Ge 101 Syllabus (revised 9/23/08)

Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry

Fall 2008

Professor: Paul Asimow (253 Arms; asimow@gps; x4133).

Teaching Assistant: Brian Balta (064 Arms; balta@gps; x6864)

Lecture Times: 11:00 – 11:55 AM Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 251 Arms

10:00 – 10:55 AM Tuesday, 215 North Mudd

Lab Times: usually 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM, Mondays by announcement (not every week), 267 Arms

Required Texts:

Understanding Earth, 5th edition, Grotzinger, Jordan, Press, and Siever (2007, Freeman)

Geochemistry, an Introduction, Albarède (2003, Cambridge)

Class Website:http://www.asimow.com/Ge101.html is used for posting lecture notes in powerpoint format, distributing problems sets, accessing the online textbook, updating the syllabus, and sundry other uses.

Syllabus: (The four one-hour lectures per week format is new this year; we may find the lecture schedule needs adjusting once we learn more about our baud rate)

WEEK 1: 9/29, 9/30, 10/1, 10/3

0. Logistics

1a. Geologic time, plate tectonics

1b. Geodynamic settings of major rock suites

2a. Igneous classification, mid-ocean ridges

Reading: Grotzinger et al., chapters 1, 2, 4, 8; Albarède, chapter 8

WEEK 2: 10/6, 10/7, 10/8, 10/10

10/6 Quiz: The geologic timescale

10/6 Lab 1: GIS, in NM 309; TIME TO BE DETERMINED at OM (due Monday 10/13)

2b. Hot spots

3. Subduction and volcanology

4. Chemical thermodynamics: melting, major elements, mineralogy

Reading: Grotzinger et al., chapters 3, 6, 12; Albarède, Appendix C

WEEK 3: 10/13, 10/14, 10/15

10/13 Lab 2 (kickoff): Analytical techniques for mineral identification (Due Friday 10/24)

10/17 Friday Noon – 10/19 Sunday 7:00 PM: FIELD TRIP to Owens Valley (Required! and Fun!) (Report due 10/28)

5. Structural geology

8b. Survey of California geology (sorry about out of sequence numbers!)

Reading: Grotzinger et al., chapters 7, 13, 22

WEEK 4: 10/20, 10/21, 10/22, 10/24

10/20 Lab 2 (roundup)

Problem Set 1: Structural geology and geomorphology (due Tuesday 11/4)

6. Geomorphology

7. Orogeny, continental dynamics, and regional metamorphism

Reading: Grotzinger et al., chapters 10, 14, 21

WEEK 5: 10/27, 10/27, 10/29, 10/31

10/27 Lab time for collective work on Problem Set 1

8a. Stratigraphy and paleomagnetism

9. Chemical and physical weathering, sedimentary rocks

Reading: Grotzinger et al., chapters 5, 16, 18, 19

WEEK 6: 11/3, 11/4, 11/5, 11/7

Problem Set 2: Nuclear chemistry, thermodynamics, phase diagrams (due 11/11)

10. Cosmochemistry: origin of nuclei, solar system, and Earth

11. Geochemical classification of elements and gross differentiation of Earth

Reading: Grotzinger et al., chapter 9; Albarède, chapters 1, 7, 9, 10 (see also Broecker, How to Build a Habitable Planet)

WEEK 7: 11/10, 11/11, 11/12, 11/14

Problem Set 3: Radioactivity and differentiation (due 11/18)

12. Radioactivity

13. Origin of hydrosphere and atmosphere, box model concepts

Reading: Grotzinger et al., chapter 11, 15, 17; Albarède, chapters 2, 3, 5

WEEK 8: 11/17, 11/18, 11/19, 11/21

Problem Set 4: Stable isotopes and paleoclimate (due 11/25)

14. Stable isotopes, climate, hydrologic cycle

15. Ocean chemistry

Reading: Grotzinger et al., chapter 23; Albarède, chapters 4, 6

WEEK 9: 11/24, 11/25, 11/26; 11/28 is Thanksgiving holiday

Problem Set 5: Box models, mixing theory, chemical oceanography (due 12/5)

16. Atmospheric chemistry

17. We’ll see.

Reading: Grotzinger et al., chapter 20

WEEK 10: 12/1, 12/2, 12/3, 12/5

Exam available Friday 12/5, due by Noon Friday 12/12

Here are the exam review questions.

18. Chemical geodynamics: lithophile trace elements and isotopes

19. Chemical geodynamics: noble gases

Reading: Albarède, chapter 8 again

Grading:

Problem Sets and Labs 60%

Field Report 10%

Final Exam 30%

Late work policy: Scores decay exponentially after the due date, with a half-life of two days (unless excused).