User:HenaMas/sandbox

Article Review

My article review will be about the Permian Basin (North America). This article is rated as a high importance, start-class article by Wikipedia. The Permian Basin is mined for its oil, potash, and salt in West Texas, which is how it relates to this course.

Clarity

This article has many headings and subheadings, which leads to the page looking a bit cluttered. For example, the Components section is split up into multiple sub-sections, but each of these have only a couple of lines of texts, and it is not well explained how they relate to each other. There were many pictures and diagrams in this article, but the amount can sometimes be distracting, and the pictures are very similar to each other and sometimes feel repetitive. The pictures also lack captions, which adds to the confusion. There are also many paragraphs that aren't cited, which decreases the credibility of the article.

Structure

The first heading of the article deals with the different geologic components found in the Permian Basin. This section had many subheadings that were each named after a different component, which became confusing because the relationship between these different components were not well explained. Although the layout of this page was well done and split up nicely, the sections were all explained poorly with little to no citations, and the pictures that were added were not very helpful in understanding the concepts. The introduction paragraph was well done, as it briefly explained the important topics that were covered in the article.

The depositional history section of this article was split up into only three sections which were all poorly explained and lacking in detail. Many of the pictures in this article were of the geologic time divisions in the Permian period, which would have been a useful way to subdivide this section. Unfortunately, the section was split into only 3 sub-headings. If it was subdivided into specific Permian divisions, I believe that it would have been much easier to understand the deposition of the Permian Basin and how the environment changed throughout time.

The facies tract heading of this article was better explained than the previous parts, but it was very poorly cited, as the first two sub-headings have no citations at all. This section talks about different rock types, and I believe that a few pictures showing the difference between these rock types would have been helpful. The tectonic history section was divided appropriately, although there is an error in the geologic dates they gave, for example the Mississippian ends 323 million years ago, not 310 million years as was stated. The sections could be better explained, but the structure of the sections are well done. I am not very familiar with the mining history of the Permian Basin, so I can't comment on the content of this section, but the structure is well done.

Neutrality

I thought that the article did not show bias and that the chosen references were neutral research articles from many different institutions. Given that the article was mostly about geologic history and mining, there was not a lot of opportunity for biases. One issue I did have with the sources is that some of them seem out of date, since papers published as far back as 1959 were used. Another issue is that there is not a big variety in authors, as 6 of the cited research papers are written by just two different authors. The lack of different viewpoints could lead to a bias in the research.

Areas of Improvement

If I was to pick this article to improve, some of the things I would focus on would be adding content to the components section, as most of the sub-sections contained only a few sentences. Another issue I would fix is the lack of sub-headings in the depositional history section. The depositional history of the Permian Basin has varied throughout geologic time, and talking about the deposition in each geologic period would be a better way in explaining the Basin's history. I would also expand the mining section to discuss discovery of the resource and the different mining techniques that have been used.

Article to Improve Selection

Potential Articles

Permian Basin (North America)

For my article to improve and add to, I am interested in doing the same article I reviewed, the Permian Basin (North America). When reviewing this article, I noticed that there is a lot of information that I knew, based on research done for this subject in previous classes, that would be helpful in the article.This article is also rated as high importance, so improving it would be helpful. The Permian Basin is also in the news because of higher production rates due to new mining methods, so keeping the article up to date with important information is necessary.

Terra Nova Oil Field

Another article that seemed interesting to improve was the article about the Terra Nova Oil Field off the coast of Newfoundland. This article is ranked as starting class and is of low importance. This oil field is the second largest in Canada's east coast, so while it is not important to wiki, it is important nationally. This article is very bare-bones, so its a good opportunity to shape the article.

Begin Drafting My Article

I have chosen to add and improve the Permian Basin (North America) article on Wikipedia. I have already started adding information to the Hovey Channel and Late Paleozoic Depositional History sections in the article. All edits can be seen on the History tab of the article.

Proterozoic

The Tobosa Basin also contains basement rock that dates back to 1330 million years ago (mya), and that are still visible in the present-day Guadalupe Mountains. The basement rock contains biotite-quartz granite, discovered at a depth of 3847 m. In the nearby Apache and Glass Mountains, the basement rock is made of metamorphosed sandstone and Precambrian-aged granite. The entire area is also underlain by layered mafic rocks, which are thought to be a part of Pecos Mafic Igneous Suite [1], and extends 360 km into southern USA and has been dated to 1163 mya.

