GEOLOGY 111: PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGY
SPRING
2007
Instructor Dr. Ben Laabs (lecture); Nobel 124B; x7442; Email, blaabs@gustavus.edu;
Office Hours:
Teaching Ellie
Bash (Head T.A.)
Assistants Office Hours: by
appointment (email: ebash@gustavus.edu)
Lecture
Lab All lab sessions are in Nobel 123
Sect.
111-003 W,
Sect. 111-004 R,
Sect. 111-005 R,
Required 1.
Text: Marshak: Earth: Portrait of a Planet
Materials 2. Lab manual: Principles of Geology Lab Manual
3. A copy of the St. Peter quadrangle (available at the Bookmark)
Welcome to your first geology course! Many of you may believe that GEO 111 will also be your last geology course. Formally, this may be true, but you will learn this semester that geology is hard to avoid. It affects all of us directly and indirectly. For example, consider the many current events that have to do with geology. Why do oil and gas prices fluctuate so frequently? Is global warming real or not? How can we predict the occurrence of tsunami?
Consider also the aesthetic dimension of geology. Earth’s natural beauty can be enjoyed from the seat of an airplane, a car (road trip!), or in photographs. Understanding geology can enhance your appreciation for such beauty (or simply open your eyes to it), your conception of Earth history and your knowledge of how Earth’s surface slowly evolves through time.
Geology is not only important as a science; it affects global economy, human population distributions, energy and water resources, and public safety. For example, consider the risks of living in areas prone to geologic hazards such as floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and, perhaps the most dangerous and devastating hazards, tsunami and hurricanes. How can our knowledge of geology be used to understand the mechanics, frequency, and potential magnitude of these events? How can we improve our knowledge of Earth’s climate system? As Earth becomes more densely populated by humans, you will be faced with new challenges regarding the Earth system, and your knowledge of it may ultimately determine where you live, how you live, for whom you vote, among many other aspects of your existence.
Geology
is the scientific study of Earth and the processes that operate on and
within it. This course will introduce you to the many types of minerals,
rocks and other materials that comprise Earth; in particular, how they form,
degrade at Earth’s surface, and become recycled in our planet’s system.
Understanding the Earth system can best be achieved through scientific
reasoning; in this course, you will be trained to use the scientific method
and apply it to geological problems. You will also become aware that
geology is an interdisciplinary science, that is, one which requires
knowledge of other sciences (namely, chemistry, biology and physics) in order
to be effectively studied and understood. For example, consider one of
the most commonly known sub-fields of geology known as “paleontology”.
Paleontologists derive their knowledge of past organisms from the fossil
record, which is found in rocks. Therefore, paleontologists are both
biologists and geologists. Conversely, other disciplines rely on
principles of geology;
General Education courses contain components that deal with the historical and philosophical development of a particular discipline, its relationships to other disciplines, and its social and ethical implications. Courses in the Area D requirement of General Education (Quantitative and Empirical Reasoning) introduce students to data, theories, and methods in the formal, experimental, and historical sciences. This course fulfills an Area D (QUANT) requirement and satisfies the laboratory component (LAB). In a society that is increasingly dependent upon technology, it is essential that people have an understanding of the nature, methods, and limitations of science. By treating the subject material of any science in its historical and philosophical context, the student must begin to see science as an ever-evolving body of ideas, rather than as a rigid collection of facts and data. Misunderstandings of this fundamental nature of science lead to a suspicion of science and scientists and to misguided controversies such as the evolution-creation debates.
Attendance and Participation: Attendance at all lectures and laboratory sections is essential to your success in this course. Participation will facilitate learning through asking questions in the lecture, labs, or during office hours (also by email or telephone). More importantly, I encourage you to discuss course material with your teaching assistants and fellow students; you will find this especially useful during lab sessions and while studying for exams. Although you are not graded on attendance, pop quizzes will be given in lecture (see below).
Lectures: Lectures
begin promptly at
Labs: Attendance at all lab sessions is required. If you need to attend a different lab session, you are permitted to do so only if you notify me first. Most lab sessions will begin with a brief lecture, followed by a work session guided by the instructor and teaching assistants. Lab exercises are in the Lab Manual written by the faculty in the Geology Department, which you can purchase at the Bookmark (see “Course Materials” above). They are to be completed individually (with rare exception), but I encourage you to discuss assignments with other students. The exercise entitled “The St. Peter Project” requires field work during lab hours – this will be difficult to make up, so plan accordingly. Finally, labs are due on the Monday after they are assigned (this facilitates timely grading). Late material will be graded accordingly. Note that lab exercises and exams together account for 35% of your grade! Finally, be advised that if you do not pass the lab (exercises and exams), you will not pass this course.
