Course Syllabus
PHYSICAL GEOLOGY (GEOL 1303 and GEOL 1103)
Monday and Wednesday
Room 301 NSB (Lecture)
Course Information
Time:
Credit Hours:
6:00 – 7:15 PM (Lecture)
3 semester hours (Lecture)
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%
Course Description/Objectives
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.