Jumpsite for Park Geology Education
The following NPS web sites have been selected and rated by educators to highlight some of the best park geology pages and to provide a quick starting place for exploring the many thousands of park science pages available to you. The sites have been given ratings of 1 to 5 globes, with 5 being the best. Please feel free to send comments, corrections, or additions to us via e-mail ( Webmaster ).
Cave/Karst
NPS Cave and Karst Knowledge Center
http://www.nature.nps.gov/synthesis/views/Index_caveskarst.htm
Carlsbad
Caverns National Park, New Mexico
http://www.nps.gov/cave/geology.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/cave/index.cfm
Great
Basin National Park, Nevada
http://www.nps.gov/grba/pphtml/subnaturalfeatures13.html
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grba/index.cfm
Jewel
Cave National Monument, South Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/jeca/geology.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/jeca/index.cfm
Oregon
Caves National Monument, Oregon
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/orca/index.cfm
Timpanogos
Cave National Monument, Utah
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/tica/index.cfm
Wind
Cave National Park, South Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/wica/
Wind_Cave_Exploration_&_Resource_Management.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wica/Geology.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/wica/index.cfm
Dunes
Death
Valley National Park, California & Nevada
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/deva/deva1.html
http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/geologicformations.htm
Great
Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
http://www.nps.gov/grsa/resources/overview.htm
Mojave
National Preserve, California
http://www.nps.gov/moja/home.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/moja/index.cfm
White
Sands National Monument, New Mexico
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/whsa/index.cfm
http://www.nps.gov/whsa/Geology%20of%20White%20Sands/GeoHome.html
Erosion
Arches
National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/arch/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
Badlands
National Park, South Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/badl/exp/home.htm
Black
Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
http://www.nps.gov/blca/webvc/geology.htm
Bryce
Canyon National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/blca/naturescience/geology.htm
Canyonlands
National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/cany/naturescience/geologicformations.htm
Zion
National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/zion/Geology.htm
Evaporite Deposits
Arches
National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/arch/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
Mojave
National Preserve, California
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/moja/index.cfm
White
Sands National Monument, New Mexico
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/whsa/index.cfm
http://www.nps.gov/whsa/Geology%20of%20White%20Sands/GeoHome.html
Faults
Joshua
Tree National Park, California
http://www.nps.gov/jotr/nature/features/geology/formations.html
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/jotr/index.cfm
Pinnacles
National Monument, California
http://www.nps.gov/pinn/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
Flood Plains
Grand
Teton National Park, Wyoming
http://www.nps.gov/grte/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grte/index.cfm
Fossils/Paleontology
Badlands
National Park, South Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/badl/exp/home.htm
Death
Valley National Park, California & Nevada
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/deva/deva1.html
http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/geologicformations.htm
Grand
Teton National Park, Wyoming
http://www.nps.gov/grte/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grte/index.cfm
Hagerman
Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/hafo/index.cfm
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/geology.htm
John
Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon
http://www.nps.gov/joda/naturescience/rivers.htm
http://www.nps.gov/joda/geology.htm
http://www.nps.gov/joda/paleo.htm
Petrified
Forest National Park, Arizona
http://www.nps.gov/pefo/
Theodore
Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/thro/tr_rocks.htm
Geo-detective
Bryce
Canyon National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/brca/geology.html
Geologic Formations
Hagerman
Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/hafo/index.cfm
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/geology.htm
John
Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon
http://www.nps.gov/joda/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nps.gov/joda/geology.htm
Geothermal Activity
Yellowstone
National Park, Wyoming, Idaho & Montana
http://www.nps.gov/yell/nature/geology/index.htm
http://www.geyserstudy.org/geyser_main.htm
Glaciation
NPS Glaciers Knowledge Center
http://www.nature.nps.gov/views/Index_glaciers.htm
Acadia
National Park, Maine
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/acad/index.cfm
http://www.nps.gov/acad/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
Glacier
Bay National Park, Alaska
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/glba/
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/glba_web/
Grand
Teton National Park, Wyoming
http://www.nps.gov/grte/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grte/index.cfm
Great
Basin National Park, Nevada
http://www.nps.gov/grba/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grba/index.cfm
Mt
Rainier National Park, Washington
http://www.nps.gov/mora/ncrd/glacier/index.html
http://www.nps.gov/mora/ncrd/geology.htm
Olympic
National Park, Washington
http://www.nps.gov/olym/invgeo.htm
Wrangell
-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/geology.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/geologybook.htm
Historical Geology
USGS/NPS
Geologic Time Overview
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/gtime/gtime1.html
