First-Year Courses in Geological Sciences (Division 377)

Winter Term, 2000 (September 8 - December 22, 1999)

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

G.S. 100-115 are short (half-term) courses. They consist of detailed examinations of restricted geologic topics. The department lists the specific courses from this series in the Time Schedule for the terms they are offered (fall and winter terms only). Each course, when offered, meets twice weekly for half of the term (first half or second half), and the specific dates for each course are printed in the Time Schedule. These courses are designed primarily for students with no prior geologic training and they are open to all interested persons. G.S. 100-115 are offered on the graded pattern (optional pass/fail).

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 001 – Geo. 100 Will Be Offered March 7 to April 13 With Final Exam On April 13 or Arranged. (Drop/Add deadline=March 13).

Instructor(s): Kyger Lohmann (kacey@umich.edu)

Mini/Short course

Credits: (1).

Course Homepage: http://www.geo.lsa.umich.edu/~kacey/ugrad/courses.html

Coral Reefs will be an in-depth tour of the biological and physical processes active in modern reef systems to provide a detailed understanding of the ecology of the individual organisms and the complex nature of their interactions within the reef community. Evolution of the reef community will be examined, ranging from the crude framework structures formed over one billion years ago by primitive algae to the luxuriant and diversified reefs of the modern-day oceans, to define the evolutionary strategies of reef building organisms.

By tracking these evolutionary strategies through geologic time, the implications of man's intervention with the Earth's hydrosphere and atmosphere on the character of future reef communities will be considered.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 001 – Geo. 103 Will Be Offered March 7 to April 13 With Final Exam On April 13 or Arranged. (Drop/Add deadline=March 13).

Instructor(s): Wilson

Mini/Short course

Credits: (1).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This course will provide an introduction to our current understanding of dinosaurs and certain other reptilian groups of the Mesozoic Era. It is intended for students with an interest in geology, paleontology, or evolution, but does not require prior training in these fields. The course will deal with broad features of the evolutionary history of dinosaurs, methods of reconstructing dinosaur behavior and ecology, new developments in our interpretation of the biology of dinosaurs, and possible causes for the extinction of dinosaurs. There will be two lectures each week and a single exam at the end of the course.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 001 – Geo. 105 Will Be Offered Jan. 6 to Feb. 24 With Final Exam On Feb. 24 or Arranged. (Drop/Add deadline=January 25).

Instructor(s): Rob Van der Voo (voo@umich.edu)

Mini/Short course

Credits: (1).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This one-credit hour course will explore the mobility of the continents and oceans in geological times. Conceptual and factual material will be combined with the principles of plate tectonics and the processes that drive the plates. No special background is recommended, and evaluation will be based on a final exam (with a practice take-home exam mid-way). The goals of this minicourse are to familiarize students with one of the more exciting recent developments in earth sciences, a unifying concept that explains ocean evolution, mountain building, earthquakes and volcanoes.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 001 – Geo. 106 Will Be Offered March 7 to April 13 With Final Exam On April 13 or Arranged. (Drop/Add deadline=March 13).

Instructor(s): Philip Gingerich (gingeric@umich.edu)

Mini/Short course

Credits: (1).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

Anatomical and behavioral characteristics of living primates are reviewed, and the fossil record is used to document the course of human evolution through the past 60 million years. No special background is required. Students seeking a more detailed course with laboratory exercises may follow this with Geology 438 (Evolution of the Primates). Course consists of 12 lectures, and a one-hour final examination.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 001 – Geo. 107.001 Will Be Offered Jan. 6 to Feb. 24 With Final Exam On Feb. 24 or Arranged. (Drop/Add deadline=January 25).

Instructor(s): Rebecca Lange (becky@umich.edu)

Mini/Short course

Credits: (1).

