Dynamic Earth
GEO110
Franklin & Marshall College
Department of Earth and Environment
Geology 110, Dynamic Earth
Fall Semester, 2009
TEACHER: Dr. Stan Mertzman
Office: P-121A
Office Hours: M: 2:00 – 4:00 PM; Th: 10:00 – Noon; F: 2:30 – 4:00 PM; or by appointment.
Telephone: At School: 291-3818; At Home: 295-1290
E-mail: Stan.Mertzman@fandm.edu (the easiest and most reliable method to contact me!)
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My goal in this course is to help you arrive at an understanding of how the Earth operates as an evolving planet. My wish for you is that, as a result of doing well in this course, you will be able to understand how and why the landscape around you looks the way it does regardless of where you might be standing at the time.
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Course Text: Understanding Earth, 5th Edition by Grotzinger, Jordan, Press, Siever (2007)
Lab Text: Laboratory Manual In Physical Geology: Geology, 8th Edition, Edited by R. M. Busch (2009)
Class convenes in Hackman-115; Lab also convenes in Hackman-115 at 1:30 PM beginning Wednesday January 28, 2009. PowerPoint presentations will be placed on e-disk the same day they are used in either class or lab. You will have access to them for the entire semester.
Attendance Policy: You are permitted 3 un-excused absences from class during the term. The 4th absence will cause your final grade to diminish by 1/3 of a letter grade and so on. Attendance at all labs (as always) is mandatory.
Grading:
20% for each of two lecture period exams
25% for the final exam
25% for the lab portion of course that includes two lab quizzes, the geophysics experiment lab report, and your weekly performance in lab.
10% for class participation and two article critiques written during the semester.
(See additional handout)
Examination Schedule: Monday, February 23, 2009, Monday, April 6, 2009
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The following syllabus lists the assigned lecture readings for each class meeting together with the
appropriate pages in the textbook to be read prior to coming to the class meeting.
Date, Topic, Chapter and Pages
Jan. 21, Course introduction, Preface, xiii-xxi; Ch.1, pp. 1-17
Jan. 23, Building a planet, Ch. 1, pp. 1-17
Jan. 26, Plate tectonics I, Ch. 2, pp. 19-30
Jan. 28, Plate tectonics II, Ch. 2, pp. 30-43
Jan. 30, Minerals, Ch. 3, pp. 45-56, Append. 3, AP-3 and AP-4
Feb. 2, Rock forming minerals; Rocks, Ch. 3, pp. 56-75
Feb. 4, Igneous Rocks, Ch. 4, pp. 77-88
Feb. 6, Igneous Rocks, Ch. 4, pp. 88-99
Feb. 9, Volcanism I, Ch. 12, pp. 271-282
Feb. 11, Volcanism II, Ch. 12, pp. 282-295
Feb. 13, Mt. St. Helens--a case study
Feb. 16, Weathering and erosion, Ch. 16, pp. 371-384
Feb. 18, Sedimentary Rocks, Ch. 5, pp. 101-129
Feb. 20, Metamorphism and metamorphic rocks, Ch. 6, pp. 131-149
Feb. 23, HOUR EXAMINATION #1
Feb. 25, Deformation, Ch. 7, pp. 151-167
Feb. 27, Time and Geology, Ch. 8, pp. 169-187
March 2, Early solar system history, Ch. 9, pp. 189-213
March 4, How continents form, Ch. 10, pp. 215-239
March 6, Geobiology, Ch. 11, pp. 241-269
March 9, Earthquakes, Ch. 13, pp. 296-323
March 11, More about earthquakes, Ch. 13, pp. 296-323
March 13, Seismology, Ch. 14, pp. 324-345
SPRING BREAK Friday March 13, 4:20 PM until Monday March 23, 8:00 AM
March 23, The broad topic of climate system, Ch. 15, pp. 346-369
March 25, Interactions of climate and tectonics, Ch. 16, pp. 384-399
March 2, Groundwater and the hydrologic cycle, Ch. 17, pp. 400-425
March 30, Streams: erosion, transport, deposition, Ch. 18, pp. 426-451
April 1, Streams: erosion, transport, deposition, Ch. 18, pp. 426-451
April 3, Catch-up Day
April 6, HOUR EXAMINATION #2
April 8, Winds and deserts, Part 1, Ch. 19, pp. 452-471
April 10, Winds and deserts, Part 2, Ch. 19, pp. 452-471
April 13, Tides and currents, Ch. 20, pp. 472-485
April 15, Shorelines, Ch. 20, pp. 485-503
April 17, Glacial activity and landscapes, Ch. 21, pp. 504-529
April 20, No Class
April 22, Landscapes Part 1, Ch. 22, pp. 530-549
April 24, Landscapes Part 2, Ch. 22, pp. 530-549
April 27, Humans and the Holocene continued, Ch. 23, pp. 550-579
April 29, Humans and the Holocene still continued, Ch. 23, pp. 550-579
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The final examination in this course is scheduled by the Registrar's Office, not by your instructor. Please check the time and place of the exam on the "final exam schedule" which usually becomes available in late February / early March, just before the beginning of spring break. The final exam period is Tuesday May 5 through Saturday May 9, 2009.
LABORATORY SYLLABUS
The following syllabus lists the schedule of laboratory exercises together with the appropriate pages in the Lab Manual (LM) and the Lecture Text (LT). Read over the material prior to coming to lab; do not work out the exercises unless they are specifically assigned. Do lab work in pencil, not pen. NB: The labs after March 11, 2009 may be re-arranged a bit depending on the weather.
Date, Type Of Exercise We'll Be Doing, Reading Assignment
Jan. 28, Minerals - How to tell one from another, LT: Ch. 3, LM: Lab #3, pp. 47-74.
Feb. 4, Magma crystallization and igneous rocks, LT: Ch. 4, LM: Lab #4 and #5, pp. 75-88 and pp. 89-108
Feb. 11, Sedimentary rocks, LT: Ch.5, LM: Lab #6, pp.109-132.
Feb. 18, Metamorphic rocks, LT: Ch 6, LM: Lab #7, pp.133-150.
Feb. 25, The Geologic time scale constructed, LT: See LT: Lab #1, p. 4, see on the Williamson football field or in Figure 1. the hallways of Hackman.
March 4, Rock and mineral quiz followed by "Volcanoes of the Deep"
March 11, Potholes field trip, Lab hand out OR The basics of topographic maps, LM: Lab #9, pp.167-191., (Need pencil with eraser, 6" plastic ruler)
*******SPRING BREAK Friday March 13, 4:20 PM until Monday March 23, 8:00 AM********
March 25, Chickies Rock Field Trip, Lab handout OR The basics of topographic maps, LM: Lab #9, pp.167-191, (Need pencil with eraser, 6" plastic ruler)
April 1, Seismology Lab: Chickies Rock Park, Lab handout
April 8, Geologic structures, maps and block, LT: Ch 7, diagrams, LM: Lab #10, pp. 195-212.
April 15, Conoy Creek field trip, Lab handout
April 22, Indian Echo Cavern Fieldtrip, Lab hand out
April 29, Second lab quiz (No rocks or minerals)
