Georgia Geoscience Online
Course Description
Prerequisite: Exit or exemption from all Developmental Studies and ESL requirements.
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
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Interactive Course Outline
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Potential Assignments |
Additional references |
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Week 1
Introduction to Physical Geology   |
Information about using the web and e-mail for class |
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Week 2
Minerals
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- 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
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Week 3
Igneous Rocks
Ancient Lava Flows and Plutons
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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??
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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 |
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Week 5
Weathering
Soils |
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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
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Week 6
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Structures (for general information)
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USGS Bedform Sedimentology Site - images and movies
Quick Time movies of bedforms
Landforms
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Week 7
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rock pictures
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Atlas of Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks, Minerals, and Textures
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| Midterm will cover all material up to this point |
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Week 8
Crustal Deformation and Folds
Faults
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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.
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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
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Earthquake Information Page
Seismic Resources on the Web - Part 1
Seismic Resources on the Web - Part 2
Seeing California Move With Global Positioning Satellites
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Week 10
Interior of the Earth |
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Earth's Interior from UNR
Earth's Interior notes from U. Texas, El Paso
New England Meteoritical Services
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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.
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Week 12
Mountain Building and the Evolution of Continents
Geology of Georgia
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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 |
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Week 13
Hydrologic Cycle, Running Water, Erosion, and Sediment Transport
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Georgia Geology and Hydrology assignment
Questions to Answer while watching video "The Great River"
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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
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Week 14
Groundwater |
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Week 15
Shorelines and Coastal Processes
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Week 16
Mass Wasting
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Final exam will cover entire semester |
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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

Copyright Pamela J. W. Gore, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2001, 2002, 2003
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.
pgore@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