GEOLOGY 595D: Seminar in Arc Dynamics, Fall 2014
Lecture: M 9:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. (LO 1221)
Instructor: Dr. Joshua Schwartz
Office: Live Oak Bldg., Room 1200
Office Hours: Mondays 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., or by prior appointment
Email: joshua.schwartz@csun.edu
TEXTBOOK (Optional):
Winter, J.D., An Introduction to Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (2nd edition);
Lecture notes and articles are available for reading and downloading on the Moodle website.
Course objectives:
This course involves study of arc processes from subduction initiation to arc collapse. We will
explore through reading primary literature key concepts in the development of modern
understanding of arcs. Introductory lectures will review principles of igneous petrology and
geochemistry. We will then explore current research that integrates geochemical tools (e.g.,
major and trace elements, and isotopes) with geodynamic modeling to investigate how
continental crust has evolved in arc settings through time.
At the end of this course, students will be able to: 1) describe in detail petrologic characteristics
of supra-subduction magmas including their major, trace element and isotopic features; 2)
understand various isotopic tracer systems (e.g., Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, Lu-Hf, O) and their significance
in magma evolution studies; 3) clearly articulate arc concepts results to their peers.
POLICIES
1. Office hours are listed above. If you cannot meet during office hours, please email me
and we can set up a different time to meet.
2. Punctual attendance, participation, and mental engagement is essential for success in this
class and in life. Please make every effort to show up to class on time.
3. Announcements and assignments will be discussed in class and posted on the Moodle
website for this class. Please check it often.
4. Lectures will be posted on Moodle before class. However, as a word of caution, online
lectures are not a substitute for coming to class.
5. No late work will be accepted or graded for feedback. I am extremely strict about this
policy. An assignment is considered ‘late’ whether it is turned in one minute or one hour
after a deadline.
6. No makeup exams will be given.
7. Cell phones may not be used at any time during class or lab. They are disrupting to me
and to other students. In the case of an emergency, please leave the class to use your cell
phone, otherwise I will confiscate any cell phones used during class time.
8. Computers and laptops are a wonderful resource for taking notes. However, laptops are
not to be used during class time to surf the web or play games. If I observe any students
using their laptops in this manner, you will be asked to leave.
EVALUATION DETAILS
GRADING
Attendance/Participation
Literature presentations
Weekly quizzes
Field trip outcrop presentation
Final exam
20%
30%
20%
15%
15%
A+ 99-100%; A 92-98.9%; A- 90-91.9%; B+ 88-89.9%; B 82-87.9%; B- 80-81.9%;
C+ 78-79.9%; C 72-77.9%; C- 70-71.9%; D+ 68-69.9%; D 62-67.9%; D- 60-61.9%;
F 0-59.9%.
I do not give extra credit.
I do not give ‘Incompletes’ for grades. No exceptions.
LITERATURE DISCUSSIONS
Each student will be expected to lead informal class discussions of papers (30% course grade).
All students are required to read articles and participate in classroom discussions. I will be
grading each student’s participation in the reading discussions, and 20% of your grade consists
of your in-class participation. Papers will be distributed to the class at least 1 week prior to the
assigned discussion date. The student leading the discussion will present the article using
Powerpoint and will lead discussion for the remainder of the class session. Students are
encouraged to read additional articles for background to aid in their presentation. Students should
explore topics in detail and encourage stimulating classroom discussions. Presenting students
may wish to prepare handouts and questions ahead of time to guide discussion. Presentations will
be graded for clarity, understanding and quality of presentation. A rubric will be handed out prior
to presentations.
WEEKLY QUIZZES
The student presenting will also provide to Dr. Schwartz a list of 10 quiz questions and answers
in ‘Gift’ format on the Friday before the Monday morning presentation. Dr. Schwartz will upload
the quiz to Moodle that same day for all students to answer. Quizzes are due at the beginning of
class on Monday and constitute 20% of the course grade.
