GEOLOGY 101 - Geology of California

www.ltcconline.net/julian/california

 

 

PROFESSOR:  Dr. Betsy Julian;  Room D-105; 541-4660 x-313; julian@ltcc.edu

OFFICE HOURS: T & Th2:30 - 4pm; M & W 3-4pm

                                 I’m also available by appointment or whenever you can find me

TEXT:  California Geology  Hardin (2nd ed.)

Roadside Geology of Northern and Central California, Alt and Hyndman (optional)

 

dates	reading	topic
4/4 & 6	ch. 2	Introduction, rocks
4/11 & 13	ch 1	Plate tectonics
4/18 & 20	ch 3	Geologic time and Fossils
4/25, 27 & 5/2	ch. 5	Young volcanoes
		(April 29 - drop deadline)
5/4		Exam #1
5/9 & 11	ch. 6 & 7	Basin and Range and Desert regions
5/16 & 18	ch. 8 & 9	Sierra Nevada and Klamath Mountains
5/23 & 25	ch.8, 11, & 12	accretion and terranes
		(May 30 – Memorial Day)
6/1		Exam #2
		(June 3 - withdrawal deadline)
6/6 & 8	ch. 13 & 14	Earthquakes & San Andreas Fault System
6/13 & 15	ch. 15	Coast and Lake Tahoe

 

Final Exam:  Monday June 20 at 6 pm

No make-up exams will be given except for illness and emergencies.

You must contact Dr. Julian before the exam if you must miss the exam.

  Make-up quizzes are never given since your lowest grade will be dropped.

GRADING:			FINAL GRADING SCALE:
Exam 1	120 points		A	90-100%	> 495 points
Exam 2	120 points		B	80- 89%	440 -495 pts
Final exam	180 points		C	70- 79%	385 - 439pts
Hwk and labs	40 points		D	60- 69%	330 - 384 pts
Quizzes	90 points
Total Points	550 points

 

 

CLASSROOM POLICIES:

Make-up work: Make-ups on exams must be approved prior to the absence. If you are sick on the day of the exam, you must contact Dr. Julian before the exam is scheduled. If you will be out of town on exam day, you must arrange to take the exam early.  There will be a penalty for late work.

Attendance: Although lecture attendance does not count for a percentage of your grade, it is very difficult for most students to pass this course unless they attend every class. Class discussions will cover topics not covered in the textbook, including local examples. Missing quizzes will hurt your grade.

Cell phones and pagers: Please turn off all cell phones and audio pagers before class.

Special needs:  Please let me know if you have special needs for taking exams or participating in lab exercises.

Food:  While you are welcome to bring food and drink into the class, please be considerate of others.  Don’t bring any food that is excessively noisy or smelly.

OFFICE HOURS:

My office hours are listed on the front page of this syllabus. These are hours when I will be in my office. You may drop by or call to raise questions or concerns about the course, discuss your grade, or just to chat. If you need to speak with me about the course but cannot come to my office during the posted hours, I will make an appointment to meet with you at another time. Don't forget e-mail; this is a very efficient way to ask simple questions.

FIELD TRIPS:

There will probably be an optional field trip to Mono Lake and the Mammoth area in late May or early June.  You are not required to attend, and will receive no credit for participating.  It is just a great way to have some fun, see some real geology and explore new areas.  We will camp out for one night.
COURSE OBJECTIVES

To successfully complete this course, the student will:

1.      identify the three main types of rocks and understand how they form

2. compare the three major types of plate boundaries in terms of their rock types, volcanism, earthquake activity and effect on plates
3. analyze how earthquakes form, are measured, and affect life in California
4. compare the modern volcanoes of California based on tectonic setting, eruption style and age
5. describe the development of the Sierra Nevada and its mineralization
6. examine the landscape and tectonics of the desert regions of eastern California
7. describe the formation and tectonic setting of the Great Valley and Coast Ranges
8. examine the San Andreas Fault system in terms of its seismicity and impact on the landscape
9. compare the rocks and origin of the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges
10. describe the processes active along the California coastline

 

HELPFUL HINTS

·         Come to class!

• Review material regularly - multiple short study sessions over a period of weeks are more effective than a single "cram" the night before an exam. Even the few minutes before class can be used to review the previous lecture.
• Read the chapter before coming to class.
• Form a study group. Each member should study material on their own before meeting with the group for discussion and comparison.
• Write out definitions and answers to essay questions
• Ask questions in class.
• Utilize web page to get notes, study guides...
• Combine class notes, textbook, web materials, and old exams when studying - each provides a different perspective.
• Pay attention to the news and current events to see how they relate to California Geology
• Do the homework assignments. They can really help (or hurt) your grade.