Historical Geology

Catalog description

2 Lab Hours Description (Formerly GGY-202) This is a course for both science and non-science majors on the evolution of the Earth, its crust and life on Earth. The history of the Earth and life are covered including the Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. Students learn principles such as geologic time concepts, stratigraphic principles and paleontology. The evolution of life and the Earth’s surface are explored through the geologic eras from the Hadean to the present age. Pleistocene glaciation, the rise of the human species, current concepts of continental drift, plate tectonics and sea floor spreading are examined. The accompanying laboratory program allows students to practice scientific procedures by conducting investigations which are coordinated with lecture topics.