Nothing Gold Can Stay Essay Example for Free

Nothing Gold Can Stay Essay The poem â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay,† by Robert Frost, uses a abcb rhyme scheme to cleverly explain natures downfall, due to gold, in the world. The author begins by showing that nature’s true color is green, however, due to man’s greed they only see gold. Being that nature supplied the earth with gold, man should respect it and give back. Instead the author depicts that nature is stripped of her importance and sad therefore the dawn goes down to day meaning instead of the weather staying beautiful, like it does in the morning, it turns to the hot, muggy afternoon. On the last line the author says, â€Å"Nothing gold can stay† (914), because mans inability to let go of greed is destroying our planet. The author also uses figurative language to reveal the poem’s meaning. In the beginning of the poem he personifies nature into a female so that the audience better understands natures pain and suffering due to humans greedy ways. Also, he uses imagery to paint the picture of the garden of Eden sinking to grief meaning that nature is in duress and even the first garden known to man is on the verge of destruction unless we change our ways. Lastly the author uses a metaphor comparing green to gold by saying â€Å"Natures first green is gold† (914), explaining that green is the symbol of life and prosperity. For example money is green and when nature is described green typically comes to mind. But he says gold is the first green because all humans care about is gold and as a result they are giving it greater importance than nature, our source of life.

Home Burial: Gender Roles In Grief Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When it comes to dealing with grief there are very distinct gender roles. In a marriage or a relationship there is always the so-called strong one who never shows any emotion, which is usually the male. Then there is what people call the drama queen, who often lets her emotions control her entire life; more than likely this describes the woman in the relationship. In this poem, â€Å"Home Burial†, Amy and her husband fit these gender roles perfectly. They argue about the way grief should be express and fail to see it from the other’s point of view.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We learn that Amy’s sorrow began from the moment that she saw her husband â€Å"making the gravel leap into the air† (982) as he dug the grave. She believed through what she saw him do that he could have no â€Å"feelings† (982). This forces Amy to go to â€Å"somebody else† (983) and share her feelings instead of bonding with her husband, who also shares the loss, but remains unable to discuss it. Amy needs to express her feelings with somebody who feels her pain, and she thinks that her husband is not capable of doing such a thing. Later in the poem, she goes onto say that she doesn’t think that any man can do such a thing. This shows the way that many people perceive men to be unable to show their feelings as easily as women do. It isn’t as if they cannot feel, but it is that they have difficulty expressing their emotions as freely as women do. Part of this can be blamed upon the way that...

Week Assessment

Leading is how a manager gets employees to get their work done to the best of their abilities, influence good work habits, and support the goals of employees for his or her journey either personally or within the organization. How these functions apply to managing others or even yourself in your current or previous job. This student employs the major functions of management in this students current position on a daily basis. Organization is a natural progress in maintaining a good work environment for this student.Others in management struggle with this function, but it is vital in maintaining a daily flow and progress of records for budgeting. Planning for future events, meetings, and time-off for employees is essential to maintaining office schedules and time management. This student maintains the physicians lily, weekly, and vacation schedules so that there are minimal problems with scheduling patient appointments and administrative meetings. Controlling is a new task that this st udent deals with in minimal measure.This student is the contact person in the office because the office is in transition with management in our office. This student updates the interim manager on the needs and issues in our office on a daily and weekly basis giving her the ability to manage her multiple offices without being onsite. Leading is a natural process for this student. In the past, this student has been the anger of our private practice but, with the transition to being a hospital owned office that role has evaporated to the established management team within the organization.The staff still comes to this student with problems and guidance this student is limited to what this student can do but try to help the staff as much as this student can. The most important role for a health care manager and leader in the diversified health care industry. In the opinion of this student, the most important role for a health care manager is leadership. Managers rely on their staffs to do the duties given to hem So that the manager can focus on Other tasks.It is imperative that staff take on tasks and duties that the manager needs the outcomes of the results for the reports the manager has to submit to higher management. Giving staff duties also helps create an integrated office where the staff feels involved with the management processes that have been unobtainable in past management styles. The most significant aspect related to health care management that you want to gain by taking this class. The most significant aspect related to health care management that this student want to gain from this class is how to use my style of management onto effective leadership.