FIELD TRIP
Formation of the Sierra Nevada batholith—A west-to-east geologic journey across the Mesozoic
magmatic arc of the central Sierra Nevada in California, USA (October 24-27, 2014)
A mandatory 4-day field trip is an integral part of this course. Students will read articles on
specific aspects of the southern Sierra Nevada and will be expected to give a short, outcrop
presentation (15% of the course grade). Arrangements should be made to miss courses and TA
assignments for Thursday and Friday (a request for leave to your instructors will be provided on
request). We will depart from CSUN at 9:00 AM sharp on October 24 from the loading dock.
Plan to arrive at 8:30 AM to pack the vans so that we can leave on time. We will return in the
evening of October 27. Attendance is mandatory.
FINAL EXAM
A final exam will be comprehensive and will cover topics covered in class discussions and on the
field trip. It will be largely essay questions and some multiple choice from the weekly quizzes.
The exam is aimed at testing breadth of knowledge and ability to integrate concepts from
literature covered during the semester.
MISSED CLASSES
I expect that you will attend every class unless you are seriously ill. I keep track of attendance as
a means of assessing your commitment to the course, and it counts towards your course grade.
If you choose to drop the course, it is your responsibility to formally drop the class; I will not
administratively drop you from the course. Under normal circumstances, you cannot drop the
course after the second week. Only with proof of a serious and compelling reason (see Schedule
of Classes) will a student be allowed to drop after the second week. If you decide to drop, please
let me know so that a student on the waiting list may take your spot instead.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Official California State University policy states: “The maintenance of academic integrity and
quality education is the responsibility of each student within this university and the California
State University system. Cheating or plagiarism in connection with an academic program at a
campus is listed in Section 41301, Title 5, California Code of Regulations, as an offense for
which a student may be expelled, suspended, or given a less severe disciplinary sanction.
Academic dishonesty is an especially serious offense and diminishes the quality of scholarship
and defrauds those who depend upon the integrity of the campus programs. Such dishonesty
includes but is not limited to: cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, and
plagiarism.”
I do not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty. I expect that you will uphold the integrity
of the academic environment here at CSUN; however, if I find evidence of academic dishonesty,
I will report such evidence to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and
recommend disciplinary action. If you are caught cheating in my class, you will be given a
failing grade for the assignment and the course. This includes, but is not limited to: plagiarism,
copying answers during an exam, facilitating cheating by another student, altering a test grading
sheet after the exam, or lying about an excuse for missing the exam. Plagiarism includes the use
of paragraphs or even long phrases and diagrams or parts of diagrams from peer or former
student assignments.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:
Week
Topic
AUG 25
Introduction to arcs--Schwartz
SEPT 1
No Class (Labor Day)
SEPT 8
Subduction zone overview—Stern (2002)
SEPT 15
Volcanic-Plutonic connection in arcs (Bachmann, 2007; Barth et al., 2012)
*SEPT 23
The Record of Philippine Sea Plate Tectonics and Sedimentation at IODP
Site U1438: Birth, Life and "Death" of a Magmatic Arc at 12:30-1:30 pm
Sept 23
SEPT 29
Subduction erosion at the slab-trench interface (Grove et al., 2008)
OCT 6
Role of basement terranes on arc chemistry (Lackey et al., 2012)
OCT 13
Tempo of Arc Magmatism (Paterson et al., 2011)
OCT 20
GSA--No formal class (Preparation for Field trip presentations)
OCT 27
Field Trip
NOV 3
Modeling Crust-Mantle interaction in the arc root
(Dufek and Bergantz, 2005)
NOV 10
Production and composition of arc roots (Ducea, 2002)
NOV 17
Modification of arc roots by delamination (Lee et al., 2014)
NOV 24
Modification of arc by relamination (Hacker et al., 2011)
DEC 1
Incremental assembly of plutons and batholiths (Lipman, 2007)
DEC 8
Arcs, Carbonates and Climate Change (Lee et al., 2013)
DEC 15
Final Exam
*note change of date for Sept 23 class