CroninProjects.org/ Vince/ Course/ PhysGeol/Geo1405-Summer2020.html

Tuolumne Meadows as seen from Pothole Dome in Yosemite National Park, California. Photo by Vince Cronin.


Home Page: Cronin's The Dynamic Earth


Tentative Lecture Syllabus: Professor Vince Cronin's
Section of Geology 1405 The Dynamic Earth
for Summer-2, 2020


Professor Cronin reserves the right to revise this syllabus as necessary throughout the semester. Notice of revision will generally be given during one or more lecture meetings, or via email broadcast to registered students in the course. This syllabus is not a contract.

About This Course


This course will be held entirely online. Because online Baylor courses often include students on different continents and many different time zones, it is most convenient to structure this as an asynchronous course, meaning that each of us will be working on various elements of the course at different times. The only regularly scheduled event will be optional office hours during weekdays, when you can interact with Dr. Cronin via video conference. The days and times when various quizzes, homework, and lab work are due will be indicated through this syllabus and documents linked from this syllabus.

How To Contact Dr. Cronin

email: Vince_Cronin@baylor.edu

mobile, for text or voice: (only between 8 AM and 8 PM US Central Time, and only if it is an important question/issue related to this course) +1 254 855-6094.

How To Contact Your Graduate Teaching Assistant, Kate Hobart

email: Kate_Hobart1@baylor.edu

Microsoft Teams for Open Office Hours

Baylor student access to Microsoft 365: https://www.baylor.edu/its/index.php?id=871490

Microsoft Teams Portal for This Course: link

Microsoft Teams Link for Open Office Hours: link

Purpose Of This Course

This course is an attempt to explore and summarize the best scientific understanding of Earth's ~4.6 billion year age, evolution, composition, and major dynamic systems, as that understanding exists in the geoscience community based on published peer-reviewed scientific literature. We want you to become literate with respect to the Earth sciences (https://www.earthscienceliteracy.org).


Assignments (Most Recent First)


Reload this page to be certain you are looking at the most current version!

Geologic Time

(Posted August 5, Lab Activities must be completed by the end of the day Monday, August 10, 2020, and the online quiz and Mastering Geology assignments are due no later than 11:59 PM Tuesday August 11)

Notes: We will be working with both the Lab Manual and the eText of Tarbuck and others Earth as we study this topic.

  1. Read the study questions for this topic, listed at https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Course/PhysGeol/Geo1405-GeolTime-Q2020.html and keep them in mind as you read the following assignments. Most, if not all, of the answers will be in the reading assignments for this topic.
  2. View the pre-lab video Dating of Rocks, Fossils, and Geologic Events at https://goo.gl/k3LPxG
  3. Skim: Earth, chapter 9, section 9.1 Creating a Time Scale: Relative Dating Principles, in its entirety.
  4. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 8, the cover page and the following sections: Introduction; The Geologic Record; Principles for Determining Relative Age; and Contact Relationships, Pages 207-213.
  5. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 8.2 Determining Sequence of Events in Geologic Cross Sections, pages 223-224, and submit it to the Geologic Time assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE. Due Monday night, August 10 by the end of the day (and submitting earlier is MUCH better for Kate than submitting just before it is due).
  6. Skim: Earth, chapter 9, sections 9.2 (Fossils: Evidence of Past Life) and 9.3 (Correlation of Rock Layers).
  7. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 8, section The Geologic Time Scale, Pages 212-217.
  8. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 8.3 Using Fossils to Date Rocks and Events, page 225, and submit it to the Geologic Time assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE. Due Monday night, August 10 by the end of the day (and submitting earlier is MUCH better for Kate than submitting just before it is due).
  9. Read: Earth, chapter 9, section 9.6, The Geologic Time Scale

Mastering Geology Reminder

(Posted August 5, must be completed by midnight Tuesday night August 11, 2020)

Complete the Dyamic Study Module called Geologic Time and HW09 by going to Mastering Geology through the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).



Igneous Rocks and Processes (Posted August 1, should be completed by the end of the day Thursday, August 6, 2020)

Notes

  1. We will be working primarily with the Lab Manual as we study this topic, but please use the Tarbuck eText as a reference resource as you seek to find answers for the study questions that you can't find in the Lab Manual.
  2. Some of the resources for this assignment are still being prepared as of 10 AM August 1. They will be uploaded as they are finished.
  3. In a typical semester-long face-to-face version of this course, the igneous rocks topic would be followed by similar treatments of the other two major rock types: sedimentary and metamorphic. But alas, time is not elastic and our personal reserves of energy are not boundless, so this work on igneous rocks will have to serve as a brief taste of the subject of the rock materials that comprise the crust of the Earth. Of course, through the lab manual and the Tarbuck eText, you have access to this material that we will not have time to complete during this attenuated summer-session course.

