Geology
110: Introduction to Geology Fall 2006
MW 9:50–11:00 AM,
F 9:40–10:40 AM, Mudd 66 Carleton
College
Lab: W or Th
1:00–5:00 PM, Mudd 66
Cameron Davidson Teaching
Assistants:
Mudd 160 Clara
Tsang (W) TBA
(Th)
x 7144 Sarina
Yospin (W) Ellen
Root (Th)
Office Hours: stop by, or by appointment.
Evaluation: Exams
– 15% each
Labs
and lab quizzes – 50% (Lowest grade dropped)
Research
abstract – 10%
Research
presentation – 10%
Reading: Grotzinger,
J., Jordan, T.H., Press, F., and Siever, R., 2007, Understanding Earth, 5th
edition, Freeman and company, 579 p.
Due dates: Laboratory
exercises are due at the beginning of lab the following week unless stated
otherwise.
|
Week |
|
Topic |
Reading |
|
1. |
M, Sept. 11 |
What is science? |
Handout, p. 1-4 |
|
|
W, Sept. 13 |
The Big Bang; An overview of Earth. http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_uni/uni_101bbtest2.html http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_uni/uni_101stars.html |
p. 5-17, skim 19-43 |
|
|
Lab (W/Th) |
Little Chicago field trip. |
p. 355-359 |
|
|
F, Sept. 15 |
An overview of Earth. |
p. 62-73 |
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2. |
M, Sept. 18 |
An overview of Earth. |
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W, Sept. 20 |
Atoms, bonding, and minerals. |
p. 45-61 |
|
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Lab (W/Th) |
Minerals and rocks. |
p. 62-73 |
|
|
F, Sept. 22 |
Atoms, bonding, and minerals. |
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3. |
M, Sept. 25 |
Igneous rocks and volcanism. |
p. 77-99 |
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W, Sept. 27 |
Igneous rocks and volcanism. |
p. 271-295 |
|
|
Lab (W/Th) |
Mineral and Rock Quiz. Measuring stratigraphic sections; Sogn field trip. |
p. 108-111, 116-127 |
|
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F, Sept. 29 |
Weathering. |
p. 371-381 |
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Sunday, Oct. 1, 7:30 AM: TaylorÕs Falls ALL
DAY field trip. We should return
by 6:00 PM. |
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4. |
M, Oct. 2 |
Sedimentary structures. |
p. 101-108, 111-116 |
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W, Oct. 4 |
Metamorphism. |
p. 131-149 |
|
|
Lab (W/Th) |
Stream cross-sections and discharge; Cannon River
field trip. |
p. 426-431, 437-446 |
|
|
F, Oct. 6 |
Predicting eruptions: Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines. |
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5. |
M, Oct. 9 |
Geologic time and the age of the Earth. |
p. 169-187 |
|
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W, Oct. 11 |
Geologic time and the age of the Earth. |
|
|
|
Lab (W/Th) |
Making geologic maps and cross-sections; Cannon Valley
Wilderness Park field trip. |
p. 151-154 |
|
|
F, Oct. 13 |
Midterm Exam. |
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Black Hills Field Trip! Oct. 14-19. (Sign-up with Tim Vick, Mudd 69B, tvick@carleton.edu.) |
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6. |
M, Oct. 16 |
No Class: Mid-term break; Field
Trip |
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W, Oct. 18 |
No Class: Field Trip |
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Lab (W/Th) |
Lab - TBA |
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F, Oct. 20 |
Introduction to research projects. |
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7. |
M, Oct. 23 |
Rock deformation and mountain building. |
p. 154-167 |
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W, Oct. 25 |
Rock deformation and mountain building. |
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Lab (W/Th) |
Field work - Research projects. |
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F, Oct. 27 |
Earthquakes and seismology. |
p. 297-323 |
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8. |
M, Oct. 30 |
Earthquakes and seismology. |
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W, Nov. 1 |
Earthquakes and seismology. |
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Lab (W/Th) |
Field work - Research projects. |
|
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F, Nov. 3 |
EarthÕs interior. |
p. 325-345 |
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9. |
M, Nov. 6 |
EarthÕs interior. |
|
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W, Nov. 8 |
Effective Presentations/Plate Tectonics. |
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Lab (W/Th) |
Red Wing field trip. |
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F, Nov. 10 |
Plate Tectonics. |
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10. |
M, Nov. 13 |
Wednesday Lab Research presentations. Due: Research abstracts |
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W, Nov. 15 |
Thursday Lab Research presentations. Due: Research abstracts |
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Monday, Nov. 20: Final Exam,
8:30–11:00 AM
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Research Projects. Perhaps the most important goal of this course is to get you to think like a geologist. (This is not to say that all geologists think alike!) Most of the labs are designed to help you along this journey by getting you outside to bang on rocks, muck around in rivers, and learn how to ask questions that can be answered using careful observation, collecting and interpreting data, and experimentation. The purpose of the research project is to allow you (and your group members) to design a research program that will test some of your own ideas (hypotheses) on how the planet works. Another benefit of this project is to give you a taste of what research is all about. That is, research typically involves a few moments of inspiration (the idea) followed by many hours of frustration, reformulation of the idea, banging your head against a wall, and finally some sort of conclusion that often is not where you expected to end up. Sound like fun? It is.
Another important part of the research process is dissemination. If you, as a scientist, do not share what you have learned with your peers and the public, then how can your conclusions be verified, tested, and assimilated? Therefore, as part of this project you will each write an abstract summarizing the most important conclusions of your study supported by data and observations. In addition, each group will present their results to the class as a short (~12 minute) presentation followed by questions.
Black Hills Field Trip (October 14-19). Mark your calendars! This is a great (free) opportunity to visit and learn the geology of the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota. We leave Saturday, Oct. 14 and return Thursday, Oct. 19. We will visit some fantastic outcrops of Precambrian granite, pegmatite, and metamorphic rocks and Paleozoic to Mesozoic sedimentary rocks. We will drive in a coach bus and camp one night. If you choose to go, you must contact the professors in your other courses ASAP to see if they can accommodate this trip. This is an annual tradition in the geology department, so most professors will know about it. I strongly encourage you to make it happen and join us!