Spring 2018 - EASC 101 D100

Dynamic Earth (3)

Class Number: 1935

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 3 – Apr 10, 2018: Mon, Wed, 11:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Apr 16, 2018
    Mon, 3:30–6:30 p.m.
    Burnaby

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Origin and character of minerals, rocks, Earth structure, Earth surface processes and plate tectonic theory. Primarily designed to deliver prereq. information to EASC majors/honours and students pursuing degrees in other Departments and Faculties that require a strong foundational course in Earth Science. Breadth-Science.

COURSE DETAILS:

General: REQUIREMENT DESIGNATION: B-Sci
This course provides an introduction to planet Earth - how it formed, how it evolved, how it works, and how we humans engage with it. EASC 101 is an introductory course to the Earth Sciences designed both as a foundation course for Earth Science majors and as a terminal course for those in other disciplines. Lecture times will include inquiry based activities and discussion, while laboratory sessions focus on "hands on" exercises emphasizing rock and mineral identification, Earth structure and processes.

Course Topics: With successful completion of EASC 101, a student should be knowledgeable about:
1. Earth Structure and Plate Tectonics Layered structure of the Earth; development of plate tectonic theory; and global & local examples of tectonic settings.   2. Geologic Processes (Mountain Building, Earthquakes) Stress & strain; joint, faults & folds; analyzing & interpreting geologic structures based on strike & dip info on geologic maps; and orogenesis. Earthquake hazards; measuring earthquakes; and seismology.  
3. Earth Materials (Minerals, Rocks, Sediments, Economic Resources) and the relationship between Earth Materials and Plate Tectonics Minerals and rock identification and classification; magma; the rock cycle; and geologic resources (with a focus on Canadian resources).  
4. Geologic Time and Earth History The time perspective in geological investigations; relative and absolute dating; and application of stratigraphic principles to determination of the sequence of geologic events.  
5. Environments and Surface Processes (Mass Wasting, Surface Water, Glaciers, Groundwater, Deserts) Types and causes of mass wasting, and mitigative techniques to control them; surface environments & subsurface processes; and the erosional & depositional features that result from streams, glaciers, and wind.  
6. Coastlines and Marine Geology Coastal and marine sediments; active vs. passive continental margins; our local plate tectonic setting and that of North America at large.

Course Organization: ·  Two 50-min lecture and one 2-hour lab per week.

Lab attendance is mandatory. 

Grading

  • Assignments/Quizzes 5%
  • Lab Exams (Not Cumulative) 15% + 20% 35%
  • Mid-Term Theory Test 20%
  • Final Theory Test (Cumulative) 40%

NOTES:

NOTE: Students with credit for GEOG 112 cannot take this course for further credit.  GEOG 112 was offered in Geography as an introductory geology course, and was replaced by EASC 101 in the mid 1990s with the establishment of the Earth Sciences Department.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Please bring a pencil, eraser, and ruler to the lab. Other materials are supplied but students are welcome to bring their own pencil crayons and protractors for labs in the second half of the term.

REQUIRED READING:

“Introduction to Physical Geology, Canadian Edition”; Fletcher, C., Gibson, D., Ansdell, K. 2013; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.;
ISBN: 978-111830082-4

Laboratory Manual: The EASC101 laboratory manual is required for the course and is available for purchase at the University Book Store. Second-hand lab manuals cannot be used (students write directly in to their lab manuals during the lab period
ISBN: 978-132-372-1155

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS