Draft Syllabus (TENTATIVE) (subject to change)
Geological &
Paleobiological
Evolution of
Ecuador & the
Galapagos
Islands
GEOL 170
Lafayette College
January 2013
National Geographic
Instructors: D. Sunderlin, L. Malinconico
Room/Lab: Lafayette Campus, Ecuadorian Andes, & the Galapagos Archipelago
Lecture & Lab: When the equatorial sun’s up (and sometimes when it’s down!)
Email: sunderld@lafayette.edu & malincol@lafayette.edu
*In compliance with Lafayette College policy and equal access laws, the instructors are available to discuss appropriate
academic accommodations that you may require as a student with a disability. Requests for academic accommodations
need to be made prior to the course start date in January 2013, except for unusual circumstances, so arrangements can
be made. Students must register with the Office of the Dean of the College for disability verification and for
determination of reasonable academic accommodations.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will examine the coupled natural history of earth and life over geological
time scales in the Andes of Ecuador and on the Galapagos Islands. We will focus on
the origin of oceanic crusts and hotspot island archipelagos, the development of
continental mountain ranges, and the relationship of geological processes to
biogeography and biological evolution.
COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Compare the geological character of subduction plate margins & hotspot
archipelagos
Analyze the evidence for the evolutionary histories of plant & animal life in
mainland vs. island habitats
Analyze the causes of geographic patterning of biomes in the tropics
Evaluate geological hazard potential in volcanic, seismically active, & montane
terrains
Develop observation & data acquisition skills in geology & natural history
Assess the influence and ecology of human populations in highland and island
settings
Understand scientific inquiry as exemplified by the development of the scientific
theories of plate tectonics and evolution
COURSE COMPONENTS
Texts
TBA
Readings Packet (to be printed by the instructors):
Andean Tectonics readings
Excerpts from Whymper’s Travels Amongst the Great Andes of the Equator
Island ecology & biogeography readings
Galapagos volcanology & evolution readings
Excerpts from Darwin’s Voyage of the Beagle
Evaluation
Evaluation will include:
 one Pre-Trip
o This first exam will occur before departure in January and will cover
material that is summarized in on-campus discussion both in the Fall
of 2012 and in the days of class before departure to Ecuador
 one Mid-Course
o The mid-course examination will cover material from the field
portions of the course in the Andean Highlands.
 one Final Examination
o The final exam will be comprehensive for the entire course but
concentrate on the Galapagos Islands field component.
 A detailed Field Journal (in the style & spirit of intrepid naturalists).
Taking field notes, recording field data, and writing reflection entries is all
part of the Field Journal for the course.
You will need your journal (and a pencil) with you constantly and do all that you
can to insure that it is not lost. The journal will be assessed periodically for
completeness, depth of observations, and neatness. The journal is the primary
means of studying for examinations as well.
GRADING BREAKDOWN:
Pre-Trip Exam:
Mid Course Exam:
Final Exam:
Field Journal (evaluated at least 3 times during the course):
Participation:
20%
20%
25%
25%
10%
Draft Syllabus (TENTATIVE) (subject to change)
College Policy on Academic Integrity
To maintain the scholarly standards of the College and, equally important,
the personal ethical standards of our students, it is essential that written
assignments be a student’s own work, just as is expected in examinations and class
participation. A student who commits academic dishonesty is subject to a range of
penalties, including suspension or expulsion. Finally, the underlying principle is one
of intellectual honesty. If a person is to have the self-respect and the respect of
others, all work must be his/her own.
Behavior
You are representing Lafayette College while you are off-campus. All
participants must comply with Lafayette’s rules, standards, and instructions for
student behavior as defined in the College’s Code of Conduct. Lafayette reserves the
right to enforce culturally appropriate standards of conduct in another country and
specifically reserves the right to terminate the participation of any student for
failure to maintain these standards or for any actions of conduct which Lafayette
considers to be incompatible with the interest, harmony, comfort, or welfare of
other participants. Since we will be in conditions where alcohol can exacerbate
already physiologically demanding situations, we will require that you adhere to a
strict no-alcohol consumption policy while a participant in this course, even if you
are of legal age. Actions and unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated and could
result in you being returned to Lafayette. Should your participation in the program
be terminated either by the host institution or by Lafayette College for reasons of
misconduct, you will receive neither credit nor refund.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
Date General Whereabouts
Fall
2012
Van Wickle Hall
Academic Goals
Logistical Notes
4 hours of planning and learning activities in preparation for the course
ON LAFAYETTE CAMPUS
Day 1
Van Wickle Hall
Plate Tectonics/Volcanism
Day 2
Van Wickle Hall
Oceanography/Climate/Evolution
Day 3 Fly from Newark to Quito
Readings
Course begins at 12 noon in VW 108
Lunch included
Class from 1-5PM
Dinner included
Class from 6:30-9PM
Overnight in LC dorms
Breakfast included
Class from 8AM-12PM
Lunch on own
Class from 1-5PM
Dinner on own
EXAM 1 in the PM
Overnight in LC dorms
Breakfast Included
AM Departure for EWR
Lunch on own
Dinner on own
Overnight in Quito
ON ECUADORIAN MAINLAND
Day 4 Quito and its surroundings
Volcanism, Andean Culture,
Orientation/Acclimation
Day 5
Guallyabamba
Tectonics, Volcanism
Day 6
Papallacta
Paramo Ecology, Alpine Weather,
Geomorphology
Day 7
From Papallacta &
headwaters of the Amazon
back to Central Valley
Volcanic deposits and on to
Cotopaxi
Geothermal Activity, Tectonics,
Geological Hazards
Breakfast at Hotel included
Quito City Tour
Lunch at included
Mitad del Mundo, etc.