Late Paleozoic (Late Cambrian to Mississippian)

Ordovician Period (485.4 - 443.8 mya)

Each period from the Paleozoic Era has contributed a specific lithology to the Tobosa Basin, accumulating into almost 2000 m of sediment at the start of the Pennsylvanian Period (323.2 – 298.9 mya). The Montoya Group is the youngest rock formation in the Tobosa Basin and was formed in the Ordovician Period (485.4 - 443.8 mya), and sit directly on the igneous and metamorphic basement rocks. The rocks from the Montoya Group are descried as light to medium grey, fine to medium grained crystalline calcareous dolomite. These rocks were sometimes inter-bedded with shale, dark grey limestone, and, less commonly, chert. the Montoya Group sequence is made up of carbonate limestone and dolomite which is described as dense, impermeable, and non-porous, and is more commonly found in the Glass Mountains outcrop, with thickness varying from 46 to 155 m.

Silurian Period (443.8 – 419.2 mya)

During the Silurian Period, the Tobosa Basin experienced dramatic changes in sea level which led to the formation of multiple rock groups. The first of these groups, called the Fusselman Formation, is mostly made up of light grey, medium to coarse grained dolomite. The thickness of this formation varies from 15 to 50 m, and parts of the Fusselman Formation were also subject to karstification, which indicates a drop in sea level. The second rock group that formed during the Silurian Period is called the Wristen Formation, which is mud, shale, and dolomite rich rock that reaches a thickness of 450 m in some places. Karstification of the Fusselman Formation shows that a drop in sea level occurred, but sea levels rose again during a transgressive event, which lead to the creation of the Wristen Formation. Sea levels would then drop again, which led to major exposure, erosion, and karstification of these formations.

Devonian Period (419.2 - 358.9 mya)

The Thirtyone Formation was developed during the Devonian Period. This formation is characterized by its limestone, chert, and shale beds, some of which had a peak thickness of 300 m. this formation had many different types of limestone, including light-colored siliceous, chert-dominated, crinoid-rich, and sandy limestone. The Thirtyone Formation is verey similar to the formation of the Mississippian Period, which is likely because there were little to no changes in the environment during this time.

Mississippian Period (358.9 - 323.2 mya)

The Mississippian Limestone is the main formation to develop during this Period. This formation, similar to the previously mentioned Thirtyone Formation, is composed primarily of limestone and shale. The limestone beds are described as being "brown to dark brown, micro-crystalline to very finely crystalline, commonly sandy, and dolomitic", while the shale beds are "grey to black, hard, platy, pyritic, organic, and very siliceous". The Mississippian Limestone ranges from between 52 to 15 m in thickness, while generally being thinner towards the southern part of the Tobosa Basin.

The Barnett Shale is the second formation to have developed during the Mississippian Period. It consists mainly of silty brown shale and fine-grained sandstone and siltstone. This Formation was much thicker than the Mississippian Limestone, ranging from 60 to 140 m. The increased thickness can be explained by increased sedimentation in the area, which was likely caused by tectonic activity in the region.

Tectonic Activity During the Mississippian Period

The Ouachita Orogeny occurred during the Late Mississippian, leading to tectonic activity in the region. The subsequent folding and faulting caused by this Orogeny led to the Tobosa Basin being divided into 3 sections: the Delaware Basin, the Midland Basin, and the Central Basin Platform. the end of the Mississippian Period also led to the beginning of the formation of the modern Permian Reef Complex. The legacy of the early to mid Paleozoic is almost 2000 m of sediments that were accumulated due to almost uninterrupted sedimentation.

Late Paleozoic (Pennsylvanian to Permian)

Pennsylvanian Period (323.2 - 298.9 mya)

The Pennsylvanian Period marked the beginning of geological processes that would shape the Permian Basin into what we see today. As previously mentioned, rifting events during the Cambrian Period (early Paleozoic) left fault zones in the region. This fault zones acted as planes of weakness for faulting that was later initiated by the Ouachita Orogeny. These fault zones caused the Tobosa Basin to be transformed, due to tectonic activity, into the Permian Reef Complex, which is comprised of 3 parts: the Central Basin Platform, which is encircled by faults, and the Midland and Delaware Basins on either side. The Delaware Basin is the most important of these three basins. The Pennsylvanian Period also marked the beginning of climate change, as the world would begin its deglaciation while changing from an icehouse to greenhouse climate.

