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Course Syllabus

GEO 1220 Historical Geology

  • Division: Natural Science and Math
  • Department: Geology
  • Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 3; Lab: 0
  • Prerequisites: GEO 1110 or 1010 or permission of instructor
  • Corequisites: GEO 1225
  • Semesters Offered: Spring
  • Semester Approved: Fall 2022
  • Five-Year Review Semester: Summer 2027
  • End Semester: Summer 2028
  • Optimum Class Size: 12
  • Maximum Class Size: 20

Course Description

This course is an introduction to the principles involved in deciphering the earth's past including the study of fossils. It will also cover the major physical and biological events in the earth's history. This course is designed for geology majors. A field trip will be required.

Justification

This course is the second in a sequence of courses designed for first year geology majors. It is required in all geology programs as a pre-requisite for many other successive courses for geology majors. It also serves as a course to introduce the study of fossils and earth history for students interested in these topics. This course is designed to transfer as GEO 1220 at other public colleges in the Utah system of higher education.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Explain and apply the basic principles of historical geology such as actualism, superposition, stratigraphic correlation, relative dating, absolute dating, facies, etc in the classroom and in the field.
  2. Describe the historical development of the science of geology including the development of the geologic time scale and methods of dating.
  3. Identify and classify the characteristic organisms, rock types, and sedimentation patterns of common depositional environments and use this information to interpret the rock record.
  4. Explain the theory of plate tectonics and how tectonic processes can explain the evolution of continents (including mountain-building events) and ocean basins over geologic time. Emphasis will be placed on the geologic history of North America.
  5. Describe the evolutionary history of life on earth and how major diversification and extinction events are tied to interactions between the biosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and atmosphere.

Course Content

This course is an introduction to the study of earth history. This course will include discussion of:• Basic Principles of Historical Geology (and their origins)• Sedimentary Environments• Environments and Life• Absolute Dating of Rocks• Relative Dating of Rocks and Correlation • Classification of Life/Fossils• Evolution and the Fossil Record• Plate Tectonics and Mountain Building• The Origin and Early History of the Solar System and Earth• The Origin of Life• The Rock and Fossil Record of the Archean Eon• The Rock and Fossil Record of the Proterozoic Eon• The Rock and Fossil Record of the Paleozoic Era• The Rock and Fossil Record of the Mesozoic Era• The Rock and Fossil Record of the Cenozoic Era.The pioneering work and struggles of researchers from marginalized groups (e.g., Mary Anning), the role of colonialism in paleontology, and other ethical dilemmas in the field will be highlighted where appropriate to bring these issues (present in many scientific fields) to students' attention.