Geology 151: Earth Revealed

Spring 1999

Mike Valentine

OFFICE: Thompson 148, PHONE: 756-3129
Office Hours: M 10-11, Tu 3-4, F 1-2, and by appointment

REQUIRED TEXTS:
Whole Earth Geophysics by R.J. Lillie
The Naked Earth by Shawna Vogel

EXAMS: Four non-cumulative exams covering lecture and reading assignments will account for 50% of your course grade. Parts of some of these exams may be take-home exams. See class schedule for approximate exam dates. LABS: Labs will account for another 30% of your course grade. Each lab will involve an investigation of Earth properties. A written report is required for each lab. See lab schedule for the section of each lab report that will be written up formally. I will hand out a lab schedule and a general format for the final formal lab report.

HOMEWORK PROBLEMS: Homework problems will constitute 10% of your grade. These will generally relate to and help you prepare for the investigative lab projects and/or exams.

ORAL REPORTS: Everyone will do a 12-15 minute oral presentation to the class on a topic of her/his own choosing. You MUST get your topic approved, & I will be happy to help with topic selection. These reports will account for the remaining 10% of your grade. Unless you want to volunteer to present early, a lottery will be conducted to determine the order of presentation. In addition to your oral report, a brief outline and an abstract of your report will be required and form part of your grade (see instruction sheet). Material covered in reports will be covered on the last exam. I encourage you to select a topic as soon as possible and start researching it, as you may need to look outside the U.P.S. Library for information.

EXCUSES: I intend to be very strict concerning times/dates of exams and turning in of homework assignments and lab reports (once announced). However, if you have a problem with any of these deadlines, come and see me BEFOREHAND; I am not unreasonable (very often).


Geology 151 Class Schedule--Spring, 1998

Note: Complete reading assignments listed below BEFORE class they are listed for. Use the following code to decipher what to read:
[L] = Lillie, [V] = Vogel, [BM] = Brown & Mussett, [RC] = Robinson & Coruh, [o] = optional reading (see list of additional readings)
Class When? Topic Text Reading
1 1/19 Introduction to Geology 151
Earth Overview: Earth's Surface & Interior
2 1/20 Earth Overview (cont.): Intro to Plate tectonics [L] Ch. 1 & p. 14-20
3 1/22 Historical Overview of Study of the Earth [V] Ch. 1-2
4 1/25 Finish Historical Overview [BM] p. 3-10 [o]
Start Plate Tectonics [L] Finish Ch. 2
5 1/26 Finish Plate tectonics & Start Geological Time
6 1/27 Finish Geological Time
7 1/29 Solar System- Characteristics of Sun & Planets [BM] Ch. 4 [o]
8 2/1 Finish Solar System & Start Formation of Planets [BM] Ch. 5 [o]
9 2/2 Finish Structure and Formation of Planets & Discussion
10 2/3 Introduction to Seismology [L] Ch. 3
11 2/5 Earthquake Seismology & Earth's Interior [L] Ch. 7, [V] Ch. 3-4 & 11
12 2/8 Discussion/Exam #1 Review
13 2/9 EXAM #1- Earth and the Solar System
14 2/10 Exploration Seismology- Seismic Refraction [L] Ch. 4
15 2/12 Refraction (cont.)
16 2/15 Refraction (cont.)
17 2/16 Discussion Day- Go over Exam #1 [V] Ch. 5 & 7
18 2/17 Seismic Reflection [L] Ch. 5
19 2/19 Reflection (cont.)
20 2/22 Reflection (cont.) [L] Ch. 6
21 2/23 Discussion/Exam #2 Review
22 2/24 EXAM #2- Seismology
23 2/26 Earth's Core and Magnetic Field [L] p. 284-286
24 3/1 Magnetics
25 3/2 Magnetics (cont.)
26 3/3 Earth's Magnetic Field, Its Components, & Remanent Magnetism [L] p. 286-293, [V] Ch. 6
27 3/5 Discussion Day- Go over Exam #2
28 3/8 Student Reports #1
29 3/9 Magnetic Surveying & Discussion [L] p. 293-297
30 3/10 Paleomagnetism- Finish Magnetism [L] p. 297-308
31 3/12 Student Reports #2
3/15-3/19 SPRING BREAK
32 3/22 Student Reports #3
33 3/23 Discussion/Exam #3 Review
34 3/24 EXAM #3- Magnetics
35 3/26 Introduction to Gravity [L] p. 223-225
36 3/29 Student Reports #4
37 3/30 Gravity (cont.)
38 3/31 Student Reports #5
39 4/2 Discussion Day- Go over Exam #3
40 4/5 Gravity Meters and Data Reductions [L] p. 225-237
41 4/6 NO CLASS
42 4/7 Student Reports #6
43 4/9 Student Reports #7
44 4/12 Gravity (cont.) [L] p. 237-276
45 4/13 Finish Gravity & Discussion
46 4/14 Student Reports #8
47 4/16 Introduction to Electrical Methods [RC] Ch. 13 [o]
48 4/19 Electrical Methods (cont.)
49 4/20 Student Reports #9
50 4/21 Discussion Day
51 4/23 Electrical Methods (cont.)
52 4/26 Radioactivity
53 4/27 Student Reports #10
54 4/28 Heat Flow [L] Ch. 10
55 4/30 Earth's Crust and Evolution of the Earth [BM] Ch. 10-11 [o]
56 5/3 Final Details OR Student Presentations [V] Ch. 8-10, 12-14
57 5/4 Discussion/Exam #4 Review
58 5/5 EXAM #4- Gravity, Radioactivity, Heat Flow, Earth Evolution, & Student Presentations