Arches
National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/arch/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
Badlands
National Park, South Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/badl/exp/home.htm
Big
Bend National Park, Texas
http://www.nps.gov/bibe/naturescience/geology.htm
Black
Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
http://www.nps.gov/blca/naturescience/geology.htm
Canyonlands
National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/cany/naturescience/geologicformations.htm
Mississippi
National River & Recreation Area, Minnesota
http://www.nps.gov/miss/features/index.html
Mojave
National Preserve, California
http://www.nps.gov/moja/home.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/moja/index.cfm
Shenandoah
National Park, Virginia
http://www.nps.gov/shen/naturescience/geologicformations.htm
Theodore
Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/thro/tr_rocks.htm
Yosemite
National Park, California
http://www.nps.gov/yose/nature/geology.htm
Zion
National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/zion/Geology.htm
Hydrology
Grand
Teton National Park, Wyoming
http://www.nps.gov/grte/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grte/index.cfm
Great
Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
http://www.nps.gov/grsa/resources/overview.htm
Hagerman
Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/naturescience/index.htm
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/geology.htm
Hydrothermal Activity
Yellowstone
National Park, Wyoming, Idaho & Montana
http://www.nps.gov/yell/nature/geology/index.htm
http://www.geyserstudy.org/geyser_main.htm
Landslides
Hagerman
Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/naturescience/index.htm
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/geology.htm
Mountains
Grand
Teton National Park, Wyoming
http://www.nps.gov/grte/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grte/index.cfm
Paleontology/Fossils
Badlands
National Park, South Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/badl/exp/home.htm
Death
Valley National Park, California & Nevada
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/deva/index.cfm
http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/geologicformations.htm
Grand
Teton National Park, Wyoming
http://www.nps.gov/grte/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grte/index.cfm
Hagerman
Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/naturescience/index.htm
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/geology.htm
John
Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon
http://www.nps.gov/joda/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nps.gov/joda/geology.htm
http://www.nps.gov/joda/paleo.htm
Petrified
Forest National Park, Arizona
http://www.nps.gov/pefo/naturescience/fossils.htm
Theodore
Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/thro/tr_rocks.htm
Petrified Wood
Petrified
Forest National Park, Arizona
http://www.nps.gov/pefo/naturescience/fossils.htm
Plate Tectonics
USGS/NPS
Plate Tectectonics Overview
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/pltec/pltec1.html
Olympic
National Park, Washington
http://www.nps.gov/olym/home.htm
http://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm
Wrangell-St.
Ellias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/geology.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/geologybook.htm
River Systems
Mississippi
National River & Recreation Area, Minnesota
http://www.nps.gov/miss/features/index.html
Seashore
Acadia
National Park, Maine
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/acad/index.cfm
http://www.nps.gov/acad/naturescience/coasts.htm
Volcanism/Volcanoes/Lava Flow
NPS Volcanism Knowledge Center
http://www.nature.nps.gov/views/Index_volcano.htm
Crater
Lake National Park, Oregon
http://www.nps.gov/crla/geo1.htm
Craters
of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho
http://www.nps.gov/crmo/naturescience/volcanoes.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/crmo/index.cfm
Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
http://www.nps.gov/havo/visitor/lava.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/havo/index.cfm
Lava
Beds National Monument, California
http://www.nps.gov/labe
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/labe/index.cfm
Sunset
Crater Volcano National Monument, Arizona
http://home.nps.gov/sucr/naturescience/geologicformations.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/sucr/index.cfm
http://nps.gov/wupa/geology_general.html
Wrangell-St.
Ellias National Park and Preserve
http://home.nps.gov/wrst/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/geology.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/geologybook.htm
Other Sites
USGS/NPS
Projects
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/project/home.html
Five stars – Excellent depth of information about park geology. A five
star rating is very similar to a four star rating except that there is a fun-to-navigate element in a five star rated park.
Four stars – In addition to the park brochure, there is additional park geology
information provided from other NPS sites or links to outside sources. The
geology education information is excellent and explains geologic processes
in detail. There may be animations, geology photos and lesson plans available
on the site.
Three stars – In addition to the park brochure, there is additional park information provided
from other park information such as the Geology Fieldnotes or outside sources.
The additional information may or may not be linked in the park website. The
additional information is not easily found through the park website.
Two stars – The only information provided at the park site is the park brochure,
however the information is more in depth and the park geology may be more
abundant and more interesting. There are no external links provided at the
park site for geologic discovery.
One star – The only information provided at the park site is the park brochure. It may indicate
that the geology in the park is very limited. If there are outside sources
of information about the park geology, the links are not available on the
park site.