Biblical Worldview Essay Essay

We all have a set of values and beliefs that help shape the way we view the world. While many of us can share the same tools that shape our worldview; everyone’s is unique to themselves. Romans 1-8 provides valuable teaching regarding the natural world, human identity, human relationships, and culture. These 4 categories make up the majority of the world and life as we know it. As Christians, this passage in the Bible should hold a great influence on our worldview. I will outline what Romans 1-8 teaches us about each category and how that affects my personal view of the world. As Christians, we know that God created the universe and everything in it by simply speaking. Everything in His creation attests to Him and His glory. This allows people who may never actually hear about Christ to still be able to see Him through creation. There is a verse in Luke 19:40 that goes on to say that even the rocks will cry out if everyone is silent. Romans 1:20 says, â€Å"For since the crea tion of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.† Through the natural world, God has provided a way to show Himself to all mankind. When I am out in nature on a beautiful quiet day I can feel the Lord’s presence. When I am on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean watching the sun set, I can see the Lord. I am young and have not yet seen many of the natural wonders of this world. I have seen enough though to know that God is present throughout nature. I don’t understand how a person could look out on a beautiful scene of nature and not feel God. He truly does speak through the beauty of His creation. Our human identity is who we believe ourselves to be. Without God I know that I am a destitute and wicked creature. We are capable unspeakable evils. I have hope though through my redemption. I know that any good thing I do or obtain is not of myself but from God. God created us in His image so we can catch a glimpse of what He is truly like. However, as humans we are wicked and evil in heart. Nothing but the love of C hrist can save us. Romans 3:10-18 clearly lines just how unrighteous and devoid of hope we are within ourselves. This passage shows us our true human identity without Christ. We have hope though because we have been given Christ! Romans 8:26 tells us that Christ intercedes for us at the feet of God. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ once we accept Him!  (Romans 8:35) Relationships make up a huge part of our lives. The Bible has a lot to say about relationships and how to treat one another. Relationships make an enormous impact on our world view because we are influenced by the people in our lives. Romans 1:28-32 lists the evils things that we do to one another such as envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, and gossip. This is just a fraction of the sins that cause us to have damaged relationships with each other and ultimately God. How could you come before God and expect a good relationship if you have a broken relationship with someone in your life? Jesus teaches us to love one another and forgive over and over. When your heart is hardened towards another person, then you are u ltimately hurting your own relationship with God as well. The second chapter in Romans cautions us against judging others. We have to treat one another the way we would want to be treated; with kindness and mercy. We also have to be careful about what kind of people we have relationships with. If you surround yourself with evil people then you will be influenced to do evil. During the time that Paul was writing Romans, there was a religious hierarchy in place. The Pharisees were the leaders and aristocrats in the Jewish community. They were extremely strict and followed a huge list of rules. They were so caught up in their rules that they couldn’t open their hearts and minds to Jesus. Also at this time it was widely believed that only the Jewish community could be saved through following the rules and the Gentile population was doomed. Romans 3:23-25 teaches us that, â€Å"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.† Jesus death paved the way for everyone to be saved, not just the Jews! We learn that we are saved through faith and not by works. We can never earn our salvation. Today’s culture in America is so focused on material possessions and gaining more. We are caught up in our shiny toys and items much like the Pharisees were caught up in their rules. We have to stop getting caught up in things that don’t really matter and see what God is trying to use us for. We all have a purpose and a reason for being here. If you are not living your life to further God’s message than you are wasting it. Our culture today makes it so easy to forget what we are really supposed to be living for. As Christians we must be vigilant and not let the snares of this world snag our heart and divert it from our true calling. Everyone has their own unique  view of the world and reasoning for their views. Christians build their world view with the structure that the Bible has provided us. Paul writes about the natural world, our identity as people, how to treat others, and about the culture of the world. We are not perfect and can never hope to be but the grace of Jesus offers us salvation. Romans 8:12 reminds us that we have an obligation to live a life through the Spirit and not by the flesh. Every day we must work harder and strive for righteousness and a Christ-like attitude. Our worldview affects the way we live and can have an impact on all those around us. The better our worldview, the better our light will shine for Christ.

