GEOL 220                                                              EARTH HISTORY                                                        SPRING, 2007

AND THE FOSSIL RECORD

Geologists, in their all but closed conversation, inhabit scenes that no one ever saw, scenes of global sweep, gone and gone again, including seas, mountains, rivers, forests, and archipelagoes of aching beauty rising in volcanic violence to settle down quietly and then forever disappear - almost disappear.

John McPhee

Dr. James R. Ebert

Office: Rm. 23, Denison Hall                          Office hours: M 1:00, T 11:00, W 10:00 and by appointment

Office phone: x3065                                        E-mail: Ebertjr@oneonta.edu

Class meets: Human Ecology Room 226; M, W, F 2:00, “Lab” is M 3:00 - 4:50

College Catalog Description of Course: Techniques of interpreting geologic history; detailed account of eras of earth history and changes in life through time. Laboratory and field exercises illustrate techniques and geologic history. Offered Spring Semester. Prerequisite: GEOL 120.

Attributes for General Education: LA, NL, CW

Course goals and activities: This course is designed to provide students with an overview of Earth’s history and an understanding of the techniques that are used to read and reconstruct that history. Aspects of the physical and biological development of the Earth over 4.6 billion years will be examined in class. Techniques for reading and interpreting Earth history will be explored in laboratory activities. Field exercises will provide opportunities for students to employ the skills that they have developed through previous lab activities.

TEXT:

Stanley, S.M., 2005, Earth System History, 2^nd Edition, NY, W. H. Freeman and Company, 567p.

Compton, R.R., 1985, Geology in the Field: New York, NY, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 398p. (Recommended for lab and field projects.)

                                                               GRADING AND ASSIGNMENTS

You are expected to have assignments read before attending lecture and lab. This will better prepare you for class and help to enable you to ask intelligent and informed questions. Lab attendance is mandatory.

Participation and Professionalism will be evaluated. Attendance is essential and may affect your grade.

Your grade will be determined as follows:

                                                                    Labs and In-Class Activities:                                                  40%

                                                                    Field trip report - Depositional Environments                         10%

                                                                    Field trip report - Geologic History                                         15%

                             Three hour exams (includes final)                                          15%

                             Term Paper                                                                             15%

                             Participation and Professionalism                                           5%                       

                             TOTAL:                                                                                  100%

Three REQUIRED FIELD TRIPS are scheduled for Monday, April 16, Monday, April 23, and SATURDAY, April 28.  We will tour some of the fabulous geology of eastern New York State.

“If by some fiat, I had to restrict all this writing to a single sentence, this is the one I would choose: The summit of Mount Everest is made of marine limestone.”

                                                                                                                        John McPhee