Justin D’Souza About 170 words SUNY Geneseo INTD 105 Science Writing
Rock Strata as Natural Paintings
by Justin D’Souza
Appendix III of “The Heart of the Antarctic” paints a clear picture of the scientific discoveries the team found involving the rock strata and formations in the Antarctic. The geologist of the expedition, Raymond Priestley, describes the various layers of gneisses, granite, dolerites, and sedimentary rock found near the Ferrar Glacier. They collected rock samples from various layers to look for indicators of organic life in the rocks as well as understand how the glaciers influenced the geography of the location. However, Priestley know that there was a 90% chance that any kind of fossils were destroyed the by extreme weathering of the rocks. The team moves on to explore how the glacier and sea interacted to create the intricate rock layering.
When Priestley described the rocks, including the “yellow bands” of granite and “alternating black bands” of rock, which striped across the Antarctic landscape, I couldn’t help but think of a painting. To visualize the different rock layers and help convey the discoveries to others, the arts could supplement the geological expedition to create stunning artwork of the rocks.