Dynamic Earth
Assignments, Spring, 2008

Week 1

January 14 M - Introduction to the course - review the syllabus and discuss use of warmups and study groups as learning tools; Text, chapter 1: Introduction to earth materials and processes and earth systems; energy sources, dynamic equilibrium; plate tectonics and the rock cycle

16 W - Text, Chapter 1 and 2, continue rock cycle; plate tectonics (we will revisit chapter 2 later in the course and consider it in more detail)

18 F - Text, Chapter 3 - minerals - definition, emphasize structure and composition; atoms, ions, bonding

LABORATORY - Minerals - physical properties (be certain to read in Chapter 2 in the text and in your lab manual on "minerals" to prepare for physical properties of minerals. Also, be certain to bring your textbooks to lab for this exercise. If you don't finish in the lab session, this must be completed soon after, because you need the information to complete next week's lab work.)

Week 2

21 M - NO CLASS - Martin Luther King Holiday

23 W - Text, Chapter 2 - Text, Chapter 3 - Silicate minerals - silica tetrahedron, sharing oxygens, arrangements of tetrahedra in different silicate groups; place in context of magmas

25 F - NO CLASS

LABORATORY - Mineral Identification - (be certain to read in Chapter 2 in the text and in your lab manual on "minerals" to prepare for identification of minerals.) Also, be certain to bring your textbooks to lab for this exercise. You must also look up the compositional formulas for all the minerals you identify in lab. If you don't finish in the lab session, this must be completed soon after, because you need the information for next week's exam.)

Week 3

28 M - NO CLASS

30 W - Text, chapter 3 - silicates, emphasize what happens to the Si/O ratio as the structure becomes more complex. How is this reflected in the occurrence of ferromagnesian and non-ferromagnesian silicate minerals?

February 1 F - Text, Chapter 4 - crystallization of magmas; formation and composition of igneous rocks; Bowen's sequence of crystallization

LABORATORY EXAMINATION 1 - Physical properties and identification of Minerals

Identification of Igneous Rocks

Week 4

4 M - Text, Chapter 4 - composition, texture and classification of igneous rocks; occurrence of igneous rocks

6 W - Text, Chapter 5 - finish igneous rocks of Minnesota; volcanism - geologic occurence of volcanic eruptions; types of activity, materials erupted, and associated landforms

8 F - Text, Chapter 5 - volcanism - geologic occurence of volcanic eruptions; types of activity, materials erupted, and associated landforms; explosive volcanism

LABORATORY EXERCISE - Finish Igneous Rocks

Volcanism - Mt. St. Helens

Week 5

11 M - Text, Chapter 5 - finish volcanism - Hawaiian (quiet) type volcanism

13 W - EXAMINATION 1 - Introduction through volcanism (Chapters 1-5)

15 F - Text, Chapter 6 - weathering - Weathering; chemical weathering contrasted with mechanical or physical weathering; chemical processes; controls on weathering: rock type, topography and time

NO LABORATORY - Assessment Day

Week 6

18 M - Text, Chapter 6 - Weathering - finish chemical weathering; differential weathering; return to controls on weathering; soils

20 W - Finish Weathering and soils;Text, Chapter 7 - Sedimentary rocks

22 F - Text, Chapter 7 - Sedimentary rocks

LABORATORY - Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks

Week 7

25 M - Text, Chapter 7, Finish sedimentary rocks

27 W - Text, Chapter 8 - Metamorphism and metamorphic rocks;begin Text, Chapter 9 - Relative time; assign geologic cross section of the Lake Superior region

29 F - Text, Chapter 9 - Relative time - North Shore of Lake superior Exercise; Absolute time; geologic time scale

LABORATORY EXAMINATION #2 - Igneous rocks, Volcanism, Sedimentary Rocks, Metamorphic Rocks

March 1-9 - NO CLASS OR LAB - SPRING BREAK

Week 9

March 10 M - Text, Chapter 9 - Finish Geologic Time

12 W - EXAMNATION 2 - Weathering through Geologic Time (Chapters 6-9)

14 F - Text, Chapter 10, Earthqukes: Elastic rebound theory; earthquake scales, earthquake hazard maps; quakes in Minnesota

LABORATORY - Earthquakes

Week 10

17 M - Text, Chapter 10 - Earthquakes; San Andreas Fault system and plate movements; earthquake prediction

19 W- Text, Chapter 11 - Internal structure of the earth and isostasy

21 F - Text, Chapter 2 and 12 - The sea floor and Plate Tectonics

LABORATORY - Plate Tectonics I

Week 11

24 M - Text, Chapter 2 - Plate Tectonics

26 W - Text, Chapter 2 - Finish Plate Tectonics

28 F - Text, Chapter 13 - Deformation of the crust and mountain building

LABORATORY - Plate Tectonics II

Week 12

31 M - EXAMINATION 3 - Earthquakes through Plate Tectonics (Chapters 10-13, and 2)Text, Chapter 14 - Mass wasting - also complete web reading assignment in preparation for class

April 2 - Text, Chapter 14 - Mass Wasting (also complete web reading assignment in preparation for class)

4 F - NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK DAY

LABORATORY EXAMINATION 3 - EARTHQUAKES AND PLATE TECTONICS

Week 13

7 M - Chapter 14 - Finish Mass Wasting; Begin Text, Chapter 15: Running Water: emphasis on surface runoff and stream flow; equilibrium between variables of flow; flow and sediment transportText,

9 W - NO CLASS

11 F - NO CLASS

LABORATORY - Topographic Maps I

Week 14

14 M - Text, Chapter 15: Running Water: emphasis on surface runoff and stream flow; equilibrium between variables of flow; flow and sediment transport

16 W - Text, Chapter 15 - continue stream flow; effects of stream erosion on landscapes

18 F - Text, chapter 16 - Groundwater (web reading assignment on groundwater is available here)

LABORATORY - Topographic Maps II

Week 15

21 M - Text, Chapter 16 Groundwater (also do web reading assignment)

23 W - Text, Chapter 17 - Glaciation - A web reading assignment on continental glaciation is available here

25 F - Text, Chapter 17 - Glaciers and glaciation (A powerpoint on alpine glaciation is available here)

LABORATORY EXAMINATION 4 - TOPOGRAPHC MAPS