Colonialism in The Tempests First Two Scenes Essays

Colonialism in The Tempests First Two Scenes Essays Colonialism in The Tempests First Two Scenes Essay Colonialism in The Tempests First Two Scenes Essay Essay Topic: The Tempest While reading the first two acts of the tempest, the reader could easily be lead to believe that Shakespeare intended this to be laid on a foundation of colonialism. There is much to suggest this opinion is correct, and it is one that has only with in the past century or so been discussed. It was during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods that the discovery of the new worlds took place. The invasion of the Americas is an example of a newly discovered land that under the rule of several European powers became little more than exploitation and literal rape of land and people. All of these world developments took place in and around Shakespeares life time, and it would be foolish to think that such an intellectual would fail to make a social comment within his work or otherwise. This is the nature of what we call a colonialist text. The native inhabitants of the new worlds were looked upon as utterly inferior, and were in many cases believed to be another species altogether. They were made to be slaves, with a purpose that solely consisted of serving the white man. This is very noticeable motif throughout the play, and the best example of this is when Caliban (the inferior native) and Prospero (the magician and settler) exchange meetings. It is obvious that Prospero sees Caliban as a worthless creature, with no rights or purpose but to attend him. He does make our fire, fetch our wood, and serves in offices that profit us This is a quote from Prospero as he tells Miranda that no matter how terrible Caliban is, he does their bidding. What you may not notice in this sentence is the use of Our. Prospero talks of the islands fruits as his own, as if he is the owner of all he sees. This is of course not true. We know that it is Caliban himself who has lived on the island with his mother Sycorax longer than the Magician or his daughter. Therefore if any one should be named the owner of the island it is the native himself. Caliban becomes incredibly vocal about this at points, and states exactly what I have been mentioning; The islands mine by SycoraxWhich thou takest from meand I showed thee all the qualities oth isle. Here he says that he inherited the island when his mother died, and Prospero stole it even after he had shown him all the qualities that the island held. This deception can be seen in every colonised community, from the Spanish destruction of the Aztec culture, to the reclaiming of land from the nomad tribes of the Americas. Colonisers would extract the knowledge of the natives, usually under the pretence of friendship, and after they had exploited them for all they were worth, they would enslave them. As a side matter, it is quite interesting when you examine how prospero describes Sycorax. It is as a blue-eyed hag. This is rather strange, as she is said to be from Algeria and therefore does not fit the stereotype. Blue eyes later became associated with people of Anglo-Saxon heritage, and in some African cultures blue eyes and blonde hair are seen to be signs of the devil (or at least evil). There are several conclusions we could come to; one is that Sycorax was banished from Algeria due to her race. This view corresponds with Shakespeares use of hyphens (Blue-eyed). Some critics believe that his use of this device is implemented to depict the ever-changing reality and sense of wonder through the words instability. Another view is that the blue eyes actually refer to something other than her eye colour. Pregnancy is a distinct possibility; in previous years having blue eyelids was seen to be a sign of being with child. This is most likely, as we know that Sycorax eventually gave b irth to Caliban, Prosperos lowly slave. A very good and well-known example of the manipulation of a people comes in Americas primary national holiday, thanksgiving. It was a case of the ignorant settlers learning how to cultivate the staple diet of wheat, rye and other plants so they could gain the upper hand on their teachers. At the time the natives as saw it as a genuine offering of alliance when the settlers sat down at dinner and shared Turkey. It was not and shortly afterwards they slaughtered them, in the same cowardly way that Prospero caged his native. There is an elitist air to Prospero that is reflective of the general character of a European settler. This is representative within his language; on several occasions it is apparent that he and his daughter Miranda feel that their position and colour means they are superior to other characters. I pitied thee when thou didst not, savage, know thine own meaning, but wouldst gable like a thing most brutish. This is just one example of how both Prospero and Miranda feel they are above Caliban in every way. I pitied thee suggests that there is a definite feeling of Calibans being little more than an animal, something that could just as well be disabled due to his form. When Miranda says gable like a thing most brutish she is referring to Calibans dialect before she honoured him