Course
Title: Advanced Physical Geology Course Number: GEOL 261
section 001
Instructor:
Jim Durbin Meets
(lect): T,Th 9:00-10:50 AM
Office:
Science Center Room 2218 Ocassional
Saturday lab meetings
(inside room SC2219)
Office Hours: posted door
E-mail: jdurbin@usi.edu
Phone (office): (812) 465-1208
Textbook &Lab Manual: Physical
Geology, 6th edition, bu
R.D. Dallmeyer, Kendall Hunt Publ. 2000, 705 p.
Objectives
of the course: This course is designed to give students a more advanced understanding
of Earth’s physical makeup and the timeframe within which earth formed, Topics
include: recognition of mineral and major rock types; identification and interpretation
of sedimentary rocks; collection and interpretation of data; reading and
interpretation of aerial photos; use of topographic and geologic maps; taking field
notes; literature research and synthesis; oral and written communication skills.
Structure
of the Course: The course has a laboratory that is required and which will
constitute 50% of the total grade for the course. You must pass the lab in order to be considered for a
passing grade for the course. Part
of the class will be a lecture format with regular exams covering the material
discussed in class that is also worth 50% of the course grade. I tend to use a multimedia format,
including computer driven slide presentations, Quicktime movies, animation, and
anything I else I can find to try and get a particular point across. In most cases, the material shown using
the computer will be posted on a classroom web page, which can be reviewed at
your convenience. The material on
the web page will be posted shortly after the day it was discussed, and in some
cases prior to the class period.
In some cases, information may not be available right away, or it may
not be available at all. Don’t
become dependent on the web page for all of your notes The lab will focus on applying
some of the information we discuss in lecture with specific exercises designed
to let you understand what earth is made of, how it is formed, and how we can
interpret what is observed in a logical and scientific way. The grading scale
is based on percentages as listed in the table below.
|
Course |
% |
|
Lecture grading |
% of 50 |
Lab Grading |
% of 50 |
|
Lecture |
50 |
|
Exams |
100 |
Quizzes |
30 |
|
Lab |
50 |
|
|
|
Lab Exercises |
30 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Talks & Abstracts |
20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Field notes, conduct |
20 |
The class has several field trips, the dates of which are
listed on the calendar page. Field
trips are mandatory, and require that you keep a field notebook. In addition, there is always an
assignment that goes with each field trip. Notes are to taken while in the field, in addition to adding
relelvant information on analysis of data from the field notes in the notebook.
Oral presentations
There are to be 2 presentations given by students over
topics decided upon at the beginning of the semester. I have a list from which students will choose their topics. The dates for the scheduled talks are
shown on the attached calendar. Each
talk will require you to turn in annotated bibliographies with summaries of
three research papers related to your topic. The annotated bibliographies are due the class period before
the talks are scheduled. No
internet references will be allowed, although you can use them to research your
general topic. The point behind
the talks is to introduce you with the broad range of topical information in
the geosciences, to familiarize yourself with standard research techniques and
develop your oral presentation skills.
Failure to participate in the any aspect of the course
will constitute failure of the course.
GEOL261- Fall 2009 Calendar of topics and events
|
Week |
Date |
Day |
|
Lecture Topic |
Lab Topic |
Text readings |
|
1 |
August 31, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Intro & Earth Materials |
|
Manual Ex. 1, 2 & 3 |
|
|
September 4, 2009 |
Fri |
|
Earth Materials |
Chap 2 & 4; Mineral and Igneous Rock ID |
Manual Ex. 1, 2, 3 & 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
September 7, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Earth Materials |
|
Manual Ex 4, 6 & 7 |
|
|
September 11, 2009 |
Fri |
|
Earth Materials |
Chap 6 & 7; Sedimentary
and Metamorphic rock ID |
Manual Ex 4, 6 & 7 |
|
|
Saturday 9/12/2009 |
|
|
Geological column field trip |
|
Field trip I- 9/12/2009 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
September 14, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Topographic maps &
Aerial photographs |
|
Manual Ex 5 & 8 |
|
|
September 18, 2009 |
Fri |
|
Topographic maps &
Aerial photographs |
Chap 8; Topographic Maps
& Aerial Photos |
Manual Ex 8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
September 21, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Fluvial systems |
|
Manual Ex. 8 & 9 |
|
|
September 25, 2009 |
Fri |
|
Fluvial systems |
Chap - 9 & 10; Rivers |
Manual Ex. 9 & 10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
September 28, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Orals I - unlimited
blackboard or overheads |
Talks - (8 minutes each) |
Talks over assigned
topics |
|
|
October 2, 2009 |
Fri |
|
Orals I - unlimited
blackboard or overheads |
Talks - (8 minutes each) |
Talks over assigned
topics |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
October 5, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Fluvial systems |
Data
Analyses-Graphing |
Manual Ex. 9 & 10 |
|
|
October 9, 2009 |
Fri |
|
Exam 1 |
No lab- study for next
weeks ID quiz |
|
|
|
Saturday 10/10/2009 |
|
|
Wabash. River field trip |
|
Field-10/10/2009 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
October 12, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Data Collection-Excel
Exercise |
Quiz 1- Rock and mineral
ID |
not in lab manual |
|
|
October 16, 2009 |
Fri |
|
GSA- work on data analysis |
|
not in lab manual |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
October 19, 2009 |
Mon |
|
GSA- work on data analysis |
|
Chap 11, 12 & 13 |
|
|
October 23, 2009 |
Fri |
|
Lansdscape development |
analyze field trip data |
Chap 11, 12 & 13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
October 26, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Lansdscape development |
|
Chap 11, 12 & 13 |
|
|
October 30, 2009 |
Fri |
|
Volcanic landforms |
Chap 11, 12 & 13; landscape
development |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
November 2, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Volcanic landforms |
|
|
|
|
November 6, 2009 |
Fri |
|
Volcanic landforms |
Chap 17; volcanic
landscapes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
November 9, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Geological Maps |
|
Chap 18, 19 |
|
|
November 13, 2009 |
Fri |
|
Exam 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12 |
November 16, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Geological Maps |
Quiz 2- maps, photos
& landscapes |
Manual Ex 18, 19 |
|
|
November 20, 2009 |
Fri |
|
Geological Maps |
Chap 18, 19; Geological
maps |
Manual Ex 18, 19 |
|
|
Saturday 11/21/2009 |
|
|
KY-Rough Creek Graben trip |
|
Field-11/21/2009 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13 |
November 23, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Brief clas- turn in
biblios |
Work on Talks! |
|
|
|
November 27, 2009 |
Fri |
|
Thanksgiving |
No class |
No Class |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14 |
November 30, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Orals II -10 slide
powerpoint or unlimited blackboard/overheads |
Talks - (10 minutes each) |
Talks over assigned
topics |
|
|
December 4, 2009 |
Fri |
|
Orals II -10 slide
powerpoint or unlimited blackboard/overheads |
Talks - (10 minutes each) |
Talks over assigned
topics |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15 |
December 7, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Orals II -10 slide
powerpoint or unlimited blackboard/overheads |
Chap 22- Geologic time |
Chap 22 |
|
|
December 11, 2009 |
Fri |
|
|
Lab Final- comprehensive |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16 |
December 16, 2009 |
Mon |
|
Final Exam- Monday Dec 14, 2009 |
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