Geology 101: Physical Geology
Spring 2000Professor:
Dr. Dennis Geist (assisted by Rachel Ellisor)Office: 307A McClure, Phone: 885-6491 (messages: Geology Office: 885-6192)
(dgeist@uidaho.edu http://www.uidaho.edu/~dgeist/geol101/geo101.html)
Office Hours: 8:30-9:20 am, Mon; 9:30-10:20 am Wed; 1:30-2:20 PM Fri.
Required Text:
Geology Today, by Murck and SkinnerLab:
is an essential part of this course that all students must take. In class, I will assume that you have command over the lab material. Dr. Mark McFaddan supervises the labs and TAs. Required text: Physical Geology Exercises by Bush, McFaddan, and Reynolds.Special Circumstance
As you are reading this, the lead professor is in one of the remotest places on earth. I am involved in a study of an uninhabited but very active volcano in the western Galápagos islands. I will be back in Moscow on Jan. 25. In the meantime, Rachel Ellisor will be teaching.
Course Objectives
I have three classes of goals for what I want you to learn from this class. First, every inhabitant of our planet should know about its formation and evolution and the processes that keep it running. Second, there are a number of current geologic issues that will affect the way you live the rest of your life, such as natural hazards, global warming, and life on other planets: I want you to be able to assess critically those issues, so you don't have to depend on Rush Limbaugh and Al Gore to tell you how the earth works. Finally, a number of you will use geology in your careers, and I want you to be prepared for that.
Tests and Grading
My exams test both your knowledge and your deductive reasoning. By the latter, I mean that you may have never been given the answers to some questions, but you have to use both your knowledge and reasoning skills to solve them.
Your grade will be based on four examinations: three midterms and a final. All previously-covered material will be fair game for each of the exams, but the exams will emphasize the recently-covered material. Each test will have 40 multiple-choice questions. The class will be graded on a curve, and your standing will be reported after each exam. Examples of old exams are on my Web site. Most exam questions come from my lectures, but you are responsible for the material in the text also.
Under no circumstance will I provide a grade by phone or email.You have 2 opportunities for extra credit. Earn up to 5 extra-credit points by writing a one-page review of an article from a magazine like Scientific American or Discover or a web site. These must be typed and are due on April 3 (not earlier). Additionally, 5 points may be earned by writing a review of the scientific content on one of the "Bad Geo movies", which will be due the Monday after the film is shown.
Field Trip
Day-long field trips will be held from April 20 to 23 (guaranteed good weather!). You are required to attend one of the trips, and the material covered on the trip is guaranteed to be on the exams. More information will be provided immediately after spring break.
Help!
You have many opportunities weekly to receive individual counsel in this class. Foremost, I encourage you to come and see me in my office hours or another time. Or give me a call or email anytime. Our talented graduate students run help sessions from 5:30 to 7:30 PM on Mon., Tues., Wed. in Rooms 212 and 214 Mines. If you come to see me about general problems with the class, it is helpful if you bring your notes. In a big class like this, it is difficult to get much personal service, but I do my best.
Our Schedule
|
Date |
Topic |
Reading |
Lab |
|
10-Jan |
Introduction; Preview of class |
No Lab |
|
|
12-Jan |
The Earth in the Solar System |
Cpt. 1 |
|
|
14-Jan |
Atoms and bonding |
29-36 |
|
|
19-Jan |
Minerals |
37-55 |
Minerals 1 |
|
21-Jan |
More better Minerals |
||
|
24-Jan |
The rock cycle; Intro to common rocks |
Minerals 2 |
|
|
26-Jan |
Geologic Time: relative time |
Cpt. 3 |
|
|
28-Jan |
Absolute Time |
||
|
31-Jan |
Mass Extinctions: Armageddon or Deep Impact? |
464 |
Dating |
|
Bonus Bad GeoMovie Night: Deep Impact, Details to follow |
|||
|
2-Feb |
Plate Tectonics: Proposal and Evidence |
Cpt. 4 |
|
|
4-Feb |
EXAM I |
||
|
7-Feb |
Plate boundaries |
Topos 1 |
|
|
9-Feb |
The Floor of the Sea |
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11-Feb |
Plate Tectonics: Measuring Motion |
||
|
14-Feb |
The Earth's Interior |
Cpt. 5 |
Topos 2 |
|
16-Feb |
Earthquakes I |
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18-Feb |
Earthquakes II |
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23-Feb |
Volcanoes |
Cpt. 6 |
Exam 1 |
|
25-Feb |
Volcanoes: Pinatubo case study |
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|
28-Feb |
More better Volcanoes |
Igneous Rocks |
|
|
1-Mar |
Magma and tectonics |
||
|
Bonus Bad GeoMovie Night: Volcano |
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|
3-Mar |
Weathering and soil |
Cpt. 7 |
|
|
6-Mar |
Sedimentary Rocks |
Cpt. 8 |
Sedimentary Rocks |
|
8-Mar |
EXAM II |
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|
10-Mar |
Martian Meteorites |
||
|
20-Mar |
Deformation of Rocks |
Cpt. 9 |
Structures 1 |
|
22-Mar |
Folds and Faults |
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|
24-Mar |
Mountain Building |
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|
27-Mar |
Metamorphism |
Cpt. 10 |
Structures 2 |
|
29-Mar |
No class |
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|
31-Mar |
The Rock-tectonic link |
Cpt. 11 |
|
|
3-Apr |
Streams and Floods |
Cpt. 12 |
Metamorphic Rocks |
|
5-Apr |
Groundwater |
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|
7-Apr |
Glaciation |
409-430 |
|
|
10-Apr |
The Great Missoula Flood |
Geologic Maps |
|
|
12-Apr |
Geologic Evolution of the West |
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14-Apr |
Geologic History of Idaho I |
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|
17-Apr |
Geologic History of Idaho II |
No Lab: Field Trips |
|
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19-Apr |
EXAM III |
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21-Apr |
No Class |
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24-Apr |
No Class |
Geologic Maps II |
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26-Apr |
Natural Climate Change |
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28-Apr |
Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming |
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|
1-May |
El Nino and La Nina |
Exam 2 |
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3-May |
Mineral Resources |
Cpt. 16 |
|
|
5-May |
Energy Resources |
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|
8-May |
Final Exam 10:00 |