Geology 151 Lab Schedule--Spring, 1999

Week Date Topic
1 Jan. 19 Introduction & Math Review
2 Jan. 26 Calculation of Earth Circumference DUE 2/4 (Formal Write-up: Introduction)
3 Feb. 2 Density of Earth Materials DUE 2/11 (NO Formal Write-up)
4 Feb. 9 Seismology: Location of Earthquake Epicenter DUE 2/18 (Formal Write-up: Interpretation & Discussion)
5 Feb. 16 Hammer Seismograph Survey: Data Collection
6 Feb. 23 Seismograph Survey (cont.): Data Reduction DUE 3/25 (Formal Write-up: Procedure)
7 March 2 Magnetic Survey: Data Collection
8 March 9 Magnetic Survey: Data Reduction DUE 3/25 (Formal Write-up: Introduction AND Conclusions)
9 March 16 NO LAB MEETING: SPRING BREAK
10 March 23 Paleomagnetic Study: Data Collection
11 March 30 Paleomagnetic Study: Data Analysis DUE 4/8 (Formal Write-up: Abstract)
12 April 6 Gravity Survey: Data Collection
13 April 13 Gravity Survey: Data Reduction DUE 4/22 (Formal Write-up: Data AND Interpretation & Discussion)
14 April 20 Electrical Resistivity Exercise: Data Collection
15 April 27 Electrical Resistivity Exercise: Data Reduction DUE 5/6 (Formal Write-up: Whole Report)
16 May 4 NO LAB MEETING Turn in final lab report.
Note: Lab schedule may be adjusted as required to accommodate unforeseen circumstances (weather, natural disaster, etc.).

The following "equipment" will be needed for Geologoy 151 lab this semester:
- a ruler with centimeters AND inches- a CLEAR plastic model is best
- a pencil and eraser- a mechanical pencil is best
- a few colored pencils of your choosing- be sure colors don't clash!
- a protractor
- a compass (the circle-drawing kind) will be useful for one lab- if you already have one bring it, but you don't need to buy one
- a calculator with trigonometric functions
- DON'T even bring a pen- you will be tempted to use it for drawing diagrams, etc., you and won't be able to erase it, resulting in MESSY labs


Geology 151 Lab Report Format

Your final lab exercise for Geology 151 will require preparation of a formal lab report. Other labs will require shorter write-ups. Data will often be collected in groups, but data reduction, interpretation, and report writing should be done individually. The final formal lab report will be weighted twice as heavily as the others (which WON'T require formalized lab reports, but simpler write-ups). We will get some practice in for this final lab by writing up various SECTIONS of other labs.

