GEOL 008 – The Dynamic Earth
Spring, 2011
Professor John M. Hughes
110 Delehanty Hall
jmhughes@uvm.edu
Office Hours: MWF, 10:00-11:00 and by appointment
Class: T-R, 10:00-11:15
Teaching Assistant:
Mr. Benjamin Dejong
314 Delehanty Hall
Benjamin.Dejong@uvm.edu
Office Hours: TBD
Course Goals: For obvious reasons, throughout history humans have been fascinated by the Earth;
fundamental questions of early Philosophy and Religion revolved around Earth composition and history.
In the past 150 years, understanding of Earth processes has advanced greatly, although there is still much
we don’t understand about the Earth. Coincident with this increased understanding of the Earth is
humankind’s ability, through technological advancements, to bring about change to the Earth at rates that
are much greater than other natural agents. Society is just now beginning to realize the impact that it can
have on the Earth, often detrimental, and this realization has come about principally through a more
general awareness of the various dynamic processes on Earth. For this reason, the main objectives of this
course are to:
1. Make you a more educated citizen of the planet Earth.
2. Afford you an understanding of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere of the Earth and
their interactions.
3. Afford you an awareness of the constancy of geologic events in the news.
4. Afford you an understanding of the Earth processes that have shaped the planet throughout its
history.
5. Make you aware of the recent impact of humans on the Earth.
Course Evaluation: Your grade in the course will be determined on the basis of ten quiz grades and two
brief current event papers. During the semester, after the add/drop date (January 31), there will be a total
of 11 unannounced quizzes. You will be allowed to drop your lowest quiz grade, and the ten highest quiz
grades will count for 80% of your grade; no makeup quizzes will be offered. In addition to the 10 quizzes,
during the term you will be required to submit two brief papers (1.5 pages maximum, double spaced) on
current geologic events, each counting 10% of your final grade. The first current event paper must be
handed in during or before class on March 17; we will discuss the format of those brief papers early in the
semester.
Textbook: Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, by Stephen Marshak. W.W. Norton & Company, ©2009,
ISBN-13: 9780393932386, ISBN-10: 0393932389.
Lecture
1
2
3
4
5
Date
1/18/2011
1/20/2011
1/25/2011
1/27/2011
2/1/2011
Tentative Topic
Introduction to the Earth
The Macroscopic Earth
Geologic Time
Geologic Time
Plate Tectonics
Reading____________
Prelude
Chapter 1
Chapter 10
Interlude E, Chapter 10
Chapter 2
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
2/3/2011
Plate Tectonics
Chapter 2
2/8/2011
Elements, Atoms, Minerals
Chapter 3
2/10/2011
Elements, Atoms, Minerals
Chapter 3
2/15/2011
The Rock Cycle; Igneous Rocks
Interludes A, C, Chapter 4
2/17/2011
Volcanoes
Chapter 5
2/22/2011
Sedimentary Rocks
Interlude B, Chapter 6
2/24/2011
Metamorphic Rocks
Chapter 7
3/1/2011
Crustal Deformation
Chapter 9
3/3/2011
Earthquakes and Seismicity
Chapter 8
----------------------------Spring Break------------------------3/15/2011
Earthquakes and Seismicity;
Interlude D
The Earth’s Interior
3/17/2011
Weathering and Erosion
Interlude F, Chapter 13
3/22/2011
Rivers and Streams
Chapter 14
3/24/2011
Ground Water Systems
Chapter 16
3/29/2011
Glacial Systems
Chapter 18
3/31/2011
Ocean Basins
Chapter 15
4/5/2011
Coastal Processes
Chapter 15
4/7/2011
Deserts
Chapter 17
4/12/2011
Climate, Climate Change
Chapter 19
4/14/2011
Energy and Resources
Chapter 12
4/19/2011
Energy and Resources
Chapter 12
4/21/2011
Environmental Geology
--4/26/2011
Planetary Geology
Chapter 1
4/28/2011
Geology and Society
--5/2/2011
Catch-up
--5/4/2011
Review and Summary
---
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