with a civilised language. This does nothing for our esteem of Miranda. Her stalwart belief that any gabling but that of her own tongue is wrong only shows her ignorance. To be denied language is to be denied thought, and without thought we are nothing. The fact Miranda believes that Caliban had previously not had a language is absurd. Caliban replies to this illogical idea by saying you taught me language, and my profit ont is I know how to curse. It was not unusual for the snobbish settlers to believe that anyone who did not speak English, Spanish or any other European language was utterly substandard and dim-witted. Pitied is a word often applied to people who make you feel more significant. You would not pity someone who had just fallen over, you may feel sorry for them, but their tripping would not make you despise them to the point of pity. Calibans form, as it is described in the play, is one of an earthy monster and Prospero even goes so far as to say (A freckled whelp, hag-born) not honoured with a human shape. When the white man first laid eyes on the black man in Africa, they were instantly worried. The general consensus was that these creatures were not even human and were, in fact, another species altogether. It is a distinct possibility that Shakespeare intended this to be apparent. Whether or not he believed that Africans were another species is debatable, as this view would have been quite acceptable, but what is quite apparent is that (if indeed this is a colonialist text) he believes that they deserve rights. Another comparison that can be made between Prosperos Elitism and colonialism in the mid 16th century comes when talking to Ariel this time. Ariel is Prosperos other slave, but there is a mutual respect for each other, as Ariel is a creature of great beauty and significant power. Prospero from Sycorax freed Ariel, and as thanks offered his service for a full year. Thou my slave, as thou reportst thyself, was then her servant. Although Prospero has a respect for Caliban, he ensures that he stays in his place. It is as if the magician has made Ariel jump from one frying pan into another fire, as he now serves Prospero, and is still a slave. You could compare this to the evangelical Christians, who travelled the world in an attempt to convert savages to what they perceived to be the morally superior way of the lord. It could be said that colonialism was in itself a religious crusade, a way for Europeans to convert the heathens to what they believed to be the correct path. It is evident in The Tempest that Caliban has been indoctrinated to the point of believing Prospero to be all-powerful. I must obey; his art is of such power it would control my damns god Setebos it is not mentioned what power Setebos holds but from Calibans experience his Master is more powerful. Prosperos main power appears to be an ability to control nature itself; he is in control of Ariel, a nymph of great beauty which hails from the clouds above, and Caliban, a monster of hideous visage, who crawls close to the ground and is the colour of the earth. These two slaves represent his overall control; we know he can conjure great storms and give or take life as he pleases. It is understandable why Caliban in particular may see the mage as a god like figure (as that is how he is presented for a large section of the play), and it is reflective of the awe that many natives felt when first laying eyes on the pale faces. They would swagger of their monstrous ships, with weapons and finery that would impress any man. The problem would come when it became apparent that the natives were quite impressionable and willing to learn. The manipulation that would follow could well stretch as far as to create a belief that the white man was god. It is not even as if this is a phenomenon that died with slavery. In the first half of the 20th century, black American school children were taught in class that they werent important, and had no history worthy of teaching. The early settlers used this effectively as a smoke screen that would prevent any uprising or questioning of their rule. This is just what Prospero does, but he also employs a fear factor to enforce his power. I feel that throughout this play there is much to suggest that it is indeed a text with strong colonialist links, but it is not the only motif that can be extracted. It is true that that what I first noticed was that a lot of references could be drawn in relation to the New World conquests of the 15th and 16th centuries. However, on closer examination I began to think that there was a meaning a little deeper rooted. I felt this was a tale of how power corrupts. Firstly we see how in the first scene Gonzalo goes as far as to feel he need hang the Boatswain due to a single comment he made. Later on we hear of how Prosperos beloved brother betrays him over the ownership of Milan, and after this we see Prospero become more and more aggressive towards, in particular, Caliban, just as a means to make him feel more powerful. These two points interlink very well, but can also be examined as separate issues, and I feel that if I had gone into my reading with other expectations I could have drawn out an entirely different argument.