Due to all the tectonic changes that were occurring in the area, certain parts of the former Tobosa Basin were uplifted and exposed to erosion. The newly-formed Delaware Basin was exposed down to the Montoya Group (Ordovician Period), while other parts of the Reef Complex were exposed down to the Precambrian basement Rock. The eroded sediments were redeposited onto the shelf of the Delaware Basin, which led to almost 900 m of sediment being deposited over the course of the Pennsylvanian.

The Morrow Formation

The main formation from the Pennsylvanian Period is called the Morrow Formation, which reaches a thickness of around 500 m in the Delaware Basin. Due to the variance in composition, this formation is usually divided into 3 parts: the Lower, Middle, and Upper Morrow. the Lower Morrow is formed from coarse-grained sandstone and inter-bedded limestone and shale. The Middle Morrow, also referred to as the Morrow Shale, is composed of shale and sandstone. These two parts of the Morrow Formation reach almost 500 m in thickness. the last part of this formation, the Upper Morrow, is made up of inter-bedded limestone and sandstone.

The Morrow Formation lies conformably on top of the previous Mississippian Formation, with classic sediments visibly prograding across the two formations. As the Mississippian changed to the Pennsylvanian, the sandstones across the two formations changed from a marine source to a deltaic environment, with the sandstone from the Morrow Formation having been shown to be from a fluvial deltaic source. This change is attributed to an increase in sediment deposition form channels and point bars in the surrounding basin highlands, such as the Pedernal Highlands and the Central Basin Platform Highlands.

Other Formations

The Pennsylvanian Period also led to the development of other geologic formations, although none had the importance of the Morrow Formation. The Atoka Formation lies conformably on top of the Morrow Formation, and is characterized by its fossil-rich limestone inter-bedded with shale, reaching a max thickness of 200 m. During the formation of the Atokoa, uplift was still occurring in the region, leading to increased sedimentation as the surrounding highlands were eroded. The The increased sedimentation led to the formation of medium- to coarse-grained sandstone. In the Atoka Formation, the first reef structures that formed in the Delaware Basin are visible.

The Strawn Formation formed after the Atoka, also during the Pennsylvanian Period, and reached a max thickness of 200 m. In this formation, there was a signficant increase in reef mounds. The Strawn Formation is primarily made up of massive limestone, along with “fine to medium-grained sandstone, dark to light-grey shale, and occasional reddish-brown, greenish-gray, bituminous shale”. A great number of different fossil types were preserved in this formation, including brachiopods, foraminifera, bryozoans, corals, and crinoids.

The Pennsylvanian Period also includes 2 other formations, the Canyon and Cisco Formations, which are significant due to the major oil reservoirs discovered in them.

Permian Period (298.9 - 251 mya)

The Permian Period was a time of major reef building to transform the Permian Reef Complex into a major reef system, with Permian-aged rock formations making up 95% of the present-day outcrops in the Permian Basin. When considering any type of reef building that occurred in the Permian, it is important to keep in mind that tectonics played a major activity. During this period, the supercontinent of Pangea, which lasted from between 335 to 175 mya, started undergoing breakup. Pangea was clustered together near the equator and surrounded by the superocean Panthalassa, with the Permian Basin located on its western edge within 5-10 degrees of the equator. Any reef building environment would need a source of water, and the Delaware Basin was located near a marginal sea. Thanks to the Hovey Channel, this sea transported water into the Delaware Basin. Global temperatures during this time were warm, as the world climate was changing from icehouse to greenhouse. This rise in global temperatures also led to the melting of ice masses located towards the South Pole, which then led to a rise in sea levels.

The Permian Period has been split up into main Epochs, each of which has separate subdivision. In each sub epoch, a different formation was formed in the different parts of the Permian Reef Complex.

Cisuralian Epoch (298.9 - 272.3 mya)

The Cisularian Epoch contained 2 Ages, the Wolfcampian and the Leonardian, both of which have a geological formation in the Permian Basin named after them.

The Wolfcampian Formation lies conformably on top of the Pennsylvanian Formation and is the first formation from the Permian Period. It's composition varies depending on its location in the Basin, with the northern most part being more rich in shales. The thickness of this formation also varies, reaching a maximum of 500 m. The Wolfcampian is made up primarily of grey to brown shale and fine-grained, chert - dominated, brown limestone. There are also interbedded layers of fine-grained sandstone found within the formation.

