Students should be familiar with thin section analysis of the fundemental suites of minerals that comprise most siliciclastic rocks. These suites include quartz-rich rocks, feldspathic-rich rocks, and lithic -rich rocks.  The student should demonstrate their ability to classify and name rocks based on thin section analysis.

The student should understand the subtle relationships (including cross-cutting relationships) between grains, matrix, and cements to logically determine the history of the siliciclastic rock being investigated.

Demonstrate the capability of placing a given siliciclastic rock into the tectonic provenance from which it was created based on the grain make-up of the rock.

Student will develop a term project wherein they will collect, analyze, and interpret various aspects of the rock. These aspects include the porosity/permeability (reservoir characteristics), petrography, petrology, and tectonic provenance and then present to peers their findings and conclusions.