GEOLOGY
171: APPLIED PHYSICAL GEOLOGY
SPRING 2010
Lecture:
Instructors: Dr.
David E. Blake, Lecturer; Rm 221 Deloach Hall, (910) 962-3387; Main Office:
(910) 962-3490; Fax: (919) 962-7077;
Email: blaked@uncw.edu;
Webpage: http://people.uncw.edu/blaked/index.html;
Teaching Assistant: Patti Mason; Rm 201 Deloach Hall; Main Office: (910)
962-3490; Email: .
Office Hours: Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Thursday: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM; Additional hours always
open by appointment.
Text: Exploring Geology by Reynolds,
Johnson, Kelly, Morin, and Carter (2008), and Geology in the Field by R. R. Compton (1985 or later
edition). Additional readings may be
provided.
Course Goals: The
goal of this course is to provide the student with an advanced overview of
Earth systems and physical geology. We
will be studying its material nomenclature, physical features, and fundamental
guiding principles, as well as gaining practical experience in various methods
of applied physical geology pertaining to:
1) use of the scientific method
in geology
2) seismology and physical
properties of Earth’s crust, mantle, and core;
3) mineralogy, petrology, and
tectonic settings in oceanic and continental crust;
4) fundamentals of mineral and rock observation,
description, and classification;
5) deformation and structures
in crustal rocks;
6) fundamentals of sample
preparation for the GEO Petrology Preparation lab;
7) Brunton compass use;
8) topographic and geologic map
construction and interpretation;
9) library science and computer
applications in geology;
10) detailed geologic mapping and
production of a professional quality map and cross section;
11) reporting of
scientific/geologic information.
By
the end of the semester, you will be armed with an arsenal of concepts and
techniques with which to further investigate the geologic sciences. For geological terms that are new and
strange, try the Glossary of Geology by Bates and
Jackson (Reference: QE5 .B38 1987). You may find it
helpful to use a GOOGLE Search on key geologic and geographic words during initial
inquiries about fundamental geologic principles and concepts. Earth’s regional geography has geological
origins and they are closely linked as the Earth Sciences. Geology books in the Randall Library
are found primarily in the QE section of the
stacks. Books related to the technical
and applied nature of geology are found in the TN
section and those related to geography in the GB
section.
If
you want to find something specific to the geologic literature, the computer
data base GEOREF is the best. Search the Randall Library under Inside UNCW
on its web page. Then search electronic resources by subject and choose Earth
Sciences. The reference librarian in the
Randall Library will help you get started with this when you wish to use it. U.S. government publications on geology can
be found in the Government Documents section of the Randall Library which is a
repository for such items. In that
collection you will find a complete set of the topographic maps for North
Carolina and South Carolina plus partial collections for the surrounding
states. The library also has extensive
collections of the U.S. Geological Survey publications including Circulars,
Bulletins, Professional Papers, and Geologic Maps.
Attendance: Attendance
of lecture, laboratory, and field trips is required for all scheduled course
activities. Plan ahead as some of the
activities such as the field trips will occur outside of the regular lecture
and laboratory period. Please make
arrangements with your other faculty members and employers ahead of time.
Field Trips: There
will be two field trips during the semester:
1) Saturday,
February 20, 2010, to Raleigh, North Carolina, and the western flank of the
Wake-Warren anticlinorium and Deep River Mesozoic basin in the eastern Piedmont
physiographic province. Rain date is
2) Wednesday
through Sunday, April 14 -
Costs: The
5-day field trip to West Virginia and Virginia will cost $150.00 per
person. This money is used to purchase food
and cover cabin rentals in Watoga State Park during the trip. Department geology students have been making
this trip for over 25 years. You must
provide payment in the form of a check to the Department of Geography and
Geology and give the check to Ms. Cathy Morris in the main office by March 15,
2010. You must provide funds for the
cost of any additional snickie-snacks you may want. I will notify you later if there is a travel
cost to Raleigh, but you should plan to provide your own lunch that day as well
as the cost of any snickie-snacks you may want.
In
addition, you will provide the following information:
1) information
concerning any health challenges because the field trips will require some
moderate exercise;
2) contact
information in the event of an emergency;
3) filled-in copy of
the GLY 171 General Release Form.