Assignment

  1. Read the study questions for this topic, listed at https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Course/PhysGeol/Geo1405-IgRox-Q2020.html and keep them in mind as you read the following assignments. Most, if not all, of the answers will be in the reading assignments for this topic.
  2. View the pre-lab video Igneous Rocks and Processes at https://goo.gl/EIzuX1
  3. Skim: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 5, Section Introduction, Pages 117-120.
  4. Read: Earth, chapter 4, section 4.1 Magma: Parent Material of Igneous Rock
  5. Read: Earth, chapter 4, section 4.3 Igneous Textures: What Can They Tell Us?
  6. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 5, Section Classifying Igneous Rocks from the beginning through Subsection Textures of Igneous Rocks, Pages 120-123.
  7. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 5.1 Igneous Textures, page 135, and submit it to the Igneous Rocks assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE. Due August 8 by the end of the day.
  8. Read: Earth, chapter 4, section 4.2 Igneous Compositions
  9. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 5, Section Classifying Igneous Rocks, Subsection Mineral Composition of Common Igneous Rocks, Pages 123-126.
  10. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 5.4 Minerals That Form Igneous Rock, page 138, and submit it to the Igneous Rocks assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE. Due August 8 by the end of the day.
    As of August 1, seven of the eight minerals in Activity 5.4 have tiny videos that are relevant to them, and that might be helpful to you. They are as follows:
    specimen 2: unknown_4636_vc
    specimen 3: unknown_3049_vc
    specimen 4: unknown_4370_vc
    specimen 5: unknown_4428_vc
    specimen 6: unknown_6945_vc
    specimen 7: unknown_7364_vc
    specimen 8: unknown_3275_vc
  11. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 5, Section Classifying Igneous Rocks, Subsections Color Index for Mafic Minerals and Estimating Mineral Percentage in Rock, only the parts on page 126.
  12. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 5.5 Estimate the Percentage of Mafic Minerals, page 139, and submit it to the Igneous Rocks assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE. Due August 8 by the end of the day.
  13. Read: Earth, chapter 4, section 4.4 Naming Igneous Rocks
  14. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 5, Section Classifying Igneous Rocks, Subsections Common Igneous Rock Types and Field Identification of Some Common Igneous Rocks, pages 127-132, including all figures and tables.
  15. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 5.7 Analysis and Interpretation of Igneous Rock, page 142-143, using the videos linked below. Submit it to the Igneous Rocks assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE. Due August 8 by the end of the day.
    Identify these specimens, in the order given, on page 142 of the AGI/NAGT Lab Manual:
    Identify these specimens, in the order given, on page 143 of the AGI/NAGT Lab Manual:
  16. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 5.8 Tectonic Setting of Some Major Volcanic Rock Types, page 144, and submit it to the Igneous Rocks assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE. Due August 8 by the end of the day.

Mastering Geology Reminder (Posted August 1, should be completed by midnight Thursday night August 6, 2020, but is due Saturday August 8 at 11:59 PM)

Complete the Dyamic Study Module called Igneous Rocks and HW05 by going to Mastering Geology through the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).



Introduction to Rocks (Posted July 30, activities due by 11:59 PM Monday, August 3, 2020)

Note: We will be working entirely with the Lab Manual as we study this topic, but please use the Tarbuck eText as a reference resource as you seek to find answers for the study questions that you can't find in the Lab Manual.

  1. Read the study questions for this section, listed at https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Course/PhysGeol/Geo1405-Rocks-Q2020.html and keep them in mind as you read the following assignments. Most, if not all, of the answers will be in the reading assignments for this topic.
  2. View the pre-lab video Rock-Forming Processes and the Rock Cycle at https://goo.gl/NSIDMo
  3. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 4, all sections and subsections, Pages 101-110.
  4. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 4.1 Rock and the Rock Cycle, pages 111-112, and submit it to the Rocks assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
  5. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 4.2 Rock Inquiry, page 113, and submit it to the Rocks assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.



Minerals (Posted July 25, should be completed by the end of the day Thursday, July 30, 2020)

Note: We will be working primarily with the Lab Manual as we study this topic, but please use the Tarbuck eText as a reference resource as you seek to find answers for the study questions that you can't find in the Lab Manual.

