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Physical Geology- Spring 2013. Geol 161 section 005. •. Meets MWF 1:00 to 1:50 PM. •. •. Labs meets Monday 2:00-4:20 PM. Office. Science Center Room SC-2218 (inside room SC-2219). •. Phone. E-mail. jdurbin@usi.edu. 465-1208. •. Class Webpage address.
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Physical Geology- Spring 2013 Geol 161 section 005 • Meets MWF 1:00 to 1:50 PM • • Labs meets Monday 2:00-4:20 PM Office Science Center Room SC-2218 (inside room SC-2219) • Phone E-mail jdurbin@usi.edu 465-1208 • Class Webpage address http://www.usi.edu/science/geology/jdurbin/geol161/index.html
Expectations Expectations • 100 level college science class is more difficult than most High school science courses (TERMINOLOGY+CRITICAL THINKING) • before we discuss them in class read chapters before we discuss them in class • • • don't skip class • direct correlation between poor grades and # of absences - - - - all lecture assignments occur only in class • • Listen to what I say and take notes on what you hear you should write down info on SLIDES after class- posted on the webpage - - - you should take notes on IMAGES and INFO that I mention in class - Many students require a minimum Many students require a of 6 hrs/wk spent outside of • • normalclass meeting times to do well Form study and review groups and meet at least once a week • • • Start studying for exams at least a week before the exam dates • - use the study aids I post on the webpage - use the study aids I post on the webpage Ask questions before, during, or after class if you don't understand! Ask questions before, during, or after class if you don't understand • • Consult the webpage often! Consult the webpage often! • •
Vital information grades are based on points accumulated over the semester • - Exam 1 100 pts ~19% of lect grade - - Exam 2 100 pts ~19% of lect grade - Exam 3 100 pts ~19% of lect grade - Final Exam 175 pts ~33% of lect grade - Lecture assignments 50 pts ~9% of lect grade - Lecture total 175 pts ~75% of course grade -Labs 150 pts ~31% of Lab grade -Midterm-practicum 100 pts ~21% of Lab grade -Lab Final 200 pts ~42% of lab grade - Lab grade 175 pts ~25% of course grade Lab grades are determined by your performance in lab. You must pass both the lab and lecture in order to achieve a passing grade for the course.
Grading policy Lecture exams are curved up to a maximum of 10% based on the • high score in the class - Example 1- if the high score is 94 out of 100, then everyone gets 6 points added to their score. - Example 2- if the high score is 86 out of 100, then everyone gets 10 points added to their score (or 10% of the possible points) Late penalties are severe for lecture assignments assignments are due at beginning of class considered late if turned in after that -20% of total points per day before being graded.
Exam dates and topical information are posted on the Calendar webpage Course Policies, grading criteria, and other vital information can be found on the Syllabus webpage: http://www.usi.edu/science/geology/jdurbin/geol161/Geol161-Syllabus-Sp2013.htm
Physical Geology (info from Chapter 1) Earth has 5 interconnected systems Physical Geology deals primarily with the ... GEOSPHERE- the rocks and minerals in the lithosphere and aesthenosphere (crust and upper mantle). Primary component in the Plate Tectonics system But also deals with the factors that modify the Geosphere that include elements from the… HYDROSPHERE- water in oceans, glaciers, rivers ATMOSPHERE- gases in the air, wind EXOSPHERE- the Sun and other stuff in space BIOSPHERE- Living things (plants & animals) Climate System
Example of interaction of Earths Systems Earth’s crust ruptures creating an earthquake (initiated in the Geosphere) - results in upward movement of ocean floor about 140 0 ft along a stretch that is several hundred Kilometers long Motion displaces 135 cubic miles of water in ocean (HYDROSPHERE) - results in a wave that moves very quickly outward from the rupture Wave strikes the coastlines - results in a eroded and devastated landscapes (GEOSPHERE) Organisms (humans, animals, plants) are killed thousands of miles away from the earthquake (BIOSPHERE) Earthquake waves cause Earth’s axis of rotation to “wobble” slightly (Exosphere) Airborne and waterborne diseases set in following the disaster (Atmosphere) These kind of events have happened in the past (geologic and historic past) and will happen again- learn our lessons well
Tsunami video In order for this video to play, you must have Microsoft media player installed
Physical geology uses the Scientific Method Scientific Method Deals with hypotheses • • - an interpretation of observations (data) which needs to be proven or tested against other known observations (data) - Theory Theory • • Different from a hypothesis Different from a hypothesis • • - An idea supported by or proven by data and testing, without being contradicted by known observations (data) - - Reproducible Results that can be used for prediction - other scientists can check to see if it needs revision - Can be used to predict the outcome of other observations Science involves testing ideas Science involves testing ideas No data to support hypothesis ---> cannot be a theory No data to support hypothesis ---> Not a theory • • - may still have hypotheses that can still be tested - may still have hypotheses that can still be tested
