1. Global Data Sets in the Classroom: The Big Picture
Tracy K.P. Gregg
University at Buffalo

2. Demographics Undergraduate level courses Graduate level courses
Sophomores, juniors, freshmen, seniors, graduate students (education)
10-15% are geology majors
for the remainder, this is their last science course
most are from western New York
Know the internet, but little else
Graduate level courses
Computer and GIS savvy
Unaware of “global data sets”

3. Goals Observation vs. interpretation A “good” vs. “bad” hypothesis
harder than they think!
all scientists are biased by their backgrounds
A “good” vs. “bad” hypothesis
what a hypothesis is
how hypotheses are tested
a “good” hypothesis is one that can be tested using available data
a “bad” hypothesis may still be right, but can’t be tested

4. Faults & Plate Boundaries on Earth

5. Apollo Landing Sites

6. Lunar Geology One-plate planet No strike-slip faults, no seismicity
Impact-induced, vertical tectonics
Impact-controlled volcanism
basaltic lava flows found only in the near-side impact basins
impacts thinned and weakened crust
Earth’s gravity helped to pull lavas out

7. Viking
Orbiter
Global mosaic

8. Mars Topography

9. Polar Topography

10. Type 1 = basaltic
Type 2 = andesitic

12. Martian
dust storm

15. Use of Global (Extraterrestrial) Data Sets
Forces students to grapple with observations vs. interpretations
“sinuous trough” vs. “river valley”
A new data set might instantly change all interpretations, but good observations remain
Forces students to make testable hypotheses
Does Mars (Venus, Europa) have Earth-like plate tectonics?
what observations are needed to answer this question?