Course Syllabus
PHYSICAL GEOLOGY (GEOL 1303 and GEOL 1103)
Monday and Wednesday
Room 301 NSB (Lecture)
Room 312 NSB (Lab)
Course Information
Time:
6:00 – 7:15 PM (Lecture)
7:30 - 8:25 PM (Lab)
Semester:
Credit Hours:
Spring, 2005
3 semester hours (Lecture)
1 semester hour (Lab)
Instructor Information
Name:
Phone:
Email:
Office Hours:
Dr. Pat Mielnick
770-6528 (office), 983-1087 (home)
mielnic@templejc.edu
By appointment
Textbook
Earth: Portrait of a Planet by Stephen Marshak
W. W. Norton & Company
Grading
Lecture:

4 exams (drop lowest exam grade)
100%
Lab:



mineral identification quiz
a short (5 – 10 minute) oral report to the class on an
assigned topic of geologic interest (I will assign the topic)
3 short reports on other geologic topics
Course Description/Objectives
Geology is a relatively young science that has existed as a separate scientific
discipline for less than 200 years. Plate tectonics, the unifying theory of geology, was
initially developed in the 1930’s but has only been an accepted theory since the 1960’s,
when the movement of the earth’s lithosphere could be explained by subduction and
divergent zones. Proof of plate movement and the molten interior of the earth had to wait
until sophisticated instrumentation was created to measure such characteristics. Even
today, new data from geologic research is expanding our knowledge of the mysterious
world that lies beneath our feet.
In its most general definition, physical geology is the study of the Earth. In this
class, we start with a top-down approach. Since the earth is a unique member of our solar
system, we will start with the origin of the earth from an astronomical and geological
perspective and then proceed onward to the study of the newly created earth and plate
tectonics. Plate tectonics is a very important concept in geology because it explains much
of the past and present geological phenomena like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,
movements of continents in ancient times, fossil and mineral distributions around the
global, tsunamis (tidal waves), and even some aspects of climate change. Using the
motion of continental and oceanic plates as a starting point, we will learn about mineral
formation and the three classes of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. After
we gain an understanding of rock types, we will study their origins deep within the earth
and over time. If time permits, we will also cover earth’s energy resources and soil and
water movement.
The overall objective of this class is for students to obtain a basic knowledge of
geology and earth processes.