the full range of activities including hypothesis formulation and testing, field mapping and sampling, sample preparation, analytical studies on modern instrumentation, communicating results at a professional meeting and engaging collaborative writing towards a peer-reviewed journal article. A research on learning component will document the cognitive and affective impacts of the field experience on the participating students to help document best instructional practices in field instruction for use by the larger geoscience education community.