Supplies: You
will need to purchase a hardback field book in which to maintain your field
notes and any appropriate field lecture notes.
It will be used as your field/working copy; it would be wise to develop
a digital backup file of your field notes, which will be used as your desk
copy. These "notebooks" must
be kept up to date throughout the course.
They may be requested at any point in time, with one lecture notice, for
examination during the semester. Field
notes will be taken in pencil or waterproof drafting ink.
A mechanical pencil, eraser, tracing paper, set of colored pencils, and
drafting pens will be needed for this course.
You will also need to purchase a 10X hand lens. A transparent ruler-protractor combination,
Brunton compass, and Majicboard will be provided by the instructor. A good quality pair of hiking boots is
essential on the field trips. A rock hammer
and a camera are not yet required, but you will find them useful in this course
and a hammer will be required in future courses. I will provide information on where and how
to purchase these items.
Grading: Your grade is based upon your lecture and lab
performance during the completion of the following activities: 1) weekly quizzes on textbook reading
assignments-5%; 2) two lecture mid-term exams-30%; 3) lab assignments (type
written where applicable)-30%; 4) Raleigh field trip assignment-2.5%; 5) field
notebook-2.5%; and 6) final map, cross section, map explanation, and
manuscript-30%. All lab assignments must
be turned in to me or given to the department secretary to be placed in my
mailbox no later than 5:00 PM on the due date assigned. Do
not slip assignments under my office door.
Be aware of your responsibilities.
ACADEMIC CODES
UNCW is committed to the proposition that the pursuit of truth requires
the presence of honesty among all faculty, staff, and students involved. It is this institution's stated policy that
no form of dishonesty will be tolerated.
Although all members of the University community are encouraged to
report occurrences of dishonesty, each individual is principally responsible for
his or her own honesty.
UNCW practices a
zero-tolerance policy for violence and harassment of any kind. For
emergencies contact UNCW
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
01/07: Introduction to Applied Physical Geology;
01/07: Lab 1: Laboratory Discussion and the Rock Lab Tour
01/12: Seismospherical
View of Earth’s Interior;
01/14: Seismospherical
View of Earth’s Interior;
01/14: Lab 2: Minerals as Earth Materials -
01/19: The
Rock Cycle;
01/21: Earth
in the Solar System;
01/21: Lab 3: Magmatism -
01/26: The
Scientific Method; Chapter 2
01/28: The
Scientific Method;
01/28: Lab 4: Sedimentation -
02/02: The
Scientific Method;
02/04: Earth
Materials;
02/04: Lab 5: Metamorphism -
02/09: Earth
Materials;
02/11: Igneous Environments I; Ch. 5
02/11: Lab 6: Well Logs and Subsurface Correlation;
02/16: Igneous
Environments II; Reynolds,
02/18: Volcanoes;
02/18: Lab 7: Strike and Dip, the Brunton Compass, and Pace
-
02/23: Sedimentary
Environments;
02/25: Exam I
02/25: Lab 8: Deformation and Structures -
02/27:
03/02: Sedimentary
Environments;
03/04: Deformation
and Metamorphism Ch. 8
03/04: Lab 9: Geologic Mapping -
03/06-14: SPRING BREAK!!!
03/16: Deformation
and Metamorphism II;
03/18: The
Seafloor;
03/18: Lab 10:
Earth’s Surface Topography -
03/23: Continental
Margins;
03/25: Mountains, Basins, and Continents I;
03/25: Lab 11: Geologic Map and Cross Section Analysis -
03/30: Mountains,
Basins, and Continents II;
04/01-04: State
04/06: Earthquakes
and Seismicity I;
04/08: Earthquakes
and Seismicity II;
04/08: Lab 11: Field Trip
Preparation; Stratigraphy of the VA-WV Field Areas
04/13: Field
Trip Preparation
04/14-18: Field Trip -
04/20: Field
Trip Assessment/ Earthquakes and Seismicity II;
04/22: Exam II
04/22: Library Science and
Internet Technology
04/27: READING DAY!!
05/07: Final
Map Projects Due, by
Applied Physical
Geology Field Groups:
2005, 2006, 2007,
2008, 2009