CORE 015: Introduction to Geology
Syllabus

The topic list for this project is: geophysics, historical geology, geochemistry, earth materials, geomorphology, geological resources, geological hazards, and planetology.

Prerequisite: CORE 011 or the equivalent.

Instructor: George E. Hrabovsky, george@madscitech.org, 608-276-6832.

Task #1: Start and keep a notebook for your study. This should be bound and have at least 300 sheets. You may need more than one notebook of this size. Smaller notebooks than 300-sheets can be used, but the total number of sheets should be at least 300. Each set of 300 pages started and completed is worth a point towards your final total of 4. To begin your notebook you will need a list of topics. The one listed below is only one possible choice. This choice is the default. Any choice other than this one must be approved by your instructor.

Procedure for the Course

If a topic from the list below is underscored that means there is some resource material for it. If there is no resource material for it then you must develop that for yourself.

It is expected that you will develop one or more questions for each topic. Questions can be of the form who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Once you have written down a set of questions for a topic, you either answer each of these qurestions or you explain how you attempted to answer the question and failed. Don't be alarmed; even some elementary questions resist answering. You can learn a lot just by making the effort.

The next step is to ask a set of new questions based on your previous attempts at answering your first set of questions (this can include those questions you were unable to answer before). Answer each of those questions as best you can and create another set of questions for each answer. Answer each of those to the best of your ability and ask another set of questios for each, but do not answer them right away. If you are really interested in one or more of these questions attempt to answer them in a, "topic of personal interest," session; or you may answer them in a personal research project.

Wherever possible give at least three examples of any definition, principle, or procedure.

This course will require three pages of notes for each topic to fill a 300 page notebook.

  1. The nature of geology
  2. Field geology
  3. Experimental geology
  4. Theoretical geology
  5. Computational geology
  6. Geodynamics
  7. Plate tectonics
  8. Geoelectrodynamics
  9. Seismology
  10. Geothermodynamics
  11. Geoelasticity
  12. Geohydrodynamics
  13. Earth interior
  14. Geophysics in Mathematica
  15. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to the earth as a rigid rotator, the electric field of the earth, geomagnetism, seismic detectors, p-waves, s-waves, waves in plates, heat transfer in plates, elasticity of plates, mantle convection, rheology, geothermometry, geobarometry)
  16. Topic of Personal Interest.
  17. Topic of Personal Interest.
  18. Review of topics to date.
  19. Geological history
  20. Evolution of life
  21. Paleontology
  22. Historical geology in Mathematica
  23. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to radiocarbon dating, other methods of dating, vertebrate fossils, invertebrate fossils, microfossils)
  24. Topic of Personal Interest.
  25. Topic of Personal Interest.
  26. Review of topics 19-25
  27. Review of topics to date.
  28. Geochemistry
  29. Geochemistry in Mathematica
  30. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to volatile elements, semivolatile elements, alkali and alkaline earth elements, rare earth elements, high field strength elements, first series transition metals, noble metals, radiogenic isotopes, stable isotopes, biogeochemical cycling, organic geochemistry,)
  31. Topic of Personal Interest.
  32. Topic of Personal Interest.
  33. Review of topics 28-32
  34. Review of topics to date.
  35. Minerals
  36. Magma and lava
  37. Igneous rock
  38. Metamorphic rock
  39. Sedimentary rock
  40. Hydrothermal rock
  41. Soil
  42. Earth materials in Mathematica
  43. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to thermodynamics of magma, chemistry of mineral surfaces, metling, crystallization, symmetry, forms and planes, optical crystallography, orthosilicates, chain silicates, sheet silicates, framework silicates, oxide and hydroxide minerals, sulfide minerals, carbonate minerals, petrological phase diagrams, trace elements)
  44. Topic of Personal Interest.
  45. Topic of Personal Interest.
  46. Review of topics 35-45
  47. Review of topics to date.
  48. Geological structures
  49. Mountains
  50. Streams
  51. Groundwater
  52. Glaciers
  53. Desert
  54. Coastline
  55. Continental shelf
  56. Ocean basin
  57. Erosive processes of wind and water
  58. Metamorphism and deformation
  59. Evolution of landscapes
  60. Geomorphology in Mathematica
  61. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to oceans as chemical systems, joints, faults, folds, foliations, tectonic plate boundaries, weathering, deltas, alluvial fans, Karst geomorphology)
  62. Topic of Personal Interest.
  63. Topic of Personal Interest.
  64. Review of topics 48-63
  65. Review of topics to date.
  66. Mining
  67. Energy resources
  68. Construction materials
  69. Agriculture and land resources
  70. Conservation of resources
  71. Geological resources in Mathematica
  72. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to metals, ores, precious metals, gems, petroleum, coal, radiological material)
  73. Topic of Personal Interest.
  74. Topic of Personal Interest.
  75. Review of topics 66-74
  76. Review of topics to date.
  77. Earthquakes
  78. Volcanoes
  79. Mass wasting
  80. Drought
  81. Geological hazards in Mathematica
  82. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to Richter scale, calderas, volcanic ash, avalanches, mud slides, rock slides)
  83. Topic of Personal Interest.
  84. Topic of Personal Interest.
  85. Review of topics 77-84
  86. Review of topics to date.
  87. Terrestrial planets
  88. Jovian planets
  89. Satellites
  90. Meteors and meteorites
  91. Asteroids
  92. Comets
  93. Planet formation
  94. Planetary atmospheres
  95. Planetology in Mathematica
  96. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to nucleosynthesis, planetary orbits, mapping planetary surfaces, surface processes, planetary magnetism, planetary structure, atmosphere formation, atmospheric flows, atmospheric processes)
  97. Topic of Personal Interest.
  98. Topic of Personal Interest.
  99. Review of topics 87-98
  100. Review of topics to date.

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