ch1 1010

GEOLOGY-1010
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INSTRUCTOR’S NAME: MARK BASKARAN
PHONE: 313-577-3262
E-MAIL:
OFFICE HOURS: 10:30-11:30 AM-M,F


Grading Policy – GEL-1010
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LECTURE AND LAB MUST BE SUCCESFULLY COMPLETED
FIRST QUIZ.
GRADING
• EXAM #1=20%
• EXAM #2=20%
• FINAL =30%
• LAB =30%
COURSE GRADES WILL BE CURVED

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EXAM WILL BE MULTIPLE CHOICE AND TRUE/FALSE
QUESTIONS
EXAM MATERIAL FROM LECTURE NOTES, DO NOT MISS
LECTURES
MAKE UP EXAM ………………..ONLY ON VALID EXCUSES


Lab

OPEN LAB (MAY ATTEND ANYTIME WHEN LAB IS
OPEN)
INTEGRAL

COURSE

AND ESSENTIAL PART OF GEL 1010

30%

OF FINAL GRADE – HELPS TO IMPROVE THE
GRADE
LAB

WILL START IN THE SECOND WEEK

MUST

HAVE PHOTO ID

LABORATORY

OUTLINE (BOOKSTORE OR
MARWELL’S) MUST BE BROUGHT TO THE LAB
20

– QUESTION QUIZ AT THE END OF EACH LAB
(COMPUTER TESTING; QUIZ WILL CONSTITUTE THE
GRADE FOR THE LAB)


*~ 3 HOURS – ALLOW 3.5 HOURS TO COMPLETE LAB
AND QUIZ
*NO FOOD/DRINK ALLOWED; NO VISITORS
ALLOWED
*NO LAB MAKEUPS
*LOWEST LAB WILL BE DROPPED.TOTAL 13 LABS –
1 DROP = 12 LABS
4 OR MORE LABS MISSING-MUST DROP THE COURSE
UNOFFICIAL WITHDRAWAL WILL BE GIVEN
*LAB STARTS ON TUESDAYS- ENDS THURSDAYMUST BE TAKEN THE SAME WEEK


TIPS FOR SUCCESS
READ

OUTLINE PRIOR COMING TO THE

LAB
REVIEW

MATERIAL IN TEXT BOOK
RELATED TO THE LAB TOPIC
FILL

IN OUTLINE CAREFULLY AS IT
WILL BE YOUR STUDY GUIDE FOR THE
QUIZ
ASK

LAB INSTRUCTOR IF THE LAB
MATERIAL IS UNCLEAR.


Methods of Science
• DATA GATHERING
• HYPOTHESES ( LOGICAL AND TENTATIVE
EXPLANATION )
( > 50 HYPOTHESIS FOR ICE
AGES )
• THEORIES ( GENERALLY ACCEPTED EXPLANATIONS)
• LAWS, SCIENTIFIC ( THEORY THAT MEETS RIGOROUS
TESTING)
• GEOLOGICAL MODELS


Scientific Theory
• MASSIVE VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS OF INDIA’S
DECCAN PLATEAU•

--------CLOUD OF V. ASH & GAS – COOLING –

DECLINE IN VEGETATION – PLANT EATING
ANIMALS WOULD HAVE DIED – MEAT EATERS
DEATH

• METEORITE IMPACT THEORY - ~ 10 KM
DIAMETER CRASHED INTO THE EARTH – DUST
VEIL & SMOKES FROM FIRE BLOCKED SUNLIGHT


Extinction of Dinosaurs
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65 M YEARS AGO, 75% OF ALL FORMS OF LIFE VANISHED
( LAND & WATER – DWELLING)

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EPEDEMIC DISEASES ELIMINATED DINOSAUR POPULATION?

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EGG STEALING- MAMMALS RAVAGED DINOSAUR’S NESTS?

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OCEANS BECAME LETHALLY SALTY – WHY SOME MARINE
ORGANISMS SURVIVED?

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DRASTIC ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE?

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SHIFT IN PLANET’S PROTECTIVE MAGNETIC FIELD?
( ALLOWING HARMFUL RADIATION)


EVIDENCES
• *1” – CLAYEY LAYER ~ 65 M YEAR
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CLAY CONTAINS IRIDIUM ( ABUNDANT IN METEORITE;
RARE IN INT. ROCKS)
( ABOVE THE LAYER ~ ONE FOURTH AS MANY
SPECIES)

• *PRESENCE OF TEKTITES ( GLASSY SPHERES ) IN
SEDIMENT LAYERS AROUND THE WORLD
( SUPER HEATED ROCKS AT IMPACT SITE HURLED
INTO THE AIR IN A MOLTEN STATE)
• *FOSSILS ABOVE & BELOW THIS 1”