Sci241 Week 1 Assignment Healthy Eating Plan.Doc Essays

Sci241 Week 1 Assignment Healthy Eating Plan.Doc Essays Sci241 Week 1 Assignment Healthy Eating Plan.Doc Essay Sci241 Week 1 Assignment Healthy Eating Plan.Doc Essay Assignment: Healthy Eating Plan Alexander Ingram SCI241 1/26/2011 Instructor Lisa Goodson, Ph. D. Balancing nutrition is one of the most important things to do in one’s day besides hygiene. I have had my current eating habits analyzed and read the nutrition of them. I have read the good and poor aspects of my diet. On food diet websites that share links, I have found the food guide pyramid that is a tool for diet planning. The Food Guide Pyramid is a guide for planning diets that meet nutrient requirements and recommendations for health promotion and disease prevention. It was designed to help consumers make food choices that together add up to a healthy overall diet. University of Phoenix (UOP 2011) My current eating habits have been documented on a somewhat food diary that I keep track of on a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)(2011) website called mypyramidtracker. gov . On this food pyramid tracker, I can compare my nutrition to my activity and see the health of what I already eat. On this web site, I enter my diet for each day and my each activity and the time of each for the day I am logging to the tracker. After processing all this information, I can how my activity counters the calories I have consumed on that day. For the activity and time entered for it, one will receive a rating on their activities. With these results, I can build my own custom Food Pyramid that meats the nutrition I should have. The Pyramid is built around five food groups: Bread, Cereal, Rice, Pasta; Vegetable; Fruit; Milk, Yogurt, Cheese; and Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, Nuts. Foods within each of these food groups supply similar nutrients. For example, foods in the Bread, Cereal, Rice, Pasta Group provide carbohydrates and B vitamins; those in the Milk, Yogurt, Cheese Group provide protein, calcium, riboflavin, and vitamin D. By choosing a variety of foods from each group according to the serving sizes and selection tips provided with the Pyramid, you can get adequate amounts of all the nutrients you need in the proportions recommended for a healthy diet. UOP (2011) With my current activity and diet I have found the best of the nutrients of my daily diet on Pyramid Tracker. USDA (2011) My daily activity time of 360 minutes of construction work, xpends a total calories of 2783, with a grading of 100 good. I currently, already have a daily balance for food of 1 cup of green, black and kidney beans each. I also have 2 cups of white long grain rice, 3 cups of whole wheat noodles, 1 large potato, 1 cup of potato soup, and for dinner or swapped between which is lunch, ? lb hamburger with mayo and tomato on a bun and 2 links of polish sausage. The Nutrients of my current eating habit are of an intake of 3734 calories, the recommended calories are 3662. With the other nutrients, I have high Protein, Sodium and Carbohydrates compared to the recommending. Almost all of my vitamins are low in the comparison, so with more research, I will find a way to decrease my high good nutrients to counter the raise in which vitamin nutrients I am lacking on. I may be able to hold my current diet and counter the low vitamins with vitamin pills a good grocery store may contain. The nutrients in food provide energy, structure, and regulation. There are six classes of nutrients that we need to stay alive and healthy, to grow, and to reproduce: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, water, vitamins, and minerals. The amount of each we need varies. Water, carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins are needed in large amounts. These are considered macronutrients. Macronutrient requirements are measured in grams (g) or liters (L). Vitamins and minerals are needed only in microgram or milligram (mg) amounts. They are considered micronutrients. Although we tend to think of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins as single nutrients, there are actually many different types of molecules in each of these classes. Carbohydrates include starches, sugars, and fiber. Some high-carbohydrate foods like potatoes, asta, and white bread contain mostly starch; some, like oatmeal, berries, kidney beans, and broccoli are high in fiber; and others like cookies, cakes, and carbonated beverages are high in added sugars. Foods that are high in fiber and low in added sugar tend to be higher in nutrient density, containing more vitamins and minerals per calorie than low-fiber, high-sugar foods. There are several types