G100- GENERAL GEOLOGY
Fall, 2013
Class Meets:
MWF
10:00-10:50
SB 185
Required Materials: Grotzinger, J. and Jordan, T.H., 2010, Understanding Earth, 6th
edition, W.H. Freeman and Co., New York, 654 pp.
This Dynamic Earth: the Story of Plate Tectonics
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/dynamic.html
Any other book that may be in the bookstore has not been ordered for this course!
Students should read the text carefully but be advised: The lectures are designed to guide
your reading! Use this fact to organize your reading, review and test preparation. Keep
up with your readings in This Dynamic Earth. It is fair game for testing as are the videos,
hall displays and on-line images.
Instructor:
Anne Argast
Office/Email
SB238; Argast@ipfw.edu
Hours:
Anytime or By Appointment
G100 Home Page:
http://geo.ipfw.edu/argast/g100/
Geo Dept. Home Page:
http://www.geosci.ipfw.edu
IPFW Media Vault Login: https://kalturagw.ipfw.edu
Please note: The course web site is not on Blackboard!
Recommended Materials:
Notebook
Calculator
Periodic Table
GRADING
EXAM # 1
EXAM # 2
EXAM # 3
EXAM # 4
FINAL EXAMINATION
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
THE REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF
You should be working hard when you are in class. Sitting back and simply listening to
my lecture is not going to cut it. Doing your email in class is bad. Texting your BFF in
class is bad. Napping in class is bad. It is called school WORK for a reason. Class is an
activity, BE ACTIVE. Take notes, probably almost every minute you are sitting in the
room.
I don't take attendance but students who frequently miss class will find great difficulty
understanding the material. You should attend lecture regularly.
It is amazing how many students choose to miss lectures and then wonder why their
grades aren't very good, or complain that the test material doesn't reflect what has been
discussed in class, or say the class is too hard. When you miss a lecture you’ve missed
more than 10% of the material on the next exam. That’s a full letter grade. If you wish
success in the course you need to be in class.
You should already have a working knowledge of arithmetic and elementary algebra; and
an ability to learn about simple logarithms, exponentials, trigonometry and geometry. We
will use metric units and scientific notation when appropriate. If you think these are
unreasonable expectations then you should find another class at your earliest opportunity.
I will give out-of-class help to students who have worked hard in class, taken notes and
need to ask questions. When you come for help I'm going to ask to see your notes. I will
not help students who miss class and don't make a first effort to understand the material.
Send me an email and I'll schedule a time to meet with you. It's best if you come prepared
with specific questions about things you are confused about.
I don’t mind if you tape the lecture, or have someone else do it on the incredibly rare
occasions you need to miss class.
SO WHY AM I HERE?
G100 gives you 3 credits towards general education Area II/Area 4 and meets learning
outcomes 4.1-4.6. More importantly:
You will learn a variety of facts about the Earth and you will learn to integrate these into
working models of Earth processes. You will learn the Earth is as an assemblage of
vibrant, dynamic, cyclic systems and you will begin to understand the frequently
synergistic interrelations among these Earth processes. You will quantify data with
graphs and other techniques. You will learn to support ideas with data and analysis.
You may forget many of the facts shortly after the final exam but you'll remember
enough to be useful and you'll have sharpened your critical thinking skills. With what
you've learned you will be a more informed citizen capable of evaluating the important
Earth-related issues of our time. For a few, you will have taken the first steps on a lifelong career in geology or a related field.
WHAT'S THIS GENERAL EDUCATION/LEARNING OUTCOME THING?
Beginning with the Fall, 2013 semester, all students pursuing a 2- or 4-year degree at any
public university campus in Indiana must complete a common core general education
program. G100 is part of this program and satisfies 3 credits in area 4 (or for students
enrolled under the older general education program, area II) and learning outcomes 4.14.6.
A student completing G100 will be able to:
4.1 Explain how scientific explanations are formulated, tested, and modified or validated.
4.2 Distinguish between scientific and non‐scientific evidence and explanations.
4.3 Apply foundational knowledge and discipline‐specific concepts to address issues or solve
problems.
4.4 Apply basic observational, quantitative, or technological methods to gather data and generate
evidence‐based conclusions.
