Ge 101: Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry
Structure of this course:
• 19 lectures, 6 problem sets, field trip, 2 labs, 1 quiz, 1 final exam
• Each lecture is essentially an independent survey of a distinct field of geology
or geochemistry, each of which can be studied in detail for a whole course
• The class begins with geology and ends with geochemistry, more or less.
• The course website is http://www.asimow.com/Ge101 . It contains:
• syllabus (lecture, lab, problem set, reading, exam schedule)
• all lectures in powerpoint format and an index to the resulting notes
• problem sets, link to online geochemistry text, etc.
•Two textbooks, one for geology and one for geochemistry. Please read if you
find it useful!
Ge 101: Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry
Structure of this course:
•The labs are intended to give hands-on experience with the real tools that real
geologists and geochemists use every day. We have tried to eliminate the oldfashioned teaching exercises that nobody really uses anymore!
• In the mineral identification lab you will use the research-grade modern
analytical tools available in the GPS Division
• In the GIS lab, you will experience the advent of digital geology
• The problem sets are meant to be interesting and creative, to look at real
problems, and to show how mathematics and computers are essential tools of
modern Earth science. It is important to budget the appropriate amount of time
(neither more nor less) to the problem sets!
Ge 101: Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry
Goal of this course: to teach the essential foundations of
Geology and Geochemistry that any Earth or Planetary
scientist needs in order to
• Place their own work in context (and, thereby, pass their oral exam)
• Understand where any Division Seminar speaker is coming from
• Know the vocabulary of geological discourse (in English)
Ge 101: Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry
What is the difference between Geology & Geochemistry?
• Geology is direct observation and interpretation of field relations to infer
history and present state (e.g. hazards and resources) of the solid Earth and its
regions
• structural geology, geomorphology, stratigraphy, paleontology, petrology,
mineralogy, volcanology...
•Geochemistry is the application of principles of chemistry to understanding the
Earth (solid, ocean, and atmosphere)
•Fundamental principles such as radioactive decay, conservation of
elemental and isotopic mass, thermodynamics and kinetics bring rigor and
certainty to geological interpretation
• Likewise, geophysics and geobiology bring the reductionist rigor of physics
and biology to the interpretation of geological observation and inference
•The other sciences are needed to limit the speculation of geologists to
plausible ideas, but geology is the anchor of Earth science: it provides the
problems to be solved, and the record of actual events.
Ge 101: Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry
Logic of the lecture sequence:
• Lectures 1-9 are Geology
• Unifying themes: geologic time and plate tectonics
• Use of observable, active processes and environments to
interpret records of ancient processes and environments
• Classification of plate boundaries and interiors to organize
knowledge by making each region an example of a class
• Igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary, surficial, structural,
morphological, and stratigraphic approaches all use these two
organizing principles
• Lecture 4 is a small exception; it uses chemical thermodynamics to
explain the melting of rocks and the nature of minerals
Ge 101: Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry
Logic of the lecture sequence:
• Lectures 10-19 are Geochemistry
• The tools of nuclear, electronic, and physical chemistry are
explained at a sufficient level to understand
• origin and abundances of atoms; bulk composition of the
Earth and its reservoirs; origin and evolution of these
reservoirs
• Quantification of geologic time; fingerprinting material sources;
history of climate and atmosphere/ocean circulations; constraints
on theories of the Earth’s deep interior