San Andreas Fault
Hawaiian lava flow
Mount St. Helens

Geology of the Earth, Moons, and Planets
(CSCM-246-01)

Dr. Dayanthie Weeraratne
Rm# E 118
Email: dweeraratne@calarts.edu
Office hours: Wednesdays noon-2 pm (by appt - please email me)
Text Book: Physical Geology, by Plummer, Carlson, & Hammersley (on reserve in the library)

         


Syllabus PDF


  • Jan 14-21 (Week #1-2) Introduction to Geology PPT (PDF Version PDF )

    • Homework:

    - Download PPT 1 and print in "Note Taking" format (3-6 slides per page) with room to write notes. Bring to class.
    - Draw the planet Earth 3 times in style of first slide in Lecture #1.
    (10 Million yrs ago, Present, and 10 Million yrs from now)
    - Read Chapters for Week 1 (see syllabus). Write 1 page summary.


  • Jan 28 (Week 3) Plate Tectonics on Earth PPT (PDF Version PDF )

    • Homework:

    - Read, review, Chapters for week 2. Write a 1 page summary.
    - We will draw "pie diagrams" for planetary interiors together in-class this week.

  • Feb 4-11 (Week 4-5) Plate Tectonics on other Planets

    Homework (Feb 4-25):

    - You are Captain of the Starship Enterprise- hypothesis activity (see lecture slide for details) Due Feb 11
    - Read & review Chapter 16 (earthquakes), Due Feb 18
    - Cascadia subduction zone activity, Download PDF here , Due Feb 18
    - Homework for Midterm Prep (Covers Chapters 1,16, 18, 19, 21), Download PDF here , Due Feb 25

  • Feb 18 Earthquakes, Moonquakes and Mars quakes ? PPT


    • MIDTERM #1 February 25, 2016 (Chapters 1,16,18,19,21)

    Link to INSIGHT Mission Webcast by Bruce Banerdt:

    http://mars.nasa.gov/multimedia/webcasts/public-lectures/

  • Mar 3 Lecture: Atoms and Minerals PPT


  • Mar 10 Lecture: Volcanic rocks and Planetary Atmospheres PPT


  • Lecture: Sedimentary Rocks PPT


    • Rock Identification assignment due April 7, 2016.

    Class Project - SUBMIT Title, Method, Group member names (Due April 7).

    MIDTERM #2: April 21, 2016

  • Lecture: Climate Change, Structural Geology, and Oil Crisis PPT

    • Class Debate (April 14, 2016). Prepare 5 arguments for your side:
    Side 1) There is No Global Warming on Earth and is Not Similar to Climate on Venus
    Side 2) There is Global Warming on Earth and is Similar to Climate on Venus

    Invite talk on the "Climate Change Reality Project" by Peter Jennings (April 14, 2016).
    Walk over to BB#4 Room G from class at 3pm.

    MIDTERM #2 April 21, 2016 (Atoms, Minerals, Sedimentary and Volcanic rocks, Climate Change)
    -Homework for Midterm 2 Prep (Covers Chapters 2 - 5 and Climate Change Lectures), Download PDF here , Due on day of Midterm (April 21, 2016)

  • Lecture: Hydrogeology (Water on Earth and other planets) PPT

    • - Homework on Hydrogeology (water aquifers) Download PDF here , (Extra credit) Due April 28, 2016 (Last Day of Class!)

    FINAL EXAM April 28, 2016
    - Cummulative: everything we've talked about in class
    - Including last Hydrogeology lecture (see above PPT and homework).
    - All Midterm Exams
    - All lectures, all chapters. Study past Midterms, homeworks, class lectures, textbook

    Class Project (70 pts): Project Presentations after the Final Exam (April 28, 2016)
    Download PDF with instructions here

    All Homework, assignments, and Class projects are due on last day of class (April 28, 2016)





    Cool Geology Links:
    Earthquakes around the world, today!
    Indian Ocean Tsunami
    Cascade Volcano Observatory
    NASA: It's out of this world!