4 hours. 3 hours lecture and 2 hours lab per week.
Physical Geology (Honors)
Course Description
Characteristics and origins of minerals and rocks. Plate tectonics
and structure of the Earth's interior. Geologic processes that
affect the Earth's surface: volcanism, earthquakes, coastal
erosion, and global climate changes. Mineral, water, and energy
resources and sustainability. Environmental hazards and
mitigation. Human impacts on the Earth system.
Athena Title
Physical Geology Honors
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in GEOL 1121, GEOL 1121E, GEOL 1121H, GEOL 1250
Non-Traditional Format
During summer semester, this course will be taught in the field
as
part of the Interdisciplinary Field Program. Traditional methods
are combined with field exercises and problems, interpretive
exercises, and extensive field discussions.
Prerequisite
Permission of Honors
Semester Course Offered
Offered summer semester every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to outline planet Earth’s internal and surficial composition and physical processes, as well as the tools scientists use to measure and interpret them.
Students will be able to differentiate and interpret natural landscape features and their formation (such as volcanoes, caves, mountain ranges, deserts, wetlands, coastlines) and how humans and other organisms adapt to living in varied environmental settings.
Students will be able to characterize the availability and sustainability of natural resources, including fresh water, productive soils, building materials, critical minerals, fossil fuels, and alternative energy, as well as the policies and methods we employ to discover and manage these resources.
Students will be able to explain the causes of geologic natural disasters (such as floods, earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions) and the methods by which scientists and public officials study, predict, and mitigate the damage caused by such events.
Students will be able to demonstrate well-developed teamwork skills, based on your extensive collaboration with a diverse group working toward a common goal in a domestic field study experience.
Topical Outline
Topical order is determined in part by the program itinerary and
field locations at which course is taught.
Earth’s internal structure
Plate tectonics and plate boundaries
Deep time and age of the Earth
Earth materials – minerals and the rock cycle
Crustal deformation and mountain building
Igneous processes and volcanic hazards
Weathering, erosion, and deposition processes
Soils and soil conservation
Water resources and management
Water chemistry, contamination, and treatment
Streams, rivers, and flooding
Freshwater and saline lakes
Groundwater processes and sustainability
Glacial processes and climate change
Coastal processes and sea level rise
Land stability - landslides and subsidence hazards
Deserts and desertification
Earthquakes and seismic hazards
Mineral resources and environmental impacts of mining
Fossil fuel resources and environmental impacts of exploration,
production, and consumption
Alternative energy resources and environmental impacts
North American geology and physiography
Federal and local land use history, management agencies, and
policies
Federal and local government monitoring of geologic and
environmental hazards