of lipids that are important in nutrition. The ones we hear most about are cholesterol and saturated and unsaturated fats. Consuming a diet high in cholesterol and saturated ats, from foods like butter, meat, and milk, increases your risk of developing heart disease. Consuming a diet high in unsaturated fats from foods like vegetable oils, olives, and avocados lowers your risk. Protein is also not a single substance. There are thousands of different proteins in your body and your diet. All of these are made up of units called amino acids. Different combinations of amino acids are linked together to form different types of proteins. The amino acids we eat in animal products better match our needs than do the amino acids from plant proteins such as those in rains and legumes. However, both plant and animal proteins can provide all the amino acids we need if the diet is chosen wisely. Water, unlike the other nutrient classes, has only one member. Water makes up about 60% of an adult’s bod y weight. We can’t store water so body losses must constantly be replaced by water in the diet. In the body water acts as a lubricant, a transport fluid, and a regulator of body temperature. Vitamins are small organic molecules that must be consumed in the diet to maintain health. There are 13 different vitamins. Each provides a unique function in the body, from maintaining vision to helping blood to clot. Minerals are inorganic elements. Like vitamins, they are needed for a variety of diverse functions such as keeping our bones strong and transporting oxygen in our blood. We consume vitamins and minerals in almost all of the foods we eat. Some foods are natural sources of vitamins and minerals: oranges contain vitamin C, milk provides calcium, and carrots give us vitamin A. Other foods have vitamins and minerals added to them; breakfast cereals often have almost 00% of the recommended intake of many vitamins added to them. Dietary supplements are also a source of vitamins and minerals for some people. UOP (2011) I intend to use this entire nutrient and diet information to gradually balance my personal diet to almost match the recommended nutrition I found through these resources. I am using measuring tools for food and reading the nutrition info on most foods before preparation. I will event ually blend good nutrition into my natural days. References: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (2011) MyPyramid. ov is your access point for the USDA food guidance system. mypyramid. gov/pyramid/ and mypyramidtracker. gov for tracking my eating habits. University of Phoenix (UOP)(2011) University of Phoenix is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association (ncahlc. org). Retrieved January 29th of 2011 from https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/classroom/ic/classroom. aspx, week 1 reading materials I have gained some of the strongest information. (Chapter 1 and 2) ehiedu. org/flash/pdfs/w68761c2. pdf

Rock Provenance by Petrologic Methods

Rock Provenance by Petrologic Methods Sooner or later, almost every rock on Earth is broken down into sediment, and the sediment is then carried away somewhere else by gravity, water, wind or ice. We see this happening every day in the land around us, and the rock cycle labels that set of events and processes erosion. We should be able to look at a particular sediment and tell something about the rocks it came from. If you think of a rock as a document, sediment is that document shredded. Even if a document is shredded down to individual letters, for instance, we could study the letters and tell pretty easily what language it was written in. If there were some whole words preserved, we could make a good guess about the documents subject, its vocabulary, even its age. And if a sentence or two escaped shredding, we might even match it to the book or paper it came from. Provenance: Reasoning Upstream This kind of research on sediments is called provenance studies. In geology, provenance (rhymes with providence) means where the sediments came from and how they got where they are today. It means working backward, or upstream, from the grains of sediment we have (the shreds) to get an idea of the rock or rocks they used to be (the documents). Its a very geological way of thinking, and provenance studies have exploded in the last few decades. Provenance is a topic confined to sedimentary rocks: sandstone and conglomerate. There are ways of characterizing the protoliths of metamorphic rocks and the sources of igneous rocks like granite or basalt, but theyre vague in comparison. The first thing to know, as you reason your way upstream, is that transporting sediment changes it. The process of transport