  1. Read the study questions for this section, listed at https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Course/PhysGeol/Geo1405-Minerals-Q2020.html and keep them in mind as you read the following assignments. Most, if not all, of the answers will be in the reading assignments for this topic.
  2. Scan: Earth eText, chapter 3 — the whole tamale.
    Don't neglect to view all of the AV stuff: videos, animations, tutorials, concept checkers. Do these things in light of the study questions, so that you pick-up some information and know where to look for more information as you work to find the answers to those questions and understand the associated content.
  3. Read: Earth eText, chapter 3, Sections 3.3 and 3.4, How Atoms Bond to Form Minerals and Properties of Minerals
  4. View the pre-lab video Mineral Properties, Identification, and Uses at https://goo.gl/kKBN1l
  5. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 3, Sections What Are Minerals, How Are Minerals Classified, and What Are a Mineral's Chemical and Physical Properties?, and all of their subsections, Pages 63-76.
  6. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 3.1 Mineral Luster, Diaphaneity, Streak, and Color, pages 89-90, and submit it to the Minerals assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
  7. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 3.2 Mineral Shape, page 91, and submit it to the Minerals assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
  8. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 3.3 Determining the Relative Hardness of a Mineral, ONLY part A, page 92, and submit it to the Minerals assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
  9. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 3.4 Determining Specific Gravity, ONLY parts B, C, and D, page 94, and submit it to the Minerals assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
    Note: The experiment video(s) you will need to complete Activity 3.4 parts C and D are as follows:
  10. Read: Earth eText, chapter 3, Sections 3.6 through 3.9, Mineral Groups, The Silicates, Common Silicate Minerals and Important Non-Silicate Minerals, pages 86-96.
  11. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 3, Section Identifying Minerals in Hand Specimens, pages 76-77
  12. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, Activity 3.5 Mineral analysis, Identification, and Uses, pages 95-98, and submit it to the Minerals assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
    Use the tables and other information in Chapter 3 of the AGI/NAGT Lab Manual to identify the following unknown minerals. Identify the first 10 minerals listed below, on the page specified and in the order that they are written. Then choose 5 more minerals from the last of the three lists of unknown specimens provided below.
    Identify these specimens, in the order given, on page 95 of the AGI/NAGT Lab Manual:
    Identify these specimens, in the order given, on page 96 of the AGI/NAGT Lab Manual:
    Identify any 5 of the following specimens on page 97 of the AGI/NAGT Lab Manual:

Mastering Geology Reminder (Posted July 25, should be completed by midnight Thursday night July 30, 2020)

Complete the Dyamic Study Module called Matter and Minerals and HW-ch03 by going to Mastering Geology through the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).



Plate Tectonics (Posted July 21, should be completed by the end of the day Friday, July 24, 2020)

Note: We will be working primarily with the Lab Manual as we study this topic, but please use the Tarbuck eText as a reference resource as you seek to find answers for the study questions that you can't find in the Lab Manual.

  1. Read the study questions for this section, listed at https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Course/PhysGeol/Geo1405-Tectonics-Q2020.html and keep them in mind as you read the following assignments. Most, if not all, of the answers will be in the reading assignments for this topic.
  2. Scan: Earth eText, chapter 2 — the whole chimichanga.
    Don't neglect to view all of the AV stuff: videos, animations, tutorials, concept checkers. Do these things in light of the study questions, so that you pick-up some information and know where to look for more information as you work to find the answers to those questions and understand the associated content.
  3. View the videos Comments on tectonics, part 1 at https://youtu.be/9RhUB2lvPVQ
    and Comments on tectonics, part 2 at https://youtu.be/40hlD4gVT4c
    My videos reference other videos you should look at, namely...
  4. OPTIONAL but Recommended: Take advantage of any of the following videos:
  5. View the video introducing the material in Chapter 2 of the AGI/NAGT Lab Manual at https://goo.gl/NrcXgB.
  6. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 2, Section Introduction and all of its subsections, Pages 29-33.
  7. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 2, Section Where Are Plates Going? Subsections Motion, but Relative to What? and Instantaneous Versus Finite Displacements and Velocities, Pages 35-36.
  8. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 11, Activity 2.1, Plate Motion from Different Frames of Reference, p. 47-48, and submit it to the Tectonics assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE. You don't need to scan the cut-out map pieces of Figure A2.1.3 as you prepare your answer for submission.
  9. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 11, Activity 2.2, Plate Motion and the San Andreas Fault, p. 49-50, and submit it to the Tectonics assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
  10. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 2, Sections GPS—Global Positioning System, Using GPS to Study Lithospheric Plate Motion, and What Do Hotspots Tell Us About Plate Motion? and all of their subsections, Pages 36-40.
  11. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 11, Activity 2.4, Hotspots and Plate Motions, p. 53-54, and submit it to the Tectonics assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
  12. Scan/Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 2, Section Exploring Basic Properties of Earth Materials and all of its subsections, Pages 41-43.
  13. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 2, Section Earth's Magnetism and Paleomagnetism and all of its subsections, Pages 44-46.
  14. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 11, Activity 2.6, Paleomagnetic Stripes and Seafloor Spreading, p. 57-58,
    Activity 2.7, Atlantic Seafloor Spreading, p. 59-60, and
    Activity 2.8, Using Earthquakes to Identify Plate Boundaries, p. 61-62,
    and submit them to the Tectonics assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.