The primary formation that remains from the Leonardian Age is called the Bone Spring Limestone, which reaches a max thickness of 600 m and lies directly below the Capitan Reef Complex. The Bone Spring limestone can be divided into 2 formations: the Victorio Peak Member, which consists of massive beds of limestone measuring up to 30 m; and the Cutoff Shale Member, which is formed from black, platy, siliceous shale and shaley sandstone. The Bone Spring Limestone consists of several fossils, such as bryozoans, crinoids, and spirifers, but lack algae and sponges that are plentiful in the rest of the Permian Reef Complex. Rocks from the Bone Spring Limestone are predominantly found in the Delaware Basin, but the Victorio Peak Member extends into the shelf margin area.

Guadelupian Epoch (272.3 - 259.8 mya)

The Guadalupian Epoch was named after the Guadalupe Mountains, since this epoch in the Permian is when reef building was at its most efficient. Lasting from approximately 272 – 260 mya, this epoch was dominated by the Delaware Mountain Group, which can be further subdivided into rock divisions based on location in the Permian Reef Complex.

The first formation that makes up the Delaware Mountain Group is the Brushy Canyon Formation, and it lies in the Delaware Basin. The Brushy Canyon Formation is made up of thin interbedded layers of alternating fine grained and massive quartz sandstone, as well as shaley brown to black sandstone. This formation reaches a maximum thickness of 350 m but thins out significantly as it approaches the basin margins due to transgressive onlap. The Brushy Canyon Formation also contains small reef patches, ripple marks, and crossed bedded strata, that indicate that the Delaware Basin had a shallow water environment at this time.

The next unit of the Delaware Mountain Group is the Cherry Canyon, which had multiple different sub-units and extended into the Delaware Basin and the surrounding shelf environments. The Cherry Canyon Formation can be subdivided into four sub-units, each of which will be discussed briefly.

The Lower Getaway member is a limestone that has different characteristics based on its location in the Delaware Basin, and contains patch reefs close to the basin margin. These reefs are often found on limestone conglomerate and breccias. The Upper Getaway Member is more consistent and is characterised as a thick bedded dolomite which integrates into the San Andres Formation as it moves toward the shelf. The middle unit of the Cherry Canyon Formation is the South Wells Member, which is composed of sandstone and integrates itself into the Goat Seep Reef as it moves towards the basin shelf.

The upper unit is the Manzanita Member, which consists of dolomite, and gets pinched out underneath the Capitan Formation as it moves into the basin margins. All four members of the Cherry Canyon Formation have undergone dolomitization near the basin margins. This is evident since the calcite/aragonite bioclastic debris that existed as a part of this formation has been preserved as molds in dolomite. It has been suggested by some authors that the clasts and debris might have been dolomitic upon deposition, but that is improbable since the debris came from the reef, which was not dolomitic.

The Bell Canyon Formation is the next unit in the Delaware Mountain Group, and it is the age equivalent unit to the Capitan Reef Formation which formed on the shelf. The Bell Canyon Formation consists of “un-fossiliferous, dark-gray to black, platy, fine-grained limestone” . All the Cherry Canyon Formation and the bottom part of the Bell Canyon Formation have thin interbeds of dark coloured bioclastic limestone and fine-grained sandstone. As these formations move towards the basin margins, the sandstone wedges out and the limestone thickens into massive, meters thick beds, containing reef talus.

The Goat Seep Reef Formation lies on the shelf margin and integrates with the Getaway Formation in the basin and the San Andres Formation towards the Shelf. This formation is described as 350 m thick, 1,600 m long, and made up entirely of massive dolomite. In the bottom half of the formation, the dolomite is stratified into massive beds. This formation also contains molds of organisms destroyed by the dolomitization process.

The Guadalupian Epoch is one of the most successful in history in terms of reef building, since most Permian reefs reached their maximum in size, diversity, extent, and abundance during this Epoch, with the Capitan Reef being one of the most famous examples. In the Guadalupian, reefs were abundant globally, and grew in places such as the Delaware Basin, the Zechstein Basin in Eastern Europe, along the Tethys Ocean, and in cool water shelves in the Panthalassa Ocean. The end of this golden age for reef building occurred due to the “end-Guadalupian reef crisis”, which involved global drops in sea levels and regional salinity fluctuations. The movement and collision of micro-continents during the break up of Pangea also caused the destruction of many Guadalupian Reefs. Even with the number of reefs from that epoch that have been destroyed, there are over 100 Guadalupian reefs that remain in the world, the most from any Permian epoch.

