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12.001

Introduction to Geology

3-4-5 units. REST · Undergraduate

Major minerals and rock types, rock-forming processes, and time scales. Temperatures, pressures, compositions, structure of the Earth, and measurement techniques. Geologic structures and relationships observable in the field. Sediment movement and landform development by moving water, wind, and ice. Crustal processes and planetary evolution in terms of global plate tectonics with an emphasis on ductile and brittle processes. Includes laboratory exercises on minerals, rocks, mapping, plate tectonics, rheology, glaciers. Two one-day field trips (optional).

Fall 2013

Geology is the core discipline of the earth sciences and encompasses many different phenomena, including plate tectonics and mountain building, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the long-term evolution of Earth’s atmosphere, surface and life. Because of the ever-increasing demand for resources, the growing exposure to natural hazards, and the changing climate, geology is of considerable societal relevance. This course introduces students to the basics of geology. Through a combination of lectures, labs, and field observations, we will address topics ranging from mineral and rock identification to the origin of the continents, from geologic mapping to plate tectonics, and from erosion by rivers and glaciers to the history of life.

Readings

  • Grotzinger, John and Thomas H. Jordan. Understanding Earth . W. H. Freeman and Company, 2006. ISBN: 9780716766827.
    Listed reading
  • [GZ] = Grotzinger, John, and Thomas H. Jordan. Understanding Earth . W. H. Freeman and Company, 2006. ISBN: 9780716766827.
    Listed reading
  • SES #: 1 · LECTURE TOPICS: Overview: Introduction to the Introduction of Geology · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 1.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 2 · LECTURE TOPICS: Origin and Age of the Earth · READINGS: [GZ] Chapters 9 and 14.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 3 · LECTURE TOPICS: Introduction to Minerals · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 3.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 4 · LECTURE TOPICS: Igneous Rocks · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 4.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 5 · LECTURE TOPICS: Metamorphic Rocks · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 6.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 6 · LECTURE TOPICS: Sedimentary Rocks · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 5.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 8 · LECTURE TOPICS: Rock Structure and Deformation · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 7.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 11 · LECTURE TOPICS: Geologic Time: Relative versus Absolute Dating · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 8.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 12 · LECTURE TOPICS: Volcanoes · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 12.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 13 · LECTURE TOPICS: Plate Tectonics · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 2.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 14 · LECTURE TOPICS: Plate Tectonics (cont.) · READINGS: [GZ] Chapters 10 and 14.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 17 · LECTURE TOPICS: Continental Crust Formation · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 10.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 18 · LECTURE TOPICS: Oceanic Crust Formation · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 4.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 19 · LECTURE TOPICS: Earthquakes · READINGS: [GZ] Chapters 13 and 14.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 22 · LECTURE TOPICS: Field Techniques · READINGS: D & R Reading.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 28 · LECTURE TOPICS: Rivers · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 18.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 31 · LECTURE TOPICS: Landslides and Debris Flows · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 16.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 32 · LECTURE TOPICS: Glaciers · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 21.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 33 · LECTURE TOPICS: Climate through Geologic History · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 22.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 34 · LECTURE TOPICS: Earth History and Geobiology · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 11.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 35 · LECTURE TOPICS: Earth Science and Society · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 23.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 36 · LECTURE TOPICS: Comparative Planetology · READINGS: [GZ] Chapter 9.
    Reading assignment

Prerequisites & course information

Prereq: None U (Fall) 3-4-5 units. REST

Sources