Geology and the Environment

ERSC 1F90

Summer 2009

Instructor: Rick Cheel Department of Earth Sciences

Office: Mackenzie Chown D418

Phone: 905-688-5550 Ext. 3512

E-mail: rcheel brocku.ca

All course material will be located at:

www.brocku.ca/ERSC1F90

ERSC 1F90aims to provide:

• A basic understanding of Earth materials (rocks, minerals, etc.).

• An introduction to plate tectonics and its implications (earthquakes and volcanoes).

• Examples of extreme events of various scales of magnitude and frequency.

Grade DistributionAssignments 36% 4 assignments of equal

value (9% each)

2 Midterm tests 15% each In-class,

Thursday, July 23 and Wednesday, August 5

Last names beginning A to K, 1000-1100h. Last names beginning L to Z, 1100-1200h.

Final Exam 34% Friday, August 21, 2009

1400-1600h

Location TBA

IMPORTANT NOTES

The last day for withdrawal without academic penalty and last day to change from credit to audit status for duration 1 courses is Friday, August 7, 2009.

Students will have received notification of at least 15% of their final grade by Thursday, August 6, 2009.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ERSC 1F01, 1F95, 1P92 and 1P93.

Schedule for assignments

July 16 Economic Minerals

July 22 Relative age of rocks and geological events

July 30 Locating earthquake epicentres

August 6 Identifying tectonic plate boundaries

Each assignment is due by 1300h on the Thursday of the week following its introduction.

Earth Science Workshop

Mackenzie Chown D319.

Every Tuesday from 1200 to 1500h.

Teaching Assistants will be available to help with assignments.

Lectures:Outline and schedule

Monday July 13Introduction, grade distribution, outline

Tuesday July 14 Scientific Ideas, Geology 101,

the History of Geology  

Wednesday July 15Atoms, elements and minerals.

Outline and scheduleThursday July 16

Igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.  

Tuesday July 21Geologic Time

Tuesday July 20Fossils and fossilization; mass extinctions

Wednesday July 22Geologic Time, continued. Assignment 2 tutorial.

Tuesday July 28

Impacts with the Earth, effect and risk.

Outline and schedule

Monday July 27The origin of the solar system and the formation of

Earth.

July 23Midterm Test #1

Last names beginning A to K (10:00am – 11:00am)

Last names beginning L to Z (11:00am – 12:00pm)

Thursday July 30Continental Drift; Geomagnetism; Assignment 3

tutorial.

Outline and scheduleWednesday July 28

Impacts with the Earth, effect and risk, continued.

Monday August 3No Lecture

Civic Holiday

Outline and schedule

Tuesday August 4Modern Plate Tectonics

Wednesday, August 5Midterm Test #2

Last names beginning A to K (10:00am – 11:00am)

Last names beginning L to Z (11:00am – 12:00pm)

Thursday August 6Earthquakes: Faults, seismic waves and their

effects; the distribution of Earthquakes

Monday August 10Earthquake prediction and the Great Canadian

Earthquake.

Outline and schedule

Tuesday August 11The Earth’s climate and its history

(Snowball Earth)

Thursday August 13Volcanoes: classification, deposits, and their

distribution.

Monday August 17Predicting volcanic eruptions; scales of eruptions,

major eruptions and Supervolcanoes

Outline and schedule

Wednesday August 12Climate, continued

Tuesday August 18The history of the Earth

Wednesday August 19Wrap-up, a quick review and final exam

information.

Outline and schedule

Thursday August 20No Lecture (Check schedule for changes)

(a good time to study)

Friday August 21Final Exam, 1400 – 1600h, location TBA

The usual disclaimer….

The schedule is tentative.

Check the web-based schedule for changes and updates.

In the event of asignificant asteroid

impact:class will be cancelled!