4.5 Use current models and theories to describe, explain, or predict natural phenomena.
4.6 Locate reliable sources of scientific evidence to construct arguments related to real-world
issues.
You will meet the learning outcomes by viewing a series of videos found at the IPFW
video vault at https://kalturagw.ipfw.edu. Once at the site you should follow the link to
"College of Arts and Sciences", then "Geosciences", and view the six videos. These are
assigned homework, and you will be quizzed on these videos in your hourly exams and
final.
TEST POLICY
There are four scheduled hour-long lecture exams and a two-hour final. MAKE-UP
EXAMS WILL NOT BE GIVEN FOR ANY OTHER REASON including illness,
hangovers, cars that don't start, nasty weather, child rearing, sports, forensics, work
commitments or anything else that might occur.
Illness, sports, weather/road conditions and other factors can create legitimate problems
for some students on an exam day. Therefore, the lowest score on the four hourly exams
will be dropped. There is consequently no penalty for missing one hourly exam. You do
not need to seek permission, nor do you need to explain that you missed an exam. This
policy does not, however, extend beyond one dropped grade. A student missing two
exams is going to receive a zero for one of them, AND NO EXCUSE, NO MATTER HOW
VALID, WILL CHANGE THAT. Do not, therefore, miss an exam or avoid studying for
frivolous reasons.
The dropped-grade/missed-test policy does not apply to the final. You must complete the
final exam at the assigned time.
If IPFW is Officially OPEN on an exam day I will give the scheduled exam and expect
you to be there (within the limits explained above). If IPFW is Officially CLOSED on an
exam day I will give the scheduled exam during the first class held after IPFW reopens. I
reserve the right to modify this policy, and if I choose to delay the exam I will try to post
appropriate information on the class discussion board.
When writing the questions for an exam I put strong primary emphasis on the topics
covered in lecture and only minor emphasis on text material not explicitly covered in
class or the syllabus. Readings from This Dynamic Earth are an exception to this rule.
We will use a machine-gradable format for the exams. Some questions will require
quantified solutions and simple math. You might even need to answer a question about
something we haven't talked about in class.
Some students may be authorized by the University to receive various accommodations at
exam time. This might include more time, assistance reading or writing the exam and its
answers, or might simply be an allowance to take the exam in a quiet space. No problem but- it is your responsibility to provide me, in writing, in class, a note that gives your
name and what needs to be done to accommodate your needs. You must give me that
note a minimum of one week before each scheduled exam date. You will be asked to
either start the exam at the same time as all other students or start the exam earlier than
scheduled but remain at your test site through the normal start time.
Anyone caught cheating on an exam will be subject to any number of penalties
including a zero (and not eligible to drop as the low score) on the exam and an 'F' in
the course. Do not expect sympathy from me if you are caught cheating. Cheating is
unacceptable behavior that violates the essence of academic life and is, in a practical
sense, simply not worth the risk.
GEOLOGY LAB
Not everyone in G100 lecture is enrolled in G100 lab which is offered at IPFW as a
separate course. Labs and lectures support each other but are not coordinated on a weekto-week basis. Much of the information presented in lab will not be discussed in lecture.
HALLWAY DISPLAYS and ON-LINE IMAGES
There are quite a few displays scattered around the GeoFloor which can be reached by
climbing the stairs from the building’s commons area, or by exiting this lecture hall by
the door at the back of the room. These displays are part of the required reading for the
course, and you will be expected to make appropriate use of them where indicated in the
syllabus or during lectures.
There are also quite a few captioned images that I have placed on the Geoscience web
site (follow the link from the geosciences home page). Take a look at these images and
treat them as required reading.
