GEOL 260/L Geology and Hydrology: Earth Systems Applications

From SEP Wiki

Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

Course Description

Geology/Hydrology is a unique course that develops an understanding of the central role that Earth Sciences play in human culture. In truth, everything we have or use in our society ultimately comes from the Earth and returns to the Earth, so a clear understanding of how the planet provides and reclaims resources is one key to developing responsible leaders and voters in our society. We keep these themes in mind as we explore plate tectonics, minerals, rocks, faults, folds, earthquakes, floods, geologic time, map analysis, earth resources, surface and ground water, and overpopulation.

The earth’s strongly interlinked physical and biological systems have evolved over the past 4.5 billion years, and continue to change today. The landscape and biological environments you see today are but snapshots--still frames-- from a continuing feature length movie. Monterey Bay and the hills framing the Salinas Valley offer exceptional opportunities to experientially learn about your planet and the socio-economic impact of geology and hydrology on our communities.

You will gain from the course a new way of looking at your planet, your community, and yourself. You will also have a new intellectual "toolbox" with which to measure and interpret the physical aspects of the Earth system. Your progress will be assessed in a variety of ways including field notes, short field reports, reflective writing, multiple choice questions, and essay examination. You will be able to improve your course grade by attending and summarizing "Brownbag" seminars at the Watershed Institute.

Course Learning Outcomes

GEOL 260 CLO 1. Large-scale Earth Structure and Processes: Students will be able to accurately describe the large-scale structure of the planet and relate the structure to plate tectonic theory. Student will be able to identify the major tectonic plates and plate boundaries on a physiographic map of the planet.

GEOL 260 CLO 2. Survey of minerals and rocks: Students will be able to identify and interpret 10 important common rock-forming minerals in hand specimen and rocks. Students will, at a minimum, be able to classify and interpret field specimens of rocks into the three major rock groups. Students will be able to interpret a general regional geologic history based upon a vertical or lateral sequence of rocks

GEOL 260 CLO 3. Topographic maps and spatial literacy: Students will be able to read, interpret, and create topographic maps. Students will be able to accurately draw a topographic profile from a line transect of a topographic map. Students will be able to use a compass in conjunction with a topographic map for plotting data and locating themselves on a map. Students will be familiar with the notion of scale, orientation, and the UTM coordinate system. They will be able to calculate the slope of a segment of the topography and report the slope in several formats.

GEOL 260 CLO 4. Geologic map literacy & structural geology: Students will be able to read, interpret and create simple geologic maps. Students will be able to create a crude structural cross section from a geologic map showing interpreted subsurface rocks and structures. Students will be able to interpret past stress fields from a variety of strained rocks. Emphases will be placed upon understanding the diverse geology of California and the Monterey Bay area.

GEOL 260 CLO 5. Temporal literacy: Students will be able to discuss deep geologic time, and will be able to name several of the major time divisions in Earth history. Students will be able to properly place in sequence several of the major events in Earth history that shaped the Monterey Bay region. Students will be able to interpret a several kinds of “unconformities” that represent differing scales of missing time in the rock record.

GEOL 260 CLO 6. Geologic hazards of Monterey Bay region: Students will be able to discuss the details of earthquake and landslide hazards. Student will be able to use a nomogram to interpret a seismogram in terms of intensity, magnitude, and epicenter distance. Student will be able to perform crude land-use planning for risk reduction.

GEOL 260 CLO 7. Soils: Students will be able to discuss the critical value of soil within the context of linking the various Earth subsystems (spheres) and within the context of human culture. Students will be able to identify the layers of a simple soil profile and discuss the major materials and process occurring in each layer. Student will be able to classify a soil sample in terms of texture and color using comparative charts and “feel.”

GEOL 260 CLO 8. Basic survey techniques: Students will be able to perform a survey transect and accurately plot the results in a spreadsheet. Students will be able to use turning points to close a survey. Students will be able to take clear, standard survey notes during the survey. Students will be able to perform a “two-peg” test of transit level precision.