Formal reports (and sections) will be typed, double-spaced, and should be about 4-5 pages of text. Tables, figures and illustrations are in addition to text. Organization of reports should be along the following lines:

1) Abstract of 200 words or less giving an overview and summarizing results: DO NOT describe your procedure or say "this lab will examine this, that, and the other thing";
2) Introduction giving background including study location, statement of problem, when & why study was done (NOT because I told you to), and any other pertinent information;
3) Procedure describe instruments used, procedures followed, etc. to collect AND interpret data. Detailed, but not TOO detailed;
4) Data including actual measurements, numbers, etc.;
5) Interpretation and Discussion will include what you can tell about the area studied from your data, sources of error, suggestions for future research, and anything else that might be pertinent to your study;
6) Conclusions which summarize your findings;
7) Acknowledgments of any help received from fellow workers, etc. (e.g. who you collected data with);
8) References Cited from any published sources used.

Any citations in your text should have one of two formats:
1) Valentine (1991) described report formats in detail.
2) Report formats have been described in detail (Valentine, 1991).
NOTE: List of references cited should have the format of GSA Bulletin:
Valentine, M.J., Jones, B.J., and Smith, A.Z., 1994, How to reference material used in reports: Useful Info Quarterly, v. 1, p. 13-15.

Avoid the use of "I" or "we" in your report. For example, rather than "I ran a gravity survey September 13th", say "A gravity survey was conducted by lab group II on September 13".

I will hand out an "example" of a well-organized lab report.

If you do great research, but can't communicate the results effectively, your time is wasted. In addition, these reports make up a significant portion of your grade. For these compelling reasons, make sure your reports are neat and professional. LATE AND/OR SLOPPY REPORTS will be penalized!!!


Oral Report Instructions

You will be responsible for presenting an oral report on a topic of your own choosing. Your topic should relate to subject matter of Geology 151; a list of suggestions follows below. Each presentation should last 12-14 minutes with a few minutes for questions at the end (14-17 minutes total). When you decide on a topic, check it with me and give me a 3X5 card with your name and topic. By one week prior to your talk, turn in a list of at least 3 PRINT references you are using for your research. You may also use sources from the world wide web. Late references will be penalized 10% of your report grade per day!

I will randomly draw names from the class roster to determine the order of presentation unless you wish to get it out of the way early in the semester. I am always receptive to early volunteers. Reports will be presented in class beginning in early March. An abstract and 2-3 page outline of your talk will be turned in in class by the class period before your talk. Late or missing abstracts/outlines will be penalized 20% of your report grade! Outlines will include the complete list of references used in your research. Abstracts are a brief (1-2 paragraphs) summary of your report to be handed out before your talk.

You may use slides, overheads, pictures from the web, (I encourage all of these) or SHORT videos during your oral presentation, but DON'T use them as time fillers or as substitutes for your own research. I will make overheads, provide projectors, etc. as needed. Let me know by the class before your presentation if you need "special" equipment. Missed presentations for reasons other than valid medical or emergency excuses will result in a ZERO grade for your presentation. A doctor's note or memo from Academic Advising is required.

NOTE: Reference format is as follows:
Author(s), date, title, source: volume, page numbers.

EXAMPLE:
Valentine, M.J., Jones, B.J., and Smith, A.Z., 1994, How to reference material used in report preparation: Useful Information Quarterly, v. 1, p. 13-15.

For web sites: Try to use the above format as closely as you can. Your reference must include the URL (address).