G100 - GENERAL GEOLOGY
Fall, 2013
Lecture Schedule
1. M Aug 26
2. W
28
3. F
30
M Sep 2
4. M
4
5. W
6
6. F
9
7. W
11
8. F
13
Course Introduction
Data, Numbers & Observations I
Data, Numbers & Observations II
NO CLASS - LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
Minerals (and Rocks) - An Overview
Rocks (and Minerals) - An Overview
Relative Geologic Time
Weathering Processes
Mass Wasting in Vaiont, Italy
*
1-53
------------------------55-87 (+hallway)
55-87 (+hallway)
191-202
421-435
435-453; web
Before Exam 1:
read "Preface" and "Historical Perspective" from This Dynamic Earth
view video for gen ed outcomes 4.1 and 4.2
9. M
10. W
11. F
12. M
13. W
14. F
15. M
16. W Oct
17. F
18. M
16
18
20
23
25
27
30
2
4
7
EXAMINATION I
Exam Review
Radioactivity and Absolute Geologic Time
Radioactivity and Absolute Geologic Time
Ground Water I
Ground Water II
Rivers I - Movement of Water
Rivers II - Floods and Hydrographs
Rivers III - Movement of Sediment
Sedimentation
------------------191-213; 537-539
191-213; 537-539
455-481
455-481
483-511
483-511
483-511; 113-145
113-145
Before Exam 2:
read "Developing the Theory" and "Understanding Plate Motions" from This Dynamic Earth
view video for gen ed outcomes 4.3 and 4.4
19. W
20. F
M
21. W
22. F
23. M
24. W
25. F
26. M
27. W
28. F Nov
9
11
14
16
18
21
23
25
28
30
1
EXAMINATION II
Exam Review
NO CLASS - FALL BREAK
Glaciers I - Glaciology
Glaciers II - Glacial Geomorphology
Glaciers III - Indiana Glaciers
Oceans I
Oceans II
Shorelines
Earth's Heat
Plutonism
---------------------------569-597
569-597
569-597
535-567 (+hallway)
535-567
535-567
89-111
89-111
Before Exam 3:
read "Hotspots" and "Some unanswered questions" from This Dynamic Earth
view video for gen ed outcomes 4.5 and 4.6
29. M
30. W
31. F
32. M
4
6
8
11
EXAMINATION III
Exam Review
Volcanoes I
Volcanoes II
------------------305-335 (+hallway)
305-335
33. W
13
34. F
15
35. M
18
36. W
20
37. F
22
38. M
25
W
27
F
29
39. M Dec 2
Metamorphism
Folds, Faults and Deformation
Earthquakes and Seismology I
Earthquakes and Seismology II
Earth's Interior
Isostasy and Mountain Building
NO CLASS - THANKSGIVING
NO CLASS - THANKSGIVING
Mountain Building - Appalachians
147-165 (+hallway)
167-189
337-391
337-391
337-391
245-273
------------------245-273
Before Exam 4 read "Plate Tectonics and People" from This Dynamic Earth
40. W
41. F
42. M
43. W
44. F
45. W
4 EXAMINATION IV
---------6 Exam Review
---------9 Global Tectonics - Evidence for Plate Movement
Review Chapters 10 and 12. Also reread the e-book from USGS.
11 Global Tectonics - Crustal X-Secs
---------13 Global Tectonics - Review
---------18 FINAL EXAMINATION 8:00-10:00 a.m.
----------
*
Page numbers refer to Grotzinger and Jordan, 2010, Understanding Earth, 6th edition.
In several places additional readings from the web or hallway have been specified. Treat
these as required readings.
ADDITIONAL READING ASSIGNMENT
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has published an on-line book about plate
Tectonics. The book - This Dynamic Earth: the Story of Plate Tectonics can be found at
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/dynamic.html.
Read at your own pace but read the designated sections by the time specified in the
schedule. There will be questions on each exam from these readings. The same goes for
the general education videos listed in the schedule.
G100 - GENERAL GEOLOGY
Fall, 2013
Discussion Topics by Lecture
1. Introduction. Classroom policies. Definition of ‘geology’. “Present is the key to the
past.”. Some rates and sizes associated with the Earth.
2. Data, Numbers & Observation I. Empirical data. pH. Plotting pH against ml acid on
log-normal and arithmetic axis paper. Dependent and independent variables.
Qualities of a good graph.
3. Data, Numbers & Observation II. 'Eyeballing' data and estimating trends on scatter
plots. Errors. Histograms. Mean, median, standard deviation and mode. Steinmetz's
dishonest graph.
4. Minerals (& Rocks). Definition of ‘mineral’. Geologic and economic importance of
minerals. Crystal lattice. Mineral Properties.
5. Rocks (& Minerals). Definition of ‘rock’. Sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic.
Materials as a reflection of process. Basic subdivisions of each group of
processes/materials. Lithification of sediments.
