Date

Topic

notes

Text chapter

Learning objectives

Sep

4

Introduction

1

How the course works and what to do to be successful and learn a lot about the earth.

Sep

6

History of the earth & geol. time

1

8

How did the earth form, when, and from what?  How has it changed since then?  How long is geological time?

Sep

11

Atoms, bonding and crystals

2

2

What is matter made of?  What are minerals made of, and how are they put together?

Sep

13

Minerals

2

2

What are the characteristics of a mineral, and how do we group them?

Sep

18

Minerals

2

2

What is the nature of silicate minerals? What is a ferro-magnesian silicate?

Sep

20

Minerals

2

2

What is the nature of feldspar and quartz?

Sep

25

Rocks and magma

3

3

Understand the rock cycle.  What is magma and how does it cool and turn into rock?

Sep

27

Intrusive igneous rock

3

3

What happens when igneous rocks cool underground?

Oct

2

Volcanic rocks

3

4

What are the characteristics of various types of volcanic eruptions and of volcanic rocks?

Oct

4

Weathering

4

4

How are rocks turned into sediments?  How do we classify sedimentary rocks?

Oct

9

Sedimentary rocks

4

5 & 6

What environments are sedimentary rocks formed in?

Oct

11

Metamorphic rocks

4

7

What is metamorphism and how and where does it happen?  What are some common metamorphic rocks?

Oct

16

Review 

How can I do well on the test?

Oct

18

Midterm test

Oct

23

Glaciation and glacial deposits

5

12

Why do glaciations happen?  What are the erosional effects of glaciation?

Oct

25

Other unconsolidated deposits

5

What do glacial and other unconsolidated deposits look like?

Oct.

30

Plate tectonics

6

19

What was understood about global geology 100 years ago?  Who was Alfred Wegener and what did he suggest?

Nov

1

Plate tectonics

6

19

What is the internal structure of the earth, and how do the different layers interact with each other?

Nov

6

Plate tectonics

6

19

What was the evidence for plate tectonics that was gathered up to about 1960?

Nov

8

Plate tectonics

7

19

What are the mechanisms of plate tectonics?

Nov

13

Plate tectonics

7

19

How do moving plates affect the geology of the earth?

Nov

15

Earthquakes 

8

16

How do plate motions lead to earthquakes?  How do earthquakes happen, and how do we measure them?

Nov

20

Earthquakes 

8

16

What is the risk from earthquakes on Vancouver Island?

Nov

22

Geology of BC  

What are the major geological components of B.C., and when and how did they form?

Nov

27

Geology of  Vancouver Island

What are the major geological components of Vancouver Island and when and how did they form?

Nov

29

Review

How can I do well on the final exam?