GEOL 1403 - Physical Geology

4 Credits (3 hrs. lec., 3 hrs. lab.) Physical Geology is a basic science course that focuses on Earth, including its composition, processes of change, history and the tools and methods used to study it. (4006015403) Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing; MATH 0308 Corequisite: MATH 0310
Course Outcomes
1 - Describe how the scientific method has led to our current understanding of Earth’s structure and processes.
2 - Interpret the origin and distribution of minerals, rocks and geologic resources.
3 - Describe the theory of plate tectonics and its relationship to the formation and distribution of Earth’s crustal features.
4 - Quantify the rates of physical and chemical processes acting on Earth and how these processes fit into the context of geologic time.
5 - Communicate how surface processes are driven by interactions among Earth’s systems (e.g., the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere).
6 - Identify and describe the internal structure and dynamics of Earth
7 - Describe the interaction of humans with Earth (e.g., resource development or hazard assessment).
8 - Lab: Classify rocks and minerals based on chemical composition, physical properties, and origin
9 - Apply knowledge of topographic maps to quantify geometrical aspects of topography.
10 - Identify landforms on maps, diagrams, and/or photographs and and explain the process that created them.
11 - Differentiate the types of plate boundaries and their associated features on maps and profiles and explain the processes the occur at each type of boundary.
12 - Identify basic structural features on maps, block diagrams and cross sections and infer how they were created.
13 - Demonstrate the collection, analysis, and reporting of data.