Mastering Geology Reminder (Posted July 21, should be completed by midnight Friday night July 24, 2020)

Complete the Dyamic Study Module called Plate Tectonics and HW-ch02 by going to Mastering Geology through the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).



Earthquakes (Posted July 16, should be completed by the end of the day Tuesday July 21, 2020)

  1. Read the study questions for this section, listed at https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Course/PhysGeol/Geo1405-Earthquake-Q2020.html and keep them in mind as you read the following assignments. Most, if not all, of the answers will be in the reading assignments for this topic.
  2. Scan: Earth eText, chapter 11 — the whole burrito.
    Don't neglect to view all of the AV stuff: videos, animations, tutorials, concept checkers. Do these things in light of the study questions, so that you pick-up some information and know where to look for more information as you work to find the answers to those questions and understand the associated content.
  3. View the video introducing the material in Chapter 11 of the AGI/NAGT Lab Manual at https://goo.gl/gMj34o.
  4. Read: Earth eText, chapter 11, Section 11.1
    • View: the Tutorial Video Smart Figures: Faults cause earthquakes available at https://goo.gl/7Bx2jN
  5. View IRIS Animations
    • Take 2: Epicenter vs Hypocenter (1 min 59 sec.) available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_Take2_Epicenter_vs_Hypocenter.mp4
    More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/take_2_epicenter_vs_hypocenter__
    • Earthquake: Foreshock -- Mainshock -- Aftershock (6 min 32 sec.) available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_004_ForeshockAftershock.mp4
    More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/earthquake_foreshockmainshockaftershock
  6. OPTIONAL Play with the IRIS web app Seismic Monitor to see recent earthquakes plotted on global or regional maps, accessible via https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/software-web-app/seismic_monitor
    Direct access to app: http://ds.iris.edu/seismon/
  7. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 11, Section Introduction (the whole enchilada), Page 292
  8. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 10, Subsections Brittle Deformation and Types of Faults, Pages 272-274
    • View: IRIS animation Fault: Strike-slip (18 sec.) available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_003strike-slipfault.mp4. More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/fault_strikeslip
    • View: IRIS animation Fault: Strike-slip direction (left lateral and right lateral) (21 sec.) available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_003_Strike-Slip_Left-Right.mp4. More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/fault_strike_slip_direction_left_lateral_and_right_lateral
  9. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 11, Activity 11.4, San Andreas Fault Analysis at Wallace Creek, p. 306-307, and submit it to the Earthquakes assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
  10. Read: Earth eText, chapter 11, Section 11.2, Seismology: The Study of Seismic Waves and all of its subsections
  11. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 11, Section Earthquakes and Seismic Waves and all of its subsections, Pages 293-294.
  12. Read: Earth eText, chapter 11, Section 11.5, Subsection Amplification of Seismic Waves and Liquefaction with accompanying figure 11.24
  13. OPTIONAL but Recommended: Take advantage of any of the following IRIS educational resources.
    1. IRIS animation, Building Resonance: Structural Stability During Earthquakes (5 min 31 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_005_buildingresonance.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/building_resonance_the_resonant_frequency_of_different_seismic_waves
    2. IRIS animation, Buildings & Bedrock: Effects of Amplification & Liquifaction (1 min 12 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_4D_amplificliquefaction.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/buildings__bedrock_effects_of_amplification__liquefaction
  14. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 11, Activity 11.1, Earthquake Hazard Inquiry, Parts C, D, and E ONLY, p. 300, Print your name on this page, and submit it to the Earthquakes assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
  15. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 11, Activity 11.2, How Seismic Waves Travel Through Earth, p. 301-302, and submit it to the Earthquakes assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
  16. OPTIONAL but Recommended: Take advantage of any of the following IRIS educational resources.
  17. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 11, Section Interpreting Seismograms, Pages 294-296.
  18. OPTIONAL but Recommended: Take advantage of any of the following IRIS educational resources.
  19. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 11, Activity 11.3, Locate the Epicenter of an Earthquake, p. 303-305, and submit it to the Earthquakes assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