Exams: The 3 lecture exams will be based on
material covered in lectures AND assigned in the text. I typically hold
an evening question and answer session a few days prior to the exam. Exams consist of a mixture of multiple
choice, matching, diagrams, fill-in-the-blank, and short essay questions, and
will follow the cooperative
exam format. Lab exams will cover material studied in the lab.
The final exam will be comprehensive and will be held during finals week
(Tuesday May 22nd at
Quizzes and in-class exercises: Quizzes and in-class exercises will be given in lecture throughout the semester (~10 total); these can only be taken in lecture. Some quizzes/exercises will be done in pairs or groups and all will be graded. The lowest grade on these will be dropped.
Class Journal: You are required to complete a class journal. Journal entries should include your thoughts, reactions, questions, etc., concerning class material. Your journal will be graded based on the quality of your entries; those that show insight, observations, and connections with other course material or connections to your lives in general will be graded highest. I will periodically pose journal entries via email (4 or 5 total), and you will submit them via email.
Outside
Field Trip: A field trip to examine geology in the
Extra Credit: Attend lectures and lab sessions, keep up with reading assignments, ask questions, and hand in your work on time. If you do all of this, you will succeed in this course and won’t have time or need for extra credit. A few extra credit points will be given to those who participate in the Twin Cities/Taylors Falls field trip.
Grading: The approximate breakdown of your final grade is below. I will grade on a curve.
Lecture exams (3) 35%
Lab exams (2) 25%
Final exam 20%
Lab assignments 10%
Journal entries, quizzes and review paper 10%
Academic Honesty: The honor code will be upheld on all exercises, quizzes and exams, so hold it up! Even though many lecture and lab exercises (and even a few exam questions) will be completed in groups, everyone is required to submit original answers to questions (i.e., no copying or pasting).
Office Hours: When I am not in a class, I am typically in my office
(Nobel 124B) between 8 and
This is tentative, so check the following URL for updates.
http://homepages.gac.edu/~blaabs/geo_principles/syllabus.htm
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Date |
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Topic |
Marshak reading |
Lab Exercise |
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Feb. |
5 |
No lecture |
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7 |
(outline) |
p. 2 – 9, “Nature of Science” article |
Rock Stories |
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9 |
Chapter 1 |
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12 |
Earth Systems and Structure (same outline as 2/9) |
Chapter 2 |
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14 |
Chapter 5 |
Minerals 1 (read 110 – 122 in text) |
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16 |
Minerals (same outline as 2/9) |
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19 |
Minerals wrap-up, Discovering Plate Boundaries intro |
Chapter 3 |
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21 |
Discovering Plate Boundaries (need maps?) |
Chapter 4 |
Minerals 2 |
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23 |
Discovering Plate Boundaries |
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26 |
Discovering Plate Boundaries (in-class presentations) |
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28 |
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Rocks 1 |
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Mar. |
2 |
SNOW DAY |
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5 |
Lecture Exam 1 |
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7 |
Chapter 6 |
Rocks 2 |
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9 |
Igneous Processes (same outline as 3/7) |
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12 |
Chapter 7 |
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14 |
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Topographic Maps |
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16 |
Sedimentary Environments (video) |
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19 |
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21 |
Sedimentary Structures, Intro to Geologic Time and the Rock Record (geologic time outline) |
Chapter 12 |
Lab Midterm Exam – HELD DURING LAB SESSIONS |
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23 |
The Geologic Time Scale and Numerical Ages |
Chapter 13 |
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26 |
The Rock Cycle Revisited |
p. 234 – 239 |
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28 |
Lecture Exam 2 |
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30 |
Chapter 8 |
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SPRING BREAK (March 31 – April 9) |
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Apr. |
11 |
Chapter 9 |
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13 |
Chapter 10 |
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16 |
Earthquakes and Earth’s Interior (same ppt and outline as 4/13) |
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18 |
Earth’s Interior, Mountain Building – Orogeny (outline) |
Chapter 11 |
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20 |
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Twin Cities/Taylors Falls field trip (April 21st,
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23 |
Geologic Maps – In-Class
Exercise (see ppt from 4/20) |
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25 |
Finish In-Class Exercise |
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Floods on the |
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27 |
Lecture Exam 3 |
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30 |
p. 494 – 501, Chapter 17 |
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May |
2 |
Rivers – Sediments and Landforms (same outline and ppt as 4/30) |
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Ground Water |
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4 |
Chapter 19 |
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7 |
Groundwater video |
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9 |
Chapter 22 |
Lab Final Exam - HELD DURING LAB SESSIONS |
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11 |
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