Welcome to the fantastic world of geology! This is where we find out how the Earth works and how our planet has developed into the awe-inspiring beast that it is.
Here are a few important documents you'll need for the class
My office hours: Tuesday/Thursday 10-noon (but stop by my office anytime, I'm usually there) |
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Here is the list of topics we're likely to cover over the course of the term. Notice the wide variety of topics here - geology is such a broad topic that we will only be able to explain the fundamentals of each of these aspects. My goal is to get you so jazzed about one or more of these topics that you devote your life to finding out more about it. Or, at least you'll make some smart decisions when it comes time to go on a road trip, buy a house, or vote in the next senator or president.
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INTRODUCTION AND THE FORMATION OF EVERYTHING
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Introduction
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Formation of the Universe, Solar System, and Earth, and the structure of the Earth
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Plate Tectonics - the revolution and the process
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THE ROCK CYCLE
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Atomic structures and minerals
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The rock cycle, magma and igneous rocks
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Volcanoes and volcanic hazards
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Weathering and erosion
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Sedimentary rocks
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Metamorphic rocks
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Geologic time and dating of geologic materials
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THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
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The hydrologic cycle
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Streams
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Coasts
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Groundwater
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Glaciers and ice ages
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Atmosphere: weather and climate
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PROCESSES ON AND IN EARTH
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Mass movement
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Structural geology
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Earthquakes and earthquake hazards
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Mountain building (orogeny)
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Geologic Resources
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Global change
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Here are some links for student resources at Western Washington University
| MyWestern (access to all things Western, including Blackboard) |
| BLACKBOARD LOGIN PAGE (this is the place to get all the class notes, assignments, and current grades for the lecture class) |
| Western's Tutorial and Study Center (TASC) This is a REALLY good reference for being a better student |
| Western's DisAbility Resources for Students for help with disAbling conditions |
| Western's Student Advising Center |
| Computer Labs around campus (locations, hours, equipment, etc) |
| Grades (these are grades submitted to Western's administration, not the current class grades) |
| Student Technology Center |
| UNDERSTANDING AND AVOIDING PLAGIARISM Plagiarism will NOTÂ be tolerated, so please review this link! |
| ACADEMIC DISHONESTY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES just in case you forget to review the link above |
Here is a list of links to some great resources. Give these a glance, especially if what I've presented in class isn't making sense and for some bizarre reason you can't get in touch with me for help.
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LINKS FOR PRACTICAL TEACHING TIPS, ANIMATIONS AND IMAGES
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| Significant Figures tutorial (Thanks Erica Martell!) |
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Mark Francek's animation page
(all kinds of geologic topics!) |
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Tanya Atwater's animation page
(mostly tectonics) |
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Discover Our Earth.org
(experiments and animations) |
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Don Berrie's site
(huge list of link organized by topic) |
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Paul Howell's interactive rock cycle
(very cool!) |
| Alluvial Fan Lovers of North America (who knew?) |
| Formation of the Colorado Nat'l Monument movie this is really cool, but the hi-res version is >400 Mb, so beware |
| Nine Planets the best solar system website out there |
| Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) Great resources for science education |
| Tsunami Video Clearinghouse |
| Origins of the Pacific Northwest (from Burke Museum) |