6. Relative Geologic Time. Relative vs. absolute time. Methods for estimating relative
time. Steno. Superposition. Original Horizontality. Lateral continuity. Faunal
succession. Cross-cutting relations. Some problems with relative dating.
Conformities and unconformities. Simple time sequence from cross-section. The
geologic time scale.
7. Weathering. Mechanical vs chemical weathering. Frost wedging, unloading and
organic activity. Quantitative estimate of area to volume ratios in weathered blocks.
Synergy. Typical weathering reaction of K-feldspar to kaolinite. Typical qualities of
a chemical weathering reaction.
8. Mass Wasting in Vaiont, Italy. The October, 1963 Vaiont Reservoir disaster.
Geologic setting: rock types, tectonic activity, jointing. Contributing factors to slide.
Weather considerations. Effects of human activity. Sequence of slide events.
Engineering implication.
9. EXAMINATION I.
10. Exam review.
11. Radioactivity and Absolute Geologic Time I. Structure of atom. Atomic number,
atomic weight, isotopes. Radioactivity. Parent-daughter relationships. Types of
radioactivity: Alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays. Mechanisms of decay,
stochastic processes, half-life. Estimating an age using the 14C isotopic system.
Implications for public safety.
12. Radioactivity and Absolute Geologic Time I1. Radon. Geologic distribution of
radon. Remediation. Prevalence of radiation in natural environments. Nuclear hazard
containment. Storage options: On-site, seabed disposal, bedrock disposal, salt dome,
Yucca Mountain.
13. Ground Water I. Distribution of Earth's water. Some basic statistics concerning
wells and risks to wells. Hydrologic cycle. Porosity & permeability. Effect of grain
morphology, size, sorting and cements on porosity & permeability. Flux units.
Typical values. Qualitative grain size terms. Unconfined aquifer: zones of aeration
and saturation. Water table. Artesian aquifers: aquaclude.
14. Ground Water II. Darcy's Law. Head. Typical ground water flow rates. Water
wells. Cone of depression.
15. Rivers I - Movement of Water. Flow regimes: Laminar/turbulent flows and the
factors that favor each. Basic discharge equations. Development of a rapids. Effects
of river widening projects, and efforts to mitigate flood hazards. Discharge
relationships. Meanders in rivers.
16. Rivers II - Floods and Hydrographs. Recurrence interval. The 100-year flood.
Hydrographs. Hydrographs in evaluating flood behavior. Factors affecting the shape
of a hydrograph. Typical infiltration values.
17. Rivers III - Movement of Sediment. Stream piracy. Factors affecting particle
settling rates. Particle transport in bed, saltation and suspended loads. Hjulstrom's
diagram. Competency and capacity. Deltas.
18 Sedimentation. Sedimentary structures. Movement of sand-sized grains. Ripples and
cross-stratification. Other sedimentary structures: mudcracks, rain drops, tool marks,
tracks, burrows. Sedimentary environments: desert, glacial, deltaic, beach & bar,
shallow marine, turbidite, pelagic, fluvial. Vertical and horizontal distribution of
sediments in a fluvial environment. Transgression and regression. Sea level changes.
19. EXAMINATION II.
20. Exam Review.
21. Glaciers I - Glaciology. Definition of glacier. Kinds of glaciers. The effect of
temperature and moisture on glacial development. Composition of glaciers. Glacial
budgets. Movement of ice.
22. Glaciers II - Glacial Geomorphology. Erosional landforms: U-shaped valleys,
glacial striations, cirques, horns, arêtes. Glacial sediment. Depositional landforms:
Outwash plains, eskers, kames, kettles, moraines, drumlins. Causes for glaciation.
23. Glaciers III - Indiana Glaciers. Pleistocene stratigraphy. How do we know ages?
Characteristics of the ice advance. How cold did it get? What happened to sea level?
Effects of glacial rebound. History of the Lake Erie basin. Glacial features in the
Allen County area.
24. Oceans I. Distribution of land and sea. Provinces of the type continental margin.
Turbidity currents. Distribution of Earth's morphological features. Sediments in the
oceans: red clays, terrigenous deposits, biogenic oozes, manganese nodules.
25. Oceans II. Sea water composition. Special properties of water: dipole, liquid, high
heat capacity, universal solvent, density maximum. Waves. Oscillatory orbits. Wave
refraction. Straightening of headlands.
