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
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!
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