Principles of Geology II

Catalog description

Survey of the physical and biological history of the Earth. Course is divided into two parts. First is a review of common minerals, rocks, and fossils; the use of stratified sedimentary rocks to reconstruct past environments and climates; and the theory of plate tectonics. Second is an overview of the origin and early evolution of the Earth, tectonic formation of continents and oceans, and life through time (first appearance of life, early life in the ocean, Age of Dinosaurs, the Great Ice Age, and the appearance of the first humans). Field and laboratory work in mineral, rock, and fossil identification, description of stratigraphic sections in the field, and geologic map construction and interpretation. Local or regional fieldtrips offered.