GEOL 2801: Geology
CRN: 20044
COURSE DATES: Fall 2023
GEOL 2801.01
SA 105: M-W-F 9:00-9:50
3.0 CREDIT HOURS
Instructor: Dr. Bob Verb
Office Hours: M-W-F 8:00-9:00, M-W 10:00-11:00
Other times by appointment
Office Location: Meyer 168
Telephone: (419) 772-2322
e-mail: r-verb@onu.edu
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
Physical geology and paleogeology, including chemical properties of minerals and
rocks, geologic processes, and earth materials. May be taken without GEOL 2811.
Formerly GEOL 280. Offered fall semester. 3.0 Credit hours, 3.0 Lecture hours. Course
Attributes: AS - Math\Natural Sciences
COURSE PREREQUISITE(S)
None.
GENERAL EDUCATION
AS - Math\Natural Sciences, Scientific and Quant Literacy, Informed Ethical Responses,
GE_Knowledge of Phys/Nat World
COURSE READINGS
Required: Essentials of Geology (Seventh Edition) 7th Edition by Stephen Marshak. This
is an inclusive access course so you should have the ability to utilize the e-textbook
after logging into Canvas and accessing the Geology 2801 course. You will need the etextbook as it provides you the digital access to Smartwork which houses the chapter
quizzes.
Link to Customer Care website and FAQs
Open a ticket Online for the Customer Care team
Email the Customer Care team
Call the Customer Care team: 1-844-9-EBOOKS (1-844-932-6657)
Recommended: Course Textbook (Recommended):
Roadside Geology of Ohio, Mark Camp, ISBN 08784252411
If your hometown is not in Ohio a different book from this series may be selected.
Please visit the online Geology store or visit the Heterick Library online catalog to
make an appropriate choice of "Roadside Geology" reference book. These books are
useful references for your class project on the geology around your hometown.
COURSE FEES
None
ONU COURSE POLICIES
Ohio Northern University is dedicated to providing an equitable educational experience
for all enrolled students. Universal course policies applicable to all courses can be found
at the following link: https://my.onu.edu/registrars_office/policies. Specifically, this
website includes the policies for the following topics:
• Academic Dishonesty Policy
• Academic Accommodations Policy
• ONU Health and Safety Policy
• Title IX Policy
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
• Describe and explain processes and features within the Earth, regarding plate
tectonics and the resulting geologic structures
• Identify common minerals and rocks and interpret how they form.
• Describe, interpret, and explain processes operating directly below and on the
surface of the Earth. Identify the resulting landforms, features, and hazards.
• Describe and delineate major events in the physical development of Earth
through time and how plate tectonics and climate interact with life, forming an
integrated system.
COURSE POLICIES
Course Website: Course materials, including laboratory exercises, homework
assignments and PowerPoint lecture notes, can be accessed by logging into Canvas
(https://northernonline.onu.edu/my) with your ONU ID and password.
Grading: A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69%; F = 0-59%
Note: There will not be any curving of grades at the end of the quarter. If you are within
0.5% of a higher letter grade it will automatically be rounded up.
Tentative Point Schedule (subject to change, if so, class will be notified)
• Total Points for Semester = 475
• Midterm = 75 pts.
o Week 7 or 8 in class
• Final Exam = 75 pts. (Friday, December 15, 2023, from 9:15-11:15 am in Science
Annex 105)
o The university sets the final exam date and time. Be aware of this,
especially if you are planning a trip at the end of the Semester. All
requests for changes to the final exam time must be filed through the
Registrar's Office
• Smartwork Assignments = 21 @ 10 pts. each (total 210 pts.)
o Smartwork Assignments will be administered via the W.W. Norton
Company, Inc. Digital Resources.
o Please check your Canvas account frequently to receive notices about
upcoming deadlines. Missing deadlines for Smartwork assignments will
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result in a 10% deduction for each day they are overdue until a zero score
is reached.
Assignments 10 @ 5 pts. Each (total 50 pts.)
Geologic Hometown Project (Due December 1, 2023, at 11:59 pm) = 25 points:
Summarization of geological attributes of your hometown (see details on the final
page of the syllabus).
Participation = 40 pts.
o A portion of your participation is built into the attendance of class lecture.
Each unexcused absence from class will result in the deduction of one
point from the 40-point total.
o ATTENDANCE POLICY: Regular participation is expected to maximize
your potential in this course. Participation concerns associated with
university-sanctioned events (e.g., athletics, band, drama, field trips for
other courses, etc.) need to be addressed with the instructor prior to the
event and missed dates. If addressed in advance, these will be considered
excused absences.
LATE WORK POLICY: Due dates will be enforced. Unless otherwise noted,
assignments are due at the end of class or as stated on Canvas. Any late work will
incur a minimum penalty of 10% for each day beyond the due date. Assignments
must be handed in directly to us, completed on Smartwork, or uploaded to
Canvas if instructed to do so – we will NOT accept assignments turned in by
email.
Weeks 1 and 2 Schedule
From August 21 to September 1, 2023, I am teaching another course off campus at the
Metzger Nature Center. During that time there will be a series of topics and
assignments for you to review using your textbook, prerecorded lectures, and various
online resources. These are laid out for you on the Canvas site. In-class lectures will
resume after Labor Day on Wednesday, September 6, 2023.
