Geology 101

***Week 8***


Monday, November 17
Regional Geology of western United States

Reading for Monday: Chapter 11, p.  339-347, nicely describe different ětectonic provincesî in the western USówhich will be the focus of lecture.  Compare Wednesdayís hand-out with figure 11.34.  Can you describe the evolution of western North America?  To see the connection between plate tectonics and mountain-building made explicit, read the description of the Appalachian Mtns (+ fig. 11.36) and of the Himalayan Range (2 page spread, p. 342-343.

click here for a color version of the map of geologic provinces of the western US.
 

Wednesday, November 19
 Cross-cutting relations

Reading for Wednesday: Chapter 10 has a lot of great information about earthquakes.  For lecture, read sections 10.1 (Introduction) and 10.2 (faults and generation of Earthquakes).  Weíll also discuss size of earthquakes (p. 284-288) and planning for earthquakes (section 10.8).
 

Friday, November 21
Last Mini-Quiz
Cross-cutting relations and Geologic Time

Reading for Friday: Chapter 12 ěDeep Timeî, sections 10.1 through 10.6 (p.365-374).  Pay special attention to the difference between relative and numerical age (Fig. 12.3) and the determination of geologic events (Fig. 12.5).  To see photos of various geologic contacts, click here.

Click here to read a short essay I wrote on the evidence for (and politics of!) geologic time.



On to Week 9

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