    You might choose to complete this exercise with the assistance of the following IRIS Web ap:
    Earthquake Triangulation : https://www.iris.edu/app/triangulation/
    More information about this Web ap is available via https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/software-web-app/earthquake_triangulation
    Direct access to ap: https://www.iris.edu/app/triangulation/
  20. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 11, Section Focal Mechanism Analysis, Pages 295-298.
  21. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 11, Activity 11.5, New Madrid Seismic Zone, p. 308, and submit it to the Earthquakes assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
  22. Take one last pass through Sections 11.4 through 11.7 in Chapter 11 of the Earth eText, reading with the study questions in mind.
    OPTIONAL but Recommended: Take advantage of any of the following IRIS educational resources.
    1. IRIS animation, Magnitude Explained: Moment Magnitude vs. Richter Scale (5 min 39 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_004A_momentmagnitude.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/magnitudes_moment_magnitude_explained
    2. IRIS animation, Magnitude Perspective: Graphical Comparison of Earthquake Energy Release (NOAA) (1 min 52 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/magnitude_graphical_comparison_of_earthquake_energy_release#videoPlayer2
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/magnitude_graphical_comparison_of_earthquake_energy_release
    3. IRIS animation, Take 2: Magnitude vs. Intensity (1 min 55 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_Take2_Magnitude_vs_Intensity.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/take_2_magnitude_vs_intensity
    4. IRIS animation, Alaska: The Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964 (6 min 42 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_007__alaska_1964.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/alaska_the_great_alaska_earthquake_of_1964
    5. IRIS animation, Alaska: Tectonics and Earthquakes (8 min 39 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_007_alaskatectonics.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/alaska_tectonics_and_earthquakes
    6. IRIS animation, Subduction Zone: Tsunamis Generated by Megathrust Earthquakes (5 min 43 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_2_megathrustearthquakes.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/subduction_zone_tsunamis_generated_by_megathrust_earthquakes
    7. IRIS animation, Mexico: Earthquakes & Tectonics (7 min 46 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_007_Mexico1984.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/mexico_earthquakes__tectonics
    8. IRIS animation, Central America--Earthquakes and Tectonics (9 min 28 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_007_centralAmerica.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/central_americaearthquakes_and_tectonjics
    9. IRIS animation, Japan's Earthquakes & Tectonic Setting (10 min 03 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_007_Japan_regional.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/japans_earthquakes__tectonic_setting
    10. IRIS Web app: Seismic Monitor for seeing recent earthquakes plotted on global or regional maps https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/software-web-app/seismic_monitor
      Direct access to ap: http://ds.iris.edu/seismon/
    11. IRIS Web app: IRIS Earthquake Browser, an interactive map for viewing many earthquake epicenters (or hypocenters in the 3D mode) simultaneously https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/software-web-app/iris_earthquake_browser
      Video introduction https://youtu.be/jlOMdHN_jVA
      Direct access to web ap: https://www.iris.edu/ieb/
    12. IRIS animation, Take 2: Can Earthquakes Be Predicted (Part 1) (1 min 41 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_Take2_Prediction1_FortuneTeller.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/take_2__can_earthquakes_be_predicted_part_1
    13. IRIS animation, Take 2: Can Earthquakes be predicted? (Part 2) (1 min 38 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_Take2_Prediction2_HeartAttack.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/take_2_can_earthquakes_be_predicted_part_2
    14. IRIS animation, Take 2: Seismic Hazard vs. Seismic Risk (1 min 57 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_Take2_Hazard_vs_Risk.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/take_2_hazard_vs_risk
    15. IRIS animation, Pacific Northwest vs. Japan: Mirror-Image Subduction Settings? (4 min 12 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_007_gpspacificnwvsjapan.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/pacific_northwest_vs_japan_similar_tectonic_settings
    16. IRIS animation, GPS as an Essential Component of Cascadia Earthquake Early Warning (6 min 55 sec.) https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/uploads/videos/A_004_eewpacificnw.mp4
      More information about this video is available at https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/earthquake_early_warning_pacific_northwest_subduction_zone