Dinner included
Overnight in Quito
Breakfast at Hotel included
Field geology at Bosque de Jerusalen
Boxed lunch in field included
Dinner on own
Evening Lecture
Overnight in Quito
Breakfast at Hotel included
Depart for Papallacta hike in AM
Boxed lunch in field included
Cayambe Coca Hike
Dinner at Papallacta included
Overnight at Papallacta
Breakfast at Papallacta included
Morning geology stops
Boxed lunch included
Afternoon geology stops
Dinner included at Tambopaxi
Evening Lecture
Overnight at Tambopaxi
Draft Syllabus (TENTATIVE) (subject to change)
Day 8 Cotopaxi & surroundings
Day 9
Day
10
Day
11
Day
12
Breakfast at Tambopaxi included
Hike up Cotopaxi to Refugio
Boxed lunch in field included
Tephra, Lava Flows, Glaciers
Tephra field study
Dinner at Tambopaxi included
Evening Discussion
Overnight at Tambopaxi
Cotopaxi and south toward
Breakfast at Tambopaxi included
Salcedo
Cotopaxi field geology
Volcanism, Lahars
Boxed lunch in Field
Drive south toward Chimborazo
Evening Lecture
Overnight in Salcedo
Chimborazo and south
Breakfast at Salcedo hotel included
toward Banos
Chimborazo hike
Geomorphology, Volcanism,
Lunch included at Estrella de Chimborazo
Alpine Ecology
Drive to Banos area
Dinner Included
Overnight near Banos
Banos and north toward
Breakfast included at Hotel
Lloa
Banos geology
Metamorphic geology, tectonics,
Boxed lunch included
lava flows
Drive to Lloa
Dinner at Lloa included
Overnight in Lloa
West of Quito up Cordillera
Breakfast at Lloa included
Occidental onto Guagua
Early AM depart up Guagua Pichincha
Pichincha volcano
Volcanism, Andean Culture,
Boxed lunch in field included
Sedimentology, Glaciology
Afternoon descend Guagua Pichincha
Dinner included
Overnight in Hotel in Quito
ON GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Day
13
From Quito to San
Cristobal, Galapagos
Day
14
On/near San Cristobal
Day
15
On/near San Cristobal
Day
16
On/near San Cristobal
Breakfast at Hotel included
Transfer to UIO
Flight to San Cristobal
Hotspot Volcanism,
Lunch included
Exploration/Habitation History of
Afternoon Exam 2
the Galapagos
Tijeretas
Dinner included
Overnight in San Cristobal
Breakfast at Hotel included
Lunch on own
PM depart to Highlands
Free Day/Readings
Dinner on own
Evening Discussion
Overnight in San Cristobal
Breakfast at Hotel included
Depart to El Junco & Galapaguera
Lunch included
Terrestrial/Island Ecology
Loberia snorkeling
Dinner on own
Overnight in San Cristobal
Breakfast at Hotel included
AM departure to Isla Lobos/Kicker Rock
Marine Ecology
Lunch included in field
Afternoon Lecture
Dinner on own
Overnight in San Cristobal
Day San Cristobal to Floreana to
17
Isabela island hopping
Marine Ecology, Island/Maritime
History, Tephra
Day
18
On/near Isabela
Hotspot volcanology
Day
19
On/near Isabela
Day
20
Isabela to Santa Cruz
Island & Marine Ecology
Conservation Ecology/Ecotourism
Day Fly from Baltra/Santa Cruz
21
to Quito
Study
Day
22
Fly from Quito to Newark
Breakfast at Hotel included
Floreana snorkeling & Hiking
Lunch included in field
Transit to Isabela
Dinner included
Overnight in Isabela
Breakfast at Hotel included
Bus up toward rim of Sierra Negra
Lunch in Field
Hike Volcan Chico
Dinner included
Evening Lecture
Overnight in Isabela
Breakfast at Hotel included
Snorkel Tintoreras in AM
Boxed lunch included
Afternoon Lecture
Dinner included
Overnight in Isabela
Breakfast at Hotel included
Depart in AM for Santa Cruz
Lunch in field included
Visit Charles Darwin Research Station
Dinner included
Overnight in Santa Cruz
Breakfast at Hotel included
Transfer to Baltra airport in AM
Fly to Quito
Lunch on own
Afternoon EXAM 3
Dinner on own
Overnight in Quito
Breakfast at Hotel included
Transfer to Airport
Quito – Newark
Lunch on own
Dinner on own
Arrive EWR
END OF COURSE
The schedule of activities above is subject to change due to weather, traffic, and
other logistical concerns. Please remain flexible as we attempt to provide the best
educational experience we can while keeping safety first.