The growth of the Capitan Reef, which is referred to as a “massive member” due to it being formed from massive limestone, can be described in 3 stages.  The first stage is the establishment of the reef and its rapid growth. Due to the slower rates of subsidence of this time, the reef was able to build itself up quickly. Once the reef reached sea level, it began to grow horizontally, since it could not grow vertically anymore. The reef environment during the first stage of development was described as warm (around 20°C), shallow, high energy, clear water that was free from debris and which had a normal salinity level of 27 to 40 ppt (parts per thousand). The basin water provided plenty of nutrients, since there was continuous upwelling of water that mixed newly brought marine water with anoxicwater from the basin floor. The makeup of the reef is described as being built primarily from erect sponges, which have large, rigid skeletons, and abundant populations. The primary theory is that the reef was built by layers of these sponges for generations, and where then encrusted by red algae, microbial micrite, and inorganic cement. The microbial micrite worked to trap sediment.

One of the most prominent sponges that made up the Capitan Reef was the sponge family Guadalupiidae, a sponge that first appeared on Glass Mountains in the mid Permian and had spread into the Delaware Basin by the late Permian.

There were more environmental changes to mark the second stage of the formation of the Capitan Reef. This period of growth was marked by eustatic changes in global sea levels, due to frequent glaciations. The reef experienced major growth vertically at this stage and grew at a rapid enough pace to keep up with rising sea levels. The Capitan Reef also found a stable foundation on the reef debris and talus that rested on its slopes, and this foundation allowed the reef to grow outward. In some locations, nutrients and minerals were so abundant that the Capitan Reef grew out almost 50 km from the starting point.

The third stage of the Capitan Reef is the death of the reef system. Ocean currents in the Permian played a huge role in setting up the climate of the region and for aiding in the growth and death of the Capitan Reef. The climate of the basin region was hot and arid, which is shown in the evaporite deposits that can be found in the back reef region.

The end in growth and accumulation of the Permian Reef Complex was influenced by tectonics. During the end of the Permian Period, the supercontinent of Pangea was beginning its break up, which drastically changed the conditions that were previously favourable for reef growth. Change in tectonics limited the exchange of sea water in the Hovey Channel, which then led to a salinity increase in the Permian Basin. The reef could not survive this drastic change in water salinity, and was therefore destroyed.

Up until the Guadalupian, the Permian Basin had adequate water circulation with fresh water coming in from the Hovey Channel. Evaporite growth along the bottom portions of the basin showed that the water column was most likely stratified and euxinic, meaning the water was both anoxic and sulfidic. The passageways between the Delaware and Midland Basins were restricted due to tectonic changes, and this caused the salinity of the water to rise. The growing temperatures in the late Permian combined with the increase in salinity caused the extinction of the Capitan Reef, as well as the formation of evaporites with the basin.

The layers of evaporites that formed as a result of increased salinity is called the Castile Formation. This formation consists of alternating layers of gypsum/anhydrite and limestone, as well as massive beds of gypsum/anhydrite, salt, and some limestone. The unit measures almost 1,300 m in total and was formed during the Lopingian Epoch. The individual layers (laminae) of gypsum/anhydrite are between 1mm and 10 cm's in thickness, which is thought to correlate with the basin salinity on a year by year basis.

The Capitan Reef had been altered diagenetically early on in its history, especially after the deposition of the Castile Formation. There is evidence of fabric alteration throughout this formation, which is thought to indicate the dehydration and rehydration process of the gypsum and anhydrites. There is also evidence of evaporite calcitization. The reef system was buried until it was exposed in the Mesozoic Era as a result of tectonic activity by the Laramide Orogeny.

Resources

History of Resource

Oil reserves in the Permian Basin were first documented by W.H Abrams in Mitchell County, West Texas in 1920. The first commercial well was opened a year later in 1921, in the newly discovered Westbrook Oil Field in Mitchell County, at a depth of 2,498 feet. Initially, the Permian Basin was thought to have a bowl-like shape, with geological survey crews unable to study the inside of the basin due to a lack of outcrops. The next few years contained discoveries of multiple oil fields, such as the World oil field, McCamey oil field (discovered in 1925), and the Yates oil field (1926). All of these discoveries were made by random drilling or sub-surfacing mapping. Geophysical tests were vital in mapping the region, since tools such as seismographs and magnetometers were used to find anomalies in the area.