    Mastering Geology Reminder (Posted July 16 and is due by midnight Tuesday night July 21, 2020)

    Complete the Dyamic Study Module called Earthquakes and then complete HW11 (online homework for chapter 11) by going to Mastering Geology through the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).



    Climate Change (Posted July 13, should be completed by ~July 16, 2020)

    1. Read the study questions for this section, listed at https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Course/PhysGeol/Geo1405-Climate-Q.html and keep them in mind as you read the following assignments. Most, if not all, of the answers will be in the reading assignments for this topic.
    2. Scan*: Earth, chapter 21 — the whole tamale
      *Scan means just what it says — read through the headings, stop to read text that seems interesting to you, look at the figures, and view all of the AV stuff (videos, animations, tutorials, concept checkers). Do these things in light of the study questions, so that you pick-up some information and know where to look for more information as you work to find the answers to those questions and understand the associated content.
    3. View the video introducing the material in Chapter 17 of the AGI/NAGT Lab Manual at https://mediaplayer.pearsoncmg.com/assets/secs-agi-prelab-video-earths-dynamic-climate.
    4. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 17, Pages 432-435, Sections Introduction, Greenhouse Gases, and Measurement of Global Mean Sea Level Subsection Measuring Ocean Temperature and Salinity
    5. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 17, Activity 17.1, How Does Rising Temperature Affect Sea Level, p. 445-447, and submit it to the Climate Change assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
      ∙ View: Experiment video available via https://qrgo.page.link/Hd51t
    6. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 17, Pages 435-436, Subsection Adding Water to the Ocean from Melting Ice Sheets
    7. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 17, Activity 17.2, Melting Ice and Rising Sea Level, p. 448-449, and submit it to the Climate Change assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
      ∙ View: Experiment video available at https://qrgo.page.link/Mr42z
      ∙ View: Experiment video available at https://qrgo.page.link/bhXHa
    8. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 17, Pages 436-438, Subsections Measuring Local Sea-Level Change Using Tidal Gauges and Glacial Isostatic Adjustment
    9. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 17, Activity 17.3, Using Tide Gauge Data to Model Sea-Level Change, p. 450-452, and submit it to the Climate Change assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
    10. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 17, Page 438, Section Climate Indicators, Today and for the Past 800,000 Years, Subsection The Keeling Record from Mauna Loa Observatory
    11. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 17, Activity 17.4, Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere, p. 453-455, and submit it to the Climate Change assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
    12. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 17, Page 439-441, Subsection Data from Planetary Motions, Sediment Cores, and Ice Cores
    13. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 17, Activity 17.5, The Climate Record from Cores, p. 456-458, and submit it to the Climate Change assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
    14. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 17, Pages 439-441, Section Some Consequences of a Warming Climate
    15. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 17, Activity 17.6, Local Effects of Sea-Level Rise, p. 459-461. Be sure you use a marker, pen, crayon, colored pencil, or ... that is clearly shown on your submitted PDF as you map flooded coastal areas. Submit it to the Climate Change assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.

    Mastering Geology Reminder (Posted July 13, should be completed by midnight Saturday night July 18, 2020)

    Complete the Dyamic Study Module called Global Climate Change and then complete HW21 (online homework for chapter 21) by going to Mastering Geology through the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).



    Atoms and Elements (Posted July 10, should be completed by ~July 13, 2020)

    1. View the video providing some comments on the nature of science on YouTube at https://youtu.be/sPEZ3GP2kk4.
    2. Review the study questions for this section, published yesterday and listed at https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Course/PhysGeol/Geo1405-Intro-Q.html and keep them in mind as you read the following assignments. Most, if not all, of the answers will be in the reading assignments you will have over the first few days of the course.
    3. Read: Earth, chapter 3, section 3.2 Atoms: Building Blocks of Minerals (p. 74-75 in the paper version of the text)
    4. Read: Earth, chapter 3, section 3.6 Mineral Groups, subsection Silicate Versus Nonsilicate Minerals (p. 86-87 in the paper version of the text)

    Basic Number Management (Posted July 10, should be completed by ~July 13, 2020)

    1. View the video introducing the material in the first chapter of the AGI/NAGT Lab Manual at https://goo.gl/c3zAzr.
    2. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 1, Basic Number Management, p. 15-16
    3. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 1, Activity 1.6, Unit Conversions, Scientific Notation, and Rates, p. 25-26, and submit it to the Intro assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.
    4. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 1, Activity 1.7, Graphing and Interpreting Data, p. 27-28, and submit it to the Intro assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.

    Isotopes and Isotopic Dating (Posted July 10, should be completed by ~July 13, 2020)

    1. Read: Earth, chapter 9, section 9.4 Numerical Dating with Nuclear Decay (p. 277-281 in the paper version of the text)
    2. View the video introducing the material in the chapter 8 of the AGI/NAGT Lab Manual at https://goo.gl/k3LPxG.
    3. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 8, Determining Numerical Ages by Radiometric Dating, p. 216-220
    4. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 8, Activity 8.4, Numerical Dating of Rocks and Fossils, p. 226, and submit it to the Intro assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.

    Mastering Geology Reminder (Posted July 10, should be completed by midnight Sunday night July 12, 2020)

    Complete the Dyamic Study Module called An Introduction to Geology by going to Mastering Geology through the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).



    Introductory Material (Posted July 9, should be completed by ~July 11, 2020)