GEOL 260 CLO 9. River and Groundwater Hydrology: Students will be able to discuss the central role that water plays in the environment and human culture, with emphasis on issues affecting the Monterey Bay region. Students will be able to survey and analyze the basic morphology of a river channel. Students will be able to accurately measure or estimate surface water discharge in a river reach using floats, current meters, or “slope-area” calculations. Students will be able to produce a crude flownet and analyze groundwater kinematics based upon well data.

GEOL 260 CLO 10. Human culture in the Earth System: Students will be able to integrate the knowledge base from the course to answer specific questions about sustainable development, resource management, and land-use planning. Student will appreciate that the environment we live in is dynamic, that preparing for change is as critical as preserving the present environment. Student will appreciate the very significant impact that the Earth’s environment has upon human culture and the significant impact human culture has upon the Earth’s environment.

GEOL 260 CLO 11. Writing: Students will be able to use proper English, topic sentences, logical paragraph organization, and clear illustrations in a series of short, concise geologic reports.

Prerequisites

  • ...

Prerequisite courses

  • ...

Prerequisite course learning outcomes

  • ...
  • ...

Dependencies

Dependent majors

Dependent major learning outcomes

...

Dependent courses

Dependent course learning outcomes

...

Learning Experiences and Learning Assessments

This is the same list as the list of CLOs above, but with experiences and assessments inserted.

GEOL 260 CLO 1. Large-scale Earth Structure and Processes: Students will be able to accurately describe the large-scale structure of the planet and relate the structure to plate tectonic theory. Student will be able to identify the major tectonic plates and plate boundaries on a physiographic map of the planet.

  • Learning Experiences
  1. Class lectures, readings, illustrations, animation, variety of maps #
  2. Fieldtrips to view elements of the North American/Pacific Plate boundary #
  • Learning Assessments
  1. Informal assessment of in-class cross-section exercise #
  2. Midterm and final exam #

GEOL 260 CLO 2. Survey of minerals and rocks: Students will be able to identify and interpret 10 important common rock-forming minerals in hand specimen and rocks. Students will, at a minimum, be able to classify and interpret field specimens of rocks into the three major rock groups. Students will be able to interpret a general regional geologic history based upon a vertical or lateral sequence of rocks

  • Learning Experiences
  1. Class lectures, readings, illustrations, photographs #
  2. Individual and group workshops in lab #
  3. Individual and group workshops on every field trip #
  • Learning Assessments
  1. Lab exercise #
  2. Mid-term and final exam #

GEOL 260 CLO 3. Topographic maps and spatial literacy: Students will be able to read, interpret, and create topographic maps. Students will be able to accurately draw a topographic profile from a line transect of a topographic map. Students will be able to use a compass in conjunction with a topographic map for plotting data and locating themselves on a map. Students will be familiar with the notion of scale, orientation, and the UTM coordinate system. They will be able to calculate the slope of a segment of the topography and report the slope in several formats.

  • Learning Experiences
  1. Lecture, in-class exercises
  2. Topographic maps provided on all relevant fieldtrips where experience may be gained
  • Learning Assessments
  1. Lab exercise
  2. Mid-term and final exam.

GEOL 260 CLO 4. Geologic map literacy & structural geology: Students will be able to read, interpret and create simple geologic maps. Students will be able to create a crude structural cross section from a geologic map showing interpreted subsurface rocks and structures. Students will be able to interpret past stress fields from a variety of strained rocks. Emphases will be placed upon understanding the diverse geology of California and the Monterey Bay area.

  • Learning Experiences
  1. Lecture, readings, group in-class exercises, photographs and illustrations
  2. Geologic maps provided on all relevant fieldtrips where experience may be gained
  3. Examples of faults and folds on field trips
  4. Geologic map of California is a required “text” for the course
  • Learning Assessments
  1. Lab exercise
  2. Field exercise
  3. Mid-term and final exam

GEOL 260 CLO 5. Temporal literacy: Students will be able to discuss deep geologic time, and will be able to name several of the major time divisions in Earth history. Students will be able to properly place in sequence several of the major events in Earth history that shaped the Monterey Bay region. Students will be able to interpret a several kinds of “unconformities” that represent differing scales of missing time in the rock record.