IN SUMMARY
1) Pick a topic, check it with me, and give me a 3X5 card with your topic.
2) Turn in a list of at least 3 references, IN CLASS, by one week prior to your presentation.
3) Turn in an outline and abstract, IN CLASS, the period before your presentation.
4) Prepare and, on the scheduled day, present an informative 12-14 minute talk on your topic.

Suggested Report Topics
These are some topics covered by past students in Earth Revealed. Some of these topics (or other topics you may choose on your own) will be covered in my lectures. When organizing your report, make sure you have more to say on your topic than I have already said in class. A simple rehash of my coverage will lead to a poor grade, so check with me when getting your information together.

Geology of ????????? (any specific locality you'd like to know more about)
Pacific Ring of Fire
Kilauea, Mt. St. Helens, or any other volcano
Dinosaur Extinction
Heat Flow & Geothermal Energy
Solar System Origin
Earthquakes in the NW
Geology of Mars (or Venus or Mercury)
Solar Wind, Sunspots, Aurorae
Caribbean Geology
Earth's magnetic field
Any specific earthquake (e.g.- Loma Prieta, 1989)
Intraplate earthquakes (e.g.- New Madrid, MO)
Hot spots (like Hawaii)
Earth tides
Seismic tomography ("X-raying" the Earth)
Asteroids &/or meteorites
Magnetic minerals
Earthquake prediction


Additional Readings

The following books are on reserve in the library for your reading pleasure and edification. Reading assignments may be made from these as the semester progresses. In addition, if you want more information on some of the topics we cover, you may find it there. The Open University text is the most basic for Earth structure. Others may provide more detail on geophysics. The Hamblin is a basic Physical Geology text. There are more of these in the library which you may check out.

The Earth, Its Shape, Internal Composition and Structure
Science Foundation Course Unit 22

Geophysical Methods in Geology
P.V. Sharma (QE501.3 .548 1986)

Basic Exploration Geophysics
E.S. Robinson and C. Coruh (TN269 .R54 1988)

Plate Tectonics and Crustal Evolution
K.C. Condie (QE511 .C66 1997)

The Inaccessible Earth (NOTE: This is a particularly useful text)
G.C. Brown and A.E. Musset (QE509 .B895 1993)

The Earth's Dynamic Systems, 5th ed.
W. Kenneth Hamblin

Inside the Earth
B. Bolt (QE509 .B69)

Earthquakes and Geological Discovery
B. Bolt (QE534.2 .B65 1993)

Geophysical Methods
R. Sheriff (TN269 .S52417 1989)

Applied Geophysics, 2nd ed.
W.M. Telford, L.P. Geldart, R.E. Sheriff (TN269 .A663 1990)

Fundamentals of Geophysics
W. Lowrie (QC 806 .L67 1997)

There may be others placed on reserve as the semester goes by and the need arises. I will keep you posted.


A FEW QUOTES ON THE NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE

Carl Zwanzig: "Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together...."

Douglas Adams: "There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened."

Albert Einstein: "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

Unknown: "Astronomers say the universe is finite, which is a comforting thought for those people who can't remember where they leave things."

Edward P. Tryon: "In answer to the question of why it happened, I offer the modest proposal that our Universe is simply one of those things which happen from time to time."

John Andrew Holmes: "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."

Max Frisch: "Technology is a way of organizing the universe so that man doesn't have to experience it."

Kilgore Trout: "The universe is a big place, perhaps the biggest."

Woody Allen: "I'm astounded by people who want to 'know' the universe when it's hard enough to find your way around Chinatown."

Douglas Adams: "In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."

William J. Broad: "The crux... is that the vast majority of the mass of the universe seems to be missing."

Rich Cook: "Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning."

Fred Hoyle: "There is a coherent plan in the universe, though I don't know what it's a plan for."

Ray Bradbury: "We are an impossibility in an impossible universe."

Christopher Morley: "My theology, briefly, is that the universe was dictated but not signed."

Edward Chilton: "I'm worried that the universe will soon need replacing. It's not holding a charge."

Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson): "The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."


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Mike Valentine
Contact: mvalentine@ups.edu