This course will discuss theories of the major processes of Earth dynamics: plate tectonics and internal convection; the continents and their history of breakup, drifting, and collisions; the ocean basins and their formation by seafloor spreading and their relation to upwelling in the mantle; and other important Earth phenomena will be related to plate tectonics, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, biological evolution, and climate changes.

• Jan 7,9 (C1, C2) - Introduction; Geological Time
• Jan 14, 16 (C3, C4) - Minerals and Rocks; Seismology
• Jan 23 (C5, C6) - Seismology
• Jan 28, 30 (C7) - Magnetics; Plate Tectonics
• Feb 4,6 (C8) - Plate Tectonics; Deformation
• Wednesday Feb 6 - First Exam (topics)
• Feb 11, 13 (C9) - Divergent Margins; Transforms
• Feb 18, 20 (C10) - Convergent Margins; Plate Interiors
• Feb 25, 27 (C15, C16) - Hazards; Resources
• Mar 3,5 (C11) - Water; "Rare Earth"
• Wednesday, March 5 - Second Exam(topics)
• Mar 10 - The Heat Within, Presentations
• Mar 11-14 - WCAS Reading Period

• Lab #1 - Rock Density
• Lab #2 - Geological Age Dating
• Lab #3 - Earthquake Magnitude, Location & Snell's Law
• Virtual Earthquake Project - You will need the latest JAVA on your computer in order to run the program.
• Classcode is: 936195
• Lab #4 - Seafloor Spreading and Magnetic Anomalies
• Lab #5 - Focal Mechanisms and Plate Boundaries