Things that separate Geology from other disciplines Geologic time- Pre-Cambrian Era - 4.6 bya to 573 mya • • Paleozoic Era “ancient life”- 575 mya to 247 mya • Periods in Paleozoic-Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Mississippian, Pennsylvanian, and Permian Mesozoic Era “middle life”- 247 mya to 65 mya • • Periods in Mesozoic-Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous Cenozoic Era “recent life” - 65 mya to present • • - Periods in Cenozoic-Tertiary and Quaternary - Tertiary and Quaternary periods Epochs in Tertiary- Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pliocene, Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene, Epochs in Quaternary-Pleistocene and Holocene Holocene epochs mya = million years ago bya = billion years ago
Life and Time Precambrian-Infant to middle age Earth (ca. 4.5-3.5 b.y.) Earth had no life from 4.56 to 3.49 by Late Precambrian- middle age Earth (3.5 b.y. - 575 m.y.) had limited life simple blue green algae living in the ocean water gradually single celled organisms appeared (2.2 m.y.) Multicellular organisms appear at 570 m.y. Paleozoic through Mesozoic- late middle-aged Earth through early old age (575-66 m.y) Life explodes, evolving very quickly to colonize nearly all environments in a few 10’s of million years The fossils of these organisms were the basis for dividing the time periods of the geological time scale Cenozoic-middle to late old-age Earth (66 my to present) Mammals dominant, Humans evolve ~3 m.y. ago
Division of the Geological Timescale Interpretation of the Record • Evidence for Large Scale Extinctions • Evidence for Large Scale Extinctions > Ordovician/Silurian Extinction > Ordovician/Silurian Extinction - related to global cooling & glaciation - related to global cooling & glaciation > Devonian/Mississippian Extinction > Devonian/Mississippian Extinction - related to global cooling & glaciation - related to global cooling & glaciation > Permian/Triassic Extinction > Permian/Triassic Extinction - 90% of all known species became extinct - 90% of all known species became extinct > Cretaceous/Tertiary Extinction > Cretaceous/Tertiary Extinction - Dinosaurs 170 million year dominance ended - Dinosaurs 130 million year dominance ended > Pleistocene/Holocene Extinction > Pleistocene/Holocene Extinction - Many large land mammals became extinct - Many large land mammals became extinct
Uniformitarianism (originally called Gradualism) The Present is the key to understanding the Past • The laws of physics, chemistry, and geology that are present - today havebeen operating throughout Earth's geologic history allows us to look at the modern and infer what went on in the past • Cross-beds in modern sand dune Cross-beds preserved in sandstone interpreted as an ancient sand dune
Plate Tectonics- commonly confused with the idea of continental drift- they are NOT the same thing! Plate Tectonics • The Earth's outer layer (the lithosphere) is broken into pieces that move by means of internal convection currents the continents are passengers on the lithospheric plates - - This theory is relatively new (40 years old), but took more than 200 years to develop. • • Accounts for location and composition of Mountains, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, mineral resources, distribution of modern and fossil animalsand plants, Rock types, shape and age of ocean basins, paleomagnetic and gravity data, paleoclimatic data on separate continents
Asian North American Arabian African Indo- Indo- South Pacific American Australian Antarctic Tectonic Plates -a shaded physiographic map
Importance of Geology to us (humans) Importance to us (humans) We could not exist without resources from the We could not exist without resources from the • • Geosphere and other systems - Minerals from the geosphere - - Oxygen from the biosphere and atmosphere - Oxygen from the biosphere and atmosphere - Water from the hydrosphere - Water from the hydrosphere - Protection by the atmosphere - Protection by the atmosphere - ”sunlight" from the exosphere - Need to understand the world around us Need to understand the world around us • • - must use our resources wisely - must use our resources wisely > most are limited > most are limited Must make informed decisions on public policy Must make informed decisions on public policy - - - Must make informed decisions on private matters - Must make informed decisions on private matters - Must plan for geological hazards Example: Indonesian ‘Quake & Tsunami
Info from Chapter 22- Solar system and Earth formation (Exosphere) Solar system formed form a cloud of gases and dust - cloud is called a nebula (see next slide) Gravity pulled stuff together (a function of mass and distance) - accumulating debris (rock, ice, minerals, gases) formed planets -(see next slide) Inner planets (incl,. Earth) are rocky (called terrestrials) Outer planets are gaseous giants small rocky interior with thick atmosphere early Earth smacked by a large proto-planet that created our moon.
Examples of nebulae Eagle nebula