How Many Years Does it Take for a Mountain to Wash Into the Sea?, An Introductory Geology Exercise

Abstract

I have developed an exercise for a lecture class that breaks the monotony of note taking and requires active student thought and participation. The exercise is effective in helping students grasp the immensity of geologic time as it relates to the erosion of a prominent local landmark, Massanutten Mountain.The four parts of the exercise require the students to: 1) formulate a conceptual analogy to estimate the length of time required to erode a mountain; 2) use a computer program to calculate the volume of the mountain; 3) mathematically calculate the time required to erode a volume of rock equalivent to the mountain; and, 4) identify the most likely source of error in the procedure.Copies of the exercise and data file are available from the author either as email attachments or on a floppy disc.