Evidences – contd.
• *HIGH CONC. OF CARBON SOOT WITHIN THE
IRIDIUM LAYER
( EVIDENCE OF GLOBAL WILD FIRE)
*WHITISH FOSSIL – RICH LAYER AT THE
BOTTOM OF A CORE (ODP) IN ATLANTIC

OCEAN – OVERLAIN BY A THIN GRAY – GREEN
LAYER OF IMPACT DEBRIS TOPPED BY AN
IRON – RICH BAND – FOSSIL POOR LAYER
ABOVE.
*IMPACT SITE – YUCATAN’S CHICXULUB
CRATER 300 KM DIAMETER.


Big Bang Theory
•TIMING ESTIMATED USING HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
-CURRENT POSITIONS & SPEED OF VISIBLE GALAXIES AS THEY MOVE
FROM ONE ANOTHER

•AFTER BIG BANG, UNIVERSE BEGAN TO EXPAND & COOL
•FEW MINUTES AFTER BIG BANG, UNIVERSE COOLED BY ABOUT
•ONLY PROTONS, NEUTRONS & ELECTRONS PRESENT
• ATOMS (BUILDING BLOCKS OF MATTER)
•ONLY WHEB UNIVERSE COOLED ~ 3000 DEG CENTIGRADE,
•H, He – LIGHT ELEMENTS BEGAN TO EXIST


Big Bang Theory


Lecture Outlines

Physical Geology, 10/e
Plummer, McGeary &
Carlson

Introducing Geology
Physical Geology 10/e, Chapter 1

Plummer et al.


Geology in Today’s World
• Geology - The scientific study of the Earth
– Physical Geology is the study of Earth’s materials,
changes of the surface and interior of the Earth, and the
forces that cause those changes

• Practical Aspects of Geology
– Natural resources
– Geological hazards
– Environmental protection


Practical Aspects of
Geology
• Natural Resources
– All manufactured objects
depend on Earth’s resources
– Localized concentrations of
useful geological resources
are mined or extracted
– If it can’t be grown, it must
be mined
– Most resources are limited in

quantity and non-renewable


Damage from Northridge (CA) earthquake
(1/17/1994) apartment-15 died


Resource Extraction and
Environmental Protection
• Coal Mining
– Careless mining can release acids
into groundwater

• Petroleum Resources
– Removal, transportation and waste
disposal can damage the
environment

Alaska pipeline

• Dwindling resources can encourage disregard for
ecological damage caused by extraction activities


Geologic Hazards
• Earthquakes
– Shaking can damage buildings and
break utility lines (electric, gas,
water, sewer)

• V olcanoes
– Ash flows and mudflows can
overwhelm populated areas

• Landslides, floods, and wave erosion


Geologic Hazards
• Earthquakes
– Shaking can damage buildings and
break utility lines (electric, gas,
water, sewer)

• V olcanoes
– Ash flows and mudflows can
overwhelm populated areas

• Landslides, floods, and wave erosion


Geologic Hazards
• Earthquakes
– Shaking can damage buildings and
break utility lines (electric, gas,
water, sewer)

• V olcanoes
– Ash flows and mudflows can
overwhelm populated areas

• Landslides, floods, and wave erosion


Physical Geology Concepts
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Earth’s Systems
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A tmosphere
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Hydrosphere (rivers, ocean,
glaciers, lakes)
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water on or near the Earth’s surface

Biosphere
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the gases that envelop the Earth

all living or once-living materials

Geosphere
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the solid rocky Earth


Physical Geology Concepts
• Earth’s Heat Engines
– External (energy from the Sun)
• Primary driver of atmospheric (weather) and
hydrospheric circulation
• Controls weathering of rocks at Earth’s surface

– Internal (heat moving from hot interior to
cooler exterior)
• Primary driver of most geospheric phenomena
(volcanism, magmatism, tectonism)


Earth’s Interior
• Compositional Layers
– Crust (~3-70 km thick)
• Very thin outer rocky shell of Earth
– Continental crust - thicker and less dense
– Oceanic crust - thinner and more dense

– Mantle (~2900 km thick)
• Hot solid that flows slowly over time; Fe-,
Mg-, Si-rich minerals

– Core (~3400 km radius)
• Outer core - metallic liquid;
mostly iron
• Inner core - metallic solid; mostly iron


Earth’s Interior
• Mechanical Layers
– Lithosphere (~100 km thick)
• Rigid/brittle outer shell of Earth
• Composed of both crust and
uppermost mantle
• Makes up Earth’s tectonic “plates”

– A sthenosphere
• Plastic (capable of flow) zone on
which the lithosphere “floats”