    1. View the "welcome" video on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N5UsQ0c2Wc&t=13s. Please do not to make any rude comments about Dr. Cronin or his messy home office.
    2. If you have not already done so, register for Mastering Geology from within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS). To register for Mastering Geology, read and follow the directions provided on the PDF document https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Course/PhysGeol/Student-Registration-Handout-Summer2.pdf and follow the links embedded in that document.
    3. Read the study questions for this section, listed at https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Course/PhysGeol/Geo1405-Intro-Q.html and keep them in mind as you read the following assignments. Most, if not all, of the answers will be in the reading assignments you will have over the first few days of the course.
    4. Read: Earth, chapter 1, section 1.3 The Nature of Scientific Inquiry
    5. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 1, Pages 2-3 Science as a Process for Learning Reliable Information
    6. Read: Earth, chapter 1, section 1.4 Earth as a System
    7. Read: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 1, Pages 6-9, Getting to Know Your Planet: Geographic Coordinates (Latitude and Longitude) and Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Coordinates
    8. Do: Download the free app Google Earth Pro onto your computer from https://www.google.com/earth/versions/ .
      View the YouTube video FindingPtsWithGeogCoords-GoogleEarthPro at https://youtu.be/PWxcEOQMBxE to familiarize yourself with using Google Earth Pro.
      Play. Look around your planet. Find where you live right now (use your address in the search window) and places you have visited. Have fun (but come back to Earth eventually, because we have more work to do.)
    9. Do: AGI/NAGT Lab Manual, chapter 1, Activity 1.1, Pages 17-18. If you get stuck, contact (email, text, phone/voice call) me and I'll try to help you get unstuck. Submit it to the Intro assignment in Canvas — submission instructions HERE.

    Important Note: Some students are afraid of teachers, and specifically afraid of asking for help from someone who is ultimately going to assign a course grade to them. I completely understand this.
    Please don't be afraid of asking me questions, especially about things you do not understand in the Lab Manual. As the current editor of the lab manual, which is used in more than 300 colleges and universities in the US and elsewhere, I really need to know when students like you find something difficult to understand in the lab manual. Over my three decades of teaching this course, my favorite students have been the ones who ask questions, and those students generally get very good grades.

    Question: After completing the activity on pages 17-18, what should I do with it? How do I submit my work for credit?

    Answer: Excellent question! What you are going to do with completed lab activities in general is the following:

    1. Notice that each of the pages in the lab book has a line of perforations located about 17 mm from the bound edge of the page, near the wire binding.
    2. Carefully tear the completed activity sheet out of the book along that line of perforations.
    3. Scan the completed activity page(s). You can do this with a fancy smancy document scanner (if you are fortunate enough to have one available to you) or simply by using your smartphone. Either way, all of the pages of your activity should be in the same PDF file.
      If you use your smartphone, BE VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO HOLD THE PHONE STILL WHEN YOU ARE SCANNING. I say this only because my lovely daughter is in the habit of taking pictures with a funny little motion that looks like she is trying to push the camera/smartphone toward the thing she is trying to take the picture of, as if punching the air in front of the camera/smartphone is necessary to take the picture. Drives me nuts!
      For hints about scanning using a smartphone, read the first two pages of the document Submitting PDF Homework in Gradescope that is accessible via https://gradescope-static-assets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/help/submitting_hw_guide.pdf. I have not (yet) set-up Gradescope for use in this course, so ignore the last two pages.
    4. Name the PDF file as follows: YourLastName-Activity1-1.pdf. So if your name was W.E.B. DuBois, the file would be named DuBois-Activity1-1.pdf
    5. Without folding, place the completed paper activity page in a folder, large (10"x13") mailing envelope, box, or stack on a shelf for safe keeping. You are required to send-in all of your completed paper activity sheets before the end of the term.
    6. You will then email the PDF of your completed activity to someone who will grade it. This part of the system still needs work on my end of the process, so just hold on to the PDF file for now.

    Question: When is all this stuff due?

    Answer: Another excellent question!
    It would be optimal if you did all of the assignments today, because there will be some more posted tomorrow. But given that there is a weekend coming up, let's assume that the work assigned July 9-10 should be completed by the end of the day Sunday July 12. Who knows, there might be a petite quiz assigned to be finished by the end of the day Monday, July 13. Could happen!



    Required Textbooks And Online Resources

    You need to have acquired the following resources and be ready to work with them
    before the first day of the term (July 9).
    AGI/NAGT Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology, 12th edition (paper copy) Print Lab Manual ISBN: 9780135836972
    And yes, this edition is significantly different (and better, in my humble opinion) than the previous edition that was used in the 2019-2020 academic year at Baylor.

    Modified Mastering Geology with eText for Tarbuck et al., Earth 13th edition*
    This version of Mastering Geology is used within the Canvas LMS.
    —————
    *Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, 13th Edition, 2020, by E.J. Tarbuck, F.K. Lutgens, and S. Linneman, with illustrations by D.G. Tasa: New York, Pearson Higher Education, 754 p.

    You can acquire these resources either from the Baylor Bookstore or by ordering them directly from Pearson Higher Education, using the instructions provided by Pearson (and modified by Dr. Cronin) available at https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Course/PhysGeol/Student-Registration-Handout-Summer2.pdf .

    You Do Not need to acquire a paper version of the Tarbuck book, unless you really really want to, because the Mastering Geology online resource specified above comes with the eText of the Tarbuck textbook.


    If you need any further clarification of this list of required resources, you can email, text, or call Professor Cronin.

