Physical Geology Online at Georgia Perimeter College

Physical Geology Lecture Online

Pamela J. W. Gore
Georgia Perimeter College

GEOL 1121-194

Course Description

This course is a survey of the earth and the processes which shape it. The course offers an overview of plate tectonics, volcanism, earthquakes, mountain building, weathering, erosion, soil, origin of minerals and rocks, and water and energy resources.

Course Syllabus

Spring 2003 Lecture Syllabus

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Interactive Course Outline

Lecture Notes	Potential Assignments	Additional references
Week 1 Introduction to Physical Geology	Information about using the web and e-mail for class
Week 2 Minerals		Crystal Structure Movies The Mineral Gallery Physical Characteristics of Minerals Minerals, Magmas, and Volcanic Rocks. Includes good diagrams of silicate tetrahedra. Gems and Precious Stones Internet Course Rocks and minerals in thin section (Petrography) Smithsonian Gem and Mineral Collection Mineral Museum in Paris Mineralogical Society of America, Mineralogy 4 Kids Georgia Mienral Society
Week 3 Igneous Rocks Ancient Lava Flows and Plutons		Atlas of Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks, Minerals, and Textures Minerals, Magmas, and Volcanic Rocks. Includes classification and good photos of igneous rocks. See Petroglyph - An interactive program which simulates looking at thin sections with a petrographic microscope - inactive??
Week 4 Volcanoes	Please print out movie notes and see video on reserve in the library: Volcanoes - Exploring the Restless Earth Volcano Research and Writing Assignment	Volcano Information Page Information on currently erupting volcanoes. QuickTime movie of Popocatepetal eruption Movies of volcanic eruptions and pillow lava formation
Week 5 Weathering Soils		Weathering slides - Part 1 , Part 2 - Duke Univ. Weathering and Soil - John Butler, U. Houston Weathering of Granite and origin of sediment - GA Southern Chemical Weathering of Marble at the mall Small-scale weathering in Tunisia Karst in Slovenia Weathering and Karst Virtual Geomorphology Weathering of Rocks and Minerals Earth Science - Weathering and Erosion
Week 6 Sedimentary Rocks Sedimentary Structures (for general information)		USGS Bedform Sedimentology Site - images and movies Quick Time movies of bedforms Landforms
Week 7 Metamorphic Rocks Metamorphic Rock pictures		Atlas of Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks, Minerals, and Textures
Midterm will cover all material up to this point
Week 8 Crustal Deformation and Folds Faults		Teaching Resources in Structural Geology - Univ of Leeds Geologic Structures - U. Texas, El Paso Structural Geology Lab - U. Texas, El Paso Structure models - U. Texas, El Paso Digital relief map of the U.S. Color landform atlas of the U.S. Shaded relief map of Georgia Structural Geology Slide Set Radar imagery and text of folded mountains in the Apppalachians near Sunbury, PA. Print out the image and draw in the correct fold axis symbols in the proper locations.
Week 9 Earthquakes	Worldwide Distribution of Earthquakes Assignment Learn how to locate earthquake epicenters online. Print out the Certificate of Completion with your name when finished. Dacula, Georgia earthquake intensity exercise Map for Dacula earthquake exercise	Earthquake Information Page Seismic Resources on the Web - Part 1 Seismic Resources on the Web - Part 2 Seeing California Move With Global Positioning Satellites
Week 10 Interior of the Earth		Earth's Interior from UNR Earth's Interior notes from U. Texas, El Paso New England Meteoritical Services
Week 11 Ocean Floor Plate Tectonics	Please print out movie notes and see the video in the LRC Planet Earth - The Living Machine.	Scientific American article - Three types of continental margins around North America, with computer-generated images of the seafloor Satellite altimetry of oceans - NOAA Deep submergence vehicle - ALVIN How deep can they go? - Nice diagram! Educational materials associated with Ocean Planet exhibit at Smithsonian Map showing age of the ocean crust - NOAA Spinning globe showing age of ocean crust - NOAA Plate Tectonics - The cause of earthquakes - great graphics! Tectonic and paleogeographic maps (and Grand Canyon) Good Plate Tectonics notes from Volcano World. Click on arrow at bottom to go on to each section.
Week 12 Mountain Building and the Evolution of Continents Geology of Georgia	Stone Mountain Field Trip Worksheet Print this out and work on it in the field. Mount Arabia oblique air photo	Georgia Southern University pages on Geology of Georgia
Week 13 Hydrologic Cycle, Running Water, Erosion, and Sediment Transport	Georgia Geology and Hydrology assignment Questions to Answer while watching video "The Great River"	See this neat site on the Water Cycle with Shockwave! Flood damage and related features in Albany, GA Hydrology and Flooding - annotated references with links Mississippi River flooding U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Branch, Georgia Current Georgia hydrology Past monthly reports on Georgia hydrology
Week 14 Groundwater
Week 15 Shorelines and Coastal Processes
Week 16 Mass Wasting
Final exam will cover entire semester

Links to other geology sites

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
Try the "Ask-A-Geologist" service offered by the U.S. Geological Survey. If you have an e-mail account, try sending e-mail to this address:
ask-a-geologist@octopus.wr.usgs.gov

Return to Georgia Geoscience Online

This page was created by Dr. Pamela J. W. Gore
Department of Geology
Georgia Perimeter College, Clarkston Campus
555 North Indian Creek Drive
Clarkston, GA 30021-2396.
Pamela.Gore@gpc.edu

First version created September 1994
Modified August 21, 1998
Modified July 17, 1999
Modified August 30, 1999
Modified August 21, 2000
Modified January 7, 2002
Modified January 6, 2003
Updated April 27, 2006
Links updated to facstaff, email updated September 6, 2008