Course Homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~becky/

The course is a study of the earth in action and includes the following topics: geography of earthquakes and volcanoes; catastrophic events in historic times; size and frequency of occurrence of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions; the products of volcanism; volcanic rocks; volcanic activity through geologic time; volcanic exhalations and the evolution of the earth's atmosphere and oceans; relationship of earthquakes and volcanoes to plate tectonics and the internal dynamics of the earth; volcanism and geothermal energy; manmade earthquakes; and earthquake prediction and control. Instruction by lecture, evaluation on basis of quizzes and final exam.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 002 – Geo. 107.002 Will Be Offered March 7 to April 13 with Final Exam on April 13 or Arranged. (Drop/Add deadline=March 13).

Instructor(s): Henry Pollack (hpollack@umich.edu)

Mini/Short course

Credits: (1).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

The course is a study of the earth in action and includes the following topics: geography of earthquakes and volcanoes; catastrophic events in historic times; size and frequency of occurrence of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions; the products of volcanism; volcanic rocks; volcanic activity through geologic time; volcanic exhalations and the evolution of the earth's atmosphere and oceans; relationship of earthquakes and volcanoes to plate tectonics and the internal dynamics of the earth; volcanism and geothermal energy; manmade earthquakes; and earthquake prediction and control. Instruction by lecture, evaluation on basis of final exam.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 001 – Geo. 111.001 Will Be Offered Jan. 6 to Feb. 24 With Final Exam On Feb. 24 or Arranged. (Drop/Add deadline=January 25).

Instructor(s): Vicki McKenna (vmckenna@umich.edu)

Mini/Short course

Credits: (1).

Course Homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~vmckenna/geo111.html

The intent of GS 111 is to give a heightened awareness to students of the nature and fragility of the Earth’s climate, and how changes in climate have affected past civilizations and may affect our future. Course topics will include: a description of the climate systems of the Earth: the atmosphere, oceans, and polar ice caps; the information we gather to understand the history of those systems; how changes in climate have affected past civilizations, and what we think will happen to the planet when the long expected “Greenhouse Effect – Global Warming” finally arrives.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 002 – Geo. 111.002 Will Be Offered March 7 to April 13 With Final Exam On April 13 or Arranged. (Drop/Add deadline=March 13).

Instructor(s): Henry Pollack (hpollack@umich.edu)

Mini/Short course

Credits: (1).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

The intent of GS 111 is to give a heightened awareness to students of the nature and fragility of the Earth’s climate, and how changes in climate have affected past civilizations and may affect our future. Course topics will include: a description of the climate systems of the Earth: the atmosphere, oceans, and polar ice caps; the information we gather to understand the history of those systems; how changes in climate have affected past civilizations, and what we think will happen to the planet when the long expected “Greenhouse Effect – Global Warming” finally arrives.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 001 – Geo. 113 Will Be Offered March 7 to April 13 With Final Exam On April 13 or Arranged. (Drop/Add deadline=March 13).

Instructor(s): Peter van Keken (keken@umich.edu)

Mini/Short course

Credits: (1).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This lecture course provides a current survey of the geology and climates of the various bodies of the solar system in light of the extraordinary advances in planetary exploration during the past two decades. Topics treated include historical development of geological ideas about the solar system, planetary evolution, variability of geological processes throughout the solar system, and individual portraits of the principal members of the solar system family. No previous geological background is required. Course grade will be determined from a single objective-type final examination.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 001 – Geo. 114 Will Be Offered Jan. 6 to Feb. 24 With Final Exam On Feb. 24 or Arranged. (Drop/Add deadline=January 25).

Instructor(s): Youxue Zhang (youxue@umich.edu)

Mini/Short course

Credits: (1).

Course Homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~youxue/GS114.html

This lecture course introduces the origin, abundance, and distribution of the elements in the solar system. It is intended for students with an interest in science. The topics include: a review of the periodic table of the elements; stellar evolution and synthesis of the elements; nuclear properties and their relation to the abundance of the elements and their isotopes; chemical properties and their relation to the distribution of the elements in planets and in different reservoirs of a planet. Great pictures of the planets; formation and evolution of planetary atmospheres. Evaluation on the basis of a final exam.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 001 – Geo. 115 Will Be Offered March 7 to April 13 With Final Exam On April 13 or Arranged. (Drop/Add deadline=March 13).

