Introduction

Me

TA

Why Should We Care about Geology?

1.Earth Resources

Energy: petroleum, coal, natural gas, nuclear power

Metallic Mineral Resources: Steel, copper, gold

Nonmetallic Mineral Resources: Concrete, wallboard, paint, toothpaste

2.Geologic Hazards

Volcanoes

Earthquakes

Flooding, Landslides, Subsidence

3.Protection of Environment

Geology is the fundamental environmental science

Geology controls Ecology: soils, acid rain, etc.

Siting land fills and clean up of leaking tanks and other toxic waste

Pollution of groundwater, rivers, lakes, and soil

Record of past climate and human-caused global change

4.Knowledge of World Around You

Syllabus

My Philosophy

  • Science, including geology, should be a fun way of exploring and visualizing our natural world, not a static collection of facts.

We will concentrate on understanding natural processes and how we explore and know things, rather than terms and factual trivial.

  • We will do much active, inquiry-based learning, and will learn how to observe, think about, and understand the landscape around us.
  • The class will try to develop skills that you can use in any profession and an appreciation of how geologic processes impact our environment and society.

My Goals

see other handout

Grade

Deemphasize exams (decrease stress, promote learning)

Reward Deeper Understanding and Hard Work

Exams

Designed to test your understanding or processes, controls, influences

Multiple choice and short essay

In-Class Exercises

Active, hands-on learning

Observations

Critical thinking

Homework

Writing Assignment

You can find out some interesting stuff about where you grew up or like to hang out

Opportunity to do science, and communicate it

What is Geology

Geology is the study of the processes that formed the earth, its features, and its life.

Geologists try to answers such questions as:

Why are there continents versus ocean basins, and how did each form?

What causes earthquakes, and can we predict where or when one will occur?

What causes volcanoes, and can we predict the time and severity of an eruption?

What forms mountains, and what governs their locations and heights?

What is the biggest flood we should expect along the Salt River, and can we limit the amount of damage such a flood might cause?

Where does groundwater come from, how much can we pump out, and how do we clean it up once it has been polluted by toxic substances?

How do caves form, and how are they related to sinkholes?

Where should we look for more copper or gold?

How did the moon form, and why does it have dark and light patches?

How long did the dinosaurs live, and what caused them to go extinct?

What scientific evidence exists for the origin of life?

Science

Detective Story

Slide Observation

Firstday.doc: page 1