SURVEY OF GEOLOGY-Spring 2007

 

Geology 111G, Section 2                                            Instructor:        Dr. Tim Lawton

Lecture:  TuTh 10:20-11:35, Chemistry 111               Office:             Breland 124

646-4910

Lab:     Once a week, Breland 189                              Office Hours:  T 8-10, W 9-11, or

                                                                                                            by appointment

 

Required texts: 

 

1.  Press, F., Siever, R., Grotzinger, J., and Jordan, T.H., 2003, Understanding Earth (Fourth Edition):  New York, W.H. Freeman and Company, 567 p. (plus appendices).

 

2.  Harder, V., 2005, Laboratory Exercises for Physical Geology (Second Edition): Hayden-McNeil Publishing, Inc., 118 p.  Be sure this is a new copy because you will turn in pages from this book in your laboratory section.

 

Course Objectives:  Geology 111G provides an introduction to the physical composition and processes of the Earth, both near the surface and deep inside.  Under the topic of composition, we will study the basic chemistry, identification and origins of minerals and rocks that make up the crust, mantle and core of the Earth.  Under processes, we will study phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, landsliding, floods, and other processes that shape the Earth and affect the way that we as humans interact with it.  The course is a suitable introduction to geology for education majors and it satisfies the University-wide science requirement for students not majoring in geology or a science degree.  It also serves as the initial course for geology majors.  However, the main objective of the course as I teach it is not to make you a geologist, but rather to heighten your appreciation and enjoyment of the world around you.  It might help you out the first time you decide not to buy a house in the path of a landslide or next to an active fault; it will certainly make your next trip to Albuquerque more enjoyable.

 

Course requirements:  Geology 111G consists of two lectures per week plus a three-hour laboratory.  The lab teaches hands-on geology skills, such as rock and mineral identification and geologic map interpretation.  It is an important part of the course and represents a significant part of the time you will devote to the course.  The laboratory counts for one-quarter (25%) of the course grade.  Check your registration form to be sure that you are enrolled in a laboratory section.  If not, you must check with the registrar to enroll in a section.  Another important note:  You must pass the lab (with a lab score of 50%) to pass the course.  You will need the laboratory manual by Harder to do the lab exercises.  This semester, labs begin Monday, January 29 .

 

All of the reading assignments on the following schedule are from the required text by Press et al.  Please read the assigned reading before class.  This will enable you to get the most from the lecture.  I usually cover the material in the book fairly faithfully.  However, I also cover information not found in the book.  The exams in this course will include material covered in lecture (I write most of this on the black board); therefore, although there is not an attendance requirement, the best way to do well on the tests is to come to class each time it meets.  Copies of tests from previous years are on reserve in the new library under my name. You can also find these tests on my website:

 

 http://www.nmsu.edu/~geology/lawton/index.html.

 

            Three lecture exams and a final will be given on the dates indicated.  At the end of the semester, you will have the option of dropping your lowest score on the first three tests.  Please note that you may not drop the final exam; it is mandatory.  The final exam is not cumulative and has the same format as the other three tests.  If a change in the test schedule shown below is necessary, it will be announced at least one week prior to the scheduled test date.  The test results will count for 75% of your final grade.  The remaining 25% will be based on your final laboratory score.  Therefore, your final grade will be based on three exam scores and your laboratory score, with the laboratory score equal in weight to a test score.

 

Daily Geotopic:  During most lectures, I will produce an image or a set of images and pose a question.  Before you leave class, I would like you to write on a sheet of paper, in three to five sentences, a response to the question or issue posed.  You can work together on the answer, but you must write your own response and hand it in on your way out the door.  If I get two responses in the same words, neither will get credit. Answers need to be in full sentences (subject and verb, capitalized at the beginning, period at the end).

 

Make-Up Exams:  There are no make-up exams.  An exam missed without prior (at least one class meeting before the exam date) permission from the instructor will constitute the test score that is dropped.  If you miss two exams without a written excuse, you will receive a zero grade for the second missed exam.

 

Extra Credit:  There is no provision for extra credit in the course.

 

Weighting of Lecture and Lab:

            Lecture exams (2 plus final)                            65%

            Daily Geotopic                                                10%

            Lab Score                                                        25%

 

Grade Scale:              A         90-100%

                                    B         80-89.5%

                                    C         70-79.5%

                                    D         60-69.5%

                                    F          Below 60%

 

 

Attendance policy:  Attendance is mandatory.

 

Incomplete grades:  The assignment and removal of "I" grades will follow the guidelines outlined on page 19 of the 2006-2007 undergraduate catalog.

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

 

Date                 Topic                                                                                       Reading

Jan 18              Course Introduction and Objectives

                                                                                                                                               

Jan 23              Earth: A unique planet                                                             Chapter 1

Jan 25              Basic Plate Tectonics                                                               Chapter 2

 

Jan 30              Atomic Structure                                                                     Chapter 3

Feb 1               Rock-forming Minerals; Rocks                                               Chapter 3

 

Feb 6               Magma and Igneous Rocks                                                     Chapter 4

Feb 8               Hazards--Volcanism                                                               Chapter 12

 

Feb 13             Exam #1

Feb 15             Weathering and Soils                                                              Chapter 16

 

Feb 20             Sedimentary Rocks                                                                 Chapter 5

Feb 22             Sedimentary Rocks                                                                 Chapter 5

 

Feb 27             Metamorphism                                                                        Chapter 6

Mar 1              Metamorphic Rocks                                                                Chapter 6

 

Mar 6              Stratigraphy and Correlation; Relative Dating                         Chapter 8

Mar 8              Absolute Dating and Geologic Time                                       Chapter 8

 

Mar 13            Exam #2

Mar 15            Rock Deformation                                                                   Chapter 7

 

March 19-23  Spring Break

 

Mar 27            Hazards--Mass Wasting                                                          Chapter 16

Mar 29            Hydrologic Cycle; Ground Water                                           Chapter 17

 

Apr 3               Geology of Groundwater                                                        Chapter 17

Apr 5               Stream Flow & Drainage Systems                                          Chapter 18

 

Apr 10             Wind and Deserts                                                                    Chapter 19

Apr 12             Hazards--Earthquakes                                                             Chapter 13

 

Apr 17            Exam #3

Apr 19             Earth's Internal Structure                                                         Chapter 14

 

Apr 24             Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics                                      Chapter 10

Apr 26             Energy Resources                                                                   Chapter 23

 

May 1              Mineral Resources                                                                  Chapter 3

May 3              Global Change                                                                        Chapter 23

 

May 10           FINAL EXAM 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM                                Chem 111

 

 

Non-Discrimination Policy: Feel free to call Jerry Nevarez, Director of Institutional Equity, at 505-646-3635 with any questions you may have about NMSU's Non-Discrimination Policy and complaints of discrimination, including sexual harassment.

 

Students with Disabilities: Feel free to call Michael Armendariz, Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities, at 505-646-6840 with any questions you may have on student issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  All medical information will be treated confidentially.

 

Plagiarism constitutes academic misconduct and can be cause for dismissal from the university.  Both intentional and unintentional plagiarism is prohibited by University policy.  To find a definition and solutions go to the library website:

 

http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/plagiarismforstudents.htm

 

Here is the universityÕs website for plagiarism:

 

http://www.nmsu.edu/%7Evpsa/SCOC/misconduct.html