Due to distances and lack of pipes in which to move oil, deep drilling tests were not done in the 1920's since the cost was unjustified. As a result, all the oil wells up to 1928 were less than 5,000 feet deep. During World War II the need for oil within the US became urgent, justifying the high costs of deep oil drilling. This drilling breakthough led to major oil reservoirs being found in every geological formation from the Cambrian Period to the Permian Period.

in 1966, the production of the Permian Basin measured 600 million barrels of oil, along with 2.3 trillion cubic ft of gas, which totaled $2 billion. The production values steadily increased thanks to the installation of gas pipelines and oil refineries in the area, reaching a total production of over 14.9 billion barrels in 1993.

In addition to oil, one of the main commodities that is mined from the Permian Basin is potash, which was first discovered in the region in the late 1800's by geologist Johan August Udden. Early studies by Udden led to the United States Geological Survey exploring the area in search of potash, which was highly important during World War I as the US could no longer import it from Germany. by the mid 1960's, seven potash mines were operating on the New Mexico side of the Permian Basin.

Current Production

As of 2018, the Permian Basin has produced more than 33 billion barrels of oil, along with 118 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. This production accounts for 20% of US crude oil production and 7% of US dry natural gas production. While the production was thought to have peaked in the early 1970's, new technologies for oil extraction, such as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have increased production dramatically. Estimates from the Energy Information Agency have predicted that proven reserves in the Permian Basin still hold 5 billion barrels of oil and approximately 19 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Peer Review

For my peer review, I chose to review the article on Longwall mining, which is being improved by user Elasticat, and the article on Plutons, which is being improved by user Hilarynwilson.

Longwall Mining

User Elasticat has added a new paragraph about Environmental impacts to the article, while also keeping two draft articles in their sandbox. For the Environmental Impact section, user Elasticat has used multiple different sources that are all credible and appear to be unbiased. One issue i found is that there are multiple quotes in the added paragraphs, instead of paraphrased information. Another issue is that they added a paragraph about mines that underwent no subsidence that did not have a citation. User Elasticat has added new information that is relevant and important, such as Longwall mining in Canada, as well as the Environmental Impacts. One suggestion I have is to add a section about Longwall mining worldwide, as it would be a useful comparison to the longwall mining in Canada section.

Plutons

User Hilarynwilson has kept edits in her sandbox for the present. The article for Plutons is lacking a lot of detail, as it currently only has 2 sections: A brief intro and Etymology. User Hilarynwilson has added 2 new sections in her sandbox so far, one about pluton classification and one about pluton emplacement. Both of these sections had neutral, credible citations. In my opinion, the wording of the Pluton Emplacement section was not very clear, as it uses terms that aren't in the article and that were not explained already. Using simpler terminology, inserting a hyperlink to the wiki pages for the mentioned processes, or adding a quick explanation for new terms would make the article easier to understand. The other paragraph added by user Hilarynwilson dealt with classification of plutons. I think that images would help in understanding the different types of plutons for this section. One recommendation I have is that this article could be better organized. The intro paragraph has many different topics, such as pluton structures, locations, and rock types, and I feel like those subjects should be expanded on and have their own subheadings further on in the article to make navigation easier. Another suggestion I have is to include more diagrams. The article already includes a few pictures of plutons, but adding scientific diagrams of what a pluton should look like and it's different features would be easier to understand than a picture of a pluton covered by vegetation.

Peer Review Response

Peer Review 1: Ben Trerice

One of the peer review done on my article was by Ben Trerice, and can be found in his sandbox. One of Ben's points is that many of the articles sub-paragraphs, such as the San Simon Channel and the Sheffield Channel, only have one or two sentences under them. My response is that's true, but all of the sub-paragraphs were pretty bare and I've been adding information to what I think is the more important parts of the article. Other than that, Ben though the article was well laid out and organized. Thanks Ben!

