General Geology - GEOL 1113 Section 005 Instructor: Dr. Glen S. Mattioli, Professor Office: Ozark Hall 27B Office Hours: MW 10:30-12:00 & TR 11:00-12:00 Office Phone: Class Web Page –

2009 Exams, Syllabus, and Grading Class Purpose: To introduce undergraduate students to physical geology, Earth’s internal structure and materials, and Geologic Time. Emphasis will be on developing close connections between Earth materials and processes within a Plate Tectonic framework. Three Partial Examinations and Comprehensive Final Part I - Rocks and Minerals: Thurs. Sept. 24 th Part II - Geologic Time and Surface Processes: Thurs. Oct. 22 nd Part III - Deformation, Earthquakes, & Earth Structure: Tues. Nov. 24 th Part IV - The Big Picture: Tectonics & Orogenesis: Final Only FINAL - Monday, December 14 th, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Some Expected Learning Outcomes An understanding of geologic time and dating methods. Development of skills to recognize major rock types, their constituent minerals, and their origin. An appreciation of how the Scientific Method relates to the development of the Theory of Plate Tectonics. An introduction to the origin and distribution of natural resources. An understanding of three-dimensional analysis of Earth structures (big and small), and the stresses that produce them along with how major landforms relate to geological processes. An appreciation of origin of major geologic hazards and their impacts.

Grades and Grading Approximate Cutoffs for Letter Grades >85%A 71-85%B 61-70%C 50-60%D <50%F

Physical Geology, 12 th ed. Charles C. Plummer California State University at Sacramento Diane H. Carlson California State University at Sacramento The Late David McGeary Emeritus of California State University at Sacramento Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Required Text NB that any edition of Plummer et al. from will be OK

Chapter 1 Introduction to Physical Geology

Why Study Geology? Mitigating Geologic Hazards –Earthquakes –Volcanoes Supplying Things We Need –Metals –Minerals –Petroleum Protecting the Environment –Water cycle –Global Change: Warming and Sea level rise Understanding Our Surroundings –The Earth’s relationship to other planets –Geological Time

Los Angeles Basin

Recent Southern California Earthquakes Northridge (94)San Fernando (71)Sierra Madre (91) Whitter Narrorws (87)Long Beach (33) From:

TIME: January 17, :30:55 am PST LOCATION: 34° 12.80' N, 118° 32.22'W; 20 miles west-northwest of Los Angeles 1 mile south-southwest of Northridge MAGNITUDE: M W 6.7 TYPE OF FAULTING: blind thrust FAULT INVOLVED: Northridge Thrust (also known as the Pico Thrust) DEPTH: 18.4 km Northridge Earthquake Facts

Northridge CA earthquake Jan. 17, 1994,

Northridge Earthquake

Northridge Aftershocks

Original AVS animation by Ian Sammis and Damien Sullivan.

Northridge Rupture Model Wald, David J., Heaton, Thomas H., and Hudnut, K.W. The Slip History of the 1994 Northridge, California, Earthquake Determined From Strong-Motion, Teleseismic, GPS, and Leveling Data, Special Northridge Earthquake Issue of the Bull. of the Seismo. Soc. of America

Convergent Margin Magma Genesis

Eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, June 15, 1991

Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat Dome collapse pyroclastic flows Photo credit: D. Williams

Plymouth, Montserrat - Destroyed by pyroclastic flows in 1996/7 Photo credit: G. Mattioli

Automobiles - Always Thirsty for Gas!

Source:

Alaska Pipeline

Understanding our Environment Global change through time Stable Oxygen Isotope record – Earth’s climate has varied considerably over geological time Sea Level Rise Related to retreat of the last continental glaciers\ The Ice Age – new warmer climate makes the Earth more hospitable for humans Atmospheric temperature rise now also contributing to additional rise in sea level – how will this impact coastal cities?

Stable Oxygen Isotopes  18 O‰ = [(R sample - R standard )/R standard ] x 1000

Sea Level Changes

An Overview of Physical Geology—Important Concepts Internal Processes: How the Earth’s Internal Heat Engine Works The Earth’s Interior The Theory of Plate Tectonics Surface Processes: The Earth’s External Heat Engine - the Sun

Some Heat Transfer Mechanisms Conduction - requires direct physical contact - slow; generally associated with solids Convection - temperature gradient causes a density gradient and results in flow - faster; generally associated with fluids (liquids and gases) Advection - transfer of heat and mass - fluid flow through cracks; can be fast Radiation - Direct heating via EM waves without any requirement of mass along path - fastest

Convection Examples

Rayleigh-Benard Convection

Earth Structure

Convection in the Mantle

convection in the mantle models observed heat flow warm: near ridges cold: over cratons from: from:

From: "Dynamic models of Tectonic Plates and Convection" (1994) by S. Zhong and M. Gurnis

Earth’s Plates

obvious from space that Earth has two fundamentally different physiographic features: oceans (71%) and continents (29%) global topography from: crust

Convergent Margins and Magma Genesis

MORB Genesis

Submarine Pillow Basalt Formation

Ocean Crust Age-Depth Relations

Simplified Geologic Time Scale