breaks rocks into ever smaller particles from boulder to clay size, by physical abrasion. And at the same time most of the minerals in the sediment are chemically changed, leaving just a few resistant ones. Also, long transport in streams can sort out the minerals in sediment by their density, so that light minerals like quartz and feldspar can move ahead of heavy ones like magnetite and zircon. Second, once sediment arrives at a resting place- a sedimentary basin- and turns into sedimentary rock again, new minerals may form in it by diagenetic processes. Doing provenance studies, then, requires you to ignore some things and visualize other things that used to be present. Its not straightforward, but were getting better with experience and new tools. This article focuses on petrological techniques, based on simple observations of minerals under the microscope. This is the kind of thing geology students learn in their first lab courses. The other main avenue of provenance studies uses chemical techniques, and many studies combine both. Conglomerate Clast Provenance The big stones (phenoclasts) in conglomerates are like fossils, but instead of being specimens of ancient living things they are specimens of ancient landscapes. Just as the boulders in a riverbed represent the hills upstream and uphill, conglomerate clasts generally testify about the nearby countryside, no more than a few tens of kilometers away. Its no surprise that river gravels contain bits of the hills around them. But it can be interesting to find out that the rocks in a conglomerate are the only things left from hills that vanished millions of years ago. And this kind of fact can be especially meaningful in places where the landscape has been rearranged by faulting. When two widely separated outcrops of conglomerate have the same mix of clasts, thats strong evidence that they once were very close together. Simple Petrographic Provenance A popular approach for analyzing well-preserved sandstones, pioneered around 1980, is to sort the different kinds of grains into three classes and plot them by their percentages on a triangular graph, a ternary diagram. One point of the triangle is for 100% quartz, the second is for 100% feldspar and the third is for 100% lithics: rock fragments that havent fully broken down into isolated minerals. (Anything that isnt one of these three, typically a small fraction, is ignored.) It turns out that rocks from certain tectonic settings make sediments- and sandstones- that plot in fairly consistent places on that QFL ternary diagram. For instance, rocks from the interior of continents are rich in quartz and have almost no lithics. Rocks from volcanic arcs have little quartz. And rocks derived from the recycled rocks of mountain ranges have little feldspar. When necessary, grains of quartz that are actually lithics- bits of quartzite or chert rather than bits of single quartz crystals- can be moved over to the lithics category. That classification uses a QmFLt diagram (monocrystalline quartz–feldspar–total lithics). These work pretty well in telling what kind of plate-tectonic country yielded the sand in a given sandstone. Heavy Mineral Provenance Besides their three main ingredients (quartz, feldspar, and lithics) sandstones have a few minor ingredients, or accessory minerals, derived from their source rocks. Except for the mica mineral muscovite, they are relatively dense, so theyre usually called heavy minerals. Their density makes them easy to separate from the rest of a sandstone. These can be informative. For instance, a large area of igneous rocks is apt to yield grains of hard primary minerals like augite, ilmenite or chromite. Metamorphic terranes add things like garnet, rutile and staurolite. Other heavy minerals like magnetite, titanite and tourmaline could come from either. Zircon is exceptional among the heavy minerals. It is so tough and inert that it can endure for billions of years, being recycled over and over like the coins in your pocket. The great persistence of these detrital zircons has led to a very active field of provenance research that starts with separating hundreds of microscopic zircon grains, then determining the age of each one using isotopic methods. The individual ages arent as important as the blend of ages. Every large body of rock has its own blend of zircon ages, and the blend can be recognized in the sediments that erode from it. Detrital-zircon provenance studies are powerful, and so popular nowadays that theyre often abbreviated as DZ. But they rely on expensive labs and equipment and preparation, so theyre mainly used for high-payoff research. The older ways of sifting, sorting and counting mineral grains are still useful.