Lecture 1
Course Introduction
and
Geology of the Chesapeake Bay
Lecture Outline
I
Course Introduction
A) Instructor Introduction
B) Course Overview
i.
ii.
iii.
Times and Location
Required Texts
Class URL and Web Resources
C) Course Schedule
i.
ii.
Important Dates
Structure
D) Policies
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Attendance and Participation
Grading
Honor Code
Laboratory
E) Tests
II
Why Study Geology?
Lecture 1
i
Lecture Outline
III
Geology of the Chesapeake Bay
A)
B)
C)
D)
Formation of the Chesapeake Bay
Characteristics and Importance of the Bay
Geography of the Bay
Physiographic Provinces of the Bay Drainage Area
i. The Appalachian Plateau
ii. Ridge and Valley
- Appalachian Mountain Section
- Great Valley Section
iii.Blue Ridge
iv.Piedmont
- Mesozoic Lowlands Section
- Piedmont Lowland Section
- Piedmont Upland Section
v. Coastal Plain
E)
Chesapeake Bay Bolide
i. Event
Lecture 1
ii
Lecture Outline
III
Geology of the Chesapeake Bay
E)
Chesapeake Bay Bolide
ii. Influence
- Stratigraphy
- Geomorphology
- Groundwater
- Modern Sea Level Changes
IV
Conclusions
Lecture 1
iii
Instructor Information
Stephen B Parsons
Oceanography 327
683-6058 (offc)
581-5223 (cell)
sparsons@ocean.odu.edu
Office Hours: Daily 1030-1230; other times by appointment
Lecture 1
I.A
Course Overview
Goal
This course gives an introduction to physical geology, which includes the basic
materials and processes that form the earth, the application of scientific
methodology to understanding the earth, and the processes that shape and
change the earth. Special attention will be paid to the concept of the rock cycle
and the theory of plate tectonics.
Meeting Times
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 1200-1250
Texts
Plummer, C.C., McGeary, D., and Carlson, D.H., 2002. Physical Geology, 9th edition,
McGraw-Hill, 574pp.
Busch, R.M. And Tasa, D., 2002. Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology, 6th edition,
Prentice-Hall, 288 pp.
Class URL
http://www.ocean.odu.edu/~spars001/geology_111/index.html
Lecture 1
I.B
Course Schedule
09/26/03
Exam 1
Composition of the Earth
10/31/03
Exam 2
Historical Geology and Geomorphology
12/05/03
Exam 3
Earth Architecture and Geophysics
12/12/03
Comprehensive Final Exam
Lecture 1
I.C
Course Policies
Attendance
Grading
Weights
Exams 1-3
Final Exam
Laboratory
1/3 of final grade
1/3 of final grade
1/3 of final grade
Scale
93 -100
90 - 92
87 - 89
83 - 86
80 - 82
77 - 79
73 - 76
70 - 72
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
C-
Honor Code
Laboratory
Lecture 1
I.D
Tests
True/False
T F 1. The Earth's lithosphere is composed entirely of crustal material.
Multiple Choice
____ 2. Approximately how old is the Chesapeake Bay?
(a) 1,000 years
(d) 1,000,000 years
(b) 10,000 years
(e) 10,000,000 years
(c) 100,000 years
Short Answer
3. Name four of the eight rock-forming minerals common to igneous
rocks.
Lecture 1
I.E
Why Study Geology?
I.
provides information on the structure of the Earth, its
evolution and the processes that shape it
II. preserves
the history of our planet providing insights
into lost worlds of Earth's past
III.provides
IV.links
clues to Earth's past and future climate
the very large with the very small
V.provides
the food we eat and the water we drink
VI.provides
the raw materials of everyday life and teaches
us about their conservation
VII.provides
hazards
information to help prepare for geologic
Lecture 1
II
Formation of Chesapeake Bay
Lecture 1
III.A
Characteristics and Importance
of the Chesapeake Bay
Largest Estuary in the United States
What is an estuary?
Supports more than 3600 species
2700 plant species
348 species of finfish
173 species of shellfish
29 species of waterfowl
Commercial resource
500 million lbs seafood/year
2 major ports
Recreational resource
Lecture 1
III.B
Geography of the Chesapeake Bay
Lecture 1
III.C
Geography of the Chesapeake Bay
Length:
Width(max):
Width (min):
Area:
Depth (ave):
Shoreline:
Ave. Tidal Range:
Volume:
332 km
56.3 km
5.5 km
11,400 km2
6.4 m
~19000 km
0.3 m - 1.0 m
6.813 x 1013 l
Lecture 1
III.C
Geography of the Chesapeake Bay
Drainage Area:
165,800 km2
50% of H2O from Atlantic Ocean
50% of H2O from freshwater sources
50% from Susquehanna
~90% from western rivers
~10% from Eastern Shore streams
Lecture 1
III.C
Physiographic Provinces
Lecture 1
III.D
Physiographic Provinces
The Applachian Plateau
elevated plateau with dendritic drainage
pattern
280 million years ago it was a marshy sea
the horsetail ferns that populated that sea
have been compressed and now
form the large coal seams that run
through the region
heavily forested
greatest rainfall of all Chesapeake Bay
provinces
Lecture 1
III.D.i
Physiographic Provinces
Ridge and Valley
parallel ridges and valleys of the Applachian Mountains
f
form an alternating pattern.
slightly lower in elevation from Appalachian Plateau
mountainous soils composed of clay and clay loams as
f
well as sandy and stony loams.
deep limestone soils make this region extremely fertile
dry climate
Lecture 1
III.D.ii
Physiographic Provinces
The Blue Ridge
narrow line of old mountains extending from Carlisle, PA
south to Gainesville, GA
some rocks are 1.2 billion year old granites
sedimentary rocks here were formed when Africa was
ripping away from Virginia forming the Iapetus
Ocean early in the Cambrian
Lecture 1
III.D.iii
Physiographic Provinces
The Piedmont
gently rolling topography
deeply weathered bedrock composed of
igneous and metamorphic rocks, some
from ancient volcanic island arcs
some rocks may have been formed outside
North America
Triassic basins include
alluvial fan conglomerates
tropical lake and mudflat deposits
Triassic basins
Lecture 1
III.D.iv
Physiographic Provinces
The Coastal Plain
youngest rocks
terraced landscape
bounded on west by Fall Line
underlain by wedge of sediments increasing
in thickness with distance
from the fall zone (A) to more
than 4000m under shelf
1200m of young sediments cover the
Chesapeake Bay impact structure
Lecture 1
III.D.v
Chesapeake Bay Bolide
Lecture 1
III.E
Chesapeake Bay Bolide
Event
35 million years ago
billions of kg of water instantly evaporated
billions more shot 100km into atmosphere
tsunamis 1.2km high
Graphics: Michael Hall, Virginian-Pilot
Lecture 1
III.E.i
Chesapeake Bay Bolide
Influence on Stratigraphy
USGS
USGS
Lecture 1
III.E.ii
Chesapeake Bay Bolide
Influence on Geomorphology
Michael Hall, Virginian-Pilot
Lecture 1
III.E.ii
Chesapeake Bay Bolide
Influence on Groundwater
USGS
Michael Hall, Virginian-Pilot
Lecture 1
III.E.ii
Chesapeake Bay Bolide
Influence on Modern Relative Sea Level
Lecture 1
III.E.ii