If you have questions during this time, please email. We can attempt to set up a virtual
meeting via Google Meet or Zoom, but no guarantees during this time frame as my
internet connectivity will be sketchy at best.
Tentative Lecture & Smartwork Outline
Module 1
• Prelude. And Just What is Geology?
• Chapter 1. The Earth in Context (Week 1)
o Smartwork Prelude: (Due August 25, 2023)
o Smartwork Chapter 1: (Due August 25, 2023)
• Chapter 2. The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics (Week 2)
o Smartwork Chapter 2: (Due September 1, 2023)
Module 2
• Chapter 3. Patterns in Nature: Minerals (Week 3)
o Smartwork Chapter 3: (Due September 8, 2023)
• Interlude A. Introducing Rocks (Week 4)
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o Smartwork Interlude A: (Due September 15, 2023)
Chapter 4. Up from the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks (Week 4)
o Smartwork Chapter 4: (Due September 15, 2023)
Interlude B: A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils (Week 5)
o Smartwork Interlude B: (Due September 22, 2023)
Chapter 6. Pages of Earth’s Past: Sedimentary Rocks (Week 5)
o Smartwork Chapter 6: (Due September 22, 2023)
Chapter 7. Metamorphism: A Process of Change (Week 6)
o Smartwork Chapter 7: (Due September 29, 2023)
Module 3
• Chapter 5. The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions (Week 7)
o Smartwork Chapter 5: (Due October 6, 2023)
• Chapter 8. A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes (Week 8)
o Smartwork Chapter 8: (Due October 13, 2023)
Module 4
• Interlude F. An Introduction to Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle (Week 9)
o Smartwork Chapter 13: (Due October 20, 2023)
• Chapter 13. Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements (Week 9)
o Smartwork Chapter 13: (Due October 20, 2023)
• Chapter 14. Streams and Floods: The Geology of Running Water (Week 10)
o Smartwork Chapter 14: (Due October 27, 2023)
• Chapter 16. A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater (Week 11)
o Smartwork Chapter 16: (Due November 3, 2023)
• Chapter 17. Dry Regions: The Geology of Deserts (Week 12)
o Smartwork Chapter 17: (Due November 10, 2023)
• Chapter 18. Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages (Week 13)
o Smartwork Chapter 18: (November 18, 2023)
• Chapter 12. Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources (Week 14)
o Smartwork Chapter 12: (November 18, 2023)
Module 5
• Interlude E. Memories of the Past: Fossils and Evolution (Week 15)
o Smartwork Interlude E: (December 1, 2023)
• Chapter 10. Deep Time: How Old is Old? (Week 15)
o Smartwork Chapter 10: (December 1, 2023)
• Chapter 11. A Biography of Earth (Week 15)
o Smartwork Chapter 11: (December 8, 2023)
Exam #1 (Midterm): Chapters 1-7
Exam #2 (Final) Chapters 8, 10-14 and 16-19
A module relates to the arrangement of material on the Canvas site.
Class Project: Geologic Interpretation of Your Homestead and Environs
Goal: The purpose of this project is to provide a brief overview of some of the unique
geologic features of your hometown. One of the primary objectives of this project is to
evaluate your basic geologic interpretive skills by examining the geologic features around
your home/county. In addition, this project will provide you with hands-on experience in
referencing the various sources of geologic information. Such information can be gathered
from a variety of sources such as the Internet, government (federal, state, and local) agencies,
and libraries. You will need to gather corresponding data on your hometown and create a
descriptive document regarding the geologic attributes of your hometown.
Grading Criteria
Composition: There is not a set text length for this document. It is a basic list of some of the
unique attributes to your house and hometown. It will be evaluated on writing style and
content, and sources used should be properly cited and should be included in a Bibliography
at the end of the text. Furthermore, there should not be long sections of direct quotes. You
should be able to take the information from various sources and coagulate it into coherent
context. A list of functional online resources
Topics to be covered in text:
Introduction: The text should include a brief introduction, which can cover the current state of your
hometown. This should include, but is not limited to, basic facts and figures such as population,
anthropological history (when founded, built etc.), and major industry in the area.
Geologic Background: Below are an outline of topics to be covered in the interpretation of your hometown
region.
1. Topography
2. Soils and Sediments
3. Bedrock
a. Upper most layer (detail)
b. Stratigraphy and geologic history
4. Surface Hydrology
a. Major Drainage Basins
b. Streams and other surface waters
c. Flooding
5. Groundwater
a. Depth to groundwater
b. Aquifer type
c. Groundwater movement
6. Physiography
a. Effects of Glaciation, volcanism, streams etc.
b. Land use
i. Agriculture, Ecosystems etc.
7. Geologic Hazards
a. a. Earthquakes, volcanisms, erosion, mass wasting etc.
8. Unusual geologic phenomena
a. Interesting geologic structures in your area
9. Environmental Risks
a. Pollution sources
10. Geology and Economics
a. Natural resources or reserves in your area
11. Geologic History
Conclusion: Brief wrap up of your majestic project.
Bibliography: Citation of sources and images that you utilized in your project.
Be sure to inquire A.S.A.P. if you have any questions.