Writing a Local Geology Chapter

One of my students recently asked me for advice about her local geology chapter. She noted that her classmates had much longer chapters compared to hers. She believed that the others were writing too much, but at the same time recognized that she probably wasn't writing enough. This made me think back to what guidelines I followed during those times when I had to write my reports for field geology classes. These guidelines are listed below.

 

1. Finish your figures first.

Making figures and writing content are two very different tasks. In my experience, my brain just doesn't like it when I try to switch between them multiple times during a single session. It's very tiring to switch gears when you're trying to maintain focus. I suggest you make figures first, because then they are something to you can refer to as you write the text.

 

When making many figures that follow more-or-less the same template, such as the repetitive figures of each formation, I usually allow myself to listen to music with lyrics, or even have a video of my favorite series playing in the background. Doing this makes it a more pleasant task. When I start with the content writing, I switch to listening to instrumental music.

2. Make a checklist for the information you will need for all formations.

This is just to give you a mini outline to follow as you describe each formation.

 

3. Collate your data.

Following your checklist, collate all the necessary information, either in a spreadsheet or slideshow presentation. This way, when you write your content, you won't have to be bothered with looking at your raw data from your field notebook. This means your writing flow won't be disrupted as often.

 

4. Divide each formation into several paragraph. I follow this flow:

    a. Paragraph 1 for information mostly gathered from RRL. Who first named the formation? What was its known distribution? What were the general defining characteristics? Where is the type locality?

    b. Paragraph 2 to describe the representative outcrop that you visited during your fieldwork. The description should be both macroscopic and microscopic (if this is available).

    c. Paragraph 3 to describe the distribution of the formation based on your own mapping. You can list in terms of administrative units, or roads and rivers.

    d. Paragraph 4 for added information. If there are outcrops that show distinct features that are not present in or are different from the representative outcrop, you may state them here. (e.g. ...is also found in Area X where the sandstone was found to intercalate with chert nodules).

    e. Paragraph 5 to discuss the age (and the basis for the age) and stratigraphic relations (and the basis for this as well).

 

You may rearrange the paragraph order, or even design your own logical flow. You will also have to adjust based on the type of formation. Sedimentary formations may have a paragraph devoted to the results of paleontological analysis. Igneous formations may have a paragraph for crystallization order.

 

5. Start writing by just typing the information in the order you set above. You can even just copy and paste the data from your collated database. Then, edit for clarity, conciseness, and brevity afterwards.

 

6. Other notes

    a. When you describe using verbs, use the past tense (e.g. The beds were observed to follow the Bouma Sequence). When describing the rocks themselves, use the present tense (e.g. The beds follow the Bouma Sequence).

    b. Keep in mind that it shouldn't be too long. The goal is not to make a long, unreadable mass of text. The goal is to present your data clearly to your reader.

    c. As with any other long and focus-intensive task, try to take short breaks regularly. If you don't know your optimal focus retention span, you can start experimenting with 30-minute work intervals with 5-minute breaks in between.

 

There you have it. I hope this helps you the next time you write a local geology chapter. The main takeaway here is that you shouldn't write the chapter in sequence from start to finish. Segment your work into smaller chunks which are easier to handle. Let us know if any of you have more suggestions! 'Til next time!