  • Learning Experiences
  1. Lecture, readings, demonstration
  2. Field experiences where time and missing time are discussed
  • Learning Assessments
  1. Field trip reports
  2. Midterm and Final exam

GEOL 260 CLO 6. Geologic hazards of Monterey Bay region: Students will be able to discuss the details of earthquake and landslide hazards. Student will be able to use a nomogram to interpret a seismogram in terms of intensity, magnitude, and epicenter distance. Student will be able to perform crude land-use planning for risk reduction.

  • Learning Experiences
  1. Lecture, readings, demonstration, video
  2. Map interpretation
  3. Fieldtrips showing examples of fault and landslide damage
  • Learning Assessments
  1. Fieldtrip reports
  2. Midterm and Final exam

GEOL 260 CLO 7. Soils: Students will be able to discuss the critical value of soil within the context of linking the various Earth subsystems (spheres) and within the context of human culture. Students will be able to identify the layers of a simple soil profile and discuss the major materials and process occurring in each layer. Student will be able to classify a soil sample in terms of texture and color using comparative charts and “feel.”

  • Learning Experiences
  1. Lecture, readings, illustrations, demonstrations
  2. Practice in group and individual workshop
  3. Field exercise
  • Learning Assessments
  1. Fieldtrip report
  2. Final exam

GEOL 260 CLO 8. Basic survey techniques: Students will be able to perform a survey transect and accurately plot the results in a spreadsheet. Students will be able to use turning points to close a survey. Students will be able to take clear, standard survey notes during the survey. Students will be able to perform a “two-peg” test of transit level precision.

  • Learning Experiences
  1. Lecture, readings, demonstration
  2. Samples of exemplary work
  3. Field exercise in surveying technique
  4. Field experience requiring the use of surveying
  • Learning Assessments
  1. Survey exercise
  2. Field trip reports

GEOL 260 CLO 9. River and Groundwater Hydrology: Students will be able to discuss the central role that water plays in the environment and human culture, with emphasis on issues affecting the Monterey Bay region. Students will be able to survey and analyze the basic morphology of a river channel. Students will be able to accurately measure or estimate surface water discharge in a river reach using floats, current meters, or “slope-area” calculations. Students will be able to produce a crude flownet and analyze groundwater kinematics based upon well data.

  • Learning Experiences
  1. Lecture, readings demonstration
  2. Samples of exemplary work
  3. Field surveys
  4. Discharge measurement in the field
  5. Map interpretation
  6. Field trips
  • Learning Assessments
  1. Field trip reports
  2. Lab exercises
  3. Final exam

GEOL 260 CLO 10. Human culture in the Earth System: Students will be able to integrate the knowledge base from the course to answer specific questions about sustainable development, resource management, and land-use planning. Student will appreciate that the environment we live in is dynamic, that preparing for change is as critical as preserving the present environment. Student will appreciate the very significant impact that the Earth’s environment has upon human culture and the significant impact human culture has upon the Earth’s environment.

  • Learning Experiences
  1. Lecture
  2. Totality of the course (classroom and field), and personal observation
  3. “Geologic Journal:” introspective writing on the topic of self in the environment/Earth/universe
  • Learning Assessments
  1. Geological Journal
  2. Field trip report
  3. Final exam

GEOL 260 CLO 11. Writing: Students will be able to use proper English, topic sentences, logical paragraph organization, and clear illustrations in a series of short, concise geologic reports.

  • Learning Experiences
  1. Lecture
  2. Samples of exemplary work
  3. Several field trip reports
  4. Optional seminar reports
  • Learning Assessments
  1. Field trip reports

Instructor/s

Math Science Collaborative

This course falls under the scope of the Math Science Collaborative, which aims to improve links between the curricula of the Math/Stats and SEP departments respectively.

The courses requires skills in mathematics and statistics such as:

Links

  • University catalog page for this class...
  • Departmental page for this class...
  • Syllabus...
Retrieved from "http://sep.csumb.edu/wiki/index.php/GEOL_260/L_Geology_and_Hydrology:_Earth_Systems_Applications"
Personal tools