GEOL-201 Sedimentary Geology

GEOL-201 Sedimentary Geology – Spring 2013

Instructor: Steven Earle PhD, P.Geo.

Office: 360/304a

Office hours: Tuesday through Friday. 11:00-11:30 (or any other time that I’m there)

GEOL-201 is focused on the features of sedimentary depositional environments and on the charac-teristics of sediments and sedimentary rocks that accumulate in those environments. Wherever possible we will look at field examples of the actual depositional environments or of rocks deposited in those environments, or both. The course will include a great deal of field work. We will also spend time learning about and using methods that geologists use to study sediments and sedimentary rocks in the field and in the lab.

Timetable (all in 370/107 or the field):	Wednesday class	Friday class	Friday lab
Timetable (all in 370/107 or the field):	11:30 to 1:00	11:30 to 1:00	1:00 to 4:00

The textbook is: Sedimentary Geology (2^nd Ed.) by D. R. Prothero and F. Schwab.

Major course topics

· Fluvial processes and features of sediments & rocks formed in river environments

· Glacial processes & features of sediments formed in glacial environments

· Near-shore marine processes & features of sediments & rocks formed in near-shore environments

· Sub-marine fan environments & features of rocks formed in sub-marine fans

· Shallow marine carbonate environments and features of carbonate rocks

· Grain-size analysis of sediments

· Trace fossils

· Lithostratigraphy & biostratigraphy

Course schedule

	Wednesday (class)		Friday (class and lab or field trip)

January	9	Introduction	11	Weathering and erosion
January	9	Introduction	11	No lab

	16	Fluvial processes	18	Fluvial processes
	16	Fluvial processes	18	*Nanaimo River field trip*

	23	Sedimentary structures	25	Sedimentary rock classification
	23	Sedimentary structures	25	*Fluvial rock field trip*

	30	Grain size classification	1	Interpreting grain size data
	30	Grain size classification	1	*Lab work on Nanaimo R. samples*

February	6	Mudrocks and sandstones	8	Shoreline processes
February	6	Mudrocks and sandstones	8	*Stephenson Pt. & Malaspina Cut*

	13	Glacial processes	15	Glacial processes and gravity flows
	13	Glacial processes	15	*Glacial sediments field trip*

	20	Carbonate depositional environments (and work with Belize samples)	22	No class – Steve away
	20		22	No class – Steve away

	No classes - spring break

March	6	Submarine fan environments	8	*Gabriola Island field trip*

	13	Trace fossils	15	Submarine fan environments
	13	Trace fossils	15	*Nanaimo Gp. s-m fan deposition*

	20	Carbonate rock classification	22	*Horne Lake field trip*
	20	Carbonate rock classification	22	*Horne Lake field trip*

	27	Lithostratigraphy	29	No Class – Easter Friday
	27	Lithostratigraphy	29	No Class – Easter Friday

April	3	*Sedimentary rocks in thin section*	5	Stratigraphic logs and cross-sections
April	3	*Sedimentary rocks in thin section*	5	*Harewood section measurement*

	10	Nanaimo Gp. Lutite Project	12	Nanaimo Gp. Lutite Project

Project

The GEOL-390 field course in Belize (during spring break) involves a study of carbonate depositional environments, and is directly relevant to this course. Some of you will be there, and for the others I plan to provide daily FaceBook updates of what we see and do. As a group project in GEOL-201 we will create a summary of the carbonate depositional environments and other relevant features on the Belize shelf.

Academic integrity

The following standards of academic integrity are copied from the Student Academic Code of Conduct. The entire policy can be found on the VIU website at http://www.viu.ca/policies/policy.asp?rdPolicyNumber=99.01. All students should read the entire policy document.

STANDARDS OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students are expected to meet the standards of academic integrity as indicated in this policy. Standards of academic integrity include, but are not limited to:

independently producing work submitted under one’s own name;
properly and appropriately referencing all work;
identifying all collaborators in work;
completing examinations without giving or receiving assistance, excepting those students requiring assistance due to a documented disability; and
respecting the integrity of examination materials and/or the examination process

Grading:

The plan for grading is as follows:

Field-trip participation and write-ups: 25%

Lab exercises: 10%

Assignments (3): 18%

Belize group project: 12%

Responses to readings 5%

Final exam: 30%

My objectives for your learning in GEOL-201:

1) Foundational knowledge: Acquire basic knowledge about sedimentary geology

2) Application:

a) learn how to think like a geologist

b) learn how to solve sedimentary geology problems that we encounter in the course

c) learn how to solve problems that are different from those that we encounter in this course.

3) Integration: Understand how sedimentary geology relates to other areas of earth science, such as plate tectonics, climate change, paleontology and groundwater.

4) Internalization: Get excited about sedimentary geology and recognize its importance to you and society. Learn something about yourself and your abilities; learn about other people.

5) Learn about learning: Become a more capable learner. Learn how to acquire and construct knowledge. Become a self-directed learner. Become a teacher, and discover something about how other people learn.