26. Shorelines. Shoreline structures, groins. Littoral drift. Engineering fixes to prevent
shoreline erosion. Rip-rap and seawalls. Beach replenishment. Hurricanes.
27. Earth's Heat. Sources of Earth's heat: Original heat of formation, gravitational heat,
radioactivity. Differences between continental (sialic) crust and oceanic (mafic)
crust. Calculated heat flow in room. Expressions of heat flow: Hot springs, geysers,
black smokers, volcanoes, hot mines. Geothermal gradient.
28. Plutonism. Definition of magma. Igneous rocks. Common minerals in igneous
rocks. Types of igneous rocks: Granite, rhyolite, diorite, andesite, gabbro, basalt.
Aphanitic. Phaneritic. Interrelations of rocks. Fractional crystallization. Partial
melting. Bowen's Reaction Series. Zoned crystals.
29. EXAMINATION III.
30. Exam Review.
31. Volcanoes. Recent volcanic eruptions. Definition of volcanic rock. Components of
eruptions: lava, pyroclastics. Tuffs. Silica polymerization and its effect on the
viscosity of lava and the explosive tendency of volcanoes. Nuee ardentes. Types and
characteristics of volcanoes: Shield volcanoes, cinder volcanoes, composite (strato)
volcanoes. Climatic effects of volcanic eruptions - Mt. Pinatubo.
32. Volcanoes II. Volcanism in the Cascade Range. Typical andesite volcanoes.
Recurrence intervals of U.S. volcanoes. History and slide show of Mt. St. Helens.
33. Metamorphism. Definition of metamorphism. Types of metamorphism: regional,
contact, dynamic. Mineralogy characteristic of different metamorphic facies.
Metamorphic facies map in the area near Vermont. Extreme metamorphism.
34. Folds, Faults and Deformation. Brittle deformation (faults). Ductile deformation
(folds). Syncline. Anticline. Dip-slip faults: Normal, reverse (thrust). Strike-slip
faults: right-lateral, left-lateral. Hanging wall. Foot wall. Fault-block mountains.
Horst. Graben. Example from the early Cenozoic in North America. Basin and
Range.
35. Earthquakes and Seismology I. Causes for earthquakes. Stress and slip. San
Andreas. Simple seismometer. Seismograms. Effect of substrate on amplitude of
waves. Other factors affecting ground motion.
36. Earthquakes and Seismology II. Richter Scale. Magnitude. Earthquake frequency.
Energy released in largest earthquakes. Mercalli Intensity Scale.
37. Earth's Interior. Body Waves. Surface Waves. P-waves. S-waves. Equations
governing velocity of P- and S-waves. Earthquake hazards in the U.S. Techniques
for earthquake prediction. Responsibility of geologists and response of the public to
earthquake predictions. Earthquake mitigation.
38. Isostacy and Mountain Building. Orogeny and orogenesis. Evidence for vertical
movements of Earth's crust. Isostacy. Roots. Continental cross-section.
39. Mountain Building - Appalachians. Fold mountains and orogenic belts.
Characteristic structures, distributions and rocks within geosynclines. Overview of
regional deformation in the Appalachian region. Specifics on the Acadian Orogeny.
Evidence of the Acadian Orogeny outside North America.
40. EXAMINATION IV.
41. Exam Review.
42. Global Tectonics - Evidence for Plate Movement. Evidence for crustal movement
in a horizontal plane. Maximum age of ocean floor. Age distribution of ocean floor.
Distribution of active volcanism. Distribution of seismicity. Cooling and sinking
curves. Magnetic anomaly patterns. Continental 'fit'. Paleopoles. Continuity of rock
types. Isolation of New World organisms. Pangea. Gondwanaland. Laurasia. India.
Overview of Plate Tectonics theory: Constructive margins, destructive margins,
transform margins. Plate velocities.
43. Global Tectonics - Crustal Cross-Sections. Cross section showing: subduction,
rising magma, trench, spreading, lithosphere, asthenosphere, crust, melting, island
arc, descending plate, melanges, earthquake distributions and other features. Ring of
fire. Plate motions and hot spots - Hawaiian Islands.
44. Global Tectonics/Review. Finish tectonics and resolve all unfinished business.
45. FINAL EXAMINATION.