GSC 111 – CRN 32659

Principles of Geology

Lecture: M-W-F 11:40-12:50 PM 

Instructor: David R. Jessey        E-mail: drjessey@csupomona.edu    Tel:869-3457

Office: 4-A404   Office Hours: M-W- F 10:45-11:35AM; T-R 12:00-12:50PM 

Text:  Portrait of A Planet (3rd. Ed.), Marshak, Stephen  You can purchase the standard print version of the book from the Cal Poly Bronco Bookstore or from online retailers like Amazon.com.  Norton Books, the publisher, sells an E-book version of the text for about ½ the cost of a print version.  Information can be found at http://www.nortonebooks.com/.

Date

Lecture Topic

Reading

April 2

Course Overview: Available resources, contact info. 

 

April 4

Plate Tectonics: Continental drift and sea floor spreading. Movie: Continents Adrift

Chp. 3

April 7

Plate Tectonics: Plate tectonic theory and driving mechanisms.

Chp. 4

April 9

Plate Tectonics (cont.)

 

April 11

Minerals: Structure of the atom; elemental bonding. Movie: Crystals

Chp. 5

April 14

Minerals: Physical properties, classification, silicates

 

April 16

Volcanism: Volcanoes and volcanic rocks. Movie: Volcanoes: Exploring the Restless Earth

Chp. 9

April 18

Volcanism: Eruptive styles and case histories.

 

April 21

Movie: The Eruption of Mt. Pinatubo

 

April 23

Igneous Rocks and Magma: Melting and magma variation; igneous environments. Movie: Peridotite to Granite

Chp. 6

April 25

Igneous Rocks and Magma: Plutons and plutonic igneous rocks.

 

April 28

Exam 1: Scan-tron

 

April 30

Metamorphism: Metamorphism and metamorphic rocks.  Movie: Rocks that Form Beneath the Earth  (Review Exam 1)

Chp. 8

May 2

Metamorphism: Metamorphism and plate tectonics.

 

May 5

Sedimentary Rocks:  Erosion, sediments and soils. Movie: Erosion-Leveling the Land

Chp. 7

May 7

Sedimentary Rocks: Sedimentary rocks.  Movie: Rocks that Form at the Earth’s Surface

 

 

May 9

Sedimentary Rocks: Sedimentary structures.

 

May 12

Exam 2: Scan-tron

 

May 14

Earthquakes: Mechanics of earth movement; the Richter Scale.  Movie: The San Andreas Fault

Chp. 10

May 16

Earthquakes: cont

 

May 19

Structural geology: Dynamics of deformation; folding and faulting.

Chp. 11

May 21

Structural Geology: Mountain building and orogeny.

 

May 23

Deserts: Deserts and desert landforms.

Chp. 21

May 26

No Class – Academic Holiday

May 28

Deserts: More about deserts.

 

May 30

Glaciers: Ice and snow, the formation of glaciers.

Chp. 22

June 2

Glaciers:  Glacial landforms.

 

June 4

Movie: The History of the Earth

 

June 6

Unfinished Business and Evaluation

 

 

Grading

Mid Term Exams: Exams will cover material from lecture as well as your text.  There will be questions from the movies. Exams will be Scantron format.  Each exam will be 60 questions on each exam (Total = 120 points).

 

Final Exam: Friday, June 13, 7:00-9:00 AM.  The final will be 75 questions and include approximately 45 questions from Chapters 10,11, 21, and 22 and 30 questions from Exams 1 & 2.

 

Final Grades will be assigned using a curve.  Grades will be available on BroncoDirect as soon as I can post them.  Please DO NOT e-mail me concerning your grade.  If you have questions regarding your grade stop by my office.