Instructor(s): Lars Stixrude (stixrude@umich.edu)

Mini/Short course

Credits: (1).

Course Homepage: http: //www.geo.lsa.umich.edu/~stixrude/GS115/index.html

Examines the age of the earth, the concept and discovery of deep time and its measurement, and implications for the development of our environment. The history of the earth is described from its origin in the circumsolar disk to the formation of the moon, the atmosphere and oceans, the formation of continents, and the origin of life. Final exam.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 001.

Instructor(s): Carolina Lithgow-Bertelloni (crlb@umich.edu)

Credits: (5).

Course Homepage: http://geo.lsa.umich.edu/~crlb/COURSES/117/gs117.html

This course is the standard entrance level prerequisite for the geological sciences concentration. Because of that importance, we take its "heartbeat" on a very regular basis to ensure that not only does the course provide an excellent introduction of our discipline to non-science concentrators but also that it perks the interests of students considering geological sciences for a concentration. Several faculty members are involved with this course, and often a two-person team typically composed of a geochemist and a geophysicist teaches it. Our aim is to get the students to gain a familiarity with the fundamentals of geology, and environmental science. We describe and discuss the processes governing the basic building blocks of matter – atoms, compounds, minerals and the three types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic). We highlight the vastness of geologic time relative to the human lifespan, the central importance of plate tectonics in shaping our planet, the chemical and physical processes that shape Earth's landscapes, and the origin of (and the consequences of our use of) natural resources. The second half of the course focuses on the figure of the Earth (the geoid), its gravitational and magnetic fields, earthquake wave transmission, internal structure and heat flow. The course ends with a provocative discussion about the impact of global chemical changes (both natural and anthropogenic) on climate. Finally, the course has lab and discussion sections, which we visit often but are taught by GSIs. The lab provides hands-on experience with basic geology techniques and materials, with an emphasis on learning to identify minerals and rocks and on understanding and interpreting geologic maps.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Credits: (1).

Course Homepage: http://geo.lsa.umich.edu/~crlb/COURSES/117/gs117.html

The laboratory provides hands-on experience with minerals, rocks, and maps. Participants will learn to identify common minerals and rocks, use topographic and geologic maps, and draw and interpret geologic cross sections. Examples will be drawn from areas of recent glaciation, volcanism, and earthquakes to show how these features are depicted in maps.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 001.

Instructor(s): Bruce Wilkinson (eustasy@umich.edu)

Credits: (4).

Course Homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~eustasy/GS120.html

Geology of National Parks and Monuments approaches Earth history by examining the geology of places rather than by taking a process approach. It is designed for all interested undergraduates at the University of Michigan. The course format consists of three lectures each week and one two-hour demonstration-laboratory period, for four credits. Lecture material deals with the geologic history of selected National Parks and Monuments, which are chosen and scheduled so that those in which the oldest rocks are exposed (thus relating to the earliest portions of Earth history) are covered first. In so doing, we cover Earth history in a temporal progression, but do so by discussing different geographic areas. The demonstration-laboratory portion of the course will give you first-hand experience with rocks, minerals, and fossils; and an opportunity to discuss these in small groups.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Section 001.

Instructor(s): Carola Stearns (cstearns@umich.edu)

Credits: (4; 3 in the half-term).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This course is a basic introduction to physical geography which emphasizes many topics including maps, seasons, the atmosphere, greenhouse gasses, radiation and heat balance, the dangers of global warming, circulation, moisture and precipitation, air masses, and water supply. Students also study climate classification, and geologic and historical climate changes, and landforms and their formation. Students in this lecture-lab course are evaluated by hourly and final examinations with satisfactory completion of the lab work a prerequisite to the final course evaluation.

Introductory Courses and Courses for Non-concentrators

Credits: (1).

Course Homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~vmckenna/oceanography.html

This course is an optional laboratory intended to provide students with opportunities to explore further various oceanography topics presented in the GS 222 lectures. Laboratory sessions will include sampling procedures, use of equipment, discussions, and demonstrations of how data are generated. The course grade will be based on written laboratory exercises and a final exam.