    "Mastering Geology" Is A Required Part Of This Course

    A number of online exercises (homework, study modules, quizzes) are scheduled for you to complete in Mastering Geology accessed through the Canvas learning management system (LMS). All of them are graded in some way, and all have some sort of due date that is posted on the calendar you can access via Mastering Geology. Except for valid University excuses with written documentation (e.g., illness, bereavement, athletic, performance), there will be no re-setting of the online assignment deadlines to accommodate people who missed them this semester. If you miss the due date, you will not be able to make-up the exercises for credit.

    To register for Mastering Geology, read and follow the directions provided on the PDF document https://croninprojects.org/Vince/Course/PhysGeol/Student-Registration-Handout-Summer2.pdf and follow the links embedded in that document.

    To get to Mastering Geology after you have logged in to Canvas , select the Geo 1405 course you are enrolled in, then select MyLab and Mastering along the left column. This should connect you to Mastering Geology at Pearson.

    Course Schedule

    Under Construction as of May 27, 2020

    Credit Distribution for Grading

    Tentatively, the grading in the lecture section of this course will be related to preparation (prior reading of text, online assignments or homework, pre-lecture quizzes), participation (attending lectures prepared to participate and ask/answer questions), chapter/unit assessment (assigned homework and end-of-chapter quizzes), and the final exam, with the following approximate weighting:

    Dynamic study modules, homework, et cetera administered online via Mastering Geology 35%
    Assessment exercise after a given chapter is completed, and summative quizzes that involve more than one topic 65%
    Total percentage grade from the lecture section 100%

    The weightings presented above might change before the end of the semester. Remember, this syllabus is not a contract.

    The lecture part of the course makes-up 75% of the total course grade, and the laboratory portion of this course constitutes 25% of the total course grade.

    Final Course Grade

    For students who complete at least 75% of the quizzes and at least 75% of the lab assignments, the final course percentage grade will be determined using an equation like the following:
    Final course percentage grade = {( A x 0.75) + ( B x 0.25) + C + (D x [1.0 - {( A x 0.75) + ( B x 0.25) + C }])}, where

    Professor Cronin determines the values of the translation and compression factors, and the same factors are used for all students in the course. Standard rounding procedures used throughout science will be employed in the conversion of decimal percentages to integer percentages. Based on the final course percentage grade, letter grades are assigned as follows:

    Final Course Percentage Letter Grade
    93% to 100% inclusive A
    90% to 92% inclusive A-
    87% to 89% inclusive B+
    83% to 86% inclusive B
    80% to 82% inclusive B-
    77% to 79% inclusive C+
    73% to 76% inclusive C
    70% to 72% inclusive C-
    67% to 69% inclusive D+
    60% to 66% inclusive D
    below 60% F


    Academic Success

    I have high academic expectations for you in my course.
    If you find yourself struggling academically, you should consider seeking assistance through the Paul L. Foster Success Center in Sid Richardson ( www.baylor.edu/successcenter/ ).
    While I am here to facilitate your learning, responsibility for your learning is yours alone. You will need to commit yourself to taking the time necessary to study and to take care of your mental and physical health by getting enough sleep, exercise, and good food every day. There are many distractions during the summertime, but it is your responsibility to fulfill your most important responsibility — to learn.

    Academic Integrity

    Academic integrity refers to the "integral" quality of the search for knowledge that a student undertakes. The work a student produces, therefore, ought to be wholly his or hers; it should result completely from the student's own efforts. A student will be guilty of violating academic integrity if he/she...
    (a) knowingly represents work of others as his/her own,
    (b) uses or obtains unauthorized assistance in the execution of any academic work, including possessing or using a stolen copy of one of Professor Cronin's exams, or
    (c) violates the conditions under which course quizzes are administered via Mastering Geology, the LockDown Browser, Gradescope, or other electronic means, including the use of textbooks or notes while taking quizzes, or
    (d) gives fraudulent assistance to another student during online quizzes.
    After McGlynn, A.P., 2001

    Plagiarism or any form of cheating involves a breach of student-teacher trust. This means that any work submitted under your name is expected to be your own, neither composed by anyone else as a whole or in part, nor handed over to another person for complete or partial revision. Be sure to document all ideas that are not your own. Instances of plagiarism or any other act of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Honor Council and may result in failure of the course. Not understanding plagiarism is not an excuse. As a Baylor student, I expect you to be intimately familiar with the Honor Code — www.baylor.edu/honorcode/


    Baylor syllabus statements for undergraduate students 2020-21: BaylorSyllabusStatements.pdf

    For answers to frequently asked questions about geology and science, go to https://www.baylor.edu/Geology/index.php?id=26719

    If you have any questions or comments about this site or its contents, drop an email to the humble webmaster.
    All of the original content of this website is © 2020 by Vincent S. Cronin