Peer Review 2: Elasticat (Vince)

User Elasticat (Vince) also provided a peer review to my article. Vince provided many good critiques and comments on my article. One of his comments is that the flow of the page could be improved, as the "Tectonic history" section is after the "Facies Tract" section, away from the "Depositional History" section. I agree with Vince that this could be improved; however, I did not create the layout of the page, and I was hesitant to change it before I was done all my additions. Vince also pointed out that the "Facies Tract" section contains language that is difficult to understand for the average reader, and does not contain any links to pages that explain the terms. i agree, but have not gotten to editing that section yet. When I do, it will be an issue I will fix. Another critique that Vince gave is that the "Hydrocarbon Reserves" part of the article is lacking information. I agree that it can be improved; my plan is to add more information about the types and sizes of reserves, as well as methods of extraction and a timeline of mining in the area. So far, I have mostly been focusing on the "History" parts of the article, as they need the most improvement. Vince also noticed that not all sources are functioning, as some of them lead to web pages that don't load, or aren't available without a subscription to a website. I've checked that all the sources I've included work, but I'm not sure about what to do for the sources I didn't add. In conclusion, Vince provided me with valuable feedback about my article, and has pointed out what parts need more work, such as article organization, mining information, and my sources. Thanks Vince!

Self Assessment Essay

Critiquing Articles

What did you learn about Wikipedia during the article evaluation? How did you approach critiquing the article you selected for this assignment? How did you decide what to add to your chosen article?

During my article evaluation, I learned that there are many ways that Wikipedia evaluates an article, such as clarity, biases, organization, and more. All of these different categories raised my opinion on Wikipedia articles, since there is much more effort put into them than I had realized. I also learned that other Wiki editors constantly go over new entries, so any inaccurate data would quickly be corrected or removed.

When critiquing my chosen article, I focused on the areas that are important to me when researching a topic: clarity of writing, quality of sources, and organization of the article. Since most Wiki articles are generally contributed to by multiple editors, the different styles of writing can sometimes be detected and cause some confusion when reading. The sources are generally unbiased and useful, but a problem I found in some Wiki articles is that the links can sometimes not work, which is a hard problem to correct if that link was added by someone else.

I chose what to add to my article based on what i considered most important to me. I started with a solid understanding of the history of the subject, then moved on to current problems. It was a bit more difficult for me to add my ideas around someone else's writing, which was adjustment i had to make.

Summarizing my Contributions

include a summary of your edits and why you felt they were a valuable addition to the article. How does your article compare to earlier versions?

My edits were generally in the geologic history of the Permian Basin, since I felt that that was the topic which needed the most information added and which I knew the most about. Once those were complete, I added more information about the mining history of the area. I feel like the organization of the article is better than the previous versions of the article, since I subdivided certain categories into more comprehensible sections.

Peer Review

If your class did peer review, include information about the peer review process. What did you contribute in your review of your peers article? What did your peers recommend you change on your article?

The peer review process was one of the most confusing parts of this assignment. Unlike our chosen articles to review or the article we add to, which both show up in the Student Section of the Wiki Course Page, each students chosen article to Peer Review was not visible anywhere. For me to find out who Peer Reviewed me, I had to go to each of my classmate's sandboxes to see if they added my name as a Peer Review. To add to the confusion, the location to put Peer Reviews was not specified, which led to some students leaving Peer Review in Talk Pages and some in Sandboxes, which made finding Peer Reviews even more difficult.

In my Review of my peer's articles, i mostly paid attention to the structure of the article and the ease of comprehension, which is going to be important factors that regular people who visit Wiki will notice. I also paid attention to sources, to make sure that they were unbiased.

Some of the reviews I received were that the layout of my article was confusing and that some of the source links were not working. These were additions that were made by other editors.

Feedback

Did you receive feedback from other Wikipedia editors, and if so, how did you respond to and handle that feedback?

I did not receive any feedback from Wiki editors other than in the Peer Review process.

Wikipedia in General

What did you learn from contributing to Wikipedia? How does a Wikipedia assignment compare to other assignments you've done in the past? How can Wikipedia be used to improve public understanding of our field/your topic? Why is this important?

During this process, I learned of the high standards Wiki has when adding or creating an article. This assignment was a bit more confusing to start than a traditional research paper, but in the end I like the fact that i'm sharing knowledge on Wiki. Even though a research paper would have been easier to do, this project requires the same amount of research but allows us to share that research with people. Since I put so much effort into research for this topic, I enjoy the fact that I can share it on Wiki. This project allowed me to share a topic I'm passionate about, and that's been researched properly and with good sources, to anyone who may be interested in it. Wikipedia allows information about any topic to be more accessible to people who may not have the education or interest to read academic papers about the subject. Wikipedia allows the easy spread of well-researched, accurate information to reach anyone in the world, and i'm glad my research on this topic has added to that spread of information.